Aug 26, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Nathan Church (27) celebrates after hitting a two run double against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
As Leo Bernal continues to impress and grab a 2027 starting gig, the St. Louis Cardinals are seeing Nathan Church attempt to do the same. While center field did not have the same depth as catcher, Church is looking to take hold of the spot and give the Cardinals some clarity at a position of need.
St. Louis centerfielders entered the season ranked as the second-worst among the position since 2023 with a 74 wRC+ and much of their 3.5 total fWAR during that time being attributed to defense. The Cardinals attempted to solve the problem a few different ways, with three players seeing 100 or more games in center over that span. Of those three, Lars Nootbaar was the only one to be an above-average offensive player, with Victor Scott II and Michael Siani coming in each 35% below league average or worse with the bat.
Nathan Church is looking to give the Cardinals clarity in center field
Going into 2026, the Cardinals hoped that Victor Scott II’s offseason swing work would unleash his offensive potential and gave him the everyday job. The speedster continued to see much of the same issues with the bat and was demoted to Memphis in June after putting up a 55 wRC+ in over 60 games. During that time, Church was mixing in all around the outfield and used an impressive April to begin pushing Scott for innings in center field.
With Jordan Walker’s breakout in right and the attempt for Nootbaar to regain his value in left, Church as given the everyday job once Scott was sent to the minors. A miserable July caused a conversation about the team’s future in center field, but the tune has changed since the calendar flipped to August. Quickly going back to the three-year span from earlier, the Cardinals center fielders ranked dead last with a .613 OPS, so excuse any extensive praise of Church when comparing to the previous group.
In 37 games since August 1, Church has hit .292 and put up a .736 OPS to measure out to 6% above-league average. Even better than the contact, the rookie has trimmed his strikeout rate to just 10% in 127 plate appearances. In 128 at-bats from June to July, Church struck out 28 times compared to just 13 punchouts in 117 at-bats since. The power has not been there recently, but the lefty has 10 homers and 10 stolen bases on the campaign.
Church will likely need a platoon partner, but his defense is solid enough that he can stick in the lineup if he performs at his current wRC+.As mentioned, working in Church’s advantage is that the Cardinals do not have much to really push him for the major league starting gig. Scott has not started a game since being recalled and Chase Davis finally got some time in Memphis but continues to struggle with consistency. We brought up Josiah Ragsdale on the Thursday episode of Cardinals on My Time since he has laid waste to Double-A pitching, but expect Memphis to be his next step.
Assuming the Cardinals continue to use 2027 as a stepping stone season, expecting Chaim Bloom to put any significant financial investment into the outfield would be a pipe dream. What he could do, though, is go the Ramon Urias route and sign a veteran platoon partner to Church who understand their role and would even allow for Church to grab a few at-bats against lefties as well. If Urias had stayed healthy, I pictured him as the Dustin May of the offense and he would have been flipped for a reliever and that could be what happens in 2027 in center.
The Cardinals want to put a stop to the revolving door in center and while Church may be the answer for next year, he may just become a place holder for the next guy to step in.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 30: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves walks to the mound in the first inning during the game against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on July 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A similar hand of fate that has inexplicably granted Battery Power’s Ivan near-exclusivity on Martín Pérez starts has linked me with Grant Holmes and Andrew Painter, who will face off for the third time this season (and the second time with the opportunity for the Braves to sweep the Phillies).
As the season draws to a close, it’s almost sad to see them go with the 9-3 season series record Atlanta currently holds (with a big emphasis on almost). I’m sure the Phils have been itching to book it to Hartsfield-Jackson since Friday night’s game ended, and the feeling only intensified after yesterday’s double-digit blowout.
No premature declarations here, but it would be pretty sweet to finish the job and add one more game to the Braves lead atop the NL East.
Grant Holmes (9-5, 3.46 ERA) and Andrew Painter (3-9, 5.71 ERA) will get the ball for their teams today as the Braves look to sweep and the Phillies look to salvage.
Their first matchup was on Sunday Night Baseball back on April 19. Holmes was pulled an out shy of qualifying for the win, going 4.2 innings with four hits and two earned runs via a two-run homer to Kyle Schwarber in the first inning. He walked one and struck out four. Painter gave up three earned runs to the Braves in his four innings of work and was given the loss as the Braves completed the sweep in Citizens Bank Park.
Six days later, Holmes got the win with a six-inning performance where he gave up three runs on seven hits. Painter also went a little deeper with 5.2 innings pitched, but was tagged for nine hits and five earned runs, including a homer by Ronald Acuña Jr. Most notably, this was the stretch where Michael Harris II was 1) the hottest player in baseball following the birth of his son Tripp 2) dealing with a pesky quad injury. He pinch-hit, gave the Braves the lead, and left, giving Andrew Painter his second L in a week and extending the Phillies’ losing streak to ten games.
