Mark Stone has already given the Vegas Golden Knights just about everything a franchise could ask of its captain.
He helped turn an expansion team into a Stanley Cup contender, became the first captain in franchise history and eventually lifted the Cup in Vegas. But the Golden Knights clearly aren't ready to find out what life without him looks like.
Vegas signed Stone to a two-year, $18 million contract Saturday, keeping its captain under contract through the 2027-28 season. The deal comes after another remarkable season from the 34-year-old, who scored a career-high 73 points in only 60 games despite missing time with injuries.
Stone's production was a major reason Vegas made another run at the Cup, reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in nine seasons. He finished the regular season with 28 goals and 45 assists before adding 12 points in 17 playoff games.
For all the questions that have followed Stone's health in recent years, there has never been much debate about what he means to the Golden Knights when he is healthy. His fingerprints are all over the most important moments in the franchise's history, and his 84 playoff points remain the most any Golden Knights player has recorded.
Now, Vegas has decided that history shall continue.
The extension also comes just two days after the Golden Knights gave Braeden Bowman a six-year, $20.4 million contract of his own. One deal keeps a veteran captain who helped build the franchise's identity in place; the other gives Vegas a long-term piece it hopes will help carry that identity forward.
For the Golden Knights, Saturday wasn't simply about keeping Stone around.
It was about making sure the player who has been at the center of so much of their success gets another chance to finish the job.
Apr 20, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Maicer Izturis (3) dives back to first base on a pick-off attempt in the tenth inning against the New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre. The Yankees beat the Blue Jays, 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Today marks the 44th birthday of former Blue Jays infielder Maicer Izturis.
You might remember that Alex Anthopoulos signed Izturis as a free agent in November 2012. He agreed to a three-year contract (with a team option for a fourth year) worth $3 million annually, making it Alex’s most significant free-agent signing at the time.
Unfortunately, the signing did not go as hoped.
Alex described Izturis as the ‘leading candidate’ to play second base but still sought to upgrade the position. Around the same time, he traded Mike Aviles (and Yan Gomes) to Cleveland for Esmil Rogers—a move that also fell short of expectations. While Aviles might have been a healthier option at second, his offensive numbers were underwhelming. Notably, the Jays had just acquired Aviles from the Red Sox in exchange for John Farrell.
A few days later, Alex pulled off a major trade with the Marlins, which brought Emilio Bonifacio to Toronto. Bonifacio would share second base duties with Izturis during the 2013 season. Over the next few years, the team cycled through several other second basemen, including Munenori Kawasaki and Ryan Goins.
Over three seasons, Izturis appeared in just 118 games, spending more time on the disabled list than on the field. The Jays declined his option ahead of the 2016 season, instead issuing a $1,000,000 buyout.
He finished his Blue Jays tenure with a .240/.291/.310 slash line and 5 home runs.
In January 2016, the Jays signed Izturis to a minor-league contract, but he never played professionally again.
Izturis spent 11 seasons in the majors, compiling a .269/.331/.372 batting line with 39 home runs in 909 games. He played the majority of his career with the Angels, though he began with the Expos.
Happy Birthday, Maicer—I hope it’s a great one.
Today also marks the 43rd birthday of Clayton Richard.
Clayton Richard enjoyed an 11-year MLB career, finishing with the Blue Jays. His stint in Toronto was less memorable—he went 1-5 with a 5.96 ERA over 10 starts in 2019. The Jays acquired him in a trade with the Padres for Connor Panas, who never reached the majors but is currently playing in Mexico.
Standing 6’5” and weighing 240 pounds, Richard was an imposing left-handed pitcher, though not a hard thrower. The polite term: he was a ‘pitch-to-contact’ pitcher, rarely missing bats.
Over his 11-year career, Richard posted a 69-84 record with a 4.51 ERA across 275 games, including 210 starts.
This victory has been a long time coming for Gary O’Neil. The Millwall supporter from Beckenham, whose son plays for Crystal Palace’s academy, had picked up a solitary point on his previous five trips to this part of south London as a manager. So it was no wonder that he celebrated Zian Flemming’s winning goal in the 90th minute with the same gusto as the travelling Ipswich supporters.
