The NBA plans to select the winning bid for owner of the Las Vegas expansion team “in the very near future.”
The franchise and new arena is expected to be sold for $12 billion to $13 billion. There are three finalist groups, according to ESPN: Nancy Walton Laurie and Bill Laurie; Steve Apostolopoulos and Marc Lasry; and Bill Foley and Jerry Colangelo.
The NBA is preparing to add two expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle.
The league will hold an official approval process by the end of December on two expansion teams, but Las Vegas is expected to be settled before Seattle. For one, Las Vegas has a more active bidding market that consists of higher offers.
In Seattle, there are no logistics of developing a new arena as Climate Pledge Arena is already a set home for the new team. Moreover, the Vegas runners-up may have interest in joining the Seattle bid process.
Nancy Walton Laurie is the daughter of Walmart co-founder James “Bud” Walton. She is married to Bill Laurie, the former owner of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. The couple resides in a suburb of Las Vegas and has a net worth of $17 billion, per Forbes.
Apostolopoulos showed interest in purchasing the Charlotte Hornets from Michael Jordan in 2023, but the Canadian billionaire pivoted to buying the Washington Commanders. The NFL franchise was later sold to a group led by Josh Harris, Philadelphia 76ers owner.
Lasry is the former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks and sold his stake in the franchise to Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam at a valuation of $3.5 billion.
Colangelo, the former owner of the Phoenix Suns, began talking with Foley about teaming up with his Las Vegas Jacks group. Colangelo and Foley became partners because of the latter’s ties to the city and the Jacks’ plans for a new arena as well as the relationship equity with key league stakeholders.
The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images/iStockphotoLas Vegas is scheduled to get a new NBA team and arena. Getty Images
It's a rematch of last year's wild card series, won by the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Right-hander Michael King will start the opener for the Padres, with southpaw Matthew Boyd taking the mound for the Cubs.
"Very professional lineup," King said of the Cubs' offense. "They were first in runs this year and it shows."
The Padres are trying to get back to the World Series for the first time since 1998 and are in the postseason for the fourth time in five years, undoubtedly the most successful spell in the franchise's history.
“It's a new year, it's a different year," Padres third baseman Manny Machado said. “Obviously, that stung last year for us. They played better ball than us last year. This year's going to be a little bit different. "
Follow for live updates:
Where to watch Padres vs. Cubs: Channel, streaming
First pitch between the Padres and Cubs is scheduled for 10 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
2022: Houston Astros (def. Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2)
2021: Atlanta Braves (def. Houston Astros, 4-2)
2020: Los Angeles Dodgers (def. Tampa Bay Rays, 4-2)
2019: Washington Nationals (def. Houston Astros, 4-3)
2018: Boston Red Sox (def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-1)
2017: Houston Astros (def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3)
2016: Chicago Cubs (def. Cleveland Indians, 4-3)
2026 MLB playoff power rankings
09:42 PM ET, September 29 2026, Andrés Soto
Full breakdowns of the rankings can be found here.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Tampa Bay Rays
Milwaukee Brewers
New York Yankees
Cleveland Guardians
Philadelphia Phillies
Boston Red Sox
San Diego Padres
Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs
Padres projected rotation
09:33 PM ET, September 29 2026, Andrés Soto
The Padres will have their ace Michael King (2-10, 3.21 ERA) on the mound for Game 1. The 31-year-old righty emerged as the rock of a San Diego rotation that was decimated by injuries throughout most of the summer. Nick Pivetta missed five months with a flexor strain in his right elbow but pitched well in his four starts since returning from the IL on Sept. 7, posting a 1.45 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 0.91 WHIP through 18.2 innings. He'll get the ball for Game 2 on Wednesday. If the series goes a third game, it would likely be either Robbie Ray (13-8, 3.59) or Walker Buehler (9-6, 4.56 ERA) with the season on the line.
The surprise addition of Joe Musgrove -- who hasn't pitched since 2024 -- to the postseason roster adds an interesting wrinkle but as USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale reported, he'll likely be used out of the bullpen.
Cubs projected rotation
09:17 PM ET, September 29 2026, Andrés Soto
Matthew Boyd (10-5, 3.91 ERA) will get the ball for Game 1, the Cubs announced on Monday night. Manager Craig Counsell notoriously keeps his cards close to his chest, so the rest of the rotation is anyone's best guess at this point. Kevin Gausman (9-12, 4.51 ERA) injured his non-throwing shoulder attempting a diving tag at first base on Wednesday, but he threw a bullpen session on the final day of the regular season with "encouraging results," per MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. He's being monitored for availability in either Game 2 or 3. Shota Imanaga (11-10, 3.77 ERA) will almost certainly get a nod at some point as well.
Other pitchers in the mix include Clay Holmes (6-8, 3.29 ERA) and David Peterson (9-8, 4.79 ERA).
Padres vs Cubs regular season series results
09:01 PM ET, September 29 2026, Andrés Soto
The Cubs dominated the season series, taking five of their six matchups against the Padres in 2026. Here are the scores from each time they met:
April 27: Padres 9, Cubs 7
April 28: Cubs 8, Padres 3
April 29: Cubs 5, Padres 4
June 29: Cubs 3, Padres 2
June 30: Cubs 9, Padres 7
July 1: Cubs 23, Padres 3
MLB playoff wild card format
08:47 PM ET, September 29 2026, Andrés Soto
All four MLB wild card series will start with Game 1 on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The best-of-three series will continue with Game 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 30 and if necessary, Game 3 on Thursday, Oct. 1. The winners will advance to the NLDS and ALDS on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Game 1 between the Padres and Cubs at Petco Park is set to air at 7 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Network. Fans looking to stream the game can find it on Peacock.
