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The Lakers made their big move this summer in landing Walker Kessler, but there’s still work to be done in the front court.
In parting with both Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton this offseason, LA has holes to fill, even if they took care of the hard part. Kevon Looney was brought in but given his age and mileage and his drop in production, most don’t view him as the primary backup center.
The Lakers appear to be included in that mix as multiple recent reports have indicated they’re still in the market for a big man. But it’s a market that isn’t friendly to buyers right now, so not much headway has been made.
LA has at least one more move to make with the roster already at 16 players. With a chase for Jonathan Kuminga still on, though, it’s not clear how a backup center fits into the equation. It’ll likely have to be the Lakers taking a chance on an underutilized player buried on a roster.
One player who could fit that bill, and who has been mentioned with the Lakers multiple times this week, is Jericho Sims with the Bucks.
Dan Woike of The Athletic first brought him up as a potential option based on “conversations with both team and league sources” about the type of players the Lakers could target. Then, on Friday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reiterated that report, noting that the Bucks could have a roster crunch that forces a move.
Milwaukee, which has also been linked with interest in Peyton Watson, has a roster crunch and is looking to trim its roster from 17 to 15 players by opening night. As The Athletic’s Dan Woike noted, the Los Angeles Lakers could be a trade partner for Bucks center Jericho Sims.
The first thing worth noting is that the Lakers, too, have a roster crunch, so the two teams making a deal right now doesn’t make a ton of sense. For the purple and gold, they would need to do a lot of consolidating to get to a point to trade for Sims or, potentially, work out a multi-team trade.
There is logic, however, to Sims being a fit in LA. And LA has shown interest in him in the past, dating back to the 2025 trade deadline.
He’s an uber-athletic big man who amassed 95 dunks in 67 games last season. Comparatively, Hayes had 122 last season in 66 games. While his time with the Lakers was up-and-down, Hayes definitely had some moments in the purple and gold and the team did not replace his athleticism or lob-catching ability at center.
Sims, however, does have flaws. He leaves something to be desired defensively and is not a rim protector despite the athleticism. In many ways, he’s limited like Hayes in those regards.
His contract is friendly as he’s set to make $2.8 million this season after picking up a player option this offseason. It would also make him very easy to trade for, if the Lakers do end up going down that route.
But, again, many things must happen before then. Presumably, the Lakers are likely going to address their need for a wing with trade assets first before eyeing anything else. And to even open a roster spot, the Lakers will have to make a three-for-one trade, which is very unlikely as teams do not have three open roster spots at this point in the offseason.
If anything, this might be a player worth monitoring if he’s released due to the roster crunch or if he’s still buried on the Bucks’ bench when the season starts. But there are plenty of reasons it makes sense for the Lakers to be targeting Sims, if indeed they are.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
Other Sabres Stories
Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss
37. Ashton Schultz - Center (Chicago/Sioux City - USHL)
The Sabres continued their practice in the 2025 NHL Draft of selecting players with longer development windows, since they did not have to sign them within two years. That window has altered slightly with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement kicking, but GM Jarmo Kkealainen and his scouting staff will have plenty of time to evaluate young center Ashton Schultz, who was selected in the sixth round (167th overall) in the first decentralized draft in Los Angeles.
The Victoria, MN native is a product of the vaunted Minnesota high school system and played 11 games in the USHL for Sioux Falls as a 17-year-old, while also scoring 57 points in 28 games for Minnetonka HS. In 2024-25, he scored 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists) in 57 games for the Chicago Steel, and last season, he split time between Chicago and Sioux City, posting 42 points (17 goals, 25 assists) in 49 games.
Ashton Schultz cleans up the rebound to keep @Musketeerhockey' postseason hopes alive. pic.twitter.com/oTxqmvHK24
— Ryan Sikes (@rms_hockey) April 24, 2026
The 19-year-old is committed to play for the University of North Dakota this fall. The 5’11”, 181 lb. center is described by Elite Prospects as someone who ”always gives his teammates an option, whether that’s offensively, defensively, or along the walls. Sturdy inside contact with play-killing skills, he breaks up the opposition’s cycle, diffuses their rushes, and retrieves pucks at top rates.”
