Rory McIlroy leaves himself another monster putt, this time on 3. He doesn’t judge this 70-footer particularly well, leaving himself a ten-foot tester for his par. It’s always dying to the right of the cup, and he drops to +1. Emiliano Grillo also takes a step backwards, finding the bunker to the right of the par-three 17th, and having found himself shortsided, leaving himself too much to do after the chip out. Grillo slips back to level par for the tournament.
Emiliano Grillo birdies the par-five 16th – statistically the second-easiest hole on the course today – and he moves into red figures for the week at -1. The 33-year-old Argentinian, whose best finish by far at an US Open was his tie for 19th last year, is now four-under par for his round today.
Kyle Jamieson took three wickets as New Zealand pressed for a series-levelling win, despite another landmark day for Joe Root, after leaving England with a record-breaking run-chase at the Oval.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 2: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, 2026 at Paycom Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
A year-and-a-half into the Luka Dončić era and the Lakers, despite a pair of 50-win seasons, have been far from title contention.
It’s not entirely inexcusable as acquiring a franchise-altering superstar in the middle of a season is going to drastically change the outlook of a team. After being built around someone they viewed as the center of the future in Anthony Davis, the Lakers have had to change their identity on the fly over the last two seasons.
But with relatively clean books, picks to trade and an offseason to tackle it on, the Lakers will be out of excuses after this summer. While it’s unlikely they make the leap all the way to a title in one summer, reasonable improvements need to be made, and that’s not just the opinion of the fans, but Luka himself.
This past week, Dave McMenamin of ESPN wrote a lengthy piece with plenty of reporting, including a tidbit about the expectations from Luka for the Lakers next season.
The team has kept Doncic informed as the draft and free agency approaches; there is an expectation from the six-time All-Star for the Lakers to present a near-immediate path to championship contention.
“Luka wants to be a championship team yesterday,” a source close to Doncic said. “Ever since the trade, they’ve always told us: ‘summer of ’26. We’ll show you in the summer of ’26.’ So, we are so excited that the summer of ’26 is here.”
Honestly, this is more than fair.
As understandable as it was for the Lakers to not have a competitive team around Luka the last season-and-a-half, it’s also fully understandable to expect them to have a competitive team after this summer.
Even before Luka the summer of 2026 has been circled on the Lakers’ calendars. They have focused on this summer for some time, so there should be expectations of them coming out of it a better team.
When you have a superstar in their prime, the clock is always ticking. And when you aren’t fielding a title-contending team, that ticking is going to be extremely loud.
The Lakers should be under pressure this summer to get things right. This is an extremely important summer with added emphasis through their own long-term planning. It’s imperative they get this right and take the team fully into the new era with Luka.
With Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones now patrolling the outfield in The Bronx, the Yankees’ Triple-A outfielders might need some refreshing on the basics of baseball.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre right fielder Yanquiel Fernandez seemed to forget the score Friday night when he dove for but didn’t catch a fly ball that could have ended the game.
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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre led, 8-7, with Columbus down to its final out in the first game of a doubleheader.
Clippers catcher Bo Naylor lifted the shallow fly ball that bounced in front of Fernandez.
Instead of hustling after the ball, Fernandez jogged and let it roll as the tying run scored from first base and Naylor came all the way around on a walk-off inside-the-park two-run home run.
Second baseman Marco Luciano ran out to the outfield to get the ball and fired back to the plate. Catcher Austin Wells — on a rehab assignment from the Yankees — couldn’t corral the one-hop throw as Naylor slid across the plate.
Fernandez, 23, is not among the Yankees’ top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.
He either gave up on the play or thought that the game was tied when the ball was hit and the first run had won the game.
Yanquiel Fernandez walks to get the ball, causing an inside-the-park home run. X @CLBClippers
Fernandez has 15 home runs this season and was named International League Player of the Week for May 18-24, but Jones and then Dominguez were the regular Triple-A right fielders before the injuries to Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham, respectively.
Fernandez made his MLB debut with 52 games for the Rockies last season. He is a former top 100 prospect in MLB.
Columbus celebrating its inside-the-park home run. X @CLBClippers
When Scranton took the field for the nightcap of the doubleheader, Fernandez was back in right field — to the shock of old-school minds who expect punishments for mental mistakes. He hit a two-run homer.
Elmer Rodriguez of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders enters the field before a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
We don’t get an ace-off after all. With the Yankees trying to manage a pitching rotation that’s both played at its highest level and seen its share of injuries, Gerrit Cole will be pushed back a day and make his start with an additional day of rest on Monday in Detroit. The club is trying to avoid three straight turns the the rotation on five days’ rest, especially with a careful eye on Cole’s surgically repaired elbow. Rookie Elmer Rodríguez will be called upon to make his third start of the season in the finale with the Reds tomorrow.
ERC looked every bit the part of a rookie starter during his two previous outings in May, in particular demonstrating a lack of control that needs to be his primary focus in order to be a full timer in the big leagues. A 14.1-percent walk rate is a jump from his already-high 11-percent mark with Triple-A Scranton. Getting the ball in the strike zone will be his task against the Reds.
