SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 11: Josh Rojas #40 of the Kansas City Royals bats against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning of the spring training game at Surprise Stadium on March 11, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals announce they have called up utility player Josh Rojas, and that pitcher Stephen Kolek has gone on family emergency leave. To make room on the 40-man roster, Jonathan India was officially placed on the 60-day Injured List. India is out for the year, following shoulder surgery.
Rojas is a six-year MLB veteran who has appeared in 638 games with the Diamondbacks, Mariners, and White Sox. His best season came in 2022, when he was a 3.1 rWAR player for Arizona, hitting .269/.349/.391 with nine home runs in 125 games. His numbers fell off last year in Chicago, where he hit.180 in 69 games, worth just -1.5 rWAR. The Royals signed the 31-year-old left-handed hitter to a minor league deal this off-season. He was hitting .246/.309/.433 with six home runs in 48 games for Triple-A Omaha. He is a very versatile player, with MLB experience at every position except center field and catcher.
Kolek started on Wednesday against the Reds, allowing just two runs in seven innings for the win. The move gives the Royals 14 position players and 12 pitchers.
Welcome to today’s Mets Mailbag, where we once again try to determine whether the 2026 Mets can somehow pull themselves back into contention…and what happens if they don’t. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions.
What date (even if approximately) do you expect the Mets to make as their demarcation line for buying/selling? Another month? Month and a half? – @maclgm12345 (and others)
Many people asked a version of this question, which makes sense. David Stearns even acknowledged last homestand that a moment will come when the Mets will have to make that call. At the time, he emphasized they are not close to that decision point yet.
The insight I can offer is as follows: the Mets are going to wait this out as long as possible. The feeling from the owner’s box to the dugout is that they are where they are because of injuries, not existential roster flaws. So they want to give themselves as much time as possible to let key players like Jorge Polanco, Francisco Alvarez, and Francisco Lindor return from injury – then give themselves enough time to see if those players can make a difference.
Knowing that, my next question (and I’m sure yours, too) is when will everyone be back and how long will they give them to turn things around once they return? The answers are slightly more encouraging than they might feel: Polanco could return as soon as this weekend in San Diego. Alvarez – and one can debate the extent to which he is a meaningful offensive upgrade over Luis Torrens at this point in his development – is already playing in rehab games, too. Let’s say he returns next week at some point (though no one has said so officially).
Luis Robert Jr. has not even begun baseball activities, so write him off for now. That leaves Lindor as the last big piece, and he was running, throwing, and taking ground balls for several days even before this road trip. Considering he will likely need a substantial ramp-up period on a rehab assignment before returning, a conservative estimate for his return would be two-to-three weeks – or mid- to late-June, barring a setback.
In other words, the Mets could have most of their intended starting lineup back and healthy by the last week of June. That gives them five weeks before the trade deadline. I would expect them to give this team as many of those weeks as possible to play their way back into contention. Plus, most teams are completely consumed by draft preparation until the All-Star Break, anyway. I see no reason why they would not take a week or two after that to let the market fully materialize as other teams emerge from draft machinations and take time to decide whether they are buyers and sellers, too.
So, barring a major collapse over the next few weeks that leaves no doubt about their status, I don’t know why the Mets would decide their fate before the week after the All-Star Break. Everyone involved has every incentive to give this team the chance to turn things around.
What happens to Baty when Lindor returns? Would they possibly trade Bo Bichette to keep Brett Baty at 3B if they’re not in good enough position by then? @jjc927_
I am answering this version of the "who stays, who goes" question because most of them were a little, let’s say…critical… of young Mark Vientos, and he probably doesn’t need me piling on. But I do think everyone’s point is a good one: when Lindor returns – particularly if Polanco proves himself healthy enough to play first base now and then in the meantime – the Mets will have a logjam in the infield. So it is fair to wonder who will be pushed out of a spot.
May 10, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Mets first baseman Mark Vientos against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
I do not see them trading Bichette. I guess if they totally swoon between now and then and are totally, completely, irrevocably out of it, that could maybe be on the table. But with his salary and the fact that he has yet to produce anywhere near where he normally does, that seems highly unlikely.
Assuming he stays, the two sure things in the infield would be Bichette and Lindor. Given the way Baty seems to produce better when playing third regularly, one could argue the Mets should move Bichette to second and keep Baty at third, forcing a decision on Marcus Semien’s big contract. But Semien has hit better and for more power lately, has played better defense than the metrics indicate, and has been one of the Mets’ most crucial hitters with runners in scoring position.
Plus, Baty certainly has not blown him away in terms of production this year. So any major decision on Semien at this point would seem several steps away, if on the table at all.
So maybe the move then becomes moving Baty to first base, where he looked better defensively than Vientos. If Jared Young continues hitting, he could play there, too, leaving Polanco in the designated hitter spot. Either way, there is no obvious place for Vientos to play regularly, and since he has been so inconsistent at the plate and in the field, and so consistently prone to mental errors, I think his roster spot is more fragile than Baty’s at this point. But the emergence of Young certainly is not helping either of them.
If Kodai Senga doesn’t turn it around when he returns, do you think the Mets are prepared to eat the rest of his contract and DFA him? – davidsheridan.bsky.social
Short answer: yes. Doing so now would cost them whatever is left of the $14 million he is owed this year and the $14 million he is owed next year, so it would not be cheap. But the Mets can afford that financially, while they might not be able to afford to keep him emotionally.
In talking to people around the Mets, as well as Senga himself through his interpreter over the last few months, I have gained a picture of someone who reminds me a lot of Stephen Strasburg.