Follow Michael on X, and Instagram @MikeInBuffalo
The San Diego Padres have great confidence in Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta when they take the hill. Each pitcher has defined why they’re a top-of-the-rotation starter with their bulldog-like mentality.
Musgrove is the hometown hero who pitched the first no-hitter in franchise history. Pivetta had a breakout 2025 campaign, going 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 31 starts. But elbow injuries have derailed their seasons.
The road to recovery is tough. The rehab process is slow and frustrating, but quite necessary. First, both right-handers must begin throwing at 75 feet, then gradually move to 125 feet. Next is a throwing session off the mound before heading out for rehab starts.
Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager AJ Preller is optimistic that Musgrove and Pivetta will pitch again this season. Currently, both starters are on the 60-day injured list, but neither has thrown a minor-league rehab start.
Musgrove is recovering from the after-effects of Tommy John surgery that has sidelined him since October 2024. However, in Spring Training, he suffered a setback that has kept Musgrove from making his season debut. Unfortunately, his injury history seems to drag on longer than expected.
Immediately, the Friars placed Java Joe on the 60-day IL. Thanks to rest and rehab, he is now throwing short stints off the mound. Musgrove will not be rushed, but the hope is that he will return by late August or early September.
In an early-season start against the Colorado Rockies, Pivetta exited the game with elbow stiffness. Afterward, an MRI showed a flexor strain. Team doctors recommended rest and rehab over elbow surgery. So far, the diagnosis has paid off.
Pivetta threw 20 pitches in a simulated outing in late July at the Peoria Sports Complex. He is expected to throw another brief simulated outing before having another MRI to check on his elbow’s condition. If the images are good, Pivetta will be sent out for minor-league rehab starts.
He may have a shorter timetable than Musgrove in returning to the active roster. But Pivetta will need at least four or five appearances before the Padres can consider him ready to pitch in the majors.
The Padres have been dealing with multiple injuries to the starting rotation all season. It began with Yu Darvish and Musgrove in Spring Training. Then you add Pivetta and his rotation replacement, Lucas Giolito, to an already long laundry list.
The return of Musgrove and Pivetta atop the rotation could alter the National League Wild Card race.
But let’s take it one step at a time. The Friar Faithful need to see them pitch in games before we can dream.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are acquiring right-handed reliever Camilo Doval from the New York Yankees in hopes of giving their struggling bullpen a boost.
Pittsburgh is sending prospects Omar Alfonso, a catcher, and Luis Cruz, an outfielder, to New York for Doval, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person told the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official.
The 29-year-old Doval, an All-Star in 2023 when he served as the closer for the San Francisco Giants, provides Pittsburgh with a much-needed experienced arm as the Pirates try to hang around in the crowded race for a National League wild-card spot.
Pittsburgh’s bullpen has been an issue all season. The club has blown 20 saves this season, perhaps the biggest reason the Pirates entered Saturday at 55-56 despite scoring the second-most runs in the majors. The latest setback came on Friday night, when a two-run lead in the eighth inning in Cincinnati morphed into an 8-7 loss.
Doval went 3-1 with a 4.54 ERA in 44 games this season for the Yankees. He has had issues with walks recently, issuing at least one free pass in four of his last five appearances with New York, including two while taking the loss against the Chicago White Sox on July 29.
Pittsburgh is hoping a new setting provides a fresh start. The Pirates could also use the help. The club designated former closer Dennis Santana for assignment last month and have few viable right-handed options near the back end of the bullpen.
We are now officially just one month away from training camp, and the Philadelphia Flyers, for all intents and purposes, look to be done adding to their roster for now. That said, injuries always happen, and internal competition is never a bad thing.
Free agency opened a month ago, but the Flyers overall did very little, signing veteran fourth-liner Noel Acciari and a slew of AHL players, headlined by journeyman Zach Aston-Reese and former first-round pick Nolan Foote.
With their overall lack of additions, the Flyers figure to be one of the more active teams around the NHL with PTO signings ahead of training camp.
No. 3: Kevin Hayes, C/LW
I know what you're thinking, and maybe this isn't possible after the whole Cutter Gauthier debacle with former head coach John Tortorella, but Kevin Hayes is a serviceable depth option as an offense-first, top-nine forward.
