Francisco Alvarez appears to have found his power stroke in the minors.
The Mets’ young backstop lifted a home run for the second straight game, cutting into Syracuse's late-inning deficit with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth on Saturday night.
He jumped on a first pitch fastball and punched it 412 feet the other way with an exit velocity of 110 mph.
Alvarez would strike again just one inning later, this time crushing a 3-1 fastball down in the zone to dead center for a three-run homer with Syracuse down to their last out.
The 23-year-old finished the night 2-for-4 with two homers and five RBI.
He’s now left the yard seven times and has an .878 OPS in 12 games since being sent back down.
With Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger not offering much offensively, you have to figure Alvarez may be back at the big league level when the second half kicks off next week.
Top prospect Drew Gilbert has also been making a strong case for a potential promotion.
Gilbert left the yard earlier in the game, too -- cutting the lead in half at the time with a no-doubt two-run homer deep over the right-field fence.
He picked up a single a few innings later, and then drove in the scorching hot Pablo Reyes with a double down the right field line in the bottom of the ninth.
The lefty-hitting outfielder came into the night with a .272 average and .880 OPS since the beginning of June, and only saw those numbers go up as he picked up three more knocks.
With the Mets still looking for someone to take hold of the strong side of their center field platoon, perhaps we could see him receive a shot to show what he can do ahead of the trade deadline.
Not much went right for Syracuse on the pitching side, but one of the lone bright spots was Brooks Raley.
The left-hander put together another easy appearance as he draws closer to his big league return.
With another punchout, Raley now has 13 across 9.0 scoreless innings during his minor league rehab stint.
Carlos Mendoza said this week that the next step is for him to pitch in back-to-back games, so we could potentially see him back out there Sunday, and if all goes well, he may return for the start of the second half.
Getting Raley back would be a massive boost for a bullpen that was tremendous on Sunday, but has proven to be extremely leaky as they've dealt with injuries the past few weeks.
With free agency beginning to die down, the hockey world was left anticipating what the Dallas Stars might do to address their cap situation, as they were more than $1.5 million over the cap limit going into Thursday.
That all changed on Thursday, as the Stars traded defenseman Matt Dumba - along with a 2028 second-round pick - to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok. Dumba, 30, had one year remaining on a contract that pays him $3.75 million annually, so sending him to Pittsburgh gave the Stars the cap relief they needed to be compliant.
As for Pittsburgh, the acquisition of Dumba brings about some questions that may need to be addressed before the 2025-26 season starts. Combining the Dumba trade with the deal that brought defenseman Connor Clifton to Pittsburgh - in conjunction with the signings of Parker Wotherspoon and Alexander Alexeyev as well as prospects Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke knocking at the door - there has been a bit of a logjam created on the back end for the Penguins on both the left and the right sides.
And this is where things start to get interesting with Penguins’ top defenseman Erik Karlsson.
It is well-known at this point that Karlsson, 35, is on the trade market for the Penguins. Acquired in a blockbuster deal during the summer of 2023 from the San Jose Sharks, the three-time Norris Trophy winner has failed to help Pittsburgh get back to the playoffs in consecutive seasons, rendering the initial reasoning for the trade a moot point as the team mires itself in a rebuild.
It hasn’t been all bad for Karlsson in Pittsburgh, as he still registered 11 goals and 53 points this season for the Penguins and has been the primary driver of offense - and, really, nearly the only driver of offense - from the blue line. He has put up 22 goals and 109 points in two seasons for the Penguins, and this was after his third Norris campaign, when he had a whopping 25 goals and 101 points with the San Jose Sharks in 2022-23.
Anyone who expected that much from Karlsson in Pittsburgh was probably expecting too much. However, his level of production, oftentimes, hasn’t outweighed his mistakes, especially on a team like the Penguins that lacks defensive structure as it is. At the end of the day, Pittsburgh is not a particularly good hockey team right now, and a high-ceiling, low-floor player like Karlsson is probably not what they need right now for the stage they’re in.
So, when the Penguins traded for Dumba, they created an even bigger logjam on the right side than they had previously. The right side of their blue line - including Karlsson - now occupies $23.18 million of combined cap space, and it features four players who have pretty much played full-time NHL minutes for the past several seasons.
With eight defensemen already rostered - not including Pickering, Brunicke, and roster hopeful Jack St. Ivany - there are too many defensemen for too little spots. If the Penguins truly want to put an emphasis on development - and, even, on the hope that they can flip Dumba and/or Clifton at the deadline for picks - keeping four full-time NHL defensemen on the right side doesn’t make much sense.
Given all of the above factors, it stands to reason that the Dumba move was, perhaps, a precursor to the eventual departure of Karlsson.
Of course, a lot has to happen in order for Karlsson to actually leave Pittsburgh. He has a full no-movement clause, meaning he has full control over if and where he goes. Also, the Penguins owe him $10 million of his $11.5 million AAV for two more years, which - even with the cap rising - is a hefty contract for a contending team, likely against the cap, to take on.
