The New York Knicks are back home for Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals with a chance to wrap up the series against the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite having a 2-0 lead in the series, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks are trying to keep their focus ahead of Game 3.
"I do my best to stay present in the moment, to do the things I can to make sure my mind is right,” Brunson said. “Being mentally and physically ready every day. Trusting my work. That's what's gotten me here."
The Knicks will have the opportunity to provide a sense of accomplishment for the franchise and fanbase with their first NBA Championship in 53 years.
Members of the Knicks and the Spurs spoke with the media during the off day on Sunday ahead of Game 3 to answer questions and provide their perspective on how the first two games of the series went.
Being back home in one of the country’s biggest media markets, the Knicks were faced with distractions, including those off-day media sessions.
Rappers Fat Joe and Jadakiss, who host a podcast together, were spotted in the back of the media room. Actor Ben Stiller was also present for the session. All three are notable Knicks fans who had also made the trip to San Antonio for the first two games of the series to support their team.
"This is a great day for me. For the first time, I got a chance to meet Ben Stiller. I got my man Fat Joe sitting in the back. This is a great day for Mike Brown!" 😭 pic.twitter.com/246KQZC8qn
While Brown was willing to embrace that moment, Brunson has tried to limit those distractions, remain focused on the task at hand, and avoid discounting his opponent.
"I think playing better with the lead that we had, the 14-point lead," Brunson told the media. "The way (the Spurs) fought back and took the lead is just a credit to how good they are."
While Brunson has played a key role in helping New York win 13 consecutive games entering Game 3 on Monday, he hasn't officially gone off yet in the finals. The Spurs have centered their defensive game plan around limiting Brunson and playing physical against him. Brunson has been limited to just 34% shooting from the field through the first two games in the series. If that trend continues, it would be the worst playoff shooting performance in his career.
Even with his shooting woes, Brunson helped establish the pace early in Game 2, scoring eight of the Knicks' first 13 points in the first quarter. Teammate OG Anunoby was responsible for scoring the other five points.
Brunson proved once again why he’d been named the Clutch Player of the Year in 2025. He swooped in during the final moments of the fourth quarter in Game 2 and stole the ball after Victor Wembanyama tossed the ball toward point guard Stephon Castle, who wasn't looking.
Brunson would collide with Wembanyama and fall out of bounds with the ball. Wembanyama was called for a foul and Brunson was sent to the line, where he would make what became the eventual game-winning free throw after the game was tied at 104.
“Those are the moments that he lives for, especially in the fourth quarter,” Spurs guard Devin Vassell said about Bruson. “He is clutch; there isn’t much we can change because we are forcing him to take difficult shots (throughout the game).”
Let's start the week right with a three-pack of MLB same-game parlay predictions for the shortened slate on Monday, June 8.
My top MLB picks begin with a high-scoring bout between the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles and wrap up with the Milwaukee Brewers winning in the nightcap.
Sure, Seattle Mariners righty Emerson Hancock has pitched well (3.40 xFIP), but there’s also a huge statistical correction coming to his unsustainable .243 BABIP and 85.7% strand rate considering he posted respective .289 and 72.2% marks last year.
Turning to Adolis Garcia, he’s sporting a rock-solid .351 wOBA and .807 OPS against lefties this season and is positioned to fill out the box score, hitting behind the big bats in the Philadelphia lineup.
I recommend backing this SGP as short as +370.
Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, NBCSP
Brewers vs Athletics SGP: Milwaukee makes it four straight
The odds for this SGP climb with the potentially uncorrelated Over 4.5 hits allowed by Harrison, but the deeper into the game Harrison deals, the more opportunities the A's will have to record five or more tonight.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
But that's just one domino. What else is going on around the association? Here are some of the latest rumors.
Do Knicks extend Karl-Anthony Towns?
Karl-Anthony Towns playing the best basketball of his career is why the New York Knicks are two wins from their first NBA championship in five decades — something that would have seemed impossible midseason, when those Knicks fans chanting MVP for him now wanted to trade him for Antetokounmpo.
Does this run mean the Knicks should reward KAT and lock him up long-term this offseason? There will be discussions about it, reports The Athletic's Sam Amick. Towns is under contract next season for $57.1 million, then has a player option at $61 million for 2027-28. However, he and New York could agree to a deal in which he declines that option year and agrees to an extension, which could be worth up to $272 million over four years. Leon Rose and the Knicks front office don't have to make a decision on that this summer, but it will be on the table. It's just something to watch.
Knicks will face competition for Mitchell Robinson
Mitchell Robinson has been a big part of the Knicks' run to within two games of an NBA title, and he's going to be a free agent this summer. The Knicks want to re-sign him, but they are going to have competition, reports Jake Fischer at The Stein Line.
Robinson will be the best free-agent center on the market, and while he doesn't space the floor and has an injury history, the Bulls and Hornets are said to be considering an offer (or working out a sign-and-trade), Fischer reports. Bet on Robinson returning to New York, but this is another decision on the table for the Knicks this summer.
Anthony Edwards wants roster upgrades in Minnesota
Towns was traded to New York in a trade that was all about saving the Timberwolves money, and while they got back quality players in Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Edwards is sitting at home watching Towns play for an NBA title. That has Edwards wanting to see roster upgrades in Minnesota, reports ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (hat tip Real GM).
"Going forward after this series, the Minnesota Timberwolves future is in question somewhat because of what Ant feels about the roster, and I wonder if KAT was still there, if he did," Windhorst said.
"Somewhat in question" seems like too strong a phrasing. Edwards has three fully guaranteed seasons at $157 million left on his current contract, so he has limited leverage to force things (and he generally has been happy with the moves team president Tim Connelly has made). However, if we get through another season and Edwards sees no path for Minnesota to get past San Antonio or Oklahoma City, then things could get interesting. For now, Edwards just wants to see moves that give his team a real chance.
Teams will call Pistons about Beef Stew
It's going to be an interesting offseason in Detroit. Jalen Duren is going to get a well-earned massive extension, and the only question is for how much (his playoff struggles will not change that number much, although he might be "just" a 25% max guy now and not more, or five years, $239 million).
The playoffs also showed that Detroit needs to make a move to add a higher-level secondary ball handler and shot creator alongside Cade Cunningham. Could Isaiah Stewart be part of a trade package to get that deal done? Maybe, reports Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.
"If I had to put money on it, I'd bet on Isaiah Stewart returning next season. But will his name come up in trade talks? I'm sure of it. He has two years and $30 million remaining on his contract – a very reasonable figure for one of the league's top rim protectors. Postseason performance aside, Stewart is a coveted player."
Warriors hopeful they can re-sign Kriztaps Porzingis
When he's healthy and on the court, Kristaps Porzingis is exactly what the Golden State Warriors — and a lot of other teams — are looking for in a center. However, how much is he going to be on the court — he has played in just 72 games across the past two seasons due to injuries (and 57 games in Boston's title year). How will that uncertainty impact the free agent offers that come in for Porzingis?
The Warriors are "hopeful they can re-sign Kristaps Porziņģis on more of a cap-friendly deal," reports Jake Fischer at The Stein Line. They understandably don't want to pay the $30.7 million Porzingis made a season ago, but what is the number now for an already expensive Warriors team with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler on max deals? Will another team strike out on the centers on the top of their list, pivot and come in a little higher than the Warriors are willing to pay for Pozingiis? It's all something to watch.
