DETROIT — Athletics outfielder Zack Gelof left in the third inning of a 4-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers after injuring his right knee when he slammed it into the left field fence in foul territory while making a sliding catch.
Manager Mark Kotsay said after the game Gelof has a deep cut underneath his right kneecap and will have tests.
“Fortunately, it just missed the tendon,” Kotsay told reporters. “He’ll be reevaluated tomorrow to verify that with an MRI.”
Leading off the third in a scoreless game, Zach McKinstry lofted a pitch from Jack Perkins down the left field line. Gelof made a long run into foul territory before he slid and made a terrific catch for the out, but his right knee slammed into the fencing that juts out.
Gelof immediately grabbed his knee in obvious pain, a tear in his uniform pants showing where his leg made contact with the fence. The outfielder got back to his feet after a few moments and limped back to his spot in left field as Kotsay and head athletic trainer Jeff Collins jogged out to check on him.
Gelof quickly went down to the ground again and was replaced by Colby Thomas, who opened the game in right field. Lawrence Butler took over in right.
Gelof grounded out in his only at-bat in the second. He’s hitting .273 with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs in what has been a bounce-back season after starting out at Triple-A Las Vegas. The 26-year-old outfielder/infielder had a 24-game hitting streak stopped on June 23 after he was forced to leave against San Francisco when Matt Chapman inadvertently stepped on Gelof’s right hand as the second baseman was applying the tag with his glove hand.
Gelof, who was placed on the injured list with a bruised hand, also had his on-base streak of 27 games end, along with a streak of scoring in 13 consecutive games. He was activated on July 4.
DETROIT — Eduardo Valencia made some history for the Detroit Tigers, got emotional while thanking his family and home country of earthquake-rocked Venezuela, and then celebrated after the game with a hug from his wife on the field.
The 26-year-old catcher became the 10th Detroit player to homer in his first career plate appearance, helping the Tigers to a 4-1 victory over the Athletics that completed a series sweep.
“I was waiting a lot for this, for my family, for Venezuela and I’m so excited,” Valencia said as his voice cracked and he fought back tears during an on-field interview on the Tigers’ broadcast after the game.
Valencia was called up from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day with All-Star catcher Dillon Dingler recovering from a bruised right hand. Valencia entered as a pinch-hitter for Kerry Carpenter in the seventh inning against Hogan Harris and sent a 425-foot shot to center to cap the scoring for Detroit.
“I was just thinking, like, I was trying to hit (with) contact,” Valencia said. “Get a good pitch, just be the most calm that I can do it. I was so excited.”
He’s the first Tigers player to homer in his first big-league at-bat since Akil Baddoo on April 4, 2021.
The native of Valencia, Venezuela pointed to the sky and pounded his chest as he rounded the bases with a huge smile, then pointed to his wife in the stands and made a heart symbol with his hands. He later gave her a big hug after the game.
Valencia’s thoughts also were with his parents, who couldn’t make the trip to see his debut, and the people of Venezuela, who are recovering from a rare double earthquake on June 24 that killed at least 920 and injured another 3,360, authorities said. Many more are feared dead.
“This is for all Venezuela people,” Valencia said of his big debut, thanking his family and coaches. “They gave me everything.”
A couple of Valencia’s happy teammates then dumped a bucket of water on him as the fans remaining in the stands cheered.
Valencia, who stayed in the game as the Tigers’ designated hitter after his homer, was hit by a pitch from Mark Leiter Jr. in his second plate appearance.
Valencia was signed by the Tigers in 2018 as an 18-year-old player and he appeared in 439 games over eight-plus seasons in the minors before making his big league debut. He didn’t reach the Triple-A level until last year, when he played in 50 games with Toledo, and then appeared in 76 games this season.
“I mean, this is so exciting,” Valencia said. “I’m just trying to help the team to win. ... I was waiting a lot (time) for this moment. It’s so exciting. ... I can’t talk right now.”
Friday's MLB card is loaded with star power, and a few of baseball's biggest bats find themselves in favorable matchups.
Before locking in your MLB player props, here are my MLB picks I'm targeting to leave their mark tonight.
UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Yordan Alvarez
+238
Kody Clemens
+339
Rafael Devers
+380
Home run pick: Yordan Alvarez (+238)
My mouth waters when I see the name Cal Quantrill, because he is simply a gift to us home run-loving sons of guns.
So far this season against left-handed bats, the Rangers starter is allowing a 76.6% elevation rate, 15.6% barrel rate, and 40% hard-hit rate. Those hitters are generating a .460 xSLG and .377 xwOBA against him.
Yordan Alvarez enters Friday with an elite rating on Batters-Box while covering all of Quantrill’s pitches. In 22 games this season when Alvarez has received an elite rating, he has left the yard 31.82% of the time. Over the last 3 seasons, he has hit a home run in 21% of his games with an elite rating across 233 appearances.
Over his last 60 at-bats against right-handed pitching, Alvarez has maintained a .286 BA, .551 SLG, .968 OPS, and .265 ISO while generating a 55.6% hard-hit rate and 19.4% barrel rate.
Leave the yard and make our Friday great, Yordan.
