Justin Foscue of the Texas Rangers swings at a pitch during the game between the New York Mets and Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on September 22, 2026. (Photo by Seth Garber/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for September 24, 2026 against the New York Mets: starting pitchers are Kumar Rocker for the Rangers and Zac Thornton for the Mets.
The Rangers this afternoon try to finish their home schedule with a win, avoid a sweep, keep alive their hopes of a winning record, and keep afloat in their battle with the Astros for the A.L. West.
The lineup:
Foscue — 2B
Seager — SS
Jung — 3B
Burger — 1B
Nimmo — RF
Langford — LF
Duran — CF
Diaz — C
Jansen — DH
1:35 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -131 favorites.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 22: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates warms up in the bullpen before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will face the Pittsburgh Pirates for the final time this season Thursday when they’ll face Paul Skenes. The Cardinals will counter with Kyle Leahy who will pitch at least the first few innings depending on his pitch count limitation. First pitch scheduled for 11:35am at PNC Park and the game broadcast will be handled by Cardinals.tv.
Detroit Tigers broadcasters Jason Benetti (left) and Dan Dickerson (right) before a spring training game between the Tigers and Boston Red Sox on Thursday, February 27, 2025, in Lakeland, Florida. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The Detroit Tigers announced today that broadcasters Dan Dickerson and Jason Benetti have signed long-term extensions with the club. This keeps them locked in as the lead voices for Detroit SportsNet and the Tigers Radio Network for years to come. The duo has worked as a team the past few seasons already, with Dickerson handling the television broadcasts when Benetti’s national obligations take him away from the Tigers for certain events.
The length of the deals wasn’t made public, but the Tigers continue to draw high marks both nationally and locally for their broadcasts, and the rollout of Detroit SportsNet this season has seemingly gone quite well, so getting them locked up long-term makes sense. In the wake of their independent regional sports networks collapse after the long saga of Bally Sports and then FanDuel Sports trying to hang onto the old model, the Tigers are in a pretty good place in terms of their broadcast production and on air talent, and things will remain consistent for a while.
Dickerson has now been one of the voices of Tigers radio since 2000 and the lead play-by-play voice of their radio broadcasts since 2003 after he succeeded one of the all-time greats in Ernie Harwell. He’s on his way to a similar place in Tigers broadcast history, though catching Harwell’s 42 year career as the voice of Tigers baseball will be difficult. His appearances handling the television broadcast will be expanded somewhat next season in support of Benetti, who continues to be one of the most sought after all-around voices in sports.
2026 was Benetti’s third season in Detroit after coming over from the Chicago White Sox for the 2024 season. He remains the play-by-play voice for NBC Sports “Sunday Night Baseball” while also handling some college football and basketball, including working some NCAA tournament games during March Madness.
The Tigers had prepared for the eventual RSN collapse by hiring Dickerson and Benetti as team employees, rather than as employees of Bally or FanDuel. So the transition out of the RSN model went pretty smoothly, with the Detroit SportsNet rollout this season a pretty successful one. Dickerson and Benetti will be the center of the team’s broadcasts for several more years to come. The duo also collaborates to host the Have a Seat podcast on the Detroit Tigers YouTube channel, interviewing players and coaches throughout the season.
“We’re incredibly proud to have Jason and Dan as the voices of Tigers baseball, and grateful for their eagerness to make an even deeper commitment to our organization,” said Ryan Gustafson, President and CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment. “Several years ago, we made a deliberate decision to improve how we engage with our fans, and building a broadcast worthy of them was central to the effort. Jason and Dan, alongside many others, continue to deliver an entertaining and informed broadcast that is among the best in baseball.”
Detroit Tigers Sign Jason Benetti and Dan Dickerson to Long-Term Contract Extensions
DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers today announced multi-year contract extensions with television play-by-play voice Jason Benetti and radio play-by-play voice Dan Dickerson, keeping the pair at the…
ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST, 1980: Infielder Eric Soderholm of the New York Yankees, during pregame warmups prior to a game in August, 1980 against the California Angels at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by: Diamond Images/Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
A New Yorker by birth, Eric Soderholm was a right-handed third baseman who played nine seasons in the majors. Spending his final season in pinstripes, Soderholm’s calm and thoughtful personality was not indicative of the state of the team at the time, as George Steinbrenner was at the height of his rule and the other players in the clubhouse featured the likes of Reggie Jackson and Rich “Goose” Gossage. It turned out to be a 103-win division champ under skipper Dick Howser, but alas their October was short-lived.
Eric Thane Soderholm Born: September 24, 1948 (Cortland, NY) Yankees Tenure: 1980
Soderholm was raised in Florida and graduated from Coral Park High School in Miami. A shortstop in high school, Soderholm was not much of a prospect, appearing to most as just another skinny kid playing ball. He took a work-study scholarship to play baseball at South Georgia College, and after filling out and adding strength, Soderholm was selected by the Kansas City Athletics in the 11th round of the 1967 MLB Draft. However, he chose not to sign in June, so that opened the door for the Minnesota Twins to take him as the very top pick in January edition of the draft (which was held until 1986).
The Twins got Soderholm to sign on the dotted line, and he started his professional journey in 1968. Most of the 1968 and 1969 seasons saw Soderholm playing Single-A ball in Orlando. However, by the end of the 1969 season, Soderholm was promoted to Double-A Evansville and would eventually hit his way to the highest level of the minors in 1970.
When the 1971 campaign began, Soderholm was with the Portland Bears in Triple-A. After hitting .275 with 22 home runs, the Twins finally gave the kid the call. On September 3rd, Soderholm made his debut and hit a home run in his second career at-bat, swatting a solo shot off Diego Segui en route to a 9-4 Twins victory. He otherwise struggled though, and though he hit in opportunities in late 1973, it was hard for him to catch a regular rhythm. In fact, it took until the 1974 campaign.
In his first season as the Twins’ regular third baseman, Soderholm slashed .276/.349/.392 with 10 home runs in 141 games, good for 3.1 fWAR and a 114 wRC+. With the job secured following a successful season, Soderholm then followed that up in 1975 by slashing .286/.365/.415 with 11 home runs through mid-August. In 117 games, he’d posted 4.4 fWAR, higher than all but six players in the Junior Circuit.
