KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 10: Kansas City Royals catcher Elias Diaz (43) walks to the dugout after warming up before a MLB game between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals on May 10, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Royals announced they have designated catcher Elías Díaz for assignment and recalled infielder Tyler Tolbert from Triple-A. Díaz appeared in 10 games and hit .227/.261/.591 with two home runs in 23 plate appearances.
The Royals added him as a third catcher when Salvador Perez was experiencing hip problems that prevented him from catching, but the team appears to be satisfied with his ability to stay behind the plate. The team could try to bring Díaz back to Omaha if he clears waivers. The Royals originally signed Díaz to a minor league deal back in February. The 12-year MLB vet has appeared in 840 career MLB games and was an All-Star in 2023 with Colorado.
Tolbert returns after an earlier stint in which he appeared in seven games, and went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and a caught stealing. The 28-year-old infielder/outfielder has been used mostly as a pinch runner in late game situations. He was hitting .260/.365/.288 with eight steals in eight tries in 20 games for Omaha.
Adric at Daikin Park. May 6, 2026. | Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
The travels of the de facto Traveling Correspondent have begun, and we are now sorting through the highlights and lowlights of the experiences while providing in-person coverage for True Blue LA during the 2026 season.
As the Dodgers have mucked about in the mud with their actual rivals and dispatched their de facto rivals, on the eve of the rematch between last year’s laugher of a National League Championship Series, before Adric and I return to the road, let us reflect on what invariably came before…
The first road trip of 2026 was inevitably, ultimately, always going to be a spectacular letdown. To be fair, when the last act was the two most hallowed words in sport, followed by arguably the greatest game ever played, virtually nothing but perfection could possibly follow up as the next act.
So once I psyched myself out by lowering my expectations, I told myself that I was going to enjoy this outing no matter what. Acknowledging that fact was a lot easier said than done, which gives me some insight into what the Dodgers themselves must be thinking and feeling these days. Yes, they ride at the pinnacle of the sport, but one would be remiss not to notice that victory has at times defeated them.
After all, it’s hard to gin oneself up to go to St. Louis and Houston in early May, but I survived. The addition of going to St. Louis was the final addition to my 2026 itinerary, as it was cheaper and less hassle to get to Houston from St. Louis than frommy home base in San Francisco.
In retrospect, considering my slightly bum leg that I have been nursing for about a month, I probably should have just paid the extra amount and just done the three-game set in Houston. That said, I did get some nice footage of budget seating at Busch Stadium while the Dodgers ground into eight double plays over two games.
Seeing Dodgers baseball in St. Louis is like being in sweaty pajamas around the house: folks might judge you a little, but it’s comfy, and sometimes that is enough. What I found amusing was both the near-constant applicability of my Japanese skills in both St. Louis and Houston and the sheer shock my conversational Japanese would elicit from the unsuspecting.
More often than once in St. Louis and Houston, I had to play de facto translator, which made me smile and call my mother afterward, which goes to show the ongoing Japanese language work is still paying dividends.
Unapologetic
The main draw of this trip was my first visit to Houston, which I honestly had mixed feelings about beforehand for obvious reasons. I had a feeling this portion of the trip would be my hair shirt, and sadly, I was right. For those who do not know, a hair shirt is generally any self-imposed punishment used to show contrition.
I have gorged at the buffet of plenty. To complete the MLB circuit, I have to take my medicine.
I previously wrote that I was largely over 2017 before visiting Daikin Park. Saying that you’re over something is a much bigger challenge when you are having the thing you are allegedly over being thrust in your face at seemingly every opportunity over three generally forgettable days in Houston.
Imagine the sprawl and majesty of Tokyo, then remove anything interesting, and then remove the ease of transit, and what is left is a logistical nightmare without a vehicle. Apparently, there is a system of pedestrian tunnels in Houston for getting around downtown, which are currently entirely unhelpful for navigating the immediate area around Daikin Park.
While I did meet some lovely people in Houston, the main things that stood out were both the spectacular failures of Daikin Park as a baseball venue and the sheer unapologetic nature of the Houston faithful. What I did not anticipate was just the sheer audacity of the Astros’ cheating in 2017 being thrown in my face. I took a tour of the facility, which I knew would anger me. It did, but my ultimate victory came in not showing it.
During the three-game series, Manager Dave Roberts said that he had largely gotten over the scandal. He’s a better man than most.
While Padres fans and Blue Jays fans can be annoying (entitlement without many accomplishments to back it up), and Giants fans can be downright frustrating (especially when besting the Dodgers is the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal campaign), the majority of Astros fans I encountered seemed to take glee from their obstinacy.
Here’s the hard truth, people: there is no getting through to these people. Normally, these field reports do not turn into history lessons on dead horses, but when an opposing fanbase tries to spend three days gaslighting, my patience only goes so far.