Hayes, 34, is in the twilight years of his NHL career, and he is no longer attached to the albatross $7.142 million cap hit that helped accelerate his previous departure from the Flyers three years ago.
Unsuccessful stints with the St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins leave Hayes a free agent, but advanced data shows a player who is still effective relative to his role when given a chance.
If there's no bad blood between the veteran forward and the Flyers, there could be a fit here, particularly in the event of an injury.
It's worth noting, too, that Hayes scored 13 points in 19 games the last time the Flyers made the playoffs before this past year--2019-20--and there is an element of familiarity with a number of current Flyers players.
Hayes scored four goals, four assists, and eight points in 28 games with the Penguins last year.
No. 2: Luke Glendening, C/RW
Continuing with the theme of center and forward depth, Luke Glendening has seemingly been replaced by Acciari, who joined the Flyers on a two-year pact at the start of free agency last month.
Still, the Flyers were big fans of the 37-year-old, the versatility he brought, and the fire he played with in his short time in Philadelphia.
Down the stretch and in the playoffs, Glendening, who was claimed on waivers from the New Jersey Devils, emerged as an integral piece on the Flyers' fourth line next to Sean Couturier, especially after Nikita Grebenkin suffered what ended up being a season-ending injury.
Glendening, often used as a faceoff and matchup specialist, scored two goals, three assists, and five points in 18 regular season games with the Flyers, posting a +4 rating and winning 57.2% of his draws.
In 10 playoff games, Glendening scored one goal and was a +3, but won only 48.7% of his faceoffs.
Flyers Rank Below Average in NHL Contract Efficiency Once AgainDespite a handful of new signings, the Philadelphia Flyers are still average at best at conducting their contract negotiations.If the formerly undrafted veteran remains unsigned as training camp draws closer, and wants to continue his NHL career, a reunion with the Flyers on a PTO basis makes perfect sense for both sides given the fit.
No. 1: John Klingberg, RHD
One thing the Flyers made clear heading into the offseason was their desire to add to and upgrade the defense.
To this point, though, they haven't really done that.
Left-shot bruiser Simon Benoit was brought on in the Joseph Woll trade, replacing a superior puck-mover in the younger Emil Andrae, and that was it.
Talented trade deadline addition David Jiricek is poised to take on a bigger role and have a chance at finally establishing himself as an NHL regular, but the Flyers have done little to insure themselves in the event that this doesn't happen.
Top prospect Oliver Bonk is even less experienced at the NHL level, and there are no guarantees either youngster can run a competent power play at this level.
That's where John Klingberg comes in.
Klingberg, 33, was once one of the NHL's premier offensive defensemen, but injuries contributed to a rapid decline at both ends of the ice.
Will Flyers Afford Jiricek Same Time, Patience As Drysdale?The Philadelphia Flyers have only one path to getting the most out of David Jiricek: doing the same thing they did with Jamie Drysdale.After extensive time off the ice due to surgeries and rehab, Klingberg played 56 games for the San Jose Sharks last season, scoring 10 goals, 17 assists, and 27 points, including five goals and nine points on the power play.
This would have played Klingberg second to only Travis Sanheim in goals among Flyers defensemen, and second in points behind Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale.
Additionally, the Flyers, as a team, had only three power play goals from defensemen: one each from Sanheim, Drysdale, and Cam York.
While Klingberg ranked at or near the bottom in many qualifying metrics among the 30 defensemen who played at least 165 minutes on the power play last season, he did, however, rank eighth in scoring chances per 60 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick.
It's unlikely Klingberg is the answer for the Flyers' power play at this stage in his career, and he may not end up being an upgrade at all, but the Flyers could do worse than to give out a PTO and see if there's anything left in the tank worth taking a chance on.
There is an active NBA player whose career is already the envy of many of his peers. This player has:
By 2050, when climate and social chaos have killed off pro sports, this player will be long-forgotten. If not before.
That player is not Kenny Sears, inactive from the NBA since 1964 and the mortal coil since 2017. I mention Sears because he is an ur-example of the sands of time disappearing all trace of a legend. Man spent six-plus seasons as a Knickerbocker. Twice he was an All-Star. One year when he wasn’t, he still finished eighth for MVP, a feat he accomplished twice in New York. He led the league in shooting twice, including a healthy 10 points above the league average (49%-39%) in 1959.
