If he does, this may not help his cause: He rejected a contract offer from the New York Knicks, one of the two teams known to have interest in him, reports Marc Stein at The Stein Line.
"The Knicks, league sources said, indeed offered a one-year contract to Ben Simmons that the former All-Star passed on. New York is limited to minimum contract offers as training camps draw near and Simmons entered the summer hopeful of securing a contract above the minimum after he split last season between the Nets and Clippers."
We don't know the details of that contract offer, but as Stein noted it could have only been for the veteran minimum ($3.2 million in his case) and likely was not fully guaranteed. It is doubtful there is a better offer for Simmons out there. Boston is reportedly interested, but the offer would be the same. Through this process, Simmons has reportedly moved on from his agent.
As Ben Simmons decides his next career steps, I'm told Bernie Lee has notified @TheNBPA that he has formally removed himself from the union's ledger as Simmons' agent.
The Los Angeles Kings are heading into the 2025-26 season hoping to improve on their previous campaign and finally get past the first round. One player who might be earning a professional tryout (PTO) deal somewhere in the NHL is Klim Kostin, who supposedly has had conversations with the Kings at this point.
In a recent interview, Kostin confirmed his interest in joining the Edmonton Oilers again, considering how well he fit with them in his previous stint, but confirmed the Kings have reached out to him. The way he worded it made it sound like they had made an offer, but that's not confirmed just yet.
Kostin, who is 26 years old, played 35 games with the San Jose Sharks last season, scoring one goal and adding six assists for seven points. Throughout his career, he has played 190 games, scoring 25 goals and adding 28 assists for 53 points.
He hasn't been able to find a full-time home and has bounced around the NHL for several seasons, but his next destination could be somewhere he tries to stay and make a home for himself, and it seems as though the Kings are going to be a serious consideration for him.
Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen, left, and catcher Ben Rortvedt talk during a mound visit in the ninth inning of Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. (Stephanie Scarbrough / Associated Press)
It was like Orel Hershiser could hear what Dodger fans were screaming at their TV.
Because, as slumping closer Tanner Scott came trotting into a nightmare ninth inning in Baltimore on Saturday night, the club’s color analyst on SportsNet LA immediately tried to offer a rationalization for his entrance.
“You might be asking, why Tanner Scott tonight?” Hershiser said, moments after the SNLA broadcast showed a clip of the left-hander getting walked off the night before, and moments before he’d get walked off again on a bases-loaded single to end Saturday’s disastrous loss to the Orioles.
Well, Hershiser continued, “If the Dodgers are going to go deep into October, and go back-to-back as world champions, the people Dave Roberts is bringing in have to get it right.”
An unsatisfying answer, perhaps. But one that reflects the precarious reality of the Dodgers’ bullpen situation — with the team feeling little choice but to rely on the high-profile relievers this year’s team was built around.
Granted, Saturday’s collapse epitomized just how difficult that faith has been to maintain.
It starts with Scott, the $72-million offseason signing who was supposed to cement the back end of the unit — not require an explanation from team broadcasters upon entering games in key situations.
It’s been compounded by inconsistencies elsewhere, from similarly scuffling offseason signing Kirby Yates; to Blake Treinen and the unreliable form he has shown since returning from an elbow injury, including a meltdown earlier in Saturday’s ninth inning that forced Scott into an unforgiving situation.
Injuries have also hampered the continuity of the bullpen time and again this season. Hard-throwing right-hander Michael Kopech has been limited to 10 appearances because of arm and knee troubles. Left-handed stalwart Alex Vesia has missed the last two weeks with an oblique strain (though he was set to be activated for this week’s homestand). The team’s only notable trade deadline reliever acquisition, Brock Stewart, made just four outings before going down with a shoulder injury. Evan Phillips is already out for the year with Tommy John surgery. It’s unclear if Brusdar Graterol will return from a shoulder procedure in time to pitch at all this year.
All of those names were supposed to make up the core of this year’s relief unit — the high-leverage pieces that the front office decided to invest in, and Roberts expected he’d be able to trust.