The walk down memory lane is nice, but what’s different about this matchup now that it’s September?
The enigma that is Grant Holmes is riding a bit of a scoreless streak. He was the unexpected other half of a pitching duel in Philadelphia versus Jesús Luzardo last weekend, tossing six scoreless and only surrendering three hits and two walks while striking out six batters. It was scarier than the final line suggests, but he did his part in that 1-0 Braves loss. Rain shortened his outing in DC on September 2, but he was dealing and no-hitting the Nats through three.
Luis Arraez and Brandon Marsh are tied for the team lead in at-bats against Holmes with eleven and each has recorded a double off him. They’re followed closely by Kyle Schwarber, Bryson Stott, and Trea Turner with 10 ABs – Stott is the only one of the trio that doesn’t have a homer. Harper also has a homer and a 1.433 OPS against Holmes. Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs has also been successful in a small sample, going 2-for-3 with a 1.333 OPS.
Painter was optioned to Triple-A after struggling to the tune of a 13.11 ERA in the month of June. He’s been better since being recalled on July 31, but has had ups and downs. His shortest outing since being recalled was four innings on August 5, but he’ll pretty reliably go five or more. The hot-and-cold is exemplified in his two starts in September: he spun seven scoreless and only allowed two hits against Arizona, but got hit hard by Houston six days later: ten hits and five earned runs in five innings.
The Phillies are going to need Painter to give them some length given the heavy bullpen usage over the first two games of the series.
As mentioned earlier, one of Ronald’s two hits againsts Painter in six ABs is a homer. Harris II is a perfect 3-for-3 with a home run of his own. Ozzie Albies is 2-for-4 with a walk as the only other one with an OPS north of 1.000 at 1.100. But the only Braves regulars that have faced Painter and not yet recorded a hit are Drake Baldwin and Austin Riley.
After a fun and relatively stress-free game last night, let’s hope the Braves saved some runs for this afternoon’s finale. First pitch is at 1:35 pm ET.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, September 13, 1:35 p.m. ET
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 09: Luke Williams #30 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after hitting a walk-off two run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on June 9, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Braves 2-1. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is 1993, when the Phillies knocked the Braves down in six games, including hammering Greg Maddux around for six runs in the series finale. There is the NLDS’s in 2022 and 23, the height of which being when Bryce Harper stared Orlando Arcia down after a home run.
There are several moments to choose from but if you had to pick something that isn’t super noteworthy or wouldn’t get covered on a National TV broadcast, what would it be?
The Braves-Phillies rivalry is one of the best things going on in baseball right now. The Phillies have knocked the Braves around over their last two postseason matchups but the Braves have mostly dominated the division outside of 2024 and 25 but also have the more recent World Series title. It’s a rivalry without true bragging rights, which feels a little rare in today’s sporting landscape.
Anyway, my personal favorite weird moment is when Luke Williams hit a walk off home run against Will Smith, taking a hanging slider into the left field seats for the Phillies to take a game in June (on a very nice date). It was Williams’ first career home run, he did not do much with the Phillies the rest of the 2021 season, and Williams would go on to play 82 games with the Braves over the last four seasons.
Let us know what your answer is, especially if it’s older, because this Question of the Day is being written by a 23-year-old. If you remember something from before 2010, now is the time to share it.
It has been a wild offseason for the Lakers, who revamped their roster around Luka Dončić and are preparing to try to compete for their first championship since 2020.
There’s a lot of uncertainty after they lost their superstar of the last eight years in LeBron James and underwent their second ownership change in the last 14 months, but there’s also a lot to be excited about.
Here are the five things Lakers fans have to look forward to heading into next season.
Luka Dončić at an outdoor basketball court during the Los Angeles Lakers’ visit in Ljubljana, Slovenia in August 2026. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett
1. Luka Dončić is on a mission
After James chose to go to the 76ers in free agency, the Lakers are unequivocally Dončić’s team. For the first time in his career, he took all of his teammates to his home in Slovenia this summer to host a minicamp to build chemistry.
Dončić is clearly taking the responsibility of being the Lakers’ superstar very seriously. He knows he’s playing for a 17-time championship organization and all eyes are going to be on him to lead the team back atop the league.
Last season, Dončić led the league in scoring (33.5 points), finished third in assists (8.3) and was fourth in MVP voting before he suffered a hamstring strain that sidelined him for the playoffs.
This season, here’s to betting he’s going to be on a personal mission to carry the roster he helped select deep into the postseason.
