PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks has been charged with driving under the influence related to his arrest in March by police in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Online court records show that Brooks has a court date on Oct. 28 for the the Class 1 misdemeanor charge.
“This charge stems from the incident last March,” Suns senior vice president of communications Stacey Mitch said in a statement. “We have addressed the matter with Dillon and have no further comment.”
Brooks was arrested during a traffic stop on March 6 at roughly 1 a.m. and after an investigation, he was taken to jail. He was released following the booking process around 3:30 a.m.
The 30-year-old was out with a fractured left hand at the time. He averaged a career-high 20.2 points per game last season and signed a $73 million, three-year extension during the offseason that will keep him with the team through 2030.
Brooks is also facing separate misdemeanor reckless driving and speeding charges related to an arrest in January. The court date for that case is Nov. 9.
ESPN first reported the developments in the cases.
The battle for the last Knicks roster spot has taken a twist.
They waived John Konchar on Wednesday and signed Tony Bradley to a nonguaranteed Exhibit 9 deal as a training camp tryout. Bradley will join Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman as centers trying to win that battle.
Coach Mike Brown acknowledged that “we’re looking at that position heavily,” given that Andre Drummond is the only backup center on a guaranteed deal behind Karl-Anthony Towns.
Knicks sign veteran center Tony Bradley signed Tony Bradley to a nonguaranteed Exhibit 9 deal as a training camp tryout. Getty Images
But Bruce Brown and Ochai Agbaji — both wings, not bigs — are part of that veteran battle as well. The Knicks could theoretically take one of those two and kick the need for a third-string center down the road.
“Tony’s a veteran guy that’s still in his prime and has a good feel for the game,” Brown said of Bradley. “Knows how to play the game the right way.”
The Knicks also signed Jaden Akins to a two-way deal. He fills the last two-way slot, after previously signing Tyler Nickel and Kevin McCullar Jr.
Akins was with the Knicks at Summer League. Undrafted last year out of Michigan State, he spent last season with the Pistons G-League team.
“Josh was a power forward but when it came to the conditioning test, the power forwards and centers have an easier time [requirement],” Brown said. “Not much, but an easier time than guards. So all year I was calling him a power forward and he was cool with it but I could tell he didn’t really like it. But as soon as he heard about the conditioning test, he said he was a power forward.”
The Knicks championship helped rekindle familial relationships.
“I have people coming to me and saying, ‘I haven’t talked to my family member in 10 years,’ ” Miles McBride said. “And I’m like, ‘Well, we should not be the reason you’re rekindling relationships.’ But that’s cool to hear. It’s not what I want to hear necessarily but those are cool moments to hear that what we’re doing on the court was able to bring people back together.”
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chicago Cubs (0-1) at San Diego Padres (1-0), September 30, 2026, 7:00 p.m. PST
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Having been in the big leagues since 2013, Sonny Gray has accumulated a lot of stats in his career. He certainly can’t be aware of all of them, but there’s one this year that he clearly knew by heart.
“I think I’m the best pitcher in the American League going through the order the third time,” Gray said Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, after the Red Sox were swept out of the Wild Card Stadium. “I think that’s a fact.”
Indeed, the 36-year-old was great when facing a lineup for a third time this year, holding hitters to a .180 average while posting a 1.99 ERA.
Yet while the crafty veteran was aware of his effectiveness the third time through the batting order, his manager was either unaware or not interested in letting Gray pitch out of a miniature jam with the Red Sox’ season on the line.
After Gray allowed two singles with the Yankees leading 1-0 in the fifth, first-year manager Chad Tracy strode to the mound and inexplicably called upon lefty reliever Erik Miller for the second straight night at the same exact point in the game.
That move backfired immediately in Game 1, when Miller replaced Payton Tolle and surrendered a home run on his third pitch. And it failed again in Game 2, with Miller giving up two hits to the only batters he faced. The first was Cody Bellinger, who ripped an RBI single off Miller’s slider to double the Yankees’ lead to 2-0.
Gray, who will finish in the top three of Cy Young voting this year, felt he should have been given the chance to at least finish the fifth inning.
“I would have liked to live or die with me in that moment, but that’s the competitor I am. I think you could probably ask the guys, and they felt the same way,” Gray said. “I felt strong, I felt confident, I felt convicted. But what can you do?”
Gray added: “I would have liked to been trusted in that moment.”
Certainly, Gray’s work both this season and throughout his career earned him a start in the playoffs over Ranger Suarez, who’s one of the best postseason pitchers in baseball history. And at just 70 pitches, and after getting proper rest down the stretch, Gray was far from being on the ropes when Tracy made his call.
Even though the decision to go to Miller allowed the Yankees to instantly double their leads in both games of the sweep, Tracy defended his decisions.
“[Tolle and Gray] are great, yeah. Our bullpen’s been great all year, too,” Tracy said. “It’s a case sometimes of depending on what the score is and how much wiggle room we have, if we were able to put up some runs and maybe have some more breathing room, we might be able to [keep the starters in the game]. But trying to be aggressive and create tough matchups, and it just didn’t work out.”
Tracy’s assertion that the bullpen has been great all year is true overall, but it doesn’t apply to Miller specifically.
After joining the Red Sox as the return in the Marcelo Mayer trade, Miller made a strong first impression, posting a 0.63 ERA and 1.047 WHIP in his first 14 appearances. He struck out 25 batters and walked just six in that span, earning a trusted spot for high-leverage, late-game situations for Boston.
But his effectiveness nosedived late in the year, when he posted a 12.46 ERA and 2.538 WHIP over his final five appearances, walking six batters while striking out just four.
Those struggles clearly continued in Game 1, when Miller gave up a home run and an infield single in his one-third of an inning, but Tracy — with his full complement of high-leverage bullpen arms available — went right back to Miller in Game 2. For a second straight night, Miller could not deliver.