Instead, they’ve been the biggest culprits behind the bullpen’s 4.21 ERA on the season (which ranks 19th in the majors) and a spate of recent painful late-game losses that have kept the Dodgers mired in a two-month slump.
Moving forward, it has left Roberts and his club facing a difficult decision: Continue to trust that underperforming crop of supposed lockdown arms, or look for alternatives from less proven options elsewhere?
For now, the former appears to remain their preferred choice.
If the bullpen is to turn things around, they’ve decided, it will require their biggest names to simply start pitching better.
“These are the guys we signed off on, we believe in,” Roberts said Sunday. “Not to say that you've got to have blind faith forever. I understand that. But … I'm going to keep giving [opportunities] to them, until I don't."
Pitching coach Mark Prior echoed that same message, reiterating that “those are our guys, and we believe in them,” even as the team searches for late-season improvements.
“The results haven’t been there. It hasn’t been good,” Prior added. “[But we have to] move forward with the three weeks we have left in the season and get on a run. Things happen very fast in this game.”
Prior pointed to last season, when the Dodgers faced other — though much less alarming — bullpen questions leading up to the playoffs. At that time, they didn’t have a set closer in the ninth inning. Several key pieces were either hurt or scuffling in the second half.
Treinen, in particular, was one of the bigger uncertainties, after missing two weeks in August with a hip injury that also doubled as a reset amid a midseason slump. Once he returned, however, the right-hander transformed into the Dodgers’ most trusted late-game option. “Next thing you know, he’s the MVP of our team in the playoffs,” Prior said.
The stability he provided also helped the rest of the bullpen, which effectively carried the Dodgers to their World Series title, flourish around him.
“If they see a guy having some success, things just snowball,” Prior said, describing how successes (and failures) can often feel contagious among a bullpen at large.
That’s the kind of dynamic the Dodgers are trying to rediscover again this year.
It's why Scott (despite his 4.56 ERA and 12 combined blown saves and losing decisions) keeps getting late-game opportunities. And why Treinen (4.26 ERA), Yates (4.71 ERA) and other disappointments in the Dodgers’ beleaguered relief corps have been given continued leash to work to get back to the best version of themselves.
On paper, those are the most veteran, most experienced, and most trustworthy options on this year’s team. They have, as Roberts has repeatedly reiterated of late, the kind of “track record” the club is still willing to bet on. If just a couple of them can figure things out and get on a dominant run, more unit-wide success might follow in their wake.
“When you're talking about winning 11 games in October, getting there [requires] guys that you can trust in that hot box of moments,” Roberts said.
“[This] is who we have, it’s not like that’s changing,” Prior added. “So we just gotta keep getting there.”
That doesn’t mean the team will endure more struggles forever. The clock is ticking on the Dodgers’ expected leverage group to finally find a way to realize their potential.
On Sunday morning, for example, Roberts said Scott could be shifted out of his ninth-inning role as he tries to iron out command problems that have led him to consistently miss down the middle. Later that day, the manager entrusted a late-game lead to three rookies in Edgardo Henriquez (who escaped a jam but had shaky command), Justin Wrobleski (who struck out five over two scoreless innings in one of his best outings this year) and Jack Dreyer (a steady left-hander this season who now has three saves to go along with his sub-3.00 ERA) to close out a skid-snapping win against the Orioles.
Come the playoffs, there could be another wild card. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani will likely be needed in the starting rotation, but Roberts acknowledged there have been “thoughts about” whether he could factor into some kind of potential ninth-inning role as well.
“I can’t answer that question right now,” Roberts said. “But I think that we’re going to do whatever we feel is the best chance to give us a chance to win. And I know Shohei would be open to whatever. We certainly haven’t made that decision yet, though.”
But before they get there, much will depend on the actual relievers they expected to be able to count on this season. For as ugly as the performances have been to this point, the Dodgers haven’t yet abandoned all hope for a turnaround.