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CW33, SCHN
Home run pick: Kody Clemens (+339)
The Rocket's son finds himself in another boom spot, as he draws Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez on Friday. Kody Clemens enters the matchup with an elite rating while covering over 91% of Rodriguez’s subpar pitch mix. In 27 elite-rated matchups this season, the Twins slugger has left the yard 22.22% of the time.
Over his last 60 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, Clemens has been crushing the baseball, posting a .561 SLG, .844 OPS, and .298 ISO while generating a 58.7% hard-hit rate and 13% barrel rate.
Rodriguez has struggled against left-handed bats this season, allowing a 52.2% hard-hit rate and a 67.4% elevation rate. Lefties have also posted a .361 batting average, .651 SLG, and .469 wOBA against him.
With both sides generating plenty of hard contact, this feels like another spot for the Twins slugger to leave the yard.
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MNNT, ABTV
Home run pick: Rafael Devers (+380)
It is hard to pass up a near 4-to-1 home run price on someone who has been absolutely crushing right-handed pitching. Over his last 60 plate appearances against righties, Giants slugger Rafael Devers owns a .388 BA, .980 SLG, 1.480 OPS and .592 ISO, while generating a 55% hard hit rate and 20% barrel rate.
Devers draws Tanner Gordon, whom he holds a 64.8% arsenal coverage rating against across his entire pitch mix. Gordon’s arsenal grades below league average on FanGraphs, and he has been getting hit hard by left-handed bats, allowing a 62.7% elevation rate and 50.7% hard hit rate, while surrendering a .716 SLG and .454 wOBA.
On Batters-Box, Devers owns the highest matchup rating on the slate using the default ratings dating back the last 3 seasons. In 247 elite ratings, Devers has gone deep 22% of the time.
This is one of my favorite long ball matchups of the day. Let Devers MASH!
Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSBA, COLR
Today’s HR parlay
Yordan Alvarez
Bet Now +6700
Kody Clemens
Rafael Devers
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 76-265, +11.5 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 17: John Schreiber #46 of the Kansas City Royals looks on prior to the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Kansas City Royals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Earlier this week, we asked how many players the Royals need to trade away before the deadline
92% of you thought the Royals needed to trade at least three players at this deadline. That’s not surprising at all, but what is at least a little surprising is that the number of five or more voters isn’t that large. When I originally wrote the poll question, I didn’t realize how many tradeable players the Royals had. The list I added to the original poll post came after the fact and was as much to help me figure out how I was ultimately going to vote.
For those of you who don’t remember and don’t want to click that link, here is the list of potentially tradeable Royals:
Players on expiring contracts:
Lane Thomas
Starling Marte
Matt Strahm
Kris Bubic
Jonathan India
John Schreiber
Carlos Estévez
Players who might be considered valuable (but replaceable) veterans with contracts that do not expire at the end of the season
Michael Wacha
Seth Lugo
Lucas Erceg
Alex Lange
Daniel Lynch IV
Kyle Isbel
Vinnie Pasquantino
Nick Mears
Michael Massey
Salvador Perez
There are at least four healthy players in the expiring contracts category, five if Bubic can get his act together. So basically, almost as many of you are happy keeping every single guy the Royals might have back next year as think they should trade at least one of them. For what it’s worth, I stand with the 43% who voted five or more. As I mentioned on the most recent Royals Rundown podcast, I think the Royals need to empty out their bullpen. No one in there has been good enough that I feel excited about bringing them back next year, and if they can bring back any kind of value (including young pitchers who might turn into relief studs next year), then the Royals should get rid of them. Steven Cruz and Beck Way are the only relievers I’m even remotely interested in seeing on next year’s roster. Unless you include Luinder Avila as a reliever (which, honestly, I do.)
Additionally, while Lugo probably doesn’t have much in the way of trade value anymore, I really think they should try to get someone else to take Wacha while he’s still at what is almost certainly the peak of his value and try to replace Wacha with a similarly savvy free agent signing this offseason. It’s not that I don’t like Wacha, it’s just that I think the Royals have shown an ability to find starting pitching just about everywhere, and if they could use him to patch multiple holes or one hole with a really good prospect, I think it makes the most sense for them to do so.
The rumor is that the Royals feel like they’ll have to be blown away by an offer for Wacha in order to deal him, and in recent history, they’ve not ever been blown away by any trade offer. So he’ll probably stay put. Maybe that isn’t the worst outcome in the world, but if they pair it with keeping all of their “controllable” relievers, I might scream.
OMAHA, NEBRASKA - JUNE 20: Gavyn Jones #18 of the Oklahoma Sooners pitches during the eighth inning against the North Carolina Tar Heels in Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals at Charles Schwab Field on June 20, 2026 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As is tradition at Amazin’ Avenue (2025, 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019), we take a look back at the high school players players who declined to sign with the Mets out of high school in order to attend college and see how their careers have gone now that they’re draft eligible once again. In 2023, the Mets drafted six high school players. Of those six, five signed with the club- Colin Houck, A.J. Ewing, Boston Baro, John Valle, and Jake Zitella- while one- Gavyn Jones- elected not to. Jones is a junior and now eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft, so let’s check in and see what he’s been up to and how he’s been doing.
