Category: MLB

After a preseason showdown against the Cleveland Browns, the New England Patriots will begin cutting down their 90-man roster. The team needs to make 37 moves ahead of the NFL’s deadline on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 6 p.m. ET. A majority of those personnel changes will come through the most straightforward roster reduction method: cutting players.

However, not all 37 transactions will be the same. The NFL has separate protocols for so-called vested veterans and players with less league experience. Veterans immediately enter the open market as free agents after being released, while the latter must pass through the waiver wire, where they can be claimed by another franchise or enter free agency if unclaimed.

What exactly does all of this mean for the Patriots and the NFL’s other 31 teams, though? Let’s break it down.

What is the NFL waiver wire?

Franchises will make their final preparations before the season, with substantial changes being made to league rosters. Players will either be waived or released, but not all will instantly become free agents and be free to sign with any team.

When a player is “waived,” they are subject to the waiver wire, where any team can claim them and assume their current contract. Currently, the waiver wire order is dependent on the NFL Draft order from this past April, but without any trades.

Teams file waiver claims at the same time. That being said, only the team with the highest claim in the order will successfully pick up the player and their current contract.

Which NFL players are subject to go on waivers and not be released?

A player’s time in the NFL determines whether they enter the waiver wire or become a free agent. Players with at least four years of accrued NFL service time are released. If a player is released, their contract has ended, and they are eligible to sign with any team.

However, if a player has less than four years of service time, they are waived and subject to waiver wire claims. Any player who is not claimed after being waived is eligible to sign wherever they’d like, including their former team’s practice squad.

The group of players being waived primarily consists of those who are not currently eligible for unrestricted free agency status entering the season. They would instead be either an exclusive rights free agent (less than three years of service) or a restricted free agent (three years of service).

Which Patriots cuts are subject to waivers?

In total, 40 of the Patriots’ depth players (not including starters and primary backups, or “roster locks”) will first have to pass through the waiver wire, where they might get claimed by any NFL team, before entering the open market.

• QB Mehren Morton
• RB Lan Larison
• RB Jam Miller
• WR Cameron Dorner
• WR Kyle Dixon
• WR Nick DeGennaro
• WR Tejhaun Palmer
• TE Tanner Arkin
• TE Jack Westover
• TE C.J. Dippre
• OT Dametrious Crownover
• OT Lorenz Metz
• OL Jacob Rizy
• OL Joseph Michalski
• OL Darrian Dalcourt
• OL Jack Conley
• OL Mehki Butler
• OL JonDarius Morgan
• DT Eric Gregory
• DT Isaiah Iton
• DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
• DT Casey Rogers
• DT Leonard Taylor III
• ED Bradyn Swinson
• ED Xavier Holmes
• ED Quintayvious Hutchins
• ED Amari Gainer
• LB Khalil Jacobs
• LB Namdi Obiazor
• LB Riley Wilson
• CB Karon Prunty
• CB Charles Woods
• CB Kobee Minor
• CB Channing Canada
• CB Marcellas Dial Jr.
• CB Brandon Crossley
• S Dell Pettus
• S John Saunders Jr.
• S Eric Butler
• S Peter Manuma

Which Patriots cuts are not subject to waivers?

Seven of New England’s depth players are vested veterans. If released, they would become free agents as soon as the respective moves were made official, meaning that they would all be free to sign with any team of their choosing.

• RB JaMycal Hasty
• RB Hassan Haskins
• OT James Hudson III
• OL Greg Van Roten
• LB Chad Muma
• LB K.J. Britt
• CB Kindle Vildor

What is the NFL waiver order right now?

The NFL waiver order during the preseason and the first three weeks of the regular season mirrors the 2026 NFL Draft order. Once we get through four games, it resets to the current NFL standings. So, the Las Vegas Raiders have the first crack at every player on waivers.

1. Las Vegas Raiders
2. New York Jets
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Tennessee Titans
5. New York Giants
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Washington Commanders
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Kansas City Chiefs
10. Cincinnati Bengals
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Indianapolis Colts
17. Detroit Lions
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Carolina Panthers
20. Green Bay Packers
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Philadelphia Eagles
24. Jacksonville jaguars
25. Chicago Bears
26. Buffalo Bills
27. Houston Texans
28. San Francisco 49ers
29. Los Angeles Rams
30. Denver Broncos
31. New England Patriots
32. Seattle Seahawks

How does the NFL waiver system work?

Let’s assume the 31st-ranked Patriots and 32nd-ranked Seahawks are the two teams to place a claim for a player. He will end up in New England due to the organization’s superior ranking. The team with the lowest bid will always end up with the player.