Tracy and the Red Sox felt comfortable giving the ball to Tolle in Game 1 on the road in Yankee Stadium. Yet with two outs and nobody on in the fifth, and with Tolle at just 83 pitches, Tracy took that ball away and gave it to a reliever in whom the manager should have lost trust.
Tracy and the Red Sox then felt comfortable giving the ball to Gray in Game 2, this time with the season hanging in the balance. Yet with two outs and two runners aboard in the fifth, Tracy again took the ball out of the hand of the trusted starter to place it in the shaky left hand of Miller.
Both times, the move did not work. And though the correlation may not be strictly scientific, both bullpen moves led to Game 1 and Game 2 spiraling out of control from that point forward.
Gray, who’s set to become a free agent this offseason unless he retires, said that Tracy did not give him an explanation for the move. Gray was also asked if Boston would be a “destination” if he does choose to pitch again next year.
When asked how different it feels being in his third year as an NBA coach than his first, he opened up.
“I probably shouldn’t admit this,” Redick said at Lakers practice Wednesday, “but early in my coaching career I felt like I was cosplaying a little bit, you know? It’s like I was pretending to be a coach.”
Luka Doncic talks to JJ Redick against the New Orleans Pelicans. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Redick was stunningly hired to take over the Lakers’ helm in June 2024 after Darvin Ham was fired.
Why was it so eyebrow-raising?
He had no coaching experience. He was taking over a 17-time championship franchise. There was no margin for error.
Talk about pressure.
Redick has always come across as ultra-confident. He had to be. But on Wednesday, he let us peek behind his tough veneer.
Even the coach of the Lakers can have imposter syndrome.
Good thing for the Lakers, their gamble has panned out.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacts on the court during the third quarter of a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
Last season, Redick became the first coach since Phil Jackson to have back-to-back 50-win seasons.
Redick has drawn comparisons to Pat Riley, who had very little coaching experience (two years as a Laker assistant from 1979-81) before taking over the helm in 1981. Riley went on to win four championships in LA. Last season, he was honored with a statue outside of Crypto.com Arena.
“I think he’s got a little more gray hair. but he’s been great,” Reaves said when asked about Redick’s growth over the last three seasons. “Care factor’s high, intelligence is high. He cares more than anybody else and wants to win just like we do. So, you know, having that as a coach, you respect that.”
This much is for sure: Redick has gained the respect of everyone in the locker room over the last two seasons. No one is second-guessing the Lakers’ decision to hire him anymore.
And Redick no longer feels as though he’s faking it.
“I just think you get more reps, you get more comfortable,” Redick said.
That said, Redick is very much still learning.
Austin Reaves, JJ Redick and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers pose for a portrait during NBA Media Day at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo. NBAE via Getty Images
He’s the first to admit when he thinks he could’ve handled situations better. There was the time he snapped at a reporter who asked if he was going to lean on his assistants for substitution patterns ahead of Game 5 of the first round of the 2025 playoffs. Or when he and Doncic shared a tense moment on the bench last season. After both of those moments, he vowed to do better.
Redick is willing to do the hard work. He’s introspective. He obsessively rewatches games in a dark basement.
He’s his harshest critic.
That led to a major change last season.
“I had a great revelation towards the second half of last year that I talked about with my performance coach this summer,” Redick said. “…Some of the things that helped me as a player are deterrents for me as a coach. I think particularly with last year’s team — and I don’t know how this year’s team is going to be — but I felt like calm is better.
Luka Doncic talks with JJ Redick during a time out. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“When I played — I talked with Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] about it this summer — when I played, I played with an anger. There was an inner-anger that drove my competitiveness. That’s not always a good thing as a coach, particularly now.”
Redick, who was known as a dagger 3-point shooter during his 15 seasons in the NBA, realized he needed to adjust his style.
He set the tone. If he was too intense, it resonated differently as a coach than as a player. Instead of being inspiring, it was detrimental.
So, Redick adjusted.
After laying into the Lakers following an embarrassing 119-96 loss to the Rockets on Christmas, Redick was noticeably calmer when they dropped the rope in subsequent games. And as the season progressed that started happening less and less.
Then in the spring, the Lakers showed what they were made of by going on a 16-2 run. Everyone around the league began to wonder if they were championship contenders before Doncic and Reaves suffered injuries on April 2.
Redick then inspired the Lakers to believe they could win without their two-highest scorers in the playoffs. They went on to beat the Rockets in the first round before being swept by the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.
This season will be yet another learning curve for Redick.
But he’s ready for whatever comes.
He knows he belongs.
And that’s very obvious to the rest of the league, too.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Joe Musgrove #44 of the San Diego Padres reacts after striking out Michael Conforto #20 of the Chicago Cubs in ninth inning to end game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres released their Wild Card playoff roster the morning of the first Wild Card game against the Chicago Cubs.
There were surprises.
Deciding to go with 15 position players and 11 pitchers was the first choice that raised eyebrows. The second was putting Miguel Andujar and Joe Musgrove on that list.
Both Musgrove and Andujar were on the injured list prior to the end of the season. Andujar had rehab appearances with Triple-A El Paso before the end of their season. He continued working in Arizona with the developmental and instructional games at the Peoria Sports Complex.
Andujar joined Musgrove in their pursuit of returning to the team. After an unsuccessful attempt to rehab as a starting pitcher, Musgrove and the Padres’ decisionmakers opted to have him work in shorter spurts, pitching as a reliever instead of a starter.
That choice proved to be the difference maker for Musgrove. President of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller discussed Musgrove’s inclusion on the roster in his interview with the morning show of the Padres flagship station, 97.3 The Fan.
Preller reported that shorter appearances pitched by Musgrove resulted in a normal bounce-back for his arm. The soreness he reported after his longer appearances went away, and he was able to pitch on a normal schedule. That breakthrough allowed him to prove he was able to contribute to the team during the playoffs. Musgrove had no issues with his stuff during this lengthy ordeal. His fastball velocity topped out at 97 mph and his repertoire showed his normal spin. His issue was recovery.