Boone said Elmer Rodriguez will start Sunday. Desire is to give each of the starters an extra day so the rotation doesn’t go three straight turns on five days rest. Cole will start Monday in Detroit. Jake Bird optioned as the Rodriguez move
The corresponding move for Rodríguez is that the ever-scuffling Jake Bird goes down to Scranton, and frankly that just means that Aaron Boone will no longer be tempted to put him into a game. It’s a win all around as far as I’m concerned.
These kinds of moves are one of the perks of being a first-place team. Everyone in baseball is trying to figure out how to manage the health of their pitching staff, and the Yankees have a chance to inject an extra bit of rest into the group. Losing on Saturday makes things a little more stressful for young ERC, because you want to win series too, but giving a veteran a little extra time isn’t a bad idea in my book.
The Ducks' 2025-26 season has been over for just over a month and with the 2026 NHL Entry Draft just around the corner, it feels like a good time to start recapping this past season for each player in the organization.
Today's edition of 'By the Numbers' will feature players who wore Nos. 31-40 this season.
If you missed the previous edition of 'By the Numbers', you can click here to read it.
Calle Clang
Clang had the best season performance of his North American career in 2025-26, posting an 18-9-9 record with an .897 SV% and 2.80 GAA. He missed time at various points of the season due to a leave of absence for personal reasons and two separate injuries. The second injury unfortunately ruled him out for the San Diego Gulls’ first playoff series in four seasons.
Clang’s stellar season earned him his first AHL All-Star selection, as both he and forward Tim Washe were selected to represent the Gulls in Rockford. At the AHL All-Star Game, he took home the honor of top goaltender.
San Diego goalie Calle Clang keeps his eye on the puck as it deflects off of his gear during the second period of their game at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Friday, Nov. 22, 2024.
Set to be an RFA this offseason, Clang chose to return home to Sweden and sign with Rögle BK in the SHL, the club he played for prior to transitioning to North American hockey. His contract is for two years, which means that he will likely not receive a qualifying offer from the Ducks.
With Clang expected to depart the organization, defense Tristan Luneau is the only remaining piece left from the Rickard Rakell deal that occurred at the 2022 trade deadline. With Lukáš Dostál and Ville Husso holding things down in net for Anaheim and Tomáš Suchánek, Damian Clara and Vyacheslav Buteyets doing the same for San Diego, there was little opportunity left for Clang moving forward despite his strong season. He will compete with Arvid Holm for Rögle’s starting job next season.
Vyacheslav Buteyets
More well-known as ‘Slava’ by his teammates, Buteyets spent time with all three Ducks affiliates this season. He spent most of the season with ECHL Tulsa as their starter, putting up an 18-19-5 record with a .908 SV% and 3.11 GAA. He made four starts for the Gulls, sporting a 1-3-0 record with an .865 SV% and 4.29 GAA. He also made his NHL debut, coming in in relief of Ville Husso in an eventual 7-0 loss to the Utah Mammoth. He allowed three goals on 10 shots, though it was difficult to fault him on any of them.
Buteyets has now spent two full seasons in North America (mostly in the ECHL) after coming over from Russia. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, he is a pending RFA. There is a possibility that the Ducks simply cut ties with Buteyets and do not tender him a qualifying offer. As mentioned above, there is more than enough quality goaltending depth. But as seen last season, injuries can crop up at any moment, making depth paramount in emergency situations.
Ville Husso
Husso’s patience and determination paid off for him in 2025-26. After being acquired from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations in Feb. 2025, he performed well enough with the Gulls to earn a call-up at the end of the season after John Gibson went down with injury.
With Gibson out of the picture for 2025-26, shipped off to the Red Wings, Husso signed a two-year contract to return to the Ducks and compete with Petr Mrázek for the backup goaltender position. Husso performed well to make a case for the position, but was sent down to the AHL at the very end of training camp.
He was recalled when Dostál suffered a hand injury in November and momentarily took over the starting role after Mrázek also got hurt. During a seven-game stretch in December as the starter, Husso went 4-2-1 with an .893 SV%, though one of those losses was the aforementioned 7-0 defeat to the Mammoth.
May 8, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ville Husso (33) defends the goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Husso did enough to keep the Ducks afloat without their No. 1 goaltender and then was passed through waivers (going unclaimed) upon Dostál and Mrázek’s return. A brief recall in January after Mrázek suffered another injury led to a prolonged stay in the NHL after Mrázek underwent season-ending hip surgery. Husso finished the season with a 10-8-2 record and an .884 SV% and 3.25 GAA.
While those numbers may not look particularly convincing, it’s worth noting that Husso’s stats were slightly skewed by his final two starts, which involved him facing less than 20 shots in both games.
It was a very unlucky season for Mrázek, who struggled with injuries and made just 10 appearances (eight starts) in his first and likely only season with the Ducks.