However, on August 20th, Soderholm fell into an unmarked storm sewer while walking a property he was looking to buy in Minnesota. This fall broke several of his ribs and caused major damage to his knee, ending his season and costing him all of the 1976 season. The knee took two surgeries, and doctors gave him a 50/50 chance to play again.
Soderholm found Dr. Fred Allman, who put him on a strict rehabilitation program that centered around Nautilus exercise equipment. Becoming one of the first professional baseball players to use weight machines for rehabilitation, Allman declared a new and stronger Soderholm was bionic. The Twins did not want to risk the recovery and released Soderholm, who signed with the White Sox ahead of the 1977 season.
Defying the odds after his knee surgeries, Soderholm was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year during the 1977 season. The slugger played in 130 games, batting .280 with a career-high 25 home runs for a surprising White Sox team that zoomed from a league-worst 64-97 record in 1976 to a 90-72 mark the following year, a 26-game swing (though the Royals beat them out for the AL West). Chicago took a step back in 1978, but Soderholm himself proved his resurgence wasn’t a fluke by hitting another 20 home runs for the Pale Hose. In total, his memorable two-and-a-half-year stint on the South Side yielded 51 home runs and cemented his legacy as a fan favorite who would eventually land in the Chicagoland Hall of Fame.
As the White Sox entered a rebuilding phase during the 1979 season, they traded Soderholm to the Texas Rangers on June 15th in exchange for pitcher (and future longtime announcer) Ed Farmer. Because Texas already featured star third baseman Buddy Bell, Soderholm was utilized in a utility role across 63 games. Then, in November 1979, the Rangers dealt Soderholm to the Yankees for infielder Amos Lewis and pitcher Ricky Burdette.
The Yankees hoped Soderholm could be a reliable platoon designated hitter and backup infielder. He excelled in his role, appearing in 95 games and batting a productive .287 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs to help the Yankees secure the AL East division crown.
This led to Soderholm making his first postseason appearance during the 1980 ALCS against Kansas City. The Yanks had taken down the Royals in three consecutive playoff series between 1976 and 1978, and with much of the core still intact a couple years later, KC was ready for some revenge. They got it, sweeping New York away in three games, and Sodeholm was held to a 1-for-6 showing with a ground-ball single in Game 1 and nothing else.
After the season, Soderholm became a free agent. Before he could land a new deal in February 1981, Soderholm slipped on a patch of ice near his home in Chicago. The fall severely re-injured his knee, requiring the fifth major surgery on the chronically damaged joint. This one forced him into retirement following that lone season in New York.
The Cubs hired Soderholm as a scout following his retirement, and he also launched the Eric Soderholm Baseball Camps. This led to him opening a hitting school to mentor young players. Feeling like he needed some action, Soderholm eventually launched Front Row Tickets, which became a lucrative ticket resale platform.
Finding this line of work unfulfilling, in 1997, he and his daughter co-founded the SoderWorld Wellness Center & Academy in Willowbrook, Illinois. Soderholm uses his experiences working back from injuries to serve as a personal life coach and meditation teacher at the center.
Happy birthday, Eric. May it be even and balanced!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: Jordan Beck #27 of the Colorado Rockies makes a leaping catch over the wall during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on April 11, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Baseball highlight’s are most commonly filled with a mixture of home runs and defensive plays in which the fielder must do something particularly spectacular in order to make up for a mistake earlier in the play. The skill required for those is both easily visible in the confines of television camera frame. Efficient outfield catches, however, are difficult to appreciate unless you happen to be at the ballpark and able to see the whole field.
So, as the 2026 Colorado Rockies season comes to a close, let’s take a moment to marvel at the most highlight-worthy plays for each Rockies outfielder as estimated by Catch Probability from Statcast.
Catch Probability is a simple concept at its heart that simply attempts to explain how difficult it would be for an outfielder to arrive where the ball is landing before it does. It does this with two primary inputs,
How far an outfielder needs to run.
How long they have to run that far.
Those factors are combined, and a resulting percentage of the time that the ball is caught in the Major Leagues is calculated. There’s some extra nuance, but the basic premise is incredibly simple.
To make it even simpler, comparing plays can be done by dividing their Catch Percentages into the following categories:
Technically both Braxton Fulford and Willi Castro have seen time in the outfield for the Rockies this season. Fulford has a total of two appearances on the outfield grass, and Castro has played parts of nine games out there despite having only started in the outfield twice.
While they both have played the outfield, neither has had enough opportunities to have made any catches that qualify for “stars” using Catch Probability. In fact, the only opportunity that either player has had that would have qualified if it had been caught was a play at the left field wall on June 7, which Castro wisely played on the bounce. If he had managed to make a miraculous grab, it would have been considered a five-star catch according to Catch Probability.
That, however, is the only chance either Fulford or Castro has had to qualify for this list, so the only fair thing to do is take them out of the running.
Two-Star Catches
Sterlin Thompson only had a few more games in a big league outfield this year than Fulford or Castro but he made the most of them.
In the 15 Major League games that Thompson took the field, he made two separate plays at the wall that qualified as two-star catches. The most visually impressive was one from June 3 that would have meant extra bases for Mike Trout had Thompson not been able to effectively backpedal and leap against the left field wall to make the grab.
Zac Veen’s most difficult catch of the season is similar to Thompson’s in that it required him to backpedal and judge a play against the wall. The difference between the plays is subtle, but Veen needed to cover four more feet with less time than Thompson did.
Mickey Moniak’s hardest catch of the season nearly resulted in a collision.
Moniak was making chase towards a ball deep in the right-center gap when center fielder Jake McCarthy slid in front of him in what could have been an ugly result if McCarthy had been just a step slower.
While Catch Probability doesn’t account for the nuances of needing to coordinate with and/or avoid fellow outfielders, the 93 feet of distance Moniak needed to cover in just over five seconds was enough to qualify this catch as only 60% likely.
Where Moniak’s best catch qualified primarily based on the distance he needed to cover, Jordan Beck’s most difficult was primarily due to how little time he had to react. In just under three seconds from the moment Brett Sullivan released his 57 MPH “fastball,” Beck needed to assess where the hit from Steven Kwan would land, run 31 feet, and slide to be at the correct height to be able to scoop the ball as it was landing.
Given that lack of available reaction time, it’s understandable why that August 21 catch from Beck is qualified as his most difficult on the season. That being said, Beck’s other three-star catch (which only has five percent lower Catch Probability than his most difficult catch) was far more impactful. I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind everyone of this early-season home run robbery against Nick Castellanos.