The organization kept this information on the down-low over the past couple of weeks. The last time fans and the media heard from Musgrove, he was discouraged and at wit’s end about his next move. While the Padres went through their last two series of the season, clinching home-field advantage for the first round, Musgrove was in Arizona. The hard work he put in to get himself ready for the postseason was shielded from everyone outside the organization.
Return of the native son
During the pregame introductions for the first Wild Card game, fans gave Musgrove a rousing ovation. The team set the stage with an almost perfect first playoff game, with Michael King throwing seven shutout innings while the offense and its stars went off.
Yuki Matsui threw 11 pitches in the eighth to get the team to the ninth inning with an 8-0 lead.
Even NBC decisionmakers understood the importance of what was happening in San Diego after the eighth inning.
Choosing to stay in the stadium instead of going to a commercial break, the network cameras saw the reaction of the crowd when Musgrove stepped out of the bullpen door and onto the Petco field for the first time in almost two years.
With the first sounds of his walk-out song, Vampire by Tribal Seeds, playing over the park PA system, the entire stadium crowd stood and cheered the return of the hometown player to the Padres.
The cameras then switched to a shot of the Padres dugout as Musgrove jogged to the mound. Everyone stood, and many joined the fans in applauding the return of the native son.
Big-game Joe
Musgrove last threw a pitch in the major leagues on October 2, 2024. He pitched that whole season knowing his elbow was going to go. It was just a question of when.
It turned out the “when” was during the playoffs while Musgrove was pitching in the second game of the Wild Card Series versus the Atlanta Braves. He walked off the mound after 3.2 innings of work while allowing one hit and one run while striking out four Braves.
He had Tommy John and flexor tendon repair surgery on Oct. 11 and began the long process of rehab to return to the team. That process did not go well for Musgrove. He started Spring Training with the hope of returning to the starting rotation by mid-season. After experiencing multiple episodes of arm soreness and poor recovery after pitching, Musgrove missed the entire regular season for the Friars.
The irony of coming full-circle within the Wild Card Series, two years apart, showed the no-quit nature of the Padres’ pitching leader. Musgrove isn’t the ace of the staff, but he is the heart of the staff. He could be the heart of the clubhouse, judging by the reaction of his teammates to his return to the team.
After striking out the first hitter, Musgrove allowed two hits and a walk to load the bases. With closer Mason Miller warming in the bullpen, Musgrove buckled down and struck out Michael Conforto for the final out. His teammates lined up to congratulate him with hugs.
The future is not clear; the present is bright
There is no way to know what the future holds for Musgrove as he continues to come back from his surgery. Being a starter is the goal for a pitcher who has one more year left in his contract with the organization.
That is the long-term concern.
In the short term, Musgrove only cares about one thing — helping his team win. Being a reliever is not a unique experience for him, as Musgrove pitched out of the bullpen when he won his World Series ring with the Houston Astros in 2017.
Based on his recovery from his first major league appearance, Musgrove will make himself available for any situation, any role, and at any time during this postseason. That desire to do whatever he can for his team and his teammates is one of the things that has always set Musgrove apart with the Padres.
William Karlsson has been a fixture throughout all 10 years of Vegas Golden Knights hockey, from the franchise’s unforgettable expansion-draft beginnings to a Stanley Cup championship and everything that followed. On Wednesday, the Golden Knights made sure that chapter will continue.
Vegas signed Karlsson to a two-year contract extension worth $6.75 million annually, keeping the veteran center under contract through the 2028-29 season.
Karlsson, 33, was entering the final season of the eight-year, $47.2 million contract he signed with the Golden Knights in 2019. Instead of allowing one of the most recognizable players from the franchise’s inaugural roster to hit free agency, Vegas opted to keep him around for two more seasons.
The extension also takes care of one of the most important pieces of business remaining on the Golden Knights’ offseason agenda.
Vegas extended captain Mark Stone to a two-year deal on Sept. 12, and Karlsson was among the team’s most notable remaining contract situations. The Golden Knights now have four pending unrestricted free agents: forwards Victor Olofsson and Nic Dowd, defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and goaltender Carter Hart.
Few players are more closely tied to the Golden Knights’ history than Karlsson.
Selected from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2017 expansion draft, Karlsson quickly became one of the faces of a franchise that shocked the hockey world during its inaugural season. He has remained a key part of Vegas ever since, helping the Golden Knights go from an expansion team to Stanley Cup champions in just six seasons.
Karlsson has appeared in 570 regular-season games with Vegas, scoring 191 goals and 238 assists for 429 points.
Now, with a new contract in place and a surgically repaired wrist, Karlsson gets two more seasons to add to a Vegas legacy that began on Day 1.
Putting it on the board: Chase Meidroth celebrates his crucial three-run homer that put the White Sox ahead, 7-3. | Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images
Good things are happening for the White Sox. Recently, Pope Leo XIV was asked if he had anything to do with the team’s turnaround. The Pope declined to comment before saying, “Good things happen in Chicago,” and he is absolutely correct. The White Sox secured a spot in the ALDS with a 7-3 victory over the Astros.
Astros starter Hunter Brown, 28, was terrific against the White Sox in the regular season. The South Siders could not solve him back then, as they posted a measly .174/.208/.174 in two games against him. However, it was an entirely different story for Brown today.
Sam Antonacci, the game’s first batter, drove a fly ball to deep left. Left fielder Yordan Alvarez appeared to have a play, but he narrowly missed Antonacci’s drive, so Antonacci pulled up at second with a leadoff double. Just like in Game 1, Antonacci’s successful plate appearance to open the game set the tone for a great start for the White Sox. From there, Kyle Teel went after the first pitch he saw from Brown, and he hit a sharp grounder into center field to drive in Antonacci. Five pitches and two batters into the game, the White Sox had a 1-0 lead, and they were not done. Miguel Vargas hit a high chopper to third, but third baseman Nick Allen failed to field the grounder cleanly, allowing Teel to advance to second, and Vargas was safe at first.