In other words, there would have to be retention on any deal, and there has to be a will and a want from the player to vacate Pittsburgh in favor of another city. It has been rumored that Karlsson is willing to waive his no-movement clause to go to a contender, but part of the problem is that most contenders literally can’t afford him - even with retention.
Perhaps the Carolina Hurricanes are interested in replacing Brent Burns. Maybe the Toronto Maple Leafs are willing to send a contract to the Penguins in return so they can bolster their right side. Maybe the Ottawa Senators are interested in a reunion and will perform some gymnastics to make it happen.
And, if you’re the Penguins, this is probably the hope. But they also aren’t just going to give Karlsson away for nothing. They know the value he brings to their blue line in terms of offense and how he is capable of driving play almost entirely on his own. They’ll want fair value in return, and retention will only up the price.
If the Penguins have it their way, Karlsson will, likely, be in a different uniform to begin the 2025-26 season, and they’ve made moves - like the Dumba trade - that indicate that it’s their intended direction.
But, at the end of the day, it all comes down to what Karlsson wants. Now the Penguins - and the hockey world - await what’s next.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have brought in multiple new players so far this off-season. This includes forward Anthony Mantha, as the Penguins signed the veteran winger to a one-year contract that carries a $2.5 million cap hit. It also comes with an extra $2 million of potential performance bonuses.
While this was not necessarily one of the biggest moves made this NHL off-season, it has the potential to be a solid, low-risk one for the Penguins. Mantha has shown during his career that he can be an impactful offensive contributor, and he should get the chance to play in Pittsburgh's top six when looking at their roster. Thus, he will be in a position to succeed with the Penguins.
The main reason why the Penguins were able to get Mantha at such a reasonable cap hit is that he missed most of this past season due to ACL surgery. In 13 games with the Calgary Flames in 2024-25, he posted four goals, seven points, 16 hits, and a plus-6 rating. Overall, he was well on his way to having a good campaign before it came to an abrupt end.
When looking at Mantha's past offensive success, there is reason to believe that he could be a strong addition to the Penguins' roster. The 6-foot-5 forward has recorded at least 20 goals and 40 points three times in his career, so he is capable of making an impact. This includes during the 2023-24 season, as he had 23 goals and 44 points in 74 games split between the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights.
If Mantha can stay healthy and produce solid offense for the Penguins, he will be a nice pickup for the Metropolitan Division club. It will be fascinating to see what kind of campaign he has from here.
New Penguins Defenseman Is Sneaky Good AdditionThe Pittsburgh Penguins have brought in several new players this off-season. One of them is Connor Clifton, as the Penguins acquired him and the 39th pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau.
It's been a good summer for Fred VanVleet. The veteran point guard got a new two-year, $50 million contract with the Houston Rockets, a team that has loaded up and will enter next season as a title contender.
Now he has also been elected the new president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA, the players' union).
"It's truly an honor to be elected as President of the NBPA by my peers and I look forward to continuing to advocate for the best interest of all the members," said VanVleet. "With a deep appreciation for the complexities and challenges players face on all levels of their NBA journeys, I am committed to approaching this role with the passion, dignity, and dedication every player deserves."
VanVleet takes over for CJ McCollum, who guided the NBPA through the last CBA negotiation with the league.
VanVleet is the kind of respected veteran player who is well-suited to lead the union —a level-headed person who can push back against the league when necessary. It wasn't just VanVleet who was elected, so was the full board. Here are the other officers:
• Grant Williams, First Vice President • Mason Plumlee, Secretary-Treasurer • Jaylen Brown, Vice President • Jaren Jackson Jr, Vice President • Donovan Mitchell, Vice President • Garrett Temple, Vice President • Karl Anthony Towns, Vice President • Gabe Vincent, Vice President
LAS VEGAS- In a battle that featured three 2025 lottery picks, the anticipation didn’t outweigh the on-court production.
The No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg played much better than he did against the Lakers on Thursday, which was a welcomed sight for Dallas fans. He finished with a game-high 31 points in the Mavericks' 76-69 loss to the Spurs on Saturday. Flagg continued to facilitate well, but he only ended up with one assist after having four against the Lakers, and he was once again impactful on the defensive end.
Despite a dramatic jump in scoring, it never felt like Flagg was forcing shots, which Mavericks coach Josh Broghamer was complimentary of.
"I think he just continues to make the right plays,” Broghamer said. “Whether it's drive by the guy who's pressuring him or, we used him a little bit more as a roller and off the ball a couple of times, just to kind of get him some easier catches... But again, he just continues to make the right plays and do the right things."
Flagg’s two-way impact was on full display at the end of the third quarter. He drove through the middle of the paint and dunked the ball with a few seconds left and followed that up by blocking a last-second three-point attempt.
Though Flagg shot far more efficiently, life still wasn’t easy for him, especially early on. Carter Bryant, who San Antonio selected with the No. 14 pick in the draft, was a big reason for that. He matched up with Flagg almost every single time they were both on the floor, and his defensive ability that made him a lottery pick was evident.
