The location of the event is part of the Sens' ongoing marketing efforts to win over hockey fans on the other side of the river. Close as it is to Ottawa, most of Gatineau's allegiance lies with the Montreal Canadiens so their fans will be out in full force to support their team (which makes you wonder why the Sens keep inviting the Habs to their Quebec-side preseason gatherings).
But the event also includes Toronto so it will also be teeming with Leafs fans.
But if they bought tickets hoping to see Gavin McKenna's first game in a Leaf uniform, they're going to be disappointed.
NHL.com had reported earlier that McKenna would play in the event, but Toronto Marlies head coach Steve Sullivan told reporters on Friday that McKenna will not attend so he can be fully ready for main camp next week.
For the record, skipping on the event wasn't McKenna's idea.
“I was just doing whatever the team wanted me to do,” McKenna told TSN. “It’d be fun to play some games, but they think me staying here is best, and I’m okay with that. I’ll listen to what they want.”
McKenna was selected first overall by Toronto in June, and everyone expects him to make the NHL team as an 18-year-old. McKenna recorded 51 points in 35 games as a Penn State freshman last season and added 14 points in seven games while helping Canada win bronze at the World Junior Championship.
The Sens made a similar decision with defenseman Carter Yakemchuk, keeping him out of action this weekend. Yakemchuk has an excellent chance to win a full time NHL job in Ottawa this fall.
Sens fans will get a chance to see McKenna soon enough.
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, a portion of the Senators players participating in training camp will travel to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs. At the same time, the Maple Leafs will send a group to Ottawa to face the Senators at CTC.
Then the Senators will face McKenna and the Leafs on the road in their regular season opener. That will be Toronto's third game of the season, so it won't be his NHL debut.
That means Sens fans won't have to endure the inevitable nostalgia billowing out of Toronto about the 10-year anniversary of Auston Matthews's NHL debut, when he scored four goals on the Sens.
Small victories count too.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest THN Ottawa headlines below:
The start of the 2026-27 season is rapidly approaching and while the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes look ready for another run at the crown, there's one piece of business still left unfinished.
Russian blueliner Alexander Nikishin is the Hurricanes' last player without a deal for the upcoming season and it hasn't seemed like there's really been much progress on that front.
His name has been out there plenty in the rumor mill, with reports stating that he's looking for north of $8 million per year and that the Canes have shopped him around plenty as well.
But with training camp just a week away, will the time crunch force someone to give?
And what will a new contract even look like for the Russian defenseman?
Nikishin was just on the outside of the league's top-50 most productive defensemen, registering 33 points in 81 games in his rookie year, however, he was in the top-25 in terms of goal scoring, having found the back of the net 11 times.
That's substantial production and better than a plethora of guys that wound up with significant contracts this summer.
However, he's also a 24-year-old rookie and so the question is, how much more room does he have to grow?
Obviously he had trouble adjusting to a lot of factors given the fact that he was playing in North American and a new league for the first time in his career, as well as not speaking the language fully.
So from that standpoint there is the potential for him to take another step, but the fact remains that he struggled a bit defensively, especially with the way the Hurricanes play, and so it's a question of if the organization thinks he's capable of taking a big step.
AFP Analytics does projections for pending free agents and their data projects both a long and short term deal for players.
For Nikishin, AFP projects him at both a six-year, $38.641 million ($6.44 AAV) deal or a two-year, $7.43 million ($3.715 AAV) deal.
In my opinion both of those seem fairly low for the Russian blueliner, but I can also see why the analytics wouldn't be too much in Nikishin's favor.
Despite solid production, Nikishin wasn't much of a play driver for Carolina according to the underlying numbers and he had his fair share of struggles defensively too.
Alexander Nikishin's 2025-26 Microstats
And while he was quite productive in the regular season, Nikishin struggled to put up points in the playoffs.
In addition, Nikishin has virtually no leverage in the current negotiations.
On top of only having one year of NHL experience under his belt, he's also a 10.2(c) restricted free agent, meaning that he can't be offer sheeted nor could he file for arbitration.
The Hurricanes hold all the cards in the negotiations and the only potential option Nikishin has is to sit out, which is very rare to see in today's game.
However, while he and the team have continued to go back and forth in negotiations, other players have landed deals that have more than likely only pushed Nikishin's ask even higher.
If we look at players in Nikishin's cohort (defensemen around the age of 24 who signed new deals) ones that jump out as comparables include:
Zeev Buium [20] - Eight-year, $75.04 million ($9.38 AAV)
Jamie Drysdale [24] - Four-year, $26 million ($6.5 AAV)
Simon Nemec [22] - Five-year, $36.25 million ($7.25 AAV)
Pavel Mintyukov [22] - Five-year, $36 million ($7.2 AAV)
Bowen Byram [25] - Six-year, $75 million ($12.5 AAV)
Brandt Clarke [23] - Five-year, $37 million ($7.4 AAV)
Of those players, only Byram (42 points) and Clarke (40) outproduced Nikishin.
Beyond them, other potential comparables in his cohort could include some players who signed deals last year, but the majority of them do play larger roles than Nikishin.
Philip Broberg [24] - Six-year, $48 million ($8 AAV)
JJ Moser [25] - Eight-year, $54 million ($6.75 AAV)
Thomas Harley [24] - Eight-year, $84.7 million ($10.587 AAV)
Jackson LaCombe [24] - Eight-year, $72 million ($9 AAV)
Luke Hughes [22] - Seven-year, $63 million ($9 AAV)
At the end of the day, Nikishin's price is more than likely going to end up at least somewhere above $7 million based on the market.
Carolina has just over $8 million in cap space according to PuckPedia, so they can fit him into the equation, but would the team really want to make him potentially their highest paid defenseman?
And if he stays, is it going to be a bridge or a long-term deal?
Carolina isn't a team that likes to take expensive risks and Nikishin definitely presents himself as one, especially at the price tag he's seemingly asking for.