“I live in a world of, what's the alternative?” Roberts said. “I just don't feel that Edgardo Henriquez, for example” — who has 17 career major-league innings — “is now the savior.”
“It's not a knock on Edgardo, because he's throwing the heck out of the baseball,” Roberts added. “But you look at our 'pen, there's a confidence thing right now that [other guys have] got to get over.”
Over the final three weeks of the regular season, the Dodgers feel their best bet is banking on them to do just that.
“Look, it can turn really quick,” Prior said. “This game is so much about feeling confident … Getting, and being able to stack good outings or quality at-bats. When you’re able to start stacking those things, you feel good. And like anything, if you feel good, you feel better about your stuff. You have more confidence. You feel that you can get anybody out in any situation.”
The Dodgers’ top relievers, of course, appear to be a long way from that at the moment.
But “at the core of it,” Prior insisted, even after the frustrations of the bullpen’s continued failures, “we believe in who we have.”
Turner, who was as hot as anyone, has a Grade 1 right hamstring strain. The expected recovery time is unclear, but the Phillies are hopeful he will be back for October and potentially before.
“It was better than what we’d expected,” manager Rob Thomson said pregame Monday.
The Phils’ shortstop experienced a hamstring injury last season, too. Turner spent 43 days on the IL and was clearly not the same player when he came back. After returning, he stole just nine bases over 88 games to finish the year.
Hamstrings are tricky and easily re-aggravated, which creates some uncertainty for Turner and the Phillies. This injury comes at the wrong time for Turner, who over his last 30 games was slashing .389/.433/.603 in 131 at-bats.
His defense has also made strides. Among shortstops with at least 500 plate appearances and 50 percent of games played at the position, Turner ranks fourth in MLB with 16 Outs Above Average. He’s been extremely valuable, ranking second in fWAR at 6.6.
Thomson said that he had noticed his veteran was working through something recently.
“I just felt [he was] a little banged up,” Thomson said. “There was nothing specific. It was just so I wanted to give him a day off from the turf. So we did, and then it happened.”
The Phillies skipper will keep his options open at shortstop, listing Edmundo Sosa as the top choice with Bryson Stott, recently promoted Donavan Walton and Weston Wilson also in the mix.
As for Bohm, he landed on the IL with a left shoulder injury.
“With Bohmer, he’s been grinding with this left shoulder for a while now, been fighting through it,” Thomson said. “It’s probably been 10 days. … So we decided to shut this thing down. We expect [him] maybe back in 10 days.”
Sep 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) hits a triple against the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
It marks his second IL stint in the last two months. In July, Bohm suffered a fractured rib and missed nearly a month. Since returning, he has posted a .648 OPS and hit just .243 — down from .278 before the injury.
Otto Kemp was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to help fill the void. The 25-year-old infielder flashed potential earlier this season but also struck out 49 times in 145 at-bats. His versatility allows him to play third, second and left field.
Even with a seven-game lead over the Mets, the Phillies know the challenge ahead.
“Yeah, it’s tough. Anytime you lose one of your premier players, obviously it’s hard,” Bryce Harper said.
“Guys got to step up, keep playing the same ball that we’re playing and continue to play our game … just got to keep going.”
Harper emphasized that replacing All-Star caliber players like Turner and Bohm outright isn’t realistic right now.
“You can’t replace a Turner, it’s just not possible,” Harper said. “You can’t replace Zack Wheeler or anybody else. So everybody’s got to do their job and understand doing their job is the best thing for us.”
The Phillies have weathered injuries before and built themselves a cushion in the division. But with October fast approaching, they’ll need Turner and Bohm back in rhythm — a tall task given the minor-league season winds down soon.
A year after finishing at the bottom of their division for the first time in modern memory, the Boston Bruins need a lot of things to go right for them to have even the faintest hope of challenging for a Stanley Cup playoff berth.
If one thing in particular doesn’t improve for them – the performance of starting goalie Jeremy Swayman – the Bruins are destined to wind up in the Atlantic Division basement for the second straight year.