Teams can add as many players through waivers as they want, but they might have to make corresponding roster moves to fit them on their 53-man team and/or under the salary cap.

Have the Patriots made any moves yet?

In order to stay on top of every transaction involving the Patriots’ roster cutdowns on Sunday, ahead of the waiver claim deadline on Monday, make sure to regularly visit our Patriots roster cut tracker.

All eyes were on Buffalo Bills second-year cornerback Maxwell Hairston during the team’s preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hairston started at cornerback Thursday night, and there’s been plenty of attention paid to his missed tackle in the open field early in action.

To that end, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic shared that head coach Joe Brady gave a very definitive and public vote of confidence in Hairston, stating to reporters that “(h)e’s our starting corner” when asked if there’s a competition at CB2. That competition query of of course refers to the presence of rookie cornerback Davison Igbinosun.

Bills HC Joe Brady on Maxwell Hairston and if there’s a competition for CB2: “He’s our starting corner”

— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) August 28, 2026

The question now for One Bills Drive is whether or not they write Hairston’s name in pencil or permanent marker. That’s something Hairston will have to influence in his second season, and likely hold off any incursion by Igbinosun.

After putting a difficult rookie year behind him that saw his first season bookended by significant injuries, it appeared as though Hairston was setting up to take off in year two. Well, at least that seemed like the plan for as long as Sean McDermott was the head coach.

The trouble for Hairston may have been that McDermott’s future at One Bills Drive perished the same night of Buffalo’s playoff loss to the Denver Broncos last January. Though that could appear short-sighted when considering that the main person responsible for selecting him in the first round was still in house — Brandon Beane — and received a promotion to include president of football operations within his executive title as general manager.

Those injuries to his knee and ankle now behind him, it almost seems as though Hairston’s role on defense is more confusing than ever. The new regime saw fit to select Igbinosun early in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mind you, not as early as Hairston, but it was a significant addition considering the team’s defensive needs elsewhere. It was a decision met with quite a bit of confusion and controversy in the early going.

One can only imagine what Hairston thought of the move.

Hairston’s potential and athletic ability are both undeniable and off the charts. To think that only a select few were in on drafting him early is foolish. Any team would be happy to have Max Hairston, but it’s possible teams that prioritize man-cover cornerbacks wouldn’t place the same premium on rostering him.

Hairston spent the bulk of his college career playing zone-based coverage, and he was an observably solid fit for that scheme under McDermott. When Brady was chosen as the new head coach, he decided to go in a new direction on defense, hiring Jim Leonhard who has brought along a 3-4 base system that prioritizes attacking offenses while asking boundary corners to play press man.

At least we believe that to be the crux of the situation in 2026 and beyond. It’s possible that Leonhard has a plan for Hairston that defies any limitations exposed of him in man coverage. It’s also possible that Leonhard’s defense runs an exotic hybrid that allows Hairston to shine in zone looks. All we’ve seen of the new defense to this point is as bland as a flavorless snow cone.

We won’t know what’s true until Week 1 kicks off against the Houston Texans. Even then, it’s possible the team pivots based on need. Brady sounds like a straight shooter as someone who’s fairly generous with his time and effort at the podium. As such, he should be taken at his word. At least for now.

Outfielder Kevin Alcántara has been optioned down to Triple-A Iowa, in what I assume is a prelude to Matt Shaw being activated off the injured list tomorrow.

Catcher Michael Carico has been activated off the Development List and rejoined High-A South Bend.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs used an umbrella to ward away the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 7-6.

Andrew Wantz put the I-Cubs in a great place to win, giving them five scoreless innings on just three hits. Wantz struck out three and walked two.

Wantz left with a 5-0 lead, but Antoine Kelly gave all five runs back in the sixth inning, retiring only one batter before exiting.

Jaxon Wiggins tossed another scoreless inning of relief. He gave up a leadoff double and then after one out, he tossed a wild pitch to move the runner to third. But he got out of the jam with a strikeout and a line out to center.

Grant Kipp let the Storm Chasers take the lead in the eighth with a run, but he got the win when Iowa walked it off in the bottom of the ninth. Kipp allowed one run on one hit and two walks over two innings. He did not strike anyone out.

Catcher Owen Ayers hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth two score two runs and win the game. Ayers went 1 for 5.

Third baseman James Triantos led off the ninth inning with a single. He then stole second and went to third on an error on the throw. He scored the tying run in the ninth on Ayers’ double. Triantos went 2 for 4.

After Triantos made it to third with no outs in the ninth, first baseman Owen Miller walked and stole second. He then scored the winning run. Miller went 1 for 4 with the walk and two runs scored.

Left fielder Chas McCormick went 2 for 4 with a stolen base. He drove in two runs and scored twice.