There's also the case of, does Nikishin want to commit long-term to Carolina?
Coming from the KHL, the Russian defenseman was a 30-minute a night, all situations player. He hasn't gotten the opportunity to be that in Raleigh and there still isn't really a path for him to become that either.
The Hurricanes have a lot of options on the blueline currently too, bringing in Mike Reilly, Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Juuso Valimaki, while also having guys like Charles Alexis Legault and Joel Nystrom, all of whom could be options in that third-pairing role, so they have the insurance should this drag out through training camp.
And again, the Hurricanes don't have to budge.
It's a difficult situation and one that will be interesting to see how it ultimately resolves.
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated by Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 after hitting a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at Petco Park on September 09, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You knew that the only season series the San Francisco Giants have won against the San Diego Padres this decade was in 2021 and you figure that the Giants are unlikely to sweep the Padres this weekend in San Francisco to make it season series win #2, but maybe you didn’t realize just how much of the Padres’ fate the Giants hold in their hands?
The split with the Diamondbacks a week and a half ago didn’t obliterate Arizona’s Wild Card aspirations, but it was just enough losing to keep them a half game behind San Diego with — for them — just 15 games remaining. The Giants were supposed to be an easy way for them to enter this brutal — for them — September (Philadelphia, Houston, Kansas City (43-45 since June 1st), Texas, Miami, the Yankees, then three in Coors Field before the final three games of the season versus the Padres. Why mention the Diamondbacks at all?
Well, look, the Giants are actually playing spoilers right now. This isn’t the wishcasting of the past decade (save 2021) when these losers rolled into the final weeks staggering disappointments to a fan base that thought they were getting a perennial contender after the championships in the early 2010s, this is some actual spoiler behavior. San Diego’s next 7 games are against our Giants (3) and then 4 in Colorado before hosting the Marlins and then playing the Dodgers in LA, and hosting the Diamondbacks to end the season. They just went 5-1 on a homestand where they took 2 out of 3 from the Yankees and swept the Nationals. They are 22-14 since August 1st. So, they are riding high.
But, the Giants have won 10 of their last 17 and have done damage to multiple playoff hopefuls: they’ve taken out the Reds, brushed back the Diamondbacks, confused Atlanta, humbled Pittsburgh, and nuked the St. Louis Cardinals from orbit. The San Diego Padres are just half a game ahead of the Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot and 4.5 games ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates (who play the Cubs, Brewers, Royals, Cardinals, and Tigers). The Giants could be a doormat (the Padres have lost just 3 series at Oracle Park since the start of 2022, the last time being early 2024) helping San Diego improve its Wild Card standing, but there’s just enough excitement around these Giants to think that the spoiler energy might carry over to the weekend — despite two nationally televised games.
The first matchup in the series is pretty great. The Giants traded Robbie Ray to the Padres at the deadline and seem to have won that deal immediately. Ray was always going to be an improvement over the flotsam and jetsam that made up the Padres’ rotation before the deadline, but he has been remarkably worse for them than he was with the Giants. A 4.71 ERA & 6.06 FIP in 6 starts (28.2 IP) compared to 3.08 and 4.36 with the Giants. He’s struck out 20 and walked 20 in this span while allowed 5 HR and 15 ER. The sole win the Yankees had against San Diego last weekend was the Ray start where he allowed 5 ER in 2.1 IP.
Meanwhile, Anthony Molina has pitched quite a bit better than the “40-man roster castoff turned innings eater who will be DFA’d in the offseason” guy many people projected him to be when the Giants acquired him from Atlanta. He’s appeared in 3 games, the Giants have won all 3 games, and he has a 1.88 ERA (3.52 FIP) in 14.1 IP. Just 2 walks against 13 strikeouts. Very impressive and a really nice development down the stretch. You’d like to think a 24-year old with a 96 mph fastball and a curveball-slider combo with high whiff rates will be able to stick to the roster of a 90+-loss team that will need pitching heading into next season.
Then there are the performances from the dudes who will definitely be sticking around: Rafael Devers has a 272 wRC+ over these last 17 games, and he hasn’t even played in them all! His 9 home runs lead the team, of course, but also the entire sport — same with that wRC+. Bryce Eldridge has hit .365/.453/.596 over his last 64 PA (187 wRC+), Christian Koss .278/.328/.500 over his last 62 PA (130 wRC_), and Jonah Cox has been right there with both (.298/.365/.447 — 129 wRC+ and with 5 stolen bases).
Ahem. The Giants’ team walk rate has been 9.5% over this same span (21.6%).
So, between the hitting standouts and the pitching standouts — excited to see if Cesar Perdomo can continue to get outs against a tough lineup that has nonetheless struggled versus LHP this season (.691 OPS) — the Giants are setup to rain on the Padres’ parade a little bit. Their new owners, Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano, introduced themselves with a song made just for the occasion…
This is the exact sort of excitement and energy a cranky, losing team like the Giants ought to be able to frustrate at this time of the year if they’re to really create hope for a fanbase that isn’t sure when the team will be good again.
Series Overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (62-85) vs. San Diego Padres (78-68) Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California When: Friday at 7:15pm PT, Saturday at 1:05pm PT, Sunday at 4:20pm PT National broadcasts: Friday (Apple TV), Sunday (NBC/Peacock)
Projected starters Friday: Anthony Molina (RHP 3-0, 2.79 ERA) vs. Robbie Ray (LHP 11-8, 3.39 ERA) Saturday: Cesar Perdomo (LHP 0-0, 0.90 ERA) vs. Michael King (RHP 10-9, 3.00 ERA) Sunday: Logan Webb (RHP 8-8, 4.10 ERA) vs. Nick Pivetta (RHP 2-2, 3.43 ERA)
Players to watch
Padres
Nick Pivetta: He was the 14th-most valuable pitcher in MLB last season (3.7 fWAR) and the Padres got him on a song (3 years, $41 million), but he missed a massive chunk of this season with right elbow inflammation. He made just his 5th start of 2026 on Monday night, getting the win via 5 shutout innings, 2 hits, 0 walks, and just 2 strikeouts against the Nationals. His second start since returning from the IL will be at Oracle Park where he’s struggled. He has a career 5.40 ERA in 20 IP (admittedly, 7.1 of those came before 2020). He’s the Padres’ #2 starter, essentially, but with a wobbly Ray and a Pivetta still coming back from injury, you can see a fuzzy outline for how the Giants might take this series.