Information in this article was imported automatically into a template written and reviewed by a USA TODAY Sports editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
AMES, Iowa — Tamin Lipsey has been added to Iowa State’s roster after being granted an injunction for another year of eligibility last week.
Iowa State announced Lipsey’s return on Monday with a social media post showing his No. 3 jersey hanging in his locker.
Lipsey went undrafted in the 2026 NBA draft, but played two NBA Summer League games with the Indiana Pacers before getting injured. He was granted a temporary restraining order by an Indiana judge last week for one of the numerous lawsuits filed against the NCAA for its new eligibility rules.
Lipsey averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game last season on a team that reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. The 6-foot-1 guard was an Associated Press honorable mention All-American in 2024 and is a three-time all-Big 12 selection.
Lipsey is the first player in Big 12 history to eclipse 1,500 points, 600 assists, 500 rebounds and 300 steals in a career.
PITTSBURGH — It is the next-to-last day of September on the eve of Sidney Crosby’s 22nd season. His team’s opener across the state in Philadelphia less than 36 hours away looms.
And there the longtime Pittsburgh Penguins captain is on a random early fall Tuesday, doing what he has always done: grinding through an hour-long practice with an intensity that shows no signs of waning as the player who arrived in the NHL as a teenage prodigy closes in on his 40th birthday.
Watch Crosby stand in front of the net and deftly deflect a point shot past rookie goaltender Sergei Murashov, who was still in diapers in his native Russia when Crosby made his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2005. Watch Crosby fail to connect the dots on a pass on one end of the ice, then backcheck furiously before slapping his stick into the end boards in frustration.
Watch the NHL’s seventh all-time leading scorer (soon to be in the top five) glide from the half wall to the front of the net and back again during a power play drill, the instincts that have carried him from franchise savior to Olympic gold medalist to three-time Stanley Cup champion taking over as he searches for an opportunity.
Practice breaks up. Some of Crosby’s younger teammates head to the dressing room. Crosby does not. He remains on the ice for another 20-plus minutes with longtime teammates Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, chasing the finer points of a sport that has long doubled as an obsession.
Crosby’s approach to his job is uncommon
Penguins coach Dan Muse heard about the trio’s relentless drive when he took over in the summer of 2025. He wasn’t skeptical, exactly, but seeing it up close gave him a different perspective.
“Sometimes I (was) surprised last year,” Muse said. “Now I guess I’m not as surprised at how long they’re out there for. ... I think for everybody who’s seeing it too, like I said, it’s not necessarily the normal.”
No, it’s not.
And while Malkin and Letang have carved out their own unique places in NHL history during the trio’s two decades together, it is Crosby who has always shouldered the load of outsized expectations that have followed him from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia to Pittsburgh to, one day, the Hall of Fame.
It can be a lot. It already has been a lot. Yet Crosby has rarely let the burden show. Maybe because he’s used to it. Or maybe because he doesn’t really view it as a burden at all. Ask Crosby why he is still pushing himself at this pace, and he shrugs.
“I just love the game,” Crosby said.
And not just when the lights come on and thousands of fans — many of them usually wearing some iteration of Crosby’s jersey — come out to watch him do Sidney Crosby things. He is only player in NHL history to average a point a game for 21 straight seasons.
“I think, you know, there’s the journey or the preparation that goes into it,” he said.
It’s why Crosby arrived at the team’s practice facility weeks ahead of training camp. It’s why he still seeks opportunities to compete internationally. Sure, he could have taken the summer off after Pittsburgh’s surprising season ended with a loss to Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs.
That’s just not the way Crosby is wired. A few weeks after the postseason exit, he served as an alternate captain to 19-year-old San Jose Sharks sensation Macklin Celebrini for Team Canada at the 2026 World Championships. This after his hope for a second Olympic gold ended with an injury at the 2026 Cortina Winter Games.
It’s a lot of hockey for anyone. Let alone someone who has been on “go” practically from the first time he pulled on skates.
Crosby wants to keep playing, but for how long he’s not sure
And yet Crosby remains as passionate about all that goes into it now as he did when he was flinging pucks into an empty dryer in the basement of his childhood home.
“Ultimately, you just, every night you step on the ice, you’re trying to win a hockey game,” he said. “That’s something that’s still there. I think it provides a lot of fire to everything for me.”
The flames show no signs of subsiding even while some of his contemporaries — Malkin and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals chief among them — seem to have the number of games ahead of them dwindling to a precious few.
The mix of nerves and excitement that accompanies every season opener is still there. Until they’re not, expect Crosby to keep right on going.
While Crosby has stressed repeatedly that he wants to keep playing indefinitely, when the puck drops in Philadelphia on Wednesday night, it will mark the first time in his career that he will start a season in the final year of his contract. Crosby is in no hurry to sign anything; he learned a long time ago that he needs to listen to his body above all else.
“I don’t think you ever know until you get to that point,” Crosby told reporters when delivering season tickets to select fans earlier this month. “But I’m guessing it’s your level, it’s how your body feels, it’s a combination of all those things. Overall, I feel pretty good.”
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas and Crosby’s agent Pat Brisson have been in talks, but Dubas stressed on Monday that there isn’t any “real pressure to have it done by a certain date or anything.”
Stats are nice, but winning is all that matters
Crosby, who begins the year with 1,761 career points, 38 shy of passing Ron Francis for fifth on the all-time list, has no plans to coast to whatever the finish line looks like in hopes of piling up stats and paychecks.