Any poor soul that goes to Daikin Park has to steel themselves to this fact. The locals know the Astros cheated in 2017; they either do not care or attempt to deflect blame by arguing that every team was cheating back then, citing a Sports Illustrated article by Tom Verducci that came out in 2018.
Here’s how quickly things have changed, according to a Dodgers source. Three years ago, if you walked into the Dodgers’ video room behind their Dodger Stadium dugout you would likely have found Zack Greinke pouring over video of opposing hitters, looking for any edge he could find to match up his stuff against their weakness. This year, if you walked into the same room you would have found a small army of 20-something analysts in polo shirts and slacks pouring over video from the in-house cameras, like the security room at a Vegas casino. Most teams train their cameras on the catcher, the pitcher (from several angles), the third base coach and the dugout.
These cameras are not used for training purposes. They are used expressly for stealing signs and deciphering “tells” from pitchers.
“We’ve reached a point,” said one club executive, “where the attractiveness of the sport as an entertainment option has been lost in the quest to find every incremental edge. And video has changed things rapidly. I’m increasingly thinking something has to be done.”
Yes, it’s far cry from a surveillance system to learn more about what the pitcher will do, versus creating a real-time system, in part, to cement the legacy of playoff failure for Clayton Kershaw. During the trip, my mind kept going back to the relevant passage in his biography, The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness by Andy McCullough (excerpts from pages 249-251):
The rumors prompted Rick Honeycutt to gather his pitchers before the series. Honeycutt encouraged the group to protect their grips, monitor the placement of their gloves, and change their signs frequently, as if there was a runner at second base at all times, especially when playing in Houston, where the Astros had not lost all postseason. The message resonated with some more than others. Not every player was as paranoid as Utley, who had helped decipher the Dodgers’ signs with Philadelphia in the previous decade. “I was like, ‘Why is this a fucking thing?’” Brandon McCarthy recalled. “I thought that was being weird and overly protective.” But McCarthy followed the instructions.
When he pitched in a Game 2 loss at Dodger Stadium, he used an elaborate sequence with no runners on base. George Springer still launched the game-winning home run off him. Darvish declined to take the same precautions for Game 3 at Minute Maid Park and could not finish the second inning. For Game 4, Wood decided to change signs every ten pitches. “We’d heard whispers of some of the shady stuff they’d been doing,” he later said. Out in the visitors’ bullpen, tucked beyond the fence in left-center field, Dodgers relievers peered toward the Astros bullpen and attempted to discern a pattern. Several pitchers tracked someone in an Astros uniform whom they believed was relaying signs: The Dodgers thought if the Astro stood up straight, he was signaling an incoming fastball. For an off-speed pitch, the Astro leaned on his elbows. “You could see some shady shit going on in their bullpen,” Stripling recalled…
Before Game 4 in Houston, Kershaw sat inside the video room, running through his scouting sheets to prepare for Game 5. Pratt vocalized his concern. “I think something weird’s going on,” he said. Pratt suggested Kershaw protect his signs more carefully, as Honeycutt had advised. Kershaw dismissed the idea. He was willing to switch his signs every two pitches with a runner at second base. But to alter his entire approach felt foolish. He thought it would clutter his mind and disrupt his timing. He did not want the distraction, not when the threat felt so remote…
…What doomed Kershaw was less hubris than failure of imagination. He understood that when a runner stood at second base there was extra risk of technologically aided thievery. But the concept of teams using illegal cameras to relay signs in real time felt impossible. “You just don’t fathom that that’s happening,” Honeycutt recalled.
(Emphasis added.)
For all of my mild teasing of the Toronto faithful, I understand both the pain of losing a close World Series and the pain of losing a not particularly competitive World Series (there was a moment, then Ryan Madson…). Then that pain occurred all over again when it turned out Houston was cheating, I felt guilt for every unkind thing I said about Clayton Kershaw and others, and that pain turned to resentment when the Commissioner declined to vacate the 2017 title:
“I’m more than prepared to tolerate and listen to the debate and criticism about whether or not the punishments that have been levied in this case were sufficient,” Manfred said. “The one thing that I do take an issue with is the notion that anyone in the Houston organization escaped without punishment. I think if you look at the faces of the Houston players as they went out there publicly addressing this issue, they have been hurt by this. They will live with questions about what went on in 2017 and 2018 for the rest of their lives. And frankly it’s rare that for any offense, to have a punishment that you have to live with for the rest of your life.”
I rehash this history because I was subjected to the “Lost Cause” version of these events while in Houston, from people trying to get a rise out of me. It was like wrestling with a pig in the muck; the thing to remember is that the pig enjoys it, so the best way out is not to play. And my outward stocism worked, even though I was privately fuming.