On a topsy-turvy afternoon Palace took the lead before Emersonn and Leif Davis cancelled out Anan Khalaili’s first goal for Palace after Axel Disasi’s red card. Jørgen Strand Larsen equalised with 15 minutes remaining but Khalaili had his head in his hands after missing an open goal minutes later and it was to prove crucial as Flemming – the last of the 14 new players signed by Ipswich in the summer in a record spend of £190m for a promoted side – scrambled home the winner after Davis hit the crossbar with a looping header.
Movistar rider refuses to crack in brutal mountain test
Would be first home winner since Contador 12 years ago
Enric Mas all but secured overall victory in the Vuelta a España when he survived a brutal penultimate stage on the sun-baked slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The 31-year-old Movistar rider spent most of the 186km stage in a group alongside Primoz Roglic, Felix Gall and Richard Carapaz – the only men who could deny him the red jersey – and simply refused to crack.
Looking perfectly in control up the steep and winding final 9km climb to Collado del Alguacil, Mallorcan rider Mas comfortably protected the 1min 37 sec advantage he had held over the Slovenian Roglic after 19 stages and even stretched his lead at the climax.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 6: Starting pitcher Tanner Gordon #29 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field on September 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A stretch of rough streaks continues for the Colorado Rockies (55-92). The team had a tough time at home in August, losing 10 games straight at Coors Field before winning one against the Baltimore Orioles to start the month of September.
The woes are now traveling. After last night’s 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers (68-79), the Rockies have amassed an eight-game road losing streak. They’ll try to stop the away skid in game two of a three-game set out in Motor City.
The Rockies will start right-handed pitcher Tanner Gordon (1-4 in nine starts and 21 total games, 5.40 ERA). Gordon has oscillated between starting and relieving throughout the season. He was roughed up in his last start, a 10-8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in which Gordon gave up five runs on eight hits. Over the course of the year, Gordon has performed better on the road than he as at home. He has an 0-3 record and a 7.47 ERA at Coors Field, compared to a 1-1 record alongside a 2.68 ERA on the road. In fact, the Rockies last road win came on a Gordon start in a 13-1 win over the Washington Nationals. They’ll turn to his mojo away from home to get things back on track.
The Tigers will send out lefty Andrew Sears (0-1 in one start and three total games), who made his MLB debut on August 23rd. He began his big-league career with two appearances out of the bullpen. He got his first start last week, a non-decision as Detroit lost to the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 in extra innings. Sears looked sharp, going 5.2 innings and giving up just one run on four hits with four strikeouts. The Tigers sent Sears back down to Triple-A after his start to clear roster space for Jack Flaherty returning from injury. That decision made a U-turn with starter Keider Montero leaving Detroit to return to Venezuela for the birth of his child, putting Sears’ services back in demand.
With Colorado up against a left-handed starter for the second straight game in the series, the faces in the batting order remain mostly unchanged. TJ Rumfield slots in and Troy Johnston moves out amidst a shuffle in the Designated Hitter and infield positions. The other eight starters from yesterday’s game take the field today. The Rockies will hope to see more power out of their bats and to cash in on their scoring opportunities as they try to even the series.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 30: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox bats during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, August 30, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by CJ Lauretani/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The WooSox fell to the IronPigs (Phillies AAA) in more of a game of circumstance than anything. For every good thing that happened, there was a counter. The team only walked once, but they only struck out six times. John Holobetz struck out seven and pitched into the sixth, having only allowed a run via a home run, but Seth Martinez got taken yard three times. Of course, there was also the issue of going 1-2-3 six times in the game including when it mattered most in the ninth. In a winnable game, 5 hits, only one of those being an extra-base hit (by your 8-hole hitter, no less) usually doesn’t cut it.
In a real full-team win, the Sea Dogs had three home runs, all within the first five innings to put them up big, including Brooks Brannon capping a 7-run second. Henry Godbout continues his fantastic late summer at the plate taking Binghamton (Mets AA) for two hits. Despite the DH who you may or may not recognize. Willson Contreras is getting some at-bats in rehab to ensure that nagging hamstring isn’t going to be too much of an issue during the playoff run. It didn’t seem to bother him Friday as he went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Contreras will start at first for the Sea Dogs this afternoon and it’s at least plausible we see him in Boston to end this Royals series Sunday.