Gavyn Jones, LHP (18th Round, 546 Overall)
With their 18th round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Mets selected Gavyn Jones, a left-handed pitcher from White Oak High School in White Oak Texas. The southpaw won Texas District 15-3A Most Valuable Player honors that spring, hitting .490 with 12 doubles, 2 triples, 11 home runs, and 16 stolen bases in 18 attempts and posting a 0.97 ERA in 79 innings on the mound, walking 47 and striking out 144. The 6’2”, 205-pound left-hander had a fastball that sat in the low-to-mid-90s at the time and complemented it with a raw but projectable slider and a raw but projectable changeup.
Jones initially had a commitment to Texas Tech, but that fell through and he ended up attending McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. Jones appeared in 8 games for the Highlanders, starting 4, and posted a 14.54 ERA in 13.0 innings, allowing 21 earned runs on 20 hits and 18 walks while striking out 13. Additionally, he had 48 at-bats and hit .271/.352/.458 with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 1 stolen base in 2 attempts, and drew 5 walks to 13 strikeouts.
Draft eligible once again due to his status as a junior college student, Jones went unselected in the 2024 MLB Draft. He entered the transfer portal and was accepted into the University of Oklahoma baseball program. In his sophomore season, he appeared in 22 games, starting 1, and posted a 6.37 ERA in 29.2 innings, allowing 33 hits, walking 7, and striking out 28. Jones also appeared in two additional games as a hitter and went 3-3, giving him a 1.000/1.000/2.000 batting line for the year and comically putting him on the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year watch list.
That summer, the left-hander pitched in the Cape Cod Baseball League, pitching for the Chatham Anglers. He appeared in 7 games, starting 4, and posted a 5.33 ERA in 25.1 innings, allowing 32 hits, walking 9, and striking out 14. When he returned to Oklahoma in the fall, coach Skip Johnson had Jones officially transition to becoming a full-time pitcher.
The southpaw appeared in 22 games for the Sooners in 2026 and pitched 26.2 innings for the eventual College World Series champions. He posted a career-best 4.73 ERA and allowed 24 hits, walked 17, and struck out 28. In the NCAA regionals, he made 1 appearance and threw 2.0 scoreless innings against Georgia Tech Yellowjackets, allowing 1 hit, walking 1, and striking out 3. In the College World Series Championship Series, he made 1 appearance and threw 2.1 scoreless innings against the North Carolina Tar Heels, allowing 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 4.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 19: Tate Southisene speaks during a press conference at Truist Park on July 19, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We are one day away from Christmas in July as the MLB Draft, along with all the other festivities, is set to begin this weekend. There have been some changes, including the date and timings of the event so let’s review everything you need to know about the draft.
How To Watch
The draft will be held across two days with rounds 1-4 coming on Saturday, July 11th and rounds 5-20 on Sunday, July 20th.
Day 1
Coverage begins at 1:00 PM ET on NBC/Peacock for picks 1-10 of the first round..
Coverage will then shift to MLB Network for picks 11-40 (end of the 1st, PPI, competitive balance round A).
Coverage shifts again to MLB.com, MLB.tv for picks 41-135.
Day 2
Coverage begins at 11:30 AM ET for rounds 5-20 and will be found on MLB.com/MLB.tv
Where will the Braves pick in the draft order?
If you’re on this website in particular you’re here for Braves coverage so let’s focus on those picks in particular. The Braves received a PPI (Prospect Promotion Incentive) pick because Drake Baldwin started the season on the roster, and won Rookie of the Year, giving them an additional pick before the second round.
How much Draft Bonus Pool money do the Braves have?
Another result of the Drake Baldwin Rookie of the Year award is that the PPI pick comes with additional value, so the overall draft pool the Braves may draw from totals $15,870,800. The value is of importance because if a team exceeds that allotment by up to 5%, they pay an additional 75% tax on the that overage. These penalties increase the more you go over that threshold, but that is extremely rare.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 08: (L-R) Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with Jonathan Aranda #8 after defeating the New York Yankees 3-0 at Tropicana Field on July 08, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Did the Mariners have a tiny bit of momentum coming out of that homestand last week? You bet. Did they squander it all away immediately? Of course. After being swept in Miami, Seattle finds itself back at .500 and a half game behind the Rangers in the AL West. Just a year ago, the M’s were coming off a rough sweep on the road heading into the final series before the All-Star break against the best team in the American League. In one of the big turning points in their season, they swept the Tigers to head into the midseason break on a high note. Now, they’ve got that same opportunity in Tampa Bay.
The Rays have been one of the biggest surprises in the AL this year. After back-to-back fourth place finishes in the AL East in 2024 and ‘25, it seemed like the competitive window Tampa Bay had been building since ‘19 was slamming closed. Instead, they’re leading their division with the best record in the AL. They’re definitely a bit out over their skis — they’ve outperformed their Pythagorean record by five games and their Base Runs record by six games — but the wins they’ve banked already mean they’re almost guaranteed a postseason berth thanks to the mediocre playoff field behind them.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Yandy Díaz
DH
R
380
13.9%
9.7%
0.172
152
Jonathan Aranda
1B
L
393
22.1%
13.0%
0.162
134
Junior Caminero
3B
R
398
18.3%
12.3%
0.269
149
Cedric Mullins
CF
L
308
20.5%
8.4%
0.134
75
Chandler Simpson
LF
L
343
9.6%
5.2%
0.063
82
Victor Mesa Jr.