I could spend hundreds, if not thousands of words, on substandard food, facilities, and lighting, while railing on how underwhelming the experience of attending a Dodger game at Daikin Park was, and how spectacularly underwhelming Houston barbecue is (see below), but then, I wouldn’t have a Guide entry to write the next time the Dodgers visit.
If you, dear reader, wish to still be angry and/or gloat over the end of the current Astros’ window, have at it.
While the experience of going to Oracle Park, Petco Park, or Rogers Centre may not be for everyone, at least in the first two instances, you would be at an otherwise respectable ballpark. Daikin Park can claim none of those characteristics. One would not generally need to wrestle with a pig to know what a bad idea it is, but in order to complete the circuit of 30 MLB parks, sometimes you just have to wade through the muck.
Anyway, ballpark 28 is down. Next up, a social holiday in Milwaukee, where I will attempt to both fight ghosts and tread on ground that David Vassegh once dared to tread.
Saints’ self-destruction has left Kim Hellberg and Sergej Jakirovic tantalisingly close to fulfilling their dream in Saturday’s Wembley trip
When the television cameras zoomed in for a closeup it became clear Hayden Hackney was crying.
Middlesbrough’s best player had just watched his teammates lose the second leg of the Championship playoff semi-final 2-1 in extra time at Southampton. As he left his seat behind the away dugout and wandered across the pitch, the Redcar-born midfield playmaker looked utterly heartbroken.
Entering the season, most prospect lists had 3-4 Phillies prospects listed amongst their top-100.
Baseball America had three: shortstop Aidan Miller (No. 14), starting pitcher Andrew Painter (No. 32) and outfielder Justin Crawford (No. 75).
Baseball Prospectus was a bit more bullish, listing five: Miller (13), Painter (51), starter Gage Wood (77), infielder Aroon Escobar (78) and Crawford (98).
But with 50 MLB games now under their belts, Painter and Crawford have graduated and are no longer considered prospects. Therefore, some of the updated lists are light on Phils prospects.
Perhaps it’s not terribly surprising news, given the departure of Painter and Crawford, but it’s still a bit depressing when you consider Miller has yet to come close to playing an actual baseball game this season.
There were encouraging reports this week that Miller’s back issue was slowly getting better. Don Mattingly said Miller is “beginning to do light baseball activity,” which everyone hopes is more than playing catch with the Iron Pigs’ ball boys. But it does not appear he is swinging a bat as of yet.
Miller’s back injury is a cause for concern, even as the Phils attempt to downplay it. Information about it has been scant so far this spring, and it’s obvious Miller could lose a significant amount of important development in AAA. At this point, there should be no expectation of him joining the big league club at all in ‘26.
With Miller out, Wood is scheduled to make his first start for Reading since his promotion tonight (Friday), and is the only prospect in the system deemed worthy of inclusion among the game’s best.
That’s not to say there aren’t some intriguing prospects in the system, particularly at AA, where Escobar, center fielder Dante Nori, reliever Alex McFarlane, shortstop Bryan Rincon and Carson DeMartini.
McFarlane: 16 games, 0.57 ERA, 15.2 IP, 21/7 K/BB ratio
At the moment, none of the four position players listed project as potential All Stars. McFarlane could be a bullpen piece as soon as this year, so there is some hope there. But a top 100 prospect he will not be.
One of the items Dave Dombrowski was supposed to address was the farm system and, with Painter and Crawford in the Majors, the hope is those two will be the first promotions to make a major impact on the big league club. So far, the results are mixed, but plenty of time remains.
But entering the season, the Phils’ farm system, even with Painter and Crawford included and Miller’s back injury largely unknown, MLB Pipeline ranked it No. 20. They wrote:
It’s a good thing when your top three prospects — all Top 100 guys — will have the chance to contribute to the big league roster this year. Two of them, Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford, should make the Opening Day roster. Just beyond the Top 100 prospects, there’s excitement brewing with 2025 first-rounder Gage Wood and 2026 international signee Francisco Renteria, who is already creating buzz in the organization.
Renteria is certainly an intriguing prospect the team has sunk a lot of money into ($4 million for a 17-year-old), but he’s only just begun playing in the Phils’ Dominican Summer League.
Clearly there’s a lot of work still to do to get the organization’s farm system to a point it’s among the game’s best. The first step would be for Aidan Miller’s back to start cooperating.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 19: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors slaps hands with teammate Al Horford #20 as Porzingis walks off the court against the Boston Celtics in the first half at Chase Center on February 19, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors are facing another difficult roster balancing act this offseason, particularly when it comes to their center rotation of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
In a column by The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami, he questioned whether Golden State would realistically want to bring both veterans back next season. The conversation stems from head coach Steve Kerr’s recent comments about how difficult it was to manage a roster where several players either could not play back-to-backs or missed extended periods of time throughout the year.