His best catch of the season wearing a Rockies uniform came on April 5 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Much like Beck’s home run robbery, Doyle needed both to cover a large distance (93 feet) and time a jump just perfectly in order to make the following beautiful play possible.
Troy Johnston isn’t exactly known for his defensive prowess, but he has managed a surprising number of memorable defensive plays in his first season with the Rockies. Johnston actually has two catches that are rated four-stars, but his least likely one came on April 23 on a line drive to shallow right field.
This dive forward towards short liners may be Johnston’s signature move as he had made a very similar play to end a game just four days earlier. While that catch obviously had a larger impact on the specific game than the first, it didn’t quite qualify as a four-star catch.
Cole Carrigg provides an illustration of a couple factors that Catch Probability does not take into account: sightlines and angles.
The following is Carrigg’s singular four-star catch per Catch Probability:
That is, for sure, an impressive catch that showcases Carrigg’s speed and range as he had to cover 46 feet in just over three seconds. What it isn’t, in my estimation, is Carrigg’s most difficult catch of the season.
This ball was in the air for nearly a full five seconds which limits its catch probability to two-stars, Carrigg needed to be sprinting towards the wall while looking over his right shoulder to reach his left arm forward at the right angle in order to make it.
Catch Probability attempts to account for needing to run backwards in terms of how doing so slows the fielder down and decreases the chance to reach the ball in time. What it doesn’t account for is how much more difficult it is to catch a ball a player can’t properly view. This Carrigg catch shows off a combination of coordination and dexterity in addition to the range that Catch Probability does a good job of assessing.
Five-Star Catches
What Jake McCarthy lacks in arm strength, he more than makes up for in sprint speed. He has limitations as a fielder, but his range in the outfield is obviously great. He often gets to balls with enough time to spare to make routine looking catches that would have required desperate diving plays by outfielders with average speed.
Given that, it should come as no surprise that McCarthy’s most difficult catch of the season doesn’t actually look particularly difficult.
In that July 20 play McCarthy had to cover 60 feet with just 3.7 seconds of reaction time from the moment the ball left Kyle Freeland’s hand.
This is a great example of an incredible catch that would be difficult to assess as such via the television broadcast. At the ballpark a scout may be able to pay attention to McCarthy’s starting point, his reaction time, and his route efficiency in order to appreciate how hard that really was. From home, being locked into the camera view that shows the pitcher and batter for the first few moments of the play, it’s implausible to recognize that that was McCarthy’s best catch of the year.
The same can not be said for Tyler Freeman’s best catch of the season.
This diving catch in which the tip of Freeman’s glove just barely manages to reach underneath the ball as it lands is a perfect counterpoint to the visual ease of McCarthy’s five-star catch above. Freeman needed to cover slightly less distance (53 feet) in slightly less time (3.5 seconds) than McCarthy did which equates to a roughly equal 15% Catch Probability score.
McCarthy made a 15% catch look easy. Against those same odds, Freeman clearly needed to use every inch of his range in order to match McCarthy’s success.
The end result of both plays was the same. The most difficult outfield catches of the 2026 Rockies season… so far.
There aren’t many Rockies games left, but we should all be sure to be on the lookout for a more spectacular catch and ready to give it the recognition it deserves regardless of whether the player is able to make it look easy.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 13: Fans head up a ramp during a rain delay before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on September 13, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The plan as of right now is for the Red Sox and Cubs to play a double header on Friday with start times of 1:05pm and 6:05 pm in an effort to get as much baseball in as possible before the onset of this weekend’s nor’easter. This is going to be a highly interesting scenario because while all models have come into agreement on the idea of there being strong, slow moving, and retrograding nor’easter, there’s actually quite a bit of disagreement on the initial timing and position of the low.
Let’s take a look at a couple of examples with both of the following maps valid for 4:00pm on Friday afternoon. First up, the RGEM (short range Canadian model):
This one has the low moving much quicker to the north initially before stalling and running into the block. If correct, harsh, full blown nor’easter conditions would arrive during the first game of the double header and we’d be in big trouble in trying to complete all three over the weekend.
But then there’s other short range models like the HRRR that handle things completely different:
Here, we see the low much further south during that same late Friday afternoon timeframe. As a result, the initial push of moisture into eastern Massachusetts is actually falling apart as it comes north in favor of newer, more powerful bands forming to the south closer to the low.
And you know what? If I had to guess based on all the data I’m looking at right now, I think the HRRR is closer to to the bone here. This makes me think we’re going to be dealing with a situation where they try and play baseball in some rain (maybe even on and off rain) Friday afternoon and evening to get these first two games in the books. A lot of this depends on what type of conditions MLB is willing to play through, but given what’s coming on Saturday, my guess is their tolerance is going to be pretty high and they push to get the games in.
In addition to the rain though, there will be wind, and despite the uncertainty in the exact timing and intensity of the moisture moving in on Friday before conditions further deteriorate over the weekend, I have a high degree of confidence the wind will be howling well before any rain gets there. The National Weather Service has already issued a High Wind Watch for Boston calling for gusts up to 50mph through Saturday evening. During the late Friday afternoon and evening timeframe, I would expect northerly gusts top 35 mph even before the precipitation arrives.
This means you should have incredibly blustery conditions blowing in from left field during whatever baseball is played on Friday. It won’t be great for fans, but it could be good for Patrick Sandoval’s ERA assuming he takes the mound at some point tomorrow.
Either way, this has the potential to get messy if all three games are needed to determine playoff seeding, and given that likelihood (the Cubs are a game behind the Padres for the top Wild Card spot while holding the tiebreaker), we’re probably going to see baseball played in some pretty crazy conditions at some point.
CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman is thankful he’s not a little shorter.
Sporting a discolored left eye after being struck by a foul ball in the on-deck circle, the three-time All-Star said it could’ve been worse.
“Super lucky it hit where it hit and just a lot of gratitude that it wasn’t a few centimeters higher,” he said before a game against Miami.
The ball, off the bat of teammate Michael Busch in Cincinnati, caused several facial fractures.
With the postseason approaching, the Cubs are glad the injury won’t require a stint on the injured list.
Bregman said he’ll likely start shagging ground balls in a day or so and will be trying out new styles of helmets to protect the eye.
“The whole left side of my face has been a little bit numb,” he said.