Contreras wasn’t the only one rehabbing, though; along with Yordanny Monegro coming back from that lengthy Tommy John back in 2025, Tanner Houck is also searching to maybe get some innings in in 2026 after all (let me be clear… as the end of his rehab would be after the playoffs begin, I’m all for the 2024 All-Star pacing himself as slow as possible and coming back in 2027.) The 30-year-old struck four out allowing just one hit in three innings (though, that hit did score a runner he walked) and getting this game to a place where Max Carlson and Cooper Adams could slam the door. Houck threw 48 pitches in relatively low leverage, which actually may seem like a little bit of a high pitch count in a second appearance after a major surgery, but he dug in deep and got that ninth out. It’s really nice to see Houck on the mound again, and his Friday night certainly went a lot better than his Tuesday night did.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 08: Brent Headrick #47 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium on September 8, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Though the Yankees have endured their fair share of misfortune this year – injuries to several key players come to mind – they’ve also enjoyed some positive surprises. Spencer Jones might be a viable big leaguer! Paul Goldschmidt wasn’t completely toast! Paul Blackburn’s running a sub-2.00 ERA! However, there’s one important development that I feel has flown under the radar at least a little bit, and that is Brent Headrick’s emergence as an elite reliever.
Those of you following this team closely should need no reminder of how good Headrick has been, but his performance to date stands out even when compared to the rest of the league. Here’s how Brent’s key stats rank among all qualified MLB relievers.
No matter how you slice it, Headrick’s 2026 performance to date has been nothing short of elite. However, I want to call attention to one stat in particular: his innings count. With about three weeks still remaining in the season, Headrick has already thrown 73.1 innings, the most he’s ever thrown in the majors by far. In fact, even when accounting for his minor league stats, his 2026 workload still stands out.
Headrick did throw 108.1 innings across High-A and Double-A in 2022, followed by 100.2 innings across Triple-A and the majors in 2023. However, that was when he was primarily a swingman, with 35 out of his 58 appearances during that time being starts. Having since moved to a full-time relief role, Headrick accumulated just 69.1 innings ]over 2024 and 2025 across the minors and the majors. In other words, 2026 Headrick has already thrown more innings than his previous two years combined. If I were him, I’d be asking for a hefty raise in the offseason if I wasn’t pre-arb.
With any pitcher — and perhaps doubly so for relievers, who are as a group inherently fickle — a marked increase in workload comes with two red flags: heightened injury risk, and potential decline in performance. I can’t speak on the former, as I’m not a medical professional. However, I can provide some assurance regarding the latter, as despite being worked harder than ever before, Headrick isn’t showing many signs of slowing down.
Yes, it’s true that Headrick’s ERA has risen a bit recently. From the start of the season through July, he posted a 1.30 ERA in 55.1 innings. Since then? A 4.00 mark across 18 innings. However, a look at Headrick’s underlying numbers suggests that this has more to do with bad luck than his workload catching up to him.
If Headrick was truly gassed, we’d expect that to show in several areas of his FanGraphs page. For example, if his stuff was diminished, we’d expect his strikeout rate to decrease and his walk rate to increase. But looking at his splits pre- and post-August, the opposite has happened. Headrick’s actually fanning batters at a higher rate since August 1st (32.2%) than before (29.4%), while his walk rate since (7.4%) is also slightly lower than before (7.8%), even including last night’s two-walk outing. If there has been a decline in Headrick’s stuff, it sure isn’t showing up here.
Of course, it might be that Headrick is allowing harder contact as he runs on fumes. However, the data doesn’t really support this hypothesis either. His hard contact rate was 26.4 percent from March-July, and from the start of August onward that has risen all the way to … 26.5 percent. His batted-ball mix is basically the same, too—he’s generated grounders and fly balls at roughly the same rates. The only difference is that recently more of his fly balls allowed have been leaving the park. His HR/FB rate was a miniscule 3.4 percent prior to August, but since then that’s jumped up to 10.5 percent. However, HR/FB has proven to be a fickle statistic, and very few pitchers have shown the ability to consistently suppress it. Given the fact that a 10.5 percent HR/FB is still below league average, I’m comfortable saying that this shouldn’t be cause for alarm.