Also, Butler and Moody will count on the roster but won’t be playing for a while next season. So the other 13 spots shouldn’t and can’t be filled with players likely to miss a lot of time.
In this environment, I don’t see how the Warriors can bring back both Kristaps Porzingis (unrestricted free agent) and Al Horford (player option for next season), even if both are interested in returning. I think they’re not likely to bid too high if De’Anthony Melton declines his player option. And I don’t see much chance of using up a roster spot for Seth Curry again.
Although Porzingis averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 15 regular season appearances for Golden State, he also missed 16 games during that stretch, continuing the availability concerns that have followed him throughout much of his career. Horford, meanwhile, averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists across 45 games this season. However, he was unable to play back-to-backs all year long due to veteran load management, contributing to him missing 37 regular season games.
Still, both players remain intriguing fits for the Warriors because of their floor spacing, defense, basketball IQ, and overall versatility. They just both come with durability concerns which Golden State will need to seriously evaluate given the current state of the roster.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, May 22nd:
The Warriors were optimistic Porziņģis could stay healthy and produce after acquiring him from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield before February’s trade deadline, but that wasn’t meant to be as Porziņģis played just 15 games and struggled to stay on the floor. He developed a strong relationship with vice president of player health and performance Rick Celebrini, but he was noncommittal about a return while discussing his future at the end of the season. The biggest question surrounding Porziņģis: What does his market look like after two injury-plagued years? The Warriors would be wise to wait out the rest of the league and see who they are bidding against before deciding whether or not to bring the big man back.
11. Golden State Warriors: Cameron Carr, SG/SF, Baylor
Throughout Steve Kerr and Mike Dunleavy’s first press conference since the end of the season, the Warriors’ coach and general manager mentioned multiple times a lack of depth on the wings from injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody. Our last mock draft’s pick, Yaxel Lendeborg, fills that need. Going with Carr might be the perfect balance of a player who can help now and projects major future upside.
The combine did wonders for Carr. He came in a little under 6-foot-5 barefoot and a lanky 184 pounds with an eye-popping 7-foot wingspan. Carr shot lights out in drills and then wowed everyone during his one scrimmage, where he scored 30 points with six 3-pointers and seven rebounds.
With his length and silky-smooth jumper, Carr can play shooting guard and small forward depending on who’s around him. The Baylor product can both splash threes as a great movement shooter and swat shots away as a two-way player for years to come. As a 21-year-old who will turn 22 in late November, Carr is a great combo of present and future for a Warriors team that wants to get younger and more athletic. –DJ
In addition to his interest from Chicago, I’m told Jerry Stackhouse will also be interviewing for Portland’s next head coaching position this weekend. https://t.co/F2obTZ3NpQ
Whatever is happening, Gilgeous-Alexander is peeling himself off the floor more often these days. In Game 1 on Monday night, Gilgeous-Alexander fell six times on his shots, the most he had tallied in any game this playoff run.
He wasn’t done. SGA topped that high mark in Game 2 on Wednesday night, falling a staggering nine times on his shots (including fouled attempts). That’s more than Wembanyama has fallen in this entire postseason on his shot attempts. Considering that Wembanyama has gotten a whistle nearly every time he has fallen (seven out of eight), maybe he should dive more often. Or not.
Per a report by Justin Kroll of Deadline, Golden State Valkyries wing Gabby Williams is among three WNBA players who are currently slotted to appear in Courtside, a sports-based romantic comedy film by Run-A-Muck, a multi-platform company that is launching a women’s sports division with this project. Williams, former WNBA big Theresa Plaisance, and Indiana Fever point guard Sydney Colson are all currently a part of the project. Colson is also an executive producer.
A delectable Friday slate is upon us, and I have a few plays that should satisfy those cravings, as we are diving into a loaded menu of props and a few spicy sprinkles across this piece.
Tonight, we will be eyeing Jack Flaherty, Kyle Schwarber, and Shea Langeliers in what could be a profitable evening at the diamond in our MLB player props.
A prop I have been monitoring over the last few weeks has become one of my favorite sweats. Sure, I am 1-1 so far taking the over on Jack Flaherty walks, and sure, he had none the last time I was on the prop.
However, the first time, he walked three guys in his first 39 pitches. The Detroit Tigers right-hander owns an 18.4% walk rate on the road this season, allowing 3.6 walks per road outing.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Baltimore Orioles have six hitters with at least a 7.7% walk rate. Zoom in a little more, and four guys own a walk rate of 11.1% or higher. Overall, as a team, they sport a 10.3% walk rate, tied for 10th in baseball.
If trying to find the zone on the road is Flaherty's kryptonite, I want to continue taking the over on his walks, especially away from home. I'd pass on this prop if you have to pay juice. Look for a book offering plus money, as the risk outweighs laying any extra vig.