Jackson Merrill: This guy loves Oracle Park. In 16 games (68 PA), he’s slashing .379/.397/.606. That 1.003 OPS is his best result in any of the NL West Parks, and it’s really his best result in an opposing stadium if you set the threshold at 50 PA. He has higher OPSes in some other stadiums, but with fewer PA: Yankee Stadium — 1.556 OPS (9 PA), Fenway Park — 1.348 (23), loanDepot Park — 1.172 (37), Guaranteed Rate Field — 1.135 (13).
Fernando Tatis Jr. & Manny Machado: Tatis was bad the first two months of the season (.658 OPS through May), but since June 1st has slashed .295/.357/.528 (.886) with 19 homers and 18 stolen bases. If you move that “since” date to something more recent (August 1st), he remains the team’s best hitter. He (151 wRC+), Ty France (144 wRC+), Merrill (141), and catcher Luis Campusano (120) have led the charge. For his career (44 G 191 PA) he’s done quite well at Oracle Park (.860 OPS), better than his overall mark against the Giants (.839 OPS), but in the previous Oracle Park series this season, he was just 1-for-13 with 5 strikeouts. Will the bounce back go all the way with him to the Bay?
Meanwhile, the 33-year old Machado is having the worst season of his career (.224/.314/.414), but like Tatis Jr. he has managed to turn it around — to an extent. Since the All-Star break he’s slashing .263/.355/.409 with 7 homers and 6 doubles. Not a lot of power but he’s getting on base. He has a career .830 OPS against the Giants and an .806 OPS at Oracle Park; but, this season, it’s .274 vs. the Giants overall and and 1-for-12 at Oracle Park. Will he, like Tatis, bring his turnaround with him?
Giants
Logan Webb: It was a nice bounceback start for Webb against the Cardinals following the worst start of his career; but, the Padres have his number. He’s already had a 4-inning, 6-earned run disaster in San Francisco against them back in May after they’d tagged him for 3 runs in 6 innings in San Diego (though, that game wound up being the Giants’ first win of the season). He’s 5-6 with a 3.60 ERA for his career against the Padres (110 IP). He has still been quite a bit better at home (3.26 ERA) than the road (5.29 ERA), of course, but this looks (on paper, anyway), to be a tough matchup.
Drew Cavanaugh: Look, he’s not a starter, but a left-handed hitting catcher with a 10.5% walk rate (though, yes, a 28% strikeout rate) with average-y defense is a player who has likely played his way onto a major league roster. The Susac-Cavanaugh combo might be cemented by the rest of this month. The Padres’ pitching has been worse against left-handed pitching than right-handed, too (.710 OPS vs. .697), so this might be a good weekend for him.
The lefty relievers: Because the Padres have struggled more against left-handed pitching (94 wRC+ — 18th in MLB), I wonder if we’ll see Tugboat, Reiver Sanmartin, and Phil Abner early and often, at least in games 1 & 2 of the series.
Martin Špaňhel - 2001-2002 - Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1995.
Špaňhel played 10 games for Columbus in the franchise's first two years and scored two goals. He never played another NHL game after leaving for Europe in 2002, where he played in Czechia, Denmark, and Norway.
He returned to North America in 2011 and played in the ECHL, but then retired soon after. Nowadays, he's the Commissioner of the Columbus Adult Hockey League.
Lasse Pirjetä - 2003-2004 - Drafted by Columbus in 2002.
Pirjetä played 108 games and scored 31 points for the Jackets. He played his final NHL games with Pittsburgh after being traded on March 10, 2004.
He retired in 2008 after playing in Switzerland, Sweden, and Finland. He was also an asst. coach in Finland at various levels.
Mike Rupp - 2006 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1998, and then the New jersey in 2000. (re-entry)
The Cleveland, Ohio native played 39 games for the Jackets in 2005-06, scoring four goals and totaling six points, after being traded to Columbus on October 8, 2005.
Rupp famously played for the Danbury Trashers during the lockout of 04-05 in the UHL. If you haven't watched that documentary on Netflix - DO IT! He retired in 2014.
Nowadays, he can be seen on the NHL Network as an analyst. He was also a broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Penguins for 8 years.
Curtis Glencross - 2007-2008 - Undrafted out of
Kindersley, Saskatchewan.
Glencross played 43 games as a Jacket and had 12 points. He was traded to the CBJ from the Anaheim Ducks on January 26, 2007. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2008 in exchange for Dick Tärnström.
He finished his career playing for the Flames and Capitals and had some very good years. On October 20, 2015, Glencross retired.
Kristian Huselius - 2009-2012 - Drafted by Florida in 1997.
Huselius played 189 games for Columbus and had 142 points after signing a four-year, $19 million contract with the CBJ.
The ending of Huselius' career was a bit controversial. Huselius said that the Blue Jackets rushed his recovery and that he was not given ample time to recover from a chest muscle injury. He said that he was forced into game action too early, which resulted in him pulling his groin muscle and forcing him to miss the rest of the season with a slow recovery.
On 8 January 2013, Huselius retired from hockey.
Tim Erixon - 2013-2015 - Drafted by Calgary in 2009.
Erixon came to Columbus in the deal for Rick Nash. He only played 52 games as a Jacket and had 11 points. He was traded to the Blackhawks in December of 2014.
