DETROIT, MI - MAY 28: Ricky Vanasco #70 of the Detroit Tigers looks on from the dugout during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park on May 28, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. The Angels defeated the Tigers 7-1. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves have claimed right-handed pitcher Ricky Vanasco off waivers from the Detroit Tigers and have optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett. The Tigers designated him for assignment when they signed former Braves reliever Tyler Kinley.
Vanasco, 27, made his MLB debut in 2024 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The former Texas Rangers draft pick in 2017 made two appearances each with the Dodgers and Tigers in 2024 and pitched in five games for the Tigers this season, which is the extent of his MLB career to-date.
Although his big league appearances this season were less then inspiring, he’s shown a propensity for striking out matters this season at Triple-A with 59 strikeouts in 46.1 innings.
He is a no-risk addition for the organization that adds depth with the Stripers with roster set to expand, slightly, on September 1.
Aug 26, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) reacts after surrendering a three-run home run to Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12, background) during the second inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Going into Wednesday afternoon, the Mariners were hoping to really turn the screws on the Astros and Rangers atop the division by sweeping a formidable National League opponent. As it turned out, this wasn’t to be; the Mariners dropped the series finale to the Phillies.
The Phillies jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first. Kyle Schwarber laced a ground-rule double to the gap in the left center to lead off the game. Even though Bryan Woo was able to strike out a couple of hitters in the frame, he left an elevated fastball over the plate to Bryce Harper, which was deposited over the wall in left-center, just out of the reach of Julio Rodríguez’s glove, to put the Phillies up 2-0.
Unfortunately for Woo and the Mariners, the first inning was only the precursor for things to come. The Phils came out firing again in the top of the second, putting the first two hitters on base to begin the inning. A single on a ground ball through the right side by Justin Crawford tacked on another run, and Kyle Schwarber broke the game wide open by punishing a fastball over the heart of the plate for his league-leading 40th homer of the year. Before even coming up to bat a second time, the Mariners trailed 6-0.
Woo’s stuff could’ve been worse, which is a positive with all eyes on his health after missing his last start with shoulder discomfort. Despite the damage dealt, he still struck out five and generated 10 whiffs while topping out at 99 mph in four innings of work. He said that the fastball almost felt too good that he became predictable.
“I think just second inning was just got a little too fastball heavy,” Woo said. “I think on days like this, where the fastball does have life and feels good, obviously you want to keep going back to it, but you got to pitch as well, especially with a lineup like that, with veteran hitters that are, you know, they’re smart. They’re not just going up there with without a plan. Like they know what they’re trying to do, and yeah, I just feel like it was too much throwing, not enough pitching. I actually feel physically like as the game wore on, you know, pitch counts builds, I felt better.”
As I sort of alluded to in the preview, the Mariners didn’t roll out their best lineup. Several regular starters (Cole Young, Josh Naylor and Dominic Canzone) all got days off. This isn’t a knock on the management — with a series win already banked and a lefty on the mound, Wednesday was probably as good a time as any to give some days off and load up the lineup with righties. However, the offensive output went about how you might expect. The M’s went without a hit for the first four innings, with Jhonny Pereda notching the team’s first of only two for the entire day with a two-out single in the fifth.
Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo was on his game, striking out nine and allowing only the one hit over seven innings. Even when the Mariners made decent contact off of him, the Phillies infield was there to flash the leather. Multiple “should-be” hits with expected batting averages above .500 were turned into groundouts. Rodríguez also put a charge into a ball in the first inning for one of the Mariners’ hardest-hit balls of the day, but Harper was there to put it away up against the wall in right field.
The remainder of the game was rather uneventful, to be completely honest. One of the more notable things to happen wasn’t within the run of play. Prior to the fifth inning, Bryce Miller joined Andrés Muñoz as he made his way out to the bullpen. Dan Wilson was quick to downplay this development postgame, saying that it was specific to today in case they didn’t have enough coverage in the bullpen.
“It might have been something that would have worked out, but you know obviously didn’t need to do that today,” Wilson said. The Mariners have lost each of Miller’s last eight starts.
Ugly loss aside, the Mariners took back-to-back series on the homestand over a couple of difficult opponents. They’ll get a day off Thursday as they head to Toronto for a three-game set starting Friday. Here’s to hoping they can continue to isolate bad baseball to as few individual days as possible.
One of the final pieces of the NBA offseason has fallen into place.
Free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves worth $12.4 million, his agent told ESPN. The second season is a player option.
In late June, the Hawks declined Kuminga’s $24.3 million team option, making him a free agent. The Lakers had been linked to Kuminga this offseason, but their cap situation made acquiring him complicated − though they did offer Kuminga a three-year deal worth more than $12 million per season, according to ESPN.
With the Timberwolves, Kuminga gets the chance to start alongside Anthony Edwards and newly-acquired guard LaMelo Ball, providing another scoring and slashing threat. An increased role had been a priority for Kuminga, who had started just 24 games across the last two seasons.
The deal represents a chance for Kuminga to bet on himself, with a potential opportunity to hit the open market next offseason, when teams are expected to have an influx of salary cap space to spend. For that to happen, Kuminga would need to decline his player option for 2027-28 and become an unrestricted free agent. Should Kuminga play well this season in Minnesota, it could set him up for a more lucrative, long-term deal.
Kuminga, 23, is set to enter his sixth year in the league, but is nonetheless very young despite his experience in the NBA.
In fact, Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg — the No. 11 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft playing for Kuminga’s old team — is actually six days older than Kuminga.