Munetaka Murakami struck out, but Andrew Benintendi added some insurance. Benintendi hit a soft liner that landed in front of center fielder Lucas Spence to drive in Teel. In addition, an errant throw by Spence allowed Vargas to score, and Benintendi advanced to second. Following that disaster for Houston, Tristan Peters singled to drive in Benintendi to add an exclamation point to the huge inning. Just like that, the White Sox had an early 4-0 lead.
The nightmarish inning was not quite over just yet for Brown, whose pitch count continued to rise. Chase Meidroth singled, Braden Montgomery struck out, and Colson Montgomery displayed a good batting eye by drawing a six-pitch walk. That walk resulted in the bases being loaded, and Brown’s outing was over after 36 pitches and only retiring two batters.
From there, Astros reliever AJ Blubaugh took over with the bases loaded and two outs, looking to prevent the game from getting completely out of hand, and he did that. Antonacci, who was batting for the second time in the first inning, hit a soft ground out on a sweeper in the middle of the zone. Despite that, the White Sox happily switched sides with a 4-0 lead.
White Sox starter Sean Burke, 26, had a rough start to his outing, as shortstop Jeremy Peña crushed a moonshot to left-center to lead off the bottom of the first. However, Burke did not let Peña’s blast carry over, and he did not allow any further damage that inning.
The Astros went back to work in the second, when Cam Smith got all of a sinker on the inner half and drove it way out to left. Smith’s blast went 440 feet, but fortunately, it only counted for one run, and the White Sox still had a 4-2 lead. Burke got through the third inning cleanly, as he struck out the side in order. That was a particularly difficult task, as Peña, Alvarez, and Paredes are quite tough to strike out consecutively.
Meanwhile, the White Sox offense stalled, as they were retired in order in each of the second, third, and fourth innings. That gap in offense caused some uneasiness for White Sox fans, and that restlessness grew in the bottom of the fourth, when José Altuve led off with Houston’s third solo blast against Burke. Suddenly, the Astros were within a run, and they had all kinds of momentum.
The Astros pitching staff completed its fourth consecutive perfect inning in the fifth, and they appeared to be in business. The Astros built on their momentum in the bottom of the fifth, when interestingly, Huascar Brazobán took over on the mound to begin the frame. Brazobán hit Smith with a fastball to open the inning, but he struck out Allen to cool things down. However, Brazobán allowed a single to Peña, and the Astros had two on with one out, and Alvarez stepped up to the plate. That prompted a pitching change, and Anthony Kay replaced Brazobán. Alvarez hit a sharp liner to left, but he did not get all of it, and Antonacci made the catch in deep left. Kay issued a walk to Paredes to load the bases, so the tying run was at third, and the go-ahead run was at second. In a crucial, high-leverage moment, Kay got Altuve to fly out to right to end the threat and preserve the 4-3 lead.
Entering the sixth, the previous 13 White Sox hitters had been retired. At long last, Andrew Benintendi broke that streak by drawing a leadoff walk against Astros reliever Bryan Abreu. Luisangel Acuña entered the game as a pinch-runner for Benintendi, and he immediately stole second base. From there, Tristan Peters walked, and the White Sox were setting themselves up to do some damage. Chase Meidroth stepped up to the plate and showed bunt. That drew the infield in, and the Astros were caught off-guard as Acuña and Peters executed a double-steal, and the South Siders had a pair in scoring position. Abreu fell behind 3-1 before leaving a slider over the middle of the plate, and Meidroth took full advantage.
Meidroth’s towering blast extended the South Siders’ lead back to four, and the victory was within reach.
Reliever Jordan Hicks was phenomenal, retiring all six batters he faced and striking out three of them. As a result, the score remained 7-3 after seven. From there, Erick Fedde took over on the mound, and he locked it down. Like Hicks, he faced six batters and retired all of them, striking out three. Although Meidroth’s blast allowed the final few innings to be relatively relaxed, Hicks and Fedde deserve plenty of credit for that, too.
With this victory, the White Sox have won their first postseason series since 2005. Back in Spring Training, did any of us imagine we would be in this position at the end of September? I certainly did not, but here we are, and I am incredibly grateful. The White Sox will take on the Guardians (85-77), and that best-of-five series is scheduled to begin on Saturday at noon CT. TBS/HBO Max and TruTV will televise that matchup, and WMVP 1000 AM will have the radio coverage. We will see you then.
Brooklyn Nets' Julius Randle grabs a pass during practice at the HSS Training Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026.
Julius Randle spent a half-decade lifting the Knicks from cellar-dwellers to contenders, only to get traded away before they finally earned a championship.
Now he’s back in the city, across town in Brooklyn, happy to have seen his old teammates become winners while trying to help his new ones on the Nets do the same.
“I’m happy [for the Knicks], man,” said Randle, one of the first Nets to utter that phrase. “I kept in touch with guys. I’ve had a lot of great moments here in the city. I spent five years here, my family has grown here; so I was extremely excited, happy for those guys. A lot went into that; it’s not just myself, years before me.
“So, just happy for those guys. I was just last month on a trip with OG [Anunoby] in Brazil, just kicking it, talking with each other. So it was a great thing, not just for them, for the organization, [but] for the city that has craved that — we know how New York is — so has craved that winning formula, winning environment. And we plan to do the same thing here.”
As a soon-to-be 32-year-old — one who’ll be linked in trade rumors, since he can opt into unrestricted free agency next summer — Randle might not be around long enough for that. But almost anything is possible. The Knicks proved that.
Nets’ Julius Randle grabs a pass during practice at the HSS Training Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Randle arrived in the Garden in 2019, joining a Knicks team that was a league-worst 17-65 and had gone six seasons without the playoffs. Two years later, Randle made his first All-Star game, and he had them back in the postseason.
But two years ago this month, Randle was traded to Minnesota in a three-team deal that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to the Garden.