In 2019, he left for Sweden, where he would play for the Växjö Lakers HC for two seasons, and then with the Timrå IK, where he still plays today.
William Karlsson - 2015 - Drafted by Anaheim in 2011.
It's a common misconception that Karlsson was drafted by the CBJ. Taken by the Anaheim Ducks in 2011, he was traded to the Jackets in March 2015. He played 165 games for Columbus and had 47 points, mostly as a fourth-line grinder and penalty killer.
He was chosen by Vegas in the expansion draft of 2017 and has been there ever since. His career in Vegas has been up and down, but he's managed to get 396 points while playing for Vegas. In 2018, he won the Lady Byng, and in 2023, he helped his team win their first Stanley Cup.
Brandon Saad - 2016-2017 - Drafted by Chicago in 2011
Saad played 160 games as a Jacket and had 106 points. Saad came to Columbus on June 30, 2015, in a trade with Chicago. On June 23, 2017, Saad was sent back to Chicago, along with Anton Forsberg, for dynamic winger Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte, and a sixth-round draft pick in 2017.
He currently doesn't have a contract.
Riley Nash - 2019-2021 - Drafted by Edmonton in 2007.
Played 179 games for the Jackets. He scored 10 goals and 33 points during his time in Columbus. He was traded to Toronto in 2021 and has bounced around since, playing for Winnipeg, Tampa Bay, Arizona, and New York.
He announced his retirement on July 8, 2025, after suffering a season-ending knee injury that caused him to miss the entirety of 2024-25.
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EAST MEADOW, NY -- New York Islanders forward prospect Quinn Finley skated in a red non-contact jersey on day one of rookie camp as he works his way back from shoulder surgery.
"I'm close to the finish line," Finley told The Hockey News. "That's what the doctors are saying right now, and yeah, I feel great."
Finley doesn't know for sure if he'll be cleared for contact by the start of NHL training camp but that's the hope.
Despite being drafted by the Islanders in the third round (No. 78) of the 2022 NHL Draft, this was Finley's first taste of an NHL rookie camp since NCAA players aren't able to attend these camps.
Although he was limited in what he could do out there, Finley enjoyed being out there.
"I feel great, finally being out there, playing games, out there scoring," Finley said. "It's great to be hanging out with the guys and being on the pro-aspect of things."
The 22-year-old recorded 17 goals with 16 assists for 33 points in 33 regular season games for Wisconsin in 2025-26, while also representing the U.S. Collegiate Selects at the Spengler Cup, where he recorded two goals and three assists for five points in four games.
He is expected to be a key contributor to the Hamilton Hammers this season.
HARRISBURG, PA - SEPTEMBER 06: Jarlin Susana #24 of the Harrisburg Senators pitches during the game between the Altoona Curve and the Harrisburg Senators at FNB Field on Sunday, September 6, 2026 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kyle Mace/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The 2025 season was a disaster on many levels for the Washington Nationals. However, one of the biggest long term blows came in the farm system. Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora, the Nats top two pitching prospects both went down with major injuries. Sykora will not pitch this year due to Tommy John, but Jarlin Susana has returned from his Lat surgery.
Susana did not return to action until August and the Nats have been taking things very slowly. He has made six starts so far, but has only thrown 14 innings in total. So far we have seen the whole Jarlin Susana package, for better and worse.
In his first outing back, he made a real statement with how loud his stuff was. His fastball was sitting 101-103 and he was uncorking nasty sliders as well. He showed how unique his right arm truly is. Even in this age of velocity, this kind of fire power is special.
Jarlin Susana struck out two batters in the first inning here in Hudson Valley.
He sat 101-103 mph, had one two-seamer at 103 mph w/ 20 inches of run.
Threw one sweeper at 89 mph w/ 15 inches of horizontal.
It is tough to read too much into stats after only 14 innings. However, Susana has an especially wacky statline. His ERA is unimpressive at 5.14, but the underlying numbers are tremendous. Susana has 28 strikeouts in those 14 frames, showing how overpowering he is. A 45.2 K% is video game type stuff.
His underlying numbers are also stellar. Susana’s FIP is 2.68 and his xFIP is 2.43. Those data points suggest the elevated ERA is misleading. A .391 BABIP also suggests some bad luck is at play here. Susana has been dominating even if the run prevention has not necessarily shown that.
The book on Susana is that he can be wild. That has been true for the most part. He has 7 walks in those 14 innings and has also hit 3 batters. However, his 11.3% walk rate is actually a step in the right direction. In 2025, that walk rate was up at 13.9%. If Susana can keep his walk rate around 10%, his chances of starting will increase.
At this point, that is the biggest question with the right hander, along with health. With stuff this good, he should have big league success. As we have seen with Yovanny Cruz and Luis Perales, huge velocity is not everything. However, Susana is even bigger and badder than both those guys. His fastball is harder, his slider is nastier and he is tougher to square up.
With the quality of his stuff, there are folks wondering if Susana should get a cup of coffee in the bullpen down the stretch. He will have to be added to the 40-man roster after this season anyways, so it could be worth giving him a look. A few extra appearances would help him build up as well.
The Nats are going to add Jarlin Susana to the 40-man roster this offseason, so why not promote him now? He throws 103, his slider has a 68% whiff rate, and he is the last piece of the Soto trade still waiting to debut. I make the case in the piece below.
Susana has not pitched above AA, but the quality of his stuff is beyond questioning. He will get whiffs at the big league level. Skipping players over AAA is not unprecedented either. In fact, we have seen a couple recent examples of this with Kade Anderson and Josue De Paula.
With the season lost and Susana needing to join the 40-man roster anyways, there is not much to lose here. The bullpen can also use all the help it can get. Susana’s elite stuff would also generate plenty of buzz.
When Susana is on his game, he is jaw dropping to watch. For one, he is an absolutely massive human. Susana is officially listed at 6’6 235 pounds on the MILB website. However, in the Nationals media guide, he was listed at 6’7 283 pounds. If Susana were born in America, he would probably be a left tackle in the NFL. Seeing that sort of body dominating on the mound is mesmerizing.