The weakness in Kuminga’s game is his perimeter shooting — he converted just 33.3% of his 3-point attempts last season — and defense. The Timberwolves will need to mask some of those defensive deficiencies, but they are well equipped to do so with stoppers like forward Jaden McDaniels and center Rudy Gobert.
The Timberwolves had been missing a forward after they traded Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in late June. Kuminga, who is 6-foot-7, appears poised to inherit that spot.
Across 36 games last season, Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 22: Héctor Rodríguez #43 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts after hitting his first career home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at Chase Field on August 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The moribund Cincinnati Reds looked just that for most of their three-game series by the San Francisco Bay. They entered play on Wednesday afternoon having scored just a lone run through the first two games of the series, that coming late on Tuesday in the form of a solo Sal Stewart homer.
Not even moving Hector Rodriguez to the leadoff spot could seemingly spark enough of a turnaround, even though he’d homered earlier on Wednesday. The problem this time was that starter Nick Lodolo and the bullpen arms who backed him had struggled mightily themselves, and the Reds found themselves in a 9-3 hole heading into the Top of the 9th.
It was Rodriguez who got that party started, too, even if he did so with a noted ‘rally killer.’ Of course, when the rally killer comes off the bat at 115 mph and lands in McCovey Cove, the one run may well have been a bit more magnified to the bats behind him that suddenly saw the ball go in the basket for once.
The Reds later loaded the bases for the struggling Eugenio Suarez, who un-struggled the bases clear with a monster grand slam into the wind that brought the Reds to within 9-8.
The Reds later kept the pressure on with some noted small ball that featured an infield single, an error by the defense, and even a Matt McLain bunt single. Jose Trevino then leveled the score with a sac fly before Tyler Stephenson smoked a liner into LF to drive in the game’s final run and give Cincinnati a 10-9 lead that Emilio Pagan made good.
Quite the way to finish an otherwise dismal road trip. We’ll see if the Reds have what it takes to a) channel this momentum and b) capitalize on a lineup shuffle that maybe, just maybe will get Hector hot and put some more runs on the board going into the meat of their schedule.
The Utah Mammoth have a lot of young talent coming, but three prospects in particular could make the biggest jump toward the NHL this season.
Tij Iginla
If there is one Mammoth prospect who enters the season with real momentum, it is Iginla.
The 20-year-old winger put together a monster 2025-26 season with the Kelowna Rockets, scoring 41 goals and 49 assists for 90 points in only 48 games. He was named to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team and finished as a finalist for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s top player.
Iginla is the son of NHL legend Jarome Iginla. Credit: Matt Krohn - Imagn Images
That kind of production is hard to overlook, especially after Iginla lost much of the previous season to injury.
Utah selected him sixth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, and his latest season offered a reminder of why the Mammoth invested such a high pick in him. Iginla also showed well internationally, recording eight points in seven games for Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
Now, the next step is obvious.
Iginla has a chance to push for an NHL job, and another strong season could make that decision increasingly difficult for Utah.
Sebastian Cossa
Cossa has already spent years hearing about his potential. Now he gets a fresh chance to show what he can actually do with it.
Utah acquired the 23-year-old goaltender from the Detroit Red Wings during the 2026 NHL Draft, giving the former 15th overall pick a new organization to work with.
There is plenty to like about Cossa's résumé.
Before turning pro, he helped the Edmonton Oil Kings win the 2022 WHL championship and finished his junior career with a 71-16-4-3 record, a 2.12 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and 14 shutouts.
His AHL career has been strong, too. Cossa owns a 70-33-19 record with a 2.46 GAA and .911 save percentage since turning pro in 2022-23.
He has only appeared in one NHL game, but Cossa made the most of it. He stopped 12 shots after entering in relief against Buffalo on Dec. 9, 2024, helping Detroit eventually win in a shootout. Once viewed as a cornerstone of the Red Wings’ goaltending pipeline, Cossa’s unexpected departure brought that chapter to an abrupt end and raised plenty of eyebrows around the league.
Now, Utah gets to find out whether the former first-round pick can turn that untapped potential into something tangible. At 6-foot-6, Cossa certainly looks the part of an NHL goaltender. The next challenge is proving he can play like one consistently.
Max Psenicka
Psenicka is the youngest of the three and probably the biggest long-term project, but there is plenty to work with.
The 19-year-old defenseman stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 194 pounds, giving Utah an imposing presence on the blue line. More importantly, he began showing some offensive upside during his first full season with the Portland Winterhawks.
Psenicka, far left, talks things over with now-former teammates Ian Cole and JJ Peterka. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing - Imagn Images
Psenicka finished 2025-26 with eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points in 53 games. He also represented Czechia at the World Junior Championship, picking up three points in seven games as the country won a silver medal.
The Mammoth selected him 46th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft and signed him to a three-year entry-level contract in July.
Psenicka is expected to return to Portland this season, where another year of development could be valuable. He does not need to rush.
For now, Utah can afford to let him grow into his frame, round out his game and see just how much offense he can eventually bring from the back end.
If he takes another step, Psenicka could become a very interesting piece of the Mammoth blue line.
Attorneys representing the Lakers’ controlling governor filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday to block her five siblings from trying to sell the family’s remaining 17.82% of the NBA franchise the Buss family has owned since 1979.
Jeanie contends that her siblings should abide by a 2017 court order that mandated the family’s co-trustees to “take all actions reasonably available to ensure that Jeanie is appointed and remains as the NBA controlling owner of the Lakers.” The 2017 legal battle installed Jeanie’s younger siblings, Janie and Joey, as her fellow co-trustees, two roles that were previously held by her older brothers Jim and Johnny, who were ousted after a failed attempt to wrestle control away from Jeanie.