When Flagg wasn’t on the floor, Bryant spent a few possessions guarding Ryan Nembhard. There is a huge difference between guarding an undrafted, six-foot guard and a 6’9” forward that was taken with the first pick, but Bryant was effective in both roles. He has the upside to be an elite defender in the NBA from day one, though he does tend to find himself in foul trouble. He had four fouls in 27 minutes against Dallas, and he averaged 4.3 fouls per 36 minutes as a freshman at Arizona last season.
Bryant didn’t have much success on the other end, missing all seven of his shot attempts. However, he wasn’t bothered by his poor shooting performance.
“The shot’s gonna fall, and the shot’s not gonna fall,” Bryant said. “At the end of the day, I’ve been shooting the basketball the same exact way since I’ve been four or five years old. It’s gonna fall, I believe I’m gonna be one of the best shooters in this league. You know, an 0-for-7 performance, I think I shot like 1-for-6 in the last game, like that’s not gonna define what I am as a basketball player. So, being able to have other things to fall back on, to be able to affect the game positively outside of making shots and scoring the basketball is just my main focus.”
Of course, Dylan Harper, who San Antonio added with the second pick last month, made his Summer League debut after missing their first four games with a minor groin injury. He played a little less than 20 minutes, which was by design. There was no reason to make him play heavy minutes in an exhibition game.
During his time on the floor, he was effective on both ends. Harper finished with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in the win. He displayed the ability to create shots for both himself and others, which was why he was drafted so early. However, his defensive production stood out.
"I think if you don't play defense, you're not going to be able to play on the court,” Harper said. “So, just trying my best, just learning new stuff, how to go over screens, guard the ball, stuff like that. It's definitely an area I look to grow and just keep on getting better at."
Bryant was complimentary of Harper’s block, saying “he looked like me a little bit.”
The future combination of Harper and Bryant on the perimeter is scary enough, but having Victor Wembanyama sitting behind them as well is going to make this team quite difficult to score on, especially in the playoffs.
Harper also was effective as the primary ball handler and in an off-ball role. On a team that also has De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, it’s encouraging to see Harper make an impact in a role that he could play a lot during his rookie year.
The best part of this for fans is that the Mavericks and Spurs will face off at least four times every season, so this entertaining matchup could develop into one of the best divisional rivalries in the league over the next few years.
"It was a good game,” Harped said about his matchup with Flagg. “I had a good game. We kind of just showed the NBA world what we're about... I mean, we're going to play him a lot this year. So, I mean, the future battles are going to be great."
The Mets didn't make it easy, but they pulled out the win on Saturday afternoon against the Royals, thanks in large part to Edwin Diaz and their bullpen.
Juan Soto provided the power with his two-run blast, but without Diaz and the rest of the relievers, the Mets may not have been able to hold down their 3-1 win in Kansas City.
After starter Frankie Montas allowed back-to-back doubles to lead off the sixth, manager Carlos Mendoza went to his bullpen to get the final 12 outs. The Mets' pen has been taxed enough in the first half of the season, but they've been very efficient and they've gotten the job done more often than not. But after a hard-fought comeback win on Friday, Mendoza was asking for his bullpen to deliver another win.
First came Reed Garrett. The right-hander pitched a clean inning in Friday's win and was coming in with a runner on second and no outs, nursing a one-run lead. Garrett would get the next three hitters out, including Bobby Witt Jr., to end the sixth. Chris Devenski was next up and although he struggled with his command, the defense behind him allowed for the Mets to escape the seventh still up a run.
Then came the eighth inning, and the decision of the game for Mendoza. The second-year skipper called on closer Edwin Diaz to pitch to the Royals lineup in the eighth.
"That wasn’t the original plan there. Threw him out there in the eighth because of what was coming up for them," Mendoza explained. "I thought that was the game right there and I was going to figure out the ninth."
In the eighth, the Royals were sending Jonathan India, Witt Jr, and Vinnie Pasquantino, the top of Kansas City's order. Diaz would get India to line out to Brandon Nimmo, but after Witt Jr. worked a walk, the Mets defense, and a big of good fortune, lifted Diaz and the Mets out of the inning.
Witt Jr. attempted to steal second and looked to have successfully done so. The Mets dugout challenged the call and the MLB Replay Center saw it in New York's favor.
Diaz would get Pasquantino swinging to end the eighth and a 1-2-3 ninth -- aided by a great Tyrone Taylor catch in right-center field -- ended the game, and Diaz's six-out save.
"Because of the caught stealing and he was pitch efficient," Mendoza said. "We got the All-Star coming up here, he’s going to get a break. If there was a time this time of the year where we need him to go multiple, this is the time."
Mendoza said he checked with Diaz in between innings and there was "no hesitation," and he was good to pitch the ninth. It was Diaz's fourth appearance of one-plus innings this season, the first since July 2.
"I didn’t make many pitches in the first inning so that was a big plus for me," Diaz said of the decision. "I knew I was going to be fresh for the second one."
The Mets bullpen combined to pitch four scoreless innings without allowing a hit and just walking two batters. It also helped the Mets win their series against the Royals and have a chance to sweep the series on Sunday before the All-Star break.