After being acquired from the Red Wings in June 2025, Mrázek entered training camp competing with Husso for the backup goaltender spot. While both goaltenders performed well during preseason, Mrázek ultimately edged out Husso, who was sent down to San Diego.
Mrázek made just two starts through the first 10 games of the season as Dostál carried the starter’s workload, but he began to pick up more starts in November. He was even slated to be the starter when Dostál went down with broken finger, but suffered an injury of his own on Nov. 30 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Nov 30, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Anaheim Ducks goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) talks with a team member after being injured during the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
This injury sidelined Mrázek for nine games before he returned to action on Dec. 19. He would make two more appearances before suffering another injury on Jan . 5 against the Washington Capitals, which ultimately ended his season. He underwent hip surgery on Feb. 17 and recently resumed skating this past May.
It’s difficult to envision Mrázek getting more than an offer to be an NHL third goalie at this point due to a combination of his age (34) and repeated injuries. Lower-body injuries in particular can impact goaltenders much more, and it was concerning to see how much they impacted Mrázek this past season.
Matthew Phillips
One of the players on an AHL-only deal who got playing time during preseason, Phillips made waves with a two-goal performance against the Mammoth. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Phillips has minimal NHL experience (34 games), but carries plenty of AHL experience.
His addition to the Gulls was a welcome one, as he finished second on the team in points and tied for first in assists. Though he is just 5-foot-8 (and perhaps actually even shorter than that), he makes up for his lack of height with extended effort and is a force on the man advantage.
With the Gulls expected to undergo several personnel changes after the departures of head coach Matt McIlvane and assistant coach Michael Babcock, along with the expectation that players like Nikita Nesterenko and Sam Colangelo will be up with the Ducks full-time, players like Phillips will be relied on to be the top point producers in 2026-27.
Justin Bailey
Bailey was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in Jan. 2025 in a straight one-for-one swap that sent Pavol Regenda the other way. A speedy forward who’s more of a ‘Quad-A’ than a true NHL depth forward, Bailey provided adequate depth scoring upon joining the Gulls. But he became a more consistent offensive threat this past season as a regular in the Gulls’ top-6 and lead the team in goals with 25.
Another player on an AHL-only deal who played during preseason for the Ducks, Bailey was part of the squad who played against the Kings in Ontario, Calif. as part of the Inland Empire Classic. Coming off a one-year AHL-only deal, bringing back Bailey should be a priority for the Gulls.
Jun 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) is tagged out while trying to steal by New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (7) during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
NEW YORK (AP) — Sal Stewart tied a career high with six RBI and the Cincinnati Reds pulled away for a 10-2 rout of the New York Yankees on Saturday.
The rookie gave the Reds the lead with a two-run double in the third off Will Warren (7-2) and lifted a sacrifice fly during a four-run fifth that followed a fielding error by New York first baseman Ben Rice.
Stewart capped his day with a bases-clearing double in the eighth that expanded Cincinnati’s lead to 9-1.
He also drove in six on April 15 against the San Francisco Giants.
Spencer Steer hit a three-run homer in the fifth as the Reds won for the sixth time in 17 games without Elly De La Cruz, who began a minor league rehab assignment on Friday.
Rookie Edwin Arroyo had four hits and reached base five times as the Reds finished with 15 hits.
Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott (4-5) allowed one run and five hits in five-plus innings.
The Reds scored four unearned runs in the fifth off Warren after Rice could not catch shortstop Anthony Volpe’s throw to first base on Arroyo’s grounder.
After the error and Stewart’s fly ball, Steer hit a 2-1 sinker into the left field seats for a 6-1 lead.
Abbott loaded the bases on two singles and a walk in the fifth but got out of the inning by getting a called third strike on Paul Goldschmidtthat was upheld via ABS after the Yankees challenged.
Goldschmidt homered in the first for the Yankees, who fell to 10-6 since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib.
New York went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position in its most lopsided loss of the season.
Warren allowed six runs -- two earned -- and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight.
Up Next
Cincinnati RHP Chase Burns (8-1, 2.01 ERA) faces New York RHP Gerrit Cole (2-1, 2.57) on Sunday.
We are roughly 3 weeks away from the 2026 MLB Draft, where, after being locked out of the top 9 picks of the draft like they were in 2024, the Nationals will be picking 11th overall, with picks 42nd, 78th, and 106th overall coming on the rest of day one as well. It will be the new front office’s first draft for the Nats organization, as great baseball minds from the Red Sox, Pirates, and other ballclubs come together to form the Nationals draft war room.
There haven’t been many rumors about the Nats’ preferences in this draft class, with the only prevalent player rumor being how they have been digging deeper than most clubs on two-way prepster Jared Grindlinger. What has also come out, and perhaps could be deduced from the front office’s draft history, is that there is a good chance the Nats will take a college hitter with their first-round pick if they do not select Grindlinger. It makes sense, as barring an unexpected slide from one of the top 3 prep bats, there aren’t really any prep hitters worthy of going borderline top 10, and grabbing college pitching in the first round has never been a focus of this front office with their former ballclubs.
