Ronald Acuña Jr. DHing for Braves-Nationals series finale
After playing right field the last three days while dealing with a bone bruise in his left thumb, Ronald Acuña Jr. will serve as the Braves’ designated hitter for Sunday’s home series finale against the Washington Nationals.
Mauricio Dubon is back in the two-hole against left-handed starter Foster Griffin (5-2, 4.02 ERA) and Ha-Seong Kim is back at shortstop after an off day Saturday. Eli White replaces Acuña in right field and will hit seventh, while Sandy León is back at catcher and hitting ninth.
All of the Braves’ experience against Griffin comes from his start against them last month in Washington. The active Braves are 4-for-18 (.222) against him. Dubon was 2-for-3 with a double, Michael Harris II had a double and White homered off Griffin, who has two strikeouts and one walk against current Braves.
The Nationals will replace a pair of lefty hitters (Jose Tena at first and Jorbit Vivas at third) with righties (Andres Chaparro at first and Curtis Mead at third) against left-handed Braves starter Martín Pérez. Mead is hitting second and Chaparro is hitting third, sandwiched between James Wood and CJ Abrams in the top four spots of the lineup.
The Nationals’ current roster is a combined 4-for-16 (.250) against Pérez. Abrams (2-for-5) has half of those hits, including a solo homer. Wood (1-for-2) homered off Pérez in his relief appearance last month at Washington. The Nationals have struck out five times and worked no walks against Pérez.
Pair of Knicks NBA Finals tickets already sold for $279K as prices hit staggering numbers on secondary market
The only thing more unbelievable than the Knicks’ 10-game win streak through the playoffs are the ticket prices at Madison Square Garden.
It looks like two tickets for a potential Game 3 at The Garden in the NBA Finals have already been sold after the Knicks went up 3-0 on the Cavaliers with a chance to make the Finals for the first time since 1999.
According to sports business reporter Darren Rovell, two courtside tickets have been sold on StubHub for a staggering $279,804.
The first two courtside seats have sold for the first Knicks Finals home game at Madison Square Garden in 27 years.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 24, 2026
Someone purchased TWO seats on StubHub for….
$279,804!
I have confirmed the sale.
The secondary ticket market for a Knicks Finals game has some eye-popping prices just for a chance to see these Knicks try to snap the franchise’s 53-year championship drought.
The cheapest price for a single ticket to Game 3 of the Finals at MSG is $3,265 as of Sunday morning on Tick PIck. That seat in is in section 418.
Fans who want to get closer to the action will find prices as high as $192,000 at Seat Geek to sit in Section 6 D behind the Knicks bench. Believe it or not, that’s more money than a few 1-bed, 1-bath apartments in midtown Manhattan listed on Zillow.
How does that compare to the two teams in the Western Conference finals?
If the Thunder make the Finals, they would host Game 1 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City and the highest ticket price on the secondary market for that game is currently $12,339 for a seat in Section 106.
Prices for a good seat at a potential Finals Game 1 with the Spurs hosting are a bit higher. The most expensive tickets at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio are a center court seat in Section 8 for $21,803 at Seat Geek and a $29,126 Box seat.
Knicks Merch Shop
- SOAR wireless speaker and bottle opener
- Customizable jersey
- Hydrapeak 30-ounce stainless steel tumbler
- ZHATS adjustable cap
- Pro Standard double knit full zip hoodie
- Ultra Game team crew socks (3-pack)
New York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase.
In both cases, the get-in price for a potential Game 1 at either area is around $1,000, which is a third of the price of the cheapest seat at The Garden.
2 Blackhawks Breakout Candidates To Watch Next Season
The Chicago Blackhawks should be a fun team to watch next season. They have plenty of young players on their roster who have the potential to hit new levels in 2026-27.
However, in this article, let's take a look at two specific young Blackhawks who are standing out as prime breakout candidates.
Nick Lardis
Nick Lardis showed plenty of promise this season with the Blackhawks, posting 10 goals and 15 points in 41 games. Overall, the 2023 third-round pick had a nice start to his NHL career, but it would not be surprising in the slightest if he breaks out in a major way next season. The 20-year-old forward has a ton of potential, and he certainly showed that when he had 71 goals and 117 points in 65 games with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL in 2024-25.
Sam Rinzel
Sam Rinzel will be another breakout candidate to watch on the Blackhawks next season. The 21-year-old blueliner appeared in 54 games this season with Chicago, where he had four goals, 14 points, and 49 hits. Overall, the young defenseman naturally had some growing pains, but there is a lot to like about him heading into next season. Now that he has gained more NHL experience, don't be surprised if he hits a new level in 2026-27.
Dodgers on Deck: Monday, May 25 vs. Rockies
After a nine-game road trip, the Dodgers are back home to host the Colorado Rockies on Memorial Day Monday night at Dodger Stadium, with a start time one hour earlier than usual.