Second baseman Ben Cowles was 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs batted in.

DH BJ Murray led off the second inning with his league-leading ninth triple. This after not hitting a single triple in all of 2024 and 2025. Murray was 1 for 3 with a walk and one run scored.

Ayers’ walk-off double. Maybe a major league center fielder catches that. Maybe he doesn’t. In any case, it would have tied the score.

OWEN AYERS WALKS IT OFF‼️ pic.twitter.com/9Z7eupUXJl

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 28, 2026

Nice defense from shortstop Greg Jones.

Greg Jones is probably faster than your favorite baseball player 🌬️ pic.twitter.com/nH5Kl7HIE3

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 28, 2026

And nice defense in center field by Justin Dean,

YOU ARE A WIZARD JUSTIN DEAN 🪄 pic.twitter.com/eTcv71qpzb

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 28, 2026

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies got shelled by the Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers), 8-1.

Jake Knapp started and took the loss after going 2.2 innings and allowing five runs on five hits. Two of those five hits were two-run home runs. Knapp did strike out seven while walking just one.

Brewers 2025 first-round pick Andrew Fisher had three home runs in this game, giving him 42 on the year.

Left fielder Carter Trice went 2 for 3 with an RBI double and a walk.

This game was delayed by rain in the seventh inning for an hour and 51 minutes.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were bitten by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 9-0.

Starter Nazier Mulé took the loss after getting hammered for five runs over 2.1 innings. Mulé surrendered three hits, walked four and had two wild pitches. Mulé struck out three.

South Bend only had four hits in the shutout. The only extra base hit was a double by second baseman Matt Halquist, who was 1 for 3.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans landed in the water against the Augusta GreenJackets (Braves), 8-4.

Starter Kevin Camacho allowed a two-run home run in the first inning and that was enough to give him the loss. He was good after that, going four innings and allowing two runs on just two hits. Camacho struck out three and walked one.

Center fielder Caden Sorrell kept the Pelicans in the game with a three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning, It was Sorrell’s third home run. Sorrell also had an RBI single in the first inning, giving him all four RBI on the game. Sorrell went 2 for 4 with a stolen base.

Corey Nunez was 3 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.

Sorrell’s home run.

SORRELL SMASHES ONE! pic.twitter.com/mzrpS3Ce53

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) August 28, 2026

The Cleveland Browns have 59 players who are subject to waivers if the team includes them among their roster cuts as they work to figure out who the initial 53-man roster will be. This becomes particularly relevant if Cleveland waives a player who you hope they can still eventually sign to the 16-man practice squad. During the waiver claim process, it’s possible another team can jump in and add them to their 53-man roster.

Which Cleveland Browns are subject to waivers?

• QB Dillon Gabriel
• QB Shedeur Sanders
• QB Taylen Green
• RB Ahmani Marshall
• RB Davon Booth
• RB Dylan Sampson
• RB Quinshon Judkins
• RB Raheim Sanders
• WR Ben Patterson
• WR Denzel Boston
• WR Gage Larvadain
• WR Isaiah Bond
• WR KC Concepcion
• WR Kole Wilson
• WR Luke Floriea
• WR Malachi Corley
• TE Carsen Ryan
• TE Drew Biber
• TE Harold Fannin Jr.
• TE Jermaine Terry
• TE Joe Royer
• C Kingsley Eguakun
• C Parker Brailsford
• T Austin Barber
• T Izavion Miller
• T Jeremiah Byers
• T KT Leveston
• T Spencer Fano
• G Zak Zinter
• DE Adin Huntington
• DE Jamil Muhammad
• DE Jared Verse
• DE Khordae Sydnor
• DE Logan Fano
• DE Tyreak Sapp
• DT Coziah Izzard
• DT Elijah Chatman
• DT Mason Graham
• DT Mike Hall Jr.
• DT Patrick Jenkins
• DT Travis Bell
• LB Carson Schwesinger
• LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold
• LB Edefuan Ulofoshio
• LB Justin Jefferson
• LB Nathaniel Watson
• LB Winston Reid
• CB Jeremiah McClendon
• CB Michael Coats Jr.
• CB Myles Harden
• CB Nate Evans
• S Christopher Edmonds
• S Donovan McMillon
• S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
• S Zion Washington
• K Andre Szmyt
• LS Rex Sunahara
• P Nik Constantinou
• P Wes Pahl

Which NFL players are subject to go on waivers and not be released?

Whether or not a player enters the waiver wire of becomes a free agent depends on a player’s NFL service time. Players with at least four years of accrued NFL service time are outright released. For example, if Deshaun Watson was released, he would immediately become a free agent. He would be eligible to sign with any team, with no waiting period involved.