The 97-page petition accuses Janie, Joey and the other siblings Jim, Johnny and Jesse of “devious behavior” for not including Jeanie in discussions to sell the family’s last stakes in the team earlier this month. While the other siblings elected to sell soon after Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner agreed to a record-breaking transaction with Mark Walter and released a statement attributed to the Buss family, Jeanie “never agreed to any sale, was never consulted and was never even informed,” the petition states.
“Jeanie thought she had put all of her siblings’ scheming and manipulations behind her in 2017,” the petition reads. “Sadly, that was not the case — and Jeanie must respectfully request relief from this Court a second time.”
Among five points on the petition, Jeanie hopes to declare her siblings’ votes to sell the team void, remove Janie and Joey as co-trustees for “breach of fiduciary duty” and hold both in contempt of court and hold Jim, Johnny and Jesse in contempt and liable for “aiding and abetting.”
Jeanie, the third-oldest child of former Lakers owner Jerry Buss, was hand-picked by the family patriarch to oversee his prized investment that grew from a $67.5-million purchase into a $12.5-billion world-renowned brand. Iger, the former Disney chief executive, and Kushner, founder of a venture capital firm, bought a majority stake of the Lakers from Walter earlier this month at a record valuation, and reports of five of the Buss siblings’ plans to sell their ownership stake in the team came days later.
To remain on the NBA board of governors, Jeanie would need to own at least 15% of the team. She was to stay in the leadership role for at least the next four seasons after the Buss family relinquished control of the team to Walter in 2025.
That unique aspect of the 2025 sale “demonstrated the co-trustees could fulfill their duties under the trust — and honor Dr. Buss’s intent — while also delivering extraordinary financial returns to the beneficiaries,” the petition states.
Jeanie contends that not only is her latest fight to maintain her governor role a way to “enforce of her parents’ intent,” but the petition says Jeanie also believes remaining the governor can “protect the strategic decision by the trustees less than a year ago to sell a portion of the team and retain an interest sufficient to maintain control and to benefit from the continuously skyrocketing value.”
Since Jerry Buss built the Lakers into the NBA’s most glamorous franchise during four decades of stewardship, the team will now have a third controlling owner in as many years. Walter, who previously owned a minority stake in the team, took majority control in 2025 when the team was valued at $10 billion. His reign was short-lived; he shockingly sold his shares of the team to Iger and Kushner for a 25% profit 14 months after Walter’s purchase offer was accepted by the Buss family trust.
The sale from Walter to Iger and Kushner is not expected to be affected by the Buss family’s legal proceedings, according to a source close to the matter but not authorized to speak publicly.
The petition adds that Lakers minority owners Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns the Los Angeles Times and said he plans to hold onto his 4% stake in the Lakers, and real estate developer Ed Roski Jr. believe Jeanie is “the right person to continue as controlling owner and NBA governor of the Lakers to help preserve and continue to grow the value of the Lakers stock investments.”
The Lakers functioned as a family-run business for decades under the Buss family. Each child held different roles, but Jeanie is now the only one left at the organization. Jim and Johnny were ousted in 2017. Janie, Joey and Jesse were all fired soon after Walter’s sale was approved in November. Joey was the chief executive of the G League affiliate South Bay Lakers and Jesse was the Lakers’ director of scouting. Janie led the organization’s charity efforts. ESPN reported that Jim and Johnny had returned to roles with the team and were among those fired in November.
After Jeanie and her legal team announced their intention to contest the siblings’ attempt to sell, the five other siblings released a statement saying they were “united” in their decision and intended to “move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through appropriate process.”
“The Los Angeles Lakers have never been just a basketball team,” the statement released Aug. 18 continued. “They have been one of the greatest privileges of our lives. Our focus has always been on what we believe is best for the Lakers, the fans who have supported this franchise for generations and the greater Los Angeles community.”
A court hearing to review the request is scheduled for Nov. 5, according to the petition. The Lakers will be two weeks into their season at the time.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 14: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves brings the ball up court during the game against the Golden State Warriors during Round 2 Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 14, 2025 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with free agent wing Jonathan Kuminga, according to a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania. They will use the taxpayer mid-level exception for the signing, which does mean they will likely trade Donte DiVincenzo or Josh Green or waive-and-stretch Green to create the space they need below the second apron.
Kuminga’s free agency has lingered into the late summer for the second consecutive offseason, and he has ultimately settled for a somewhat underwhelming deal. Per the report, Kuminga will be the Wolves starting power forward alongside LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert.
Selected by the Warriors with the seventh-overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga was a favorite of Golden State’s front office, especially team chairman Joe Lacob. Kuminga’s tenure with the team had plenty of highs and lows. As a rookie, Kuminga was a solid member of the Dubs rotation, including some highlight-filled postseason performances in Golden State’s path to the 2021-22 championship. However, as Dub Nation is well aware, the Warriors were never able to marry Kuminga’s development with the team’s short-term goals to build a contender around Steph Curry. A combination of injuries, an inconsistent three-point shot, and erratic effort on defense and rebounding kept Kuminga from becoming a trusted member of head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation.
Kuminga and the Warriors contemplated sign-and-trades last offseason when he was a restricted free agent, but while the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings made him offers that included more that $60 million in guarantees, neither team offered the Warriors enough to make a trade. Without a team willing to make him an offer sheet, Kuminga was forced to re-sign a one-year, $23.8 million deal with a team option.
The Warriors finally ended Kuminga’s tenure prior to the trade deadline, dealing him to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis. Injuries limited both players with their new teams. Porzingis averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.6 steals in 23.7 minutes per game on 43.3%/31.1%/84.4% shooting across 15 games with the Warriors. He ultimately re-signed a two-year, $40 million deal which has just $23 million guaranteed.