New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field / Kamil Krzaczynski - Imagn Images
Strasburg was so hyperaware of things that were off in his body and his mechanics that he struggled to pitch when he knew those things were not in line. He gained a reputation for being soft when I think he was more accurately a perfectionist: he could pitch through pain if he felt his mechanics were in place. If they weren’t, or something didn’t feel right, he could think about little else, which made executing pitches in those situations much more difficult.
Even Yankees rookie ace Cam Schlittler said something along those lines after his worst start of the year the other day: he knew something was off with his four-seamer, so he spent the whole outing worrying about getting that right and not focused on competing. That never goes well.
So I think Senga is largely an extreme version of that: he seems to struggle when everything is not exactly where he thinks it should be physically, and he has struggled to pitch well with whatever he has while searching for the stuff he wants. And ever since that play on the Pete Alonso throw last year, it seems that something has been off.
Even when his stuff looked good in spring training, he was not certain he would pitch well as a result. Through his interpreter, Senga said something along the lines of "I hope so." My takeaway was that he has not been comfortable with where he is for quite some time, and that even comfortable stretches have felt fragile for him lately.
I also think that Senga and the Mets have sometimes missed each other in terms of working with and around that perfectionist tendency. But I also think the Mets did everything they could this winter to align themselves with what Senga feels he needs, starting with Justin Willard visiting him at his training facility and opening the lines of communication. The result was a promising spring training in which the power stuff that made him so promising in the first place returned. But that has not translated into the regular season. All that combines to make Senga a frustrating case for the Mets, who could certainly use the best version of him, but no longer seem certain they will ever get it.
I think it is clear their patience is running out as a result. Carlos Mendoza is often polite but stern when he talks about the righty, and he said recently that the decision to bring Senga back from the minors will soon have to focus less on where he is physically than where his results are. In other words, if he is healthy enough to pitch in the minors, but is not pitching well, then performance will dictate whether he gets another start, not merely whether he is technically well enough to do so.
Senga had another rough outing this week, pushing his ERA on this rehab assignment to 5.25 in 12 innings. Whether he is still figuring things out physically with the back discomfort that sent him to the injured list initially, or whether he is just struggling to find his command and best stuff, he is struggling again. And the Mets cannot afford to have any more starting pitchers figuring things out at the major league level.
It’s possible the Mets' sheer lack of starting pitching will mean they give Senga one more chance in the big leagues. But I would not expect him to get many chances after that.
The Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians by a score of 2-1 on Thursday afternoon in the Bronx, avoiding a sweep.
Here are the takeaways…
--The Yankees were once again without Aaron Judge. Prior to the game, Aaron Boone said he had no update on Judge, but that the star outfielder underwent an MRI on Wednesday night and an X-ray and CT scan on Thursday morning.
--Carlos Rodon looked good early, but got into a bit of a jam in the fourth, when a single, a steal and a single put men on the corners with two outs. The Guardians then broke through for the first run of the game on a Stuart Fairchild single to left.
Rodon had an excellent afternoon, going 6.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits while striking out seven and walking three. The lefty's season ERA is down to 2.88 on the season.
--With Judge out of the lineup, Paul Goldschmidt hit third on Thursday, and he singled and came around to score the first run of the game for the Yankees on a fourth- inning Jazz Chisholm Jr. sac fly, but Cody Bellinger was thrown out trying to advance to third on the play, and the Yankees wouldn't score again in the frame.
Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi went 6.0 innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk.
-- Ryan McMahon has had a tough year at the plate, but he came up clutch in the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs and a runner on third, McMahon came through with a single to give the Yankees a late 2-1 lead. Chisholm, who walked and stole second, game around the score the go-ahead run.
-- It was a great afternoon for the Yankees bullpen behind Rodon, as Brent Headrick, Fernando Cruz, and David Bednar all pitched scoreless innings to secure the win. The Guardians had just two hits on the afternoon.
Game MVP
Chisholm, who had an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base despite not recording a hit.
Highlights
Jazz Chisholm ties the game with a sac fly but then Bellinger overslides third trying to tag and gets tagged out pic.twitter.com/Ey1cebTlGX
OAKLAND - JULY 28: Bucky Jacobsen #33 of the Seattle Mariners poses prior to the MLB game against the Oakland A's at the Network Associates Coliseum on July 28, 2004. The Athletics defeated the Mariners 3-2. (Photo by Don Smith/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Seattle Mariners are blasting from and/or into the past. On Friday, August 7th, the Mariners have announced they will be hosting a home run derby following their game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
While the structure is not entirely clear or perhaps even fully solidified, the list of participants appears to be an entertaining medley of recent Mariners retirees. At the helm in… some capacity, are three M’s legends with ample home run hitting qualifications. Commissioner of the event will be Ken Griffey Jr., a man be beloved enough to be forgiven blatant title inflation. Captains of what presumably will be a draft structure are Jay Buhner and Nelson Cruz.
The commissioner and team captains will sadly not be hitting. They’ll be selecting from a list of sundry and various Mariners whose careers in the bigs range from a single season to 19 years in the U.S..
OF Mike Cameron – 278 career home runs
OF Ichiro Suzuki – 117 career home runs
1B/3B Ryon Healy – 69 career home runs
C/1B/2B Austin Nola – 24 career home runs
1B Bucky Jacobsen – 9 career home runs
OF Stefen Romero – 4 career home runs
LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith – 0 career home runs
It’s a delight to see several of these players take swings again, with the obvious draw being a chance to watch Ichiro attempt to slug the baseball. It will be, conversely, quite something to watch Hyphen take on his broadcast compatriot Healy, who must be the active favorite alongside Nola, both having the most recent big league plate appearances. Don’t sleep on Romero, though, who was playing in Mexico up through 2023 and hit 96 big flies from 2017-2021 in Japan. Cameron, Ichiro, Healy, Nola, and RRS are all active Mariners employees of some sort, making their participation easier to bank on, and Jacobsen recently announced an “extended leave” from the Chuck & Buck morning show on KJR radio in Seattle to focus on his health. Hopefully this bodes well for his health.