When it’s mentioned that 2,000 points — a plateau only Wayne Gretzky has reached — looks doable if he plays another handful of years, Crosby shakes his head. That’s never been what this is about.
“I didn’t even know how close I was until you just gave me that stat,” he said. “So no, when you talk about motivating factors to play, I wouldn’t say that’s one of them.”
The pathologically competitive Crosby remains intent on trying to help guide the Penguins back to the giddy heights of 2016 and 2017, when they became the first club in nearly 20 years to win back-to-back championships.
The going has grown increasingly tougher over the years. Pittsburgh hasn’t advanced past the first round since 2018, though their promising run to second place in the Metropolitan Division last spring provided some tangible momentum. While Dubas plainly stated the goal this time around is to make inroads on division rival and reigning Cup champion Carolina, Crosby has no plans on looking that far ahead.
There is only the familiar rhythm of the season, with its practices and morning skates and overnight plane rides and team meals and — 84 times over the next six months, then hopefully a bit more after that — the chance to hop over the boards and lean into the fire once more.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: The San Diego Padres mascot The Swinging Friar waves a Padres flag after the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on September 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Somehow they did it. The San Diego Padres won 90-plus games for the third consecutive year, making the postseason each of those seasons. In his rookie year in the manager’s chair, Craig Stammen has continued this club’s regular season success (in spite of his pitfalls). It’s been a stellar 2026 campaign for the Friars, and it all comes down to this.
It’s easy to make the argument that this is the most defining game of the Padres’ chase towards the World Series. Since the inception of the Wild Card round in MLB, only two teams have ever come back from losing Game 1. In a three-game set, anything can happen. In a roaring Petco Park, with their ace on the mound, San Diego will need to earn the win over the Chicago Cubs.
Taking the mound
Matthew Boyd (CHC) v. Michael King (SD)
Despite getting knocked around by San Diego in both of his starts this season, Boyd has the potential to dominate in the series opener. Across two starts against the Friars (9.0 IP), Boyd has surrendered eight runs on 16 hits and two walks. His first start was a slugfest that San Diego eventually won. The second was a slugfest that Chicago won out.
The Padres’ lineup (108 at-bats) has a career .315/.339/.500 slash line versus the left-hander. Of hitters with 10-plus at-bats, Manny Machado has the most success with a .450 batting average and 1.255 OPS (20 ABs). The question for Chicago is whether Boyd can keep up. In the past, he’s been picked up by the Cubs’ stellar offense. If they can’t solve King, Boyd might easily be outdueled before anyone realizes what’s happening.
King has long been the obvious option for the Padres in this role. He pitched just one inning out of the bullpen in the 2025 playoffs after returning from the injured list late in the season. But King dominated in 2024. In Game 1 of the NL Wild Card series versus the Atlanta Braves, King struck out 12 batters over seven scoreless innings. If he can replicate that against Chicago tonight, it would be massive for San Diego’s chances.
Surprisingly, King hasn’t faced the Cubs yet this season. That could give him an edge over Chicago’s potent lineup. He’ll need to mix it up and keep hitters guessing to work deep into the game. King’s been incredible down the stretch, pitching to a 2.84 ERA in his last 15 starts (88.2 IP). That said, he’s coming off of a tough start against the Los Angeles Dodgers (5 ER, 4.0 IP). How he bounces back from that will determine how the series plays out.
Batter up!
The Padres’ lineup has consistently posted fantastic numbers throughout the final month of the season. The question is if that can continue. The Friars scored five or more runs in 16 games in September. The offense will need to keep that rolling to avoid another early exit at the hands of Chicago.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Dustin Harris, LF
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Gavin Sheets, DH
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Luis Campusano, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Sheets seems likely to retain sole DH duties since returning from the injured list. Campusano could take over some of that role if Freddy Fermin or Ethan Salas are behind the dish, but Sheets will be limited due to his foot still being somewhat injured. The slugger launched a mammoth home run (17) in the regular season finale on Sunday afternoon. His resurgence could be huge for the Friars.
Relief corps
It’s imperative that San Diego wins this game, meaning it’s all hands on deck until they advance or go home. Jason Adam, Griffin Canning, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan, Bradgley Rodriguez, Wandy Peralta and Randy Vásquez should be the options out of the ‘pen for the Padres.
However, Robbie Ray could easily fill out a bullpen role for San Diego. That seems unlikely, given his lack of working in bulk relief. Ray will seemingly be left off of the roster until a potential NLDS matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers. The bullpen could easily be the turning point for San Diego in this series. In a three-game set, all the Padres need is a lead going into the seventh and a win is all but guaranteed.
The 2026-27 NHL regular season begins on Tuesday with five games, with a former Buffalo Sabres player in a key role. The most prominent debut will be defenseman Bowen Byram, who will make his Chicago Blackhawks debut against former Sabres captain Jack Eichel and the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas.
Byram was traded just before the NHL Draft in June to the Hawks for the fourth overall pick (Daxon Rudolph), a second-round pick (later flipped to Anaheim for Olen Zellweger) and defenseman Louis Crevier. The 26-year-old then signed a six-year, $75 million contract with Chicago, where he will serve as their #1 blueliner.
Hear from Bowen Byram after today's practice ahead of his first road trip with the Blackhawks and going to face his former Sabres team at the end of it pic.twitter.com/19KRjdOKst
Another former Sabre, winger JJ Peterka, makes his return to the Atlantic Division as a member of the Boston Bruins, as they host the New York Rangers at TD Garden. Peterka was traded by the Utah Mammoth to Boston exactly one year after he was dealt by the Sabres for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring.