It's a break that Diaz will get to enjoy a bit as he'll head to Atlanta with Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and David Peterson to play in the All-Star Game. And Sunday showed why Diaz was selected for the Midsummer Classic.
Since April 22, Diaz has allowed juse one earned run. In that span, he's pitched 28.1 innings and allowed 13 hits, two runs (one earned) and seven walks while striking out 40 batters. He's also notched 13 saves in that time.
"[The first half was] Great. Didn’t start really good, but I find a way to pitch better," Diaz said of his season so far. "Keep throwing the ball how I’m throwing it the last two months has been great. Being on the mound to help this team win makes me feel happy. Whenever I have a chance to be on the mound, I just want to win. That’s what I’m doing now. I’m really glad about my first half."
Dodgers prospect Josue De Paula celebrates after hitting a home run during the MLB Futures Game at Truist Park in Atlanta on Saturday. (Matt Dirksen / Getty Images)
The center fielder for the Dodgers’ Class A Great Lakes affiliate is a former first-round draft pick. The other two outfielders were selected for the Futures Game.
Who’s the best outfielder on the team?
“We’re all good, brother,” said the left fielder, Josue De Paula. “We’ve all got talent. We all excel somewhere.
“Us together? It’s a dream squad. I don’t feel like you see that much talent that often.”
De Paula flashed his considerable talent Saturday, hitting a three-run homer that decided the National League’s 4-2 victory over the American League and earned him the Futures Game most valuable player award.
The only other Dodgers prospect to win that award: infielder Chin-Lung Hu, in 2007.
“This is definitely motivating for me,” De Paula said. “Mentally, it was a big moment, to prove, especially to myself, who I really am.”
De Paula’s home run traveled 416 feet, triggering a round of fireworks in the sky and a lump in De Paula’s throat as he crossed home plate.
“I was overtaken by emotion,” he said, “especially doing it in front of my dad.”
His father lives in New York City. The Midwest League is far away.
Perhaps the major leagues are not so far away. De Paula is 20, but he is in his fourth pro season. The Dodgers signed him out of the Dominican Republic, but he was born in New York City and he is a second cousin of former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury.
“Baseball called me,” De Paula said. “I fell in love with it at a young age.”
Zyhir Hope, the Great Lakes right fielder, also appeared in the Futures Game. He singled ahead of De Paula and scored on the home run, so he was waiting at home plate to congratulate De Paula.
Hope, also 20, smiled when asked what he liked about De Paula’s game.
“Everything,” he said. “He takes it easily. He’s calm, relaxed and laid back, but he works hard. He’s a great dude.”
Before the season, Baseball Prospectus ranked De Paula and Hope among the top 10 prospects in baseball. Currently, MLB Pipeline ranks both among the top 40.
De Paula offers power, speed, and advanced plate discipline, although scouts wonder whether he can stick in left field or might need to try first base or designated hitter. Hope has advanced from a good-fielding prospect with uncertain hitting skills in the Chicago Cubs' system — the Dodgers got him in the Michael Busch trade — to a gap hitter with speed.
This is the time of year, of course, where contenders trade prospects to fill major league needs. Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, rarely trades his top prospects, and De Paula ranks No. 1 in the Dodgers’ farm system. On the other hand, the Dodgers need pitching help.
“I do want to get to L.A. I hope that’s in God’s plans,” De Paula said. “At the end of the day, we never make the decisions. We’ve just got to focus on what we need to do on the field and whatever happens, happens.
“But I really do hope I become a Dodger and I stay there for a very long time.”
SAN DIEGO — The script had simply been written and followed too often recently for the Phillies and it went something like this: very good starting pitching not supported enough by a lackluster offensive effort. The epilogue has been a disheartening loss followed by statements of what should have been and questions of what could have been.
Saturday at Petco Park, they didn’t get the start they have become accustomed to from ace Zack Wheeler and the offense couldn’t hold leads or take advantage of some run-scoring opportunities as the Phillies lost to the Padres, 5-4.
They are now 1-4 on this west coast trip with the last game before the All-Star break set for Sunday.
Wheeler’s troubles began early when he gave up three runs on four hits while having to use 32 pitches in the second inning. Jackson Merrill had a two-run blast to highlight the inning for the Padres, who wiped out a 2-0 Phillies lead. The Phillies jumped out in front again with two runs in the fifth on a two RBI single by Edmundo Sosa, who replaced Alec Bohm who left after getting hit with a pitch in the ribs earlier in the game. Merrill then tied the game in the sixth with his second home run of the night off Wheeler … and the Giants scratched a run off the Phillies bullpen in the 7th.
“Early on I just didn’t feel right, didn’t feel the same so I had to make some adjustments,” said Wheeler, who now has a 2.36 ERA on the season. “I threw 10 first-pitch strikes today and it was probably just facing these guys so close to each other. Just wanted to be a little bit more careful today because I knew I could be aggressive with the fastball and I know they were probably looking for it. So more just getting into counts that I was comfortable with today.
“Obviously still trusting your stuff, but facing a good lineup almost back to back you kind of don’t try to second-guess yourself but be a little bit more careful, probably.”