Kuminga, on the other hand, averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 47.6%/34.6%/70.2% shooting in 16 regular-season games with the Hawks (22.1 minutes per game). Despite some playoff highlights, Kuminga’s team option was declined by Atlanta who ultimately let him depart in free agency for nothing.
Kuminga will not join arguably the most volatile starting lineup in the league. Edwards is the lone bonafide star on a largely remade roster. Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels return as defensive anchors with McDaniels hoping to build on some explosive playoff performances. However, the Wolves traded two key contributors (Naz Reid and Julius Randle), replacing them with Ball, an All-Star caliber player hampered by injuries and questions about his late-game decisionmaking and defensive effort, and Kuminga an even more unproven piece. Minnesota may be the most high-risk/high-reward team in the Western Conference.
KNOXVILLE, TN - MAY 31: Wake Forest Demon Deacons infielder Dalton Wentz (1) hits the ball during the NCAA Division I Regional Tournament baseball game between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Miami (OH) RedHawks on May 31, 2025, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For the final time this year, five of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action on Tuesday. Let’s jump straight into it.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
A trio of pitchers are headed to AAA Sacramento from AA Richmond: RHPs Trystan Vrieling, R.J. Dabovich, and Darien Smith.
In less happy news, High-A Eugene RHP Ramon Marquez was placed on the 7-Day IL. Fingers crossed that it’s nothing bad. Richmond shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) was also placed on the IL, while Low-A San Jose RHP Sam Knowlton was released.
AAA Sacramento (72-52)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces (D-Backs) 12-3 Box score
The Giants have a lot of outfielders, and it’s going to create a thorny situation this offseason. Even having traded Heliot Ramos, San Francisco has 7 outfielders on the 40-man roster, and that doesn’t even count Casey Schmitt, who might have pole position for the opening day left field spot.
That number figures to grow in the offseason, too. Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) will need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft and, if he doesn’t debut before then, it sure looks like Scott Bandura will need to be as well.
Bandura, a 7th-round pick in 2023, continued his assault on the league on Tuesday, hitting a nearly-perfect 4-5 with a triple, a walk, a stolen base, and 4 runs batted in.
On the one hand, that’s an absurd day. On the other hand, it’s kind of just the norm with Bandura these days. It was the 12th time this month that he’s had a multi-hit game. It was the 4th game in a row in which he had multiple hits and at least 1 extra-base knock. It gave him a 6-game hitting streak, during which time he’s gone 16-27 with 6 extra-base hits, 2 walks, and 0 strikeouts. It’s given him a 2nd consecutive month with an OPS that begins with a 1.
Let’s run the splits once more on his run in AAA following an early-season promotion:
First 34 games: 31-129, 1 home run, 2 triples, 7 doubles, 8 walks, 28 strikeouts Next 45 games: 71-181, 7 home runs, 1 triple, 14 doubles, 31 walks, 25 strikeouts
That all adds up to an .896 OPS and a 135 wRC+. Add in the 21 stolen bases (in just 22 attempts) and the solid defense, and that’s a player who will absolutely need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft … and possibly should be playing ahead of some of the other players on the MLB roster right now. The Giants have already had 4 outfielders make their Major League debuts this season … could that number soon be 5? It sure feels like the lefty has mastered the level.
Were he Rule 5 eligible, we might also be talking about an upcoming debut for third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL), who has seamlessly handled the transition to AAA. Unlike Davidson and Bandura, who had slow starts and then caught absolute fire, Harber has been more steady, for better and for worse. He’s been extremely solid his entire time in AAA, without ever really struggling too much or going on an absolute heater. There’s a lot to be said for consistency when that consistency is well above average!
Harber had himself a lovely Tuesday, hitting 3-4 with a double, a sacrifice fly, a walk, and a strikeout. He’s now at an .894 OPS and a 133 wRC+ with Sacramento, and through 32 games he’s really been a remarkably balanced offensive package. He’s hitting for average (.313), hitting for power (.180 iso), drawing walks (11.8% rate), and limiting strikeouts (21.7% rate). With him not being Rule 5 eligible and an impending lockout, I’d guess that he stays in Sacramento for the rest of the year.
As for Davidson, he had a very rare hitless day, going 0-4 with a strikeout, but he did draw 2 walks.
Designated hitter Eddys Leonard had an awesome day, hitting 2-2 with a double and 3 walks. He’s no longer on the 40-man roster, so we probably won’t see him back in the Majors, but good to see him putting up nice numbers.
A fairly nondescript pitching performance in a bullpen game. The exciting news was that MLB LHP Matt Gage made his 2nd rehab appearance, and retired all 3 batters he faced, with a strikeout. The fact that Gage has returned to the mound this season at all is a big win, and it looks like we’ll see him back in the Majors soon, too.
RHP Christian Alvarado got stretched to 3 innings of relief and handled them brilliantly, giving up 2 hits, 0 walks, and 0 runs, with 2 strikeouts. The 31-year old has been an excellent story and is settling in to his 1st AAA experience. He could be a factor in the MLB bullpen in 2027.
The home run surge continues for first baseman Sabin Ceballos (No. 43 CPL). The just-turned 24-year old, who was a 3rd-round pick by the Braves in 2023 before being shipped to San Francisco in the Jorge Soler deal, went 1-3 in this game, with a walk, a stolen base, a strikeout, and, critically, a solo home run.