RF
L
96
24.0%
12.5%
0.171
85
Richie Palacios
2B
L
216
18.1%
11.1%
0.090
94
Taylor Walls
SS
S
259
25.1%
12.0%
0.069
77
Hunter Feduccia
C
L
129
28.7%
10.1%
0.107
85
The top three players in the Rays lineup carry most of the load. Junior Caminero has gone nuclear recently, blasting 12 home runs over his last 16 games. He’s one of the most dangerous young power hitters in the game and this hot streak has pushed him into the middle of the AL MVP race. Yandy Díaz is one of the few familiar names anchoring this lineup. He’s the longest tenured Ray at this point and is in the midst of his best offensive season since 2023. Jonathan Aranda is cut from the same mold as Díaz: a compact swing geared for hard, line drive contact and a solid approach at the plate. The rest of the lineup is filled with flexible role players and platoons which force opponents into uncomfortable matchups throughout the game.
It feels like Nick Martinez is the most spiritually Rays player who hasn’t actually played for Tampa Bay until this year. Over the past four years, he’s admirably served as a part-time starter, part-time swingman, and even saw some high-leverage work at times. He’s been solid no matter which role he’s playing. That’s the sort of flexibility the Rays covet, though they’ve deployed him as a full-time starter out of their rotation this year. He’s made the odd tradeoff to try and generate a lot more weak contact rather than swings and misses this year; he’s emphasized his sinker over his four-seamer and increased the usage of his fantastic changeup. The topline results are there — his 2.61 ERA is third best in the AL — but all of his peripherals scream regression.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Griffin Jax
65
25.6%
8.3%
20.3%
44.8%
3.60
4.49
Logan Gilbert
107.1
27.2%
5.3%
11.3%
35.1%
3.19
3.45
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
12.2%
20.6%
96.2
105
121
83
0.400
Sinker
32.1%
12.4%
95.6
98
104
100
0.377
Cutter
0.8%
7.7%
92.8
93
Changeup
10.9%
30.2%
91.3
101
129
86
0.278
Curveball
2.7%
12.7%
85.2
121
Sweeper
41.4%
16.5%
88.0
106
129
111
0.271
Griffin Jax was an odd trade deadline acquisition last July. The Rays weren’t in a position to buy, but they traded Taj Bradley straight up for Jax, who was one of the best setup men in baseball at the time. Jax struggled as a reliever with the Rays and the team decided to convert him to a starter on the fly in May. It’s not the worst idea in the world; Jax has a deep repertoire that didn’t fit a traditional high-leverage reliever. Things have worked out pretty well despite the odd timing of it all. Across 13 starts and 56 IP, he has a 2.89 ERA, 3.99 FIP, and 3.87 K/BB out of the rotation.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Ian Seymour
61.1
28.7%
8.4%
11.4%
30.2%
4.11
3.85
Emerson Hancock
97.2
24.0%
6.3%
11.1%
41.1%
3.23
3.69
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
30.9%
12.6%
91.7
106
119
111
0.292
Sinker
5.8%
28.2%
90.3
96
59
112
0.467
Cutter
1.8%
0.0%
87.1
Changeup
35.7%
24.4%
83.6
93
115
76
0.230
Curveball
2.0%
0.0%
73.0
Slider
0.7%
7.8%
82.7
123
Sweeper
23.1%
27.1%
81.4
123
115
156
0.234
The Rays have been able to use Nick Martinez in their starting rotation because they already have a pitcher fulfilling Martinez’s traditional role of part-time starter, part-time swingman, part-time high-leverage arm already. Ian Seymour started off last year in the bullpen but had a brief but successful stint as a starter to finish the season. Tampa Bay stuck him back in the bullpen to start this year and he eventually worked his way into a high-leverage role for a while. He’s been working as a starter for the past month and that might be his most successful role to date. Over his last six appearances, he’s allowed just 10 runs in 30.1 innings with an elite 6.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Rangers
47-46
0.505
—
-14
L-L-W-L-W
Mariners
47-47
0.500
0.5
+20
W-W-L-L-L
Astros
46-49
0.484
2.0
-48
W-W-L-W-L
Athletics
41-52
0.441
6.0
-84
L-L-L-L-L
Angels
37-57
0.394
10.5
-52
L-L-L-W-L
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Yankees
51-42
0.548
+4.5
+85
L-W-L-L-W
Guardians
48-46
0.511
+1.0
-9
L-L-L-L-W
Mariners
47-47
0.500
—
+20
W-W-L-L-L
Twins
46-48
0.489
1.0
-17
W-W-W-W-L
Astros
46-49
0.484
1.5
-48
W-W-L-W-L
Despite getting crushed 13-1 on Wednesday, the Rangers pulled off a series win against the Angels with a walk-off win yesterday. That pushed them back into first place in the division. The Astros lost their series against the Nationals earlier this week, though they’re still a game and half out in the Wild Card race. The two Texas teams meet this weekend in Arlington. The Athletics continue to tumble down the standings; they were swept by the Tigers this week, have lost six straight, and 14 of their last 17. They head to Chicago to face the White Sox ahead of the All-Star break.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Mohamed Diawara #51 of the New York Knicks plays defense during the game against the Brooklyn Nets during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 15, 2025 at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s only been 27 days since the Knicks lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy on a warm Saturday night in San Antonio, but in those four weeks, a lot of things have happened.