Security escort a man off court after he attempted to take a selfie with Victor WembanyamaPhotograph: Adam Davis/EPA
The NBA has banned two fans for life after an incident in which a man ran on to the court to take a selfie with Victor Wembanyama during Game 1 of the finals.
In a separate case, ESPN reports that the league is investigating an incident during Wednesday night’s game when New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson became upset after an interaction with fans during the fourth quarter of his team’s 105-95 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
In the first incident, a fan ran on the court holding his phone above his head during the fourth quarter. He approached Wembanyama and appeared to attempt a selfie with the Spurs star, who smiled briefly as security closed in and escorted the fan out of the arena.
“The individual who entered the court area during Game 1 of The Finals was arrested and will be banned for life from all NBA arenas. A second individual will also receive a lifetime ban for his role in the incident,” the NBA said in a statement on Thursday.
Wembanyama said he was bemused rather than shaken by the incident. “I’ve never been in that situation,” Wembanyama said. “I didn’t know how to act. It really surprised me, almost as much as that time [when] a bat crossed the court.”
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said the incident wasn’t a factor in San Antonio struggling to down the stretch as the Knicks ended on an 11-0 scoring run.
In the Brunson incident, the Knicks guard appeared to become upset with a group of fans courtside in the final minute of the game. He spoke to crew chief Scott Foster and then talked to him again after the end of the game. Brunson has received criticism this season from some fans who have accused him of “flopping” to win fouls. Brunson finished the game with 30 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter.
Game 2 of the finals takes place on Friday night in San Antonio before the series moves to New York for Monday’s Game 3.
And with the Spurs facing the possibility of arriving at a raucous Madison Square Garden in a 2-0 series hole for Monday's Game 3, the Knicks know what to expect from San Antonio in Game 2.
"A desperate team," Mitchell Robinsontold reporters on Thursday when asked what the Knicks are preparing for.
With the benefit of having eight days off after sweeping the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks looked fresh in Game 1, although they were a bit rusty in the first half -- and struggled for the whole game when it came to shooting from behind the arc.
The Spurs, who prevailed over the Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference Finals, had only three days off to prepare. And while their energy level was high, superstar Victor Wembanyama seemed a bit winded down the stretch as New York pulled away.
One big reason for the Knicks' comeback wasJosh Hart, who was one of the most important players on the floor despite scoring only three points.
Hart, whose motor never stops, had 15 rebounds, six assists, four steals, and zero turnovers -- stuffing the stat sheet despite missing a big chunk of the first half because he was in foul trouble.
"His energy is just relentless," Jalen Brunson said about Hart. "It doesn't stop. I mean, he eats candy all the time. That tells you who he is -- he's a big kid with an absurd amount of energy."
As they came away with the win in Game 1, the Knicks' defense tightened up late, giving the Spurs fits.
That included big performances from Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby, and is something New York will have to continue as the series goes forward.
"I think we just tried to be physical and be aggressive defensively," Anunoby said. "We try to make anyone we're playing uncomfortable. We don't want people to be comfortable. Taking up space when you can, always make sure to get a contest, and just fly around -- communicate on defense."
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 26: Manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on May 26, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Yuichi Masuda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Adjectives that come to mind about Dave Roberts in the media are measured, reasoned, and thoughtful. Maybe a bit verbose or circular, especially when it comes to injury updates.
The point is that it’s rare when Roberts calls out a player, and it’s usually a doozy when it happens. The anger of the quiet person often booms the loudest. When Bob Nightengale of USA Today dropped “’Couldn’t be more lazy.’ Dodgers fire back at MLB payroll crybabies,” one could be forgiven for wondering if the headline was merely clickbait for diplomatic double-talk that did not say anything.
Those fears were dispelled instantly, immediately, and thoroughly. On Wednesday, Dave Roberts was there to take names and chew bubblegum; unfortunately for the targets of his vitriol, he was out of bubblegum:
“My honest opinion is the majority of takes about the Dodgers couldn’t be more lazy…that it’s just about the payroll. It’s about the draft. It’s about layering on where we pick in the draft annually. The player development. How we acquire international talent. How we perform consistently at the major-league level.
“I actually think it’s a competitive advantage in the sense that people feel that way, and not look at themselves in the mirror and see how they can operate things better. So that’s beneficial for us.”
As if to dispel the notion that Roberts had made an accidental remark, he kept talking:
“Having the payroll and the depth that gives you [is] certainly is a benefit. No one’s debating that. But I do think that the players we acquire, how we play the game every night, getting younger players to assimilate in a star-studded clubhouse, that’s important. That’s hard to quantify, but that’s of value.
“If you look at the World Series the last couple of years, there’s a lot of home-grown guys making league minimum that have been on postseason rosters.”
Then, for good measure, Roberts floated the idea of the Dodgers acquiring Detroit Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal at the deadline.
“They would go ballistic,” Roberts said laughing. “But we would have the prospect capital to do [acquire Skubal]. We are one of the teams that could do that with the Tigers.”
One wonders who “they” are. Whether it’s the rest of the league or the critics of the Dodgers, Dave Roberts was not having it on June 3.