Emmet Sheehan starts for the Dodgers. The Rockies have not yet announced their starting pitcher for Monday.
These two teams split four games at Coors Field in Denver from April 17-20.
Monday game info
- Teams: Dodgers vs. Rockies
- Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
- Time: 6:10 p.m.
- TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
Cease And Guerrero Leave Game With Injuries
In the space of one inning Dylan Cease and Vladimir Guerrero each walked off the field with injuries.
Cease looked like he was shaking out a leg, the trainer and manager came out and he stayed in the game. A couple of pitches later, it happened again and he came out of the game. There was no sign of what the injury might be, but we thought it might be cramps. Hoping nothing more.
Cease went 4.2 innings, allowing 2 earned, both on solo homers, with 1 walk and 8 strikeouts.
In the bottom half of the inning, Guerrero was hit by a pitch on the inside of the left arm, near the elbow. He didn’t look happy, and then walked right off the field. Vlad had walked twice in the game.
We don’t know what either injury might be, hoping neither are serious serious. Sometimes baseball is a cruel game.
Update: RHP Dylan Cease was removed from today’s game with mild left hamstring discomfort.
Update: The Jays say no fracture shown in Vlad’s arm, calling it a contusion.
Crawfish Boil: Altuve & Yordan Updates, Pitching Revival & More
The latest news on the Houston Astros and from around MLB:
Jose Altuve doesn’t think his injury is as serious the one he had in 2023:
Yordan needed a day off but is feeling better, per Joe Espada:
Can the Astros pitching continue to normalize and maintain it’s recent improvement?(Astros starters have a combined ERA of 2.56 (13ER/45.2IP) over the last 8 games. Saturday was the 3rd time in the last 4 games that an Astros starter did not allow a run in their start. Astros starters have allowed no runs 4 times in the last 8 games.)
The Astros rotation has two TBDs in it for the upcoming series vs. Rangers, but according to Joe Espada there is really only one TBD as far as pitchers…(Jason Alexander would seem to be the most likely candidate for the other game. He last pitched on 5/19. Burrows last pitched 5/20)
Kai-Wei Teng continues to impress, and appears to have adapted to being a starter:
Astros on the mend:
Astros top prospect Xavier Neyens does more than just hit:
Bob Nightengale of USA Today gave out his Memorial Day grades: The Astros did not get the worst grade. In fact, they didn’t even get an F! (well, kinda…)
Fernando Tatis Jr’s power outage is at WTH status:
Los Angeles Angels fans should probably be demanding Arte Moreno sell the team:
Mariners Game #54 Preview and Discussion: 5/24/26, SEA at KC
After a fairly pathetic offensive showing over the last two games, the Mariners will try to get something going today with Bryan Woo on the mound.
Lineups:
Today’s game information:
Game time: 11:10 PT
TV: Mariners TV with Aaron Goldsmith and Angie Mentink, with Brad Adam as field reporter
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Gary Hill Jr. and Ryan Rowland-Smith on the call
Dodgers vs. Brewers game III chat
Yoshinobu Yamamoto faces Brandon Sproat as the Dodgers wrap up their nine-game road trip.
SUNDAY GAME INFO
- Teams: Dodgers vs. Brewers
- Stadium: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
- Time: 11:10 a.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
Cubs roster move: Edward Cabrera to IL; Jordan Wicks recalled
The Cubs today announced that left-hander Jordan Wicks has been recalled from Triple-A Iowa. Wicks is replacing Edward Cabrera, who goes on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 21, with a blister on his middle finger.
The 26-year-old Wicks started this season on the injured list with left-elbow inflammation. He returned to the mound on April 18 as he started a 30-day rehab assignments with the Iowa Cubs. At the end of that rehab stint, Wicks was optioned back to Iowa.
With the I-Cubs this year, Wicks is 0-2 with a 4.44 ERA over 26.1 innings and seven starts. He struck out 20 and walked 12. However, over Wicks’ last three starts, he has an 0.60 ERA after allowing just one run over 15 innings. In that span, Wicks has struck out 12 and walked eight.
Cabrera was 3-2 with a 4.00 ERA in ten starts in his first season with Chicago. Over 54 innings, Cabrera had struck out 47, walked 20 and held opposing hitters to a .262 batting average.
On This Date: Matthew Tkachuk Scores Epic Last-Second Goal Sending Panthers To Stanley Cup Final
It’s time to mark another important anniversary in Florida Panthers history.
For this one, it was about as monumental as you can get.
At the time, it was probably the most euphoria felt by anyone associated with the Panthers organization in the team’s existence.