Just about everything that could’ve gone wrong for Swayman did go wrong last season. The 26-year-old missed Boston’s training camp due to a financial stalemate. Although he did get a new contract done in time to start the Bruins’ second game of the season, he never got into a groove and finished with what were by far his worst individual numbers of his five-year NHL career, including a 3.11 goals-against average and .892 save percentage in a career-high 58 appearances.
Granted, some of the blame for Swayman’s bloated numbers must be attributed to Boston’s porous defensive game when Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm were injured. But when Swayman asked for and received a pay raise to $8.25 million per season, he invited the criticism of him that had harangued him all season long.
Now, he must help the Bruins exceed expectations in 2025-26.
"We have an endless belief mindset, and that's gotta be set from Day 1," Swayman told reporters last Thursday. "We can't go in the future, we can't predict what's gonna happen, but the thing is that we can control what we can control, right here, right now."
With Bruins backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo being no serious threat to take playing opportunities away from him, Swayman didn’t have the competition pushing him to elevate his own performance.
Now, he has some competition for another coveted goalie spot.
Not only does Swayman face intense pressure to backstop the Bruins into playoff contention, but he also must try to secure playing time on Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Americans have plenty of options in net, including Winnipeg Jets superstar Connor Hellebuyck and Dallas Stars counterpart Jake Oettinger. The three of them were on the 4 Nations Face-Off squad, but only Hellebuyck and Oettinger played.
"That's always the hardest problem with being a goalie," Hellebuyck told NHL.com at the United States' Olympic orientation camp. "There are multiple guys but only one net."
So while Swayman can’t lock up the starter’s job for the U.S. with strong play out of the gate, he can definitely push himself down the pecking order if he struggles early on. Other Olympic hopefuls, such as Joey Daccord and Thatcher Demko, could even push Swayman off the team.
"I have to compete all out in order to get the best out of them," Swayman told NHL.com. "And that's the best part, because we are on the same team. We know that one goalie plays at the end of the day, but they'd be (angry) at me if I was taking shifts off, or if I was taking a practice off, and I'd be the same with them.
"And 100 percent we all want to play, we all want to be in that net come gametime in Milan, and that's exactly what we're going to do. And that mindset is going to really elevate us."
In sum, it’s shaping up to be a boom-or-bust season for Swayman this coming year. He’s going to be the last line of defense for a B's team that is in a transition of sorts, and that’s a recipe for potential disaster. So is the fact that Swayman’s contract doesn’t have no-trade protection until next season, forcing Boston GM Don Sweeney to make a long-term judgment on Swayman far sooner than anyone may have anticipated when he signed his current deal a year ago.
Of course, every starting NHL goalie is dealing with some degree of pressure and ups and downs. That comes with the territory. But Swayman is facing significantly more pressure than most of his colleagues. How he handles it could prove there's nothing to worry about, or it could be the calm before the storm.
Swayman has got to step up and justify the Bruins’ investment in him. Because if he doesn’t, it will be an extremely long season for him.
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Miami is thin along the frontline. Bam Adebayo is an All-NBA level player at the four or five, but has asked to play more four over the course of the regular season to avoid some of the wear and tear of going against bigger centers nightly. The Heat's center rotation beyond Adebayo is promising sophomore Kel'el Ware and two-way player Vlad Goldin. Miami will play Nikola Jovic and Keshad Johnson this season, but both are fours, not fives.
Achiuwa and guard Goran Dragic were dealt to the Toronto Raptors in the 2021 offseason in the deal that brought in guard Kyle Lowry. Achiuwa since moved on to the New York Knicks, who opted to allow him to move on as a free agent this offseason.
Achiuwa was a solid rotation big for the Knicks last season, averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds a game while shooting 50.2% from the floor. He played more early in the season, but when Mitchel Robinson got healthy, it was Achiuwa whose minutes went to the elite defender.
The Heat have also been in contact with another former player of theirs, center Thomas Bryant, who played last season for Indiana but now remains a free agent.