Now, nobody knows him.
Go on, look up the numbers. Dismiss. Deride. “There were only, like, 15 players back then anyway. Of course he was an All-Star; everybody was!” A combo forward who didn’t tip the scales at 200 pounds, lighter than Mikal Bridges, barely bulkier than Landry Shamet. Dude looked like he couldn’t dunk a donut, much less a basketball. Still, Sears’ biggest failing dwarfs all those. He wasn’t superficial.
I don’t mean he wasn’t shallow. I don’t mean that he was, either; I’ve no idea what Sears was like as a person. I mean he wasn’t where the fans’ eyes went first — that’d have been Carl Braun, Richie Guerin, Dick McGuire, Harry Gallatin. When we first see someone we see the surface of them, what’s sparkly and obvious. Braun was named to five All-Star teams. Guerin made six. McGuire and Gallatin? Seven. Compared to them, Sears wasn’t even Fredo to Sonny and Michael, more de Gaulle to Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin. Maybe you’re a big deal back in Lille, but this is Yalta, son.
As fun as it is to just sit around and remember random NBA guys (Yinka Dare!), I’m not suggesting you have to. You’d probably like it, though. It’s fun, even if only as an apertif or chaser. I’m asking you to remember the specific players you do. Get together with your people and talk about them. Talk over drinks. Pop some eds. Write about the players who struck you, even if you only a note pad, a lily pad.
Some personal faves? Drazen Petrović. P.J. Tucker. Manute Bol. Jamal Crawford. And it’s cliche, but Toronto Vince Carter . . . Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, VC and if I’m honest Victor Wembanyama are maybe the only NBA players I’ve ever seen who look like cheat codes in a video game.
Magic was a magician, but a magician is a person who’s mastered anticipation and deception. Kyrie Irving can make any shot from any angle at any point in his jump or descent anywhere on the court, thanks to repetition of however many drills and skills it takes to become second-nature. But the nature is, by definition, secondary and not primary.
Jordan was literally brighter than everyone else on the floor. He moved differently. If you didn’t see it, I’m sorry, because I doubt it shows up on a computer screen. But on the TV in your living room in 1992, I am telling you that man glowed and he flowed. It wasn’t just me.
Shaq was like the actual Hulk. Like the league had been full of Captain Americas and Black Panthers and a few Things, and then one day the Hulk showed up. The contrast, that erasure of a long-held sense of scale — it took your breath away. The biggest centers looked like forwards next to him. This is not normal.
Carter leads the super-super short list of NBA athletes so athletic they make NBA athletes look like amateurs. Imagine St. John’s is playing UConn next winter and somehow Anthony Edwards is on the Red Storm. Connecticut has top athletes, but Ant *actually is* in a different league. Carter looked like he belonged in whatever alien basketball league was a level up from the NBA.
What makes them unforgettable? Because there are stories only you can tell. You decide which to carry with you, which to share with others. Example: in a March 1993 game between Miami and Washington, the then-Bullets collected 30 rebounds. The Heat’s Rony Seikaly had 34 by himself.
That’s not life-changing information. Your pulse didn’t climb. But before I knew that, all I remembered of Seikaly was he was a famously favorite target of Patrick Ewing, and he was married to an SI swimsuit cover model. He was a far better offensive big than the Benoit Benjamins and Sam Bowies of his day, though clearly below Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. Still, don’t lose the lead: how many people walking around the planet ever out-rebounded an NBA team?
I was too young and dumb to properly appreciate Seikaly. Back in the day I could only see the Heat on TV when they were playing the Knicks, Nets or Bulls (this being the glorious age before Miami ever sniffed the playoffs). So how badly was I overlooking others? How many? And if I could be so wrong about people I watched play, what to make of my thoughts about all those I never did?
How easily we forgot how great “pretty good” players were. Did you know Shaq once finished tied in MVP voting with Anthony Mason? Mase’s career didn’t take off till he was 25, but by the time he retired he’d been on an All-NBA Team with Shaq, Penny Hardaway and John Stockton, won Sixth Man of the Year, finished top-10 for DPOY three times and top-15 for MVP twice. Someday someone will compare him with Malik Rose.
