SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - MAY 04: Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the third quarter of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on May 04, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today is Devin Vassell’s twenty-sixth birthday. What a roller coaster ride for such a young man. In his professional life, he was drafted eleventh overall in 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, his first season was truncated. The team was in disarray, at least by Spurs standards.
The year before Vassell was drafted, the Spurs played their last playoffs. That summer, they drafted Keldon Johnson, now the longest tenured member of the squad. Ever since, they had not had a winning season or played in a playoff game…until 2026. The Spurs went from a 34-48 record in 2025 to a 62-20 record that not only introduced the Spurs draftees to the postseason, it took the team to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
Vassell commented during a postgame press conference that he and Johnson had been working toward this for a long time. He referred to KJ as his “brother” as he shared a heartfelt moment about the team making the playoffs.
From the drafting of Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Carter Bryant to the addition of veterans De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes, Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk and Bismack Biyombo through the finding hidden gems Julian Champagnie, David Jones Garcia, and Jordan McLaughlin, the team made a huge leap last season. And Vassell was an integral piece to their success.
When not in season, Vassell hosts a variety of basketball camps both in San Antonio as well as in his home state Georgia. He joined some teammates in visiting Victor Wembanyama this summer, indulging in art and culture while working out and staying sharp.
The ceiling on the Spurs is significantly higher than it has been in years, and after their Finals appearance, the next steps promise to be the most exciting.
Happy birthday, Devin, may all your wished come true this year.
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Boston, MA - December 25: Boston Celtics PG Payton Pritchard passes the ball while being defended by Philadelphia 76ers SF Paul George in the first half. (Photo by Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
STOUGHTON, Mass. — Payton Pritchard became the second longest-tenured Celtic this summer and projects to gain more offensive responsibility this season. However, he admits he lost ground in Boston’s golf hierarchy following a new arrival.
“I would say Sam (Hauser) is probably first. Me and Mike Conley, we played a little bit in LA,” Pritchard told CLNS Media on the Garden Report from his basketball camp on Saturday. “So, we had some battles, but Mike’s better than I am. We’re 2-1 in our matches, he’s won two, I’ve won one, but I would say I’m third.”
In his conversations with Joe Mazzulla, he told Pritchard that he wants Boston to become more of a player-led team this season — something Pritchard welcomed. Conley and Pritchard squeezed rounds in between casual west coast workouts recently that included Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Hauser and Derrick White. He expects more teammates to meet George there soon, as the Celtics begin their offseason bonding.
Pritchard already has some familiarity with Mitchell Robinson too, who he shared a room with during their youth Team USA experience. They haven’t reunited yet this summer, though Pritchard now expects Robinson, Neemias Queta and Luka Garza’s presence in the front court to become a strength for the Celtics.
Individually, Pritchard wants to reach the free throw line more often in 2026-27. As a team, they want to make better reads while maintaining their hard-playing identity.
“That’s the biggest thing, and we need everybody to take a step,” he said. “Regular season wins, you win by playing hard and then in the playoffs, you win by playing harder and smarter. That’s really the recipe.”
That’s a pivot for a team that there’s no difference between the regular season and the playoffs. A 3-1 collapse against the 76ers still irks Pritchard, because he saw no desire on Philadelphia’s end to continue the series while trailing in the second half in Game 5. Then, the Celtics let up and allowed them to become comfortable. That set up a difficult Game 6 on the road and a Game 7 which always feels like a toss-up.
Then, the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown, a long-time mentor for Pritchard who he gave enormous credit for his development. They spent the past six seasons together while Pritchard emerged as the Sixth Man of the Year and a rotation staple in Boston. But the move didn’t stun Pritchard, given what he’s already seen in his career.
“It’s part of the business. Nothing’s actually that shocking to me anymore,” Pritchard said. “You’re just used to seeing big things and I think changes happen all the time. It always sucks to see a brother and a teammate that you played with for a long time go, but you move on and you get ready to go to war against him.”
Pritchard liked the George addition and expects him to be great for Boston given his pedigree. Robinson provides exactly what they needed in the front court, he believed, adding offensive rebounding and physicality. He sounded most excited about the Conley addition, however.
Conley, 39 this year, signed a minimum contract to depart Minnesota after parts of four seasons while spurning other free agency offers. Pritchard, who previously learned from longtime friend Blake Griffin and Al Horford whose lockers his sat next to, plans to pull from Conley throughout this year.
And while many have expected Pritchard will make up for most of what Brown left offensively, he’s not looking at it that way. He just wants to continue making the perennial leaps that got him to this level. Because, as he observed, once you stop doing that, you’re gone.
“I look up to Mike and the career he’s had,” Pritchard said. “If I could have remotely close to the career he’s had, then that’s a very successful career. It’s somebody I’ll take a lot of things from and hopefully have a great friendship and mentorship with that. I’m going to be picking his brain all the time.”