From the NBA Draft to free agency to the second apron math in trying to retain the championship core, it feels like the offseason is flying by. But while we’re still over three months away from Ring Night at Madison Square Garden, the orange and blue will be back on your screens tonight.
The Knicks begin a five-game Summer League journey tonight in Las Vegas against the crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets in a game that will simultaneously see pretty much three-quarters of one roster and zero rotation players on the other. That’s the state of these two franchises.
If you need a refresher on who’s on the team, refer here. Note that Jack Kayil, the team’s No. 39 overall pick, was added to the roster this week after some contract issues overseas.
Despite some noticeable absences on the roster and the team’s win-now prerogative leading to little young depth even eligible, there are still some storylines to watch starting tonight and throughout the next two weeks.
The Mo Diawara Show
The player on this team with the best chance of being a main contributor in the defending champion’s rotation is Mohamed Diawara. After all, they wouldn’t have the urgency to give him a four-year deal as a restricted free agent if not so.
This won’t be a Tyler Kolek-esque summer offense, where he’ll both run the offense and lead the way in shot attempts and scoring, but expect Diawara to get a lot more on-ball opportunities and work on his shot creation, playmaking, and three-point shooting, all of which he flashed in an impressive rookie year.
What I want to see from Diawara is a better slashing ability. He got played off the floor midway through his rookie year when he was really starting to gain steam because he wasn’t an automatic shooter and wasn’t able to consistently attack the gaps in the defense’s ghost coverage, which is what keeps Josh Hart playable. We didn’t see him dunk much, and his touch around the rim was suspect in limited action last year.
Diawara has the potential to be better than Hart because of his incredible size and length, but in a season where he’s going to be more of a connector and situational wing for this team, it wouldn’t hurt for him to do Hart-like things to carve out a role next year.
Can Pacôme Dadiet Take Advantage of the Opportunity?
Ah, Dadiet. The Knicks’ human victory cigar during their absolute bull rush through the Eastern Conference.
They’ll never tell you directly, but the reason why Dadiet is who the Knicks selected with their only first-round pick in the last five years was to save money. He took a very low amount with his rookie-scale contract to avoid being Eurostashed, and his sacrifice allowed the team to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns and stay under the second apron in 2024-25.
The team picked up his third-year option this offseason at a fairly manageable $2.98 million, but there is possibly no player with more to prove in this time than Dadiet, who will get a featured role alongside his longtime friend and countryman Diawara.
By the end of October, the Knicks will have to decide on Dadiet’s $5.37 million team option for 2027-28. For a player who has not received any consequential playing time through two seasons and on a team that seems to do everything possible to stay beneath the second apron, this seems like a decision that will go against Dadiet. After all, he’d become a restricted free agent in 2027 anyway if the decision backfired.
The only thing Dadiet can do from now until Decision Day is take advantage of opportunities in Summer League, training camp, and the preseason. There’s likely nothing he can do to become a true rotation player right away in 2026-27, but a strong summer could inspire confidence in him going forward and make him more than just a roster placeholder.
Consistently knocking down threes would constitute a realistic success story for him in this year’s Summer League. He’s never done that consistently in either the G League or his garbage-time cameos, and, as we all know, the clearest path to playing time for lanky wings is to be a 3-and-D role player.
The Rookies and their Contracts
Now that we have confirmation that Kayil will be in town, the Knicks will have both of their second-round rookies at Summer League with their futures very much in question.
For both players, a two-way spot is attainable, but an impressive offseason could also earn them a standard deal like Diawara did last year. The Knicks currently have 13 players rostered and will likely not have enough money beneath the second apron to get to 15 by the time the season starts. As of now, you assume that a veteran center will fill the 14th roster spot and that they’ll wait for No. 15 in the buyout market, but could Tyler Nickel change that by looking like an NBA-ready three-point sniper out of the gate?
Kayil wants to stay in America; he’s made that clear, but there’s no guarantee he will. I assume he’ll get a chance to run the offense as a combo guard that the team is more invested in than some of the other guard options. Early inclinations suggest that he’ll be headed back to Germany for this upcoming season, but if he looks readier than anticipated, there’s plenty of two-way space for him.
You heard it here first – 6'5 PG Jack Kayil is going to be a LOTTERY pick in the 2027 NBA Draft!! The Gonzaga commit has been extremely impressive for Alba Berlin this season against very strong German Bundesliga competition, averaging:
Take your pick for this year’s Jaylen Martin, Dmytro Skapintsev, or MarJon Beauchamp.
There’s two-time NBA champion Dillon Jones, who’s still two-way eligible but hasn’t inked a deal yet as of Friday morning.