While Miami has a roster spot, they are just $1.8 million below the luxury tax line — not enough to sign a player to a veteran minimum contract — and don't want to cross that threshold for this roster. That means if the Heat are going to sign Achiuwa, Bryant or anyone else they need to make a roster move. Winderman suggests that the team could buy out the contract of guard Terry Rozier, whom they spent the summer trying to trade (his contract is guaranteed for $24.9 million of the $26.6 million he is owed). The Heat are not under a time crunch to make that move, they can waive Rozier up to Jan. 10, it just depends on how much they like Achiuwa and how much they want him (or another player) on the roster to start the season.
PHOENIX — Aroldis Chapman has a reputation as a power pitcher, built through 16 years of routinely popping 100 mph on the radar gun.
As the Boston Red Sox closer has gotten older, the 37-year-old added craftiness to the power, baffling hitters by locating sliders and splitters that leave them flailing.
The combination led to a rare four-strikeout game against the Arizona Diamondbacks and one of the most dominating runs by a reliever in baseball history.
“This is special,” said Boston manager Alex Cora, who earned his 600th career win with a 7-4 victory over the Diamondbacks. “To do it at this age and where we’re at as an industry, as far as the hitters and the adjustments they make, it’s unreal.”
Chapman began his career in Cincinnati, popping eyes and gloves with a fastball that topped out at 105.8 mph during his rookie season in 2010— still the fastest pitch since pitch tracking started in 2008. He continued to throw baseballs at race-car speeds, clocking eight of the nine fastest pitches since tracking, including 105.1 mph last season.
Nicknamed the “Cuban Missile,” Chapman may be better than ever in his first season in Boston, earning his eighth All-Star appearance and a one-year, $13.3 million contract for 2026.
Chapman has been unhittable since mid-July, as the Diamondbacks discovered.
Leading 7-4 after a late rally, Cora sent Chapman to close it out and he did it with a flourish, joining elite company by striking out four in the ninth inning for his 29th save. Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas reached first after striking out on a wild pitch, then Champan closed it out by striking out Jordan Lawler to become the second pitcher four Ks in an inning this season, with St. Louis’ Steven Matz in June.
“It’s just something that happened,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “My mentality is to go get three outs and go for a strikeout.”
Chapman has certainly been getting the outs.
Locating his off-speed pitches with the plus-100-mph fastball, Chapman has gone 17 straight appearances — spanning 14 2/3 innings — without allowing a hit, dating to July 26. It’s the third-longest streak since 1901, trailing only the 20 straight by Florida’s Randy Choate in 2011 and 18 consecutive by Tim Byrdak of the New York Mets in 2012.
Chapman has allowed one earned run in his last 37 games — a solo homer by Philadelphia’s J.T. Realmuto on July 23 — and retired 21 straight batters before Vargas reached on the wild pitch. He’s allowed six earned runs all season and dropped his ERA to 0.98 with Sunday’s performance.
“He’s so nasty and showing people he can still do a lot of great things,” Boston starter Brayan Bello said through an interpreter.
Chapman has proved it all season, leaving flailing hitters in his wake with precision to go with that power.
BALTIMORE — The Orioles celebrated the 30th anniversary of Cal Ripken’s record-breaking 2,131st consecutive game.
If anything, that streak looks even more preposterous now.
The streak began in 1982 and ended in 1998, meaning Ripken played every game for 15 straight seasons from 1983-1997. Fast forward to 2025, and only eight players in all of baseball have played in each of his team’s games: Brent Rooker, Pete Alonso, Ozzie Albies, Kyle Schwarber, Matt Olson, Elly De La Cruz, Manny Machado and Rafael Devers. And the season isn’t over yet.
Last season only four players appeared in all 162 games, including Alonso and Olson. The longest active streak belongs to Olson, who hasn’t missed a game since 2021. He’d have to keep going until 2037 — when he’ll be 43 — to catch Ripken’s mark of 2,632.