Austin Reaves signed the richest contract in NBA history this offseason for a player who went undrafted. Getty Images
2. Austin Reaves is due for a breakout season
Reaves signed the richest contract in NBA history this offseason for a player who went undrafted. Dončić wanted him as his sidekick. He has officially gone from being one of the league’s wonderful surprises to becoming one of the torchbearers for the NBA’s second-winningest franchise.
Reaves had so many moments last season where he proved he’s a star, including a 51-point performance followed by a 41-point performance in October and a jaw-dropping floater at the buzzer during a game against Denver in March.
Now expectations are going to be even higher for a player who scraped his way into the league and is now a borderline All-Star.
The Lakers went all in on Walker Kessler, whom Dončić wanted as his center. Getty Images
3. All eyes on Walker Kessler
The Lakers went all in on Kessler, whom Dončić wanted as his center. They acquired him from the Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, signing him to a four-year, $130 million contract.
So, they essentially mortgaged their future for him.
How does Kessler feel about that?
“I’m going to run through a brick wall for them,” Kessler said during his introductory Lakers news conference in July in Las Vegas.
Kessler, who’s one of the league’s top shot blockers and rebounders, has every reason to pour out his heart for Dončić and the Lakers.That’s good news considering they need him to transform into a superstar to have any chance in the very crowded Western Conference.
4. The Lakers‘ new owners have a lot to prove
After Mark Walter stunningly sold the Lakers to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, there were a lot of questions around the team. But there’s also a lot of optimism, especially considering there’s a federal law enforcement probe into Walter’s financial affairs.
The Lakers have a fresh start under Iger, the former CEO of Disney, and Kushner, a venture capitalist.
While Iger’s and Kushner’s plans have yet to take form, there’s hope that things could trend upward for the Lakers under the new owners who are eager to prove themselves in their new endeavor.
5. The Lakers have been front and center
Say what you will about the Lakers, who have been embroiled in a seemingly endless cascade of drama all summer — ranging from James leaving, to new ownership, to more Buss family drama — but the Lakers are still dominating the spotlight.
The Lakers are exciting. They’re the talk of the league. They’re full of surprises.
Regardless of what happens, it’s obvious that next season is going to be a fun-filled thrill ride full of twists and turns that captivates the basketball world’s attention.
Cheers to the adventure being around the corner.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 12: Relief pitcher Jacob Latz #67 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with Elias Díaz #35 after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 in the MLB game at Chase Field on September 12, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 6, D-Backs 2
Well whaddya know…the Rangers won a game!
On the road, even!
The losing streak is over. Time to celebrate.
Adding to the warm and fuzzy vibes of the win is the return of Josh Jung to the starting lineup and Nathan Eovaldi to the mound, after each was activated from the injured list before the game.
Of course, because we must maintain equilibrium, Joc Pederson left the game after being hit in the wrist with a pitch, and Nicky Lopez was pulled due to a hamstring issue.
Pederson is the bigger potential loss there, though the x-rays indicated no fracture, which is a relief.
Lopez starting, meanwhile, meant Ezequiel Duran was in center field and Evan Carter was on the bench despite a righthander pitching for Arizona, presumably out of a desire to try to get more offense going.
When you’re sitting in favor of Nicky Lopez because Nicky Lopez is perceived as the better offensive options, that’s not great.
Kumar Rocker was solid in his four innings of work, though when he walked the first two batters in the fifth after the Rangers had just had a big inning to take a 6-1 lead, Skip Schumaker went with the quick hook, going to Robert Garcia with lefties due up.
Garcia retired all three batters and stranded the runners, allowing Eovaldi to come in for a clean inning in his return to action.
Eovaldi was fine, giving up a run in his first inning of work but ultimately going 2.2 innings, with Jacob Latz handling the final four outs.
You wouldn’t normally ask your closer to get four outs in a four run game, but, well… * waves in general direction of the rest of the bullpen *.
All the Rangers runs came in the fifth, when they sent ten men to the plate. A Wyatt Langford homer started things off, before the Rangers strung together some singles, a double, a hit by pitch, and an exciting Lopez sac bunt for a big inning.
Josh Jung had both a run and an RBI in the inning, part of a 2 for 4 night, which had to feel nice for him after missing so much time.
Honestly, it feels nice for me, too. A productive Josh Jung is a very good thing for this team.
Kumar Rocker hit 96.5 with his sinker, averaging 94.4 mph, and 97.3 with his fastball, averaging 95.1 mph. Robert Garcia’s fastball touched 95.5 mph. Nathan Eovaldi maxed out at 95.9 mph with his fastball. Jacob Latz reached 98.1 mph with his fastball.