The players aren’t having it either
And lest anyone think it was just Roberts blowing off steam, Miguel Rojas added some justified rhetorical heat, stating it’s not just spending fueling the Dodgers’ success, and the organization’s roster construction is often overlooked:
“At the end of the day,” 2025 World Series hero Miguel Rojas said, “it’s not about wasting money or spending money to buy the best players because that’s not going to guarantee you anything. You can see it. There are another five or six clubs close to us in payroll, and they haven’t accomplished it. That’s why people aren’t talking about them, because they haven’t won. People just talk about us…
…The way they constructed the roster in this organization deserves a lot of credit,” Rojas said. “It’s not just buying the players and spending money on players, it’s having Plan B’s and C’s behind them, and that’s where I feel the organization is not getting enough credit for building a full team that is capable of sustaining so many injuries throughout the season and having guys ready when they get called up.”
Emmet Sheehan also went on the record, praising the Dodgers’ development system:
“Our development system is what gets overlooked,” Sheehan says, “how much time and money they put into finding the right people in the minor leagues to make people better. When I got drafted, I didn’t realize how lucky I was coming to an organization like this. Obviously, they put a lot of money into the team here, which is awesome, but there are a lot of guys that contribute way more than people realize, guys stepping up when we’ve had injuries.”
Even Jack Dreyer chimed in, praising how the Dodgers helped him develop as a bullpen stalwart:
“One of the things that the Dodgers do better than anybody else,” Dreyer said, “is that as soon as you get into that organization, they’re doing everything they can to develop you to maximize your potential. When I first got to the Dodgers organization, I had a long way to go before I had a chance at anything. I think they saw something that even I didn’t see in myself, but they kept fine-tuning, and tweaking, and revamping different things until I got to this point. Every single guy who’s in the Dodger organization is very lucky with all of the resources the Dodgers provide, so I’m very thankful I signed here.”
For regulars at True Blue LA, Roberts and the other quoted players are merely parroting arguments that have been expertly and diligently proffered in these parts for years.
Is it nice to have the indirect inference that various Dodgers players and staff read True Blue LA? Sure. Are we going to belabor what we have previously argued in a bit of self-congratulatory puffery? A little. Pride counts for something around these parts.
After all, the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants are seemingly hellbent on disproving the notion that spending necessarily equates to winning. The Mets look like an unexpected rebuild that has gone horribly wrong, whereas the Giants have somehow doubled down on a posture of masterly inactivity, resulting in one of the worst records in the league with a gaggle of immovable contracts.
The incompetence is almost impressive in its depth and scope.
The Commissioner’s Changing Tune
Contrast the fire coming out of the Dodgers with Commissioner Rob Manfred’s first public remarks since labor talks started, and one has quite the contrast. Watching the Commissioner act as a sock puppet for the owners is not particularly new or generally interesting. But occasionally the act has unintended consequences for those who have been paying attention.
On June 3, the Commissioner held his first press conference since MLBPA and MLB began their labor negotiations. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported that once again, the Commissioner repeated the talking point that the Dodgers were to blame for the perceived inequity in the sport:
“I think that the Dodgers understand there is a need to update the overall economic model in the industry and that the upside associated with that, in terms of growing the industry, growing the popularity of the sport, is big for large markets, small markets, owners and players in every way,” Manfred said. “That upside is bigger than any issue that separates us in the bargaining table.”
The Commissioner had previously praised the league’s parity, even as recently as October 2024, during the Dodgers/Yankees World Series:
Naturally, some fans in smaller markets will in turn complain that those teams, and their large payrolls, are the last two standing. But Manfred defended the state of competition and parity across the sport.
“Our record on competitive balance is darn good,” Manfred said. “I just don’t think you can scream about the Yankees and the Dodgers given the matchups that we’ve had in recent years.”
On Wednesday, he flip-flopped faster on that position than a fry cook at the International House of Pancakes during the Sunday brunch rush:
“We have tried mightily over several rounds of bargaining to use a competitive balance tax to address competitive concerns, and sometimes, you got to admit you failed…
…We want to make an agreement. We made a proposal on one set of topics at the outset of negotiations.
I went and said myself: Look, we’re open to whatever ideas people have. But we need a realistic framework that addresses the fans’ concerns about competitive balance, and you just can’t ignore that financial penalties have not gotten it done for us.”
Mockery aside, even if entirely well-deserved for trying to use the Dodgers to distract and enrage the fans of baseball, the Commissioner did say something accidentally revealing, as if accidentally almost having an epiphany before fleeing from it as fast as humanly possible:
“In the context, particularly of the postseason, where you’re trying to generate interest and maximize viewership, I think it’s important to emphasize competitiveness,” Manfred said. “And there are aspects of competitiveness: we haven’t had repeat winners (recently) until the Dodgers.
“When we think about it from a labor perspective, we’re focused on an entirely different part of the calendar. And that’s the offseason, when you’re trying to sell season tickets, and the perception among our fans that’s really strong that we have a lack of competitiveness.”
Fan perceptions do not always motivate major change — not unless they’re having major impacts. Considering MLB’s ratings and ticket sales figures have generally improved in recent years, has MLB identified quantifiable ways that this perception is harming them?
“We actually have spent a lot of time on this topic, and teams that go through periods, particularly longer periods, of non-competitiveness, not only have lower revenues, but they are slower to recover once they become competitive,” Manfred said Wednesday.
He didn’t offer specific figures.
(Emphasis added.)
Teams that are bad tend to make less money and are slower to recover once they actually do something productive? You don’t say. Whether the Commissioner meant to say the quiet, obvious part out loud is an open question; however, a broken clock is right twice a day.