Bogdan Bogdanovic hoping for one more NBA season
Bogdan Bogdanovic is going to be a free agent this summer. He has a $16 million player option, but the Clippers are not expected to pick that up, which will make Bogdanovic a free agent.
While some European powers have expressed interest in Bogdanovic, he hopes to spend another season in the NBA, he told Serbian news site Meridian Sport (hat tip BasketNews).
Bogdanovic, 33, is coming off an injury-filled season — headlined by a ruptured hamstring — and he got into just 23 games last season. When he did play he averaged a career-low 7.4 points per game and shot 34.7% from 3-point range — it looked like Father Time was winning the race. If he's healthy though, a playoff team might pick up the veteran on a minimum (or close to it) contract.
TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 5: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammates following a win over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on June 5, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners opened their road trip with a particularly deflating series loss to the Detroit Tigers, but the good news is that now Motor City is in the rearview (for the regular season, anyway). Also fortunately in the rearview are the weird 10 a.m. PT start times; this week, they’ll be replaced by some good ‘ol fashioned afterschool baseball in the great state of Maryland.
It’s not very descriptive to say that the Orioles have had a funky start to their season, because for most of this decade and a good chunk of the preceding one, funk has been the rule, rather than the exception. (Funk, as a verb here is expansive – like the groovy tunes some years, like the odor of bleu cheese other years, one consonant off from a common uttering most years.) They’re eight games back of their division with a 31-35 record but only 1.5 games out of a wild card spot, floundering in the muck of mediocrity alongside the A’s and Blue Jays. They had a start to the season that led my Orioles fan friend, Alex, to text things like “Please reassure me that 53 plate appearances is too early to judge a one dimensional slugger on a newly-minted long term contract.” and “Historical precedent is strictly descriptive, not determinative, right?” and “There is no god.”
But these O’s have picked themselves up a few times over now, and while they may not be world-beaters, there are signs of life and upside (not in the bullpen, don’t look over there, spare yourselves!). You can read their thoughts on the impending match-up over at Camden Chat.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Taylor Ward
LF
R
298
21.1%
18.8%
0.105
123
Gunnar Henderson
SS
L
298
25.8%
6.4%
0.196
94
Adley Rutschman
C
S
204
13.7%
10.3%
0.222
132
Pete Alonso
1B
R
284
22.5%
10.6%
0.203
116
Samuel Basallo
DH
L
196
25.5%
9.2%
0.216
126
Coby Mayo
3B
R
178
31.5%
7.3%
0.185
81
Colton Cowser
RF
L
146
28.8%
11.0%
0.165
107
Leody Taveras
CF
S
192
21.9%
11.5%
0.110
108
Jackson Holliday
2B
L
58
27.6%
13.8%
0.184
108
The Orioles currently have the fifth-highest strikeout rate and the sixth-highest walk rate paired with some distinctly middle-of-the-road contact numbers. It’s also worth noting that only four players have accrued 200+ plate appearances at this point, indicative of intermittent injury struggles and some reclamation projects. Former AL Rookie of the Year contender and longtime light at the end of the Bad Years in Baltimore Tunnel, Adley Rutschman (“play badly for Adley” is a clever little ditty that will live on in my brain for eternity) had a torrid start, but has cooled in recent weeks. Gunnar Henderson is being propped up by his good defense, Taylor Ward is as annoyingly-decent as ever, and former “friend” Leody Taveras has slashed his strikeout rate by third, which makes him a reasonably functional big leaguer. Their big offensive signing, Pete Alonso, petrified everyone with his frigid start, but he’s since been about what you would expect. Other names to note are Samuel Basallo, their younger, better (?) catcher who had a scorching month at the plate in May; Jackson Holliday, former top prospect and eternal nepo baby, who started the season on the injured list; and Coby Mayo, pressed into service at third after Jordan Westburg’s season-ending elbow surgery.
Update: The Orioles placed Chris Bassitt on the IL with back discomfort and will be calling up Trey Gibson to make a spot start on Monday.
Despite possessing a deep seven-pitch repertoire, Chris Bassitt leans on his sinker nearly 40% of the time. His other six pitches are peppered in sparingly with his cutter and curveball making up the majority of his secondary pitch usage. He has enough unique looks that he can keep batters off his sinker, but it also means his strikeout rate remains pretty low. He’s managed to maintain a great amount of consistency with that profile; over the last seven years, he’s averaged 2.4 fWAR per season. It isn’t exciting, but it gets the job done, and that’s exactly what the Orioles were looking for when they signed him as a free agent this offseason.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Trevor Rogers
54.1
16.9%
7.9%
10.1%
36.5%
6.29
4.61
Logan Gilbert
73.2
25.8%
5.7%
14.8%
34.7%
3.79
4.16
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
49.2%
43.2%
93.1
103
96
97
0.366
Sinker
11.3%
26.2%
93.1
99
61
164
0.231
Cutter
9.8%
17.0%
82.2
101
97
57
0.505
Changeup
29.7%
13.6%
87.0
85
87
122
0.342
Sweeper
12.1%
13.6%
78.1
124
95
152
0.227
Trevor Rogers enjoyed a bit of a resurgence with the Orioles last year. A one-time top prospect with the Marlins, he finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2021 but injuries derailed his career over the next three seasons. It looked like he had finally regained his skills last year, posting a 1.81 ERA and a 2.82 FIP in 18 starts for Baltimore, but things have fallen apart again this season. His velocity looks intact — that was the key to his success last year — but his breaking balls have suddenly lost their effectiveness and his ERA has ballooned to over six.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Brandon Young
49.1
17.3%
7.9%
8.5%
37.3%
3.47
4.28
George Kirby
78
19.8%
5.6%
9.9%
53.6%
4.04
3.40
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
31.1%
46.3%
94.1
99
104
135
0.303
Sinker
25.9%
3.6%
93.3
89
84
93
0.341
Splitter
5.5%
31.0%
85.9
89
42
72
0.376
Curveball
6.4%
16.0%
74.6
94
Slider
31.1%
3.1%
83.3
108
114
109
0.306
Brandon Young graduated from the Orioles’ development pipeline last year after landing sixth on their 2025 prospect list. He’s got above average skills across the board but no clear carrying tool to push his profile above a back-end starter. His fastball is probably his best pitch, though he’s introduced a new slider this year that shows a lot of promise. He’ll also mix in a curveball and a splitter to keep left-handed batters at bay. His strikeout rate isn’t all that impressive, but he’s found some success by limiting the amount of hard contact he allows.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Kyle Bradish
69.1
22.5%
11.9%
11.9%
50.8%
3.89
4.24
Bryan Woo
77
24.5%
4.6%
6.9%
36.0%
3.74
2.96
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
7.6%
26.0%
93.9
83
68
134
0.401
Sinker
38.8%
26.4%
94.5
95
72
134
0.302
Curveball
11.6%
28.5%
84.2
104
133
120
0.218
Slider
42.0%
19.2%
86.9
113
95
111
0.347
Kyle Bradish looked like he had made the jump to ace-dom back in 2024 but Tommy John surgery derailed his breakout. He returned to the mound late last year and looked like he was ready to pick up exactly where he left off. Things haven’t gone so smoothly this season, however. The key to his success all those years ago were his two breaking balls. His curveball has looked fine this year, but his slider has been knocked around a bunch. The effectiveness of his sinker has also waned a bit because he’s struggled to locate that pitch in the zone. That’s led to a pretty big jump in walk rate to go along with a much lower strikeout rate.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Mariners
34-32
0.515
—
+29
W-L-L-W-L
Rangers
32-33
0.492
1.5
+14
W-L-W-L-W
Athletics
31-34
0.477
2.5
-43
W-L-L-L-W
Astros
30-37
0.448
4.5
-29
W-L-W-W-L
Angels
25-41
0.379
9.0
-51
L-W-L-L-W
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Yankees
38-26
0.594
+6.5
+96
L-L-W-L-W
White Sox
34-31
0.523
+2.0
+8
L-W-L-W-L
Rangers
32-33
0.492
—
14
W-L-W-L-W
Blue Jays
32-34
0.485
0.5
-13
L-W-L-W-W
Athletics
31-34
0.477
1.0
-43
W-L-L-L-W
Orioles
31-35
0.470
1.5
-31
L-W-W-L-L
The Rangers gained a game on the Mariners by winning their weekend series against the Guardians. Texas heads out on a road trip this week beginning with a three-game set in Kansas City. The Astros won their series against the Athletics over the weekend. Houston is now just 4.5 games back in the division after going 10-6 over their last 16 games. The Astros travel to Los Angeles to face the Angels while the Athletics host the Brewers in their Triple-A affiliates’ stadium in Las Vegas.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Shotaro Morii just had finished lifting weights before a game on an unseasonably warm May afternoon in the Bay Area when he and teammate Itsuki Takemoto burst into laughter, their cackling so loud it most certainly can be heard out on the field.