Corey Seager had a 108.4 mph double. Elias Diaz had a 106.0 mph single and a 100.2 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 105.5 mph single. Wyatt Langford had a 105.5 mph home run and a 102.7 mph double. Evan Carter had a 104.4 mph single. Josh Jung had a 102.6 mph single and a 102.3 mph single. Brandon Nimmo had a 100.1 mph double.
The last game of the penultimate road series for the Rangers on Sunday. A win would be good.
Sep 12, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) celebrates with second baseman Marcus Semien (10) after defeating the New York Yankees 12-2 at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Meet the Mets
The Mets outslugged the Yankees in a 12-2 win in Yankee Stadium. Francisco Lindor got it started with a leadoff home run and then later delivered the exclamation point with a grand slam. Young Zac Thornton was impressive on the mound pitching seven solid innings and the Mets walked away with a good bounce back victory in the Subway Series.
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole had no explanation for his latest poor performance against the Mets.
Astros DH Yordan Álvarez and and Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson are two very different type of players, but are currently battling it out for the AL batting title.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 12: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates a single in the bottom of the first inning against the Houston Astros at Tropicana Field on September 12, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The good feelings from the series opening win over the Mets were erased in a flash. The crosstown rivals stomped the Yankees in the Bronx, 12-2, as Gerrit Cole gave up another three home runs. It was a bad day for their ace to not have it with the Rays and Red Sox both winning to gain ground over and toward the Yankees, respectively.
Tampa Bay Rays (89-59) 3, Houston Astros (75-74) 2
The Rays’ second-year starter Ian Seymour logged one of the best starts of his young career, holding Houston to two runs on four hits and a walk in six innings. The converted reliever struck out ten, which is already his third outing of double-digit strikeouts in just his 14th start. He induced 19 whiffs on the game including five on the four-seamer despite the pitch averaging just 91 mph.
The first of those runs was to the second batter of the game, Isaac Paredes launching a solo shot to open the scoring early. The second didn’t come until the sixth inning, Yainer Diaz driving in Jose Altuve with an RBI single after the latter reached on a one-out double. At the time, that was the game-tying run, the Rays having scored two in the fifth on a two-run single by Richie Palacios after Victor Mesa Jr. and Chandler Simpson opened the frame with a pair of singles and advanced on a sac bunt.
The game winner came in the seventh, Liam Hicks leading off with a double and Mesa drawing a walk. A force out advanced Hicks to third where he’d score on a pinch-hit sac fly by Nick Madrigal. A Jonny DeLuca single kept the inning alive and put runners on the corners where they’d be stranded by Jorge Mateo. Walks by Jonathan Aranda, Ryan Vilade, and Mesa loaded the bases in the eighth, but Simpson could not bring home an insurance run that ended up going unneeded. With the win and Yankees loss, the Rays restore their four-game lead atop the AL East.
Other Games
Boston Red Sox (81-68) 5, Kansas City Royals (66-83) 1
Ranger Suarez provided one of his vintage starts for the Red Sox, holding the Royals to a run on four hits and no walks with eight strikeouts across seven sterling innings, lowering his ERA to 3.33 in 26 starts in his debut season with Boston. The lone damage came in the sixth, Carter Jensen getting the Royals on the board with a one-out solo homer.
As it happens, that homer tied the game, the Red Sox mustering just a run in the first five innings on an Adley Rutschman RBI single after Roman Anthony led off the frame with a single. The Red Sox turned it on from there, starting with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, Mickey Gasper and Rutschman reaching on a pair of two-out singles before Wilyer Abreu drove both home with a two-run double. Caleb Durbin tacked on another with an RBI single after Nick Sogard led off the seventh with a double and Sogard added a final run with an RBI double to drive home Trevor Story after his own double in the eighth. With the win and Yankees loss, the Red Sox climb back within 4.5 games of second.
Chicago White Sox (76-72) 6, St. Louis Cardinals (73-76) 5
This was a topsy-turvy, back and forth affair with multiple lead changes. It wasn’t the most cleanly pitched contest by either side, both teams opting for bullpen games and combining to use 13 pitchers overall. The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead scoring three in the second off White Sox trade deadline acquisition Luis Castillo on a two-run double by Masyn Winn and a sac fly from José Fermín.
The two sides then traded runs in the third, Colson Montgomery’s walk with the bases loaded getting cancelled out by an RBI double from Nathan Church in the bottom half. Chicago then rallied to score three in the fifth to knot the scores at four apiece, Munetaka Murakami drawing a bases loaded walk, Randal Grichuk grounding into a run scoring double play, and Tristan Peters adding an RBI single.