The unspoken conclusion that the Commissioner failed to reach, even though it was right there, is that maybe teams should try more. You know, like San Diego, which just sold for a record amount.
However, that admission would be telling, and a puppet can’t leave its strings, not with the collective puppeteer holding on for dear life.
Jun 3, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) attempts to steal the ball from New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) in the second half during game one of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Welcome to a limited series called “Overreactions: Where answers become questions, questions become more questions, and you question your own sanity so much that you slowly convince yourself that Malik Rose could have been an All-NBA point guard if Gregg Popovich had a little bit of imagination.”
It’s a safe place for anxious fans to overreact to every loss, win, tie, and moral victory after every single game in these NBA Finals. And because there are no ties in the NBA, we should add that item to another longstanding list of grievances from NBA fans for Adam Silver. That list includes putting up a statue of Manu Ginóbili plucking a bat out of midair during an actual NBA game and putting that statue out in front of the NBA office in New York, New York.
Today we discuss Game One. It’s time to panic.
10. Jalen Brunson is unstoppable. Kelly Oubre said the hardest part about guarding the Knicks star guard is that big ol’ head. The Spurs could bring out a replica of Rick Moranis’s big (expletive) helmet when he played Dark Helmet in Spaceballs, chase Brunson around the court and try to corral him in it to prevent him from putting 30 points up again, but it’d be no use. The Villanova Knicks will find a way.
9. Karl Anthony-Towns is the only good thing about The Devil Wears Prada 2. Have I seen the second movie? No. Do I love the first movie because I love anything with Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Stanley Tucci? Of course. Will I pay $90 for a babysitter, $40 for two tickets to go see the sequel in a movie theater that smells like the mops are soaked in melted butter to clean the floors or wait until it comes out on streaming where I could just use my wife’s aunt’s mother’s streaming service login? The latter. What does that have to do with KAT’s stellar line of 18 points, 12 rebounds in 34 minutes of bruising play down in the paint? I don’t know. Why is Stanley Tucci so (expletive)ing charming? We just don’t know.
8. De’Aaron Fox will never make another shot in the fourth quarter again. Ever. Ever never ever again. The former (and inaugural) NBA clutch player of the year for 2022-23 season will be forced to return that award just based alone on the cries of angry fans’ reactions all over Spurs Twitter. That’s the only criteria, and frankly the only one we as a society should use to evaluate anything from Fox’s fourth quarter metrics to why penguins cannot fly—because angry people on social media demanded it so. Maybe if penguins paid a monthly subscription to have a blue check mark next to their names, they’d be able to fly off that huge island of ice and hang out in warmer climates like the Kohl’s parking lot in Irving, Texas that has no trees for shade in the heat of summer.
7. The Spurs are going to keep shooting 25% from three as a team. I mean take away Julian Champagnie’s 5-10 shooting from downtown and the team percentage falls all the way down to 18%. Do you know what is the only thing that is higher than 18%? Every single credit card interest rate. So worry not, if the Spurs’ insanely low (almost outlier-ish from a statistical standpoint) three-point percentage doesn’t keep you up at night, those CC APRs should.
6. The nuns are out. They brought us so much luck, charm, lucky charms, and distractions through the Western Conference Finals, and we owe so much to their faith in serving others, selflessness, and humble vibes. But now? After Game One? It’s time to panic and bring in Alex Caruso lookalikes dressed as chupacabras. Nothing says panic like making unholy alliances with chupacabras. Doing all of this nonsensical, downright delusional non-basketball bits won’t guarantee a win in Game 2. No, we just want to let the panic wash over us like a terrifying flashback of every made three pointer that left Alex Caruso’s magical hands in that last series.
5. Blame the corgi. Yeah, the corgi is cute. Like too cute in fact. And it briefly united the world against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending champs, because no one’s going to test the magical clairvoyance of a freakin’ corgi. But fame is a fickle mistress. And no one has more mistresses in the dog world than corgis. You know that meme where the dude is looking at another woman while holding hands with his current significant other? That meme was created by dalmatians as a warning to humans that corgis are coming after humans’ loved ones next. Behind those cute little round eyes is the charm of a certified psychopath. What does that have to do with the Spurs shooting less than 25% from three as team in Game One? Nothing. I just need to blame someone, even a cute, little corgi.
4. Mitchell Robinson broke his pinky at home on purpose. Hear me out. But maybe Victor Wembanyama’s least favorite finger is the pinky. Maybe his least favorite genetically enhanced laboratory mice who try to take over the world are Pinky and the Brain. Insert Charlie Kelly conspiracy meme from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia here. Just maybe, these things were enough of a phobia to distract Wembanyama from taking more shots down low. It’s time to panic, people, so we cannot leave any stone unturned or unblamed.
3. The Knicks are never going to lose another playoff game. Ever. Ever never ever again. This 12-game playoff winning streak will extend into next season and into playoff seasons for the next 10 years. During that time, they will make four more sequels to The Devil Wears Prada, and us NBA fans will be begging Adam Silver to quit rigging the playoffs in favor of the Knicks just so Anne Hathaway can continue to share cameos with KAT. I’m not trying to jinx their streak. I’m legit panicking. Didn’t you read the sixth sentence up there? It’s time to panic and overreact to every little thing. What is a Knickerbocker? Does it translate to “Bane of Spurs’ existence”? Don’t bother googling what a Knickerbocker is AIing it or whatever you kids use AI for today. And don’t bother explaining it to me. I want the smell of panic to linger over us because we’re definitely not going to act like we’ve been here before (6 times). Yes, I remember 1999. But we Spurs fans want to panic. We need to panic.