However, if a player has less than four years of service time, they are waived and subject to waiver wire claims. Any player who is not claimed after being waived is eligible to sign wherever they’d like, including their former team’s practice squad.

What is the NFL waiver order right now?

The NFL waiver order during the preseason and the first three weeks of the regular season mirrors the 2026 NFL Draft order. After Week 3, the order resets to the current NFL standings. Will the Browns’ Super Bowl odds improve by the time that time rolls around? According to FanDuel, the Browns are 225/1 odds to win the Super Bowl, heading into final roster cuts. If they start winning early, by Week 4, maybe their waiver wire priority will be near the bottom of the pack.

The first batch of waiver claims will be due by 1:00 pm ET on Monday, August 31.

The Raiders will have first waiver claim priority for cutdowns to 53-man rosters, while the Browns will be sixth in line.

1. Las Vegas Raiders
2. New York Jets
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Tennessee Titans
5. New York Giants
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Washington Commanders
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Kansas City Chiefs
10. Cincinnati Bengals
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Indianapolis Colts
17. Detroit Lions
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Carolina Panthers
20. Green Bay Packers
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Philadelphia Eagles
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
25. Chicago Bears
26. Buffalo Bills
27. San Francisco 49ers
28. Houston Texans
29. Los Angeles Rams
30. Denver Broncos
31. New England Patriots
32. Seattle Seahawks

With training camp and the NFL preseason wrapped up, the New England Patriots are on to building their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season.

New England, including the league’s other 31 franchises, will need to reduce their rosters from a maximum of 90 to no more than 53 by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 30. As a result, hundreds of players will hit the waiver wire and the open market over the next few days, including up to 37 Patriots.

In addition to the roster cuts, a multitude of other transactions, ranging from trades, waiver-wire pickups, free-agent signings and players being moved to injury lists, will be made. To not get lost in all the action, we have you covered: welcome to our annual Patriots roster cuts tracker.

Make sure to bookmark and regularly visit this page, where we will compile all the latest news, rumors and instant analysis in one place. For an up-to-date look at the team’s roster, please click here. For all the latest odds about the Patriots’ 2026 season, head over to Fanduel Sportsbook.

Patriots moves

Soon to come.

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Patriots cutdown tracker

Latest news at the top. The Patriots had 91 players on their roster coming out of their preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns.

Soon to come.

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Patriots rumors tracker

Latest rumors at the top.

Soon to come.

Had Kayshon Boutte remained on the Patriots’ roster for Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, he would have been inactive.

Head coach Mike Vrabel revealed that detail Thursday night, speaking for the first time since Boutte was traded to the Houston Texans on Monday.

“That was one place where we do have some depth, and I think for all parties involved, that was probably the best thing,” Vrabel told reporters in Cleveland. “Without injuries, Kayshon probably would have been inactive. Unfortunately, it just, it’s kind of the way it was. It’s just with him not playing special teams.”

As Vrabel noted, New England’s wide receiver room is the deepest position on the roster, with A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism. All six are expected to be on the team’s 53-man roster.

The Patriots added both Brown and Doubs to the mix this offseason, pushing Boutte down the depth chart. Vrabel made sure to show appreciation for Boutte, as he often did throughout last season.

“I tried to thank Kayshon as many times I could. I texted him again today,” Vrabel said. “It’s just his maturity, his growth, his ability to put into words last year and share his own personal struggle, but also the growth that he made from that. That’s positively going to affect a lot of people. And I know that that wasn’t easy for him to do, and I tell him all the time about how much I respect him for being able to do that.”

The Patriots traded Boutte to the Texans for safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick. Reed will add depth at safety while also providing another option on special teams.

The San Francisco 49ers just finished up their final preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders and now will be scrambling to make final roster cuts to the 53-man roster. We say scrambling because the team needs to get on a plane to Melbourne, Australia, to play the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. With that in mind, they need to figure out who is and isn’t going so they can make travel arrangements.

Over at FanDuel Sportsbook, the 49ers are currently sitting as 3.5-point underdogs in their game against the Rams. Since the game is in Australia, not in San Francisco or Los Angeles, it’s safe to say many of those odds were initially set based on the rosters.

While the 49ers are a bit more urgent, all NFL teams will be trimming their rosters from 90 to 53 in the coming days. The deadline to have a 53-man roster is Sunday, August 30 at 3:00 PM PST.

Those cut are either released outright or waived—depending on their time in the league. There are a few wrinkles in 2026 the 49ers can take advantage of. First is IR.