“He’s still got significant swelling in his face and his eye that needs to improve,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. “But all things considered, he’s in a good place.”
Bregman was on deck in the fourth inning of a 9-1 win at Cincinnati when he was hit on the left side of his face by Busch’s check-swing foul. Bregman immediately jogged toward the Cubs’ dugout and covered his face before going back to the clubhouse with an athletic trainer.
“When everything was going down on Sunday afternoon, I think that we all thought the worst case might be a possibility,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “And all the news since then has been really good. He’s had a lot of different doctor’s appointments, and they’ve been positive. And I think we have to take it one step at a time.”
Bregman is batting .262 with 26 homers and 89 RBIs in 153 games during his first season with Chicago. He signed a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs in free agency.
The 32-year-old Bregman got off to a rough start in his new home, hitting just .229 with two homers in his first 20 games. But he has been one of Chicago’s most productive players since the All-Star break, batting .305 with 17 homers and 48 RBIs in his last 57 games.
Bregman also has excelled in the postseason in the past. He won two World Series championships with the Houston Astros. He appeared in at least two postseason games in each of the previous nine years.
NEW YORK — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hopes to return from a strained right calf for the playoffs and Giancarlo Stanton could be back after a 5 1/2-month absence.
New York manager Aaron Boone repeated he’s not counting on Judge to play in the AL Wild Card Series opener. Judge, sidelined since Sept. 16, said he’s trying to do all he can to be in the lineup.
“The Bronx is a magical place in October,” Judge said after a 9-2 win over AL East champion Tampa Bay. “I don’t want to miss out on that opportunity.”
Judge had a platelet-poor plasma injection. He was sidelined by a fractured rib from May 31 to Sept. 8 and played in just seven games before the latest injury.
“Any injection doesn’t feel too good that day, but I feel a lot better today and we’re going to keep making strides,” he said.
A three-time AL MVP, Judge is hitting .241 with 18 homers, 41 RBIs and an .871 OPS in 66 games this season, including .174 with one homer and three RBIs since coming back from the rib injury.
“We are going to listen to the body and see how he heals,” Boone said. “If he is in a position to do that, obviously we are going to want him. So, no, I haven’t ruled anything out, of course.”
Boone said he wasn’t planning on having Judge available for the best-of-three series, likely against Boston.
“Obviously as a player, you don’t want to hear that but that’s out of my control,” Judge said.
Boone said Judge had a moderate strain.
“Everybody’s `moderate’ is a little different,” Judge said.
Stanton, trying to return from injuries to calf muscles in both legs, faced pitchers at Double-A Somerset along with center fielder Trent Grisham, sidelined since straining his right hamstring on Sept. 4. Both ran the bases and Stanton homered while taking six or seven at-bats.
“Putting them on the outskirts of the conversation,” Boone, bothered by a cold, said in a raspy voice.
Following the end of the seasons for Yankees farm teams, New York has minor leaguers working out at Somerset in nearby New Jersey.
Stanton hasn’t played since April 24 because of strained calf muscles in both legs after starting the season with a .256 batting average, three homers and 14 RBIs in 24 games. The 36-year-old former NL MVP had 38 homers and 100 RBIs in his first season with New York in 2018 but has missed 500 of 1,194 games since (41.9%), through the end of this regular season.
His other injuries included strains of his right biceps, right knee, left hamstring (three times), left quadriceps and both calf muscles along with right ankle inflammation, left Achilles tendinitis and tendon pain in both elbows.
“You’re looking more at a pinch-hit scenario,” Boone said. “We’ll see if that’s even a realistic option.”
Stanton is owed $25 million next year in the final guaranteed season of a 13-year, $325 million contract that includes a $10 million buyout of a 2028 club option.
Lagrange could be brought up for major league debut
Carlos Lagrange, a 23-year-old right-hander who reached 100 mph with 98 pitches at Triple-A this year, threw to batters at Somerset. He was out between June 28 and Sept. 16 because of a right capsule strain.
Lagrange was shifted to the bullpen at the start of June.
“He’s in the conversation for something,” Boone said.
Clarke Schmidt still out
Right-hander Clarke Schmidt, who returned Sept. 16 following Tommy John surgery in July 2025, played catch but remains sidelined by right biceps cramps. New York had hoped to use him as a reliever in the postseason.
“Today was better than yesterday,” Boone said. “If he’s not a real viable option by tomorrow, then we’ll probably go a different way.”
Postseason rotation
Boone said Cam Schlitter will start Game 1 or 2 of the playoffs. Max Fried appears set to start whichever game Schlittler doesn’t, with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón available for Game 3.
“Whoever goes 1 or 2 can pitch 2 and 5 in the next series,” Boone said.
Fernando Cruz throws a bullpen
Right-hander Fernando Cruz threw a bullpen and will throw another one.
He hasn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 25 because of right elbow discomfort caused by a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament.
“I’m in a really good position to be back I will say in the next couple of weeks,” Cruz said.
He took issue with the diagnosis of his injury.
“I had a real good inflammation, real stiffness and irritation,” he said. “People can say it’s a partial tear, but in my heart it’s not a partial tear.”
Volpe will see time at the hot corner
With second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. back from a sprained right thumb, Boone said Anthony Volpe will see time at third.
“I’ll probably get him on there a time or two,” Boone said.
Volpe entered Wednesday hitting .263 with one homer, seven RBIs and four stolen bases over 11 games since his recall from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He played three games at third base for the RailRiders.
“It didn’t feel that bad when I played there, but we’ll see,” Volpe said.
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 22: Owner and CEO Bob Castellini speaks as general manager Nick Krall looks on after David Bell was introduced as the new manager for the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on October 22, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The empirical data does enough heavy lifting for even the most casual observers to note just how bad the Cincinnati Reds are at the sport of baseball at the moment. They do rank dead last in their division, after all, and a glance at their ghastly -160 run differential this season just hammers that point home.
They’re tied for the worst hitting team in a game where you need to hit. Their 91 wRC+ binds them with their frequent cellarmates from Denver, the Colorado Rockies, in last place there.
Their pitchers walk more batters per 9 innings than any other club, fueling a FIP that’s better than only one club in the sport. Their xFIP – at 4.79 – is worsted only by those same Rockies, who just wrapped up a fourth straight 100+ loss season.
Defensive metrics are notoriously all over the place, but one – Defensive Runs Saved – tends to stand out as the most telling year over year. The Cincinnati Reds rank dead last in that metric this season with just four more games left to play.