There is a plethora of college bats in the range of the Nationals’ pick worth considering, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. Let’s analyze 8 of their most likely candidates and find out which one stands out above the rest for the Nationals.
Burress is the least likely of this group to be available at the Nationals’ pick, but if he is, he would be a slam-dunk pick for the Nats. After being one of the best hitters in the country his first 2 years, Burress’ offensive numbers took a slight step back in 2026, but for him that still means a 1.130 OPS in one of the toughest conferences in college baseball. Despite his 5’9 stature, Burress contains easily plus raw power, with a 97th percentile average exit velocity, and he knows how to maximize it, with a 90th percentile barrel rate and 92nd percentile pulled flyball rate.
Burress has some swing and miss to his game, with a 53rd percentile whiff rate in 2026, but he doesn’t chase a lot and takes his walks, with a walk rate 2% higher than his strikeout rate. He has some speed to his game, which allowed him to swipe 10 bags this season, but it benefits him most in centerfield, where he is a solid defender with a plus arm. Burress knows how to hit, and grades out as at least a solid defender in centerfield at the next level, making him a home run pick for the Nationals if they get a chance at him.
Lebron is a very divisive player in this draft class, as while his tools are loud and the reward for fixing his issues is huge, those issues may also prevent him from ever being a plus big leaguer. In back-to-back seasons, Lebron dominated to begin the year, before seeing his numbers plummet in SEC play. His 19th percentile in-zone contact rate is terrifying when considering taking a prospect 11th overall, and his chase rate isn’t elite enough where you can see him working counts enough to minimize it, only 53rd percentile.
While the hit tool is very suspicious, Lebron has just about every other tool you could ask for. His raw power is plus, with a 94th percentile average exit velocity; his speed is elite, with 42 stolen bases in 61 games; and his defense was up and down in 2026, but projects to be above average long term. It’s easy to see how, even if Lebron is only an average big league hitter, he would be one of the most valuable big shortstops in baseball. If you can tolerate the risk of Lebron’s bat preventing him from reaching the bigs, he would be a solid pick for the Nationals.
Plain and simple, Hacopian can hit. In maybe the toughest conference in all of baseball, Hacopian posted a 92nd percentile whiff rate, 88th percentile chase rate, and 84th percentile average exit velocity, the best mix of those 3 numbers in all of college baseball. His surface-level numbers aren’t quite at the level of a few other hittersin the class, but if you are trying to project who will be a plus hitter at the professional level, Hacopian’s performance data is as good as anyone’s, and if he starts pulling the ball in the air a little more (40th percentile in 2026), he could take it to a whole other level.
Defensively, Hacopian bounced around the infield for the Aggies in 2026, but is probably a second or third baseman long-term, where he grades average to below average. He isn’t the speediest guy in the world either, with just 6 steals over 3 college seasons, but if you’re drafting Hacopian, it’s for his bat, and he could potentially find his way into the Nationals’ big league lineup as soon as 2028 if he were their pick.
Curiel had a rough start to his 2026 season, which had me thinking of him more as a Nationals 2nd round option than a first-round one, but he rebounded excellently in SEC play and is certainly in the discussion to go 11th overall. Curiel may have the best bat-to-ball skills in the draft class, with a 95th percentile whiff rate in 2026, and a decent 68th percentile chase rate to go along with it. The in-game power has not quite arrived for Curiel yet, but there is some raw power in there, with an 86th percentile average exit velocity, and he knows how to lift the baseball, with an 87th percentile barrel rate. He will need to work on his 21st percentile pulled flyball rate if he wants to get into more home run power at the next level.
Curiel has a chance to stick in center field professionally, but if he does not, he should be a solid defender in left field. Curiel’s profile is very reminiscent of Daylen Lile, a left-handed outfielder with elite bat-to-ball skills and enough raw power to drive the ball out of the park consistently when he is hot, and he could be a strong pick for the Nationals in the first round.
Few hitters have progressed as much as Helfrick has in his time at Arkansas, and now the power-hitting catcher has a chance to become a top 10 pick in this year’s draft. Helfrick has plus raw power, with a 92nd percentile average exit velocity in 2026, and he knows how to use it, with a 93rd percentile barrel rate and 66th percentile pulled flyball rate this season. The hit tool was the primary concern entering the season, but it looked much improved this season, jumping from 11th percentile in-zone contact rate in 2025 to 52nd percentile in 2026. Helfrick also has great plate discipline, with his 79th percentile chase rate resulting in an excellent 19.1% walk rate.
Defensively, Helfrick is very well regarded behind the dish, with a strong arm and excellent framing ability. He even has some sneaky speed, stealing 8 bags and being caught just once in 2026. As long as the power and defense remain great, Helfrick should end up being at least an average big league catcher, and would be a great pick by the Nats 11th overall.