There’s a seven-footer with NBA experience in Liam Robbins, who played 13 games for the Bucks in 2024-25. On a team with an opening in the center depth chart, could he turn heads?
What about the local kid, St. John’s Oziyah Sellers?
Or Westchester Knick and brief Grizzlies call-up Toby Okani?
Hell, maybe they want to add another Nova Knick in Lance Ware, who was pretty unremarkable in his one year at Villanova but counts all the same.
Odds are, a bunch of these dudes will be in Westchester this year. The question is whether anyone can get an Exhibit 10 contract to join the big boys at training camp.
Can the Knicks Complete the Treble?
The Knicks won the 2025 NBA Cup and the 2026 NBA Finals. Can they cap it off by taking all the hardware in Vegas?
Probably not. Unless Diawara is actually Pascal Siakam.
Even then, I’d be surprised if they played as well as they did a few years ago, when they made the Summer League Championship Game with guys like Deuce McBride, Quentin Grimes, and Jericho Sims.
PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 23: Connor Comeau #61 poses for a photo during the 2026 Draft Combine at Arizona Grand Resort Phoenix on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Aryanna Frank/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The 2026 draft is just days away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at prep infielder Connor Comeau.
Connor Comeau is a 6’4”, 180 lb. lefthanded hitting, righty throwing shortstop out of Anderson High School in Austin, Texas. Comeau doesn’t turn 18 until August, and is committed to Texas A&M.
Comeau offers a quality hit tool with power projection. Baseball America says he “stands out for his present hitting ability.” He has a nice, easy swing and showed strong contact ability on the showcase circuit last summer. He has shown the ability to hit the ball hard to all fields. He has shown the ability to hit for power — MLB Pipeline notes he finished second in the Home Run Derby at the Canadian Futures Showcase this past summer — but is still extremely lean currently, so there’s a belief that he should add more power as he develops and his body fills out.
Comeau has a good arm, but otherwise, the defensive package doesn’t offer a whole lot. While he plays shortstop currently, he’s not expected to stick there going forward, due to his size and lack speed. He’s likely destined for a corner spot, with third base seen as the best fit. He is a below-average runner currently, and generally guys get slower, not faster, as they fill out, which makes playing a corner outfield spot potentially problematic.
Like Daniel Jackson yesterday, I’m doing a write-up on Comeau because he was mentioned by Evan Grant as one of five potential candidates for the Rangers to select with their first pick in his article earlier this week. While I am skeptical of Jackson being picked by Texas, though, Comeau seems like someone who would be a potential fit.
Comeau has some similarities to Gavin Fien, the Rangers’ first round pick last year. Both are tall, bat-first first prep shortstops who were expected to move off of shortstop fairly quickly (Fein has moved off the dirt altogether, having played outfield exclusively this season for the Nationals). Both were relatively young for a their draft class — Fien turned 18 just a few months before draft day, and Comeau is still just 17. Both are relatively advanced with their hit tool and show future power potential. Fien is more filled out — Comeau appears to have the Evan Carter build currently — and an overall better prospect, which is why Fien was projected to go mid-first round and Comeau is looked at as a late first or second round guy.
Grant mentions that the Rangers really liked Comeau when they had him in for a workout, and if he’s a priority, there’s a couple of paths Texas could take. They could take him at 16 with a well-under-slot deal, then make a deal with one of the college pitchers with injury issues (such as Logan Reddemann) for an over-slot deal in the second round. Or they could do it the other way around, offering Comeau that they’ll give him enough over slot if he gets to them at #54 that he can scare other teams off before then with his asking price.
NEW YORK — Mark Vientos is headed for the injured list after suffering a fractured right hand when he was hit by a pitch in the New York Mets’ 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
Mets interim manager Andy Green said he didn’t know the extent of Vientos’ injury or if it required surgery.
“It’s going to be an IL placement, and he’s still being evaluated right now,” Green said.
Vientos, just making his second start of the season at third base, was hit by Michael Wacha’s 92 mph fastball in the second inning. The 26-year-old whirled and ran into foul territory behind third base before falling on his knees.
Third base coach Tim Leiper raced over to Vientos, who slowly walked to first base with Green and a trainer, who checked Vientos’ hand.
Vientos initially remained in the game before he was replaced at third base to open the third inning by Brett Baty, who shifted from second base. Rookie A.J. Ewing moved from center field to second base in his first big league appearance at the position; Ewing played 53 games at second in the minors.
Vientos is batting .211 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs in 73 games. His struggles, along with the emergence of Jared Young at first base and Green’s desire to utilize Francisco Alvarez, Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto at designated hitter on days they don’t play the field, largely have relegated Vientos to a platoon player against left-handed pitchers.
The start against Wacha was Vientos’ first against a right-hander since June 29, when he batted seventh and served as DH against Trey Yesavage and the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I’m just disappointed for what he’s going through right now today,” Green said.
This will be the third big league IL stint for Vientos, who was sidelined with a left wrist injury in August 2023 and a strained right hamstring in June 2025.
Tyrone Taylor replaced Ewing in center and hit the game-tying homer in his first at-bat to fuel a five-run fifth.
The Buffalo Sabres have brought in a few new players this off-season, but they should not be done making moves yet.