I don’t blame people. We mostly all have bigger issues in life. Underrating NBA players doesn’t matter, except that it does as part of the same flattening we do with the past. The 1920s weren’t just flappers, nor the ‘40s WWII, nor the ‘60s hippies, etcetera. If your idea of gumbo is broth, the cooking is gonna suffer. As are those you feed.
Once upon a time, a player made All-NBA First Team his first 10 years. Starting in his second season, he averaged 25 to 31 points a game for a decade, twice leading the league; in that same stretch he averaged 15-20 rebounds per night. He was MVP twice, runner-up twice and top-four eight times. Nobody remembers him.
How about the guy who won more scoring titles than the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and more blocks titles than its all-time leading shot blocker? He’s got more MVPs than Michael and more rings than LeBron, but is at best an afterthought in GOAT debates, at worst an also-ran — who pays homage to an even more dismissed all-timer.
Bob Cousy gets written off for playing against plumbers by a catch-and-shoot specialist who spent half his career coming off the bench. Wilt was only great because there weren’t any other 7-footers back then. Magic and Bird went from Jordan’s mountaintop in 1990 to dust in his wake by 2000. MJ wasn’t even really athletic, he just played when everybody else was a literal toilet. Draymond Green thinks he could’ve guarded Shaq.
If you never watched the old Knicks, watch an old game. Basketball-reference can’t capture Bill Bradley’s incessant movement, its impact on the opponent’s defense. The stats can tell you Willis Reed was better than the average bear, but can’t convey his combination of silk and steel. Check out Kareem his first years in Milwaukee. Even late-stage Wilt Chamberlain was doing things that make you rewind because you can’t believe it.
But you have to dig in. They say the devil’s in the details. They also say hell has all the best musicians. So if you wanna have fun, ya gotta go deep.
Don’t ever forget Mikal Bridges’ midrange movement and mastery, or the multiple, multiple, multiple playoff games he’s already *won* with his defense. Don’t ever let Mitchell Robinson be reduced to a rim-runner who couldn’t shoot free throws. By all things holy, guard against the erosion of Josh Hart’s impact over time. How many fans today have any inkling the importance that Alvin Robertson, Joe Dumars and Horace Grant held for their sides? If you don’t tell the story of Hart, and keep it warm and alive inside, rest assured he’ll morph for the ignorant from a cornerstone to a backpack.
I don’t think I’m often clear why something matters to me, and why I think it should matter to you. More and more of our lived experience and made memories come from screens. We neuter more and more of our senses as our eyes dominate our perceptions. One of the strangest experiences I had as a professor was seeing students go 80 minutes without writing down a thing we talked about in class, then after it was over snapping a photo of the whiteboard. That. Isn’t. The. Same. Thing.
We live in an age when more than ever before we can’t trust our own eyes. And where there’s people who can’t see, there’s people selling something promising slivers and glints of light, for a price. Don’t buy it. Re-learn what you know. Re-love what you’ve loved. One day your now is everybody’s then, and all you’ll have left of it is whatever you took the time to keep. It matters in basketball. Not just in basketball.
The Mariners announced today that they have moved OF Luke Raley to the 10-day IL with a left forearm strain. Raley was out of the game yesterday after feeling pain in the elbow pregame, and today the team opted to move him to the IL to try to calm the inflammation and hopefully get him back before the end of the season.
The elbow issue isn’t a new one for Raley, who has been managing nagging pain in the joint for “years” in what manager Dan Wilson described as a “wear and tear” situation, but the injury cropped up in a more serious fashion back in late June after he aggravated it on a swing, forcing Raley to miss three games. Raley has been trying to manage the issue with treatment, but his production has dropped off sharply as the season has gone on. One of the team’s hottest hitters in May, with a 215 wRC+, Raley’s production in June dropped to a wRC+ of just 15 for June and 38 for July.
“It gets to a point where it’s difficult and it’s painful, and he felt like he wasn’t helping the team at that point,” said manager Dan Wilson, who also said there was no inciting incident causing the pain, rather just a threshold of daily pain that was crossed to the point where it’s not sustainable. “He’s going to take a break here and hopefully get some results.”