The 24-year-old had 20 or more goals for the third year in a row in Salt Lake City, but went pointless in six playoff games, and was swapped to Beantown for a pair of first round picks. Other ex-Sabres playing tonight are Taylor Hall and the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes against Sam Reinhart and the Florida Panthers, former first rounder Matthew Savoie and the Edmonton Oilers taking on the Vancouver Canucks, and Jake McCabe and the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Montreal Canadiens.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured skull.
The Wild said Tuesday that a timeframe for his recovery would be announced later.
The 24-year-old took a puck to the head off the stick of Dallas Stars forward Sam Steel during the final minute of the second period of each team’s preseason finale Friday night.
Faber skated the ninth most of any player in the NHL last season and is expected to have a significant role again alongside Quinn Hughes when he returns. He also was a key member of the U.S. Olympic team that won the country’s first men’s hockey gold medal since 1980.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — After saying that Kirill Marchenko would be with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the start of the season, general manager Don Waddell dealt the forward as part of a major seven-player deal to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday as NHL teams were finalizing their opening week rosters.
The Blue Jackets also dealt goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and left-winger Miles Wood to the Maple Leafs for left wing Matthew Knies, defenseman Emil Andrae, center Steven Lorentz and a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
Marchenko was in the last year of his contract, but agreed to a six-year $75 million extension with the Maple Leafs. He relayed to Columbus’ front office before the draft in June that he didn’t intend to sign an extension with the Blue Jackets.
Waddell said the situation with Marchenko and star defenseman Zach Werenski were not the same. The Norris Trophy winner also said during the offseason he wasn’t ready to sign an extension, but also vetoed a trade to the Dallas Stars.
“I’ve had discussions with his agent, which we won’t discuss right now, but Marchenko’s going to be a Blue Jackets when the season starts,” Waddell said on July 2.
The 26-year old Russian was a second-round pick by the Blue Jackets in the 2018 draft. He didn’t make his NHL debut until 2022, but tied or led the team in scoring the past three seasons.
Marchenko had a team-high 27 goals last season and was second in points with 67. He had 102 goals and 208 points during his four seasons in Columbus.
In Knies, the Blue Jackets get a forward who battled injuries last season, but still finished with a career-best 66 points, including 23 goals. He is expected to be on one of the top two scoring lines.
The 23-year-old Knies was previously viewed as an important piece of Toronto’s future. He had a career-high 29 goals and 58 points in 2024-25 playing on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
“Matthew is a big, strong power forward who combines tough, hard-nosed physical play with outstanding offensive skills,” Waddell said in a statement after the trade was announced. “He is a young player with great character and work ethic and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the Blue Jackets family.”
Merzlikins is currently on long-term injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He had a 14-11-3 record with a 3.40 goals-against average and .993 save percentage in 30 appearances last season as a backup to Blue Jackets starter Jet Greaves.
Wood, recently put on waivers, has 99 goals and 97 assists in 567 career games with New Jersey, Colorado and Columbus.
Lorentz, a Stanley Cup winner with the Florida Panthers in 2024, had 15 goals and 22 assists over two seasons in Toronto.
Andrae ended a very short tenure in Toronto. He was acquired in a June trade with Philadelphia. Andrae had three goals and 17 assists over 107 games with the Flyers, who selected him in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 17: A general view of the stadium lights in the third inning during game four of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on October 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Major League Baseball on Tuesday announced the broadcast schedule for the first few days of the Division Series, and Game 2 of the Dodgers’ NLDS at Dodger Stadium will be played under the lights on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. As for Game 1 on Saturday, that depends on who wins the Cubs-Padres wild card series in San Diego.
If the Cubs win the wild card round, the Dodgers on Saturday will play at 6 p.m. PT in Game 1 of the NLDS in a game televised by FS1. If the Padres win the wild card round, the Dodgers will play Game 1 at 1 p.m. PT Saturday and be televised by FS1.
Either way, Game 2 on Sunday at Dodger Stadium is set for 5 p.m. on FS1. The start times for rest of the Division Series will be revealed later this week, after all the wild card series have been decided.
Fox Sports will televise the entirety of the National League playoffs as well as the World Series, which means every game the Dodgers play this October will be televised by Fox or FS1. Announcer assignments haven’t yet been announced by Fox for the NLDS.
Game
Date
Location
Time (PT)
TV
1
Sat, Oct 3
Dodger Stadium
1 p.m. or 6 p.m.
Fox or FS1
2
Sun, Oct 4
Dodger Stadium
5 p.m.
FS1
3
Tue, Oct 6
Atlanta/Philadelphia
TBA
Fox or FS1
4*
Wed, Oct 7
Atlanta/Philadelphia
TBA
Fox or FS1
5*
Fri, Oct 9
Dodger Stadium
TBA
Fox or FS1
*if necessary
Saturday is the opener for all four Division Series, while the two American League series have Sunday off before resuming on Monday with Games 2. That leaves Sunday as a two-game day for both National League series.
Saturday, October 3 schedule
ALDS Game 1: Astros/White Sox at Guardians, 10 a.m. PT (TBS)
NLDS Game 1: Cubs at Brewers or Braves/Phillies at Dodgers at 1 p.m. (Fox)
ALDS Game 1: Yankees/Red Sox at Rays, 3:30 p.m. (TBS)
NLDS Game 1: Padres at Brewers at 4:30 p.m. or Braves/Phillies at Dodgers at 6 p.m. (FS1)
Sunday, October 4 schedule
NLDS Game 2: Padres/Cubs at Brewers, 1 p.m. (FS1)
NLDS Game 2: Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, 5 p.m. (Fox)
Monday, October 5 schedule
ALDS Game 2: Astros/White Sox at Guardians, 2 p.m. (TBS)
ALDS Game 2: Yankees/Red Sox at Rays, 5 p.m. (TBS)
Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided some updates prior to Tuesday's Wild Card Game 1 in the Bronx...