Randle wasn’t around to see the Knicks close the deal this June. And the end of his tenure with the Timberwolves was bittersweet … and desultory.
After averaging 12.8 points and .342 shooting in Minnesota’s second-round defeat — finishing with three points on 1-for-8 shooting in Game 6, and blowing off his exit interview — Randle came under fire and was traded again.
Anthony Edwards said Monday that he missed Naz Reid, but conspicuously didn’t mention Randle, and said he was pleased with the roster as is.
Nets’ Julius Randle looks on during practice at the HSS Training Center, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“I’m gonna miss Naz for sure; that’s my brother. But I’m super happy about the changes in the locker room,” Edwards said in what many saw as a slight to Randle.
But in need of an on-ball scorer, floor raiser and experience, the Nets are confident Randle is the right sort of veteran to guide their youngsters.
“Everything [I’d] heard was not good but great, as a person, family man, worker, ultimate pro, about the right things,” Jordi Fernandez said. “He’s been in eight playoff rounds, [three]-time All-Star.
“He’s going to impact what we’re trying to do here. … He’s coming here to get better, to lead by example. So, very happy before when we were trying to get him — and now that I’ve got [him], I couldn’t be happier.”
Randle is happy to be back in New York, never wanting to leave.
Now he’s back, older and wiser. When asked if he ever feels his veteran status, Randle joked “Yeah, I feel it every single day. … I’ve reached Unc status for sure.”
Brooklyn Nets’ Julius Randle speaks to members of the media during Media Day at HSS Training Center, Monday, September 28, 2026, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Tasked with teaching the league’s youngest squad, teammates have asked him about playing alongside the late Kobe Bryant.
Both Fernandez and GM Sean Marks will rely on Randle to lead, with Fernandez saying he’ll “challenge” the All-NBA forward.
“I love to be coached, and there’s different ways he’ll challenge me in parts of the game, whether it’s my rebounding or if it’s running the floor or if it’s being better on defense,” Randle said. “I’m not afraid to be coached, and whatever he needs to do, you should coach your best players the hardest.
“If he needs something from me, he’ll call me. So it’s a great relationship. But communication is key, and trust. So he’s been great at building that with me, and I trust him fully; so it’s been good.”
HOUSTON (AP) — The Chicago White Sox used a big first inning and a three-run homer from Chase Meidroth to propel them to a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday to sweep their AL Wild Card Series.
It’s the first time Chicago has won a playoff series since beating Houston in the World Series in 2005. Under the direction of second-year skipper Will Venable and with a letter of support from Pope Leo, the White Sox advanced to face AL Central champion Cleveland in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday in Cleveland.
The White Sox, who lost 100 games in each of the last three seasons, are the only team in major league history to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons with a playoff berth.
Chicago pounced on the Astros for four runs in the first inning a day after scoring three in the first two innings of a 6-3 win. Houston ace Hunter Brown was lifted after getting just two outs and wasn’t helped by a sloppy defense which committed two first-inning errors.
He was 6-0 with a 2.39 ERA in six career starts against the White Sox before Wednesday’s debacle.
Sep 22, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant poses for a picture during media day at Hilton Americas hotel. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
We are three weeks away from opening night for the Rockets, when they open their season at against Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks. It seems hard to believe, but the day is fast approaching. I thought now would be a good time to ask what your expectations are for the season, the playoffs, and what constitutes a successful season. Also, generally, what do you expect to to see from the Rockets?
Let’s look at something that’s a matter of public discourse, and of course, betting, in this brave new world of sports leagues promoting gambling. Let’s consider season win totals for the Rockets.
(The usual caveats about injuries and other catastrophes apply.)
Season Win Totals
Right now the range for season win totals for the Rockets seems to be from about 46 to 48 wins. This seems like a lot of regression for a team that won 52 games the past two years, and should honestly be better. They should be better because they’ll have a seasoned point guard running the show, and a bench that despite not wowing anyone with summer signings, should be far more useful than the bench of last season, overall.
Further, it’s not crazy to think the Rockets might have won 60 games last season, as they did in fact surrender 19 fourth quarter or overtime leads. If they’d won just under half those games, there’s your 60 wins. I can’t say this enough, this number is jaw droppingly bad, and extraordinary. It’s difficult to find much of anyone talking about it, and if they do, the conclusions roughly seems to be that this event doesn’t fit any normal patterns and is an outlier. Outliers being something that did in fact happen, but we’ve chosen to pretend they didn’t because they tend to drag our account of things out of coherency. But it did happen, even if it’s weird and bad.
Viewed in a positive way, not having so many blown leads boosts the argument for a higher win total.
Viewed in a negative way, it might point to a deep flaw in the players, team construction, approach to the game, or coaching. It might be some, or all of those. Which suggests what seems to be a suppressed win total isn’t that suppressed after all.
All that said, I’d go over, and hit good old 52 wins again, as a target, with a bias to higher, if I did such things as bet win totals.
Playoff Expectations
First, yes, I think the Rockets are a playoff team. There’s a tremendous amount of talent on this roster. There’s no reason to believe in a steep decline for Kevin Durant until we see signs of one. There’s reason to believe that the somewhat plodding, low mistakes, organization of Fred Van Vleet will be far better than Kevin Freaking Durant initiating the offense.
So I think the Rockets place between 3-6 in the NBA, inside the playoffs.
If they don’t win their first round series, I expect Udoka to be fired. I don’t think they can win a first round series with Udoka, but we’ll see. It would be hard to pick a weaker opponent than the very injured Lakers, and they won handily.
Normal expectations, for a team that had shown some success in the playoffs might be to make the Western Conference Finals, but we’re going to have to give Udoka a golf handicap here. He’s shown no sign of being up to par in the playoffs. So let’s say a single series win is success, and we should expect at least that.
The Rockets are like 22 to 1 to make the NBA Finals and 50 to 1 to win them, so if you’ve got a lot more confidence than me in the playoff future of the Rockets this season, those are attractive odds.