To replace Raley, the Mariners are selecting OF Stuart Fairchild, back for a second turn with his hometown organization. Born in Seattle, Fairchild attended Seattle Prep before attending Wake Forest for college; the Reds took him 38th overall in the 2017 Draft. Fairchild had a previous stint with the Mariners in 2022, when he was with the team just briefly from April to May before being DFA’d; he’d go on to bounce around several different organizations, eventually signing a minor-league free agent deal with Cleveland prior to the 2026 season. The Mariners signed him back into the organization as a minor league free agent in early July.
Fairchild’s main attribute is that he’s a right-handed hitting outfielder, something the Mariners need desperately; the local ties are a bonus. However, Fairchild might have a similarly brief stint with the Mariners this time around if the team decides to go bold at the trade deadline and bring in longer-term help, or if they do as John (and me and many others) wishes and call up hot-hitting (and right-handed) prospect Michael Arroyo.
Depending on how long Raley is out, it’s possible Mariners fans have seen the last of the beloved hard-nosed outfielder, who seems like a likely non-tender candidate this winter. Raley made just over $2M with the Mariners this season, avoiding arbitration, but still has two more years of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent. With similarly left-handed-hitting prospect outfielder Lazaro Montes approaching the majors, and a roster that’s heavily slanted towards left-handed bats to begin with, there might not be as natural a fit for Raley as there has been in years past. No matter what happens, no one can take away the joy that is watching Luke Raley play baseball – specifically running around the bases – but we’re crossing our fingers for a speedy recovery anyway.
First Pitch (CT):3:10 PM
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App
Know Yo’ Foe:Lookout Landing
The Twins’ offense rallied late last night to pull out a victory. They’ll likely need to do the same today facing Logan Gilbert, who has quietly been one of the best pitchers in baseball since he debuted in 2021. The Twins will counter with rookie Connor Prielipp.
Prielipp’s top level numbers aren’t great, but there’s a lot to like below the surface. He’s also already flew past last season’s career-high innings total and will likely start transitioning to the bullpen soon follow the Twins’ acquisition of Dean Kremer last night. For context. Prielipp has thrown a combined 91 innings between MLB and AAA this year. He threw 82.2 total last season and 58 combined innings from 2020-2024 due to two separate Tommy John surgeries.
Roster Notes
| Twins | Opponent |
| SP: Connor Prielipp (LHP) | SP: Logan Gilbert |
| 1. Trevor Larnach, LF | 1. Cole Young, 2B |
| 2. Ryan Jeffers, DH | 2. Randy Arozarena, LF |
| 3. Kody Clemens, 2B | 3. Dominic Canzone, RF |
| 4. Royce Lewis, 1B | 4. Julio Rodriguez, CF |
| 5. Brooks Lee, 3B | 5. Cal Raleigh, DH |
| 6. Luke Keaschall, CF | 6. Josh Naylor, 1B |
| 7. Victor Caratini, C | 7. Mitch Garver, C |
| 8. Ryan Kreidler, SS | 8. Weston Wilson, 3B |
| 9. Austin Martin, RF | 9. Colt Emerson, SS |
SP: Zac Thornton – LHP
SP: Tyler Phillips -RHP
First pitch: 4:10 PM ET
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
San Francisco Giants outfielder Harrison Bader has not had the type of season he probably hoped for entering 2026.
The 32-year-old center fielder has been shut down for the rest of the season as he deals with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
Bader initially suffered the injury in a 8-6 loss against the Colorado Rockies on May 29. He was placed on the 10-day injured list and has not played another game for the team since.
He also dealt with a hamstring injury earlier in the season. Bader appeared in only 30 games these season, posting a .170 batting average, 14 RBIs and five home runs.
Bader experienced a setback, re-injuring his foot following a late night, early morning scooter crash that further complicated his recovery to the existing foot injury. He was due to travel to Indianapolis to see a specialist for his plantar fasciitis, however the exam could not proceed after the crash.
The accident caused a delay in his treatment, adding another fire for the Giants front office to put out.
Giants first-year manager Tony Vitello told reporters that the front office would sort through Bader's late-night incident. San Francisco's brass determined it was a violation that caused for a suspension in pay, according to club president Buster Posey.
Posey announced Friday that Bader would have a portion his wages withheld.