2. Speaking of panicking over every little thing. Who gave their Spurs court-side tickets to Ben Stiller? I know he’s a Knicks “superfan,” but have you seen The Secret Life of Walter Mitty? It’s a really good movie that was vastly underrated when it came out. I know those big market teams like parading their celebrities around like a proud parent who just saw their kids play little dribblers with no enforced rules for dribbling! Rules are rules, and I just don’t like seeing dual threat actor/director Ben Stiller seeing his favorite team win against our favorite team. If TSLoWM comes on cable, sure, I’ll stop what I’m doing and watch it again because I love that movie, and yes I still have cable. But I don’t have to like it, even if I do like it.
1.It’s time to give up. There’s a scene in Airplanes II: The Sequel where Buck Murdock (played by William Shatner playing Captain James T. Kirk playing Buck Murdock. It’s Kirk Lazarus’s “I’m the dude playing the dude pretending to be another dude” before Kirk Lazarus or reborn Robert Downey Jr. ever existed) gives up trying to help William Striker land the plane because the latter couldn’t find a piece of metal to shove into the control panel. The scene reads as incredulous as Shatner’s acting style. At the first sign of difficulty, he (Buck Murdock) completely gives up and tells everyone to shut it down. He even tells them to go home as he’s packing up his own suitcase while still on the line with Striker (even if the control tower they are all working in is on the moon where the plane piloted by William Striker is about to crash into).
That’s my overreaction. Let’s just give up. What’s a man doing with a bobby pin? 1982 humor. Gotta love it.
Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals is Friday night. Game 1 went to the visiting Knicks, 105-95, on Wednesday night.
The Spurs were in control well into the third quarter leading 67-54 with 5:58 left in the quarter but the Knicks figured things out, flipped the script, and throttled the Spurs from that point forward closing out Game 2 on a 51-28 run over the game’s final 18 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns battled all night and finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists, but it was one of the league’s top closers, Jalen Brunson, who finished things last night scoring 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. Victor Wembanyama scored 26 points and pulled down 12 boards and Julian Champagnie was 5-10 from beyond the arc in the loss for the Spurs.
A couple of key stats to take away from Game 1: assists and turnovers. The Knicks won both categories picking up 20 assists while turning it over eight times. The Spurs turned it over 13 times while totaling 16 assists. Wembanyama had six of the 13 turnovers. New York’s bench outscored the reserves from San Antonio, 28-20. Landry Shamet had 13 off that Knicks’ bench. Dylan Harper came off the Spurs’ bench to pour in 16 of those 20 points for the Spurs.
Looking ahead to Game 2, the Spurs will need to take better care of the ball and get the ball to Wembanyama in more dangerous positions as opposed to well behind the three-point line. Expect more offensive sets designed to free him for high-post touches and pick-and-pop opportunities, as well as a greater emphasis on pace to avoid the Knicks’ half-court defensive schemes. The Knicks will look to find ways to pull Wembanyama away from the rim as they did religiously during their push in the second half. Bothered early in the game by the Spurs’ guards, Brunson got what he wanted whether it be a three-pointer or a drive to the rim with Wembanyama not in the lane to affect his shot.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings 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 and How to Watch Game 2 Live: Knicks vs. Spurs
Date: Friday, June 5, 2026
Time: 8:30PM EST
Site: Frost Bank Center
City: San Antonio, TX
Network/Streaming: ABC
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NBA Finals Game 2 Odds: Knicks vs. Spurs
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: New York Knicks (+185), San Antonio Spurs (-225)
Spread: Spurs -5.5
Total: 214.5 points
This game sits right where it opened with the Spurs favored by 5.5 and the Game Total set at 214.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups for NBA Finals Game 2: Knicks vs. Spurs
New York Knicks
PG Jalen Brunson (30 points, 2 assists in Game 1)
SG Mikal Bridges (9 points, 3 assists in Game 1)
C Karl-Anthony Towns (18 points, 12 rebounds in Game 1)
SF Josh Hart (3 points, 15 rebounds in Game 1)
PF OG Anunoby (17 points, 3-6 from 3-point range in Game 1)
San Antonio Spurs
PG De’Aaron Fox (7 points, 3-13 from the field in Game 1)
SG Stephon Castle (17 points, 8 rebounds in Game 1)
SF Devin Vassell (9 points, 1-6 from 3-point range in Game 1)
PF Julian Champagnie (16 points, 10 rebounds in Game 1)
C Victor Wembanyama (26 points, 12 rebounds, 6 turnovers in Game 1)
Injury Report: Knicks vs. Spurs
New York Knicks
No injuries to report
San Antonio Spurs
David Jones Garcia (ankle) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Knicks vs. Spurs – Game 2
The Knicks are 37-11 on the road this season
The Spurs are 35-16 at home this season
The Spurs are 57-43-2 ATS this season
The Knicks are 55-42-1 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 46 of the Knicks’ 98 games this season (46-52)
The OVER has cashed in 47 of the Spurs’ 102 games this season (47-55)
Jose Alvarado scored 7 points off the bench for the Knicks in 11 minutes of Game 1
OG Anunoby scored 17 points in Game 1 making 5 of 12 shots from the field
Julian Champagnie made 5, three-pointers in the first half in Game 1 but was held off the board from beyond the arc in the second half
Luke Kornet did not score and pulled down just one rebound in 10 minutes of playing time in Game 1
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections 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 2 between the Knicks and the Spurs:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Spurs on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Spread
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 214.5
Player Props:
Dylan Harper 13+ Points (-112) – cashed in 2 of the last 3 games (scored 12 in the game where he fell short)
Karl-Anthony Towns 4+ Assists (-133) – cashed in Game 1 of the Finals, twice in the East Final, and in all 4 games in the Second Round
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In Game 1 of the Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals series, Towns was caught telling teammates to keep playing great defense and that the offense will pick up eventually.