A year after Ceballos saw his power shockingly evaporate, the Oregon Duck has tapped back into it in a big way. Last year, Ceballos spent the entire season with Richmond and hit just 6 home runs. This year? He’s already at 16, despite only having 27 more plate appearances.
That power surge is exciting and encouraging but, unfortunately, it’s not really leading to a good overall line, even though the righty draws a ton of walks, too. He has just a .741 OPS on the year which, thanks to the Eastern League’s improved offense this year, is good for just a 104 wRC+, only 2 points over last season’s. Ceballos continues to run an extremely bizarre low-strikeout, low-average profile. Despite striking out just 18.8% of the time, he has a meager .220 batting average, and those numbers were similar last year (17.4% and .232, respectively). That strikeout rate is 21st out of 121 EL hitters with at least 200 plate appearances this year … but the batting average is 95th. Very odd.
Richmond is currently lacking in top prospects, since outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) and shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) are both on the IL. So it was up to center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) to hold it down for the big namers, and hold it down he did. Cohen, last year’s 3rd-round pick, reached base in all 4 of his plate appearances, as he bopped 2 singles and drew 2 walks.
Cohen has been scuffling a bit following a hot start to AA. Over his last 12 games, he’s 9-49 with no home runs, 1 triple, 1 double, 7 walks, and 7 strikeouts. It’s still been a very strong debut at the level, given that this is his 1st full season of pro ball, and that he’s playing excellent outfield defense with 14 stolen bases in 22 AA games. He has a .735 OPS and a 98 wRC+, though those numbers will likely come up given his 118 wRC+ with High-A Eugene.
Fairly uninteresting pitching performance. RHP Trystan Vrieling had another fine-but-not-particularly-good start, as he gave up 2 baserunners per inning, allowing 7 hits (including a home run), 3 walks, and 2 runs in 5 innings, with 5 strikeouts. That’s just kind of been the year for Vrieling, who has been consistently mediocre. In 23 starts this year, the 2022 3rd-rounder (by the Yankees), Vrieling has given up 4 or more earned runs just 5 times, but has a 4.23 ERA and a 5.03 FIP, with just 8.3 strikeouts per 9 innings and 5.3 walks. Just not a ton to be excited about, unfortunately.
Another scoreless outing from LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL), who retired all 3 batters he faced. It was Choate’s 3rd straight game without allowing a hit, and he’s really been strong this year save for one awful game in early July. Walks are the big issue for the funky southpaw right now, as he’s given up 5.9 per 9 innings. The 11.2 strikeouts, however, have helped lead to a 3.05 ERA and a 3.92 FIP.
High-A Eugene (73-47)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 10-4 Box score
There were two big stories from two exciting young talents, one on each side of the ball.
In the batter’s box it was second baseman Dalton Wentz, who left the yard for the first time in his young career. Not only that, but he did it in grand fashion … the switch-hitter went 1-3 with 2 walks and a strikeout on the day, and smashed a glorious grand slam in the 1st inning.
Needless to say, that’s a swing that Wentz will never, ever forget! It’s been a slightly slow start for Wentz, which is understandable given that he went straight from college to High-A, with a few months in there to accumulate some rust. The 16th-rounder, who was given a 4th-round sized bonus, is 6-21 through 5 career games, with 2 extra-base hits, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts. There’s a lot in his bat worth being excited about, though, as that swing is evidence of!
The other excitement came on the mound, courtesy of LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL). It was one of Bresnahan’s worst games in a while from a run suppression standpoint, as he gave up 4 earned runs. But that certainly doesn’t tell the whole story, as the 21-year old southpaw was otherwise dominant, giving up less than a baserunner per inning (4 hits and 1 walk in 6 frames) while striking out 10 batters. 10!
10 STRIKEOUTS 🔥
Jacob Bresnahan delivered another dominant start last night, allowing just 1 hit over his final 5.2 innings while matching a season high with 10 strikeouts.
It was a doubly encouraging start because of how well Bresnahan settled into place. He let the 1st 3 baserunners he faced reach base, and then gave up a 1-out grand slam. And then that was that. He faced 15 more batters and retired 14 of them. He couldn’t be touched.
The grand slam allowed was notable, however, and not just because it put runs on Bresnahan’s sterling ERA, which sits at 2.92 (his FIP is lagging at 4.28). Bresnahan gave up just 2 home runs last year in Low-A, in 93 innings. This year? He’s at 13 already, in just 98.2 frames.
But the good news? Those home runs are really the only bad news. Bresnahan is striking out 10.8 batters per 9 innings, only walking 3.5, and, perhaps most impressively, allowing opponents to hit just .183 against. That’s the 2nd year running that Bresnahan is keep opposing hitters on the interstate! Mighty impressive.
Those were the stars, but there were some other nice performances. Left fielder Walker Martin went 3-4 with a walk, 2 stolen bases, and a strikeout; the 22-year old lefty has a .739 OPS, a 93 wRC+, and 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts. Shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) went 2-5 with a stolen base, a caught stealing, and a strikeout; the 19-year old switch-hitter is rocking an .867 OPS and a 128 wRC+, with 13 stolen bases in 19 attempts. And third baseman Hayden Jatczak hit 2-4 with a walk, a stolen base, 3 runs batted in, and an error; the 25-year old righty has a .685 OPS and an 88 wRC+ through 25 games at the level, with 3 stolen bases in as many attempts.
Low-A San Jose (71-50)
San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide (D-Backs) 6-5 Box score
An exciting game for the Baby Giants, who used a 4-run rally in the bottom of the 9th to turn a 5-2 deficit into a walk-off win. It was certainly a case of letting the other team grant you a gift, as the inning featured a walk, a hit batter, and 3 wild pitchers … the final of which allowed center fielder Peyton Bonds to score the go-home-happy run.