Morii is gaining attention as a rising three-way prospect from Japan in the Athletics’ farm system — a hitter and pitcher who unlike Shohei Ohtani also plays the infield. Countryman and baseball roommate Takemoto enjoys teasing Morii at every chance. They are having a blast chasing their big league dreams.
“I love him!” shouts Morii, who wasn’t in the lineup for that May 20 game with the Single-A Stockton Ports at San Jose after he played second base a night earlier then started on the mound the next day. “He’s a funny guy. I talk to him about baseball stuff. He has played baseball in the United States like maybe three or four years. He gives advice to me.”
Morii quickly is becoming comfortable in his new surroundings, speaking near-perfect English, too. It’s something he was determined to do in order to better communicate both on the field and in everyday life.
Like many players from Japan, Morii has been inspired by Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way star.
Morii isn’t ready to choose just one position, embracing the challenge and daunting schedule demands of trying to hit, pitch and defend. He skipped the draft back home in Japan to pursue this path in the United States.
“This is great,” he shared. “Last year I couldn’t do pitching. I’m really happy to be doing pitching and hitting.”
Morii’s growth isn’t just about what happens on the diamond
Morii stands behind the cage between his rounds of batting practice and intently listens to hitting coach José Ortiz, shaking his head to signal he understands. Then he’s off to the weight room for some lifting.
At 19, Morii loves all of his positions and is so appreciative of the A’s allowing him to be a utility player and not specialize — not yet, anyway.
He didn’t want an interpreter this year, so it forced Morii to learn English and be a better communicator with his teammates and coaches.
“Speaking English is one of my dreams, that I was dreaming about that,” he said. “I play baseball here, but also I live in the United States so it’s necessary to speak English.”
Last year, Morii regularly kept headphones in his ears listening to music but realized that wasn’t helping him become more comfortable in his new surroundings or with the language barrier.
“It’s been good. He’s done a good job, fit right in,” manager Darryl Kennedy said. “He’s going to be really fun to watch. He’s done a great job.”
With so much to work on, quality reps are critical
The volume here is a drastic difference from what he’s used to back home: In Japan, it’s normal to take 400 swings a day.
And now?
“We think the quantity is the most important thing in Japan,” Morii explained. “But here, quality is the most important thing.”
He is adjusting to a slower pace and thoughtful progression. Morii pitches every Thursday, and the Ports started him at just one inning – as an opener, per se – in his initial four appearances to build him up before he pitched two innings for the first time at Ontario, and then eventually he will go to three. He is 0-2 with an 10.50 ERA for the Ports over five outings on the mound spanning six innings, while batting .174 with two doubles, a triple, four RBIs and two stolen bases.
Morii can’t wait to stay out there and pitch deeper into games. He knows that time will come.
“Right now we’re just happy that he’s on the field and playing,” Kennedy said. “He’s a very mature kid for a 19-year-old. To come over here from Japan all by himself and be able to survive is an accomplishment in itself.”
In March, Morii injured his right hamstring during the MLB Spring Breakout in Arizona, an exhibition for top minor league prospects. He then spent close to two months rehabilitating at the A’s minor league complex in Mesa, Arizona, even changing his running mechanics to help protect the leg for the long haul.
With guidance from an athletic trainer, he has learned to shorten his stride, not an easy task after running one way all his life.
“It helps a lot,” he said.
Each day has become about making adjustments — some big like the running motion, some just smaller tweaks.
Ortiz played nine years in Japan, so he can relate to the pressures in the baseball-crazed country and the determination of players like Morii.
“He’s been getting more comfortable,” Ortiz said. “He wants to do everything perfectly, which sometimes is going to be hard.”
Players who played three ways at lower levels appreciate Morii’s challenge
San Francisco Giants infielder Casey Schmitt did it all during college at San Diego State. He hit, played the infield and came in as a relief pitcher, even starting a handful of games on the mound when needed.
Schmitt has homered while playing five different positions — first base, second, third, left field and as designated hitter.
He’s rooting for Morii to play all of his positions at the highest level one day.
“He’s doing it in pro ball further than I ever did it,” Schmitt said, sitting in the dugout at Oracle Park before a recent game.
“I think it’s good, especially being 19, being young, being able to learn all those new things. When I started learning new positions, I was here. I debuted when I was 23, so I started learning a whole bunch of new positions up here. To be doing it at 19, he’s in low-A and he gets to work on all these things and he’ll get to high-A and continue to work on it in Double-A, Triple-A and in the future the majors. That’s really awesome to be doing it at that age.”
Morii is the latest sign of Ohtani’s influence
Ohtani’s influence on the next generation might mean that even more players avoid specializing, opting to try multiple positions.
“Kids grow up admiring and envisioning them being the next version of whoever their heroes are or the guys that are on Instagram or whatever doing great things,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said. “In my experience it’s been more the player that puts down the bat or puts down the pitching glove then it is coaches, and so I think the more players see that it’s possible the more they’ll push forward for that.”
Morii plans to keep his options open by playing a variety of spots — trusting everybody who is helping him manage it all.
“For me, playing baseball is the most enjoyable thing,” he said. “So when I feel homesick, I just play baseball. Playing baseball here is the biggest dream.”
The Washington Nationals (33-33) continue their west coast trip with three games in San Francisco (27-39).
Washington is coming off a series win where they grabbed two out three wins at Arizona. The Nationals outscored the Diamondbacks, 21-7. Those three games were the Nationals first contests out west. On the road, the Nationals rank top in batting average, OPS, OBP, and SLG with the fourth-most home runs (45) and it followed to Arizona where they scored 20 runs in the first two games of the series.
San Francisco is coming off a 10-game road trip that started in Colorado and extended to Milwaukee and Chicago. The Giants went 5-5 in that stretch and won four of the previous five. At home, San Francisco is hitting .240 (19th) with the second-worst OBP (.292), the fewest walks (61) and the least amount of strikeouts (209).