Team Expectations
First, I’m a Rockets fan, as approximately one zillion articles here will attest. I want them to win, to succeed, and if possible, dominate. I want to see another title before I’m dead. I don’t have some grudge that makes me want to see them fail.
Two, I think there is tremendous amount of talent on this team. I mean, there’s Kevin Durant, still able to do Durant things. There’s Amen Thompson, who could find an offensive breakout, or at least go back to being a DPOY candidate. At least? Yes, at least, that’s how high his defensive potential is. There’s Alperen Sengun, who might be greatly helped by having FVV back directing point of attack defense (though I think the biggest defensive weak point isn’t Sengun, it’s Durant). We can hope he’ll be more efficient, though I think the easiest way to see that would be to use him differently.
There’s Jabari Smith, who has quietly become a very good overall player, and is still in the growth stage of his career. There’s Steady Freddy Van Vleet, who can at least run offense. There’s Reed Sheppard, who put on that muscle everyone wanted, and was a top 10% three point shooter by percentage, and a top 6% three point shooter by volume. There’s Tari Eason, who got paid and is apparently now happy, and man mountain Steven Adams who might stay healthy. I think we’re going to see quite a lot of Marcus Smart, also.
Three, my fear is, this team is limited by coaching. There’s plenty of talent to be excellent here. Unfortunately, I feel as though if you gave Ime Udoka a roster of Damien Lillard, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Michael Porter Jr and Karl Anthony Towns, that he’d insist on playing the exact way the Rockets play now. Defense first, despite literally no good defenders, but great scorers and shooters. At least that team would have a couple of guards to initiate offense.
All that said, I think the regular season should be enjoyable, even if that enjoyment comes on the knife edge of Fred Van Vleet’s health (I don’t think anyone will enjoy Smart as full time PG). If the Rockets can get more guard play from VanVleet, Smart and Sheppard, and have Adams around to help dominate the boards again, they can make it work in the regular season, and probably finish top four. After that, all bets are off.
Conclusion
I think the Rockets have the talent to be great, and the coaching to be good, and that should lead to a successful regular season. I want to enjoy that as much as I can. What are you expectations? I’d put up a poll, but I still can’t.
Not even the bubbly and suds that dripped down his 6-foot-7 frame late Wednesday emboldened Aaron Judge enough to make any proclamations about his chances of being on the Yankees ALDS roster.
But his teammates are at least giving him a chance.
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On a day that began with Judge going to Somerset to get another round of live at-bats and continue his running progression as he rehabs a right calf strain, the Yankees finished off a sweep of the Red Sox with a 9-2 win in Game 2 of the AL wild-card series in The Bronx.
“Saturday’s a long ways away,” Judge said, referring to Game 1 of the ALDS against the Rays. “But I’m doing everything I can, all morning, night, during the game, everything to prepare myself to be ready to go. Yeah, I want to be in there. But we’ll see what happens.”
Wednesday marked two weeks since Judge sustained the calf injury, and while he tried to defy the odds and make a late push to be on the roster for the wild-card series, the Yankees ultimately left him off because he was not ready.
Whether he can be ready to go by Saturday remains to be seen, especially with the complicating factor of having to play on the turf at Tropicana Field, which can be troublesome for players dealing with soft-tissue leg injuries.
“We just finished the wild-card [series]. We’ll get into that as we get closer,” Judge said amid the champagne celebration. “I got nothing for you on that yet, but my job is to continue to get ready. That’s what I’ve been doing every day.”
Aaron Judge looks on from the dugout steps during the Yankees’ Game 1 blowout win over the Red Sox at the Stadium. Robert Sabo/New York PostNew York Yankees’ Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge celebrate in the clubhouse. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Judge’s around-the-clock treatment is apparently what kept him missing from Tuesday’s pregame player introductions ahead of Game 1. He arrived in the dugout by first pitch, and then Wednesday, pulled up a seat around the sixth inning to watch his teammates finish the win.
The three-time AL MVP said he did not run the bases Wednesday afternoon in Somerset, which is a hurdle he will likely have to clear to prove he can be a right fielder for the ALDS.
“I think it’s been encouraging that a couple nights ago [Monday] for the workout he was able to get out there for live BP,” manager Aaron Boone said before Game 2. “Again, that wasn’t just, he’s just going out for live BP. He had to check a lot of boxes for the trainers and the strength guys to say, ‘OK, you’re ready for that, you can go do that.’
Aaron Judge takes live BP when the Yankees held a workout a day before their AL wild card Series against the Red Sox. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“So I feel like in the couple weeks since the injury, he’s made real strides and significant improvements. And hopefully we’re in a position to make another decision in a couple of days.”
It is possible the Yankees could carry Judge on their ALDS roster to serve as a DH, but even he has acknowledged that it would be best for the team if he can return as a right fielder because of the logjam at DH/first base involving Game 1 hero Ben Rice, Luis García Jr. and Paul Goldschmidt.
As it is, Boone had García on his bench to start Game 1 against Red Sox lefty Payton Tolle, with Rice as DH and Goldschmidt at first base.
Adding Judge into that mix would mean Rice starting at first base every game and relegating both García and Goldschmidt to pinch hitting.
Heading into the Wild Card Series, one could make a case that the Red Sox had a chance to beat the Yankees. It would take two or three great starts from Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray and/or Ranger Suarez, it would take some timely hitting to put two or three runs on the board per game, and it would take some lockdown relief innings from the back end of the bullpen.
Yet the Red Sox only got decent starts from Tolle and Gray, they set a new franchise record for offensive utility, and their bullpen was a catastrophe.
And the cherry on top was that their manager, who inked a contract extension last week, showed he certainly does not know how to manage in the postseason.
Other than that, did you enjoy the series?
Here’s everything we learned from the ever-so-brief two-game sweep in the Wild Card Series, as the 2026 team technically failed to get as far as the 2025 Red Sox.