Jarlin Susana returns to the Double-A @HbgSenators pumping 100+ mph ⛽️
Getting in as many innings as possible before next season should also be a goal for Susana. A few outings in the big leagues down the stretch could be part of that. The AA season ends this week, so maybe he could get called up after that.
I would also like to see Susana in the Arizona Fall League. That would give him more opportunities for innings. A selfish reason I want to see both of these is so I can actually see the metrics on his pitches. Those stuff grades must be totally out of control.
In his 14 innings this season, Jarlin Susana has looked like Jarlin Susana. If he can stay healthy and moderately improve his command, he can be a top of the rotation arm. Even if those strides do not happen, he has a long future in the bullpen. It is great to see him back on the mound. He is a true unicorn of a pitcher.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - AUGUST 19: Jesús Sánchez #12 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after misplaying a fly ball against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on August 19, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
So this surprised me. The Jays DFAed Jesús Sánchez as the counter move to bringing up Rudy Martin.
Sánchez just didn’t work out. He was supposed to be the power bat we needed and then he hit 8 home runs in 99 games for us. And there was the defense, or lack there of. 3 official errors (leading the league) and a .975 fielding average (why does baseball insist on three significant digits?) in the outfield. League average is .987. All three of his errors were in left field, in right he hadn’t made an error, and we were told that he was more used to right field which had be wondering why not play him in right?
But the errors were just part of the story. Cause baseball has this silly idea that if a player makes too big of a mistake, we can’t call that an error. Ball goes off the glove, error. Player doesn’t get within 30 feet of a catchable ball, not an error.
Anyway, the last couple of weeks of the season will be Sánchezless. I don’t suppose he’ll be greatly missed.
Aug 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets pitcher Jack Weisenburger (82) looks on in the dugout before making his major league debut in the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Mets are making a change in their bullpen ahead of their series in the Bronx, recalling Jack Weisenburger and sending Chris Devenski back to Triple-A Syracuse.
Weisenburger appeared in three games for the Mets in August, tossing four and a third innings, allowing one run on three hits, walking two and striking out four. In 18 games for Syracuse (13 starts), Weisenburger has a 6.68 ERA over 62 innings pitched, with 53 strikeouts to 34 walks and eight home runs allowed.
Devenski split time between the Mets and Pirates organizations this season, and in six appearances for the Mets was more or less fine until his last appearance against the Marlins, where he was responsible for five of the runs in the Mets’ wild 15-14 dub on Wednesday. The 35 year old veteran has a 13.50 ERA for the Mets this season, and an 11.74 ERA across both clubs in the majors.
With a little more than a week left in the Triple-A season and Syracuse two and a half games out of a playoff spot, Devenski will have plenty of opportunity for some innings before, potentially, rejoining the Mets if the need arises.
The second half of the Subway Series with the Yankees starts tonight at 7:05pm on PIX11 with Nolan McLean facing off against Carlos Rodón.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 8: Teoscar Hernández #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts from the dugout during the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on September 8, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Granted, the team traded for Tarik Skubal, which would not have been my choice, even though he’s been fine since arriving in Los Angeles. I would have gone after Cincinnati Reds’ hurler Hunter Greene and maybe checked in with the New York Mets on someone like Sean Maenea as a low-risk, innings-eater acquisition from an organization going nowhere fast.
Greene is already hurt and likely down for next year, and Maenea hasn’t produced anything that Charlie Barnes or Landon Knack couldn’t already do, which goes to show that sometimes even the best of us get it hilariously wrong.
The Dodgers have had some of the worst outfield play in the majors this year.
They have a glut of quality outfield prospects. At the trade deadline, one would have expected the Dodgers to offload someone like Ryan Ward or Alex Call for a lottery prospect to free up room for someone like James Tibbs III, Josue De Paula, or Zach Erhard to get an extended look to see if they could either contribute and/or shake up what was a moribund offense.
Nothing happened. Life moved on. The corner outfield play remained bad.
When the rosters expanded on September 1, considering the status quo, it would not be out of the question to think that maybe an outfielder was being called up to essentially audition for a postseason role.
The Dodgers instead recalled Dalton Rushing from the injured list, a catcher who physically and literally could not play the position due to an arm injury, and infielder Alex Freeland, the first half of the ultimately demoted Freeland/Kim platoon. This platoon was both offensively disappointing and ultimately demoted once Tommy Edman came back from injury.
Rushing has since returned to the injured list as he can neither hit nor catch, and he has been replaced by Eliézer Alfonzo.
It’s a weird feeling to have part of the season turn on a single play. With reporting indicating that the Dodgers were going to call up Tibbs when the rosters expanded, I initially did not pay attention to this home run that Hernández hit in Detroit.
“We didn’t bring up an outfielder. That’s part of the bet on Teo, that he can right the ship,” manager Dave Roberts said on Tuesday. “That’s kind of where we’re at.”
“Last year, I used it before I had the injury. That’s the way I was hitting,” said Hernandez, who got off to an excellent start in 2025. “Then when I came back, I was doing the same thing but I was feeling it (in his injured leg) so that’s why I stopped. This year when I got my hamstring issue, I had to get rid of it because it was putting so much pressure on the hamstring.
In nine games since the end of the Detroit series, as of the start of play on September 11, Hernández has an otherworldly slash line of .500/.579/.750, going 16 for 32 with 3 2B, 3B, and an HR. He also has 12 RBI, 2 SB, and equal walks and strikeouts (6).
Against anyone other than the Reds, that triple would be a second home run.
Things have gone so well that Hernández credibly had an inside-the-park home run chance. With apologies to the Reds’ broadcast crew, it was not disbelief from Dodgers fans that Teoscar was gunned down at home; it was general annoyance about the send in the first place.