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Nationals at Giants
Date: Monday, June 8, 2026
Time: 9:45 PM EST
Site: Oracle Park
City: San Francisco, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Nationals at the Giants
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: San Francisco Giants (-149), Washington Nationals (+123)
Spread: Nationals +1.5 (-168), Giants -1.5 (+139)
Total: 8.0
Probable starting pitchers for Nationals at Giants
Monday's pitching matchup (June 8): Miles Mikolas vs. Logan Webb
The Giants’ Jung Ho Lee is hitting .323 with 71 hits and 98 total bases over 220 at-bats
The Giants’ Rafael Devers is hitting .240 with 62 hits and 87 strikeouts over 258 at-bats
The Nationals’ CJ Abrams is hitting .286 with 68 hits and 127 total bases over 238 at-bats
The Nationals’ Nasim Nunez is hitting .199 with 36 hits and 44 strikeouts over 181 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Nationals at Giants
San Francisco is 30-36 ATS
Washington is an MLB-best 41-25 ATS
San Francisco is 32-29-5 to the Over
Washington is an MLB-best 40-23-3 to the Over
San Francisco is 13-15 ATS at home
Washington is an MLB-best 26-8 ATS on the road
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Nationals and the Giants
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Nationals and the Giants:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Nationals on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Nationals at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 8.0
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WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: Nasim Nuñez #26, CJ Abrams #5, Daylen Lile #4 and James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals talk in the dugout prior to the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
44 games have passed since these two teams last faced off and it has been interesting to see one team basically takeoff and become a surprise and another team perform to their worst possible projection. If you had sent that sentence back to March, you’d say that it was the Giants who were the surprise. Instead, it’s the Nats.
They’re 23-21 since the Giants took 2 out of 3 from them in Washington while the Giants have gone 18-26. The Nats’ pitching hasn’t been the story of their season-long success (#5 in MLB in hitting), but since they faced the Giants, they have a 4.11 ERA (14th) and 4.46 FIP compared to a 4.65 ERA (25th) and 4.45 FIP for the Giants. That might explain the entire season, even with the Giants’ terrible lineup performance for most of the year factored in.
Of course, over the past month (since May 8th), something very interesting has happened. The Giants have been the best lineup in baseball (.277/.331/.480 — 126 wRC+). The Nats have stayed right there with them at #4 (.246/.322/.447 — 115 wRC+), but let’s stick with the Giants. The Giants haven’t remade themselves so much as they’ve done better at what they’ve wanted to do. Their 6.5% walk rate as a team is close to what it’s been all year, along with the 19.9% strikeout rate. The .277 team batting average leads the sport by a wide margin (Pittsburgh is #2 at .262). It would appear that Buster Posey is successfully recreating the championship era (the Giants from 2010-2016: .258/.320/.392 — 7.8 BB%, 18.3 K%) where the lineup is concerned.
Should we talk about the pitching?
This is a stark battle between old school “Computers Bad” and new school “Computers Good and/or Necessary” where the Nationals have seemed to have done what Farhan Zaidi did when he took over the team: quickly maximize the talent through technology while the Giants are sort of stubbornly sticking to “throw talent into the deep end and see if it can swim.” An organization that celebrated the removal of computers from the clubhouse. To be clear, the Giants do use computers and other technologies, but seem to want to limit it to a tool rather than as the centerpiece of scouting and development. Has that sea change/course correction worked out in the past 18 months? The results suggest no. Then again, it’s not like the “computer is supreme” model of the prior front office showed remarkable success (except for that one year).
The tough road trip that saw them do okay — and possibly become a more cohesive unit — might’ve planted the seeds for a more competitive summer, but the Giants also showed that they are deficient enough to be simply a bad team for the next 4 months rather than one of the worst teams ever fielded.
And, yes, it’s because of the pitching.
The Giants have a team ERA of 5.09 over the past month (27th in MLB). They have been the third-least valuable staff in the sport over that same span (+0.2 fWAR) behind just the Cubs (-0.4) and Reds (-0.8). In other words, the Giants haven’t been able to time solid pitching with an offensive streak that has gotten most of the roster back to their career averages or season projections.
The Nats, meanwhile, have been the sixth-worst over this same span and just good enough to not totally work against their lineup. On the other hand, we’ve seen the Giants’ lineup get healthy via some blowouts. There hasn’t been an equal distribution of runs over this span.
Now they return home with some confidence. Maybe that will help the Giants’ bats some more and maybe Oracle Park will be just what the beleaguered pitching staff needs to not be so terrible.
But if you had gone into the season thinking that a new front office would’ve figured out the situation for the Nationals faster than the Hall of Fame brain of Buster Posey and Zack Minasian, you would’ve been labeled a heretic.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (27-39) vs. Washington Nationals (33-33) Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California When: Monday & Tuesday at 6:45pm PT, Wednesday at 12:45pm PT National broadcasts: None.
Projected starters Monday: Miles Mikolas (RHP 1-5, 6.39 ERA) vs. Logan Webb (RHP 3-4, 4.25 ERA) Tuesday: Andrew Alvarez (LHP 1-0, 3.54 ERA) vs. Adrian Houser (RHP 2-5, 5.49 ERA) Wednesday: Foster Griffin (LHP 7-2, 3.63 ERA) vs. Robbie Ray (LHP 4-6, 4.12 ERA)
Players to watch
Nationals
CJ Abrams & James Wood: The two best position players on the Nats have effectively carried the team this season, including the past month (148 wRC+ and 173, respectively)
Foster Griffin: He’s wound up being the best of the “returned from overseas” pitchers to sign back with US clubs this season. The 30-year old lefty is a soft-tosser, averaging 87.8 mph with his primary pitch — a cutter — and 91.3 mph with his four-seamer. He also has a sweeper, a sinker a changeup, curveball, and split finger. A real kitchen sinker. Ordinarily, that would probably mean the Giants lose 9-0, but I think Jung Hoo Lee and Luis Arraez are setup to do well against him and I’m curious to watch Matt Chapman and Willy Adames face off against him, too. Some real wild cards: Eldridge and Devers, who could go either way against such an arsenal.
Curtis Mead: The 25-year old utility hitter has a bright red Statcast page and along with being a boon to my fantasy team, he’s been a key fill-in for Washington. Over the past month (22 games, 86 PA0 he’s slashed .278/.395/.542 with 13 walks and 17 strikeouts bracketing 4 doubles and 5 homers.
Giants
Rafael Devers: He’s sort of been forgotten in this Giants’ offensive outburst, and het he’s an important part of it. His 136 wRC+ over the last month is fourth-best amongst the regulars after Jung Hoo Lee (179), Willy Adames (161), and Bryce Eldridge (142). He’s hit for a bit more power at home on the season (.453 slug vs. .395 on the road), but the home/road split is where his season-long problem really shows up: 4 walks against 35 strikeouts. That’s nearly a 9:1 strikeouts to walk ratio. On the road, it’s 15 walks against 52 K (~3.5:1). The Nats’ 7.8 K/9 is 26th in MLB. Will Devers be able to make hard contact in the series?
Willy Adames: He’s slashing an abysmal .195/.288/.305 (.592 OPS) in 146 career PA against the Nationals. It’s his third-worst performance against a team he’s had at least 100 plate appearances against, behind the Phillies (.553) and Marlins (.537). But over the past month he’s hitting .302/.354/5.86 with 8 homers and 23 RBI. This feels like an immovable object versus the unstoppable force situation, but which is which where Adames is concerned?
Dylan Smith: He’s not not the closer now, given Tony Vitello’s determination that the bullpen shouldn’t have defined roles; but, on the other hand, the Giants did throw their ostensible closer Keaton Winn back-to-back days and 2.2 innings, so, he’s almost certainly unavailable for at least game 1 of this series.