“We gotta keep playing defense this way. This will win us the game,” Towns said. “Our offense will always catch up. It did in Game 1 in Cleveland. We’ll be fine.”
"Gotta keep playing defense…our offense will catch up…it always does"
Towns was referring to the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals in which the Knicks came back from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter against the Cavaliers to win in overtime.
In a less extreme, but still impressive fashion, Towns and the Knicks made a 14-point comeback in the first game of the NBA Finals on Wednesday to win 105-95.
Tasked with stopping Victor Wembanyama, Towns rose to the occasion in Game 1 with 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) yells during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. AP Photo/Eric Gay
In the 34 minutes the big man was on the court, the Knicks outscored the Spurs by 11 points.
“I don’t know what it was. But I just felt a calm and a peace that I don’t know, had to be coming from the woman above,” he said in an on-court interview after the game.
Towns was referring to his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, who died in April 2020.
“In a way I felt like I was seeing her in the stands,” he said.
Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals. NBAE via Getty Images
Towns has been waiting his whole career to play in the NBA Finals, falling in the conference finals the past two seasons.
The former Timberwolves star recorded 10 points, including two 3-pointers, four rebounds and a block in the third quarter as the Knicks began their comeback.
“You just trust your work and you trust your decision-making, and I always say [I want to be] aggressive in play-making,” Towns said.
The Detroit Red Wings could be on the verge of one of the biggest moves in recent franchise history.
According to an explosive new report from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, longtime Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin, the only remaining player on the roster who played in the franchise's most recent Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in 2016, has requested a trade.
"According to multiple sources, Dylan Larkin recently requested a trade from Detroit," Friedman reported on Sportsnet. "There’s a lot to unpack here. First, should mention that no one would comment. Not Larkin, not agent Pat Brisson, not Red Wings Executive Vice-President & GM Steve Yzerman."
Larkin, a Michigan native who played for the University of Michigan and whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (15th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft, was named the 37th captain in team history in January 2021.
The Red Wings are currently stuck in the NHL's longest active postseason drought at 10 years and counting.
After the Red Wings missed the playoffs in 2024-25, Larkin openly expressed disappointment that GM Steve Yzerman didn't make a more meaningful acquisition at the NHL Trade Deadline, which may have caused some tension in their relationship.
Larkin, who signed an eight-year contract extension in 2023, still has five years left on the deal with an $8.7M cap hit, and holds a full no-trade clause over the next two seasons; that turns into a 10-team list afterward.
In 808 career NHL games, Larkin has scored 276 goals with 367 assists. His 643 points are ranked 10th all time in team history.
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Hosts hold their nerve on a tricky wicket to reach target
Australia only set 158 despite Josh Inglis’s 65
Pakistan overcame Australian spin on a tricky wicket to win the third and final one-day international by four wickets in Lahore and clinch the series 2-1 on Thursday.
Pakistan had to fight hard on a turning wicket to reach 161-6 in 41.5 overs after Australia had crashed to their lowest ODI total in Pakistan after being dismissed for 157 in 42 overs.
DETROIT, MI - MAY 04: Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) in the dugout during the game between the Detroit Tigers versus the Boston Red Sox on Monday May 4, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
While there’s no guarantee that the Tigers will trade ace Tarik Skubal, they would be wise to entertain offers for him heading into the trade deadline. Set to become a free agent in 2027 with a potential lockout on the horizon, Skubal is a tantalizing trade chip — despite an injury* — thanks to Detroit sitting six games out of a postseason spot at the time of writing this. Although the American League has been surprisingly weak this year, the Tigers are just 4-13 against their own division, with all four of their wins coming against the Royals. If the arbitration case between the Tigers and Skubal were any indicator of future negotiations between the two parties, signing him to a free agent deal (and potentially the largest one ever for a pitcher) doesn’t appear to be likely.
The Rays, on the other hand, currently have the best record in the American League and fourth best record in baseball despite their recent minor skid. Not having Ryan Pepiot in the middle of their rotation hasn’t hurt them too much, but relatively strict innings limits to Shane McClanahan, Steven Matz, Griffin Jax, and to a lesser extent Drew Rasmussen should put them in the market for some rotation help as we approach the trade deadline.
Of course any team would benefit from trading for an ace like Skubal, but the Rays would be an exceptionally strong fit given their current place in the standings and their need to supplement the rotation with quality — not just an innings eater.
*Skubal claims he is “symptom free” following a NanoScope procedure to remove a loose body from his elbow, and is building back up to a starter’s workload, even throwing a 70-pitch simulated game at the Trop this week
What could a potential trade package for Skubal look like?
I think it’ll take one higher tier prospect plus an additional mid-tier guy, and I think just about everyone is available. The market may ultimately prove me wrong, but I think the combination of injury uncertainty and limited remaining control keeps the price below the blockbuster packages often associated with frontline starters.
Given the Rays’ necessity to clear space for their Rule 5 crunch this winter, it’s more likely they consolidate prospects in a package for Skubal rather than trading away current Major League talent, and less likely they would deal from deep in the minors. Accordingly, I’d be surprised to see the Rays entertaining moving Theo Gillen in a package for such a short term rental like Skubal. Few prospects in baseball have seen their stock rise more over the past year than Gillen.
That next tier of Rays prospects contains two guys: Nathan Flewelling and Brody Hopkins. They both have high upside to be above average regulars with several impact tools. I think a trade conversation starts with one of them, but not both, and leans toward Hopkins, who will demand a roster slot next year.