One way that the Sabres could look to strengthen their roster is through the free agent market. Because of this, let's look at three remaining UFAs who the Sabres should consider signing.
Patrick Kane
Out of all the UFAs left, Patrick Kane stands out in a major way. The future Hall of Famer would have the potential to be a great addition to the Sabres' top six. With the Sabres taking a big step forward last season, now feels like the right time for them to bring the Buffalo native home. In 67 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season, he recorded 16 goals and 57 points.
Anthony Mantha
The Sabres have another top-six winger worth considering in Anthony Mantha. After posting career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists, and 64 points in 81 games last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the 2013 first-round pick is still a UFA at this point in the summer. The 6-foot-5 forward could be a solid replacement for Alex Tuch in Buffalo's top six.
Vladimir Tarasenko
Vladimir Tarasenko is another intriguing UFA still available right now. The 34-year-old winger had a nice bounce-back year with the Minnesota Wild in 2025-26, posting 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games. While he is no longer the star he was during his prime, he would still have the potential to be a good addition to Buffalo's middle six. It also doesn't hurt that he has won the Stanley Cup twice during his career.
Jun 13, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) walks off the court with the trophy after the Knicks defeat the San Antonio Spurs during game five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
The New York Knicks had to make some difficult decisions this offseason in regards to their salary cap. They wanted to retain as many members of the championship team as possible, but it came at a price they weren’t necessarily willing to pay.
It ultimately resulted in losing center Mitchell Robinson, who signed a three-year contract with the Boston Celtics in free agency. Other than that, the Knicks were able to retain pretty much their entire championship squad, replacing Robinson with Andre Drummond on a one-year deal worth less than $4 million. While they aren’t in the second apron this offseason, the threat of reaching that threshold lingers in the future.
“The Knicks avoided entering the second apron while managing to return the same starting five that won an NBA championship and reserves Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet and Mohamed Diawara. Mitchell Robinson signed with Boston and was replaced by Andre Drummond on a less expensive contract,” ESPN insider Bobby Marks wrote.
“Possible extensions for Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart this summer, as well as Jalen Brunson next offseason, will test New York as it relates to the second apron in future seasons.
“Towns is eligible this offseason to sign a four-year, $272 million extension. Brunson, meanwhile, can extend for four years and $254 million the following year. If he waits and becomes a free agent in 2028, he would then be eligible to sign a five-year, $371 million contract.”
The Knicks have every reason to try and extend Towns and Heart this offseason. Those should be the goals for the next front office for the rest of the summer.
Meanwhile, Brunson has shown a willingness in the past to sacrifice for the greater good and is willing to take less money if it helps the Knicks contend. It remains to be seen if Brunson will continue this same approach now that the Knicks have won a title, but the captain’s selflessness doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.
Maybe Brunson will have a change of heart, but that’s a problem for next offseason. For now, the Knicks should focus on negotiating new contracts with Hart and Towns, keeping their core together for many years to come.
Head to NBC and Peacock, this Sunday, July 12, for an action packed slate of MLB coverage. The excitement starts at noon with two games, the 2026 All-Star Futures game on NBC and Peacock, and a Sunday Leadoff thriller between the Milwaukee Brewers vs Pittsburgh Pirates on NBCSN and Peacock See below for additional information on how to watch both games.
Sunday's meeting marks the second of four series meetings between the two teams this season. The Pirates won two of three when the teams last met in April, in Pittsburgh.
Play-by-play voice Dave Flemming will be joined by World Series champion pitcher Bob Walk, former Milwaukee pitcher Tim Dillard, and reporter Caroline Pineda for Sunday's Brewers vs Pirates game.
How to watch the Milwaukee Brewers vs Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game weekend series in Chavez Ravine.
L.A. has opened up a 14.5-game lead in the NL West and is rightfully a sizable favorite (-233) with Shohei Ohtani starting the opener, while the total is set at 8.5.
See my plays for the side and total with my Diamondbacksvs. Dodgers predictions andMLB picks for Friday, July 10.
Who will win Diamondbacks vs Dodgers today: Dodgers -1.5 (-112)
Eduardo Rodriguez's 2.25 ERA is a product of smoke and mirrors. His 5.00 xERA indicates immediate regression against a potent Los Angeles Dodgers lineup (128 wRC+ against southpaws over the last 20 days) in hitter-friendly weather.
Shohei Ohtani's 1.79 ERA, on the other hand, is a product of an elite 114 Stuff+. He should mow down an Arizona Diamondbacks lineup that has been utterly helpless against right-handed pitching (67 wRC+ over the last 14 days).
One of these NL All-Stars is overvalued, while the other is so dominant it's difficult to accurately price. Play L.A. -1.5 up to -120.
COVERS INTEL: Rodriguez rarely makes batters miss (10th percentile whiff rate, 13th percentile K-rate) and won't now against a Dodgers lineup with the second-lowest Swing% (29.5%).
Diamondbacks vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-112)
Ohtani has dominated Arizona's lineup in the past (.170 AVG and .484 OPS across 47 at-bats), and there's no reason to expect any difference on Friday.
He suppresses loud contact (92nd percentile barrel rate, 89th percentile xBA), and Arizona doesn't hit for much power, holding the second-lowest ISO (.137) against RHP.