Tony Vitello watch
It’s been a minute since he’s made a movie reference. Will he make one this weekend? People are returning to the theaters, not just because of mainstream fare like that Star Wars movie or Masters of the Universe, but also because of stuff like Obsession and Backrooms. Will he make a reference at all? If so, to something more current — or, something that he would’ve seen in a hotel room on a road trip back in the mid-aughts?
Prediction time
I had such a good time negatively predicting what would happen to the Giants against the Cubs that it feels right to keep those bad times rolling in this section. The Nationals are a remarkable 21-13 on the road this season with a +31 run differential. They took 2 out of 3 in Atlanta late last month followed by 2 out of 3 in Cleveland, and this 6-game road trip they’re on right now has already seen them take 2 out of 3 from the Diamondbacks in Arizona.
To put it another way, the Nationals have lost just two series on the road all season (at Philadelphia, March 30-April 1, at Miami, May 8-10). They’re 8-2-1 overall. Meanwhile, the Giants are just 12-16 at home (-29 run diff.) No reason to think they’ll lose this series against the Giants, but it’s worth noting that the Giants are 5-4 in home series and the record really only looks bad because they went 1-6 against the Yankees and Mets to start the season. They’re 11-10 since.
In case I’m unclear, my prediction is that the Nationals will win the series.
As the calendar flips from May to June, and the NHL Stanley Cup final has begun, the majority of significant transactions between now and the start of the 2026-27 season will likely take place over the course of the next four to six weeks.
The Anaheim Ducks find themselves in unfamiliar waters after what could be seen as their first successful season in nearly a decade. They enter the offseason with a projected $38.7 million in cap space, two core RFAs (Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier) to sign to big extensions, two secondary RFAs (Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger) on whom tough decisions will have to be made, and one to three areas on the roster potentially in need of upgrades.
Anaheim could now be seen as a desirable destination for players on the move. Even after RFAs are inked to new deals, the Ducks will still have considerable cap space to add quality players to their roster who could help them now and moving into a bright future.
After feasibly identifying three areas in need of an upgrade on the Ducks’ depth chart (right shot defense, second-line center, top-nine winger), now seems like a good time to identify paths in which general manager Pat Verbeek could go about adding to his group and numerous organizations’ situations they could target around the league.
I’ve decided to break this up by division, so we’ll take a look at some teams in the Pacific Division, the Ducks’ own, and the one some would claim to be the NHL’s “pillow fight” division.
Disclaimer: This exercise is purely speculative. Some players mentioned have been previously reported to be in trade discussions, while others haven’t. This is intended to provide ideas on the type of players the Ducks could target this offseason.
(Alphabetical Order)
Calgary Flames
From the outside, the Flames appear to be one of the few NHL teams who are actually rebuilding and acquiring talent in the form of picks and prospects. Since the calendar flipped from 2025 to 2026, the Flames have parted ways with veterans Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, and Nazem Kadri, and they could be in the business of parting with more to reset their window and build a contending core.
The Flames enter the 2026 offseason with $22.7 million in cap space, eight picks in the first three rounds of the 2026 draft (including two first-round picks), and a whopping 18 picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts (six first-round picks).
The three names that jump off the depth chart page who could fetch quality returns for Calgary and fit Anaheim’s roster are tenacious two-way forwards Blake Coleman (34) and Joel Farabee (26), as well as do-it-all offensive middle-six center Morgan Frost (27).
Coleman is a two-time cup winner who, even in his later years, can still find the back of the net, is one of the more difficult players to play against in the NHL, and has one year remaining on his contract ($4.9 million AAV, 10-team NTC). Farabee provides a similar skillset to Coleman, just eight years younger, and has two years remaining on his contract ($5 million AAV).
Frost has established himself as a 40-45 point center and can, in theory, provide secondary scoring as a stopgap second-line until a younger player like Mason McTavish or Roger McQueen seizes the role, and after which, Frost could thrive as a third-line center. Frost has one year remaining on his contract ($4.375 million, 8-team NTC).
Verbeek made his first deal with Calgary at the 2026 trade deadline, sending Ryan Strome to the Flames in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Could the Ducks’ GM revisit that relationship this summer?
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks were the NHL’s worst team in the NHL in 2025-26 by a country mile, finishing with just 58 points in the standings (14 points behind the 31st-place Chicago Blackhawks). They’ll have a completely new hockey operations department and coaching staff heading into the 2026-27 season, with new co-presidents of hockey operations Henrik and Daniel Sedin, general manager Ryan Johnson, and head coach Manny Malhotra.
The front office has made virtually the entire roster available on the trade market, and they enter the offseason with a projected $22 million in cap space to complement two first-round picks in the upcoming entry draft.
With five years left on his deal ($5.5 million, full NMC), Jake DeBrusk (29) seems like the most obvious forward to potentially find a new home for the 2026-27 season. Elias Pettersson (27) and Brock Boeser (29) are another pair of contracts the Canucks would likely be looking to move on from, but pose a much more difficult hurdle.
In desperate need of a change of scenery, Pettersson still has six years remaining on his sizable contract ($11.6 million AAV, full NMC). Even with retention, of which one doubts Vancouver’s willingness to retain close to the 50% maximum, the uncertainty around his ability to regain his potency will likely leave many teams (especially ones projected to flirt with the cap ceiling at some point, like Anaheim) extremely wary.
Boeser has a more manageable cap hit ($7.25 million, full NMC) with his remaining six years, but his high-watermark, 40-goal season in 2023-24 seems too distant a memory.
The prize on the Canucks roster, should he be made available, is right-shot defenseman Filip Hronek (28). Hronek is an all-situations defender who could potentially become the coveted long-term, top-pair partner alongside Jackson Lacombe and in front of fellow Czech netminder, Lukas Dostal, should the Ducks look to pursue him. He’s under contract for six more seasons at a cap hit that projects to become more reasonable by the day ($7.25 million, full NMC).
With Vancouver’s recent shift in front office and coaching leadership, they’ll likely want to start building their vision as soon as possible. In that scenario, Anaheim presents as good a potential trade partner as any.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is in the midst of their third Stanley Cup Final series in the brief, nine-year history of the franchise and are currently up 2-1 on the Carolina Hurricanes. Like with most “win-now” teams, they’ll have some decisions to make come the offseason on who within the depth chart to retain and who to move on from.
Traditionally, Vegas has had no hesitation when it comes to moving on from top players if they feel it’s what’s right for the club in order to win in the immediate future. They enter the 2026 offseason with a projected $4.6 million in cap space, and that will likely increase by $8.8 million if/when Alex Pietrangelo is placed on LTIR.
Vegas only has nine forwards and five defensemen on their roster for 2026-27, with top four defenseman Rasmus Andersson set to become a UFA on July 1 and breakout forward Pavel Dorofeyev to become an RFA.
Should either hit a market, Anaheim may be interested in adding one, but if Vegas intends to keep one or both, the Knights may need to move off a contract or two on their current roster.
Three players who look to be obvious options that Vegas may be inclined to move are centers William Karlsson (33) and Tomas Hertl (32), along with goaltender Adin Hill (30). Hill makes little to no sense for Anaheim, but the centers could garner some interest and slot in well in the Ducks’ middle six.
Karlsson has become the exact player Anaheim has needed since the Ducks traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015, and though he’ll be 34 by the end of next season, he can still provide an extremely positive 200-foot, middle-six presence at the center position. He has one year remaining on his contract ($5.9 million, 10-team NTC).