How close was the captain to a Wild Card return?
Aaron Judge was grinding his way back from his right calf injury in an effort to get onto the Yankees Wild Card roster, but in the end, he ultimately missed the cut.
Judge was able to take live batting practice on Monday's off day in the Bronx.
Boone said that the team has been encouraged by what they've seen from him to this point, but after meeting with the training staff, they felt he wasn't there yet.
"Yesterday was a significant step for him, and a sign that he's shown some real improvement over the last couple of weeks," the skipper said. "We had an honest conversation with the trainers last night after the workout, and I just felt like he wasn't quite ready to be what he needs to be for us."
Judge will continue to progress his way back, and the hope is that these next couple of days will be valuable for him if the Yankees are able to advance past the Red Sox into the ALDS.
"He is doing everything he can to get better and heal as quickly as possible," Boone emphasized.
With Judge remaining sidelined, though, New York will lean on trade deadline addition Heliot Ramos to handle the bulk of the playing time in right field against Boston's lefty-heavy pitching staff.
Tuesday will mark the first postseason game of Ramos' five-year big-league career.
"I just want to gain everyone's trust," the 27-year-old outfielder said. "Judge, his presence, the type of player he is, nobody can compare to that -- but at the end of the day, I'm me, I know I'm ready for it and I'm ready to go."
Grish and Big G back in the mix
While Judge wasn't ready to roll, the Yanks will receive two of their regular back for the series.
Both Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham were able to return from their respective injuries after making significant progress in the closing weeks of the regular season.
Grisham, out since Sept. 4 with a hamstring strain, is a full-go.
As for Stanton, Boone said that it's "awesome" seeing the big man back in the mix having been sidelined since late-April due to a calf strain and numerous reaggravations of the injury.
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) tosses his bat after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
"It's been a really tough year for G on the injury-front," he explained. "I give him a ton of credit -- after this last setback a month ago he could've just taken his ball and gone home, but he's just never stopped -- even through the frustration of a couple setbacks he's never stopped working to be some kind of option."
Even with all of the down time, Stanton's bat should play, as he's continued hitting throughout the year.
Don't expect to see him out there too too much in this series, though, as he'll likely only be limited to pinch-hit duties with the makeup of the Yanks Wild Card roster.
"It's a bullet off the bench, and it's a pretty dynamic one," Boone emphasized. "He feels ready to go, I know he'll handle the moment mentally and emotionally, and hopefully he has a big swing or two in him."
Stanton's had his share of big swings in his Yankee playoff career, racking up 16 HR and a .939 OPS over the years.
Weathers misses the cut
Like Judge, Boone said that it was a "tough call" to have to leave lefty Ryan Weathers off the WC roster.
Weathers has been making tremendous progress returning from a forearm strain over the past few weeks, and looked healthy throwing his live BP session on Monday.
Boone decided, however, they were better off playing things safe.
"He threw one live going into yesterday, so had he been on this roster he wouldn't have thrown that yesterday, and I felt like we would be really limited with what we have going with 10 pitchers," Boone explained. "I felt like I probably would've had one inning with him in this series.
"So I feel like he needed that next one, and obviously there are no guarantees, but if we are able to advance I feel like he'll be in a good place to really be able to impact us moving forward."
Weathers has been sidelined since late-August due to the forearm flexor strain.
Would you pay as much for an expansion NBA team in Las Vegas as was just paid for the Los Angeles Lakers?
Apparently someone is going to, according to a new report from Shams Charania of ESPN, and the NBA is going to pick that owner in the "very near future."
The NBA is expected to select the winning bid for owner of the Las Vegas expansion team in the very near future, with a price of at least $12-13 billion for the franchise and new arena among three finalist groups -- Nancy Walton Laurie and Bill Laurie; Steve Apostolopoulos and Marc Lasry; Bill Foley and Jerry Colangelo, sources told ESPN.
Quick note: Charania's phrasing suggests — or at least leaves open the possibility — of a $10 billion expansion fee to the league plus a $2-3 billion new arena. While Las Vegas does have the T-Mobile Arena just off the Strip — home to the WNBA's Aces, the NHL's Golden Knights, and host to the final rounds of the NBA Cup the past two years — Silver said earlier this month, "it needs some significant improvements" before an NBA team could call it home. With NBA ownership more of a real estate investment now (just ask Mark Cuban), it seems likely the new owners would want to build the arena as an anchor for a new hotel/casino/resort complex (maybe with shopping and condos/apartments) rather than rent an existing building.
The three potential owners detailed by ESPN are:
• Bill Foley and Jerry Colangelo. Foley owns the NHL's Knights, and he teamed up with Colangelo, the former owner of the Phoenix Suns. Colangelo jumped into the process relatively late (July), and while Foley has ties to the T-Mobile Arena, the plan is to build a new one. This ownership group also includes former NBA players Vinny Del Negro and Jay Williams, former Turner Sports president David Levy, and Scott Colangelo, a managing partner at Prime Capital Financial.
• Bill Laurie may be familiar to sports fans as the former owner of the NHL's St. Louis Blues. His wife, Nancy Walton Laurie, is the daughter of Walmart co-founder James "Bud" Walton. They live in the Las Vegas area and are worth about $17 billion.