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: AppleTV
Kyle Schwarber Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI (+100)
We will be going to the bank twice today, first to Citizens Bank Park, then to our personal banks to deposit our winnings (hopefully), as Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber finds himself in a great spot this evening against Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams. The Phillies designated hitter owns the highest hitter rating in this matchup, per Batters-Box.
In 96 elite ratings at home, Schwarber has produced incredible trends, recording at least a hit 64.58% of the time and cashing this prop 56.25% of the time. The slugger has also surpassed 2+ HRR in eight of his last 10 elite ratings.
Left-handed hitters have given Williams hell this season, as he has allowed a ton of hard contact and plenty of home runs, nine through 10 starts. On top of that, against the last 60 lefties he has faced, the right-hander owns a 1.93 HR/9, while those hitters sport a .685 xSLG.
If you are able to find Schwarber's hit prop below -150 and you are in the juice-paying business, take it. However, only take his HRR prop if you can get it at plus money. His hit prices are surprisingly low this evening.
Also, do not be afraid to sprinkle on the big fella to leave the yard today either, as he homers 35.42% of the time at home when carrying an elite rating.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CleGuardians.TV, NBCSP
Shea Langeliers Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI (-115)
We are ending the evening with a BANG, a Shea Langeliers bang, by taking the over 1.5 hits, runs, RBI prop this evening against San Diego Padres right-hander Walker Buehler, who owns the second-worst pitcher rating on the day on Batters-Box.
The Padres starter also has poorly rated average hitter matchup numbers in wOBA, ISO, and strikeout percentage.
Over his last couple starts, Buehler has allowed right-handed hitters to make a ton of hard contact and elevate the baseball, posting just a 34.9% ground ball rate over the last 60 right-handed hitters faced.
The Athletics star catcher owns the third-highest elite rating in this matchup. In 16 elite ratings away from home, Langeliers has produced strong trends:
1+ Hit: 62.5%
1+ RBI: 56.25%
2+ HRR: 50%
Home Run: 31.25%
Langeliers also owns the third-highest arsenal coverage on the day among elite-rated hitters, crushing nearly 75% of Buehler's offerings. On top of that, he has been terrorizing right-handed pitching this season, owning a 16.19% barrel rate.
With how strong the percentage changes are for the Athletics slugger, I also sprinkled on his home run prop as well. If you cannot find a number hovering around -115 for his HRR, take his bases prop at plus money.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSCA, Padres.TV
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Needing a healthy arm following the injury to Clay Holmes, the Mets are calling up top pitching prospect Jonah Tong, the team announced Friday.
In a corresponding move, New York is designating veteran relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel for assignment.
Manager Carlos Mendoza had hinted at Tong being called up on Wednesday after he was scratched from his Triple-A start, saying the 22-year-old was "in play" to pitch against the Miami Marlins over the weekend.
Tong struggled in his brief major league stint at the end of the 2025 regular season, going 2-3 with a 7.71 ERA over five starts, but the team is still high on his future.
Kimbrel, 37, has struggled over 14 appearances with the Mets. The veteran is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA and recently tossed 2.2 innings against the Nationals, but let up an eighth-inning HR in the loss. In addition to the results on the field, the move shouldn't come as too much of a surprise with A.J. Minter nearing a return to the majors.
The Lakers are ready to empty the tank. So long as they can land Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks.
ESPN insider Shams Charania revealed on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Thursday what the Lakers would need to give up to land Antetokounmpo.
The Lakers reportedly are ready to go all in to acquire Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“The Lakers expressed interest in Giannis at the deadline,” Charania said. “Right now what they’ll be able to offer is three first-round picks in cap space and essentially absorb Giannis’ contract.”
If the Lakers can pull off the trade for Antetokounmpo, they would give up the No. 25 pick in this year’s draft and two unprotected future first-round picks. By doing this, they would create cap flexibility and would be able to absorb Antetokounmpo’s salary.
Giannis says he prefers Miami over LA
Dragic: “Vacation, LA or Miami?”
Giannis: “Miami. Miami, Miami. I think LA superficial. I don’t like LA”
Antetokounmpo, 31, has two years left on his deal with a player option following the 2026-27 season. He will make $58.5 million this season and $62.3 million the following year.
Even with potentially adding Antetokounmpo, Charania said the Lakers want to bring back LeBron James, who is mulling retirement.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania revealed what it would take for the Lakers to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Rich Eisen Show
Charania also said Antetokounmpo and James’ cap situations would theoretically overlap, so the Lakers would need to figure something out if they wanted to team Antetokounmpo with James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
But while the Lakers have been dreaming of a star-studded cast like this, they will also need to convince Antetokounmpo to play in Los Angeles. In the past, he has said LA is “superficial.”
Charania also noted Milwaukee could get better trade offers from other teams.