Hertl had his struggles this season for the Knights, but has increasingly found his footing as Vegas has advanced further into the playoffs. He hasn’t been tasked with killing penalties as he had with the San Jose Sharks franchise, but he still possesses that skillset. He has four years remaining on his contract ($6.75 milion, three-team trade list).
By many accounts, Vegas has become one of the NHL’s true villain organizations, and they seem perfectly happy with that narrative. Is there a trade to be made between second-round opponents in the Pacific Division as one (Vegas) attempts to remain at the top for as long as possible and one (Anaheim) looks to reach that pinnacle in the next handful of years?
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 03: Head coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks looks on during the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 03, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Intense playoff basketball calls for heightened scrutiny on the margins.
Every rotation matters. The margins are small enough that each small schematic shift can not only swing games, but also define entire seasons.
For that reason, coaching stands out this time of year. The good coaches are usually the ones who make it to this stage, and a team rarely makes a deep playoff run without coaching playing a big part in the team’s execution.
In Mike Brown’s case, no head coach has been watched closer throughout this entire postseason than him. The Knicks controversially fired their most successful head coach in 20 years after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years last June, and went on a highly publicized coaching search that saw them be “turned down” by five teams in their pursuit.
When they ended up with Brown, it was viewed as a desperation hire that was way down the Knicks’ list. Why fire Thibodeau if you didn’t have a plan, right?
After mixed results in the regular season and a 1-2 series deficit in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks, the sharks were circling on not just the core, but the coach. Could he be one-and-done? How would he respond?
Well, after Game 3 in Atlanta, he made a key adjustment. The same way he made a big adjustment to end the three-week stretch from hell in January.
And then, he adjusted again.
And again.
And again.
Across this postseason, one in which the Knicks have carried a 13-game winning streak to being a pair of wins from ending their 53-year title drought, Coach Brown has been integral in making a multitude of adjustments, both mid-game and mid-series, to slow down and throttle everyone in the Knicks’ path.
Let’s start with Game 3, where the shellshocked Knicks were left picking up the pieces after being punched in the mouth twice by CJ McCollum’s heroics. The house of cards was collapsing. If they didn’t immediately bounce back with multiple victories, the Grim Reaper himself would be sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden to tear down this core.
So they went to work. Three massive adjustments were made on both ends of the court to give the Hawks a different look.
They switched from a Brunson-centric offense to a KAT-centric offense, putting the ball in the big man’s hands up high and making him the facilitator. From there, he’d have options. They’d run a back screen with Brunson and Anunoby that, most of the time, would generate an open cut to the rim by Anunoby or a clean look from three by Brunson. That switch alone kicked the half-court offense up a notch.
Karl-Anthony Towns in the first 3 games of the Hawks series: 3.3 AST Last 7 games: 8 AST@DHenryTV and @BryanFonsecaNY take a look at the film to breakdown how KAT's facilitating has sparked the Knicks playoff surge.
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 14, 2026
He abandoned the full bench lineups that had gotten crushed in the first three games. For all but a few minutes of the last 13 games (notably in the third quarter of Game 2 on Friday), there has been either Brunson or Towns on the court for every single minute outside of garbage time.
But the other adjustment also neutered McCollum’s impact. Instead of playing him 1-on-1, they hedged against Atlanta’s lack of creation and shooting depth by blitzing him to get the ball out of his hands. Predictably, when guys like Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels had the ball, the Hawks’ offense cratered.
By blitzing McCollum, his efficiency nosedived. He went from averaging 27 points on 51/39 splits across the first three games to 11.3 points on 39/10 splits in the final three. The Knicks won the final three games by a combined 96 points and made those two one-point defeats feel like a pity party.
The gameplan of blitzing the ball handler was also applied to their second-round series against the Sixers, forcing the ball out of Tyrese Maxey’s hands or forcing him into bad decisions. With a hobbled Joel Embiid not able to take command of the offense, it allowed the Knicks to put the clamps on Philadelphia’s offense.
There was also the offensive gameplan of abusing Embiid in the pick-and-roll, which they did to an almost mortifying degree. It was abuse out there.
Knicks finish the series scoring 70 points in 55 possessions going at Embiid in the pick-and-roll when the ball-handler shot or passed to a teammate who shot, per @SynergySST. If an offensive player averaged 1.273 PPP, he'd be the most efficient pick-and-roll player in the NBA. https://t.co/iBi3g7rTgu
There weren’t many opportunities for adjustments in a relatively uncompetitive series, but this was where Mike Brown really started to lean on Landry Shamet off the bench. When the team fell behind 20-8 in Game 3, behind fiery play by Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, he rode bench lineups that overwhelmed the Sixers, which was especially important as Towns dealt with foul trouble.
Moving into the Cleveland series, the same plan of blitzing the ball handler was falling apart… fast. The shooting depth that the Cavs had on display was hurting them throughout Game 1. A once close game had spiraled to a near 20-point hole late in the third that ultimately ended up at 22.
In the moment of facing the most adversity since Game 3 against the Hawks, there were three more big adjustments to be made.
The first was to start playing 1-on-1. Late in the third, they stopped showing two to James Harden, who had rebounded after a miserable first half to be the best facilitator on the floor. It immediately slowed down their offense.
The second was to optimize spacing with the five-out offense. Josh Hart was badly struggling, so Brown replaced him with Shamet and rode him the rest of the way as Cleveland was unable to use ghost coverage to load up on Brunson.
And that brings us back to Brunson, who began hunting the switch onto Harden before frying him into oblivion, single-handedly making this a ballgame before clutch threes by Shamet and Mikal Bridges took it home.
— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) May 20, 2026
That massive 22-point comeback fundamentally broke the Cavaliers. After renewed confidence in Hart resulted in a playoff career-high 26 points in Game 2, it was abundantly clear that the Knicks were at a different level, steamrolling their way to a clean sweep to formally vindicate the decision to hire Mike Brown and reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years.
There hasn’t been anything too noticeable in terms of adjustments thus far in the Finals against San Antonio. The opening plans of Towns sticking with Wemby and playing with physicality, and going back to a Brunson-centric offense to take advantage of their desire to deny him at all costs have mostly worked to this point, but there will likely come a time where a big adjustment has to be made, whether in the rotation or in the scheme.
But based on how this postseason has gone, you have to like where the Knicks stand in that regard.
Nikita Tolopilo has developed into an intriguing goaltending option for the Vancouver Canucks. The 26-year-old played 21 games in 2025-26 and posted a 6-11-2 record. Tolopilo is in the final year of his contract with Vancouver and will need waivers this year to play in the AHL.
While speaking on the Раскатка and Betera podcast, Tolopilo discussed a potential move to the KHL after the 2023-24 season. He had initially played in the KHL during the 2020-21 season before moving to the HockeyAllsvenskan in 2021-22. Using a Russian-to-English translation service, here is what Tolopilo said about his decision to stay in North America.
"In my first year, when I just played in the AHL, how long was that, two years ago? They threw out the bait," said Tolopilo in his interview. "But I immediately said no. Although at that time, compared to the salary in the AHL, they offered me several times more. But then what's the point of all the work I did to sign a contract with Vancouver, and then a year later, give it all up and leave?"
Tolopilo then answered how much the KHL offered him by saying, "35-40 (million Russian Rubles) at that time. But I still don't think about that. The goal and objective is to play in the NHL full-time." 35-40 million Russian Rubles is approximately $669,408.25-$765,038.00 CDN.