Red Sox set ugly new franchise record
Red Sox history spans 126 seasons, so it was a bit surprising to see the broadcast note early in Game 2 that Boston was in the midst of rewriting franchise history with the longest scoring drought to start a postseason ever.
Obviously, the Red Sox’ offense has been stagnant (or worse) for weeks, but 26 previous trips to the playoffs, you’d figure that they had started off with a scoreless game and a half before.
Alas, nope. This drought was historic. It ended at 14.2 innings, broken by Willson Contreras’ solo shot with two outs in the sixth inning.
And while some of it may be explained by the absences of Roman Anthony and Mickey Gasper, there’s no excuse for a playoff team to be this helpless at the plate.
Chad Tracy is not a big-game manager right now
There may have been a case for Chad Tracy to pull Payton Tolle for Erik Miller in Game 1. Not really, but there could have been a case made for Miller’s sinker being more effective against Ben Rice than Tolle’s fastball.
Yet there’s simply no way to understand why one night later, Tracy made the exact same move.
With Sonny Gray at just 70 pitches and the Yankees leading 1-0 with two outs in the fifth inning, Tracy went back to Miller, this time with two runners on base and Cody Bellinger at the plate. The left-left matchup was presumably the reason for the call, but Bellinger crushes sliders from lefties. And when Miller threw a slider to Bellinger … he delivered.
Bellinger singled home a run, and Miller then gave up another hit to Luis Garcia Jr. The Red Sox only got out of the inning because Rice was caught at home after an aggressive send on that second single.
Gray’s pitch count of 70 was tied for his second-lowest of the season, and though he had allowed two singles in the fifth, his body of work over the season and over the past 13 years gave him a much better chance of escaping the mini jam than Miller, who had a 2.045 WHIP and 7.36 ERA in the month of September and who gave up a home run and a single while getting just one out the night before.
If Tracy was insistent that Gray had to come out of the game, he had, quite literally, every high-leverage arm available to him. Instead, he went with Erik Miller.
And with that same complement of arms available in the bottom of the sixth inning, Tracy went with Garrett Crochet, who hasn’t pitched in a game since April 25. It didn’t go well.
Tracy also showed a lack of feel for the moment when he let leadoff hitter Jahmai Jones, who batted .129 with a .432 OPS over the final 13 games of the regular season and who struck out looking twice, to take his third at-bat in the sixth inning, with the Red Sox trailing 2-0.
Given Boston’s offensive ineptitude, the bullpen decisions are perhaps all moot. But had this been a close series, or if the Red Sox find themselves in one in the future, Tracy will carry some major doubt regarding his ability to manage those games.
Simply put, Chad Tracy did not do a single thing right in these two high-stakes games.
Luis Garcia Jr.’s home run was great hitting, not bad pitching
It took until the fourth inning for the Yankees to get to Sonny Gray, but the solo homer he allowed to Luis Garcia Jr. didn’t come on a bad pitch at all.
Leading off the fourth, Garcia was behind in the count 1-2 when Gray tried to bury a sweeper down and in to the lefty. Gray hit his spot with a pitch that was set to hit the bottom of the strike zone. But Garcia simply stayed on the pitch and went down and got it.
With the Red Sox starved for runs, Garcia’s solo shot was a jarring reminder that all it takes is one good swing to put a run on the board.
Boston eventually got that swing from Contreras in the sixth, but that jolt of hope for the visiting team didn’t last long.
What could have been with Garrett Crochet …
If you just looked at the box score, you’d be shocked to see Garrett Crochet’s line. He faced four batters, allowing all of them to score. He didn’t record an out, despite getting Spencer Jones to chase strike three to start the sixth inning.
Of course, some of that outcome was fair, as Crochet allowed back-to-back singles. But Caleb Durbin couldn’t get the out at first on what was intended to be a sacrifice bunt, Crochet left with the bases loaded, and Garrett Whitlock — who had a dreadful night — couldn’t limit the damage at all.
Such an outcome was perhaps expected, considering Crochet has not pitched in a game since April 25 due to shoulder problems. But you also can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Adley Rutschman and Willson Contreras hadn’t combined to bungle Crochet’s inning-opening strikeout of Jones.
Rutschman took an extra beat to pounce on the ball that had bounced off his chest, and then he took an extra step before firing to first base. There, Contreras was planted on the back side of the base instead of the front. As a result, Jones was able to beat the throw.
Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images
Spencer Jones beats out a throw to first.
Credit to Aaron Boone for challenging that call, which was initially an out on the field, but really, it wasn’t even close.
Rutschman then compounded the matter by sailing a throw into center field when Jones stole second, allowing the runner to take third before scoring on a single. Had Rutschman made either of those two throws, it’s fair to wonder how differently Crochet’s inning could have gone.
Summing up the season
There will be plenty of time in the coming months to eulogize this season, but really, despite the 32-5 stretch in the summer, it wasn’t one to celebrate.
Last year’s team won a game in the Wild Card Series, a disappointing ending. This year’s team couldn’t even do that.
Injuries to Crochet and Anthony were certainly impactful, but this roster — and particularly the offense — was not built to contend for a World Series. The Red Sox scored two or fewer runs in 13 of their final 23 games, averaging 2.5 runs per game over that stretch.
With the season on the line, the Red Sox had Jahmai Jones, Nate Eaton and Nick Sogard in their starting lineup.
After trading three of their top-five prospects to acquire Adley Rutschman, the catcher batted .222 with a .688 OPS in the regular season before going 1-for-8 in the playoffs.
Willson Contreras, a 34-year-old former catcher with a lot of MLB miles on him, was worn down by the end of the season. Caleb Durbin, whose lows outnumbered his highs this year, went 0-for-7 in the playoffs. Ceddanne Rafaela posted the same numbers, too.
The return for Marcelo Mayer was Erik Miller, who made a strong first impression but played a pivotal role in sinking the team’s chances in both postseason losses after an extremely unreliable final month of the season.