Wheeler last faced the Padres on June 30 and went eight scoreless innings. He allowed just six hits and struck out 10 in that 4-0 win.
Before the game, manager Rob Thomson professed his faith in reliever Jordan Romano, who he pointed out had given up zero runs in eight of his last 10 outings. Of course, when you give up a game-winning, inside-the-park three-run homer in the last outing, as Romano did Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants, that may make confidence wane.
It didn’t for the manager as he brought in his lanky righty with men on first and third and one out in the seventh inning to replace Tanner Banks, who started the inning. Romano did give up a sacrifice fly to Manny Machado as the Giants grabbed a 5-4 lead. He then struck out Gavin Sheets to end the frame.
The Phillies got two runners on in the eighth but Brandon Marsh popped out to short to end it. They also finished the fifth and seventh innings with two runners on base.
“I don’t think so,” said Thomson if his team is pressing a little bit to score runs. “About a week ago they were feeling it, but I don’t think right now, not after the 13-run game in San Francisco and we had three hits with runners in scoring position today, so it’s one of those things but I don’t think it’s on their minds.”
Often the case is made that some teams are so ready for the break that comes at All-Star time that they are already halfway out the door to enjoy their vacations. That certainly doesn’t seem to be the case with this group. The vision seems there, though the timely hitting just doesn’t seem to be at times. The starting pitching is almost always a positive presence.
“I’m just assuming it’s the complete game and maybe he’s a little fatigued,” said Thomson of Wheeler, who threw 108 pitches in a complete-game, one-hitter against Cincinnati last Sunday. “His velocity was good, he just left some balls in the middle of the plate. Strike-to-ball ratio was a little bit lower than normal. He gave us six good innings.”
Now it’s time, at least for Wheeler, for some well deserved rest and relaxation after declining his invite to participate in Tuesday’s All-Star game. “Consistency, start in and start out,” Wheeler said of his assessment of himself in the first half. “For the most part I’ve been consistent. It’s always kind of my thing to be the best version of myself every time out. Baseball’s hard and sometimes you’re going to have days like today. It stinks, but it is baseball at the end of the day. It’s part of it.
“Break is always nice no matter when it is. It’s the heat of the summer and things might be catching up to you a little bit. It’s nice to have a few days off and do a little reset and get ready for the second half push. Everything feels good. I feel strong.”
Bohm update
Bohm was hit in the second inning with a 92-mile an hour sinker from Padres starter Yu Darvish. Although he batted once more, his spot at third base was taken by Edmundo Sosa in the fourth inning. The injury was called a left rib contusion and Rob Thomson said his third baseman was pretty sore. They will check on Bohm Sunday but Thomson seemed to think he wouldn’t be in the lineup.
As things stand, Juan Soto still won’t be heading to the All-Star Game next week in Atlanta, but he continues showing exactly why he should be.
The slugger has carried his historic month of June into the first two weeks of July.
Soto helped put things away on Friday night, using the opposite-field to go back-to-back with Francisco Lindor in the top of the ninth as the Mets secured a 8-3 series-opening victory in Kansas City.
He struck again on Saturday afternoon, this time lifting a two-run shot off of Royals right-hander Jonathan Bowlan into the fountain in right-center to get the scoring started in the top of the third.
The blast traveled 431 feet and left the bat at a scalding 106.6 mph.
It proved to be a difference-maker, as the Mets held on for a second straight victory.
“That was pretty impressive,” Carlos Mendoza said. “You don’t see too many people go up there in this ballpark, off the bat it was definitely pretty impressive -- I’ve see a lot of balls hit by Juan and I don’t know that is the hardest one.”
Soto now has 23 long balls on the season, which ties his first-half career-high.
He’s also up to a .266 average with 56 RBI and a .919 OPS over his first 95 games as a Met.
Still, somehow not good enough to be among the NL All-Stars.
“He’s been doing this for the last month and a half or so,” Mendoza said. “It’s hard to understand and believe that he’s going home for the next four days for now as opposed to going to Atlanta, but that’s something that’s out of our hands.
“The good thing is he continues to play the way he’s capable of and as expected -- he’s a guy who is going to just go out there and he’s going to continue to do everything he can to help us win baseball games, he’s an All-Star.”
Though Soto has been particularly locked in of late -- driving in runs in four of his last five games -- he says it has nothing to do with his surprising snub.
“You just forget about that,” the slugger said. “It’s baseball, it’s part of it -- like I said before, it’s a roster of 25 players and there are like 300 players in the league, so it’s really tough to get in, next time I’m just going to try harder and see what I can do.”
The Ottawa Senators' goaltending situation seems like it's in a good place these days.
Linus Ullmark and Leevi Meriläinen are expected to hold down the fort at the NHL level in 2025-26, while down in Belleville, three netminders will likely duke it out for the top two AHL spots.
They've got Mads Sogaard, who will be making NHL money this season, no matter where he plays. So he's probably got dibs on the number one role. Veteran goalie Hunter Shepard just came over from the Washington Capitals organization and won back-to-back AHL titles in 2023 and 2024. So he may have the edge on the much younger Jackson Parsons for the B-Sens' number two role.