Strosnider has some of the best raw power in this draft class, but the hit tool could potentially limit how much he gets to it in pro ball. He posted an excellent 93rd percentile average exit velocity in 2026, and he excels at lifting the ball, with an 86th percentile barrel rate, but he’ll need to improve on an 18th percentile pulled flyball rate at the next level. Strosnider’s 35th percentile whiff rate is concerning, but the 26th percentile chase rate may be just as scary (and has me wondering how he was able to draw walks 18.4% of his plate appearances in 2026).
Strosnider has mainly played right field for the Horned Frogs because another draft prospect, Chase Brunson, has manned center field, but he is athletic enough to at least be given a shot out there full-time at the next level. There is some speed to his game as well, swiping over 10 bags in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Strosnider would not be my preference with the Nationals’ first-round pick, as the hit tool has some glaring red flags, but if it’s for a solid discount, I could trust that the Nats front office has a plan for him.
If you were to ask me which non-top 10 prospect in the class I thought was the most likely to be a productive big league hitter, there is a good chance my answer would be AJ Gracia, who lit up the ACC once again in 2026 after following his head coach from Duke to UVA. Gracia’s batted ball profile is remarkably clean, with a 79th percentile whiff rate, 68th percentile chase rate, and 79th percentile average exit velocity. Gracia doesn’t have the highest exit velocity numbers, but he makes as much consistently hard contact as anyone, and he knows how to work the count, with an excellent 18.4% walk rate.
Gracia is likely limited to a corner outfield in pro ball, where he is probably an average defender with a good, not great, arm. The bat is the calling card here, and it is very good, making Gracia one of my favorite options for the Nationals 11th overall.
Bell missed a chunk of the 2026 season with a shoulder injury, but put up dominant numbers despite missing most of the non-conference portion of the season, where many guys can inflate their overall season numbers. Bell is a switch-hitter with excellent raw power, posting a 92nd percentile average exit velocity in 2026. There is some swing and miss to his game, with a 42nd percentile whiff rate, but he makes up for it with an elite eye, with a 98th percentile chase rate this season. Bell has struggled against sliders in his 2 years at Kentucky, and will need to improve against breaking balls as a whole in pro ball.
Defensively, Bell is still improving at Shortstop and projects as a strong defender there long-term. Bell has some speed to his game as well, swiping 10 or more bags in both of his seasons with the Wildcats. Bell is one of my favorite options for the Nationals 11th overall, as he mitigates swing and miss concerns with elite plate discipline and plus raw power from both sides of the plate.
My Rankings
OF Drew Burress Georgia Tech (Tier One)
C Ryder Helfrick Arkansas (Tier Two)
SS Tyler Bell Kentucky (Tier Two)
OF AJ Gracia UVA (Tier Two)
OF Derek Curiel LSU (Tier Three)
2B/3B Chris Hacopian Texas A&M (Tier Three)
SS Justin Lebron Alabama (Tier Three)
OF Sawyer Strosnider TCU (Tier Four)
There is likely even more college hitters than this, such as catcher Daniel Jackson from Georgia, in play for the Nationals in the first round, but most likely, the discussion will come down to 5 or 6 hitters from this group if the preference is a college bat on draft day. Drew Burress would be an A+ pick by the Nats if he is available, which is unlikely, and any of Helfrick, Bell, or Gracia would make me a happy camper on draft day. The tier three names, Curiel, Hacopian, and Lebron, are all interesting options as well, and if they came at a discount, would be a solid choice by the Nats.
The Nationals are picking the farthest back in the draft they have been since 2021, when they selected Brady House with the 11th overall pick, and they have a plethora of interesting options, both on the prep and collegiate side, in front of them. I am excited to see how this Nationals front office approaches their first draft together as a group, and the types of prospects they will be targeting.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: Will Warren #29 of the New York Yankees reacts after giving up a 3-run home run to Spencer Steer #7 of the Cincinnati Reds during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium on June 20, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the biggest assets for a starting pitcher is to maintain composure when facing adversity, and that is not a skill that Will Warren has fully developed yet. Perhaps the biggest knock on the young pitcher is the way he lets innings spiral when something goes wrong, particularly when his defense makes an error behind him. Indeed, a misplay between Anthony Volpe and Ben Rice on a routine groundball to open the fifth led to Warren quickly unraveling and allowing four runs in the frame — already the third time in 15 starts that he has allowed at least three runs to score in an inning following an error. You just don’t give your team a chance to win the game when you implode at the first sign of trouble, and indeed the Yankees couldn’t claw back this deficit as they fell to the Reds, 10-2.
You always want to score early for your starting pitcher and Paul Goldschmidt has made something of a habit of doing so in the first inning lately. He stayed through a 2-2 four-seamer on the outer half from Andrew Abbott and lined it to the opposite field over the wall in right for his 12th home run in 50 games this year after managing just 10 all of last season in nearly three times as many.
The last week has been ridden with metal errors for José Caballero and that only continued today. After walking and stealing second, Caballero was picked off to end the second inning. It’s the fifth time he’s been picked off this year, which is second-most in the majors. There’s really no benefit to taking such an aggressive lead off second with two outs as any base hit from Volpe would have scored him anyway, and it’s just another example of Caballero not understanding the situation.