Then again, Ripken didn’t play all those games directly in a row. He simply played every game in a season, then had the winter off before coming back to do it all over again. While it’s rare for anyone to play 162 games in a season, it does still happen.
From 1982 to 1998, a player reached 162 games in a season 66 times. That’s an average of 4.4 players doing it per year, if you don’t count the 1994 and 1995 seasons that were shortened because of a strike. From 2021-2024, it happened 12 times — 3.0 per season. Maybe Ripken’s mark won’t be duplicated, but Olson is currently at 763. Making it to 1,000 would be a reasonable goal.
When Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games in 1995, Baltimore was a talented team in the middle of a disappointing season. But beginning with the record-tying game, the Orioles finished on a 16-8 run that year and then made the postseason in 1996 and 1997.
The 2025 Orioles, having a down year of their own, can only hope for a similar rebound.
Another streak
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America will begin awarding a Relief Pitcher of the Year honor in 2026. If it were happening this year, Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox would be making a strong bid.
Chapman has gone 17 straight appearances — spanning 14 2/3 innings — without allowing a hit.
When Johnny Vander Meer famously threw back-to-back no-hitters in 1938, that was part of a run of 21 2/3 innings without yielding a hit, according to play-by-play data at Baseball Reference.
Trivia time
When Ripken ended his streak in 1998, it was the first time since 1981 that he did not at least share the team lead in games played. Which two Orioles played 162 games in ’98, while Ripken only played 161?
Line of the week
Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers came within one out of a no-hitter at Baltimore. He tied a career high with 10 strikeouts and allowed only one hit — a solo homer by Jackson Holliday with two outs in the ninth.
Then he exited the game, and he didn’t even get a win because ...
Comeback of the week
When Holliday came to the plate, Baltimore trailed 3-0 and had a win probability of 0.5% according to Baseball Savant. After Holliday’s homer, Blake Treinen relieved Yamamoto and allowed a double, a hit batter and two walks. With the score 3-2 and the bases loaded, Tanner Scott came on and gave up Emmanuel Rivera’s two-run single that gave the Orioles a 4-3 victory.
This all happened the same night the Orioles honored Ripken.
The Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, and Minnesota Wild will all participate in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase.
This is a three-game tournament where each organization will have some of its best prospects compete in a round robin format.
Last week, the Blues and Wild each revealed their roster for the tournament, which will begin on September 12th when St. Louis takes on Minnesota. Chicago will play St. Louis on the 13th and Minnesota on the 14th.
The St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild each have talent in the organization. Their rosters for this event have high-end prospects with ceilings of NHL contributors.
With that said, the Blackhawks have been rebuilding while the Blues and Wild compete for the playoffs, so their draft selections have typically had more value in recent years. The Blackhawks' roster, announced on Monday, features numerous players who could compete for NHL or AHL jobs immediately.
This group includes players with NHL experience, such as Oliver Moore, Artyom Levshunov, and Sam Rinzel. These guys all plan on playing with the Blackhawks on Opening Night. At a minimum, they will see time in the NHL during the 2025-26 season.
Will AJ Spellacy, Nick Lardis, or Ryan Greene play for the Blackhawks? How about the Rockford IceHogs? There is a lot to decide on with this prospect event, training camp, and the preseason.
Many other young players will likely have wonderful developmental seasons elsewhere. In particular, notable players such as Nathan Behm, Martin Misiak, and Jack Pridham are expected to be factors in this event.
This does not mean that the Blackhawks are going to steamroll everyone else in this showcase. All of these young players are coming in with the hopes of impressing their organizations as they look to eventually have NHL careers.
Its Monday, September 8 and the Rockies (40-103) are in Los Angeles to open a series against the Dodgers (79-64).
Chase Dollander is slated to take the mound for Colorado. The Dodgers have yet to announce their starter for the game.
The Dodgers are just 3-7 on their last ten but somehow still lead the National League West by one game over San Diego. The Rockies season was over months ago. They own the cellar in the NL West. They have won just 17 games on the road this season (51 losses).