TAKE A WALK(OFF) ON THE WILD SIDE. Giants score 4 in the 9th and have now won ELEVEN games in a row! pic.twitter.com/zrm1zjipBn
While it was a tremendously exciting end to the game, it wasn’t a very exciting game from an individual performance standpoint. The offense was mild-mannered, with no extra-base knocks on the day. Bonds had another multi-hit game, though, as he went 2-5 with a strikeout and 2 runs batted in. Barry’s nephew, taken in the 3rd round in July’s draft, went 0-4 in his pro debut, but has gone 2-5 in both games since. A slower transition for second baseman Luke Nixon, the team’s 5th-round pick, who went 1-4 with a strikeout and his 1st career stolen base. Nixon is 1-10 with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts, but hey, he’s got an average now!
Another really nice game for left fielder Broedy Poppell, who went 2-3 with a walk, a strikeout, and a stolen base. It’s been a tough season for last year’s 13th-rounder, but he’s been red hot lately: in his last 7 games, Poppell has hit 12-23 with 7 extra-base hits and 7 walks, bringing his OPS up to .782 and his wRC+ to 100, with 15 stolen bases in as many attempts (impressive success rate!). Right fielder Tanner Mally, July’s 17th-round pick, continues to look comfortable, as he went 1-3 with 1 walk, 2 hit by pitches, 2 stolen bases, and a strikeout. Through 15 games, Mally has a .972 OPS, a 158 wRC+, and 4 stolen bases in as many attempts.
RHP Trey Seeley had a pretty strong day on the mound, cruising through 6 innings while allowing just 3 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs, with 5 strikeouts, though he gave up a home run. A 14th-round pick out of Hope International a year ago, Seeley has been pretty strong lately, after a slow start to his career. But, despite that, one of the funnier stats in the system took a step forward with this game, as Seeley did a good job limiting hits, but did give up a home run. That has been the season for him, and the numbers are truly shocking: Seeley has given up 42 hits this year with the Baby Giants, and 14 of them have left the park. Add in the home run he allowed in 9 innings in the Complex League, and Seeley has given up 15 big flies this year, which is 4th-most in the entire system. The 48.2 innings pitched? 40th. And that’s how you end up with a 6.84 ERA and a 7.46 FIP across the 2 levels.
Dominican Summer League Black
DSL Giants Black lost to the DSL Padres Gold 8-3 Box score
And with that, the DSL season is over. The Giants Orange team didn’t make the playoffs and, after a nice run, the Giants Black team was eliminated.
It was not for lack of effort by their starting pitcher, RHP Santiago Guerrero. The 19-year old from Mexico capped off an intriguing debut season with a dominant showing, striking out 7 batters in 5 shutout innings, while allowing just 1 hit and 1 walk. What a spectacular game! You don’t see pitching performances like that in the DSL very frequently.
Guerrero, who ended the regular season strong, finished the season (which doesn’t include his pair of postseason starts) with a 3.34 ERA but a 6.04 FIP. Including the postseason, he struck out 49 batters in 43 innings … but walked 38. There was a lot to love, but a lot to work on in his 2nd season.
Right fielder Vinicius Dos Santos had a pinch hit home run, which was notable since it was just his 2nd career home run in 3 seasons. Center fielder Djean Macares went 2-4 with a walk and 2 stolen bases. The 18-year old from Aruba finished his 2nd season with an .828 OPS, a 121 wRC+, 26 stolen bases, and a 9.7% strikeout rate … my guess would be that this was his final game in the DSL.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 23: Michael McGreevy #36 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Busch Stadium on July 23, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s game 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals playing host to the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday night. Michael McGreevy gets the start for the Cardinals while the Orioles will send Kyle Bradish to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm central time at Busch Stadium while the game broadcast is available via Cardinals.tv.
Mason Miller's unreal homerless streak came to an end in the top of the ninth inning at Petco Park on Tuesday night via a go-ahead solo shot from Oneil Cruz, the only run of the game in the San Diego Padres' 1-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Up until then, Miller hadn't given up a home run in over a calendar year.
After the game, Padres manager Craig Stammen summed up the rare misstep from baseball's most dominant closer in a few words.
"He's human," Stammen told reporters. "Part of the gig when you're pitching. Every once in a while, someone's gonna get you."
Or, as Miller put it when his manager's comments were relayed to him, "Humans can be idiots sometimes."
"Tip your hat," Miller told reporters. "Good swing. Crushed it obviously. But I just can't be throwing that pitch in that spot."
The pitch, a changeup, was perhaps just as rare a sighting from Miller as the long ball. It's the third pitch in his repertoire, but his fastball and slider are both so effective that he only throws it 2% of the time this season, according to Baseball Savant. And of that 2%, he's thrown the changeup exclusively to left-handed batters.
Miller felt good about his pitch selection, which he says was part of his plan from the scouting reports and prep work he had done leading up to the series against the Pirates. He tried to place it low and away but, instead, left it hanging over the inside part of the plate; a disastrous location against lefties, especially those with as much pop as Cruz.
The result was predictable: a 111.8 mph missile over the porch in right field.
"Looking back, I can be a good enough self-evaluator to say that that was a stupid pitch," Miller said. "But, yeah, I was convicted in it and had a plan. Didn’t execute it."
Miller's status was unclear throughout most of Tuesday, as he had thrown 30 pitches in Monday's 12-inning loss to the Pirates and pitched in three of their last four games. But Miller said that didn't factor in. He went through his normal pregame routine and let Stammen know he was ready if he needed to be called upon.