His hamstring has only finally healed, people; let’s not break the man before October even starts!
While there is a credible argument that the Dodgers could use help in the outfield, if not from Ehrhard or Tibbs III, then maybe Josue De Paula, who will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Per Owen Riley and Maxfield Lane of Down on the Farm:
De Paula is too good for Double-A; he’s doing everything right with no red flags and very impressive contact metrics for a guy who is also blasting home runs at a 30+ per season pace. You won’t convince me that the Dodgers lineup looks better with Enrique Hernandez in it against LHP than it would with De Paula. This potential addition grades out top half, but not right at the top, for me, since it is only really relevant in the playoffs. Isolate to just October, though, and I do think De Paula has the potential to be a difference maker—a high-risk, high-reward play.
While De Paula gets settled in as the most anticipated prospect since Cody Bellinger in 2017, one might wonder, while Hernández is having a resurgence, how about the other part of the outfield tandem that has been struggling?
Checking in on the Tinkerbell Gambit
Let’s check in on how Kyle Tucker has fared since our last article. It’s been about three weeks since the Dodgers faithful channeled their inner Tinkerbell (à la the Phillies and Kyle Tucker in 2023) to will the struggling slugger out of his offensive tailspin in 2026.
As of the start of play on September 11:
18 games, 10 for 58, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 11 BB, 7 K, .172/.300/.310, 70 OPS+ for this stretch, 90 OPS+ on the year
How did it get worse?!? He was fine on the road and awful at home; the gambit seems to have backfired. It’s like ruining two perfectly good jackets.
Tucker’s bWAR had dipped into the negative for the year before having a multi-hit game and hitting a home run off a position player in the Wednesday finale. The slash before the finale was .132/.277/.208, with an 38 OPS+ for this period.
This season, Tucker has looked bad at the plate, to those who follow baseball and those who do not.
Anecdotally, when my non-sports watching sister and my causal fan mother both indepedently comment on separate occasions some version of “why is that man flailing like that?” when watching Tucker, something has gone awry.
There’s a deeper conversation that needs to be had here if there is no improvement before the regular season ends. I think this situation has gotten to the point where it’s not a question about playing time or being on the playoff roster. This situation is only exacerbated by Ohtani’s stint on the injured list, which shall not end until the last week of the regular season.
You may see one of the biggest single-season free-agent flops in baseball history, by definition.
I see a career inflection point that feels vaguely reminiscent of another now-former Dodger who was a nice story until he wasn’t: Joey Gallo. Gallo arrived after the inflection point, and the damage was done in the Bronx, but this comparison and analysis is one for another day.
The Dodgers are on the cusp of qualifying for the postseason tournament, where they will attempt to successfully defend their championship for the second year in a row. Shocking, I know.
It would have been a far more unexpected story had the Dodgers somehow bungled their way to an early trip to Cancun. But imagine spending that much money just to be terrible?
Picking a preferred opponent is some bad baseball juju. The Dodgers will ultimately need to best all comers if they wish to pull off the first threepeat in National League history. The Dodgers likely have the mindset of bring it on, without caring who they play.
The drama in the National League is largely limited to what seed the Dodgers will end up with and who ends up with the sixth seed in the National League between the perpetually disappointing San Diego Padres and the scrappy, underfunded Arizona Diamondbacks.
If pressed, I would predict that the Diamondbacks prevail with the sixth seed, in defiance of what ESPN predicts, because the Diamondbacks lack a history of being perpetually disappointing when yoked with the burden of expectations.
While the Miami Marlins are technically alive in this chase, in the same way that someone is only mostly dead after an unfortunate encounter with “The Machine” in The Princess Bride, the Dodgers can effectively end the Fishes’ season in Miami.
The Dodgers in Miami in September; nothing interesting has ever happened with that quirk of the schedule.
SB Nation asked its readership who the Dodgers would prefer to face to start the tournament, as the team largely controls its own destiny through its creampuff finale of a schedule. We asked whether you preferred the Dodgers as the top seed or the second seed.
The readership overwhelmingly agreed with this essay: ride the second seed to glory.
If the Dodgers end up with the NL’s top seed, they would face the winner of the current projected matchup between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies.
Considering how the Cubs play in 2026, with likely Most Valuable Player Pete Crow-Armstrong, as either world beaters or clowns who have somehow never touched a baseball before, and the city of Philadelphia salivating over avenging Kerkering’s Blunder from last year, which requires another look, I have just one thing to say:
Have fun dealing with that portion of the bracket, Milwaukee!
Personally, Brewers/Cubs 2: Electric Boogaloo would pop like the sequel everyone in Cream City needed and likely have the same result, which I am absolutely fine with. However, based on the events of the past week, an interesting wrinkle has become possible, but for right now, we will operate under the current projection.
The drama just writes itself. Can the Dodgers avenge 2021? Can the Diamondbacks shock the world again as they did in 2023? Does the baseball world really need Dodgers/Padres 4: The Revenge?!?
In order, hopefully: Yes; I hope not; And, heavens no!
Let the Dodgers rest up and deal with a likely exhausted portion of the bracket before a return trip to the NLCS, as that path seems like the best route for success.
The worst-case scenario is if the Dodgers have to deal with either the Diamondbacks/Padres for a three-game series in Los Angeles, only to turn around and have to fly to Atlanta, assuming the Diamondbacks/Padres are vanquished, which is no guarantee.
I knew the 2025 Cincinnati Reds, and neither of these squads will lay down like last year’s Reds.
Unless they do, because baseball. Time will tell either way.
ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 15: Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro (33) makes a pitching change during an MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels played on August 15, 2026 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Kansas City Royals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Earlier this week, we asked you whether manager Matt Quatraro could be looking for another job this offseason:
I was actually quite gratified by the results. The majority of you, 53%, voted that Q shouldn’t and wouldn’t be fired. Only 8% of you thought he might be fired, whether he deserved it or not. That means a whopping 92% understand that he’s not going anywhere.