The most likely culprit for Headrick’s heightened ERA seems to be worse luck on batted balls. Here’s his 15-game rolling BABIP, through the beginning of play yesterday:
If we superimpose his 15-game rolling ERA- trends on this graph, we can see how closely the two trends coincide:
And if we compare that to his FIP- trends, we can see how Headrick’s core skills have remained consistent despite fluctuations in his surface stats:
So, in my humble opinion, the fact that Headrick’s ERA has risen a bit of late shouldn’t scare you.
At Headrick’s core, he’s still the shutdown reliever he was earlier in the year; he’s just run into a patch of bad luck. Of course, this doesn’t preclude the possibility to Headrick’s workload catching up to him eventually, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t note that his average fastball velocity in September (93.2 mph) is lower than any previous month (below May’s 93.9 mph). It’s not an enormous dip and it’s possible that the adrenaline of the postseason could boost it back up in certain outings.
Nonetheless, Aaron Boone and Matt Blake should of course be monitoring his health closely; going into the playoffs without a fully functioning Headrick would be less than ideal, to say the least. As of now however, Headrick seems to be just fine, and that’s good news for the Yankees as they enter the most crucial part of the season.
SAN DIEGO, CA - AUGUST 25: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates warms up prior to the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ryan Levy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (10-11, 3.83 ERA) vs. Clay Holmes (6-7, 2.83 ERA)
Sorry we missed some game threads, y’all. We’ve had some moving parts in scheduling, so that falls on me.
But to the game, the Pirates are at .500, but with the season fast dwindling away, they are still 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. The MLB Playoffs are not likely, barring a miracle.
Still, it would be nice to see the Bucs finish strong, and especially for Paul Skenes to finish strong after a difficult season for the ace.
Oklahoma City's Ryan Fitzgerlad throws to first during a minor league baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Albuquerque Isotopes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The Great Lakes Loons were eliminated from the Midwest League playoffs on Friday, as the Dodgers’ High-A affiliate lost 5-0 to the Dayton Dragons (Reds) in Game 3 of the East Division playoffs.
Cam Leiter was two outs into the fourth inning with five strikeouts and only a hit and a walk allowed, but then he allowed two singles, ending his night. Matt Lanzendorfer came in and walked a batter to load the bases, then a double that brought home three for the game’s first runs. That included the first two earned runs allowed by Leiter in four starts since getting promoted to High-A.
A catcher’s interference call led to another run scoring to make it 4-0, because Lanzendorfer stepped off the rubber and didn’t deliver a pitch, but catcher Victor Rodrigues stepped in front of the plate, drawing the interference call. That was enough for Loons manager Jair Fernández, who got ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Natanael Rodriguez Garcia.
Eduardo Quintero took a 3-0 pitch off the helmet in the fifth inning — he was showing bunt, and was pulling back as he was hit by the pitch — but appeared to be okay and remained in the game in center field the rest of the way.
Emil Morales had two of the Loons’ five hits, all of them singles.
Dayton will face the Quad Cities River Bandits, a Kansas City Royals affiliate, for the Midwest League championship.
Player of the day
Though he wasn’t the most famous outfielder to get promoted from the Tulsa Drillers in the last week or so, Chris Newell put on a nice showcase of his talents on Friday night for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Newell in the second inning hit his first Triple-A home run, a solo shot off right-hander Bryce Mayer.
That was Newell’s 23rd home run of the season to go with 22 stolen bases, his third straight season with at least 20 home run and 20 stolen bases. The 13th-round draft pick out of Virginia in 2022 over the last four seasons has 89 home runs and 92 steals.
Newell also showed off his defense, with this leaping grab in left field in the third inning, robbing an extra-base hit.
The Comets hit four home runs and Charlie Barnes tossed five scoreless innings to beat the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros). Oklahoma City has won an astonishing 13 games in a row.
