DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 22: CJ Abrams #5 (R) of the Washington Nationals celebrates his two-run home run with Dylan Crews #3 in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 22, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After last night’s rare low scoring win, the Nats are in position to claim a series win. This afternoon contest in Detroit will be the last road game of the season for the Nats. The boys will look to finish on a high note as they head home for a final series.
With a lefty on the mound, the Nats are loading up on right handed bats. James Wood and CJ Abrams are the only lefties in the lineup. Jacob Young and Harry Ford will return to the lineup in this contest. Dylan Crews moves to left field as Daylen Lile gets the day off. Richard Lovelady will be the opener in what will be a bullpen game.
A couple big names are back in the lineup for the Tigers. After sitting yesterday, Riley Greene and Dillon Dingler are back. Zach McKinstry will also make his first start of the series. Javier Baez will be getting the day off. Framber Valdez has had an up and down first season in Detroit, but he has been better lately. He is on the mound this afternoon.
It is wild that this is the last road game of the year, but here we are. Hopefully we can finish the road slate with a curly W. CJ Abrams has been swinging it well, so he is one to watch this afternoon. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
NBA veteran and former Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball appeared to announce his retirement from basketball on Wednesday.
It now appears his retirement isn’t so certain.
Ball, who the Lakers selected with the No. 2 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, seemed to allude to his career coming to an end during an episode of his “Ball in the Family Podcast” that aired on Tuesday.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball reacts after missing a pass from guard Isaiah Thomas during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, March 9, 2018, in Denver. AP
In the podcast, Ball spoke about the constant injuries he has dealt with, then reflected on how these injuries have derailed his career.
“To be honest, I don’t think I ever got to my peak. And damn, that sh** sucks, but at the same time there’s people that don’t have meals at night to eat. That’s how I look at the world,” Ball said.
Social media clipped this quote from Ball and took it to mean he had retired.
Several accounts ran with that on Wednesday morning.
But Ball refuted that notion with an X post, writing, “I retired? News to me lol cuz I’m still waiting for a call… NBA season long ”.
Lonzo Ball speaking during an episode of his “Ball in the Family” podcast (YouTube).
Ball is currently an unrestricted free agent, and mentioned in the podcast that he was supposed to go play overseas in Dubai last week but decided against doing so.
Still, the 28-year-old’s comments convey that he isn’t retiring, as was initially reported.
Ball spent the first two seasons of his NBA career in Los Angeles before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the blockbuster trade that brought Anthony Davis to the Lakers. He then spent two seasons in New Orleans before signing with the Chicago Bulls in free agency.
Despite signing a four-year deal, Ball played only one season then missed the next two because of injuries. His final season in Chicago was in 2024-25, then played last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ball’s younger brother, LaMelo, is a star guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Chicago Bulls’ Lonzo Ball (2) watches his shot during the first quarter of a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Lonzo, has averaged 10.6 points and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 39.2% from the field in his career. These stats leave a lot to be desired, but Ball isn’t one of the NBA’s most polarizing figures for his hoops.
Lonzo’s basketball career is also polarizing. For one, the Lakers’ decision to take him with that No. 2 overall pick didn’t age well, given that the Boston Celtics selected Jayson Tatum — who went on to become one of the league’s best players — one pick later.
Lonzo can’t be faulted for Los Angeles’ draft decision. But that fact doesn’t change how many Lakers fans feel about him.
Kevin Durant still just wants to hoop — and watch other people hoop.
Last season, Durant was second in the NBA in total minutes played with 2,840, and he was third in minutes per game at 36.4. When he sat down at Rockets media day on Tuesday, he was asked if, with a healthier and deeper Houston roster, the goal was to keep his minutes down this season.
"I'm better on the court. The team is better when I'm on the court," Durant said, pushing back on the idea of a minutes reduction. "Now, if we handle our business the first three quarters, then or earlier in the game, then maybe. But just for the sake of get my minutes, just because, 'Oh, he's older' or he played a lot of minutes — that's what I'm supposed to be training for is to play the long haul. Play 48 minutes a night.
"I get the concern. But you know, if the game needs me to be out there, I want to be out there."
Durant is under contract for this season but has a player option for next season. He is extension elegible with Houston, and Rockets head of basketball operations Rafael Stone said Durant told him he was happy in Houston. However, when asked if that meant he wanted to sign an extension in Houston or stay with the team beyond this next season, Durant brushed that conversation aside.
"I'm not thinking about anything like that," Durant said. "I'm enjoying coming into work every day. It's been fun going through the process with everybody. And like I said, I'm taking it one day at a time. And that's the most I can do. You know, who knows what'll happen down the line or in the future."
Durant, a long-time, very vocal supporter of the WNBA, was asked about the state of the league and the culture war it's been dragged into, in part by former Durant teammate Enes Kanter. Durant answered like the hooper he is — and echoed how a lot of people in the basketball world feel about the drama.
"All that stuff just be noise, man. The WNBA is flourishing," Durant said. "Look what these women are doing. Look at the money they're making, that they made over the last few years. Look at the visibility of their league. They got four or five signature athletes that are representing major brands. These women have brands for themselves. They're businesswomen for themselves outside of the game.
"So, a lot of this stuff, you know, the politics that they bring into sports nowadays, I understand the messaging behind what they're trying to do, but a person like me who just strictly cares for the purity of the sport, I do not give a f*** about none of that. I care about flourishing and pushing the league forward, and that's what's happening right now."
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 1: Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 1, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In perhaps the most injury-riddled playoff matchup of the season last spring, the Los Angeles Lakers dispatched the Houston Rockets in six games. Luka Dončić, Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams did not log a single minute.