"Over the weekend, Harrison Bader was involved in an accident that has delayed prior treatment timeline for plantar fasciitis and, unfortunately, his return to the field," Posey said in a statement released by the club. "We are still investigating the circumstances of the accident, but will be suspending payment to Harrison until he is able to resume performing services for the club."
It appears the Giants are operating under the premise that Bader's late-night scooter accident put him in violation of the uniform player contract, which typically prohibits players from partaking in activities that can lead to injury.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, they responded to an incident involving a motorized scooter and another vehicle in the Marina District shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday morning.
Although the motorized scooter is a common mode of transportation for many ballplayers who live near stadiums, it seems Bader's existing injury gave the Giants a reason to suspend his pay.
Bader joined San Francisco during the offseason after signing a two-year, $20.5 million contract on Jan. 30, 2026. He received a $6 million signing bonus and is being paid $4.5 million this season. He is due roughly $1.48 million for the remainder of the year, and will be owed $10 million next season, too.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: What happened to Harrison Bader? What to know about Giants' ordeal
The Pittsburgh Pirates moved to solve the problems of two ballclubs with one trade, acquiring hard-throwing right-hander Camilo Doval from the New York Yankees in exchange for two minor leaguers.
A baseball official with direct knowledge of the trade confirmed the swap to USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because the deal, first reported by ESPN, has not been announced.
Doval, 29, has struggled with the Yankees since coming over from the San Francisco Giants in a 2025 deadline deal, posting a 4.63 ERA over the two seasons. He was an All-Star and saved an NL-best 39 games in 2023 for San Francisco, but has struggled with command in ensuing years.
With the Pirates, he immediately upgrades the bullpen from a stuff standpoint, and could conceivably work his way into save situations with Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery currently holding down a ninth-inning spot.
The Yankees received catcher-first baseman Omar Alfonzo, 26, currently at Class AA Altoona, and 18-year-old outfielder Luis Cruz, currently rostered on the Pirates' Dominican Summer League teams.
The trade adds to the Pirates' and Yankees' history of exchanging relievers, with New York acquiring current closer David Bednar and former closer Clay Holmes from Pittsburgh in recent seasons.
The MLB trade deadline for the 2026 season is set for Monday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET.
Here is the full Major League Baseball schedule for Aug. 1 and how to watch all the games. Or see our sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
Watch MLB games all season long with Fubo
Watch MLB games all season long with Fubo
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees trade Camilo Doval to upstart Pirates in MLB deadline deal
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The Washington Nationals have lost three straight, including the first two games of a weekend set in Atlanta.
The Braves have won three in a row. The Nationals are +152 underdogs despite their bats heating up with the weather, however.
My Nationals vs. Braves predictions and MLB picks are calling for an upset as Washington breaks out of its skid on Saturday, August 1.
The Washington Nationals are over .500 this year and .593 on the road. For the Atlanta Braves to be -170 favorites, they'd better have an ace on the mound.
Instead, they have Reynaldo Lopez.
His FIP is nearly a full run worse than his ERA, and he's susceptible to the long ball. That's trouble against a Washington offense that leads MLB in OPS and home runs.
The Nats have boosted their OPS by 124 points in the second half, hitting 45% over league average. In July, they had an .895 OPS and 146 OPS+.
I'd take Washington money until about +140.
COVERS INTEL: Lopez has still not bounced back from the shoulder trouble that plagued the end of his 2024 season and cost him most of 2025. His fastball velocity was in the 96th percentile pre-injury and is now in the 44th percentile after losing 4 mph. The loss of velocity is more damaging because he's also lost 150 revolutions of spin on his curve. His whiff rates are way down, and opponents' average way up on every pitch he throws.
Washington should get back Luis Garcia Jr., who missed Friday's game to rest his knee.
He had a .941 OPS and 154 OPS+ in July. Unfortunately for the Nats, they'll probably need every one of those runs they score, because they're starting perhaps the worst regular member of a rotation in baseball.
Miles Mikolas has a 5.65 ERA, and his FIP (5.66) says that's exactly where he should be. 94% of pitchers have better run value, and he's in the bottom 1% in swing-and-miss.
The Braves scored 5+ in the first two games of the series and should keep that streak going against Mikolas.
It will be a humid night in the ATL, with winds blowing in from centerfield.