Oklahoma City has a four-game lead on Sugar Land in the second half of the Pacific Coast League schedule with eight games to play. The Comets also own the tiebreaker over the Space Cowboys, having beaten them in 10 of their 16 meetings in the second half. Oklahoma City’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth is four.
James Tibbs III hit one of the home runs, his 29th of the season, which also knocked in his 100th run of the season, the fifth Dodgers minor leaguer this year with 100 RBI (Tulsa infielder Jake Gelof got there Thursday). Tibbs also has scored 106 runs and walked 104 times this season, joining Milwaukee Brewers Double-A slugger Andrew Fischer in select recent company among all minor leaguers.
This is incredible. Since MLB began tracking Minor League stats in 2005, no player in the Minors had ever had a season with 100+ RBI, 100+ runs, and 100+ walks.
Andrew Fischer got there earlier today. James Tibbs III just joined him.
Bobby Miller had a rough time, allowing a two-run home run in the seventh inning and a three-run shot in the eighth, both to the same guy — outfielder Lucas Spence.
Double-A Tulsa
Christian Zazueta worked around two early runs to strike out four in five innings in the Drillers’ win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals). Zazueta, the Dodgers’ top pitching prospect, since getting promoted to Double-A has a 3.44 ERA in 12 starts with 78 strikeouts against only eight walks in 55 innings and a whopping 32.1-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate.
There were wins for Nottingham Forest and Ipswich, Chelsea and Liverpool were held and Bournemouth lost more points from a winning position
Championship: Standing on the opposition goalline, Birmingham City’s South Korean midfielder Paik Seung-Ho can’t miss as he heads his side in front at Pride Park from a wonderful Liam Millar inswinger of a corner. The visitors lead Derby County 2-1 after 63 minutes.
WSL: West Ham haver doubled their lead against London City, with Viviane Asseyi making it 2-0 at Victoria Road after 48 minutes.
Buffalo Sabres prospects practiced for the first time at LECOM Harborcenter on Friday in advance of the two-game Prospect Showcase against the Boston Bruins youngsters on Sunday night and Monday morning. The highest-regarded of the Sabres prospects playing this weekend is 2025 first-rounder Radim Mrtka.
The 19-year-old played the beginning of the AHL season with Rochester, but was sent back to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds in October. The big blueliner played for Czechia at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, and after finishing the WHL season, he returned to the Amerks to finish out the regular season and play in the Calder Cup Playoffs against Toronto.
I think that (getting bigger and stronger) was a huge emphasis in the offseason to spend a lot of time (on)." Amerks head coach Michael Leone said. “(Mrtka) looks really good as far as his physicality.....He went to Prague in the summer and was training with a really good group there."
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
Rochester is undergoing a transition in all areas, with last year’s starting goalie Devon Levi being dealt to Edmonton, their top scoring defenseman Zac Jones signing with Utah, and most of their top forwards either graduating to the NHL Sabres or are playing elsewhere, so youngsters like Mrtka will be depended on to step in and take on more responsibilities.
"I learned a lot(in Rochester). There's probably not a single thing I could tell you right now, but I just took so many things from those games. So I'm really happy and glad that I could play there." Mrtka said.
With the selection of righty Daxon Rudolph at the 2026 Draft this past June, Mrtka could have competition making the Sabres roster later in the season, and with the club possibly in talks with Winnipeg to acquire Connor Hellebuyck, it is not out of the question that the young blueliner’s future could lie elsewhere.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 31: Lucas Spence #28 of the Houston Astros reacts after hitting a RBI single in the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park on July 31, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (71-70) lost 8-5 (BOX SCORE)
Mayer got the start for Sugar Land and allowed 3 runs over 4.2 innings while striking out 6. The pen struggled allowing another 5 runs as the Comets opened up a big lead. The offense got on the board in the 7th inning on a Spence 2 run home run. In the 8th, Spence connected on another home run, this time a 3 run shot. The offense was unable to score again as Sugar Land fell 8-5.
Note: Mayer has 132 K over 98 innings this season.
Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (62-74) won 5-2 (BOX SCORE)
DeVos started for the Hooks and went 4.1 innings allowing one run while striking out 4. The Hooks got on the board in the 4th inning on a Holy RBI single. The game stayed tied at one until the 9th inning when the Hooks scored 4 runs on a Holy RBI single, a run on a wild pitch and a Call 2 run single. Chirinos allowed a run in the 9th inning but held on for the 5-2 win.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 05: Clayton Beeter #39 of the Washington Nationals reacts after allowing a three run home run to Tommy Edman #25 of the Los Angeles Dodgers, for a 5-4 Dodger lead, during the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium on September 05, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After last night’s game, the Nationals made a big move in the bullpen. They demoted Clayton Beeter, who has spent much of the season as the team’s de facto closer. For a lot of the season, Beeter was one of the better arms of a bad bunch. However, he has really struggled lately and it got him demoted.
The Nationals have optioned Clayton Beeter to Triple-A Rochester.
From a pure stuff perspective, Beeter has the ability to be a quality reliever. His slider can devastate hitters when it is on point. Beeter’s fastball also sits in the mid-90’s with a lot of life. However, command has always been the biggest issue for Beeter, and it has cost him this season.
On the year, Beeter has a 14.8% walk rate. That is just not good enough unless you are striking out well over 30% of hitters. Last year, Beeter’s walk rate was even higher, but he struck out 31.7% of hitters. This year, that number is down to 22.5%. Without elite strikeout numbers, Beeter is very vulnerable.
Beeter’s fastball has also been hit hard this season, with a .317 average against. The slider is a quality offering, but it is not enough to make him a viable late inning arm. On the season, Beeter has a 4.50 ERA in 50 outings with 47 strikeouts in 48 innings. His FIP is even higher than that at 5.43.
With a 3.62 ERA in the first half, Beeter was not awful, but the wheels have really come off lately. He has been in the middle of a lot of the Nats infamous late inning meltdowns. His habit of walking guys and then allowing home runs has not been enjoyable.
You just cannot trust someone as erratic as Clayton Beeter in high leverage. Has not even been getting strikeouts at a high clip either lately
I actually think Beeter has some talent and could re-establish himself at some point. However, he needs to change things up. Beeter will either need to add a third pitch, regain some of the velocity he lost this year or improve his command. If he can do those things, he can be solid.
Being a closer always felt like a tough ask for Beeter. He is just too hit or miss. You never know if he will be able to throw strikes. With some tweaks, maybe he can emerge as a solid 7th inning guy though.
I am curious to see who replaces Beeter down the stretch and what his future looks like. With this demotion, it is clear that Beeter will need to earn his spot on the 2027 team. There is not much settled in the bullpen though, so he will have his chances.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 02: Maxi Kleber #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Since then, the roster has been transformed and includes Siena, Italy native Nico Mannion, who was selected 48th overall by the Golden State Warriors in 2020. Among others who could reportedly fill out the roster for BC Roma SPQR (previously Vanolia Cremona) is former Los Angeles Laker and a teammate of Dončić’s, Maxi Kleber, as reported by the Slovenian news outlet SportsKlub.
According to Italian media, former German international and Dončić’s long-time teammate in Dallas and Los Angeles, Maxi Kleber, is also in talks for a possible move to Rome”
Kleber spent his first seven-and-a-half seasons in the NBA as a member of the Dallas Mavericks before joining Los Angeles in February 2025 as part of the shocking Dončić-Anthony Davis trade. He played a key reserve role for the Mavericks in 2022, when they made the Western Conference Finals, and 2024, when they made the NBA Finals.
Across 483 career games, he averaged 6.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists, providing Dallas with floor-spacing and versatile defense off the bench.
Injuries played a role in Kleber never finding a consistent spot in the Lakers’ rotation, though he did help the team pick up some wins last season in spot duty. Heading into free agency this summer, rumors suggested his next stop would be in Europe.
Having that stop be a team owned by Luka, though, would be a cool plot twist.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 08: J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after an out in the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Citizens Bank Park on September 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’ve gotten to a point in the Phillies’ recent playoff history where we can rank the crushing losses they have experienced at home over the last three Octobers.