If a player is placed on IR, two players can be tagged as designated to return and can come back after missing at least four games. Teams must tag a player in this category, however. They can’t pick and choose players later in the season after putting them on IR months earlier. Any other players placed on IR (READ: Ricky Pearsall) are done for the year.

Then there’s the physically unable to perform or PUP list. If a player is on this list, it means they were placed on it before the season began. The moment they practice or play in even a preseason game, they are off the PUP list. Any players on PUP are subject to the same four-game minimum as one on IR. The difference is that PUP players didn’t practice or play in the preseason.

Players with at least four years of experience are released and become unrestricted free agents. They can go anywhere and sign with any team. No restrictions. Those under the four-year threshold are subject to waivers and the waiver wire. The following players have been, or are associated with, the 49ers’ 90-man roster this year and are subject to waivers:

QB Kurtis Rourke
QB Adrian Martinez
RB Kaelon Black
RB Jordan James
RB Sincere McCormick
WR De’Zhaun Stribling
WR Jacob Cowing
WR Jordan Watkins
WR Wesley Grimes
WR Will Pauling
TE Brayden Willis
TE Hayden Rucci
TE Khalil Dinkins
OG Dominick Puni
OG Connor Colby
OL Carver Willis
OL Drake Nugent
OL Enrique Cruz Jr.
OL Isaac Alarcon
DL Romello Height
DL Alfred Collins
DL Gracen Halton
DL CJ West
DL Sebastian Valdez
DL James Thompson Jr.
DL Bryson Eason
DL Evan Anderson
LB Jaden Dugger
LB Tatum Bethune
LB Nick Martin
LB Larry Worth III
CB Renardo Green
CB Upton Stout
CB Ephesians Prysock
CB Jakob Robinson
S Malik Mustapha
S Patrick McMorris
S Marques Sigle
S Jalen Stroman

On waivers, teams can claim players, but the order is determined by the draft order from earlier this year. The 49ers picked 27 (or at least their pick was 27, since they traded it to the Miami Dolphins), so they will be the 27th team to make a selection. So if there’s any player on waivers they want, then they have to wait for 26 other teams to decide they don’t want that specific player. Any team that makes a waiver claim must open a roster spot to keep the roster at 53 players. If the player is claimed, another player is waived/released in return.

Also, this isn’t like fantasy football; a team can’t place four waiver claims in order of importance and get only one before things switch to the next team. Any team can make multiple claims, and if they’re ahead of the 49ers, they can get all the players the 49ers may want—provided the team has opened roster spots for those players. That means the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets can be much more active on the waiver wire than the Seattle Seahawks, who go last due to winning the Super Bowl.

The current waiver order is as follows:

1. Las Vegas Raiders
2. New York Jets
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Tennessee Titans
5. New York Giants
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Washington Commanders
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Kansas City Chiefs
10. Cincinnati Bengals
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Indianapolis Colts
17. Detroit Lions
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Carolina Panthers
20. Green Bay Packers
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Philadelphia Eagles
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
25. Chicago Bears
26. Buffalo Bills
27. San Francisco 49ers
28. Houston Texans
29. Los Angeles Rams
30. Denver Broncos
31. New England Patriots
32. Seattle Seahawks

The 49ers have a lot of waiting to do if they want any hot players that couldn’t fit on any of the teams before them. That said, the teams before them need to do a lot of roster reshuffling. The one thing to take from all of this is that the 53-man roster you see on Monday isn’t going to be the same 53-man roster you see on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Or Monday a couple hours later.

Memphis Redbirds 3, Charlotte Knights 2 (10 innings)
Davis Martin looked terrific in his first rehab start, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and one walk with five strikeouts. Here’s hoping it was a preview of what he can provide when he returns to Chicago.

The Knights (68-61) gave Martin a little support in the second when Andy Weber launched a two-run homer, but that was the beginning and end of Charlotte’s offensive production. The Knights managed only three more hits and failed to score again because apparently two runs were plenty — until they weren’t.

Tanner McDougal surrendered two tallies in the sixth to earn his second blown save, continuing a rough return to Charlotte during which he has allowed seven earned runs over 4 2/3 innings. The 2-2 tie held through nine before Jaden Woods took over in the 10th. Memphis bunted the ghost runner to third and brought him home with a single to take a 3-2 lead. Charlotte attempted the same strategy in the bottom half, but Edgar Quero could not get the bunt down and Ryan Galanie followed with a fielder’s choice that erased Mario Camilletti at third. A wild pitch moved Galanie into scoring position, but Michael Turner popped out to end the game — and the Knights’ brief tutorial on how not to manufacture an extra-inning run.

Postseason watch: There’s little to no chance at the playoffs for the Knights. They are in eighth place and eight games out of first.