Kevin Durant only played one game. Austin Reaves missed the first four games of the series. That’s a lot of pivotal names missing in action.
It was a series defined by understandably erratic, ugly stretches of offense and key players from each side often reduced to fumes by the third or fourth quarter. Twice, the Rockets and Lakers both failed to crack the century mark. The Rockets did so four times overall in the series while the Lakers did so thrice.
The most famous game — or, infamous, depending on one’s perspective — was Game 3, when Los Angeles mounted a late comeback to force overtime and ultimately take a 3-0 series lead, all but sealing Houston’s 2025-26 fate. In that contest, the Rockets held possession and a 101-95 lead with 34 seconds remaining before committing consecutive turnovers, fouling Marcus Smart on a 3-point attempt and conceding a Luke Kennard game-tying triple.
It was a calamity of errors from Houston, typifying its lack of poise and execution down the stretch of games. According to NBA.com, the Lakers won two of the three “clutch” games in the series and outscored the Rockets by eight points during those 15 “clutch” minutes.
That sort of disparity defined the series and was Alperen Şengün’s takeaway from the matchup when he told reporters during Houston’s media day on Tuesday.
“We played six games. Unfortunately, we only had KD for one game. That was another time for us to grow. Jabari [Smith Jr.], me, Amen [Thompson] taking the leadership because we were the ones playing and having to play against the Lakers, who had a lot of experience,” Şengün said. “LeBron [James], Marcus, Rui [Hachimura], like all of those players have been there and they know, they understand it better. We gave them a really hard time. We beat them in every stat. Just the experience beat us, I would say. They knew what to do. They were calm in the clutch times. That’s what we learned.”
It’s undeniable clutch-time performance helped propel Los Angeles past Houston. And the Rockets did give the Lakers “a really hard time.” Many of those games were close and tense.
Şengün is spot on in those evaluations. The Rockets posted a lower turnover rate and higher offensive rebounding rate than Los Angeles, according to Cleaning the Glass. But they were done in by abysmal shot-making and scoring output, numbers also tracked in the stats department. For instance, the Lakers’ effective field goal percentage was 8.2 percent higher (54.9 vs. 46.7) while their free-throw rate was four points higher (25.5 vs. 21.5).
Late-game blunders helped sink Houston’s ship, yet it did not win “every stat” of that series. To progress its rebuild beyond the first round, it must become a more efficient offense, an aspect not entirely tied to experience and something the Lakers, led by Dončić and Reaves, are hoping they can ride to success out West this season.
The issue hasn’t magically disappeared in the playoffs. Both the Celtics and Knicks had significantly superior offensive rebounding rates last postseason in their series against the Sixers.
James posted 5.4 defensive rebounds per game last season, his lowest since the 2014-15 campaign. Barring a drastic drop-off, he should still make a positive impact as a rebounder.
Brown’s 5.8 defensive boards per game last year were a new career high. The five-time All-Star grabbed 14.8 percent of opponents’ missed field goals, per Cleaning the Glass. That ranked in the 90th percentile for NBA wings. Beyond the numbers, the Sixers are adding meaningful size and strength with both James (listed at 6-foot-9, 250 pounds) and Brown (6-6, 223 pounds).
However, when Nurse was asked on draft night about potentially using Philon in three-guard lineups, he highlighted rebounding as a factor the Sixers must consider.
“They’ve got to rebound, right? I think that VJ for his position is an excellent rebounder,” Nurse said. “Tyrese (Maxey) is getting better as a rebounder for his position. We’ll have to see how they can rebound the ball.”
Both Ariel Hukporti and Adem Bona are levels below Drummond as big man rebounders. Hukporti has a physical edge over Bona in the simple fact that he sees eye to eye with the 7-footers of the NBA. Bona does have a nearly 7-4 wingspan along with ample explosiveness and muscle. Those traits have translated better to offensive than defensive rebounding over his first two NBA seasons.
We’ll learn soon whether Nurse tweaks anything about the Sixers’ defensive style. The team has tended to hunt for turnovers and scramble around on defense in a way that’s not generally conducive to strong rebounding.
Creating live-balls turnovers and then attacking in transition should be right up the 2026-27 Sixers’ alley, especially if the speedy Maxey remains among the NBA’s best at nabbing steals. Still, if the Sixers continue to struggle on the defensive glass, perhaps they’ll need to decrease the aggression at times. That might look like less blitzing star guards or not as green of a light for Maxey and Edgecombe to gamble.
On an individual basis, Nurse will ask for internal improvement by everyone from Joel Embiid to Justin Edwards. Whatever the formula, the Sixers will be satisfied if they can solve the problem.
‘I didn’t celebrate. I went home to rest. It was a hard fight’
Hrgovic stopped Briton to win the IBF heavyweight title
Filip Hrgovic, the new IBF world heavyweight champion, has offered a candid insight into the ordeal he endured before beating Moses Itauma in a shock stoppage victory last month, revealing he absorbed so many heavy punches in the first eight rounds that he felt headaches for a number of days afterwards.
“I felt fucked up,” said the 34-year-old Croat. “I received a lot of shots and I was bruised. I had a bit of a headache for a few days. On the Wednesday after the fight I was back in the gym, working out already, but for a few days I felt really tired and bruised, with some headaches.”
Sep 22, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brock Stewart (41) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
LOS ANGELES — Last year at this time, Evan Phillips and Brock Stewart were both recovering from surgeries and unavailable to pitch. They were around the team but unable to contribute during the stretch run and postseason. This year, both veteran right-handers are two key cogs in an increasingly deep Dodgers bullpen and an important part of their October puzzle.