Here’s my ranking from least-to-most devastating:
Game 2 NLDS vs. Dodgers (The Wheel Play Game)
Game 1 NLDS vs. Dodgers (The Teoscar Hernandez Homer Game)
Game 1 NLDS vs. Mets (The 8th Inning Meltdown Game)
Game 6 NLCS vs. Diamondbacks (The Nola Game)
Game 7 NLCS vs. Diamondbacks (The Choke Game)
From the start of the 2022 playoffs through Game 2 of the 2023 NLCS, the Phillies’ homefield advantage at Citizens Bank Park was one of baseball’s biggest storylines. They went 12-2 in their first 14 games during that stretch, with their only losses coming in Games 4 and 5 of the World Series against the Astros.
Of course, those were two crushing defeats, the first a combined no-hitter against them and the second a killer loss that sent them to Houston down 3-2 in the series.
Still, raucous crowds intimidated opponents, particularly the Atlanta Braves, who referred to playing October baseball in Philadelphia as a “hell.”
Unfortunately, CBP has been the Phils’ version of “hell” in recent postseasons, and during the regular season this year, it hasn’t provided much of a bump.
The Phillies are 1-5 in their last six home playoff games dating back to Game 6 of the 2023 NLCS against Arizona. And following Thursday’s frustrating 2-1 loss to the Astros, they fell to 41-34 at home, a .547 winning percentage. The Phils’ 41-31 road record (.569) is actually better.
Entering Atlanta for a three-game set this weekend provides the Phils a chance to peck away at the Braves’ four-game lead in the NL East. There are 15 games remaining on the schedule. The Phillies must sweep this series if they want to have any chance of catching Atlanta down the stretch. They’re also one game up on the Cubs for the first wild card spot.
Winning the division and/or the top wild card means a home playoff series in the wild card round against either the Cubs or Braves.
The idea of playing a short, best-of-three series on the road at Wrigley Field or Atlanta doesn’t sound too enticing, and after Thursday’s loss to the Astros, Bryce Harper admitted getting homefield advantage is something they definitely want.
The Phillies still have their sights on home field advantage in Red October.
“Obviously, (we're) trying to run down the Braves and the Cubs at the same time… We expect our crowds to be loud and crazy and obnoxious, talk the crap that they do to other players.” -Bryce Harper pic.twitter.com/dk5b5vQxLj
I’m not saying this should not be the goal of Harper, Wheeler, or the rest of the team’s, goal. Of course it should be and, all things being equal, you’d rather play as many home playoff games as possible. You want the Phillies to finish ahead of the Cubs and/or Braves in the standings. The Phils have had their fair share of crushing postseason losses on the road, too.
But given the nature of these Phillies, it wouldn’t be the worst thing for them to be road underdogs rather than having homefield advantage in the playoffs.
I hate talking about things like “aura” and “vibes,” but let’s be honest about the atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park during big games/series.
Yes, the fans are present, they are loud, and at the start of games, they are all-in. Hope abounds.
But as much as the players say how big an advantage the home crowd is, it’s pretty clear that this group tightens up as games progress. With each passing inning the offense remains muted, the pressure builds. With each blown save, the dread grows.
Over their last six playoff games, here is how many runs the Phils have scored in each of them: 1, 2, 2, 7, 3, and 3. That’s an average of 3.0 runs per game. In their five losses, they’ve averaged 2.2.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you the offense has been a juggernaut on the road, but going back to Game 3 of the 2023 NLCS in Arizona, here are the runs they’ve scored away from CBP: 1, 5, 6, 2, 1, 8, 1. That’s an average of 3.4 runs per game.
The general idea is the offense needs to perform better overall, as does the late inning relief. And again, playing at home does have its advantages, all things being equal.
But if the mindset of the team is at all important heading into this October, perhaps embracing underdog status wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. An “us against the world” mentality. The weight of expectations on this team isn’t going to go away just because they’re the second or third wild card team, and if they lose in the opening round on the road, it won’t make the disappointment any less bitter.
But maybe forcing the Phillies to be road warriors would be better for them than feeling more comfortable as hosts for the wild card round.