• Marc Lasry is the former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, who sold his share of that team but is looking to get back in the game. He is partnered with Apostolopoulos, a Canadian billionaire.
It's been reported for some time that the NBA would move forward in picking the Las Vegas bid first, then focus on Seattle. That's because Seattle is pretty straightforward. There is a trusted bidder — Samantha Holloway, who also owns the NHL's Seattle Kraken — who also is the majority owner of an NBA-ready venue in the Climate Pledge Arena, where the team would play. Recently, a second bidder — BlackSun Private Equity partnering with the Tulalip Tribes — made a splash announcing their interest, with plans to build a new arena about 35 miles outside the city. It's too early to say if they are considered serious bidders, or if one of the losers of the Las Vegas bid decides to jump into the Seattle mix.
The Seattle team also is expected to go for several billion dollars less than Las Vegas. The NBA has been vetting all the potential owners for both locations since about March.
Silver said after the recent Board of Governors meeting that both ownership groups are expected to receive formal approval before the end of the year. It sounds like we will find out the Las Vegas winners soon.
It was one of the worst-kept secrets around the Colorado Avalanche.
Andrew Cogliano is officially moving up.
The Avalanche announced Tuesday that Cogliano has been promoted to assistant general manager, giving the former Colorado forward a bigger role in the organization just two years after he retired from a 17-year NHL career.
Avalanche forward T.J. Hughes training with Gabe Landeskog in late August.
Cogliano, 39, spent the last two seasons as special assistant to general manager Joe Sakic. His work included player development, professional and amateur scouting and spending time with the Colorado Eagles. He was also involved in evaluating T.J. Hughes, who impressed the Avalanche throughout training camp and earned a spot on the opening-night roster.
Now, Cogliano will work alongside Sakic across all areas of hockey operations.
There is plenty of history behind the promotion.
Cogliano joined the Avalanche at the 2022 trade deadline and became an important part of the team’s Stanley Cup run that spring. He played all 20 playoff games as Colorado defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games, finally getting his name on the Stanley Cup after years of chasing it.
He played 172 regular-season games for Colorado, recording 39 points, and added 11 points in 31 playoff games.
Before coming to Colorado, Cogliano built one of the more durable careers of his generation. He played 1,294 regular-season games with five NHL teams and opened his career with an 830-game ironman streak, which ranked fourth in NHL history at the time.
Cogliano retired on June 21, 2024, and quickly transitioned into the Avalanche front office.
“He’s been a key member of our staff since he decided to retire as a player,” Sakic said.
Cogliano was originally selected 25th overall by Edmonton in the 2005 NHL Draft after two seasons at Michigan. He also won gold with Canada at the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships.
The new title gives Cogliano more influence inside an organization he already knows well. It could also be another step toward a larger future role in Colorado, potentially putting him in position to eventually follow Sakic as the person overseeing the Avalanche’s hockey operations.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 29: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run to take the lead in the eighth inning during Game One of the National League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Braves have not had a good time playing the Phillies in the postseason recently. Austin Riley had a nightmarish 2026 season. While the end of this story isn’t yet set down in ink, the first intonations of a ritual chant could be heard on Tuesday afternoon, as Riley hit a monstrously-important three-run shot and the Braves grabbed the driver’s seat in their three-game set.
Before we get to a full recounting of events, it’s “important” to internalize that this was a crazy back-and-forth affair. The Phillies jumped ahead, the Braves tied it, the Braves jumped ahead, then the Phillies jumped ahead, and then BAM, Austin Riley made his way to the top rope, and delivered a knockout below. (Can you knock out demons? Ask Doom Guy, I don’t know. Why don’t they just talk to the Phillies?)
Brb gonna go watch this over and over again #LetItFly https://t.co/3EwUQCn4XX— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 29, 2026
The Braves have done a few things well this season. First, they have employed Chris Sale. Second, their bullpen has been pretty great, especially in terms of guys like Didier Fuentes. Third, they have played good defense. None of those helped the Braves as much as they could have today, as the Phillies pulled ahead while Fuentes was pitching thanks to a defensive problem. But, who cares. Riley came through, and the Braves have a 1-0 lead.
Okay, let’s go sequentially now. This game was weird, much like the Braves’ season. A lot of weird stuff happened. Let’s go.
Chris Sale’s day started with strikeout-walk-strikeout. In a 2-2 count, Sale threw a quite high 99 mph fastball around letter-high to Alec Bohm, and the latter jacked it to the left side of dead center. If the Braves were playing Bohm straightaway or to pull, Michael Harris II catches the ball, but he started on the same vertical “plane” as Ozzie Albies playing Bohm to pull, and couldn’t flag it down. 1-0, Phightins. A routine fly to center two pitches later got Sale back in the dugout.
The Braves basically can’t hit the Phillies version of Jesus Luzardo, and surprise surprise, they did not hit the Phillies version of Luzardo in this game. It didn’t matter that Luzardo hadn’t had a start since early in September and had thrown a four-pitch inning two days ago. The Braves had nothing, really. Fortunately, the Phillies basically couldn’t do anything about Sale, either. The next two frames had no action.
Mauricio Dubon started the bottom of the second with a bloop double to left, and then stuff got weird. Harris bunted for some reason, but okay, runner on third. Albies followed with a walk. Luzardo, Riley, and Riley’s passive trait, “WPA Vortex” (why did you take that trait, Austin?!) then resulted in something I’ve never seen before: Luzardo threw a pitch high and tight. Riley shrunk back, and the ball hit the knob of Riley’s bat… and bumped into fair territory. Dubon was dead to rights off the third base bag, and the Braves looked like they squandered an opportunity, until…
…Mike Yastrzemski, in there at DH despite a lefty on the hill given the Braves’ spare parts backend of the roster, jumped at a first pitch sinker and rolled it weakly back up the box for a seeing-eye, game tying single. Luzardo followed with a full count to Ha-Seong Kim, but struck him out on a pitch inside.