It’s almost unbelievable that it’s only been three years since May 24, 2023, when Florida hosted the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
That entire 2023 run to the Stanley Cup Final was something special – from shocking the league by beating the historically good Boston Bruins to rolling over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina during an incredible 11-1 stretch – nothing could compare to the way Matthew Tkachuk capped it off during Game 4 against the Hurricanes.
Entering play that Wednesday night, Florida had just won three straight one-goal games during the conference finals, including a pair of overtime victories in Raleigh.
Now they could smell the Stanley Cup Final and fueled by a first-minute goal by Anthony Duclair and a power play goal by Tkachuk, they were up 2-0 at the midway point of the opening period.
Carolina battled back, tying the game early in the second, and then again late in the third period when Jesper Fast lit the lamp at the 16:38 mark.
Just when it looked like a third game in six days would require more than sixty minutes, Jordan Staal took a tripping penalty with 57 seconds to go.
That led to Tkachuk finding the puck on his stick in the final seconds of regulation, simultaneously seizing the moment and causing a small earthquake in South Florida.
The play started with the puck on Sam Reinhart’s stick in the left circle and about 12.5 seconds on the clock. Reinhart wired a shot from the faceoff dot that went over Frederik Andersen’s blocker and off the crossbar, bouncing to Panthers captain Sasha Barkov at the bottom of the right circle.
Barkov then spotted Tkachuk open behind the net and fed him the puck with 6.7 to go.
With Sam Bennett tying up Brett Pesce in front of the net, Tkachuk circled to the top of the crease, made a quick deke to get Andersen to commit, and fired the puck his blocker and into the yawning cage.
Then, jubilation.
Tkachuk made a beeline for the blue line, mouthpiece dangling, arms extended in the air, sliding on his knees toward the neutral zone as he was consumed by his teammates.
Amerant Bank Arena had never been that alive.
Everyone had to briefly hold their breath when the goal was reviewed by officials, but all that did was allow fans a second moment of explosion when NHL referee Dan O’Rourke announced that the goal would stand.
What a moment.
Enjoy the goal and the series in the videos below.
LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA
The Hockey Show: Conference Finals Off To Surprising Starts, 'Off Campus' Keeps Things Steamy
Panthers Prospect Wins WHL Championship; Set For Memorial Cup Debut
Anton Lundell Scores Again, Panthers Players Continue Strong Showings At World Championship
Most Hated NHL Team In Florida Is Probably Not Who You Think
Photo caption: May 24, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Springfield Thunderbirds Thrashed In Series Deciding Game 5
The Springfield Thunderbirds, the St. Louis Blues’ AHL affiliate, have had their season ended in the Calder Cup playoffs, suffering a defeat at the hands of the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.
The Thunderbirds upset multiple teams in their path to the Atlantic Division final, and they pushed one of the AHL’s best teams to the brink, but in the end, the Penguins proved to be too much.
The Thunderbirds forced a Game 5 with a 2-0 win in Game 4, but the Penguins jumped out early in Game 5.
The Penguins got out to a 4-0 lead after the first period, setting the tone for the rest of the game. The Penguins added a fifth in the second period and a sixth early in the third before Akil Thomas was finally able to put the Thunderbirds on the board. Shortly after, the Thunderbirds added another pair of goals to make it 8-1.
Springfield’s season comes to an end, but there is plenty to be proud of. Adam Jiricek and Justin Carobonneau joined the lineup for the playoffs, picking up vital experience and making an impact. Jiricek and Carbonneau will be key factors for the Thunderbirds next season.
Additionally, top prospects Otto Stenberg and Theo Lindstein excelled following their stints in the NHL, proving they can be immediate factors to start the 2026-27 NHL season.
The Penguins now move on to the conference finals, where they will take on the winner of the North Division finals between the Toronto Marlies and the Cleveland Monsters.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Game thread LIII: Mariners vs Royals
The Kansas City Royals, who have been scuffling since the first week and a half of May, got a much-needed win yesterday against the Mariners, behind a complete game shutout from Stephen Kolek. The Royals evened the series, and clinched a season series win against Seattle.
Today, right-hander Seth Lugo takes the bump for the Royals. Lugo threw 6 innings of 2 run ball in his last start against the Red Sox, his only mistake was allowing a two-run homer. In his start against the Mariners earlier this year in Seattle, Lugo went 6 innings, allowing 8 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks and striking out 6 batters.
The Royals are running out the same lineup for the third straight day.
As for the Mariners, they are 25-28 on the season, and a game and a half behind the Athletics for the top spot in the American League West.
Bryan Woo takes the ball today. The right hander threw 6 scoreless innings in his last start against the White Sox, allowing just 3 hits, while striking out 8 batters. The Royals knocked him around in the Pacific Northwest, Woo allowed 6 runs on 7 hits over 6 innings of work, including a pair of homers.