The Cincinnati Reds cannot hit, cannot pitch, and cannot field in a sport where the three things you must do 162 nights a year are hit, pitch, and field. A more perfect recipe for being dead last in one’s division there must not be.
It’s simple to stare at the ends and point out the obvious. This is a bad baseball team that looked bad at the outset, played badly, and is now in a bad, bad place in the standings. More telling, though, is observing the means to which those ends were produced, and for the Reds those means are just as last place as the product itself.
‘Why aren’t we the Brewers?’ How the Reds remain in limbo while other small-market clubs succeed. With @ctrent, unlocked and free to read. https://t.co/XYoua5ZSFx
In a rather scathing expose from The Athletic, the disconnect between the Castellini-led ownership group of the Reds and the Nick Krall-led front office could not be laid more bare.
The owners could not be more obvious in their dreams of being successful while simultaneously being more oblivious to their own meddling. The front office, continually stubbing its toes in attempts to persuade the owners into making more practical moves, has been forced to pivot to their second and third backup plans, most all of which have blown up in their faces in spectacular failure. Yet here those factions are, familiar in a Butter Battle Book way, insistent that they be the only two voices that ever get the chance to steer the wheel of this once proud franchise.
Neither seems able to budge. The Castellinis won’t sell, won’t change, and won’t change a thing about the front office that can’t get out of its own way. That has become the Reds way, even though it has tanked any and all interest in the club despite the roster boasting a handful of the single most electric talents in the sport today.
The term dinosaurs often gets lobbed around about individuals who have simply been everpresent for so long they must be decrepit. Dinosaurs also need be used to explain how a whole sect of sentient beings went extinct due to an inability to adapt to the pressures around them, and for the Reds that latter definition rings more true today than perhaps at any point in their century and a half of professional existence.
The Reds are broken, and the only people capable of fixing that simply won’t.
Aaron Judge's mildly defiant stance on the health of his right groin prompted New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone to note that the club will "see where he's at" when the team opens its American League wild card series Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Boone, appearing on Sirius XM Radio Thursday, responded to Judge's comments to ESPN a day earlier that he has "no control" over Boone's assessment that the 6-foot-7 slugger will likely miss the wild-card round after suffering the calf injury Sept. 16.
"The bottom line is he got ruled out for the regular season as he tries to get going here. He’s doing everything possible he can to be an option," Boone said Thursday. "The reality is we have several days left and we’ll see where we are when that day comes.
"When we start the playoffs, the first round, hopefully we move on – I can’t answer that. Hopefully we move on. His body will tell us that and all I know is Judgey is doing everything he can to put himself in play as soon as possible."
Judge was diagnosed with a moderate grade right calf strain. The muscle is not torn, which offers up for a return during the playoffs, yet the range of recovery is significantly variable.
The Yankees will host the best-of-three wild card series in the Bronx, almost certainly against the rival Boston Red Sox.
TORONTO - JUNE 20: Fred Lewis #15 and John McDonald #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrate John McDonald home run against the San Francisco Giants at the Rogers Centre during a MLB game June 20, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images) | Getty Images
John McDonald celebrates his 52ndbirthday today.
John McDonald enjoyed a remarkable career, especially for someone with a lifetime .233/.273/.323 slash line. How does a player last 16 years in the majors with numbers like that? The answer: exceptional defensive ability. Several years ago, I asked Brian Butterfield about Mac.
Last year in Seattle, we watched fielding practice before the game, and John McDonald was out there to the very end. That’s why he’s so good at it?
That’s exactly right, he’s the best I’ve ever been around. I’ve told several people in the game that he has the best work ethic and gets himself into the right position, which is better than any infield that I’ve ever had. I’ve been blessed to be around some great ones. And it’s not a mistake for me when he makes a play in the hole that brings the house down. I don’t get as excited because it’s something I expect from him, and it’s something he’s rehearsed so many times. He’s rehearsed going into the hole and getting the ball in the air as quickly as he can. He rehearses it. He rehearses it at game speed. When you look at him after he takes ground balls,, he’s got a lather, he’s tired, and practices defense quickly at game speed the way you should. He’s the best.
I watched McDonald take infield practice many times and always enjoyed it. He gave maximum effort every time, making sure to throw every ball straight over the top—never sidearm or three-quarters. While he had natural talent, his greatness as a defensive player was rooted in his relentless work ethic.
That was part of his appeal—he made us believe that with enough effort, we could be like him. Of course, few are willing to work that hard, but the hope is there. It reminds me of a scene in Kill Bill, where Quentin Tarantino’s character explains he prefers Batman to Superman, because Batman represents the idea that anyone could become a hero with enough dedication, while Superman is just born with it.
He played seven seasons for us and quickly became a fan favourite, even though he never started regularly. There’s something about backups—they’re harder to blame when the team loses.
Another reason for his long career—despite his limited bat—is that he’s simply a good guy. Everyone seems to like him. When you see a player stick around longer than his numbers suggest he should, it’s usually because he’s a great teammate. There’s a life lesson in that: skills matter, but being someone everyone likes can only help. If he wanted, he could easily move into coaching or managing.
When Cito Gaston was managing, he worked with McDonald on pulling the ball more aggressively. For a while, it paid off—Mac hit six home runs in 152 at-bats, including a hot streak in August 2010 when he batted .382/.417/.765 with three home runs in 34 at-bats. Pitchers soon adjusted, throwing pitches harder to pull, and his numbers dipped to .200/.222/.300 in September. Still, it was a worthwhile experiment; those six home runs marked a career high. Given more time, I believe Cito could have helped him adjust to outside pitches as well.
John McDonald currently serves as a roving coach for the Cleveland Guardians.
His ‘Father’s Day’ home run remains one of my all-time favourite Blue Jays moments.
Happy birthday, John!
Today marks Jim Acker’s 68th birthday.
Acker served as a reliever for the Blue Jays from 1983 to July 1986, and again from 1989 to 1991. Had he stayed just one more year, he would have earned a World Series ring.
Originally the Braves’ first-round pick (#21 overall) in 1980, he joined the Blue Jays through the Rule 5 draft prior to the 1983 season.
As a Rule 5 pick, Acker remained on the Blue Jays roster throughout 1983 and quickly established himself as one of the team’s more reliable pitchers, finishing with a 5-1 record and a 4.33 ERA over 38 games (5 starts) as a 24-year-old rookie. In 1984, despite some injuries, he appeared in 32 games (3 starts) and posted a 4.38 ERA.