Phillips had Tommy John surgery in June 2025, wiping out the last half of last season and the first half of this one. When he returned from the injured list in July, the Dodgers were cautious in his usage, not using him on back-to-back days for his first four weeks, and used him on one day rest only four times during that stretch.
The results were spotty at first, allowing runs in five of his first seven appearances, including an uncharacteristic four home runs in such a short span. Since then, Phillips has allowed runs in only three of his last 21 appearances, and the lone home run surrendered was last Monday to Elly De La Cruz, which seems to be a rite of passage for everybody these days.
“Evan as you would expect, the first handful of outings were inconsistent coming off Tommy John, but I’d say the last [few] have been kind of who he is, and it’s been fun to see,” manager Dave Roberts said recently. “There’s a two-seamer, there’s a four-seamer, and some sweepers getting some awkward swings, some chase. That’s been good, and his command has been a lot better, too.”
Phillips in his 28 games has 28 strikeouts against only three unintentional walks. Since the start of August, the Dodgers have used Phillips more aggressively, pitching on back-to-back days five times, and he pitched three times in four days in three different stretches, and during that span has a 2.30 ERA and 2.46 FIP.
“I appreciate what they’ve done, trying to build me up, plus also protect me, plus giving me advantageous lanes while also challenging me,” Phillips said. “It’s been great so far, and I definitely feel like I’m coming closer and closer to that best version of myself that I have been and continue to strive to be.”
Stewart, a sixth-round draft pick of the Dodgers in 2014, was reacquired by the team at the 2025 trade deadline, but he pitched in only four games for them before succumbing to right shoulder debridement surgery in September. This year the right-hander has a 2.45 ERA and 2.53 xERA in his 27 games, with 24 strikeouts and seven unintentional walks in 25 2/3 innings, including a scoreless first inning to start Tuesday night’s bullpen-game shutout of the San Diego Padres.
“When Brock’s healthy, he’s as good as anyone we have,” Roberts said Tuesday. “For us, it’s just trying to manage him the right way and keep him strong and healthy. He’s been great.”
“That’s very cool to hear. I just go out there and throw it, that’s literally all I focus on. But people tell me that my — you know, I throw five pitches, which helps as a reliever,” Stewart said. “They tell me my stuff is pretty good, and it’s always nice to hear that. But I don’t know, I just go out there and throw it, try to compete as best I can, and hope it works out.
Roberts wasn’t wrong. Since returning to the majors in 2023 with the Minnesota Twins, Stewart has a 2.45 ERA and 2.78 xERA, which ranks 10thand ninth, respectively, among the 576 major league pitchers with at least 100 innings over the last four years. Tarik Skubal, with two Cy Young Awards during that stretch, has a 2.50 ERA and 2.73 xERA, for example.
But staying on the field has been a problem for Stewart, who this season alone has been on the injured list three different times — recovering from shoulder surgery, bone spur in his left foot, and shoulder discomfort — inactive for a total of 95 games. Since 2023, Stewart has also been on the injured list with elbow soreness, shoulder tendinitis, a shoulder strain, a hamstring strain, and shoulder inflammation, limited to just 106 2/3 total innings over the last four seasons.
“I feel good, but I’ve told everybody though, one day at a time. I’ve been hurt a lot so I always try to take things one day at a time. But I’m happy with the way I feel, happy with the way I felt today,” Stewart said. “Getting close to the finish line, but happy with how I feel, happy with how the stuff is coming out. I feel like I’m in a good spot and can hopefully help out.”
Stewart has pitched in the postseason only once, in three games over two series with the Minnesota Twins in 2023. Phillips was an October stalwart for the Dodgers since he was acquired on a waiver claim in 2021. In 12 appearances for the Dodgers in the playoffs, Phillips has yet to allow a run, over 15 1/3 innings, with 21 strikeouts and six unintentional walks. Phillips missed out on the World Series in 2024 with a right rotator cuff injury suffered during the NLCS, and was sidelined for all of last October.
“I love pitching in the postseason, I love competing with these guys. In 2024, missing out on the World Series, but I tried to dig in on the fact that I helped us get there, and played quite a large part in the Division Series and Championship Series. Obviously I want to see it all to the end, and help us carry that trophy off the field,” Philips said. “I’m just as eager as ever. Fortunate that I feel healthy at this time, and just trying to build on that, continue to chip away, and be the best I can when it matters most.”
This season, only Tanner Scott, Edwin Díaz, and Alex Vesia have a higher average-leverage index than Phillips and Stewart among Dodgers relievers. Phillips and Stewart have each saved a game this year, and Phillips has done so in the past with 46 saves with the Dodgers. Roberts said he’d feel comfortable with either Phillips or Stewart getting a save opportunity in October, along with a group that includes Tanner Scott and the just-activated Roki Sasaki.
“This year, more than any other year, I think there’s more guys we feel comfortable closing out games,” Roberts said.
The initial plan called for Roki Sasaki to pitch an inning or two as an opener.
Sasaki had other ideas.
“I said I wanted to pitch out of the bullpen,” Sasaki said in Japanese.
Because Sasaki will be deployed as a reliever in the playoffs, he figured he should spend the remainder of the regular season becoming reacquainted with the role.
So instead of throwing the first and second innings of the Dodgers’ 7-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night, Sasaki pitched the fourth.
Returning from a month-long stay on the injured list, Sasaki pitched in relief for the first time this season.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki throws to the plate during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
What was most memorable about his night wasn’t that he struck out two batters or threw six of his 20 pitches faster than 99 mph. Rather, what was most striking was his embrace of his move out of the Dodgers’ rotation.