“I do think when you look at the best of the options that Milwaukee could get, I think there’s other avenues potentially there,” Charania said. “But certainly, if in the world that he would end up there, their worlds would be intertwined in a way.”
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Summer's here, and the time is right for doffing in the seats.
A cavalcade of young, sweaty youths have overtaken Major League Baseball stadiums from coast to coast, extending a trend that has its roots in the bleachers of college football stadium.
"Tarps Off," as the kids call it, first gained traction in October 2025, when a harmless bet resulted in an Oklahoma State fan removing his shirt and twirling it amid a section of lifeless fans at a football game, according to crowd behavior anthropologists.
Soon, the act spread to Wisconsin and UCLA and North Carolina and Virginia Tech, young men channeling a sentiment originally expressed in Petey Pablo's first single from his 2001 debut album:
North Carolina, raise up. Take your shirt off, twist it 'round your handSpin it like a helicopter
How 'Tarps Off' came to MLB
Naturally, "Tarps Off" went into hibernation during the winter, yet emerged in the most unlikely of places: Denver's Coors Field.
Barely two months after Punxsutawney Phil allegedly cursed us with a few more weeks of winter, fans of the sad-sack Colorado Rockies brought the tradition to the big leagues on April 8, with a singular fan in Section 329 going guns out as the club aimed to complete a sweep of the Houston Astros.
Soon, a group of young men huddled around the iconic purple row that marks one mile above sea level at the ballpark. The crowd swelled. The Rockies won.
And "Tarps Off" was a thing.
'Tarps Off' goes mainstream
The trend soon accelerated thanks in part to the superstitious culture surrounding baseball. When members of the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team populated a section in the 200 level of Busch Stadium at a May 15 game and the Cardinals rallied for a 5-4, 11-inning walk-off win over the Kansas City Royals, manager Oliver Marmol couldn't help but notice.
And correlate the shirtless bros with a team W.
"Whoever started that in right field, I'll do whatever I need to do to make sure they come every game," Marmol said after the game, in something of a preamble to the Tarps Off Constitution. "Because that was awesome. Not only them, but everybody that showed up today. That was a fun environment."
Marmol didn't stop there, inviting the pectoral preeners into the Cardinals clubhouse and offering to buy tickets to any fan wanting to "sit in the right field loge and bring the energy."
'Tarps Off': What's next?
That created a wave of "Tarps Off" movements. In Anaheim, where "Sell the team!" and "Arte sucks!" chants became de rigueur as owner Arte Moreno pilots the franchise to its 11th consecutive losing season, the chant gained extra spice when paired with the shirtless crowd.
Now, it's been seen in virtually every ballpark, with various between-innings dance cams honing in on men of all ages pumping their fists and waving their shirts and ramping up their Vitamin D intake. It is sure to be a summertime staple, particularly as temperatures reach triple digits and a day at the ballpark becomes not unlike a good schvitz in the sauna.
At some point – and perhaps that point has arrived – it will be viewed as a little too tired, too contrived, too 2025. At the same time, in an era when sports leagues and franchises are shaking down municipalities for new stadiums that expand luxury areas while squeezing out the cheap seats and creating scarcity that drives up ticket prices, "Tarps Off" truly belongs to the people.
The lords of the loge. The vamps of the view section. Even if the practice, rooted in spontaneity, is now remarkably mainstream.
Corbin Carroll delivered the game-winning RBI in the ninth inning for Arizona to beat Colorado, 2-1, in Thursday's series opener. Friday's matchup is the second of a four game series.
The Diamondbacks have extended its winning streak to five consecutive games. In the last week (six games), Arizona is hitting an MLB-best .300 with the second-most hits (60). The Diamondbacks managed four this yesterday and eight walks to eight strikeouts as an offense.
Colorado is in a rough patch with three straight losses and four of the past five. The Rockies pitching staff has a 5.03 ERA (23rd) over the last week and has the second-highest amount of walks (29) in that span (six games). Colorado has been outscored 17-5 in the last three games and 33-22 in the previous six.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Rockies at Diamondbacks
Date: Friday, May 22, 2026
Time: 9:40 PM EST
Site: Chase Field
City: Phoenix, AZ
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll is hitting .282 with 46 hits and 90 total bases over 163 at-bats
The Diamondbacks’ James McCann is hitting .203 with 12 hits and 17 strikeouts over 59 at-bats
The Rockies’ Troy Johnston is hitting .324 with 48 hits and 67 total bases over 148 at-bats
The Rockies’ Ezequiel Tovar is hitting .206 with 34 hits and 48 strikeouts over 165 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rockies at Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks are 30-19 ATS this season, ranking third-best
The Rockies are 27-24 ATS this season
The Diamondbacks are 25-22-2 to the Over
The Rockies are 27-23-1 to the Under
The Diamondbacks are 15-8 ATS at home, ranking second-best
The Rockies are 14-12 ATS on the road and 9-17 on the ML
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rockies and the Diamondbacks
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Rockies and the Diamondbacks:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Diamondbacks on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Diamondbacks at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 9.0
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UPDATE: Added prediction for who will win & a +900 SGP!