The Blue Jays used a closer-by-committee approach in 1985, and Acker had a strong season: 7-2 record, 3.23 ERA, and 10 saves in 61 appearances (our relievers racked up plenty of wins that year—Dennis Lamp went 11-0).
That season marked the Blue Jays’ first-ever playoff appearance. Jim pitched in two postseason games, covering six innings, and allowed just two hits with no walks and five strikeouts. In July 1986, Acker was traded back to Atlanta for right-handed starter Joe Johnson, who made 29 starts for Toronto over the next two seasons, posting a 10-7 record with a 4.42 ERA.
Acker played for the Braves until August 24, 1989, when they traded him back to Toronto for Francisco Cabrera and Tony Castillo. Cabrera would later become a postseason hero for the Braves with his series-winning hit in the 1992 NLCS, though Atlanta ultimately lost to the Blue Jays in the World Series.
Acker was outstanding down the stretch in 1989, posting a 1.59 ERA over 14 games and 28.1 innings, helping Toronto secure another playoff berth. In the ALCS against the A’s, he pitched in all five games and recorded a 1.42 ERA over 6.1 innings, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out four.
Acker followed up with a solid 1990 campaign (3.82 ERA in 59 games, 91.2 innings). 1991 was less successful, as his ERA rose to 5.20 over 54 games and 88.1 innings. The Blue Jays made the playoffs again, losing to the Twins in the ALCS; Acker appeared in one game.
After the season, he signed with the Mariners and pitched in 17 games, marking the end of his MLB career.
Acker appeared in ten big-league seasons, making 467 appearances (32 starts), with a 4.45 ERA, a 33-49 record, and 30 saves. Seven of those years were spent in Toronto. He wasn’t a strikeout specialist, averaging just 4.8 K/9, but that was a different era—relievers were used for multiple innings and pitched to contact to keep pitch counts down.
Happy birthday, Jim! Hope you have a great day.
Paul Spoljaric is celebrating his 56th birthday today.
Paul was a left-handed reliever for the Blue Jays, born in scenic Kelowna, BC. He joined the team as an amateur free agent, since Canadians were not included in the draft back in 1989.
He made the team out of spring training in 1994 but struggled in his first two appearances and didn’t return until 1996. That year, he fared much better, posting a 3.08 ERA in 28 games.
Spoljaric followed up with a strong 1997, recording a 3.19 ERA in 37 games. That year, the Jays traded him and Mike Timlin to the Mariners for Jose Cruz Jr., a former first-round pick and top prospect. Timlin and Spoljaric helped Seattle reach the playoffs, while Cruz went on to hit 122 home runs for Toronto over six seasons. It may have been Ash’s best trade for the Blue Jays.
After a difficult 1998 season in Seattle (6.48 ERA), Spoljaric was traded to the Phillies before 1999. In May, the Blue Jays brought him back, sending Robert Person to Philadelphia—the same Person Toronto had acquired from the Mets in the John Olerud deal.
Spoljaric appeared in 37 games for Toronto in 1999, making two starts and recording a 4.65 ERA.
After the season, Toronto traded Spoljaric and Pat Hentgen to the Cardinals for Alberto Castillo, Matt DeWitt, and Lance Painter—a trade that ultimately had little impact for the Jays. Spoljaric was released before the 2000 season, then signed with the Royals, where he pitched 13 games to close out his MLB career.
He played six seasons in the majors, including four with the Blue Jays. Across his career, Spoljaric appeared in 195 games (12 starts), posting a 5.52 ERA and recording four saves.
Happy birthday, Paul!
Kevin Millar is celebrating his 55th birthday today.
Millar spent his final big league season with the Blue Jays, brought in for his veteran presence. However, he hit just .223/.311/.363 over 78 games, and as a first baseman/DH, those numbers weren’t enough to secure his role—no matter how good he was in the clubhouse. After he left, it seemed most of his ‘veteran presence’ involved reminiscing about his time with the Red Sox.
He wasn’t one of my favourites.
Millar played 12 seasons in the majors, suiting up for the Marlins (5 years), Red Sox (3), Orioles (3), and Blue Jays. Over 1,427 games, he batted .274/.358/.452 with 170 home runs and a 14.2 bWAR (with -0.7 coming during his time with Toronto).
He earned a World Series ring with the 2004 Red Sox and played a key role in their legendary comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS. In Game 4’s ninth inning, down by a run, Millar drew a walk off Mariano Rivera. Dave Roberts pinch-ran, stole second, and the rest is history.
Happy birthday, Kevin!
Moisés Sierra turns 38 today.
Moisés was a top Jays prospect a few years back. He ended up playing 97 games with the Jays, over three seasons, hitting .229/.290/.368. We lost him on waivers to the White Sox. From there he went to the Royals, Marlins and Nationals.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 28: VJ Edgecombe #77, Tyrese Maxey #0 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Ever since the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown—and especially ever since they signed LeBron James a few weeks later—one question has repeatedly popped up: Who will take the last shot for them?
NBA teams typically have an established pecking order in crunch time. The Denver Nuggets are going to run their offense through Nikola Jokić, the Los Angeles Lakers are going to run theirs through Luka Dončić, so on and so forth.
The Sixers might be the rare outlier in that regard. When they have all five of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid out on the floor, they’ll have five legitimate go-to options. Allocating one of them as the primary last-shot-taker would be a grievous misuse of their unique roster.
It would also be anathema to LeBron’s ethos.
As strange as this is to say about the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron’s greatest gift is his passing ability. He’ll likely be handling the ball and running the offense plenty during crunch time, but that doesn’t mean he’ll always be taking the last shot. Quite the contrary, in fact.
“You always make the right play,” James told reporters last December after his streak of 1,297 straight games with 10-plus points came to an end. (Instead of trying to extend his streak, he passed to Rui Hachimura for a game-winning three-pointer.) “That’s just been my M.O. That’s how I was taught the game. I’ve done that my whole career.”
The Sixers’ collection of talent this season should afford them a rare opportunity, particularly once the playoffs roll around. They’ll be able to mismatch-hunt like few (if any?) other teams.