"I felt good enough to go today," Miller said. "We had a lot of guys throw yesterday. That’s part of my value and part of my responsibility to this team and to my teammates − to be available any time that I can.
"My workload’s been high. But it wasn’t: 'Yeah, I wasn’t feeling good, didn’t have my best stuff.' I think it was just one dumb pitch, and that’s kind of the story."
Stammen, meanwhile, wasn't going to be one to question his shut-down closer in that situation.
"When a pitcher like Mason says 'Hey, give me the ball,' you're willing and able to give him the ball," Stammen said. "Especially where we're at in the season."
The Padres, one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past month, entered Wednesday just a half-game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third and final wild card spot in the National League.
Aug 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (25) celebrates with right fielder Leody Taveras (30) and second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) after hitting a three run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Orioles vs Cardinals 7:45 EDT MASN/MASN+
The Orioles laid the smack down on the Cardinals last night with a 13-1 victory to kick off their nine-game road trip. It was an exciting win but let’s be honest: we are Orioles fans. We know that this means the Orioles will probably suffer a demoralizing loss tonight. Maybe a two-hitter? Or maybe they’ll have plenty of baserunners but strand them all until someone hits a too little, too late home run in the ninth inning.
I don’t want to think that way. But the Orioles did this to me. It’s not my fault. You understand.
But maybe, just maybe, the Orioles will build on their strong start and take the series tonight. They are facing solid righty Michael McGreevy, who has a 3.54 ERA in 25 starts this season. The good news is he does give up home runs (18 in 137.1 innings), and he’s not a big strikeout guy (6.2 K/9). McGreevy has been with the Cardinals for his entire short career; only Pete Alonso has ever faced him (o-for-2).
The Orioles will be looking for a strong start from Kyle Bradish who worked without his best stuff against the Yankees back on August 20th. He kept his team in the game but allowed a lot of baserunners and two home runs. His team lost, but not because of him.
Alonso is back at DH today with Samuel Basallo playing first base. With a righty on the mound, lefties Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers are both in the lineup. Coby Mayo starts the game on the bench.
Tyler O’Neill, who hurt his shoulder on his game-saving catch last Saturday, had an MRI yesterday and was diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain. Luis Vázquez will replace O’Neill on the roster, though as of 6:25 that move isn’t official. O’Neill hasn’t been on the IL since April, so I guess he was due.
Orioles lineup
Jackson Holliday (L) 2B Pete Alonso (R) DH Gunnar Henderson (L) SS Samuel Basallo (L) 1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand (R) 3B Dylan Beavers (L) LF Leody Taveras (S) RF Colton Cowser (L) CF Carlos Narváez (R) C
Cardinals lineup
JJ Wetherholt (L) SS Iván Herrera (R) DH Alec Burleson (L) 1B Jordan Walker (R) RF Nathan Church (L) CF José Fermín (R) 2B Nolan Gorman (L) 3B Bryan Torres (L) LF Jimmy Crooks (L) C
The Los Angeles Kings won’t have to wait long to take center stage.
Their 2026-27 season will open on national television, with the Kings traveling to Colorado on Sept. 30 for a TNT matchup against the Avalanche. It’s a rematch of last spring’s playoff meeting, giving the Kings an intriguing opponent right out of the gate.
That game was already known. Now, the rest of the Kings’ national television schedule has been revealed.
Los Angeles will appear in 12 nationally televised games during the 2026-27 regular season, with its schedule spread across TNT, ESPN and ESPN+/Hulu.
Here’s how the full slate breaks down.
TNT
Sept. 30: Kings at Avalanche
Nov. 4: Kings vs. Sharks
Dec. 9: Kings vs. Sharks
The Kings will make three appearances on TNT, with two of them coming against the San Jose Sharks.
That pairing makes plenty of sense. The Kings and Sharks have developed one of the NHL’s more familiar West Coast rivalries, and San Jose now has one of the league’s biggest young stars in Macklin Celebrini.
The two California rivals will meet twice on TNT this season, adding another layer to what should be two highly anticipated matchups.
ESPN
Oct. 6: Kings vs. Panthers
The Kings will make just one appearance on ESPN’s main network this season, but it comes on an important night.
Los Angeles’ home opener against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 6 will be nationally televised, giving fans their first look at the Kings on home ice with the added spotlight of ESPN.
After that, the Kings’ remaining national appearances will come through ESPN+ and Hulu.
ESPN+ / Hulu
Oct. 22: Kings at Islanders
Nov. 10: Kings vs. Predators
Nov. 12: Kings vs. Islanders
Dec. 15: Kings at Red Wings
Dec. 22: Kings at Wild
Jan. 19: Kings vs. Kraken
Jan. 28: Kings at Flyers
March 11: Kings at Kraken
That gives Los Angeles eight games on ESPN+ and Hulu, making up the largest portion of its national schedule.
For Kings fans outside the Los Angeles market who already subscribe to ESPN+ for the NHL’s out-of-market package, these games will be available through that service. Fans inside the Los Angeles market, however, will have to keep the streaming-only nature of these matchups in mind.
In other words, there are going to be a handful of nights this season when the Kings aren’t simply a channel change away.
NHL Announces Six Start-Time Changes
Along with the national broadcast schedule, the NHL also announced several changes to the start times of Kings games throughout the season.
Here are the updated times:
Dec. 9: Sharks at Kings — moved from 7:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 15: Kings at Red Wings — moved from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 28: Kings at Flyers — moved from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
March 7: Avalanche at Kings — moved from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
March 11: Kings at Kraken — moved from 6:40 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
April 6: Kings at Ducks — moved from 7:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
So while the Kings’ national schedule isn’t exactly overflowing with ESPN appearances, Los Angeles will still have a dozen games receiving national exposure throughout the 2026-27 campaign.