The starting pitching staff was excellent, and the bullpen was elite. But the overall roster construction will lead to plenty of questions about Craig Breslow’s ability to build a real winner. Likewise, the two playoff games cast some serious doubt on whether Chad Tracy is a manager capable of winning games in October.
The 15-game winning streak and 32-5 stretch might have led to some internal victory laps and the decisions to stick with Breslow and Tracy for the foreseeable future. But the 2026 Red Sox, on the whole, were what they were: mediocre. And having been stuck in mediocrity (or worse) for half a decade, there won’t be much more patience in and around Boston for it to continue.
Technically, the historic season turnaround may have been a positive, as making the playoffs beats bottoming out more often than not. But considering that the Red Sox likely could have loaded up on promising players by selling off veteran pieces like Contreras, Gray, Aroldis Chapman and anyone else at the deadline, that run in July may have hurt the Red Sox in the long term — especially with the prospect haul that went out to acquire Rutschman.
In any event, the Red Sox finished as the third-best team in the AL East, and they failed to win a single playoff game, getting outscored 18-2 in their lone playoff series. That’s the final word on the season as the long offseason — potentially longer than most — awaits.
Sep 20, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas (8) walks off the field during the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Denis Poroy/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Ethan Salas is set to become the youngest player to catch in a major league postseason game when he starts for the San Diego Padres in Game 2 of their NL Wild Card Series with the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.
The 20-year-old Salas is catching and batting seventh in the lineup announced by manager Craig Stammen at Petco Park. Salas also will be the youngest player to appear in the postseason for San Diego.
The Padres called up their top prospect on Sept. 1, and he became the youngest player to catch in a major league game since Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez in 1991. Salas, who was born in June 2006, went 10 for 24 to finish the regular season after going hitless in his first 15 big league at-bats.
“One, he’s a very talented player, and then probably two is his character and maturity that go with it,” Stammen said on the Padres’ decision to use Salas in the playoffs. “You add talent, you add character, and it adds up to a pretty nice little combo. Him getting to play this September was good for game experience, and it was also him showing us that he’s capable of handling any and all situations.”
Salas had a series of clutch hits during his late surge, and on Sept. 16 he became the youngest catcher to have a multi-homer game. He also earned praise for his defensive skills from the Padres’ staff, and even his acumen with ABS challenges was excellent.
That was more than enough to earn a spot on the 26-man postseason roster, and now Salas is getting a start for his playoff debut. He will catch veteran Nick Pivetta, who has already worked with the youngster in the regular season and during Pivetta’s injury rehab.
“They have a good relationship,” All-Star Padres closer Mason Miller said of Salas and Pivetta. “I trust him. I know a lot of pitchers feel really good about throwing to him. Then you add in the types of at-bats he takes, working counts, willing to go the other way, put it up in the air and over the fence, too. He’s that full package that I think is only going to get better over time.”
Bob Didier was 20 years and 230 days old when he caught for the Atlanta Braves in the 1969 NL Championship Series.
Salas is a left-handed hitter, while fellow Padres catchers Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano are righties. That makes Salas a natural fit against Kevin Gausman, the Cubs’ right-handed starter in Game 2, after lefty Matthew Boyd started the opener.
San Diego jumped all over Boyd while taking the series opener with an 8-0 victory. The Padres have won 18 of their past 21 games as they enter Game 2 hoping to earn a trip to Milwaukee for the division series this weekend.
The Padres signed Salas, who was born in Florida and raised mostly in Venezuela, as an international free agent in January 2023 with a record $5.6 million bonus.
While general manager AJ Preller traded away nearly all of the top prospects in his fruitful farm system over the past several years in his attempts to win a World Series immediately, he didn’t deal Salas, who is widely considered one of the best catching prospects in recent baseball history.
The Padres haven’t hesitated to allow their top young talents onto the playoff stage during their current franchise-record run of five postseason appearances in seven years. Fernando Tatis Jr. made his playoff debut at 21 years old in 2020, and Jackson Merrill also was 21 for his postseason debut in 2024.
“He’s got enormous amounts of confidence, which is what I love to see out of young kids,” Merrill said of Salas. “He trusts himself, we trust him, and I think that bounces back on each other. We’ve shown we love him and trust him to do what he’s capable of doing, and he’s going to go out there and perform to the best of his abilities.”
"I would prefer to play at night," Roberts said on Monday, Sept. 28. "As far as who we play, I don't think we really care. But I do think that it's going to be a hot weekend, and to play at night would certainly be more beneficial."
That's not entirely in the Dodgers' control. Per the broadcast schedule MLB released on Monday, there are two scenarios facing the Dodgers for Saturday: If the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres in their wild card series, the Dodgers would play at 6:00 p.m. local time. If the Padres win, however, the start time gets moved up to 1:00 pm PT.
That significant jump might be a problem for everybody involved.
Late September/early October is generally considered the hottest time of the year in Los Angeles, as the marine layer that normally protects the region from oppressive heat in the summer months starts to dissipate. Santa Ana winds also factor in, bringing in more heat and adding to the risk during peak wildfire season. Due to El Niño and the effects of climate change, this year is set to be even worse.
Here's what you need to know about the forecast heading into Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday, Oct. 3:
Los Angeles forecast for Saturday, Oct. 3
A week-long heat wave is expected to settle into LA on Friday, with "record breaking temperatures" expected by Saturday, according to AccuWeather. The high at 1000 Vin Scully Avenue is forecasted at 103 degrees with a RealFeel of 106.
"Blazing sunshine and very hot with the temperature approaching the record high of 108 set in 1987," AccuWeather says. "Heat will be dangerous, minimize outdoor activity."
At night, the temperature is predicted to drop to 74 with a slight breeze cooling the RealFeel down by another two degrees.
So yes, the start time can be a significant factor for the Dodgers – and whoever their opponent ends up being – on Saturday.
Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images