When Jalen Brunson went into seek-and-destroy mode against James Harden in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals this past spring, he single-handedly flipped that game back in favor of the Knicks. An apathetic defender like Harden will have nowhere to hide against the Sixers’ starting lineup. They can hunt him with whomever he’s guarding, even if that changes on a possession-by-possession basis.
You’re guarding Edgecombe? Great! Oh, you’re gonna try to guard Maxey now? Good luck. You’re shifting over to Brown or LeBron? LOL.
If the Sixers are facing an overmatched frontcourt, they can funnel their offense through Embiid. If they’re going against a defensively challenged backcourt, Maxey and Edgecombe can take the reins. And if they’re matched up against a team without strong wing defenders, Brown and LeBron can take turns bullying their way to the basket.
The “who takes the last shot?” mentality is the exact wrong way to think about this year’s Sixers team. That’s the sort of ego-driven madness that they need to avoid like the plague.
They’re well aware of that, too.
“Obviously, on paper, we’re excellent,” Brown said during his introductory press conference in August. “We have a lot of talent compared to other teams in the league. But I’ve been around a long time, long enough to know that just what you have on paper don’t really mean nothing. It can, if you put the work in. But it also, if you allow distractions, if you allow the media to get into your locker room, if you allow certain things and personalities don’t work, it can be a detriment.”
Whenever the Sixers’ crunch-time offense bogs down, critiques are bound to come flooding in. Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins will be blabbing on ESPN about why the Sixers made the wrong choice—regardless of who actually takes the last shot—and why it means they’re doomed to fail. Given his well-documented hatred of LeBron, Skip Bayless’ part-time return to First Take could not be coming at a worse time.
Luckily, it’s easier than ever to entirely tune that nonsense out. Step 1: Just log off Twitter for a while. Your brain will thank you.
The good news is that the Sixers’ party line heading into training camp is all about sacrifice.
“As far as the chemistry off the court, guys are communicating, guys are having a good time doing it, guys are really pumping each other up, and guys are also willing to sacrifice,” Maxey told ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly. “It’s just what they’ve said. So when we step on the court, we have to kind of embody all those things that we’ve been talking about.
“Sacrificing, coming together as one, and going out there competing every single night. Those are the three things that we really have to focus on.”
The architect of this roster, Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, echoed that sentiment during an August appearance on Midday With Marks.
“It’s gonna be exciting just because we have so much talent,” Gansey said. “The guys, I think want to sacrifice. We’ve gotta get to camp. We haven’t even had a practice or played a game. So we’ve gotta see if this thing works, obviously. I like the pieces and the talent we have, but we’ve gotta get to a practice first to see how this works. I think it’s gonna work because these guys are gonna wanna be together, and they see the big picture, I think. And that’s what’s exciting.”
If the Sixers’ starters keep their egos in check this season, the last-shot question won’t be a question at all. There shouldn’t be a single go-to option in those situations. It should vary on a game-by-game basis depending on where their opponent is weakest, no matter what the likes of Smith, Perkins and Bayless will inevitably say whenever they come up short.
LeBron’s make-the-right-play mentality is the way forward for the Sixers this season. Trust the process.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning during the game against the Kansas City Royals at PNC Park on September 18, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, September 24, 2026, 12:35 p.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates are facing off in the finale a three-game set inside PNC Park against the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s the final game of the season at PNC Park, so the Pirates hope to send their fans home with a win.
Kyle Leahy (10-5, 3.65 ERA) will start for the Cardinals. He only went 3 innings in his last start on September 18 against the Washington Nationals, giving up 5 hits and 6 earned runs in a 9-1 loss at Busch Stadium. Likey has not made it to the 5th inning in any of his last 5 starts, so that opens the door for the Pirates to pounce early. One of those games was against the Pirates back on August 29, when he only went 3 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 run in a 6-2 loss.
Paul Skenes (10-11, 3.91 ERA) is making his final start of the season for the Pirates. After an up-and-down year for the third-year ace, Skenes will hope to go out on a high note against the Cardinals, whom he lost to back on April 30 when the Cardinals were last at PNC Park in a 10-5 defeat.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Kyle Leahy (10-5, 3.65 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (10-11, 3.91 ERA)
BD community, this is your game thread against the St. Louis Cardinals. Chime off in the comments section below.
Feb 26, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen (34) slams his stick into the boards as he is replaced by goaltender Nico Daws (50) in the third period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Goaltending around the NHL can be one of the most volatile positions with the largest array of results. Teams have won Stanley Cups with average (and sometimes worse) goaltending while some goalies have stood on their heads and played lights out only to be knocked out due to other factors. It’s not to say that you don’t want a strong performer at the position, but rather at least competence. The New Jersey Devils plan this season seems to be at least somewhat linked to that concept.
For Devils fans, goaltending remains one of the most important conversations surrounding the team. The position has been a carousel ever since Cory Schneider’s prime ended due to injuries and GM Sunny Mehta has already made his mark on the team in the offseason by augmenting most parts of the Devils’ lineup, including to some extent, in net. The starting goaltender has changed, with Mehta shipping Jacob Markstrom out to Florida where he’s already doing Markstrom things. In his place is…well, about that…
The Main Tandem
The good news for the Devils is that Jake Allen is back after another strong season as the backup. While Allen had some stinkers of games, he did post a .904 save percentage and a 2.74 goals against average in 37 games, which was far superior to what Markstrom posted in his 44 games. While only 17 of those appearances were wins, some of the blame for the 20 losses is shared by the team and their overall performance. The goals against and save percentage and basically in line with his career averages, so while I’m sure Allen, the team and the fans all would have preferred some better results, at least statistically speaking Jake held up his end of the deal for the Devils in 2025-26.
The difference for Jake right now for 2026-27 is simply the fact that for the time being at least, he’s penciled in as the team’s starter. Again, going off of stats, that’s already an improvement from what Markstrom gave the team last season as the starter. The concern here has to be that at this later stage of his career, the larger Allen’s workload is, the more he seems to struggle, and that could result in him posting some Markstrom-esque stats. Hopefully with the other improvements the Devils have made and with a healthy team to start the season, it will be enough to help Jake shoulder an expected increase in his workload.
As per the backup, things could still change based on how the preseason shakes out, but most likely Nico Daws will finally be getting promoted to a full time NHL role. Mehta has said in interviews that while Daws seemingly didn’t have a path to the NHL level before to prove whether or not he has developed to the point of belonging here, but now he is being given that chance. Daws has looked good in flashes and small samples, but he has also struggled at the AHL level, although much like Allen’s situation from last season, some of that blame belongs to the team around him as well.