Sasaki was reluctant to make the switch last year, doing so only as a last-ditch effort to salvage an otherwise disastrous rookie season. The decision made him an October hero, as the team’s lack of options made him the closer almost by default.
He returned to the rotation this year and was 5-5 with a 4.56 earned-run average through his first 23 games, all of them starts. His form improved over the course of the season, and he was 2-0 with a 3.05 ERA in seven starts after the All-Star break. But in the last of those starts, which was on Aug. 26 in Atlanta, he developed a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.
Starting games was a source of pride for Sasaki. When he agreed to try pitching in relief last year, he made the Dodgers promise him they would use him as a starter this season.
Sasaki didn’t require as much convincing when team officials started talking to him about a role change on the Dodgers’ recent trip to Cincinnati.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the fourth inning at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers will use a four-man rotation in the playoffs, and they have four Cy Young Award-caliber pitchers in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal and Tyler Glasnow. Sasaki could do the math. If he was going to pitch in the postseason, it would be as a reliever.
“I think it’s important to make the roster,” Sasaki said.
Something else: The Dodgers kept their word about him starting games, and Sasaki wanted to repay them.
Sasaki didn’t pitch more than five innings in any of his first five starts. His ERA at that point was 6.35. His fastball velocity was down and his command was non-existent.
The Dodgers would have been justified in removing him from the rotation.
“This time,” Sasaki said, “I want to be able to contribute to the team in whatever shape.”
The feelings point to a growing trust that has developed between Sasaki and the Dodgers.
At this stage of the season last year, they didn’t seem to be on the same page. As he shined as their closer last October, Dodgers officials and coaches told stories about how they helped Sasaki rediscover his 100-mph fastball. Sasaki downplayed the team’s role in his resurgence, saying he figured out what he was doing wrong by watching videos of himself pitching in high school.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki sits in the dugout during a game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
He is also physically stronger than he did last year. Fatigue was a factor for him in the postseason, and by the World Series, he looked like a spent cartridge. To close out Game 7 of the World Series, manager Dave Roberts went to Yamamoto, who was pitching his third inning in relief a day after making a six-inning start.
Sasaki looks more capable of shouldering a reliever’s schedule and workload.
Sasaki closing games in the upcoming postseason is “certainly an option,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Edwin Diaz has worked his way back into ninth-inning consideration by posting three consecutive scoreless appearances since his return from his latest IL stint. Tanner Scott has been the Dodgers’ primary closer this season, but Roberts said there could be instances in which the left-hander is used earlier in games in high-leverage situations.
Sasaki said he would pitch whenever asked.
That could be determined by how he looks over this final week of the regular season. Roberts said he will likely pitch next on Friday in San Francisco.
This time around, there isn’t any hesitation on the part of Sasaki. This time around, he really wants to do this.
The Milwaukee Bucks were already set to endure some rough years after finally trading Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat over the summer. A new NBA investigation into potential cap circumvention to re-sign a role player from the late stages of the Antetokounmpo era threatens to make Milwaukee’s rebuild even more difficult.
The NBA quietly announced it was investigating the Bucks for cap circumvention over the summer tied to re-signing Gary Trent Jr. to a four-year, $64 million deal. The contract immediately raised eyebrows for multiple reasons: Trent was coming off arguably the worst season of his NBA career, cap space around the league had already dried up by the time the deal was announced on July 11, and no one in their right mind would have thought he was a $16 million per year player in this market.
The Bucks signed Trent to a minimum contract in the summer of 2024 when he was coming off a strong year with the Toronto Raptors where he averaged 13.7 points per game while knocking down 39.3 percent of his three-pointers on 6.4 attempts per game from deep. It felt like a very team-friendly signing at the time for a player who had just started 41 games, but it was also a nice opportunity for Trent to boost his standing league-wide playing for a Bucks team that was supposed to be very good with Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
Trent was just okay for the Bucks in his first season with the team, and then got a modest pay increase up to $3.7 million for last season with Milwaukee still capped out. He had an even worse season last year, averaging 8.1 points with 36 percent shooting from three. Somehow, he landed a $64 million deal over the summer.
The most alarming thing about this signing is that Milwaukee has absolutely no need for Trent this season after trading Giannis. The Bucks have plenty of young guards they should want to feature ahead of Trent, including Ryan Rollins, Brayden Burries, and Kasparas Jakucionis. Milwaukee also has Tyler Herro, who should be slated for big minutes, and Kevin Porter Jr., who was better than Trent for the team last year.
Trent has always been a bit of a one-trick pony as a shooter. He doesn’t rebound, doesn’t force turnovers defensively, doesn’t get to the rim, and doesn’t playmake for others. The arrow has been trending down on his career since he signed with Milwaukee, and he was never even an average player to begin with. This graph tracking his overall play is via the Darko app.
The Bucks already have a huge anchor on their cap sheet for the next four years after waiving-and-stretching Damian Lillard to sign Myles Turner last year. Lillard’s deal takes up $22.5 million worth of cap room the next four seasons. Now Trent is on the books for $16 million per year even though Milwaukee has no use for him. This is absolutely no way to start a rebuild, when the Bucks could have been using their cap space to take on bad contracts in exchange for future draft picks. Instead, they gave Trent a bad contract for no reason.
Well, there is one reason, probably. Trent’s market value was likely above contracts he signed with the Bucks the previous two seasons when they couldn’t offer him more. It sure seems like there was a wink-wink agreement to give him the deal he thought he deserved once they had his bird rights and the available cap space. It came home to roost this summer.