The Mariners are deploying a similar lineup to what they’ve done all series as well.
This is the last time the Royals and Mariners will match up this season, barring a playoff series. The Royals will be back in action tomorrow afternoon, starting a three game home series against the Yankees at 2:40 p.m. CT. As for today’s game, it can be watched on Royals.TV, first pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CT.
Knicks vs Cavaliers — Game 4 ECF — predictions: Odds, recent stats, trends, best bets on May 25
New York took over in Game 3 with a 121-108 win behind Jalen Brunson's 30 points and Mikal Bridges' 20. The Knicks have won 10 straight games with nine of them by double digits, including five consecutive and all three in this series.
The Knicks are one game away from its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. With a win, New York will have a nice rest advantage over the winner of the Spurs and Thunder. In the Game 3 win, the Knicks held Cleveland to 29% from three and the Knicks hit 39% from deep and 56% from the field. New York got a boost from Landry Shamet with 14 points in 28 minutes, which was more than the rest of the bench (9 points). The Knicks are a short favorite in Game 4.
Cleveland had four starters score at least 17 points in Game 3, but it wasn't enough. The Cavaliers lost its second home game of the playoffs and a third means the season is over. Cleveland has struggled from the free throw line in the series, going 67.6% overall and 63% in Game 3 (12/19). Cleveland will have a tough act to follow up with how hot the Knicks are.
Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content.
Game Details and How to Watch Live: Cavaliers vs. Knicks
- Date: Monday, May 25, 2026
- Time: 8:10 PM EST
- Site: Rocket Arena
- City: Cleveland, OH
- Network/Streaming: ESPN
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Game Odds: Cavaliers vs. Knicks
The latest odds as of Sunday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: New York Knicks (-130), Cleveland Cavaliers (+110)
- Spread: Cavaliers -2.5
- Total: 217.5 points
This game opened Cavaliers -1.5 with the Total set at 215.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Cavaliers vs. Knicks
Cleveland Cavaliers
- PG James Harden
- SG Donovan Mitchell
- SF Dean Wade
- PF Evan Mobley
- C Jarrett Allen
New York Knicks
- PG Jalen Brunson
- SG Josh Hart
- SF Mikal Bridges
- PF OG Anunoby
- C Karl-Anthony Towns
Injury Report: Knicks vs. Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
- None
New York Knicks
- None
Important stats, trends and insights: Cavaliers vs. Knicks
- New York is 54-42 ATS
- New York is 51-45 to the Under
- New York is 12-19 ATS as a road favorite
- New York is 16-15 to the Under as a road favorite
- Cleveland has the second worst ATS record at 39-59
- Cleveland is 49-50 to the Under on the season
- Cleveland is 21-28 ATS at home, ranking second-worst
- Cleveland is 26-22 to the Under at home
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday’s Cavaliers and Knicks’ game:
- Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Knicks’ Moneyline
- Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Knicks -1.5 ATS
- Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 217.5
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
Game Thread #50: Milwaukee Brewers (30-19) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (32-20)
In the first two games of this series, the Brewers jumped all over the Dodgers’ starting pitcher in the opening inning. Milwaukee scored four runs in the first inning of Friday’s series-opening win, while all three of their runs in yesterday’s 11-3 loss came in the first.
That’s especially important because Los Angeles will turn to right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto for today’s series finale. Yamamoto has been excellent again this year, posting a 3.32 ERA, 0.966 WHIP, and 0.7 WAR. However, he’s allowed one-third of his earned runs in the opening frame this season and has yet to record a scoreless first inning in two career starts (one in the postseason) against Milwaukee. If the Brewers can apply pressure out of the gate once again, they’ll put themselves in a good position to win today.
Opposite Yamamoto is Brandon Sproat (5.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP), who has flashed electric stuff throughout his rookie season. Consistency, however, has been harder to come by; Sproat has allowed at least three runs in six of his nine appearances and has only made it through five innings three times.
The top of today’s order is the same as the series opener, with Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras occupying the first three spots. With Christian Yelich sitting out, Pat Murphy was able to fit both Jake Bauers and Andrew Vaughn into the lineup. Bauers will serve as the designated hitter and bat cleanup, while Vaughn hits fifth and starts at first base.
Garrett Mitchell, who missed the last two games due to back tightness, is hitting sixth and playing center field. Rounding out the lineup are Sal Frelick, Joey Ortiz, and David Hamilton.
Also worth mentioning: last night’s starting pitcher, Robert Gasser, was optioned to Triple-A Nashville this morning. Replacing him on the active roster is righty Carlos Rodríguez, who’s allowed one run while striking out five in four innings with the Brewers this year. If Sproat exits early, Rodríguez could be called upon to cover a couple of innings.
Today’s game will be broadcast on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620, and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m.