While Sunny seems to believe in Daws, right now there seem to be more question marks around him than answers. He has limited NHL action so far in his career, and hasn’t really stablished himself to make himself seem like a sure thing, even just as a backup. His first preseason game against players who are likely to start the year on the Hartford Wolf Pack also did not inspire much confidence. It’s a good thing for the Devils to be giving Daws a chance to sink or swim (pun somewhat intended?), but if he falters, the team may need to turn to the depth that they brought in over the summer.
The Rest of the Depth Chart
Another change from last year is that the Devils are projected to have some veteran depth in Utica this season. They added David Rittich on a one year deal this summer, and while in initially seemed as though the Devils might run a three goalie rotation (and arguably they still could) it’s looking more likely that he starts the season in Utica. Rittich has been hot and cold in terms of his play throughout his career, but he does bring competence as he posted better stats than Markstrom in 30 games with the Islanders last season. Considering that he’s here to be depth and costs 1/6 of what Markstrom would have made, this is a good deal from Mehta to have in case of struggles/injuries to either of the two tenders ahead of him on the depth chart. He performed well in his first preseason start to boot, so having him in the fold bodes well for New Jersey.
As per the younger side of goaltending in the minors, not much has changed. Jakub Malek ascends to the position of Jake #2 with Allen’s promotion to Jake #1, and will probably shoulder most of Utica’s goaltending load as the Devils/Comets continue to evaluate if the youngster has a future within the organization. His first season on North American ice wasn’t much to write home about, so it will be interesting to see what progression, if any, he makes during this upcoming campaign.
The Devils chose not to qualify Tyler Brennan after last season ended and also did not sign any of the four other goalies who they drafted that are currently unsigned, so as of right now, as far as goalies for the Devils go (and not just players on AHL deals) that’s the depth chart. If either Rittich or Daws are waived and get claimed at some point during the season (unlikely, but you never know) the Devils’ depth looks very thin in terms of guys who could make NHL appearances.
Final Thoughts and Your Take
Health and no untimely waiver claims will have to be on the radar, but this season needs to be about someone in net stepping up and establishing themself as the guy who can give the Devils a chance to win on a nightly basis. Whether Allen finds his consistency, Daws steps up and proves he belongs, or Rittich finds some magic and steals the job, Devils fans should not care; I know I don’t. I want someone to seize the reins and help to lead this team to success. I’m also hopeful that the change in goaltending coach might finally lead to someone actually improving instead of stagnating/worsening. With only two preseason games left to go before the points start to count, we will be finding out soon if all the pieces in net can come together.
What are your thoughts on the New Jersey Devils goaltenders as the 2026-27 season approaches; are you confident one of them will give the team what it needs? Do you think the change in coaching will have an impact? Is there anyone you’re worried about underperforming? How concerned are you regarding injuries and possible waiver claims? Who’s your pick to be the Devils #1? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!
The Montreal Canadiens now have only two games left in their shortened preseason, and it’s time for Martin St-Louis to take a long, hard look at his chessboard and decide what he wants to do. The players have been on the ice for over a week now, and something has become crystal clear: David Reinbacher is ready to take the next step. It’s a shame for Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj, but they didn’t grab a roster spot when they had the opportunity. Neither could land the final blow and force the coach to anoint them as the sixth defender.
Now, Reinbacher has effectively overtaken them. In the one game he played with Lane Hutson, he looked very good, and Hutson himself spoke about his young partner in glowing terms. In the past, Struble could play alongside Hutson at times, but he was nothing more than a stopgap. Now, with Kaiden Guhle injured, Reinbacher was given an opportunity, and he grabbed it with both hands. He didn’t play a spectacular game, but he played a good, reliable one—the kind of game you want from a defensive defenseman.
Where does that leave Stuble and Xhekaj? Well, potentially on the outside looking in. Neither of them has ever had as long a leash as Alexandre Carrier. St-Louis trusts Carrier far more than he trusts them, which makes it clear he’ll be the fifth defenseman in Guhle’s absence. The question now becomes: who plays better with Carrier? Struble or Xhekaj? Carrier looks better with Guhle or Hutson; that’s normal, but the Habs will likely put Reinbacher in the best position to succeed, and right now that means playing with Hutson.
Struble and Xhekaj have both struggled so far at camp, and it’s not easy to say which has earned the right to make the opening-night roster. Right now, the answer seems to be: neither. They have one split game left to convince the coach that the spot should be theirs. If things play out as one would expect up front, with the players who have NHL contracts making the roster and the others, including Florian Xhekaj, being sent down, it will give a bit of an advantage to the older Xhekaj, as the Canadiens will need the sandpaper he brings more. If, however, the Habs decide it’s time to send a message to some players and keep the younger Xhekaj in the NHL, it could make it easier for the coach to scratch number 72. Isn’t that ironic, as one Canadian singer once sang?
St-Louis’ pairings in the next split-squad games against the Ottawa Senators will likely tell us a lot. If Hutson is still skating alongside Reinbacher, it will signal that the Habs are ready to let him take a step up. If Carrier is in the lineup with either Struble or Xhekaj, it will mean that guy has the inner lane. If, however, they play together, it will mean St-Louis still doesn’t know which of the two should be in the lineup come September 29. They did do well as a pairing in the first round of the playoffs last season, but at camp? It really hasn’t worked out. Yes, Struble scored a goal, but the younger Xhekaj’s heavy forecheck made it possible; if he doesn’t force Ottawa to turn that puck over, there is no goal.
Whoever wins that sixth spot for opening night won’t be safe for long, though. Guhle will soon be ready to return, and it's clear who will need to come out of the lineup to make way. Will the Canadiens keep eight defensemen around so they don't lose anyone on waivers? Perhaps, or they’ll realize it’s finally time to keep one of Struble and Xhekaj and trade the other.
Both are 25, playing the last year of their contracts, and will be RFA with arbitration rights next offseason, which makes them easy to trade. Whoever acquires them will still have them under control at season's end. It’s hard to know which one would bring the best return on the trade market, but from the rumblings over the last couple of seasons, Xhekaj may be the one who would drum up more interest.
It’s a shame because Xhekaj brings something to the table that few players do, but if St-Louis isn't willing to “unleash” him from time to time, there is no point in hanging on to him instead of turning him into another asset.