MVP
Davis Martin: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K

Runners-Up
Andy Weber: 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2B
Caden Connor: 1-for-3, BB, 2 SB
Aidan Anderson: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB

Cold Cat
Tanner McDougal: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, BS

Runners-Up
Jaden Woods: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), BB, 4 K, L
Mario Camilletti: 0-for-4, K
Michael Turner: 0-for-5, 2 K

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Rocket City Trash Pandas 7, Birmingham Barons 4
The Trash Pandas tapped Connor McCullough for three runs in the first, but then he settled in to toss three scoreless frames. Birmingham (53-70) got on the board in the second when Jorge Corona smashed a solo shot to center, and the Barons pulled within one in the fourth when Ryan Burrowes singled and Corona drove him home with a three-bagger. The comeback was complete in the fifth. Caleb Bonemer worked a two-out walk, and Alec Briley followed with a two-run homer to right field, putting the Barons ahead, 4-3.

That lead survived until the ninth, when Rocket City dropped four runs on Jonathan Clark, handing him the unfortunate double whammy of his sixth blown save and the loss. Birmingham went down in order in the bottom half, ending the night with a 7-4 defeat and no last-minute heroics to soften the landing.

Postseason watch: The Barons are 27-27 in the second half and sit two games out of first place with 15 games remaining as they chase a chance to defend their back-to-back Southern League championships. There’s plenty of runway left, but setting the plane on fire in the ninth is generally discouraged.

MVP
Jorge Corona: 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, 3B, HR, 2 K

Runners-Up
Alec Briley: 1-for-4, R, 2 RBI, K, E
Jackson Kelley: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Pierce George: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K, H

Cold Cat
Jonathan Clark: 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 0 BB, K, BS, L

Runners-Up
Connor McCullough: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BB, 6 K
Dylan Campbell: 0-for-4, K
Anthony DePino: 0-for-4, 2 K

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Winston-Salem Dash 10, Bowling Green Hot Rods 7
The Hot Rods zoomed out to a two-run lead on a two-out blast off Dylan Carmouche in the first, but the Dash (68-54) answered with a crooked number in the third. Jackson Appel drew a leadoff walk, Derek Cerda singled and the pair pulled off a double steal before Ely Brown ripped a two-run double. A wild pitch brought Brown home two outs later, giving Winston-Salem a brief 3-2 edge. Brief was the operative word. Bowling Green reclaimed the lead with two runs in the fourth, only for the Dash to take it right back in the bottom half, with Kaleb Freeman’s RBI single helping put Winston-Salem ahead, 5-4.

The Dash finally stopped trading punches in the sixth, erupting for five runs to blow the game open. James Taussig and Cerda each doubled, and George Wolkow cleared the bases with a triple to stretch the advantage to 10-4.

As it turned out, Winston-Salem needed nearly every one of those insurance runs. Aric McAtee loaded the bases on three straight singles in the seventh before allowing a two-run knock, and Jarold Rosado surrendered another RBI single after taking over to make it 10-7. Thankfully, Rosado put out the fire, and Jake Curtis silenced the Hot Rods over the final two frames to secure the Dash victory — because apparently a relaxing finish would have been too much to ask.

Postseason watch: With the win, the Dash are tied with the Hot Rods for first place in the division. Bowling Green has already secured its playoff spot, and if the season ended today, Winston-Salem would claim the division’s other postseason berth. The Dash hold a 2 1/2-game lead over the third-place Greenville Drive with nine games remaining.

MVP
George Wolkow: 1-for-5, 3 RBI, 3B, 2 K

Runners-Up
Ely Brown: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 2B, SB
Javier Mogollón: 2-for-5, R, RBI, PO, 2 K, CS
Derek Cerda: 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, SB
Jake Curtis: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, S

Cold Cat
Aric McAtee: 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, K

Runners-Up
Dylan Carmouche: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K, W

---

Hill City Howlers 7, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 6
Gabe Tanner dug the Cannon Ballers (65-58) an early hole, serving up five runs over the first two frames. Abraham Núñez opened the game with a single, but Kannapolis did not muster another hit until the seventh inning. By then, Hill City had also smacked a solo homer in the sixth to stretch the deficit to 6-0. The Ballers finally broke up the shutout in the seventh, scoring on a bases-loaded walk and a wild pitch before Steven Lancia launched a two-run homer in the eighth to pull Kannapolis within two.

Unwilling to go quietly, the Ballers completed the comeback in the ninth. Núñez delivered an RBI single, and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch forced home the tying run as Kannapolis stormed all the way back from six runs down. Unfortunately, the bullpen had other plans. Marco Barrios packed the sacks in the bottom half before surrendering a walk-off single. All that work climbing out of the crater, only to step on a rake at the finish line.