And then, it was more rolling for Sale and Luzardo. The Braves got a couple on in the fourth — this time, Riley got legitimately plunked and the knob of his bat wasn’t involved. Yastrzemski only managed a weak flyout, though.
Sale struck out the side in the fifth, working around a two-out roller double down the line. Luzardo also kept chugging, with just a hit-by-pitch of Ronald Acuña Jr. in the bottom of the inning. In the sixth, there was a Kyle Schwarber single off Sale, and a scary moment where Bryce Harper almost hit a two-run homer but hooked it foul, but nothing else. And, in the sixth, the Phillies finally removed Luzardo — 77 pitches, five innings, a 6/1 K/BB ratio, two hit-by-pitches, and one very fortunate knob job.
The Braves wasted no time celebrating a lack of Luzardo. Harris singled with one out, and Albies wrapped his heavy bat head around a 99 mph, belt-high fastball from Alex McFarlane. The ball was nearly a homer, but instead, it hit a leaping Derek Hill in the wrist at the wall, turning into a go-ahead triple. Did the Braves score Albies? No, they did not. Riley grounded out, and Yastrzemski, now getting to face a righty, struck out.
It was a short-lived lead. Sale came out and struck out Hill, which featured a bizarre sequence where the NBC broadcast completely fell apart and seemed to have no idea who was batting, what the count was (even beyond John Kruk, who seemed to lose track of those things over the course of the game). That could’ve been a humorous aside, but it turned sinister. Sale clipped Bryan De La Cruz for his second plunking of the day, and then Bryson Stott, after trying to bunt, blooped a single on a way-inside fastball to put runners on the corners.
That was it for Sale: a 9/1 K/BB ratio, two hit-by-pitches, and not much else. One strength had done its business, and now it was time for another: Didier Fuentes. Except, it didn’t work out that way. Fuentes did get pinch-hitter Justin Crawford to mishit an in-zone 3-1 slider and pop it up to shallow center, keeping the game tied. But, on a 1-0 pitch, J.T. Realmuto lashed a 99 fastball on the outer portion for what was called a “triple.” It wasn’t really a triple — Acuña ran over to cut the ball off but failed to glove it, allowing Realmuto to get to third. Would Stott have scored anyway? I have no idea. Fortunately, we don’t need to debate this because of Big Boss Austin Riley. Fuentes escaped the inning, but the Braves were now down.
The Phillies did a weird thing. They brought in mega-closer Jhoan Duran in the seventh. I get it. The top of this Braves lineup is, on paper, the only scary thing. Duran ate the Braves alive in the bottom of the seventh, or nearly did. He only threw 12 pitches, but the last one was a 3-1, down-the-pipe, batter licks his lips (his own lips, not Duran’s) splitter, and Acuña took a huge hack… but got under it, and the 106 mph exit velocity only went 369 feet for an easy flyout.
Dylan Lee had no trouble in the eighth, and the bottom of the frame started with Curt saying, “oh, this is one of those games” in our internal Slack, as Matt Olson hit a screaming liner right into Duran’s glove. That sentiment continued, as Dubon tried to bloop a ball to right, but it was caught.
And then, the fun began. Harris singled, his third hit of the day, on a bouncer past the mound. (Trea Turner threw the ball away, but it didn’t matter.) Duran then walked Albies. Or hit Albies. I don’t know, his 3-2 pitch missed badly and the Braves challenged but uh, I guess the box score says he got hit. And then, Austin Riley time. Remember that WPA Vortex trait? I guess he somehow got out of it, because, well, this was the biggest hit of the Braves’ season so far:
He knew it. The stadium knew it. The Phillies fans that hate their team for some reason (look, no real shade, we have a ton of those here too) knew it. 5-3, Braves.
The ball was apparently wind-aided. It didn’t matter; it would’ve scored both Harris and Albies anyway with two outs, and the Phillies didn’t plate another.
Raisel Iglesias slammed the door. Well, I guess it was more like, “he was there while some other guys shoved it shut.” There was a leadoff single by Brandon Marsh, but De La Cruz followed by rolling a sinker right to Dubon at short for an easy double play. (Dubon moved over to short after Dominic Smith pinch hit for Ha-Seong Kim earlier in the game.) After a brief, four-pitch battle with Stott, an easy fly to left resulted, and just like that… the exorcism was begun in earnest.
Both Riley and Albies had struggle bug seasons, but came through in a big way, with two big extra-base hits a walk, and a hit-by-pitch between them. (Also that weird off-the-knob thing.) The top of the lineup did basically nothing, 0-for-11 with a hit-by-pitch and three strikeouts, but it didn’t matter with Riley in the house.
The series continues tomorrow as the Braves will try to get an old priest and a young priest onto the field and advance to the next round.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 29: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run to take the lead in the eighth inning during Game One of the National League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Jesus Luzardo, who’s last start was back on September 7th, pitched five innings of one-run ball. It was easily the best-case scenario given how things could play out.
The Phillies’ offense entered this postseason ranked 28th in wRC+ and was without Luis Arraez, who was their cleanup hitter before a brutal sprained ankle took him off the postseason roster. Despite that and despite facing Chris Sale, who is nearly a lock to finish in the top five for the National League Cy Young race, they tacked on three runs. It was probably the best-case scenario.