By this point both teams had loaded the bases twice in the span of two innings without fully cashing in, a trend which would continue into the final innings. Indeed, St. Louis grabbed a late one-run lead on a Leo Bernal homer to lead off the eighth, the Cardinals then loading the bases before Jordan Hicks entered in relief to strand them loaded. This proved the turning point in the game, Grichuk winning it in the top of the tenth with a two-run blast.
The Twins did all of their scoring in the third, pushing across four in the frame. Emmanuel Rodriguez got things started with a booming solo shot, followed by three straight singles from Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee, and Kody Clemens. Royce Lewis added an RBI single and back-to-back hit-by-pitches first loaded the bases and then forced in the fourth run. It was enough to fend off the Guardians, Travis Bazzana opening the scoring with an RBI single in the second and Steven Kwan drawing Cleveland within one with an RBI single following Brayan Rocchio’s RBI groundout in the fifth. It was a costly loss for Cleveland paired with Chicago’s late win, dropping them back a game-and-a-half out of first.
Toronto Blue Jays (74-75) 7, Baltimore Orioles (72-77) 3
Kyle Bradish has been getting crushed dating back to the five runs he gave up to the Yankees at the end of August, giving up another five runs on eight hits in just three innings against Toronto. Alejandro Kirk had the big day at the plate going 2-for-4 with a homer and three driven in. Brett Bateman also homered and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added an RBI double while George Springer and Andrés Giménez both contributed multi-hit days. Pete Alonso provided the only real pop for the Orioles with a two-run homer in the seventh.
This game can really be boiled down to one inning, the Rangers scoring six in the fifth off Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt. Wyatt Langford led off with a homer, Jake Burger singled and advanced on a sac bunt, Elias Díaz singled, Joc Pederson got hit by a pitch, Josh Jung singled, Brandon Nimmo doubled, and Ezequiel Duran singled as part of the ten hits Pfaadt gave up on his start. A Pavin Smith RBI single and Corbin Carroll sac fly constituted all the scoring for the Diamondbacks.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 18: The Boston Red Sox grounds crew pulls out the rain tarp prior to a game between the Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on July 18, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
UPDATE AGAIN: We have a start time: 4:55 PM.
UPDATE: Well, with less than 30 minutes before first pitch, the Sox have finally acknowledged meteorological science and announced an indefinite delay.
It’s going to be a waiting game today at Fenway Park as the Red Sox and Royals try to complete their final game against each other this season. Here’s what we can say with confidence:
It’s going to rain steadily throughout the morning and into much of the afternoon.
The rain should let up and stop late in the afternoon and into the early evening hours, creating a window to get the game in.
With just 13 games left in the season, MLB is going to want to get this in today, even if it means waiting a little while.
As a result, the Red Sox already announced yesterday evening that the scheduled start time has been pushed back 90 minutes from 1:35 to 3:05pm
The #RedSox have moved the start time of the game tomorrow, Sunday, September 13, against the Royals at Fenway from 1:35 p.m. to 3:05 p.m. pic.twitter.com/UDEVIMVSjH
However, that’s probably not far enough, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see additional delays.
Here’s a simulated radar from the HRRR model for 3:00pm today.
Things will likely be headed in the right direction by mid afternoon, but the back edge of the precipitation will probably take a couple more hours to fully clear Boston. Here’s a simulated map for around 5:00pm:
This is probably closer to the time they can pull the tarp off and get things ready for play, and once they do, conditions should remain playable through the evening.
So again, it’s going to be a waiting game. The Red Sox and Royals want to get this game in today, and conditions will improve late. However, until that time, we’re all just going to be watching the radar and waiting for things to clear.
Europe got off to a fast start in the singles before holding off an attempted American comeback to regain the Solheim Cup
Charley Hull lets go of her club – a wet grip? – while sending her second at the par-five 2nd into a fairway bunker. She whips into the green and makes par, but Megan Khang set up a six-foot birdie chance to level the match. However she repeats the error of the 1st hole, leaving a dribbler short, failing to take into account the slowness of the wet greens. A let-off for Hull.
1UP Hull v Khang (2)
Henseleit A/S Al. Lee (1)
Grant v Yin
MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 12: Tyler Glasnow #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Miami Marlins in the first inning of the game at loanDepot park on September 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers’ season-high eight game win streak came to a crashing halt on Saturday, as they fell to the Miami Marlins 4-3.
Saturday turned out to be a rough outing for right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who completed just four full innings of work through 91 pitches while getting charged for four earned runs, resulting in his first losing decision of the season. Although he struck out seven, Glasnow allowed four walks on the afternoon, the most he allowed in a start since April 29, where he gave up six walks also against Miami.
Glasnow at one point was able to retire the side in order in both the third and fourth innings before the wheels fell off, notes Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times. Despite the poor start, Glasnow said that his back— which kept him off the field for three months— feels good.