Over is 5-0 in Lopez's last 5 starts in the division and 6-0 in Mikolas' last 6 starts on grass. Find more MLB betting trends for Nationals vs. Braves.
| Location | Truist Park, Atlanta, GA |
| Date | Saturday, August 1, 2026 |
| First pitch | 8:15 p.m. ET |
| TV | Nationals.TV, BravesVision |
| Nationals starting pitcher | Miles Mikolas (3-7, 5.65 ERA) |
| Braves starting pitcher | Reynaldo Lopez (4-3, 3.64 ERA) |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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LeBron James might not be the only recognizable Los Angeles Laker who’s leaving the team this offseason.
Robbie Avila—whom the Lakers signed to an Exhibit 10 contract after he went undrafted in June—is, “waiting to see what his options are” after being granted a fifth year of NCAA eligibility, according to an X post from basketball insider Adam Zagoria.
This is the byproduct of a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado named Charlotte Sweeney granting a class-wide preliminary injunction that makes the NCAA declare eligible all high school class of 2022 athletes who ran out of eligibility this spring, which was announced on Friday.
Avila, who graduated from Saint Louis earlier this year, now has a decision to make about whether he wants to remain with the Lakers or return to college.
Avila became a college basketball fan favorite because of his unique, eccentric look, which has inspired countless hilarious nicknames, including “Cream Abdul-Jabbar” because of the glasses he wears on the court.
The six-foot-10, 240-pound center played limited minutes for the Lakers during NBA Summer League, and didn’t make much of an impact. He averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game with the Billikens during his senior season, which was enough to earn him A-10 Player of the Year honors.
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It will be fascinating to see what decision Avila makes. The fact that he barely played during Summer League might be enough to convince him to take his talents back to college.
While Avila might not have made much of an impact on the Lakers’ roster this upcoming season, fans would be losing some entertainment value if he goes back to college, if only because they can’t use his nicknames any longer.
The New York Yankees officially put an end to the Camilo Doval Experiment and traded the righty reliever to the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to multiple outlets. They got two prospects in return, per Francys Romero: Double-A catcher Omar Alfonzo and outfielder Luis Cruz from the Bucs’ Dominican Summer League affiliate. Mark Feinsand also confirmed those names coming back to New York.
Doval wraps up his Yankees’ tenure with a 4.63 ERA in 58.1 innings between 2025 and 2026. In contrast, he had put up a 3.29 ERA in five years with the San Francisco Giants before becoming one of the Yankees’ 2025 deadline acquisitions.
Doval was having another subpar year in 2026, sporting a 4.54 ERA in 39.2 innings. He has to be one of the most frustrating cases in Matt Blake’s tenure as the Yankees’ pitching coach, as he had elite velocity and ground-ball rates, in the 96th and 97th percentile, respectively. However, the results were rarely there, as the right-hander dealt with inconsistency and poor command most of the time. Doval could simply never generate the kinds of strikeouts and whiffs that are often associated with triple-digit velo.
Doval, 29, goes to a Pirates team that is trying to contend this year and boasts a 55-56 record as of Saturday. As for the Yankees, they move on from one of their late-inning relievers, which signals that they might be on the market for another one.
Alfonzo was ranked 17th by MLB Pipeline in a strong Pirates’ system. A catcher who will turn 23 on August 3rd, he’s hit a .238/.337/.419 line in 62 minor league games in 2026, 60 of them in Double-A. He has a 100 wRC+ and hits left-handed. He is the son of former MLB catcher Eliezer Alfonzo and the brother of Dodgers rookie backstop Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. The Yankees’ catching depth in the system has taken a toll with trades in recent years, so Alfonzo helps in that regard.
Cruz is just 18 years old, so he is at least a few years away from the majors. Unranked among the Pirates’ top 30 prospects, he has hit a strong .318//.475/.364 with no homers, seven stolen bases, and a 135 wRC+ in the Pirates’ Dominican Summer League.
Although the Yankees could still make a trade for a reliever to take Doval’s place, they will have a fresh arm ready in Chicago tonight regardless. Triple-A reliever Yovanny Cruz—another hard-throwing righty—will step into the bullpen. He’s appeared in three games for the Yanks this year, in separate stints, not allowing a run in 4.1 innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts. Cruz has a 3.53 ERA in 35.2 innings at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2026.