Trent’s agent is Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. There is no greater proof that Paul is the best agent in the NBA today, if not all of sports. Paul somehow got Brandon Ingram $40 million per year when it seemed like he didn’t have much of a market, and now he forced the Bucks into giving Trent this deal. Milwaukee probably did it because they didn’t want to damage their business relationship with Paul in the future. That was stupid!
By the letter of the law, the Bucks probably deserve to be punished here. Cap circumvention needs to be discouraged for other owners in the second-apron era, even when it obviously doesn’t work in Trent’s case. There’s one key difference between this case and Leonard’s with the Clippers, though. Fans and media truly believed the Clippers were guilty and deserving of punishment. Silver was going to seem soft as hell if he left them off the hook. The Bucks’ situation is already depressing enough after the Giannis trade. Stripping future first-round picks from Milwaukee now would feel like an impossible situation to come back from. Having Trent making $16 million per year for the next four years is enough punishment by itself.
Maybe I’m the one going soft now, but it would be pretty sad to see the Bucks get hammered over this — and I say this as someone who grew up as a Bulls fan, a Central Division rival of Milwaukee. Bucks fans are going to suffer enough in the coming years either way. After seeing the Clippers ruling, though, Milwaukee supporters should be very afraid of what Silver’s investigation finds.
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 20: Cleveland Guardians pitcher Cade Smith (36) is interviewed following the Major League Baseball game between the Athletics and Cleveland Guardians on September 20, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Cleveland Guardians got a key win against the Boston Red Sox last night, leaving their magic number to clinch a postseason berth at two. What should Guardians’ fans be watching for starting with tonight’s primetime matchup with the Red Sox and Sonny Gray?
First, obviously, the Guardians are trying to beat Boston, again, while rooting for the Mariners to GET THEIR CRAP TOGETHER and beat the Astros and the Mets to remember they have a billion dollar roster for one more night and beat the Rangers again. If either of those events happen, the Guardians’ magic number reduces by one more. So… a win over the Red Sox and a loss by either Houston or Texas and Cleveland has punched their ticket to October baseball. The Astros will start Ethan Pecko who doesn’t strike anyone out and won’t be out there more than like three innings at the most, so, that helps, but the Mariners are starting George Kirby who has a 4.24 ERA. Come on, Seattle, play spoiler for those hated ‘Stros. The Mets will start Nolan McLean who is good and has a 3.18 ERA while the Rangers do a sort of bullpen game starting Cody Bradford who has a 4.19 ERA. So, there is hope all around here.
As for the Guardians tonight, they face old nemesis Sonny Gray. In the past three years, Gray has pitched 15 innings against the Guardians to the tune of an 0.60 ERA. It’s a small sample size! But, of course, Gray does have a 2.82 ERA this season. He is, unfortunately, very good. So, the Guardians will need to find a hero or two offensively. Petey Halpin hit a home run off Gray earlier this season; start him today. Give it a shot. Travis Bazzana has a .429 wOBA, Austin Hedges and Brayan Rocchio have .349 wOBA’s against him, and in 30 pitches seen Jo Adell has a .300 wOBA against him. Is that good? No. But it’s way better than the rest of the Guardians’ options have against Gray. It’s probably all mostly small sample size; Gray is just good and they need to put up good at-bats and come through with runners in scoring position.
ALSO, of course, it would be a good time right now for Foster Griffin to really put forth the kind of effort the Guardians were hoping for when they acquired him at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, the Red Sox do have a 107 wRC+ against LHP this season; however, they are missing Willson Contreras who was a big piece of that. They do still have bats who can provide some right-handed thump like Adley Rutschmann, Jahmai Jones, Trevor Story, Caleb Durbin, Nate Eaton, and Andruw Monastario. Griffin will have to find a way to keep them at bay for a while, and I suspect we will need a return scoreless appearance from Craig Yoho and no gopherballs tonight from Hunter Gaddis. The Red Sox for the season have been +4 runs above average when facing lefties against Griffin’s best pitch (the cutter), but they’ve been -0.6 against sinkers and -4.9 against changeups, so I’d see if Griffin can leverage those two offerings into some outs tonight if I were designing the gameplan.
Finally, of course, we ideally want the Guardians to find a way to hang on to their slim one-game lead in the AL Central and get the #2 seed in MLB’s postseason bracket, including the bye. BUT, the Chicago White Sox have the tiebreaker and they are playing the terrible Royals and then the even more terrible Colorado Rockies to end the year. Tonight, the White Sox will open with very good reliever Bryan Hudson and then go to Erick Fedde, who is a solid but not dominant arm. The Royals will start the very bad Seth Lugo with an ERA over 5. He has surrendered a .341 wOBA to the White Sox this year, which is also bad. BUT, the Royals scored 11 runs last night. Let’s hope they can do that again because they’ll probably need it. The Royals will start Randy Dobnak on Thursday and he has a 3.08 ERA (somehow!) and they’ll be facing the back end of the White Sox rotation… so that may be the best chance for Chicago to lose a game this series. The Guardians, however, will be facing lefty Ranger Suarez who is good… and will need David Fry and Jo Adell to make some noise in that one.
Pitching rotations are not set for the Astros and Rangers after today, but the Mets will throw Zac Thornton who has a 3.40 ERA against Texas on Thursday. Meanwhile, to face the Astros, the Athletics will throw Mason Barnett who is capable of a decent performance but not great, Jacob Lopez who is like Logan Allen but worse, Jack Perkins who has been very good his last two starts, and Brady Basso who hasn’t been good but whose expected numbers look better. The Athletics are bad, no doubt, but they do have a bit of kick to them and should be motivated to spoil things for big bad Houston. The Rangers wrap up their season with three versus the Twins, who should be throwing Joe Ryan one of those games, so that’s the one to steal.