All that normalcy, a little depth and stability, are a nice change of pace because not that long ago, stability was the last word anyone would’ve used to describe goaltending in the Senators organization.
Let’s rewind to the crazy, unforgettable 2022–23 NHL campaign – the year the so-called Goalie Graveyard moniker was never more applicable.
It was the Season of 13 Goalies.
It started with optimism. The Sens had just acquired veteran Cam Talbot from Minnesota in a swap for Filip Gustavsson. Talbot was supposed to be the reliable veteran presence. Instead, he took a puck to the ribs in training camp, missed the first month, and never quite got on track. He still ended up leading the team in games played (36), but the numbers weren't great, and the Senators let him walk in free agency that summer.
Talbot ended up being another name in a series of goalies who couldn't stabilize the goaltending like Sens fans had hoped. Looking in your direction, Matt Murray and Joonas Korpisalo. No, Linus. You stay out of this. Go wait in the car, please.
Next up after Talbot was Anton Forsberg. In a game against the Edmonton Oilers in February of that season, Travis Hamonic accidentally shoved Oilers forward Zach Hyman onto Forsberg’s right leg. The result? Torn MCLs in both knees, which ended his season. Yes — both knees.
Goaltending gods, what did Ottawa do to offend you?
That left young Mads Søgaard to carry the torch for a while. He got into 19 NHL games that year, while also playing 22 down in Belleville. In true Sens fashion that season, he, too, missed time with injuries.
And the goalie carousel in Ottawa just kept spinning.
Kevin Mandolese: 3 games
Dylan Ferguson: 2 games
Leevi Meriläinen: 2 games
Magnus Hellberg: 1 game, because why not?
That’s seven different goalies in one NHL season.
Meanwhile, in Belleville? Even more chaos. The B-Sens iced ten different goaltenders that season. Count ’em:
Antoine Bibeau – 23 games
Søgaard – 22 games
Mandolese – 17 games
Ferguson – 8 games
Logan Flodell – 5 games
Meriläinen – 4 games
Luke Richardson – 3 games (no, not that Luke Richardson)
Mark Sinclair – 1 game
Ryan Bednard – 1 game
Lucas Peressini – 1 game
That’s a total of 13 different goaltenders used across the NHL and AHL rosters in a single season — a number that still feels absurd no matter how many times you say it.
Thankfully, we've hit better days. But Sens fans won’t soon forget that year – the legendary, chaotic, unlucky Season of 13 Goalies.
By Steve Warne Sens Nation Hockey Image credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Juan Soto's home run was enough for the Mets and the bullpen in their 3-1 win over the Royals on Saturday afternoon in Kansas City.
-With Michael Lorenzen (illness) scratched, the Royals went with a bullpen game but Carlos Mendoza decided to keep the same lineup he originally had, and it was just good enough on this day.
The Mets' bullpen allowed just two walks across four scoreless innings to clinch the series against the Royals.
Here are the takeaways...
- Soto started at DH after fouling a ball off his thigh in Friday's win. It's the 22nd start at DH for the slugger, so he acted like a DH and blasted his 23rd homer of the season in the fourth, putting the Mets up 2-0. Soto's blast went 435 feet at 106.6 mph into the fountain in right center field.
Soto tied his career-high home runs in the first half, which he did a season ago with the Yankees.
- After Soto's homer, 15 straight Mets were retired by Royals pitching until Brandon Nimmo drew a two-out walk in the eighth. New York wouldn't get another hit until Pete Alonso's one-out double in the ninth that Jeff McNeil -- starting in right for Soto -- drove home with a two-out single to give the Mets a 3-1 lead.
- Francisco Lindor stole his 200th career base just before Soto's homer. He becomes just the third MLB player to reach 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases (Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins).
- Mark Vientos broke out in a big way on Friday with his go-ahead, bases-clearing double. And he continued the good vibes with a 1-for-3 day, extending his hitting streak to three games.
- Frankie Montas was on the mound and was effective against an anemic Royals lineup. He pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and retiring 15 of 16 batters at one point. However, Montas gave up back-to-back doubles to lead off the sixth and that was it for Mendoza. The Mets skipper brought in Reed Garrett, who pitched a clean inning on Friday, to try and keep the Mets' lead.
After a Garrett throwing error trying to pick off Jonathan India at second, allowing the infielder to move to third, the Mets reliever got Bobby Witt Jr. to hit a shallow fly ball and Vinnie Pasquantino to ground out to Alonso. All-Star Maikel Garcia then hit a line drive but right atMcNeil in right field to get out of the inning.
Montas threw 83 pitches (55 strikes), allowing one run on four hits, now walks and striking out five batters through his five-plus innings.
Chris Devenski was handed the seventh inning and didn't have as smooth a frame. Devenski faced runners on first and second (walk, HBP) with one out. Luisangel Acuna made a good play at second to get the runner at second, and Devenski forced a 4-1 groundout to get out of trouble.