From the jump, Warren looked noticeably sharper than in his previous handful of starts. A lot of his recent stumbles have come from failing to put guys away after getting to two strikes, and early on, he found a workable adjustment from his previous outing. He struck out the side in the first, the first two batters on wicked sinkers that Warren aims at the lefty batter’s box and allows the foot-and-a-half of arm-side movement to carry it back to the edge of the strike zone. He tallied another on the same type of pitch in the second to navigate around a Nathaniel Lowe double. I’d like to see him trust his pair of breaking balls and changeup more in two-strike counts and not have to rely on in-zone fastballs to punch guys out. However, this is certainly a roadmap for success for one turn through the order, and hopefully the second and third times through, guys will be fearful of that called strike sinker which should magnify the chase potential of his off-speed pitches.
Unfortunately, Warren couldn’t maintain this effectiveness into the third. He surrendered a double to Edwin Arroyo and walked Blake Dunn with one out, and his defense let him down a bit, as despite a nice catch from Jasson Domínguez in right, he made the decision to throw to third too quickly, missing a chance to double up Arroyo too far off of second. That would’ve ended the inning; instead, both runners came around to score on a two-out double to the wall in left by Sal Stewart and Cincy was in front, 2-1.
In the fourth, Arroyo reached on a missed-catch error by Rice after Volpe lawn-darted a throw to first on about as routine a grounder as you could ask for, though Rice absolutely should have gloved it.
JJ Bleday followed with a double to right to put runners on second and third with one out for Stewart, who continued to account for all of the Reds’ runs with a sac fly to left to make it 3-1, Cincinnati.
The implosion only accelerated from there. Warren walked Lowe on five pitches before serving up a middle-middle 2-1 sinker to Spencer Steer that the first baseman crushed over the wall in left for a three-run homer and a 6-1 Cincy lead.
It’s amazing how different a pitcher Warren looks with no one on vs. when there is traffic on the basepaths. He loses all precision with the fastball, and it’s just not a good enough pitch stuff-wise to become wild in the zone. It makes me wonder whether the issues stem from Warren pitching out of the stretch rather than the windup, or whether it is more a mental response to having to navigate a stressful situation. He was allowed to go back out for the sixth and got two quick outs, but served up a pair of singles to Arroyo and Dunn, forcing Aaron Boone out of the dugout to call on Tim Hill to face the lefty Bleday. Bleday put a charge into a ball to left, but Caballero made a stunning sprinting catch in the gap to save two runs and cap off Warren’s final line at six runs (two earned) on eight hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings.
The Yankees gave themselves plenty of chances to get back into the game, but unlike the Reds, they could never find that killer hit with runners on. They loaded the bases in the fifth on consecutive one-out singles from Volpe and Ali Sánchez followed by a two out Amed Rosario walk, but Goldschmidt struck out looking on a 3-2 backdoor sweeper that he unsuccessfully challenged to leave them with no more ABS challenges for the rest of the game. They put another pair on with no outs after Cody Bellinger and Domínguez smacked a pair of singles to open the sixth, but back-to-back popups by Caballero and Jazz Chisholm Jr. and a Volpe can of corn stranded them in place. That allowed Abbott to complete five-plus innings of one run ball, meaning he has held the Yankees to one run in both his career starts against them.
By the time the eighth inning rolled around it was time to wave the white flag and get a body in there to eat the final two innings. Ryan Yarbrough proved why he is reserved for this role, giving up singles to Matt McClain, Arroyo and Dunn to load the bases for Stewart, whose two-out double into the left-center gap cleared the bases and gave him six RBIs on the day. Pinch-hitter Dane Myers followed with a double of his own to plate Stewart and make it 10-1 Reds.
In the bottom of the eighth, Bellinger and Domínguez again led off an inning with a pair of singles, Jasson’s two base knocks batting right-handed further proof of his improvements to that part of his game. Caballero hit an RBI groundout to plate Bellinger and a throwing error from Arroyo allowed him to advance to second, but Jazz and Volpe couldn’t bring him home.
It was a little surprising to see super utilityman Max Schuemann pitch the ninth rather than let Yarbrough soak up the final frame. However, he pitched a scoreless ninth in his first major league pitching appearance, which is better than Warren or Yarbrough can say today. The offense went down quietly in the ninth to bring an end to a humbling 10-2 loss, the bats going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranding 10.
The Yankees still have a chance to win four out of four series on this long homestand tomorrow afternoon. It was originally supposed to be a marquee matchup in the rubber game with Gerrit Cole taking on Chase Burns, but after today’s game, Aaron Boone announced that Cole and the rest of his starters will get an extra day of rest, with No. 45 moving back to Monday to face Detroit instead. Elmer Rodríguez will come up from Triple-A to face Burns. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 pm ET with the broadcast remaining on YES.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 20: Sal Stewart #27 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, June 20, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart has certainly slumped since his breakout month of April, but that hasn’t stopped him from stepping into big situations and picking up timely hits for the club. Manager Terry Francona has stuck with him in the heart of the order despite his recent slide, and Tito was rewarded in spades by the rook on Saturday afternoon in Yankee Stadium.