“I think it was just trying to move a little quicker and get my glove a little higher,” Glasnow said. “I was just ripping off everything. I kind of put a Band-Aid on it. Felt pretty good then it started to feel a little weird again.”
Glasnow said his back, which sidelined him for three and a half months earlier this season, “feels good.”
Dave Roberts spoke on his decision to pull Glasnow in the fifth inning for reliever Jack Dreyer, insisting on having the bullpen extinguish the fire that Glasnow created for Miami, per Perla Paredes of MLB.com.
“It was great [for him] coming back and competing like he did,” Roberts said. “I just thought for me, walking those first two hitters in that fifth inning was time to just pull the plug and get Jack [Dreyer] in there and try to limit damage.”
Freddie Freeman was back in the lineup on Saturday for his 37th birthday after missing the past two games due to right knee issues. Freeman noted that his injury has hampered his production on both sides of the field, and the team will manage his workload over the final two weeks of the regular season, per Jack Harris of the California Post.
“I was having trouble moving [on defense]. I didn’t have a front side anymore [in my swing],” Freeman said of the way the injury had initially impacted him. “It just got to the point where it wasn’t giving me the best opportunity to play like I want to.”
Moving forward, manager Dave Roberts said the club would continue “to manage” Freeman’s injury by trying to “pick spots to give him an off day here or there, because again, we’ve just got to make sure he’s at optimal health when we finish the season.”
Max Muncy followed up Mookie Betts’s first inning home run with one of his own, but that was all the Dodgers could amount on the scoreboard before a Hunter Feduccia RBI single in the ninth inning. Muncy spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA following the loss to Miami, describing how the offense was unable to regain the spark they had to begin the game.
“They did a good job of mixing it up on us, and they executed some pitches. We didn’t do a great job ourselves of creating opportunities. That’s baseball.”
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Jamaree Bouyea #17 of the Phoenix Suns passes the ball during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 William Purnell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every day, we’ll take a closer look at another member of the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns, examining what they bring to the roster and what their role could mean for the season ahead as we count down to training camp and the preseason.
Jamaree Bouyea
Point Guard, 6’2’, 180lb, 27 years old, 4th season
Last season, Jamaree Bouyea was an early pickup for the team after he signed a two-way deal in November, coming from the Austin Spurs. They saw the potential in the guard who had floated around the league his first three years. The move let them add someone who could make the roster, and with injuries to Jalen Green early on, extra guard play was key.
This let them waive C.J. Huntley, a solid G-League player, and give him time to develop into the piece they wanted. Bouyea then proved in his early minutes that he could contribute to the rotation when the team was injured. Bouyea fought for those minutes and, similar to Collin Gillespie in the previous season, was allowed a full-on roster spot at the end of the year.
He then stayed with the team, and even though key players returning cost him minutes in the rotation, he solidified his spot and learned more. That is where this year comes into play for Bouyea, as he faces an uphill battle given how deep this team truly is at guard. That said, with his ability to overcome those obstacles last year, I hope he can make that impact again.
Last Season
In his first year in Phoenix, Bouyea suited up in 46 games for the Suns, a career best for the guard. For the Suns, this was a huge win, as they had done well on the margins by landing guys who hadn’t performed or hadn’t been given an opportunity elsewhere to really pan out. Even if he got a little worse as the season went on, Bouyea still put his name on the map after being a two-way pickup in the first half of the season.
Bouyea really showcased that he’s a jack-of-all-trades, able to help the team in many ways. He could distribute the ball and be a solid ball handler; he could be a catch-and-shoot guy for the team if they were lacking three-point scoring, and he also fought like hell on the defensive end, trying to be as big of a pest as he could. This was key, as Jordan Ott clearly wanted this playstyle, and like Mat Ishbia and Brian Gregory said preseason, they were going to build the team around the scheme and not the team around big names. This gave a player like Bouyea that opportunity, since they knew he would be a perfect fit.
GP
MIN
PPG
RPG
APG
STL
FG%
3PT%
FT%
OFFRTG
DEFRTG
+/-
46
14.0
5.7
1.8
1.8
0.6
45.8
29.5
68.6
106.0
104.6
1.4
Contract and Roster Context
As Michael A. Scotto of HoopsHype reported, the Suns picked up Bouyea’s team option this summer. This allowed him to stick with the team for this year on a deal just shy of $2.6 million. This contract is non-guaranteed, though, allowing the Suns to waive him and not owe any dead money if he does get injured, if one of the two-way guards does better, or if they see someone better out there they can pick up. He is at the bottom of the guard room, and with two other guards on two-way deals, this could be a competition battle for Bouyea all season long.