Edwin Diaz was handed the eighth and after Witt Jr. reached on a one-out walk, the 2024 AL MVP runner-up seemingly stole second base. Like last night, the Mets challenged the safe call and the same result occurred. Witt was deemed out and Diaz got out of the inning unscathed following a strikeout of Pasquantino.
Diaz, in his second inning of work, got the Royals in order to end the game.
Game MVP: Mets bullpen
The bullpen was great. From Garrett's Houdini act in the sixth, to Diaz's two-inning save, the relievers delivered.
The Mets and Royals wrap up their three-game set and the first half of the season on Sunday. First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m. on SNY.
Clay Holmes (8-4, 3.29 ERA) will start with Sean Manaea making his season debut set to pitch after. The Royals will send LHP Noah Cameron (3-4, 2.56 ERA).
Rooker delivered three of the A’s four RBI on the night, with his thunderous bat providing the two most decisive offensive moments of the game for his team.
With the A’s trailing 2-1 in the third inning, Rooker roped a double down into right field off Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman, tying the game after facing an early deficit.
Rooker delivered the game’s decisive blow in the fifth inning, launching a towering two-run home run over the left field wall, breaking a 2-2 tie and giving the Athletics a lead they wouldn’t relenquish.
It was Rooker’s 20th home run of the 2025 MLB season, and provided a glimpse into the kind of power that earned the slugger an invite to participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday night in Atlanta.
“Impacting the game like that is fun,” Rooker told Jenny Cavnar and Dallas Braden on “A’s Cast” following Saturday’s win. “I’ve been looking for a big swing for a few games now and was finally able to get one. So, helping us get a win tonight is always enjoyable.”
A day after nearly pulling off an incredible come-back win, the A’s delivered a one-run victory of their own, with a chance to take the series and gain invaluable momentum heading into the all-star break by beating Toronto on Sunday afternoon.
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Saturday afternoon. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
Once upon a time, Shohei Ohtani wasn’t expected to start pitching this season until after the All-Star break, if not later.
In hindsight, how much more dire things would be for the Dodgers had they ultimately stuck to that initially conservative plan.
Needing a spark, a jolt or just some shred of momentum Saturday to break a season-long seven-game losing streak, the Dodgers got it from Ohtani, who opened their skid-halting 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants with the best performance of his return to pitching yet.
Still managing a limited workload as he builds up following a second career Tommy John surgery, Ohtani only pitched three innings — the first time he’d gone even that far in his five pitching starts this season.
And in the box score, it was bulk man Emmet Sheehan who was credited with the win, following Ohtani with 4 ⅓ innings of one-run ball to end the Dodgers’ longest losing streak since September 2017.
But on a day the Dodgers were looking for a tone-setter, and waiting for one of their superstar talents to take the reins, Ohtani delivered another scoreless outing on the mound, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out four.
"Overall a very efficient outing,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “Three innings today. I was glad that I was able to prevent runs and we were able to keep the lead throughout the game."
The first inning was Ohtani’s most impressive. He opened with seven straight fastballs to strike out Mike Yastrzemski (on a 99 mph heater) and Heliot Ramos (on another that blazed in at 99.9 mph). Rafael Devers came up next and waved at a couple sliders, also going down swinging in what was Ohtani’s second consecutive inning (going back to a start against the Houston Astros last week) in which he struck out the side.
“Especially when it’s a team that is chasing us, playing good baseball, to come out there and punch out the side, it was big,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It does set the tone.”
The two-way star wobbled ever so briefly in the second, walking Jung Hoo Lee on four pitches with two outs. But, in one of the more impressive developments of his return to pitching over the last month, Ohtani adjusted quickly, executing a perfect sweeper/fastball combination on the inside part of the plate to jam Casey Schmitt for the inning’s third out.
"He threw a lot of fastballs to start his outing and kind of recognized that, 'Hey, we've got 'em on one side of the ball. Let's kind of flip the script on 'em a little bit,’” catcher Dalton Rushing said. “That's what he did.”
Having thrown only 23 pitches at that point, Ohtani got the green light to pitch into the third inning for the first time this year. The inning started with a pop-out from Dominic Smith. Patrick Bailey froze for a called third strike on a slider. And after Yastrzemski lined a single, Ohtani induced a can of corn to center from Ramos to complete his 36-pitch outing.
"It's kind of the standard,” Rushing said. “When he goes out there, that's what we expect of him, and I'm sure that's what he expects of himself. ... He went out there, he gave us three strong innings, allowed us to get a lead early, and we rode it out and was able to pull one out."
In nine total innings this season, Ohtani has yielded just one run, five hits and two walks while striking out 10.
There’s still a ways to go before he’s built up for full-length pitching starts. But every early indicator is that his potential as a starting pitcher remains among the league’s elite.
“Obviously, early on, we were planning on him not pitching with us until [he had] more of a higher buildup, as far as four or five innings,” Roberts said. “But his anxiousness to get back on a big-league mound kind of prompted [an earlier return]. And then from that point on, it’s been pretty deliberate.
“I think it’s also been helpful for Shohei to kind of dip his toe in the water, as far as logging some innings going into the break,” Roberts added, “and having somewhat of a foundation going out through the second half.”
Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan delivers during the seventh inning against the Giants on Saturday. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
The Dodgers, of course, will remain cautious with Ohtani’s workload (especially if he continues to scuffle at the plate, with his 0-for-4 performance Saturday dropping his batting average to .205 since he began pitching on June 16).
But there’s no denying the outsized influence of his arm, which has given the Dodgers (57-39) a tangible lift.
"It's getting more normal, which is crazy,” Roberts said before Saturday’s game, having barely gotten over watching Ohtani splash a home run into McCovey’s Cove the night before. “I don't see Barry Bonds pitching the day after he hit a ball into the ocean. It's crazy. Yeah, it's not commonplace. Pretty exciting."
Saturday’s win wouldn’t have been possible without Sheehan, either, with the 25-year-old right-hander coming off his own Tommy John surgery following Ohtani’s scoreless start with a string of zeroes himself.
After walking two of his first three batters, Sheehan retired the next 12 he faced before the Giants (52-44) finally got to him in the eighth, loading the bases on two singles and a walk to knock him out of the game.
But by then, the Dodgers had already built a 2-0 lead — with both runs scored by Michael Conforto, who led a quiet day from the Dodgers' lineup with three hits.
And after reliever Alex Vesia came on and limited the damage to only one run, closer Tanner Scott slammed the door in the ninth; securing a much-needed save, and a long-awaited Dodgers win.
“It's good to finally put a W on the board,” Ohtani said. “I hope that this is the beginning of a bunch of wins to come."
We are still two days away from the break kicking off, but MLB held the annual All-Star Futures Game on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
Two of the Mets’ top up-and-coming prospects were among the young talent on hand.
Right-hander Jonah Tong was the second pitcher of the afternoon for the National League, and he looked as filthy as ever.
He dropped a breaking ball to win an eight-pitch battle with Seattle's Harry Ford, got Detroit's Josue Briceño to line out to short, then closed his inning with a groundout from Rangers prospect Sebastian Walcott.
Tong threw 19 pitches (11 strikes) and he topped out at 97 mph with the fastball.
"I felt good out there," he told SNY's Michelle Margaux postgame. "The bullpen walk I'd never done before so I was trying to keep it a steady pace, so I'm glad that went well and I thought I'd have more butterflies, but it felt natural to be out there."
The 22-year-old has been nothing short of spectacular this season -- pitching to a 1.83 ERA and 0.92 WHIP while striking out a minor league-leading 125 batters across 15 outings with Double-A Binghamton.
He certainly seems to be knocking on the door of a call-up to Syracuse.
— Mets Player Development (@MetsPlayerDev) July 12, 2025
Carson Benge, the Mets' 2024 first-round pick, was also in attendance, and while he didn’t receive the start for the National League, he did play the last two innings in left field.
Benge laced one 301 feet the other way during his lone at-bat, but it found the glove of the left fielder.
"It was fun being able to meet everyone," he told SNY postgame. "Seeing Jonah out there and all of the competitive ball from some of the top talent in the minor leagues, it was just a really cool experience."
The outfielder has absolutely shined in his first full season since transitioning to strictly a position player.
He raked his way through the pitching-friendly confines of Brooklyn and has picked up right where he left off thus far in Double-A -- hitting .302 with three doubles, two homers, and a .956 OPS over his first 13 games.
With these two headlining a talented Mets farm system, the future is certainly looking bright in the Big Apple.
George Lombard Jr. was the Yankees’ lone rep at this year’s All-Star Futures Game.
“It’s awesome to be here, it’s an honor,” the young infielder said pregame. “Being able to get here and represent that logo, represent the Yankees -- all the guys I’ve played with and the coaches that’ve helped me is an awesome experience.”
Lombard Jr. slotted into the nine spot as he received the start at second base for the American League.
He saw just two plate appearances, but certainly was able to make his mark.
The 20-year-old drew a one-out walk in the top of the third, and immediately advanced his way into scoring position with a stolen base while mic’d up on the MLB Network broadcast.
After moving to third on an infield single, he got a terrific jump on contact and scored the opening run of the game on a groundout right back to the pitcher.
Two innings later, Lombard Jr. laced a leadoff double off the left field fence, but he ended up being stranded there this time around, as the next three batters were retired easily.
George Lombard Jr. (@Yankees No. 1 prospect) barrels this one up for a leadoff double in the 5th! 💪
He was finally retired to end the top of the seventh, lining out sharply to shallow center.
Lombard Jr. finished the day 1-for-2 with a double, a stolen base, a walk, and a run scored.
"It was a great experience, a lot of fun," he said postgame. "It was cool just being out there with the guys and being with the guys in the field and getting to face some of them, it was just an all around good day."
The former first-round pick was able to get off to a tremendous start this season, quickly raking his way through High-A Hudson Valley before receiving the call-up to the next level.
He has struggled a but following the promotion, but is settling in along the way.
“It’s been good so far,” Lombard Jr. said. “Some small adjustments, a couple of tweaks here and there, but I’m just going out there and playing baseball -- the last few weeks I’ve finally started to hit my stride and feel comfortable.”