For the Guardians, Travis Bazzana needs to find it again soon, we need some Playoff Rocchio and Hero Hosey, and the bullpen will have to hold up while Griffin, Joey Cantillo and Tanner Bibee finish strong. The team has been putting up good at-bats and finding a way. I believe they can continue to do so – we will see where they end up on Sunday evening!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 09: Anfernee Simons #22 of the Chicago Bulls warms up prior to the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on February 09, 2026 in New York City. 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 Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Even setting aside the two major blockbuster additions in Philadelphia, Mike Gansey was lauded for what he did in his first offseason for the Sixers due to the improved depth pieces he brought into the fold.
Signing Dean Wade to a reasonable long-term deal was a nice bit of roster work, but something many people anticipated might happen due to their shared Cleveland connection. Signing Anfernee Simons to a two-year, $12.3 million deal (second year player option), though, was an unexpected, but strong piece of free agency business.
After a few years of putting up numbers for a rebuilding Portland franchise, Simons found himself in a much different situation upon arriving in Boston as part of the Jrue Holiday trade prior to last season. He went from starting every game he appeared in across the prior three seasons for the Trail Blazers, to coming off the bench across all 49 appearances for the Celtics. The role seemed to suit him well, however, as his per-36 scoring average was only a shade under his numbers in Portland, and his 39.5 percent mark from three on 6.7 attempts per game was above his 38.1 percent career average. However, in a move that was partially motivated by the difference in contract values enabling the Celtics to dip under the first apron, Simons was then shipped to Chicago in February in exchange for Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic played poorly during his time with the Celtics, and his slow feet defensively were a huge on-court liability in the first-round series loss to the Sixers. Meanwhile, Simons only played a handful of games before aggravating a wrist fracture and missing the rest of the season. It’s hard to know how much of the absence was a case of Bulls tank-itis.
Now in Philadelphia, the Sixers will hope for Simons to reprieve his role from Boston as a lethal bench scorer. His presence as an effective, high-volume outside shooter is a sorely needed dimension for the team. His 39.5 percent three-point shooting mark while in Boston last season would have led all Sixers regulars, and his 6.7 attempts per game were more than all but Tyrese Maxey (8.6) and Paul George (6.9), who obviously played a lot more minutes. With stars like Maxey, LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid drawing a ton of opposing defensive attention, Simons should see a plethora of open looks this season and he won’t hesitate to let them fly. By next summer, I won’t be surprised to see a lot of the Sixers’ best offensive five-man lineup combinations have included Simons in them.
The flip side of the coin and part of the reason he was available on such an affordable deal is that Simons is a dreadful defender. He showed improved effort on that end while with Boston, but there are size and strength disadvantages that are tough to overcome. Still, there won’t be any other perimeter defenders he shares the floor with who aren’t at least average (Labaron Philon is a bit of an unknown, but I’m optimistic), so Simons can usually take on the easiest assignment. The Sixers also aren’t typically going to be relying on him in crunch-time lineups so that area of his game shouldn’t be exposed as often. Just let him outshoot the one-dimensional players on the other team’s bench during those minutes.
Simons isn’t a perfect player, but he was kind of a perfect acquisition for the Sixers with what his high-volume shooting brings to them. In a normal offseason that might not go down as the best in franchise history, his signing could have been viewed as the best bit of business for the summer. As it stands, Simons represents another terrific puzzle piece for Nick Nurse to work with on what should be an improved bench unit behind the Sixers’ star-studded starting five.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: Ezequiel Tovar #14 of the Colorado Rockies bats against the Detroit Tigers during the third inning at Comerica Park on September 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is no doubt that 2026 has been a disappointing year for Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. After injuries hindered him in 2025 and he put together a strong perfromance with Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, hopes were high that Tovar could return to form and propel the Rockies offense.
Unfortunately, he’s mostly done the opposite this season.
You’ll be able to read an in-depth review of his season in the Ranking the Rockies series (which starts next week, by the way). However, as the season winds down, it’s worth noting and exploring the fact that Tovar has actually been better at the plate since the start of August.
Since August 1, Tovar has slashed .279/.325/.404 with 29 total hits, including four doubles and three home runs. In September alone, he is batting .297/.333/.405, going 11-for-37 with a double and a home run along with 10 runs scored. The performance over the last 40 games as been a major improvement for a player who couldn’t seem to buy a hit at times this season, let alone make contact.
So what’s leading to some success lately?
The plate discipline
Tovar entered August with a 25.8% strikeout rate alongisde a .196 batting average and .243 on-base percentage. The 72.3% first-pitch strike rate he carried was the highest in the sport while his 16.3% swinging strike rate was the sixth-highest. Now, a high swinging strike rate isn’t bad if you are coupling that with some predigous power, considering Tovar was behind the likes of Hunter Goodman, Brandon Lowe, and Colson Montgomery.
It becomes a problem when he had the highest swing-rate in baseball at 61.5% but a 73.4% contact rate which ranked 115th in baseball. He also had the third-highest swing rate on pitches outside of the zone along with the highest swing rate on pitches inside the zone, but wasn’t particularly good at making contact with either location.
Things have looked much different in terms swing rate and contact since the start of August. Since August 1, Tovar boasts a first-pitch strike rate of 59.1% which ranks 260th among all players with at least 50 plate appearances. He still swings a fair amount at 57.7% of the time, but he’s down to 12th in that department and has been swinging at pitches out of the zone far less at rate of 39.8% which ranks 29th.