L.A. has routinely played in low-scoring games with Ohtani on the bump (3-11 O/U). The bullpen behind him is well-rested after Thursday's day off, and Arizona's pen has a Top-5 FIP (3.35) and SIERA (3.28) in the last 14 days.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 26-27, -4.93 units
Over/Under bets: 35-19, +14.9 units
Diamondbacks vs Dodgers weather
Wind blowing out to center at 8 mph will give the offenses a slight bump on an 81F day in Los Angeles.
Diamondbacks vs Dodgers odds
Moneyline: Diamondbacks +223 | Dodgers -233
Run line: Diamondbacks +1.5 (+104) | Dodgers -1.5 (-108)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+100) | Under 8.5 (-104)
Diamondbacks vs Dodgers trend
The Diamondbacks have played to the Over just once in Eduardo Rodriguez's last 12 starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Diamondbacks vs Dodgers and game info
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Friday, July 10, 2026
First pitch
10:10 p.m. ET
TV
Dbacks.TV, SportsNet LA
Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Eduardo Rodriguez (7-3, 2.25 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Shohei Ohtani (8-2, 1.79 ERA)
Diamondbacks vs Dodgers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks in action during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 28, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks won 126-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“It’s believed that the Lakers hope to package their lone tradeable first-round pick swap left over in 2032 along with Jarred Vanderbilt in a sign-and-trade proposal for Kuminga. Sources say Atlanta, however, has not considered taking back Vanderbilt in a deal that sends out Kuminga.
“There are said to be multi-team scenarios that the Lakers could pursue that offload Vanderbilt to a different team than Atlanta. That would help the Lakers provide Kuminga with an offer richer than the two-year, $20 million deal that sources say they originally presented him.”
We recently explored how trading Vanderbilt or waiving him and stretching his dead cap hit over the next five years could give the Lakers enough cap space to sign Kuminga to a deal of that size. Fischer added that Kuminga “would naturally be hoping for a richer deal than that,” but he is “open to various contract structures below his 2025-26 season salary of $22.5 million depending on what sort of sign-and-trade scenarios materialize.”
He concluded by saying, “The most clarity that can be offered on Kuminga’s future: If he indeed leaves Atlanta, it is almost certainly going to be via sign-and-trade rather than a move facilitated by cap space.”
So, let’s explore what that might look like for the Lakers.
How a Kuminga sign-and-trade could work
If the Lakers did acquire Kuminga via sign-and-trade, his contract would need to be at least three years (excluding any team/player options), although only the first season would need to be fully guaranteed. They would have to complete the sign-and-trade prior to the start of the regular season, too.
If the Lakers manage to salary-dump Vanderbilt separate from a Kuminga sign-and-trade, they’d have roughly $13.4 million of cap space left for Kuminga. That would top out at a three-year, $42.3 million contract or a four-year, $57.7 million deal.
But if the Lakers can convince Atlanta or a third team to take Vanderbilt as part of a Kuminga sign-and-trade, they could use an expanded trade exception to offer Kuminga even more.
Teams above the first and second apron can’t take back more salary than they send out in a trade, but teams below the first apron can. For instance, if the Lakers salary-dumped either Jaden Hardy or Jake LaRavia’s $6 million contracts, they could take back 200 percent of that salary, plus $250,000, or $12.25 million in total.
If they salary-dumped Vanderbilt, they’d be allowed to receive roughly $9.1 million more in salary than they were sending out, which would equate to around $21.5 million. If the Lakers were willing to go that far for Kuminga, his three-year deal could be as high as $67.8 million, and a four-year deal could be $92.5 million.
However, the Lakers need to remain mindful of the first apron as well. They’re already hard-capped there after acquiring Walker Kessler via sign-and-trade, which means they cannot have more than $209.015 million in salary on their books at any point between now and June 30, 2027.
If the Lakers salary-dumped Vanderbilt and gave Kuminga the most they could via the expanded trade exception ($21.5 million), their payroll would be up to roughly $205.2 million once they officially signed Austin Reaves, Collin Sexton and Kevon Looney. They’d have 14 players under contract, so they’d still have enough wiggle room under the first apron for one veteran-minimum deal ($2.45 million), but they wouldn’t have much in-season trade flexibility. They’d be roughly $1.35 million below the first apron if they filled that 15th roster spot with a minimum contract before the season started.
The Lakers are otherwise out of salary-cap exceptions after spending the room mid-level exception on Sexton, so they might not mind getting that close to the first apron. But they do need to keep their hard cap in mind as they negotiate with Kuminga and the Hawks on sign-and-trade permutations.
If the Lakers can find a taker for Vanderbilt, the expanded traded player exception grants them plenty of flexibility to give Kuminga more than the two-year, $20 million deal that they’ve already reportedly offered. The main questions are where they could dump Vando, how much it would cost to offload him, how close they’re willing to get to the hard cap, and how many years they’re willing to guarantee on Kuminga’s contract if they do acquire him via sign-and-trade.
Yordan Alvarez
Kody Clemens
Rafael Devers
D.J. Short
COVERS INTEL: Rodriguez 