I have to say I’m a touch disappointed by the 38% who felt that Q wouldn’t be fired but should be. I understand that baseball managers are essentially hired to be fired. It’s really almost impossible to say whether they are good at their jobs, especially for us fans. Sure, we can point to decisions they make that we disagree with, but just because we disagree doesn’t make us right.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve screamed at my TV that such-and-such reliever should have been used instead, only to find out later that said reliever was unavailable for some reason that I hadn’t known when the decision was being made. And I’m certain that number is dwarfed by the times a player wasn’t used when I would have used them for reasons we still don’t know, but that made the choice obvious to the manager.
That isn’t to say that Matt Quatraro can’t be wrong, or that I haven’t disagreed with him or questioned his choices. I’m a baseball fan; of course I have. But I will say Matt Quatraro makes choices I can’t comprehend far less frequently than most MLB managers. Sure, it would make sense to replace him if you thought you could do better, but I just don’t know how you’d accomplish that feat. Even modern “legends” like Terry Francona and Bruce Bochy aren’t infallible. Given that, I’m content to keep the guy who at least doesn’t give me obvious concerns about the clubhouse.
And, just because I can’t help myself, let me address some of the biggest complaints about Q that I’ve seen over and over.
He isn’t fiery enough!
That kind of manager is dying out in the modern day; the only especially fiery manager I can think of is Aaron Boone, and no one likes him. If MLB players couldn’t self-motivate without a fiery manager, they wouldn’t have made it to MLB.
He makes the wrong calls with the bullpen!
There were zero right calls to make with this year’s bullpen. Daniel Lynch IV wasn’t even a good call. This is highlighted by the last two weeks in August, when, really, he couldn’t make a bad call. Mostly, a manager’s bullpen choices come down to whether they work or not, and that mostly comes down to the quality of arms that have been brought in for him to call on.
He always wants his lineup to go L-R-L-R!
I might dig into this a little this offseason, but anecdotally, he’s far from the only manager who prefers this. If you put a bunch of righties or lefties in a row, you’re making the opposing manager’s job much easier when he calls to his own bullpen.
He bats Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez too high in the lineup! (Also, he plays Isaac Collins too often!)
I will say the Vinnie and Salvy things have also driven me nuts, too. But also, to a degree, he can only build the lineups with the guys he’s got. I’m not sure how much more sense it makes to bat Nick Loftin or John Rave in the four-spot.
Having knocked down all of your strawmen, I hereby grant myself an exemption from arguing with you all in the comments. Have a great weekend!
Mar 4, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Josue De Paula against Team Mexico during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Blake Snell may be in the middle of a dominant run of form—quickly settling in after his return—but all eyes will be on Josue De Paula as the Dodgers’ top prospect makes his MLB debut this Friday against the Marlins. Chosen as the primary option to temporarily replace Shohei Ohtani as this team’s starting designated hitter, Josue De Paula—whose path to playing time has been blocked for quite a while—gets his opportunity, coming off a magnificent campaign in Double-A.
Looking back at recent seasons, various factors have made it so that the most exciting Dodger debuts have come from outside the organization. Seeing Tarik Skubal take the mound for the Dodgers for the first time in Wrigley was the most recent of the moments, but there’s always a special element when we’re talking about someone who has been developed in-house.
Even without Shohei Ohtani for basically a week’s worth of games, the Dodgers’ offense has been producing at a high level without their best hitter—inevitably, that takes some pressure off De Paula. In the end, it almost doesn’t matter what type of pressure is placed upon the youngster—the key to his success will be in how he handles the internal pressure of being asked to perform in the short term. De Paula, more than anyone else, is fully aware of the limited number of opportunities available to him, almost regardless of his skill set and what that means moving forward.
For now, though, the mindset for De Paula and the fans should be similar: to enjoy this rare moment as much as possible. The fact that the offense has been performing well—including coming off a 14-run output in a blowout win over the Reds—certainly affects how this call-up can be perceived. Lastly, if you want to read a bit more about the type of player De Paula is and what we should expect from him, Eric Stephen has covered that here.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 14: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Friday, June 14, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Just over a week after starting off a four-game square-off in Philadelphia, the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are going to do it again — this time in Cobb County, as Friday’s matchup will serve as the series opener for this weekend’s three-game divisional showdown.
Chris Sale will be returning to the mound to get this thin going and this’ll be his sixth-consecutive start against a team in Postseason position. Over the five starts and across the 33 innings that Sale has pitched during this span, he’s put up an ERA of 2.18 and a FIP of 1.55 against some stiff competition. He’s certainly been coming up huge for the Braves here in the home stretch and Atlanta’s going to need him to really come up big once more if they’re going to get this series off to the best possible start.
What’s interesting about this go-around is that this’ll be the fourth time that the Braves have sent Sale out there to face the Phillies. So far, the results have been pretty good for Sale — the Phillies were only able to get one run off of him across the 13 innings he tossed against them in two starts in April and then Sale left last Thursday’s game with the lead after he only gave up two runs in six innings against Philadelphia. The Phillies will surely be hoping that the fourth time is the charm but with the way that Sale has been locked in lately, it would still be a bit of a shock if this was the moment where the wheels came off.
As far as individual matchups go, the ones to keep an eye on would probably be Sale vs. Alec Bohm (.333 average and .821 OPS with one homer in 21 at-bats), Trea Turner (.318 average, .830 OPS in 22 at-bats) and of course, Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber has only hit .227 against Sale but he’s sporting an .883 OPS and that’s because Schwarber has homered twice off of Sale so far. In fact, Schwarber has been on a bit of a binge lately as he’s homered in four of his past six games — three of those came against the Braves, mind you. It’s no secret that he’ll be swinging for the fences each time he’s up so hopefully Sale will figure out a way to keep him in the park on this particular night.