What He Brings
As I mentioned earlier, Bouyea brings a bit of everything to his game. As a scrappy guard who has yet to really solidify himself in a true role, he does have to bring it all and help in any area of need. That said, his strongest suit is probably his aggressiveness and how much he cares, which truly shows on the court. As stated previously, the front office built this team around Ott’s expertise, and Bouyea fits that mold they are looking for. Look at a guy like Jordan Goodwin, for example, who had a similar trajectory early on and now found himself in Phoenix this past season.
Bouyea should use him as inspiration to keep that fight in him and always know that an opportunity is there for him to capitalize on. This year could be that for Bouyea if he gets the time to shine and proves he can be another disruptor in this system who can be valued long-term.
What Needs to Improve
Even if he is pretty good at everything, Bouyea still has areas where he lags behind others. One of those is his three-point shooting, as he shot under 30% from three this year. His shot was solid and did drop off later in the year with less run, which makes sense, but it is something to keep an eye on. IF that number can go up and he can be a solid spot-up shooter, especially now with Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen being gone, he can truly solidify himself as one of those spots. Goodwin did that this past season, getting better from three and earning himself a contract with the team—all that could be said about Bouyea next year if he can get on this path.
Prediction
If you can not tell from this article, it’s clear I have a soft spot for Bouyea and want him to succeed. Last year, I wrote many articles about his early appreciation in the rotation and how he could contribute in future seasons if he stuck around. Now that opinion will be put to the test as we gear up to watch a year where he has training camp and a full year to make an impact with this team. Now, will he succeed? That is the difficult thing to wrap my head around,
With how deep this guard room is (Booker, Green, Gillespie, Goodwin), he lines himself up as the fifth guard in that rotation of PG minutes, and with Kennard there too, it definitely clouds his SG minutes as well. This is where the uncertainty may strike, as he could be forgotten in the depth of this bench. Yet, we see every season something is always in the water in Phoenix, as the injury bug always strikes in the Valley. We wish to avoid that this season, but with that being the case, Bouyea will have opportunities to make his case for being a part of this team long term. Do I think he will stick? Yes, at this point I think he will make it to the end of the season, as the Suns truly see something in him, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Pat Spencer or Koby Brea forces a tough situation on the front office at the trade deadline.
Ultimately, this will be an uphill battle for Bouyea, but I am sure he knows the challenge ahead this season. Truly, with how deep this bench unit is, it’s hard to see a clear path for Bouyea to excel this season, but in any year of basketball, you have to expect the unexpected. At this point, last year no one pictured Phoenix doing what they did, and they proved their doubters wrong. The same could be said for Bouyea entering this year with this team. All the expectations are on him, and he’s truly one of the underdog stories for this team as he finds his path to a long-term roster spot. This is just the beginning of his journey, but hopefully it’s a long-lasting one here, with a breakout year coming.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 9: Christian Koss #50 of the San Francisco Giants hits a single against the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park on September 9, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball comes to an end today, so it’s time to share our favorite highlights of the week.
I think it was a pretty easy decision this week. The Giants combined for a whopping six home runs in last Saturday’s 9-5 win over the New York Mets. Including two each from Rafael Devers and Christian Koss!
What was your favorite highlight of the week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants wrap up this series against the San Diego Padres this afternoon at 4:20 p.m. PT.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates his three-run home run against the Detroit Tigers with Mickey Moniak #22 in the dugout during the third inning at Comerica Park on September 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hunter Goodman has had an outstanding season. He has hit 38 home runs, which not only obliterated his old record (31) but also is 11 more than the next MLB catcher (Dillon Dingler, 27) and 15 more than the next NL catcher (Drake Baldwin, 23). And this, of course, also comes after Goodman spent 10 days on the IL with a shoulder injury in August.
This week, we asked if you thought Goodman would surpass the 40-homer mark. 63% of you believe he will — becoming the first Rockies player to do it since Nolan Arenadon in 2019.
There are 14 games left, and 10 of them are at Coors Field. Do you think Goodman will hit 40 before the end of the season? What do you think his final total will be?
It was not a great day for the Norfolk Tides. The offense managed just three hits. Bryan Ramos homered, Enrique Bradfield Jr. doubled, and Tavian Josenberger singled. As a team, they struck out fourteen times. Every player struck out at least once and Bradfield led the way with three.
Trey Gibson started and was not good. In 4.1 innings, Gibson was knocked around for 11 hits. He had runners on base in every inning. He battled through three innings with just one run allowed, but gave up three runs on a homer in the third and two more in the fifth after back-to-back doubles. His final run scored after he left the game.