The Canucks have some significant decisions to make with their goaltenders next year. Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen are signed to multi-year deals, while, as mentioned, Tolopilo would need to be sent down via waivers to the Abbotsford Canucks. NHL teams can carry three goaltenders on their roster, but that usually means one rarely sees game action and is used mostly as a practice goalie.
Apr 7, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo (60) in the net against the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 06: Max Kepler #17 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs after hitting a triple during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 06, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Arizona GM Mike Hazen hasn’t been shy about discussing what the team us looking to add as baseball heads towards the trade deadline. While the team does currently occupy a wild-card spot, there are clear areas for improvement. Speaking on MLB Network Radio over the weekend, he said “I probably need a little more thump in the lineup, probably a little more power, probably need to get a little more left-handed.” It makes sense. The D-backs currently sit 28th in the majors by OPS against right-handed pitching, at just .665. [They’re 4th vs LHP, at .771] So, on that basis, signing left-handed Kepler makes sense. Except there are a few things about the signing which don’t immediately make sense.
1. Kepler isn’t very good.
Over his career, the numbers are decent enough. A career 101 OPS+, and better than that against right-handed pitching (.770 OPS there, against .653 facing lefties). But he’s now thirty-three years old, and the past couple of seasons have shown father time to be catching up with him. In 2024-25, over 232 games for the Phillies and Twins, his OPS+ dropped to 89. In 715 PA there against RHP, his OPS was .689, hardly much better than the Diamondbacks are already posting. A lot of his success there is now well in the past, unless you think he’ll experience an Arenado-like resurrection in the desert.
However, it’s worth noting a couple of points. The team OPS vs. RHP may be .661, but that is significantly boosted by the success of Corbin Carroll (.813 OPS there) and Nolan Arenado (.791). The bar to improve the team is therefore considerably lower than .661. You would be looking to Kepler to replace the likes of Adrian Del Castillo (.638), Ryan Waldschmidt (.622) and Jorge Barrosa (.431), all of whom should be firmly ushered away from the plate with a rightie on the mound. Kepler is an improvement over the play we’ve got out of their spots this year – and especially over the last month. He doesn’t strike out much and has a little more oomph than most options we currently have.
2. The roster crunch
Even before Kepler was signed, eyes were being cast forward to the upcoming returns of Carlos Santana, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jordan Lawlar. All of them are now on their rehab assignments: Santana and Lawlar with the Aces, while Gurriel begins his in the Arizona Complex League today. Who will they replace on the current roster? The addition of Kepler would make the situation even more congested, especially in the outfield. LuJames Groover and Del Castillo are likely on thin ice, and may well be optioned back down in the coming week, when Santana and Lawlar are ready. But neither of them play the outfield.
It is possible Kepler is just being signed as a depth piece. In term of credible outfielders in Reno right now, it’s basically Kristian Robinson, and that’s it. The “rehab assignment” in Reno will give Arizona a chance to see what he can do. If he looks like he can play a role with the big-league club, he’ll be brought up to the D-backs. If not, he’ll be released, will likely get picked up elsewhere (because even teams that have no postseason chances still have to fill out a lineup card), and the Diamondbacks will barely be on the hook for anything. There isn’t that much difference to a minor-league deal, the likes of which get signed all the time. Last June saw the team sign Anthony Gose and Seth Brown as depth.
There is another possibility, and while I’d say it’s probably unlikely, is worth mentioning. This could be the first piece in a larger puzzle. Despite recent results, the biggest weakness on this team remains the rotation, with three current starters at an ERA+ of 90 or worse. There is a top-five (probably top-two) pitcher who is going to be on the market, in Tarik Skubal, plus potential other options such as Sandy Alcantara. Any package to get one of these pitchers likely starts with an MLB ready prospect. For the Diamondbacks, the area of greatest strength is outfielders. Kepler is a low-risk signing who can provide coverage there if a trade works out, and be easily jettisoned if one does not.
3. The PED problem
It has been interesting to see how the team’s attitude towards PEDs has changed and softened over the years. The team certainly hasn’t been immune from this problem. Matt Williams was named in the Mitchell Report as using HGH and steroids while on the roster. There was also the federal raid in 2006 on the house of reliever Jason Grimsley. Various minor league players have also failed drug tests, perhaps most notable Jose Herrera, who was suspended for 50 games after failing a drugs test in 2018. But the only Arizona major-leaguer I can think of to have failed a drug test was Domingo Leyba in spring 2020.
Going back, there have been rumblings that the Diamondbacks have traded away or let go players who have been linked to PED use. [And, no, I shall not be naming names] This previous position against signing proven users was driven by ownership. In 2013, Nick Piecoro wrote, “Their hardline stance appears to be spearheaded by Ken Kendrick, the club’s managing general partner and a longtime critic of PED users. When Jason Grimsley’s house was raided in 2006, Kendrick made sure the Diamondbacks immediately cut ties with the reliever — and even tried to have his contract voided. Team sources say Kendrick continues to discourage the acquisition of players, or even the hiring of coaches, who have ties to PEDs.”
This did not stop the team trading for Starling Marte, who had served an 80-game suspension in 2017. He was signed three years later, but only played 33 games for Arizona before being traded to Miami. Said Kendrick at the time, “When his incident occurred several years ago, he stood up and was totally remorseful for what he had done, realized it was wrong. I’m a believer also in second chances in life… That’s something I’m sure he wished weren’t on his record, but I don’t think he should have been excluded from being considered and ultimately we made the trade and we’re very hopeful he’ll go and perform.”
And now, here we are, signing someone on an active suspension for PED use. I haven’t been able to confirm any statement being made by Kepler in regard to the suspension, so the “stood up and was totally remorseful” escape clause doesn’t appear to be in effect here. I’m not going to lie: I personally – and this is just Jim here, opinion vary among SnakePitters – find it disappointing for the team apparently to be compromising a laudable moral stance, for a fringe upgrade. If Kepler makes the team, I’m going to find it hard to cheer for him. Minor league PEDs are one thing: I understand it’s a dogfight down there. But when you’ve already reached the show, the very pinnacle of the sport? Yeah, I find that unacceptable.
It’s also worth noting that, if the Diamondbacks reach the post-season, Kepler will still be ineligible. Though if we need him on the playoff roster, that’s probably a bigger problem. But if Kepler has been called up and is contributing enough during the regular season, we will then be without his services for the games that matter most. We’ll see what unfolds. Meanwhile, have a poll!
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Cardinals play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.
5 things to watch
Francisco ... that's fun to say
The Mets' goal forFrancisco Alvarez, as relayed by manager Carlos Mendoza this past Friday, has been for Alvarez to return during this homestand.
And with Alvarez not experiencing any health hiccups over the weekend while rehabbing with Triple-A Syracuse, it seems likely he'll be activated before or during the series against the Cards.
Alvarez's return will give New York a player who had a 101 OPS+ (a tick above league average) before tearing his meniscus on a swing on May 12.
The initial timeline the club gave about Alvarez projected a six-to-eight week recovery, so him making it back in just about four weeks would be a relative miracle. But it shouldn't come as a surprise since Alvarez has often beaten estimated timelines.
Once Alvarez is back, it's unlikely he'll be asked to catch regularly from the jump. But he will also be an option at DH, giving the Mets another way to go when Alvarez isn't behind the plate.
For this series, though, the Mets should be able to roll with their three regular starting pitchers: Freddy Peralta, Christian Scott, and Nolan McLean.