Fun Fact: The Dodgers are 8-2 against the Rockies this season.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Rockies at Dodgers
Date: Monday, September 8, 2025
Time: 10:10PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: COLR, SNLA
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Rockies at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Rockies (+278), Dodgers (-360)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5 (-164)
Total: 9 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Rockies at Dodgers
Pitching matchup for September 8, 2025: Chase Dollander vs. TBD
Rockies: Chase Dollander (2-12, 6.77 ERA) Last outing: September 1 vs. San Francisco - 5IP, 6ER, 5H, 3BBs, and 2Ks
Dodgers: TBD
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rockies at Dodgers
The Rockies' last 5 road games have stayed under the Total
The Dodgers have failed to cover the Run Line in 3 straight home games
The Dodgers have won 4 straight home games against the Rockies
Freddie Freeman was 4-12 (.333) this past weekend against the Orioles
Shohei Ohtani homered twice in yesterday's 5-2 win over the O's
Shohei Ohtani is hitting .348 in September
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Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rockies and the Dodgers
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Rockies and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: Rotoworld is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld is recommending a play on the Dodgers -1.5 (-164)
Total: Rotoworld is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 9 runs
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Responding to a 911 call of shots fired, police arrived at the apartment building in Jackson Township, NJ, at 11 a.m. and discovered Reid, 28, dead from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.
Shaquille Green, 29, was seen fleeing the scene, according to the prosecutor's office, and was later arrested and has been charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon, all in connection with Reid's death. Green and Reid had a "dating relationship," according to the prosecutor's office.
Toraya was the oldest of three, with Naz in the middle, and there is a younger sister, Jakahya.
Naz Reid is a fan favorite in Minnesota, the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year, who has been a versatile and critical part of the team's back-to-back runs to the Western Conference Finals, but also has been very active in the community. This summer he signed a five-year, $125 million contract to stay with the franchise.
Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; James Hagens is selected as the seventh overall pick to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
On Monday, the Boston Bruins announced an extension of their affiliation agreement with the Maine Mariners through the 2027-28 season.
“We are proud to extend our affiliation with the Maine Mariners through the 2027-28 season,” Providence Bruins General Manager Evan Gold, who is also the Assistant General Manager for Boston, said in a statement. “It has been a pleasure getting to know and collaborate with Dexter Paine over the past year-plus of his ownership tenure, and we are confident that his and the entire Mariners staff’s dedication to developing players and competing for championships fully aligns with our organizational development model. “The Bruins are excited to continue working with the Mariners to prepare our prospects for the next levels.”
The Mariners began their partnership with Boston and Providence in 2021, leading into Maine’s third ECHL season. The 2025-26 campaign marks year five of the affiliation and begins the new three-year extension.
“We are excited to extend our affiliation agreement with the Boston Bruins and Providence Bruins,” Mariners Owner & Governor Dexter Paine stated. “It is an important step for our franchise as we align the Mariners with these two historic franchises. Stabilizing and growing the partnership with both Boston and Providence was a priority of mine after purchasing the team last fall. I want to thank Cam Neely, Don Sweeney and Evan Gold, and we look forward to many great years as part of the Bruins development pipeline.”
The Maine/Boston affiliation has a history dating back to late 1980s and early 1990s, when the American Hockey League’s Maine Mariners served as Bruins affiliates for five seasons before the team relocated to Providence in 1992.
The Giants have won 11 of their last 14 games as one of the hottest teams in baseball, but where does San Francisco rank when it comes to the team’s core talent?
Not in the top 10 according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, who places the team right in the middle of the pack at 15th (third in NL West behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres).
While the team’s season success is not an apparent metric, McDaniel says he “judges teams based on which players they have under contract through the next two full seasons.”
The Giants saw an impressive jump up in the ratings from their 2024 rank (22), largely in part because of what Buster Posey has done in his short time with the team.
“I like what president of baseball operations Buster Posey has done in remaking this big league team,” McDaniel said. “He’s investing in star players (re-signing [Matt] Chapman, signing [Willy] Adames, trading for [Rafael] Devers), and at the deadline, he moved nonessential players or those on expiring deals to beef up the farm system.”