Despite all of that, the Phillies just couldn’t muster enough to take down the Braves in game one. While Cristopher Sánchez takes the ball for game two, 15 of the 16 Wild Card series entering 2026 went to the team who won game one. The Phillies could win the series still, but it would take a lot.
Everything seemed to go the Phillies’ way in the first. Sale was not sharp, struggling to land the fastball in the zone and get a strong feel for his unhittable slider. Kyle Schwarber worked a one-out walk that took seven pitches. After a Bryce Harper strikeout, Alec Bohm crushed a head-high, 99.1 mph fastball right after the head of a sprinting Michael Harris in center field. Schwarber scored easily without a competitive throw.
Luzardo’s first inning was like clockwork but the second inning featured trouble. He struggled to land his fastball in the zone for strikes and had no feel for his sweeper and changeup. He hung a changeup to Mauricio Dubón, who smoked a double down the left field line to lead off the inning.
After a Michael Harris sacrifice bunt, Ozzie Albies worked a five-pitch walk with Luzardo struggling to throw competitive pitches. He got bailed out against Austin Riley, who saw a fastball going right to his hands, only to hit the knob of the ball and squirt right to Luzardo. Dubón made a very smart play at third, getting into a rundown that allowed Albies to get to third with two outs.
On the very next pitch, Mike Yastrzemski punched a seeing-eye single right past Bryson Stott’s glove and the Braves tied it at one.
Neither Luzardo or Sale would run into issues for nearly the remainder of their outings. Sale coasted with the fastball and slider with an occasional changeup. There was an Edmundo Sosa double in the fifth with two outs, but JT Realmuto went down swinging to end the threat.
It was the Phillies bullpen that started to bring offensive life into this game. Don Mattingly’s first guy out was Alex McFarlane, the rookie right-hander with an overpowering fastball, who’s command has gotten better and better with almost every outing.
With one out, Michael Harris went to left field on a 101.6 mph sinker, tailing away from the strike zone for a single. On the third pitch Albies saw, he smoked a 99.3 mph fastball to dead center field but Derek Hill mistimed his jump and the ball went right off his wrist. Albies got to third easily and Harris ran home and the Braves took a 1-0 lead.
With one out and a runner at third, McFarlane was able to settle down, getting an Austin Riley groundout and a Mike Yastrzemski strikeout.
The Braves sent Sale back out for the seventh and almost immediately looked gassed. With one out, Bryan De La Cruz was hit by a slider and Bryson Stott punched a fastball into right field to put runners on first and third.
Mattingly went to his bench, asking Justin Crawford to come up in a big spot against Braves right handed Didier Fuentes. Both were rookies who made the opening day roster and play roles in both teams getting to this point, albeit Fuentes was significantly better.
With a 3-1 count, Crawford hit a pop up on a slider and the runners stayed put. On the second pitch JT Realmuto saw, he punched a 99.4 mph fastball right over Matt Olson’s head and down the right field line. It took a weird hop on the lip of the grass, which Ronald Acuña Jr. could not handle. Both runners scored and the Phillies took the lead with nine more outs to go.
Jhoan Duran came in because the Phillies have no other options. Asking Duran to get six, maybe even all nine outs is a task almost any reliever would fail at. But this is where the Phillies are at. There was no one else.
He worked quickly through the seventh inning and got the first two outs of the eighth with a manageable pitch count. It seemed like Duran was ready to potentially give them all nine outs for the Phillies to steal a game, and potentially steal a playoff series they have no business being in.
With a 2-0 count, Michael Harris swung at a splinker, that chopped right over Duran’s head and Trea Turner had no chance to exchange the ball from his glove and fire an out to first base. After that infield single, Duran hit Ozzie Albies on a backfoot curveball that put two runners on.
After a lengthy review to decide that it clearly hit Albies foot, Austin Riley stepped into the batters box looking for a fastball. He got that fastball, only at 99.9 mph but it wasn’t 102 like Duran was throwing earlier. Riley got the barrel to hit, 104.6 mph off the bat and barely over the large right field wall that swung the series. The Braves took a 5-3 lead and the Phillies went down in the ninth.
It will be easy to blame Duran for that, blame Mattingly for that, or whoever. The Phillies bullpen entered this series with two trusted relievers. The aforementioned Duran, who had a 1.82 ERA over 59.1 innings as the Phillies’ closer and Alex McFarlane. Both of them allowed runs, Duran allowed a three-run homerun.
However, the Phillies were asking for trouble when the best possible plan called for both of them to successfully pitch multiple innings to win a playoff game. Neither could and the Braves are in the drivers seat with a 1-0 lead in a best of three.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 26: Andrew Cogliano #11 of the Colorado Avalanche lifts the Stanley Cup after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game Six of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 26, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When we heard the news that former Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland would be heading to Nashville, many pointed to Andrew Cogliano as the replacement GM until Joe Sakic resumed his duties and took the title back this offseason. Well, fans and pundits weren’t too far off, as Cogliano was announced via Avalanche social media to take on the Assistant GM role for the Colorado Avalanche.
This is likely a step toward Cogliano becoming GM at some point in Colorado, which would make him the second former player to take on the role. We’ll see if that materializes.
Cogliano was, of course, a part of the 2022 Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche. The story goes that Andrew had strong words of inspiration ahead of game six of that final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s widely respected in the league and among current Avalanche players and staff.
Joe Sakic had this to say in the NHL.com article announcing the promotion:
“Cogs is a great communicator, and that skill will be invaluable for our program. This is a well-deserved promotion.”
Let us know what you think of the promotion in the comments!