Postseason watch: Despite slotting in at second place, the Ballers are 7 1/2 games behind the Hickory Crawdads with only nine games remaining.

MVP
Steven Lancia: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, HR, K

Runners-Up
Abraham Núñez: 2-for-4, RBI, BB
Clay Burdette: 1-for-4, R, RBI, 2 K
Jake Berkland: 1-for-3, R, RBI, BB

Cold Cat
Marco Barrios: no outs, 2 H, R, 2 BB, L

Runners-Up
Gabe Tanner: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, BB, K
Alexander Albertus: 0-for-3, 2 K

The Yankees dropped their series with the Astros after a futile offensive performance on Thursday.

But it's the defense of their rookie shortstop that has raised eyebrows. 

George Lombard Jr.'s defense was touted as "major league ready" for awhile and he showed that when he was first called up to the big leagues. However, he made his seventh error of the season Thursday. Of those seven, he's made one error in at least six straight games. 

The defensive misplay occurred in the eighth with the Astros up 4-1. Yainer Diaz hit a roller to the left side that both Jose Caballero and Lombard charged at. The third baseman gave way to Lombard, who booted it. The ball was hit to Caballero, who tried to throw out the runner and end the inning, but it sailed. 

George Lombard Jr. has committed six errors in his last six games pic.twitter.com/GGklOW70gd

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 28, 2026

"I don’t know [what's going on], it’s something I’m trying to figure out," Lombard said after the loss. "It’s not acceptable, can’t happen at this level. If you make your pitchers get extra outs and makes it way harder on us. Teams will definitely capitalize. It’s something I have to clean up and I’ll be better tomorrow." 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone called the play a bit tricky since Lombard wasn't sure whether Caballero was going for it, and by the time it reached him, there was some indecisiveness, which played into what caused the error. 

Although the Yankees dropped the series to the Astros and have a huge four-game series with the Red Sox coming up, most of Boone's postgame was about Lombard's defense, asking what is going on with his rookie shortstop. The Yankees skipper didn't have any definitive answers, and said that he and other players have gone through similar defensive lulls. 

In Boone's mind, it's about "go make plays instead of guarding against a mistake."

"The good thing about George is that he’s so skilled and gifted out there. And foundationally, he’s really good," Boone said. "He will get through it, just gotta get a few going and start playing carefree. That’s why I hang my hat, foundationally speaking, he’ll get through this and put it in the rearview mirror."

When Lombard first got to the team, he accumulated plus-8 Defensive Runs Saved across his first 11 games. That has since dropped to plus-6 and his six-game error streak has put him in rare company. According to Katie Sharp, Lombard Jr. is the first Yankees shortstop to have such a streak since Roger Peckinpaugh in 1915.

Despite that, Boone and the rest of the team believe in Lombard and that this is just a part of the process.

"Errors happen, and unfortunately, they happen in groups for everyone," Gerrit Cole, who took the loss Thursday, said. "It’s important to remember he’s a young player and he’s working his tail off to get better."

"We all have the utmost confidence in George out there," Ben Rice said. "We know the ability he has out there. We trust him to stick with it and we know what he's capable of and it's fun to watch when he's in rhythm out there."

Lombard Jr. says he's gone through stretches like this in the past and understands there are ups and downs to the game. He'll talk to the coaching staff to see if there's anything he's doing or can do to try and figure out what's going on, but Lombard Jr. is confident this will pass.

"My mindset every single play is I want the ball to you. That doesn't change whether it’s going great or not," he said. "I’m still going to put 100 percent effort into making every play I can.

"Obviously it’s frustrating. It’s not something I want to happen. My main focus is turn the page and make the next play. It’s definitely not something I’m happy with at all... Tomorrow is another day and I have to be better." 

The Yankees and Lombard Jr. hope that error streak ends Friday as the Red Sox come into town for a crucial four-game series with major playoff implications. It's the 21-year-old's first taste of the rivalry, but he is ready.

"I'm excited for it. Obviously, have to treat it just like another series and see what we can do against them," Lombard Jr. said. "Going to look into them and see how we can find ways to win. It's going to be exciting." 

Aaron Boone likes to compartmentalize and, with all the hype that will probably accompany this weekend’s series in the Bronx between the Yankees and Red Sox, that’s probably the wise way to approach it, no matter how crucial the series may be. 

“It’s like, what do we got Friday?” the Yankees’ manager asked rhetorically. “We got Cam (Schlittler) going and, go out there and try and play our best. Don’t get obsessed with the results and the results of the weekend when you’ve got to take care of the first pitch of the first inning on Friday night. So that’s how I look at it.” 