Meanwhile, the Phillies will be countering with Aaron Nola and let me tell you, it has brought me no pleasure to see the renaissance run that this guy has been on recently. Starting with his outing on July 28, Nola has made eight starts, thrown 46.2 innings and produced an ERA of 2.31 with a FIP of 3.93. The last time he gave up more than two runs in an outing was August 3 against the Nationals and they could only muster up three runs in six innings against the guy.
He certainly made life hard for the Braves last week, as he tossed seven innings and only gave up one run in a game that the Braves had to rally late (after he had exited the game) in order to win. Hopefully they’ll be able to do some real damage against Nola before he leaves this game. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see something similar to what happened when Nola last pitched at Truist Park, which is when Atlanta tagged him for six runs across 4.2 innings back on April 26 (which, coincidentally, was the last time Sale saw the Phillies here in Cobb County). The adjustments that Nola has made since August could make that scenario unlikely but it’s baseball and the Braves have been known to do some cool stuff in Truist Park so who knows what’s going to happen?
Either way, it’s abundantly clear that the Braves have an opportunity to start lunging for the finish line as far as the NL East race is concerned. Both teams lost their midweek series to American League divisional leaders so the four-game lead that the Braves left Philadelphia with has remained the same. The pressure is on the Phillies to start getting results, since the Braves simply have to maintain their pace in order to throw another blue flag up there on the light tower outside of right-center field. With that being said, there’s no need for the Braves to “simply maintain” when they can just go out there and grab it for themselves, which a win tonight (and a series win in general) would go a long way for Atlanta when it comes to accomplishing that goal.
Whatever challenges Atlanta may face from Aaron Nola, they’ll have Chris Sale going and hopefully he’ll be able to do the trick once again against the Phillies. A low-scoring, nervy affair is definitely possible but hopefully the home advantage will be enough to carry the Braves to victory on this particular night. We’ll see what happens, folks!
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 07: Members of the Boston Red Sox celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park on Monday, September 7, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On April 25, the Red Sox were 10-17, tied with the Royals for the second-worst record in the American League. Boston management shocked the baseball world by firing popular championship-winning manager Alex Cora and replacing him with minor league manager Chad Tracy.
Since then, the Red Sox have gone 70-50, the second-best team in the AL over that time. They have climbed back into the pennant race, sitting comfortably in the #2 Wild Card spot. It has been one of the best turnaround in recent history, and Tracy will likely get support for Manager of the Year.
Kansas City Royals (65-82) vs. Boston Red Sox (80-67) at Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Red Sox: 4.44 runs scored/game (17th), 3.88 runs allowed/game (5th)
The Red Sox have been hit by injuries to Triston Casas, Willson Contreras, Curtis Mead, and Masataka Yoshida, and Roman Anthony and Trevor Story only recently returned to action. Jarred Duran has had a rough season – he has the third-worst wRC+ of qualified hitters, and Adley Rustchman has hit just .188 since being acquired from the Orioles. But the Red Sox have gotten offense from some surprising places like utility players Mickey Gasper, Nick Sogard, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Andruw Monasterio.
Who’s hot:
Trevor Story is hitting .341 (14-for-41) with five doubles in ten games since coming off the Injured List.
Carter Jensen won American League Player of the Week and is batting .292/.434/.708 with seven home runs and 16 walks in his last 19 games.
Who’s not:
Caleb Durbin has just one extra base hit in his last 20 games and is hitting .188/.325/.203 over that time.
Kyle Isbel is hitting .156/.208/.178 in his last 14 games.
Interesting matchups
Wilyer Abreu is a career .300 hitter (3-for-10) with a home run and two walks against Seth Lugo
Salvador Perez struggles against Sonny Gray, hitting .167/.189/.222 in 37 career plate appearances with just two extra base hits and no walks.
Seth Lugo has a 6.19 ERA in 14 road starts this year.
Sonny Gray is 10-2 with a 1.74 ERA in 14 career starts against the Royals.
Randy Dobnak has a 2.54 ERA since joining the Royals, the 7th-lowest ERA in the American League since the start of July.
Lefties have a wOBA of .334 against Ranger Suarez, the fifth-highest against any left-handed starting pitcher.
Noah Cameron has 1.7 rWAR since July 24, the fifth-most among any starting pitcher.
Payton Tolle is second among all rookie pitchers with 3.7 rWAR
The Red Sox have the second-fewest blown saves in baseball and their 3.14 bullpen ERA is second-best. Former Royals closer Aroldis Chapman has a 32.3 percent strikeout rate, ninth-highest among relievers. Erik Miller, acquired mid-season from the Giants, is fifth at 35.1 percent, but his 14 percent walk rate is fifth-highest. Brayan Bello has a 2.03 ERA in 14 games since moving to the bullpen.
Brent Peterson, former assistant coach with the Nashville Predators and longtime hockey ambassador in Nashville, has died. He was 68.
The Predators announced Peterson's death in a social media post on Friday, Sept. 11.
Peterson was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2002 and founded the Peterson Foundation for Parkinson's in 2009 as part of his battle.
He is survived by his wife Tami, his son Brad, and his daughter Kristin. Brad Peterson has served as an assistant equipment manager for the Predators since 2019.
"In addition to serving as a beacon to so many involved in the fight against Parkinson's, Brent served as an inspiration to hundreds of Predators players, coaches, and staff members for nearly 30 years," the team said.
We are incredibly saddened by the passing of our dear friend Brent Peterson. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends and all those who knew Petey 💛 pic.twitter.com/nrRIsfg9fs
Peterson was named assistant coach of the Predators under Barry Trotz in 1998, serving in that role until 2011. In 2014, he joined the Predators' radio team as a broadcaster until 2017.
Senators Prospect Challenge Preview: The Players to Watch in GatineauOttawa’s two 2026 first-round picks headline the group; Carter Yakemchuk is notably absent, and first-overall pick Gavin McKenna will bring national attention to the weekend tournament. 