And it starts with one of the most compelling matchups possible: a trip back to Colorado for a rematch with the Avalanche on opening night.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 25: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers singles in the seventh inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kathryn Skeean/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Dodgers look to get back in the win column as they take on the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Roki Sasaki faces A.J. Smith-Shawver.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 24: Luis Arraez #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park on August 24, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants wisely decided to become extreme sellers at this year’s trade deadline, swapping six major-leaguers in five separate trades. While the players coming back are all in the minor leagues, besides reliever Anthony Molina, the ex-Giants are all over the playoff race. Here’s how these old friends are faring in their new homes.
Luis Arraez
The Giants second baseman is hitting almost exactly the same for the Philadelphia Phillies as he did for the Giants, slashing .305/.318/.439 in 20 games, compared to .324/.360/.440 (he’s walking less). The Phillies have gone 13-7 since trading for Arraez, including nine-game win streak (what’s that?). He still holds a comfortable lead in the race for the batting title, hitting .321, 14 points clear of Nick Gonzales.
Arraez has been hitting cleanup for the Phillies as protection for Bryce Harper, who seems to have been inspired by the Contact King by significantly cutting his rate of chasing pitches since Arraez arrived. Even shuffling their defensive alignment to accommodate Arraez at second base has worked, with Harper shifting to right field, Alec Bohm moving to first base, and Bryson Stott going to third.
Caleb Killian
The erstwhile Giants closer made only four appearances for the Phillies before going on the injured list with a left oblique strain. He had a nightmarish outing in his second appearance with the Phils, giving up four runs in the top of the 11th inning for his 7th loss of the season. He did get his fourth win in his final appearance in the City of Brotherly Love in an extra-inning win.
Robbie Ray
Robbie Ray has made four starts for the San Diego Padres, going 1-1 with a 3.98 ERA and going about five innings per game. It’s a small sample size, but the biggest change is that Ray has given up a home run about every five innings, as opposed to every eight innings with the Giants. He’s not working as far into games, which seems tied to walking about a third more hitters, as well as the Padres’ bullpen full of flame throwers.
The Padres remain a game up in the NL wild-card race, just ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Adding Ray could prove crucial for their injury-plagued starters, though they should be getting Joe Musgrove back soon.
Heliot Ramos
Former Giants left fielder Heliot Ramos has not had much success since joining the New York Yankees. He’s slashing .113/.230/.189 with 18 strikeouts in 16 games. Ramos has six hits in 53 at-bats, scoring one run and delivering just one RBI. It’s terrible timing for a Yankees lineup that already skews heavily left-handed with Aaron Judge out, but Ramos isn’t hitting anyone who throws with either hand right now.
Erik Miller
The Giants lefty specialist has been awesome for the Boston Red Sox. He’s thrown 10 1/3 innings and struck out a whopping 18 batters, walking three and giving up seven hits. He’s given up a single run, unearned, and hit one batter. Facing his old team last weekend, Miller got into one game and struck out Jonah Cox and Willy Adames in his one inning of work.
The Atlanta Braves have gotten solid work from Tyler Mahle, who is 2-1 in four starts with a 1.52 ERA. He got a no-decision after throwing six shutout innings in his first Braves start, and has gone at least five innings in each start, with 23 strikeouts against five walks. He’s stopped using his cutter as much and relied on a splitter more, while also benefiting from the Braves’ superior defense.
"I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once, as I ever was."
Ronald Acuña Jr's defense gets maligned a lot these days, but he gets Tyler Mahle out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 2nd thanks to this sliding catch pic.twitter.com/LDezk8ROD9
— Lindsay Crosby, big baseball guy (@CrosbyBaseball) August 23, 2026
It’s nice to see some beloved Giants succeed, and even some less beloved Giants do well. If anything, the better traded Giants do, the easier it might be to make future trades. It’d be nice to see Ramos pull things together, because someone from the 2026 Giants should get to enjoy the playoffs at least.
Jonathan Kuminga of the Atlanta Hawks in action during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York City. The Knicks won 126-97. (Getty Images North America)
The Los Angeles Lakers lacked a versatile wing defender and Jonathan Kuminga provided a solution. All signs had pointed toward the talented youngster joining the Purple and Gold.
But the free agent forward signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday, according to NBA insider Shams Charania. Kuminga became one of the final players off the market with training camp set to start next month.
Jonathan Kuminga of the Atlanta Hawks in action during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York City. The Knicks won 126-97. (Getty Images North America) Getty Images
He will join Anthony Edwards and Lamelo Ball in Minnesota after being linked to the Lakers for a majority of the offseason.
According to Charania, Kuminga bypassed a longer contract from Los Angeles. The Lakers reportedly offered the talented wing a three-year deal, worth at least $12 million per season.
Both the Bulls and Trail Blazers were believed to have made an offer to the 23-year-old.
Instead, Kuminga is heading into the ice on a deal worth just $6 million per year. The only way the Lakers could have signed Kuminga was via a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks, which would have required a three-year contract.
Kuminga opted for a shorter-term deal with the Timberwolves in order to have more control over his future, per Charania.
Over the last month, the Timberwolves persistently recruited Kuminga with Edwards being heavily involved in the process. Team president Tim Connelly traveled to Miami for a four-hour in-person meeting with Kuminga earlier this month.
In the end, Kuminga’s free agency was less about the money and more about the length of the deal.