The Giants were just one of two teams in the top-half of the list to be without an “elite” player — “5ish WAR talent, or perennial All-Stars with MVP chances” per McDaniel.
Devers, who was listed as a “solid” tiered player, has batted just .253 since joining the Giants but really has turned it on since the start of August, slashing .289/.389/.602 with 12 home runs in 34 games played.
Another “solid” tier player, Adames, who had a woefully slow start, also has picked up the pace in the second half of the season. Over his last 15 days, he has slashed a respectable .289/.375/.622.
At 72-71, the Giants have significantly underperformed on the year, but with the roster they currently have, a hot streak earlier in the year could have made all the difference and made 2025 a completely different season.
McDaniel also states he believes the Giants could be a contender as early as next season. Only time will tell.
Division rivals New York (76-66) and Philadelphia (83-59) begin a four-game series beginning tonight at Citizens Bank Park.
Rookie phenom Nolan McLean is slated to take the mound for New York looking for his fifth straight win against veteran Aaron Nola for Philadelphia.
With the Phillies leading the National League East by seven games, the division crown is no longer up for grabs. This is a vital series, though, for the Mets as their lead for the final Wild Card spot is just four games over San Francisco and Cincinnati.
Philadelphia has won seven of their last ten to all but clinch the division. Kyle Schwarber leads the Phils' attack with 49 home runs and 120 RBIs. The Mets have lost two in a row and are just 4-6 in their last ten. Juan Soto leads the team with 38 home runs and Pete Alonso has 113 RBIs to pace the attack.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Mets at Phillies
Date: Monday, September 8, 2025
Time: 6:45PM EST
Site: Citizens Bank Park
City: Philadelphia, PA
Network/Streaming: SNY, NBCSP, MLBN
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Odds for the Mets at the Phillies
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Mets (-126), Phillies (+104)
Spread: Philadelphia +1.5 (-163)
Total: 9 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Mets at Phillies
Pitching matchup for September 8, 2025: Nolan McLean vs. Aaron Nola
Mets: Nolan McLean, (4-0, 1.37 ERA) Last outing: September 2 at Detroit, 6IP, 2ER, 3H, 3BB, and 7Ks
Phillies: Aaron Nola, (3-8, 6.78 ERA) Last outing: September 3 at Milwaukee, 6 ER, 6H, 2BB, and 6Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mets at Phillies
The Over has cashed in the Phillies' last 6 home games against the Mets with Aaron Nola on the mound
With Aaron Nola on the bump, the Phillies have covered in 4 straight NL East games
The Phillies have won outright 4 of their last 5 NL East home games with Aaron Nola on the mound
Nolan McLean has struck out at least 6 in each of his 4 starts
Juan Soto is 10-23 (.435) in September
Bryce Harper is 5-25 (.200) with 2 HRs in September
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Mets and the Phillies
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Mets and the Phillies:
Moneyline: Rotoworld is leaning towards a play on the Mets on the ML
Spread: Rotoworld is recommending a play on the Phillies getting 1.5 runs
Total: Rotoworld is recommending a play on the Game Total UNDER 9 runs
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Crushing victory against South Africa showed 50-over team’s potential but struggle for series wins continues
There might have been a few sore heads in England’s squad on the morning after their epic, extraordinary victory against South Africa in Southampton, if only because of dizziness. On Sunday, after all, what had been down was suddenly up, what was bad became good, what was strong appeared feeble. And so the series ended having only really proved that what fails today can flourish tomorrow, which does not necessarily help with planning for the day after that.
Clearly England have a team with great potential, but across the week it only really shone when their opponents had misplaced both motivation and quality. Brendon McCullum, the England head coach, described “an oscillating series” that concluded with “an incredible blueprint of what this team’s capable of achieving if we can get it right”, but if it is hard to argue that scoring 414 before routing your opponents for 72 is anything less than ideal it is also not hugely repeatable.