Smart outlook, but try telling that to either fanbase. Doubtless, those folks are torqued up about the results. And they should be. The final series of the season between the teams – barring playoffs, of course – is a gut check that’s also loaded with October implications. Might even be a referendum on whether the Yanks can handle being force-fed lefty pitchers come the postseason, too.

At one point this year, it looked like this four-games-in-three-days clash would just be so much schedule-filler. The last time the Yanks and Sox met, in June, Boston came in 14 games below .500, a wreck that had long before fired manager Alex Cora.

But they wiped out the Yanks in four games at Fenway Park, a sweep that started a binge. Since then, the Red Sox are 41-14, including a 15-game winning streak that matched their franchise record, and have morphed into one of the most dangerous teams in the American League. 

“They got us at their place pretty good,” as Aaron Judge put it Thursday. He added: “They went on a great run and continue to play some great baseball, so it’ll be exciting here.” 

“The reality is, they pitch really well every day,” Boone said, “both from a starting standpoint and a bullpen standpoint. Some of the people they brought in, like (Willson) Contreras – he’s come in and been a beast and a staple in the middle of their order. You’ve seen guys like (Ceddanne) Rafaela go to another level. They’ve had some of their support parts kind of step up and play well, so they're one of the best teams in the game right now.”

So are the Yankees, who are 75-58 after losing the finale of a series to Houston Thursday. That 5-1 loss was a bad game for the Yankees; their offense fizzled again and kid shortstop George Lombard Jr. made an error for the sixth consecutive game, a considerable red flag. So most of the postgame questions were about empty swings or Lombard’s confidence. 

Still, the Yanks sit in second place in the AL East division, four games behind the Rays, and own the first AL wild card spot. Boston (73-60) is six out and holds the second AL wild card. 

The Red Sox lead the season series, 5-4, so splitting the series would give Boston a tie-breaker against the Yanks. Every little bit helps, especially considering that the AL is no juggernaut league this year.

Unless either team makes a big move in the division race – or fades to third in the wild-card scramble – Yanks-Red Sox looms as the most likely first-round playoff match. What fun. 

And hosting that series figures to be vital. Hosting helped the Yanks last October when they dropped the first game of the Wild Card Series to Boston at Yankee Stadium and then won the last two games in a friendly space. 

Not having home-field obviously hurt the Yanks one series later. Toronto was a hellscape for the Yankees last season. The Blue Jays won the season series and, thus, the division when both clubs finished 94-68, so they held home-field when the teams met in the AL Division Series. The Jays splattered the Yanks in each of the first two games in Toronto before the Yanks salvaged Game 3. Their season ended in Game 4. 

It’s all a tasty backdrop to Yankees-Red Sox this weekend, which features a day-night doubleheader Saturday. The Yanks are sending a Sox-killer to the mound Friday in Schlittler: He has a 0.68 ERA in four starts lifetime against his hometown team, including a playoff gem last year. 

Judge, unfortunately for the Yanks, won’t play, though he says he feels good as he continues to recover from a stress fracture in a rib. But Max Fried might return. He could face the Red Sox in one of the doubleheader games. “We’ll see,” Boone said. 

Even if Fried doesn’t pitch in this series, he’ll be back soon after. Judge, who says he feels good, is aiming for a return next month. When the Yanks are whole, they should be even more imposing. 

“People got on us about running it back, but we had a special, special thing last year,” Judge said. “I know it didn’t end the way we wanted it to. But to get us all healthy, see some good things from our young guys filling some holes for us, we’ll be right where we need to be. 

“I think our pitching staff has carried the load all year and it’ll continue to carry the load into the postseason. But once you get all our guys helping the offensive side, that’s going to be dangerous.” 

Still, potential October opponents will be watching this series for intel they can use against the Yanks. Boston is scheduled to start three left-handers in the four games – Patrick Sandoval, Jake Bennett and Ranger Suarez. Without the right-handed Judge, the Yanks are down a significant weapon against lefty pitching. 

The Yanks’ skew left-handed, so they might seem vulnerable against southpaws. While the Yanks are 28-17 this year in games started by left-handers this year, their numbers have backslid against them since Judge last played on May 31. 

They are 27th in average (.226) and 25th in OPS (.664) against lefties since then and they have the second-highest strikeout percentage against them. 

It’s a question the Yankees will have to manage this weekend and beyond. There will be questions about Lombard, too, as well as the offense, which had seemed revived, at least for the three games before Thursday night. 

“We’ve got to flip the script here,” Boone said. In one of the biggest series of the year, no less.

Boone and the Yanks will compartmentalize. The rest of us? We’ll obsess over the results and all their implications.