The biggest improvement over the last two months is that Tovar is simply making much more contact, especially on pitches in the strike zone. He has improved his contact rate in the zone to 86.9%, four points higher than it was before August, while lower his contact on pitches outside of the zone.
He may still be striking out 25% of the time, but the slight uptick in walks from 5.6% to 7.0% as a result of his slightly tempered plate aggression is huge for a player like Tovar. He’s never going to be one to draw a lot of walks, but his over aggression on pitches has always been his weakness. There are still issues, but he’s finally making the right adjustments to get back to what he can do well.
Batted balls
With the improved contact, Tovar has been doing something he’s struggled with the majority of the season: hitting the fastball.
Before August, the highest batting average he had against fastballs was a .241 AVG in May. Otherwise, he was hitting below .200, bottoming out at .075 in June. However, the fastball has been handeled nicely over the last seven weeks.
In August, Tovar hit .290 against fastballs and has exploded in September with a .368 AVG. He has still whiffed around 25% of the time, but he is managing to do more against fastballs while seeing them 55% of the time. As a result of catching up to the fastball better, opposing pitchers have increased the usage of offspeed pitches against him.
In the first few months of the season, offspeed pitches came in a little under 10% of the time month-to-month. However, they jumped up to 12% in August and 18.4% in September. He hit over .300 in August but has come back down to a .143 AVG in September has the slower pitches. Breaking pitches will always be Tovar’s bane, especially down and away with two strikes, but the improvement of forcing pitchers to think more because he is timing up the fastball makes it more likely for mistakes to happen that he can take advantage of.
As for when the balls are put in play, there hasn’t been much difference in terms of groundballs, line drives, and fly balls, but there has been some improvement in finding the barrel. Before August, he has a barrel rate of 6.3% but since then has a 7.7% rate which complements his 33% hard hit rate a bit better. There is still room for improvement, but his ability to have more hard-hit line drives off the barrel is generally a good thing. Hopefully, that can then lead to more consistent power in the future. After all, he has now hit double-digit home runs in three of his four full seasons.
Work in progress
There is plenty of work to do for Tovar to get back to the heights of that 2024 season. He’s been in the depths these last two seasons and so getting back to a baseline to build off of is a positive sign. If he can finish the season strong with his current level of play, perhaps he can find the next gear in 2027 to prove he is worthy of his contract and continuing to stick around as a key component for this team.
Ideally, Tovar can find his power again and start collecting extra-base hits and driving in runs. The injuries of 2025 may have taken a toll, something that is hard to recover from, but there is still a quality player in Tovar. If these final two months have been any indication, that player can still contribute in meaningful ways, even if he isn’t the driving force the team had hoped for.
The Cubs, Padres and Phillies are currently tied for the top Wild Card spot at 87-70, with the Cubs holding the tiebreaker in any of the two-team or three-team tie scenarios among those clubs.
The Diamondbacks are 83-74 and on the verge of elimination, four games behind all three clubs; their elimination number with the Cubs is 1, so the Cubs can clinch a Wild Card spot by defeating the Marlins Wednesday (or a D-backs loss to the Rockies).
This is where it’s really fortunate that the Cubs have that tiebreaker over the Padres and Phillies. If all three teams wound up tied at the end of the regular season, the Cubs would get the first wild card spot. In that scenario they’d host the Phillies, because Philadelphia swept their season series 6-0 over San Diego. Here are all the various tiebreaker rules.
This article in The Athletic noting the odds and percentages for various postseason scenarios has been updated through Tuesday’s games, so let’s have another look at the various odds and chances.
First, here are the percentage odds for the possible postseason matchups for the first two rounds:
As you can see, compared to the last post I made on this topic on Monday, the chances for the Cubs to be the No. 4 seed (and top Wild Card) have decreased from 60 percent to 45 percent. The Cubs still control their own destiny — win out and they’re the top Wild Card.
The Brewers are still very likely to be the No. 1 National League seed. They currently lead the Dodgers by one game and hold the tiebreaker.
Now, here are the Cubs’ percentages of making the postseason and where they would wind up, based on each possible W/L record in the remaining six games:
The Cubs still are 60 percent or better to host the Wild Card Seires next week if they can go at least 3-2 over the five remaining games. Going 4-1 or 5-0, obviously, increases those odds.
The good news is that even if the unthinkable happens and the Cubs don’t win another game, they still have a 94 percent chance of getting into the postseason as the No. 6 seed.
But let’s be positive and think about taking the next two games from the Marlins. That would be a huge boost.
Now, here’s what we know about the series this weekend between the Cubs and Red Sox scheduled to begin at 6:10 p.m. CT Friday at Fenway Park.
As I wrote yesterday, I think the best move would be to move the series to a neutral site, perhaps Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The league seems disinclined to do that. Instead, this might happen:
MLB has no plans to move Cubs-Red Sox out of Boston this weekend.
The forecast looks particularly bad beginning Saturday evening. It’s possible they try to play all three games before then.
Looking toward the bad weather expected in Boston,The league does not appear ready to change the venue. Playing on the Monday is an option.Starting games earlier and possible Double header also possible. Cubs must complete all 162 games if it impacts Padres/Phils seeding.
A chance of showers, mainly after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Northeast wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
That’s… not terrible, though it will be quite windy. It seems likely that the teams could get two games in before the rain hits later Friday and possibly all day Saturday and Sunday. If they do play a doubleheader Friday, it’s possible that the National League wild card race could be sorted out after that and the third game could be cancelled. More on the doubleheader possibility in this Athletic article by Sahadev Sharma:
A doubleheader Friday or Saturday is possible, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke anonymously so as to freely discuss a fluid situation, with Friday being the more likely. The forecast suggests conditions will get worse over the weekend, with rain expected all day Sunday.