Stewart doubled twice and picked up a sac fly, to boot, in the process driving in 6 runs as the Reds raced past the New York Yankees 10-2 to even the series in the Bronx. His first double – of the 2-run variety – flipped the scoreboard after Reds starter Andrew Abbott had yielded a 1st inning solo homer to Paul Goldschmidt, and Sal’s second came with the bases loaded in the Top of the 8th – clearing them to put Cincinnati ahead 10-1 at the time.
For the season, Sal now has 53 ribbies to his name, which leads the Reds and would’ve ranked 7th in all of baseball at the start of today.
Edwin Arroyo chipped in with his first big day as a big leaguer, going 4 for 5 with a double and a pair of runs scored. All of a sudden, he’s got a .308 OBP as a Red that doesn’ tlook too dissimilar to the .309 mark posted by one Matt McLain. Spencer Steer had the big mid-game swing in the Top of the 5th off Will Warren, a 3-run homer that helped assuage the current slide he’s been on in a big way, too.
That was more than enough to back Abbott, who pitched around trouble for 5+ IP of 5 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K ball. He allowed the final two batters he faced to reach, but Tejay Antone (2.0 IP, K) came on to bail him out of that jam before continuing on himself. Chase Petty pitched a scoreless 9th and looked pretty good doing so once again.
This all sets the stage for a pretty blockbuster matchup on Sunday in the series finale, as Cincinnati will send ace Chase Burns to the mound to face 6x All Star and former Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole. Cole has looked good since returning to the mound following a lengthy absence getting over Tommy John surgery, and Burns has looked, well, just about as good as any pitcher to ever wear a Reds uniform all season. First pitch in that one is slated for 1:35 PM ET tomorrow, so get your popcorn pre-ready.
Another longball for Slammin’ Sammy today. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Though it’s hard to be surprised, the deflation continues. For the second straight day, the White Sox couldn’t hold on to an early lead, ultimately losing their fourth game in their last five tries, and second straight against the last-place Detroit Tigers. Another early homer — this time from Sam Antonacci on the second pitch of the game — and a stellar opener performance from Sean Newcomb just wasn’t enough, and the team’s record now sits at 39-36 following the 4-1 loss.
It shouldn’t be surprising in the slightest that Antonacci’s homer wasn’t enough to get it done alone. Will Venable’s use of an opener in more than half of the team’s games over the past few weeks is somewhat indicative of where the pitching staff is as a whole. They just don’t have the manpower. It doesn’t matter how effective the first leg of a bullpen game is if you wind up with inexperienced rookies like Tyler Davis and Joe Rock taking high-leverage innings against a division rival.
As is increasingly becoming a pattern this year, opener Sean Newcomb was brilliant. He threw a season-high three innings as today’s opener, and was nothing short of perfect: Nine up, nine down, just 42 pitches to get it done. It was more than enough to hold a lead after Antonacci’s smoked home run got them going:
Davis has some good traits on the mound: His four-seam fastball sits at 96 mph, and it’s got a ton of ride to it. But as of now, Davis’ slider is relatively unexceptional, and his only other pitch is a splitter that he almost never uses. Good control is imperative if he’s going to be a solid MLB reliever. With a slightly subpar 11% walk rate, it’s been spotty so far.
Davis did not have good control today. While Newcomb didn’t allow a basreunner, Davis oozed them, issuing a four-pitch walk to Kevin McGonigle and then handing out two more to Matt Vierling and Spencer Torkelson. Usually I have to give at least some breakdown of why a particular pitch location chart is good or bad. I suspect that won’t be necessary here.
It’s frankly a miracle that Chicago’s 1-0 advantage made it to the fifth inning, given the deja vu that must have been hitting the dugout: bases loaded, two outs, Kerry Carpenter at the plate. Fortunately, Rock’s appearance in relief chased Carpenter from the game, and a huge strikeout of pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones kept the lead intact.
On the other side of the ball, Troy Melton was brilliant for Detroit as Newcomb was for the Good Guys, though Melton managed to do it with a few more innings on his line. Antonacci’s leadoff homer remained the only hit in the game heading to the bottom of the fifth, with Melton reaching back to touch the high-90s when he needed to multiple times:
Unfortunately for the South Siders, the Tigers were very much able to smell what the Rock was cooking from that point on. Just like yesterday, a few walks, dinks and dunks wound up being Chicago’s undoing, and it was a 3-1 Tigers lead by the time Rock departed the game after the sixth. The state of the bullpen isn’t ideal right now in any case, but Venable will surely face scrutiny for his decision to leave Rock in for a third inning of work.
The game slipped further out of reach an inning later, when Dillon Dingler took Trevor Richards deep for his 17th longball of the year, first among all MLB catchers by a healthy margin.