That's because New York was off last Thursday and this Monday, allowing for Peralta to pitch on an extra day of rest on Tuesday, followed by Scott and McLean the next two days (with both of them on regular rest).
If the Mets do go that route, they'll have to get creative for one of their weekend matchups against the Braves -- either going with a bullpen game or calling someone up from the minors to start/serve as the bulk reliever.
New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) celebrates with left fielder MJ Melendez (1) after defeating the San Diego Padres at Petco Park / David Frerker - Imagn mages
Bichette carried his momentum into New York's series against the Padres in San Diego, going 5-for-13 with two doubles.
He is hitting .293/.341/.480 with three homers in 19 games since May 18.
Bichette's OPS+ for the season is up to just 75, so he still has a long way to go when it comes to climbing out of the rough start he had. But things are pointing up for him.
The Cardinals are overperforming
The Cards, despite starting the season in a rebuilding phase, enter this series with a 35-28 record and in possession of the first Wild Card in the National League.
While they have been a nice story, what they're doing feels unsustainable for a few reasons.
For one, their run differential (-2) suggests that they'll be regressing to the mean at some point. Of the 12 teams currently in playoff position, the Cardinals and Phillies are the only ones with a negative run differential.
Second, St. Louis' rotation will likely not be a strength as the season rolls on.
Michael McGreevey (2.99 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) is having a very nice year, but Matthew Liberatore (4.48 ERA, 1.50 WHIP), Dustin May (4.59 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), Kyle Leahy (4.42 ERA, 1.57 WHIP), and Andre Pallante (3.96 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) all profile as back-end starters.
Jordan Walker's breakout
Acter a solid rookie season followed by two poor years, Walker is a legitimate MVP candidate this season.
The 24-year-old is slashing .303/.362/.560 with 16 homers, 14 doubles, and 47 RBI over the first 62 games.
He is in the 85th percentile or better when it comes to xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel percentage, hard hit percentage, and bat speed (he is in the 100th percentile there).
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
A.J. Ewing
Ewing has been elite in center field and is holding his own at the plate -- currently on a five-game hitting streak.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Christian Scott
Scott fired 5.2 scoreless innings against the Padres his last time out.
Which Cardinals player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
JJ Wetherholt
Wetherholt has cooled off after a blazing start, but is one of the best young hitters in the game.
The Arizona Cardinals reported starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett has missed all of voluntary workouts, but apparently will be at the teams mandatory minicamp per reports.
Arizona Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett plans to report to mandatory minicamp this week despite contract issues with the team, per @joshweinfuss and @JFowlerESPN.
That seemed to always be the trajectory of this situation, and we have not heard anything in regards to a new contract, so this also may be an instance where he shows up and is “holding in” while being there but not really participating.
This has been a hilarious situation where both sides seem right and wrong.
If Jacoby is the starter, it’s reasonable to bump him up in pay and guarantees, but he’s also 2-15 as a starter in his last two chances to start for two different organizations, the Cardinals seemed to be looking to move on all offseason and even drafted Carson Beck.
Meanwhile, if the Cardinals are telling Beck he’s the starter, what is the wait? Just get the guy in so you at least have the quarterback in the building.
Yet, if they’re looking at him as a starter only in name for the beginning of the season, then they’re playing this correctly. Guarantee him a little bit, maybe even give him a bump in pay, but overall they don’t owe him anything if they have an idea of moving to Carson Beck.
The Cubs came home this past week hoping to make up for their 3-4 road trip.
They did not. In fact, they were even worse in the Friendly Confines, which were decidedly unfriendly against West Coast visitors, the Athletics and Giants, and the Cubs won just two of the games — and they had to come from behind and walk off both those wins.
Sheesh. Let’s hope that improves, and soon.
Here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.
Three up
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s recent hitting is at MVP level
PCA is on a career-high 12-game hitting streak and once again looking like the hitter he was the first half of 2025. That got him an All-Star nod. Maybe he’ll get another, if he keeps this up.
For the week: .440/.481/.920 (11-for-25) with four home runs, six RBI and two stolen bases. It’s a testament to how bad the Cubs offense has been that PCA got on base nearly half the time and the only runs he scored were on the home runs.
For his 12-game hitting streak: .392/.456/.745 (20-for-51) with three doubles, five home runs, nine RBI and nine runs scored.
He’s got a pretty good chance at being named National League Player of the Week.
Brown pitched just once this past week, 5.1 shutout innings against the Giants on Saturday, allowing just one hit and striking out five.
Since joining the rotation: 1.44 ERA, 1.89 FIP, 0.766 WHIP in six starts and 31.1 innings. And, of course, he has allowed just one home run this year — to the very first batter he faced, Jacob Young of the Nats on Opening Day. Since then: 219 batters faced, no homers.
Jacob Webb has become perhaps the most trustworthy Cubs reliever
After Webb’s first four outings of 2026, in which he allowed multiple runs in two of them, he had a 7 .36 ERA.
Since then: 1.46 ERA, 1.85 FIP, 1.094 WHIP, 31 strikeouts in 24.2 innings. He’s allowed runs in just five of his last 24 outings and none in his last 11.
Webb has certainly arrived near the top of Craig Counsell’s Circle of Trust.
Three down
Where have you gone, Alex Bregman?
Bregman was 2-for-24 during the homestand and 0-for-12 against the Giants, striking out three times and hitting into a rally-killing double play on Sunday (though the second out of that DP wasn’t his fault, it was Kevin Alcántara straying too far off third base).
To his credit, Bregman did not make excuses and said he’s been “awful”:
That’s really just it. Bregman is 32. That should be an age at which he can still be productive. There are 96 games remaining in the season. It’s time for him to start hitting again. Hopefully, beginning Tuesday in Colorado.
Edward Cabrera, yikes
Cabrera returned from his minimum 15-day stay on the injured list and was just terrible, serving up three home runs to the Giants in their Friday afternoon blowout win.
I’ll spare you the carnage. His next start will be Thursday in Denver.
Please try to keep the ball in Coors Field, Edward.
Dansby Swanson’s offense has also vanished
Swanson was 2-for-14 during the homestand with four strikeouts before Craig Counsell gave him the last two games off from starting. Pretty sure Counsell intended for Swanson to not play at all those days, but he was pressed into service as a pinch-runner in the 10th inning Saturday and wound up scoring the winning run.
Over the first three years of his Cubs contract, Swanson batted .243/.313/.408 with 62 home runs in 455 games. That’s not great, but it’s perfectly acceptable with his elite defense.
The defense is still elite, but he’s got to do better than a .606 OPS, which is over 100 points lower than his career mark. Perhaps the two days off and Coors Field can jumpstart his offense.
The team revealed their wholesale updates on Sunday, June 7, including some subtle nods to the design elements present in the team's 1989 debut.
"This franchise means something different to every generation of fans," Timberwolves CEO Matt Caldwell said in a news release. "We wanted this new look to reflect the pieces of Timberwolves basketball fans have always connected with, while also feeling true to the team and culture surrounding this franchise today."
Fittingly, Timberwolves icon Kevin Garnett (1995-2007, 2015-16) helped model the new unis.
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) June 7, 2026
The most obvious change is a return to the franchise’s original blue, green and white color palette.
While the "Wolves" part of the team nickname is prominent on the updated jerseys and on the new on-court logo at Target Center, the team is also paying homage to the "timber" portion as well − with a ribbon of pine trees lining the sleeves of the uniform and waistband of the shorts.
And finally, the franchise offers an updated look for the beloved Old Shep mascot, with a brighter, more colorful wolf logo.
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