Why not both? Remember, the Rays would be acquiring only a partial season of Skubal, not multiple years of control. Giving up 6+ years of control of both Flewelling and Hopkins would be a significant overpay. That’s not to say that a team won’t have to overpay to get Skubal; starting pitching is usually the most expensive commodity at the deadline. I think it’ll take a mild to moderate overpay to land Skubal, and a Rays’ trade package starts with a player in their top tier of prospects behind Gillen.
After one of Flewelling or Hopkins, the Rays would likely need to add some additional prospect capital. The next tier contains guys who could be solid big leaguers but have bigger question marks in their profiles compared to the previous three guys mentioned. This tier consists of prospects with legitimate major-league upside but either less projection, less certainty, or less positional value than Flewelling and Hopkins. Players in this tier would be:
SS Daniel Pierce
C Caden Bodine
RHP Michael Forret
INF Cooper Flemming
RHP Anderson Brito
RHP Santiago Suarez
RHP TJ Nichols
These guys have varying levels of track record and projection that could help the Rays land Skubal when coupled with one of Flewelling or Hopkins. The Rays may even need to add an additional prospect to their package depending on how the market for starting pitching shapes up this summer. If contenders start losing their frontline starters to injury, Skubal’s price could climb, although probably not as high as what it was heading into this season.
A good rule of thumb for making a trade is that if it doesn’t hurt at least a little, it’s probably not a fair trade. No “Clint Frazier + Miguel Andujar” scenarios here. Giving up Flewelling or Hopkins plus another prospect listed above would absolutely hurt, but that’s usually the cost of acquiring frontline starting pitching in July.
For a Rays team with World Series aspirations and a looming Rule 5 crunch, this is exactly the type of aggressive consolidation move that makes sense to explore.
The NHL’s Stanley Pup, a friendly competition featuring adoptable rescue dogs, will air in the U.S. and Canada on June 8 to celebrate the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.
All 32 NHL teams will be represented by a puppy, many of which will be available for adoption through adoption partner Brandywine Valley SPCA.
The St. Louis Blues’ dog this season is named Jordan Bone-Ington.
The show will premiere on June 8 on truTV and simulcast on HBO Max in the U.S. (8:30 p.m. CT) and on Sportsnet in Canada (7 p.m. CT).
This years event will feature several celebrity appereances, as notable names are Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live, D2: The Mighty Ducks), Flavor Flav, Anthony Anderson (black-ish), Jean Smart (Hacks), Brooke Shields (The Blue Lagoon, Pretty Baby), Kelli Giddish (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Michael Strahan (Good Morning America), Joel McHale (Community, Animal Control), singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, Kendall Vertes (Dance Moms), Emma Kenney (Shameless, The Connors), broadcasting legend Doc Emrick, Anson Carter, Paul Bissonnette, Liam McHugh and Chris Chelios (NHL on TNT), and Dan Powers and Chris Powers (Empty Netters Podcast).
Meet our representative for this year's Stanley Pup 🦴🐶 While the competition is ruff, we are pawsitive that this puck hound will bring the same dogged determination as her namesake.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Buffalo Sabres veteran head coach Lindy Ruff exceeded all expectations last season, ending an NHL record 14-season playoff drought and winning the Atlantic Division, which was thought to make him a favorite for the Jack Adams Award, but on Wednesday Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper narrowly edged out Ruff for coach of the year. Cooper led the Lightning to a 50-26-6 record (106 points), three points in back of Ruff’s Sabres.
Cooper received 36 of 99 first place votes, while Ruff received 26, and Pittsburgh’s Dan Muse 18. The criticism of the choice of Cooper, in Buffalo in particular, comes from the perception that his victory was more of a career achievement award for a two-time Stanley Cup winner that had never won coach of the year, while Ruff, who won the Jack Adams with the Sabres in 2005-06, lost out to a coach that he bested by three points in the standings.
There is no doubt that Ruff exceeded expectations more than any other coach in the league, as the Sabres were expected to miss the playoffs for a 15th straight season and was something that seemed likely through the first two months of the regular season. Buffalo’s turnaround, which coincided with the firing of GM Kevyn Adams, started with a 10-game winning streak and resulted in the Sabres posting the league’s best record after December 9.
Can someone make this make sense? Schopp is looking for answers on how the voters decided to go with Cooper over Ruff. #Sabres#NHLpic.twitter.com/UfRgU4ROWh
The perception that Cooper’s win is based more on career achievement than a deserving victory is not accurate. Other than the injury to Josh Norris that kept the Sabres center out two months, and a series of short-term ailments to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis in goal, the Sabres were relatively healthy all season, but that is not to take away from Ruff instilling a work ethic and defensive responsibility from a club that had not shown that under Don Granato.
That is in stark contrast to the Lightning, who may not have led the league in the quantity of man-games lost, but arguably led in quality man-games lost. Two of Tampa Bay’s veteran blueliners; Ryan McDonagh and Victor Hedman, played less than 50 games. Another top-four defender, Erik Cernak missed 21 games. Up front, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, Nick Paul and Brayden Point missed significant chunks of the season, with some playing injured down the stretch.
Cooper pieced together a roster on many nights, filling the gaps with free agent unknowns like Charle-Edouard D’Astous and Dominic James, minor-league call-ups Gage Goncalves and Max Crozier, and coaxing career years out of defenseman J-J Moser, and journeyman Darren Raddysh.
While arguments can be made that Ruff was cheated out of the award since nearly one-third of the voters left them off their ballot completely, Cooper was left off more ballots and won on the strength of more first place votes.