I projected pregame that Grant Taylor’s lack of action this week indicated he’d be taking the bulk of today’s innings. I was dead wrong, and the late-game, high-pressure situation that calls out for him never materialized.
Meanwhile, Melton left the game after six sparkling innings, failing to allow a single hit after the first hitter of the game. The White Sox were similarly unable to do much with soft-tossing lefty Tyler Holton, who retired six out of eight hitters faced to keep the Pale House off the board until the Kenley Jansen could close things out in the ninth for his 485th career save. That’s good for third all-time, though he remains more than 100 shy of Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera at the top of the leaderboard.
Beyond Newcomb, Antonacci was the true bright spot for the Sox offense today. He reached base all four times he came to the plate, putting up some kind of benign baseball equivalent to a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, getting on via homer, single, walk, and hit-by-pitch. Call it an Antonacci Cycle. His .293 batting average and .392 on-base are both tops among MLB rookies (minimum 200 plate appearances).
Tomorrow’s series conclusion is also a matinee matchup, with first pitch scheduled for 12:40 p.m. CT from Detroit. Davis Martin will attempt to get the Sox off the schneid, facing righthander Keider Montero. We’ll see you there!
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: The sneakers worn by Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We're just days out from the 2026 NBA Draft, and with that the trade rumors are coming in hot. Here is a roundup of some of the latest talk and speculation around the Association.
Celtics, Spurs among teams linked to Isaiah Stewart
The Detroit Pistons have to pay Jalen Duren this summer. Combine that with how Paul Reed showed out in the playoffs, and the Pistons are making physical defensive center Isaiah Stewart available this summer, something first reported by Sam Amick at The Athletic.
It makes sense for Boston, which is looking to upgrade its front line heading into a season where it expects to contend for a title. Stewart would be a defensive upgrade and bring some needed physicality to the Celtics. San Antonio is looking for a physical presence who can both play alongside Victor Wembanyama at times and serve as a solid backup big. Miami needs talent up front (especially if they have to trade Kel'el Ware in a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal), while the Bucks need talent everywhere.
Stewart, at 6'8", is a very physical defensive presence in the paint who blocked 1.6 shots per game last season and held players to a league best 43.8% shooting at the rim when he was the primary defender. He's not much of an offensive player, but he did average 10 points a game on 55% shooting last season.
Celtics discussed Gobert trade
As noted above, and with all due respect to Neemias Queta (who had a solid season for Boston), the Celtics knew they needed an upgrade at center if they planned to contend last season with Jayson Tatum back, and they still need that going into this coming season.
That led the Celtics to ask the Timberwolves about Rudy Gobert at the February trade deadline, reports Fischer at The Stein Line. The idea was likely at its core a Derrick White for Gobert swap. Fischer notes Minnesota is not actively shopping Gobert, but their GM, Tim Connelly, is aggressive and at least open to considering an unexpected trade.
Minnesota eyes other trades
With Donte DiVincenzo out for much, if not all, of next season, the Timberwolves are looking for wing and guard depth — that's why they like Boston's White.
They also have their eyes on Josh Giddey, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Take this one with a grain of salt. Giddey needs to have the ball in his hands to be effective, and Minnesota doesn't want to take the ball out of Anthony Edwards' hands. Plus, Giddey does not come cheap, he is just entering the second season of a four-year, $100 million contract. Hard to imagine Minnesota making that move.
Fischer adds this interesting note: Minnesota has been more open to putting Julius Randle in trade talks than Gobert, while Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid remain "off-limits."
Grizzlies hope Morant becomes Plan B
It's no secret that the Memphis Grizzlies are looking to trade Ja Morant this summer. They tried to find a deal at the February trade deadline — when they sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah — but nothing emerged. This summer, the Grizzlies are hoping that Morant becomes the "Plan B" for a team that strikes out in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, reports Sam Amick at The Athletic. Miami is the obvious name here, although the Heat remain the frontrunner to land Antetokounmpo if he's dealt.
"The only two teams I have heard and I will pick one of them is New Orleans and Sacramento. I will probably push it the New Orleans way."
New Orleans wants to win now, and pairing Morant with Zion Williamson would be an interesting dynamic (at least for the handful of games when both are healthy during a season). Sacramento is resetting from its older core and Morant, 26, could be a key part of that.
Other Trade Rumors
• Boston has its eyes on Trey Murphy III and may try to make a deal for the New Orleans two-way wing. The Celtics could throw a couple of first-round picks in a deal.
• Portland reportedly would like to get in the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes if Boston makes him available. Except, right now, he's not really available. Maybe in an Antetokounmpo trade (Boston would want that straight up), but don't bet on Boston just shopping the All-NBA player coming off the best season of his career.
"I always need shooters around me because normally they double me quite a lot, so I think that I need shooters and some centers that jump a lot, defend, and put up blocks."
The Lakers know the blueprint and are looking for those kinds of players, but the supply side of that equation is making things difficult.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 15: Jonathan Aranda #8 of the Tampa Bay Rays before a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