Anyone who’s ever played pickup basketball knows exactly how frustrating Game 2 was for Evan Mobley.
There is nothing worse than starting a game red-hot, only to have your teammates completely freeze you out to jack up contested shots.
It happens at the YMCA, and apparently, it happens in the Eastern Conference Finals. Cleveland cooled a sizzling start from their 7-footer by forcing a barrage of missed threes in Wednesday’s loss.
My Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions recognize Mobley’s massive scoring upside tonight—even if his own team forgot about him—and our best NBA picks are riding the Over on his points prop for Game 3.
Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 3 prediction tonight
Who will win Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 3?
Knicks: New York's extended break between series is showing. The Cavaliers went from a seven-game frying pan into the fire of the Eastern Conference finals, with little rest and recovery.
Cleveland’s legs look heavy in the final frame, Donovan Mitchell is playing through pain, and New York just has too many offensive options to counter.
The Knicks have been barnstormers in the playoffs, going 4-1 SU and ATS on the road.
Knicks vs Cavaliers best bet: Evan Mobley Over 15.5 points (-125)
Evan Mobley came out guns blazing in Game 2, scoring 14 points in the first half — just a bucket shy of his O/U of 15.5.
However, Mobley wouldn’t score again. His usage dipped from 21.4% in the 1H to an embarrassing 5.3% in the final 24 minutes.
While the New York Knicks did a better job denying the Cleveland Cavaliers’ bigs, Cleveland is at its best when Mobley gets going, and it needs to keep the 7-footer involved.
Mobley will enjoy an uptick in scoring at home, and his Game 3 projections sit as high as 18 points.
COVERS INTEL: Evan Mobley went 6-for-8 from the floor in Game 2 and did not attempt a single shot in the second half. The last four times he failed to reach double-digit FGAs (without injury), Mobley bounced back with performances of 14, 17, 23, and 25 points in the following game.
Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 3 same-game parlay
At least the Cavaliers get to sleep in their own beds before Game 3. Cleveland looks tired, and head coach Kenny Atkinson is outclassed against a loaded Knicks attack and a crafty Mike Brown. New York has been excellent on the road, boasting a 4-1 SU mark as a visitor in the playoffs.
Mobley had topped his scoring total in five straight games before going MIA in the second half of Game 2 — falling just two points shy of his O/U. He left points at the foul line, and Cleveland needs to focus on getting him touches, as we’ve seen the Knicks struggle against talented bigs in the postseason.
The athletic forward hasn’t been as active in the offense as he works his way back from a tender hamstring, but he’s one player who doesn’t shrink in enemy territory. Anunoby scores almost two points more per game on the road and has averaged 26.7 points per game in three road playoff games.
Knicks vs Cavaliers SGP
Knicks moneyline
Evan Mobley Over 15.5 points
OG Anunoby Over 14.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Uh Oh(io)
The Knicks offense is a well-oiled machine at this point in the playoffs. With the Cavs blitzing Brunson, he’s finding open teammates for a ton of assists.
Anunoby’s energy thrives on the road, and Karl-Anthony Towns is taking plenty of 3-point attempts, coming away with three triples in Game 2.
Projection models call for 17+ from OG, 7+ dimes from Brunson, and a pair of treys from KAT in a Game 3 win for New York.
Should this spread hold up, New York will be an underdog for just the 20th time all year. The Knicks are 11-8 ATS in the previous 19 games as a pup, with the final score playing Under the total in 14 of those 19 outings. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Cavaliers.
How to watch Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 3
Location
Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
Date
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Knicks vs Cavaliers latest injuries
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Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies wait to play as it rains on the at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Aug. 13, 2025. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals weekend series versus the Cincinnati Reds will have to wait until Saturday as the team just announced that Friday night’s game has been postponed due to weather. Saturday will now see a double-header (weather permitting, of course) with the first game being at 12:10pm central time and the night game scheduled to start at 6:10pm central time. Both games viewable on Cardinals.tv.
When NHL teams are searching for a new head coach, just like the Toronto Maple Leafs are after firing Craig Berube, there's a common theme of a range of candidates coming from a coaching carousel.
Typically, veteran coaches who get relieved land on their feet with another team in short order. It happened to Peter DeBoer when he was fired by the Dallas Stars last off-season, and hired by the New York Islanders at the tail-end of the past regular season.
Jay Woodcroft spent this past season as an assistant coach of the Anaheim Ducks. He has played a role in the young Ducks having a breakout season, especially offensively.