Four relief pitchers finished the game for the Tides, including the rehabbing Ryan Helsley and Félix Bautista. Helsley threw 10 pitches in a perfect inning with one strikeout. Bautista wasn’t as successful. He faced five batters, gave up a home run, and walked a batter. He threw 17 pitches and only nine strikes.
Bob Uecker returns to the broadcast booth for the first time since his heart surgery before game against the Washington Nationals at Miller Park on Friday, July 23, 2010. Brewers24 Spt Sieu 2 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Bob Uecker was a man of many talents, although he would have denied it.
Uecker spent six years in the big leagues, even winning the 1964 World Series with the Cardinals. He became a regular on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, starred in Mr. Belvedere, appeared in countless commercials, and played perhaps the most famous fictional baseball broadcaster of all time in Major League.
And, of course, he spent more than half a century calling Brewers games.
“Ueck”, the new documentary about Uecker’s life, touches on all of it. Much of the first half-hour or so of “Ueck” will feel relatively familiar to Brewers fans, replete with some of the most iconic Uecker moments — Tonight Show clips, Miller Lite commercials, his Hall of Fame induction speech, even the time he got choked out by Andre the Giant on live TV.
Those stories are accompanied by newer footage recorded in the final years of Uecker’s life: 90-year-old Uecker pulling up to the stadium in his blacked-out Corvette, cracking jokes with Vinny Rottino in the broadcast booth, and sharing a (now less) private moment with Christian Yelich in the locker room.
The documentary moves back and forth between those two versions of Uecker, centering the story of his life within the context of his final years. We see him, and others, discuss his 2023 lung cancer diagnosis. We see him around the clubhouse with current Brewers players. We hear Robin Yount talk about arriving in Milwaukee as an 18-year-old and having Uecker take him under his wing.
All of that eventually leads to a scene in the Brewers’ locker room where Uecker quietly shares his diagnosis with Yelich. That scene — along with a couple of others — is where the documentary stops showing us “Mr. Baseball” and starts showing us the man underneath.
Another example comes after the Brewers are eliminated from the 2024 Wild Card Series — Uecker’s final broadcast, though nobody knew it yet. He signs off with what would become his last words on a Brewers broadcast — “That one had some sting on it” — and the camera stays on him.
Playoff baseball games are an ecosystem in and of themselves, teeming with energy and alive with movement. Amid the chaos, the throngs of fans rushing for the exits, and the visiting Mets celebrating, Ueck just sits there, quiet, still, staring off into space. Whether or not he knew for certain that it was over, watching it now, we do.
And yeah, I cried a little.
Only a couple of people had any sense that it might be his last game. One of them was Yelich, who — with tears in his eyes — explains that, with the benefit of hindsight, he knew it would be Uecker’s last call. After all his years with the Brewers, there was no storybook ending waiting for Uecker that night, no World Series championship or carefully planned farewell. At the time, nobody watching really knew they were hearing him call a baseball game for the final time.
And that hindsight, more than anything, is what makes the footage from the final years of his life so special to watch now. Brewers fans knew Uecker was getting older. We knew he had health problems. What we didn’t normally get to see was this version of him — away from the broadcast itself, the commercials, and the public appearances. We see him come straight to the ballpark from radiation therapy, unable to get out of his car without assistance and visibly ill in the booth, but then — as he always did — put on the headset and call a darn good baseball game.
Continuing to be Bob Uecker in his final years took an immense amount of strength, but he did it anyway. He could have easily taken the rest of the season off, but he didn’t. He wanted to be in the booth. He wanted to call Brewers games for as long as he could.
And maybe that’s why one line from earlier in the documentary stuck with me more than anything else.
Uecker had played major league baseball, become a television star, made movies, and become famous well beyond Wisconsin. Most people would probably consider any one of those things the accomplishment of a lifetime.
Uecker had other priorities.
“All that other stuff’s fun,” he says. “But I wanna come back here and do baseball.”
It’s easy to watch this documentary and be sad. Brewers fans are still mourning the loss of Uecker, one of the greatest announcers of all time, by all accounts a genuinely great human being, and a proud member of the Brewers organization.
But another thing the documentary makes clear is that Uecker’s impact survives him. In Yount’s words, he was “everybody’s best friend.” Whether you were a security guard or an MVP, he would stop, share a laugh with you, and then continue on with his day. That builds a culture, especially over more than 50 years.
When Uecker called his first Brewers game, in the second year of the franchise’s existence, they were an expansion team in a market that had already lost a major league franchise. As the documentary mentions, there was some doubt as to whether Milwaukee was a big enough city to keep a baseball team.
Uecker could have called Brewers games for five years, then applied to the Yankees, or gone and been an actor. But he didn’t. He loved Milwaukee, he loved the Brewers, and he built a community here — one that will survive without him.