I’d think they would have to make this decision sometime later today. I will update this article if such a decision is made Wednesday afternoon. As always, we await developments.
UPDATE: Early afternoon today, this Boston Globe article indicates the league is seriously considering a Cubs/Red Sox doubleheader on Friday:
Desperate to finish the regular season, the Red Sox and Cubs are planning to play a doubleheader Friday ahead of a possible nor’easter this weekend in Boston, a league source said.
If they can get those two games in, it would leave one additional game in the series. The thinking as of Wednesday afternoon was that their best chance would come Saturday, a source said.
The Saturday game is scheduled for 7:15 p.m., but it can be moved up.
Major League Baseball and the teams want to be proactive with these changes to avoid a potential scheduling nightmare — including, in a worst-case scenario, making up one or two games on Monday, the day between the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason.
I will post further information if and when it becomes available.
The glaring Ryan McMahon playoff problem has the Yankees set to once again expand Anthony Volpe’s defensive repertoire.
Volpe, now at second base after transitioning from shortstop, will “probably” play third base in the team’s final five games, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told Talkin’ Yanks.
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The team is not planning to do so with Jazz Chisholm, although Boone caveated that statement with a “we’ll see” during his usual midweek interview with the podcast.
The Yankees have six days before they likely welcome the Red Sox — or the AL Central runner-up — to The Bronx for a second straight AL wild-card series and they will use this time to figure out roster construction.
Boone said after the Rays clinched the AL East on Tuesday in the nightcap of the doubleheader that he would consider experimenting with players at certain positions.
The glaring roster question centers on third base.
McMahon has become virtually unplayable due to his shaky defense as of late and horrific offense.
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) throws to first to retire Minnesota Twins shortstop Ben Ross (1) in the second inning, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, at Target Field in Minneapolis. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The veteran is hitting just .143 in 15 games since returning from the injured list, going 6-for-42 with one extra-base hit and a .217 on-base percentage.
Against a Boston team filled with lefties, McMahon, who owns a .518 OPS against southpaws this year, becomes an easy fade.
The question is where the Yankees would turn and they have Amed Rosario and Jose Caballero as potential options, although there are flaws with both.
Rosario is a bad defender this year and has not hit lefties like usual, with just a .599 OPS, and Caballero can be rather streaky offensively.
Volpe has tallied just a .695 OPS in 11 games since being recalled, which doesn’t scream must-start, but his righty bat could be needed against potential southpaws.
New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) throws the ball to first base for an out during the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He also has handled second base rather well since shifting to the position earlier this month with rookie George Lombard Jr. handling shortstop.
Boone added that Lombard will remain at shortstop amid these possible changes.
The complicating factor about Volpe’s postseason role is whether the Yankees trust Chisholm — who is slashing .221/.268/.386 versus lefties — against a southpaw in a three-game series.
If Chisholm is starting, the only other starting route would be third base.
Seeing how Volpe can handle third base opens up the possibility of starting at the hot corner — although that would appear a long shot since he would have, at most, five major-league games at the position before the postseason starts — or potentially entering or shifting in the late innings.
Volpe being able to handle the position could allow the Yankees to optimize their roster in a better fashion in the late innings, with one potential example being a game in which Rosario starts.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander and his wife Kate Upton pose for a photo as they celebrate after Game 4 of the ALCS, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, at Yankee Stadium. The Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees 6-5 to sweep the series and win the ALCS.
Justin Verlander and Kate Upton have been an iconic celebrity couple for years, and one of their funniest moments came after Verlander narrowly lost the 2016 AL Cy Young race.
Nearly 10 years later, Upton’s reaction to her then-fiancée’s loss remains memorable.
“Hey @MLB I thought I was the only person allowed to f–k @JustinVerlander ?! What 2 writers didn’t have him on their ballot?” Upton wrote after Verlander lost to Rick Porcello by five points.
Dodgers star Mookie Betts hosted Verlander on his podcast recenlty as the star pitcher heads toward retirement at the end of the season, and asked about Verlander’s reaction to Upton’s NSFW tweet.
“I was doing MLB Network, they had the three finalists on the air, and as soon as it came out, she was firing,” Verlander said on the “On Base with Mookie Betts” podcast.
“And so we finished the interview and I go down, and she’s like, ‘You’re not going to like it.’ And sure enough, she had fired off a bunch of stuff, and she had another one preloaded, ready to go.
Justin Verlander reacts to Kate Upton’s viral tweet from 2016
Porcello beat Verlander — then with the Tigers and now also finishing his career with Detroit — for his first and only career Cy Young award 137-132.
The five-point difference was the second-closest of any election since voters could add multiple pitchers to a ballot beginning in 1970.
Verlander was not listed on two ballots, but received more first-place votes than Porcello.
As Verlander noted, Upton’s rant didn’t stop with the first tweet.
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander and his wife Kate Upton pose for a photo as they celebrate after Game 4 of the ALCS, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, at Yankee Stadium. The Astros defeated the Yankees 6-5 to sweep the series and win the ALCS. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“He had the majority of 1st place votes and 2 writers didn’t have him on their ballots?!! Can you pick more out of touch people to vote? @MLB,” read the next tweet.
“Sorry Rick but you didn’t get any 1st place votes? You didn’t win. #ByeFelicia @MLB keep up with the times and fire those writers,” she continued.
Verlander is set to make the final start of his career Saturday at home vs. Pittsburgh.
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