Woodcroft has looked after the Ducks' power play and is an offense-minded coach. That would explain the rapid and impressive growth of Anaheim's young star forwards, such as Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke.
Before joining the Ducks at the start of this past campaign, he was the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers for parts of three seasons.
He was hired by Edmonton midway through 2021-22 and was let go 13 games into the 2023-24 campaign. Therefore, Woodcroft only led the Oilers for one full year in 2022-23.
Nonetheless, he had a good year with the Oilers, leading that team to a 109-point finish and a 50-23-9 record.
He has experience in managing superstars in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, which would translate to coaching Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Woodcroft also got to work alongside a future Hall of Fame coach in Joel Quenneville this past year.
It's also worth noting that Toronto is Woodcroft's hometown.
Dean Evason has much more experience as an NHL head coach compared to Woodcroft, but the 61-year-old isn't exactly a veteran, as he's coached 378 regular-season games in his career.
Nonetheless, he's spent parts of seven seasons as a coach in the NHL, with his time shared between the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Evason's first stint was with Minnesota, which lasted three full campaigns after leading the Wild bench for 12 games in 2019-20 as the successor to Bruce Boudreau. Since then, Evason led the Wild to the post-season in every campaign, except in 2023-24 when he was fired after a 5-10-4 start to the year.
In 2024-25, he joined the Blue Jackets and coached them to a very respectable fourth-place finish in the Metropolitan Division. Columbus missed the playoffs by just a pair of points in the standings, but the team's effort following the loss of Johnny Gaudreau was inspiring.
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell felt that he needed to make a coaching change 45 games into the following season, and Rick Bowness came in to replace Evason.
Drew Bannister wasn't a head coach in the NHL for a very long time. In fact, he only coached the St. Louis Blues for 76 outings between 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Bannister's tenure as the head coach of the Blues started when he was named the interim bench boss when Berube was fired, and coached the final 54 games of that season. He ended that year with a respectable 30-19-5 record.
When the next season rolled around, Bannister stayed on board after inking a two-year contract extension, removing his interim tag. But just 22 games in with a 9-12-1 record, Jim Montgomery became available after losing his job with the Boston Bruins, and Blues GM Doug Armstrong jumped on the opportunity to bring him in.
That move came at the cost of Bannister's job, before he really had the chance to coach at the NHL level.
Before becoming the head coach in St. Louis, Bannister led from behind the bench for the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds. In his stint with the Thunderbirds, he guided them to a Calder Cup final appearance in 2021-22.
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Vegas Golden Knightscaptain Mark Stone took the ice for morning skate ahead of Game 2 of the Western Conference Final. He has missed the last four postseason games with a lower-body injury.
Per Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella, he will miss a fifth straight game. Tortorella confirmed that Stone is OUT for Game 2.
All signs pointed to Stone missing Game 2. At morning skate, the team did not do line rushes, but Stone participated in drills. He stayed out on the ice with the scratches and hung back when they headed off. Once Stone was the only player on the ice, he skated laps around the rink with Golden Knights skills coach Sean Ferrell for several minutes.
Stone has been out since Game 3 of the Golden Knights’ Second Round series against the Anaheim Ducks. He played just 4:24 before suffering a non-contact injury in the first period. He returned to the bench during the second period, but after testing his legs during a TV timeout, slammed his stick down and headed down the tunnel.
This is the first time Stone has been on the ice with the full team since his injury, although he did skate with the scratchesprior to Game 1. This could be a positive development as the Golden Knights continue on in the Western Conference Final against the mighty Colorado Avalanche.
Charles Barkley must’ve forgotten he’s an ESPN guy now.
The “Inside the NBA” co-star, who used to be seen on TNT broadcasts before the show moved over to the Worldwide Leader this season, criticized ESPN’s lead NBA insider Shams Charania after he broke news on social media about the NBA MVP award before the official league announcement.
“(Amazon) paid $2.5 billion for the next 11 years. I think they deserved an exclusive. I think the NBA should be embarrassed that that got out. “You know, you can’t charge these networks that much money and then don’t give them some exclusives on some things. I mean, I just think that’s unfair.”
The NBA was scheduled to announce Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the NBA MVP during its Amazon Prime Video studio show on May 17, but got scooped by Charania at 9 a.m. ET, citing multiple sources.
Gilgeous-Alexander won the MVP award cleanly, as a panel of 100 media members gave him 83 first-place votes for 939 voting points overall to claim his second straight award.
Nikola Jokic came in second place with 10 first-place votes and 634 points — the second straight year he’s been runner-up to SGA.
COVERS INTEL: Evan Mobley went 6-for-8 from the floor in Game 2 and did not attempt a single shot in the second half. The last four times he failed to reach double-digit FGAs (without injury), Mobley 