Sunday marks another fine day at the Little League World Series. It also welcomes the big leaguers, as the MLB Little League Classic caps off the day's action.
It will be an early start from Williamsport as the winner's bracket continues play with Nevada taking on Washington at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN. It starts a full day of coverage across ESPN, with the 1 p.m. game between Iowa and New Jersey getting the limelight on ABC.
Sunday also marks MLB's time to shine, as the Atlanta Braves take on the Milwaukee Brewers in a clash of two of the league's best playing at Historic Bowman Field.
USA TODAY Sports will have live coverage with updates, scores and highlights from all of Sunday's Little League World Series action.
How to watch 2026 Little League World Series
Here is the full Little League World Series schedule for Aug. 23 and how to watch all the games.
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BRONX, NY - AUGUST 22: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees leaves the game with an injury during the fourth inning of the game against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 22, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Borough of the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good news: Cody Bellinger is back today! Bad news: The Yankees’ winning streak was snapped, Ryan Weathers left with forearm tightness, and Giancarlo Stanton might be officially toast. So… 1-for-4? But call some of those non-hit ABs tough ones, like a double play with the bases loaded.
Today on the site, Scott will have the live report from the past couple days of Cody Bellinger’s rehab assignment at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, I’ll have the Rivalry Roundup, Jonathan will pay tribute to the first-ever DH for his 78th birthday, and John will have the weekly Social Media Spotlight.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Time: 1:35 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Questions/Prompts:
1. On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that Max Fried is back in the rotation by the first week of September? (He started throwing again yesterday.) And same question, but with Clarke Schmidt in the bullpen, post-Tommy John rehab? Let’s say “by mid-September” for Clarke.
2. Without going purely by record (it’s a minor morass at the bottom), who do you think has been the worst team in baseball in 2026?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 12: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees looks on in the dugout during the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium on August 12, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Cody Bellinger is slated to return from the IL today. The outfielder had a short rehab stint at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as he recovered from a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that’s kept him off the field since late July. “I’ve been wanting to get back for a while,” Bellinger said. “You always want to be realistic, and for me, I want to come back and stay. You don’t want to make anything worse. I’m itching to get back, but I’ve got to continue to play it safe and make sure I’m 100 percent ready.” In his second year with New York, Bellinger was an All-Star this season and figures to fortify an outfield that’s also been without Aaron Judge in right.
New York Post | Andrew Crane: Giancarlo Stanton strained his left calf earlier this week, calling into question whether he’ll be able to return this season, Aaron Boone revealed Saturday. The DH was working back from multiple strains to his right calf when he fell while running the bases, leading to a moderate strain in his left. “We’re at a point in the calendar where it gets challenging,” said Boone, acknowledging the reality that Stanton’s return this season is in jeopardy. Big G has appeared in only 24 games this season, adding to the struggles to stay on the field that have plagued his Yankees tenure.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: In other injury news, Ryan Weathers exited his start Saturday in the fourth inning with left forearm discomfort. He’s scheduled for imaging on Sunday. In his first season in the Bronx, the left-hander had been a strong contributor to the rotation, including during a recent stretch in which he posted a 1.94 ERA in his last seven starts. For more on Weathers’ departure and some musings on short- and long-term implications, check out Andrew’s breaking news post.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: ($) There was a world where Bellinger’s return could have cost Spencer Jones his roster spot. The rookie outfielder has been playing well of late, though, going 12-for-41 with two homers and four stolen bases in his last 12 games.“(He’s) certainly proved that he can play up here,” said Boone. “I think there’s a lot more in the tank for him to continue to go and learn, but he’s showing the ability to do that, and that’s been really encouraging.”
With Ryan McMahon hitting the IL Friday, the Yankees ultimately choose to send down his replacement, Max Scheumann, instead, at minimum giving them a left-handed platoon option in Jones to pair with the struggling Heliot Ramos. The Schuemann demotion was made official after the game on Saturday.
Following today’s game, the Yankees optioned INF/OF Max Schuemann to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Teófimo López became a three-division world champion on Saturday night, winning a 12-round majority decision over Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero to claim the WBA welterweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
López prevailed by scores of 115-113 and 116-112, while the third judge saw the fight even at 114-114. Romero, making the first defense of his title won against Ryan Garcia 15 months ago, disputed the result in the immediate aftermath.
Mitchell Starc has rocked the Bangladesh batting order for the second time in as many days in Mackay to secure Australia victory by an innings and 51 runs in the second Test.
For the third time in the last seven matches, a Test in Australia has finished inside two days after Starc and captain Pat Cummins (3-10) ripped through Bangladesh, who batted poorly.
On a dark afternoon for the Yankees, who revealed Giancarlo Stanton had again strained a calf and then watched Ryan Weathers exit with injury in the fourth inning, there were Cody Bellinger and Max Fried silver linings.
Bellinger is set to be activated Sunday, and Fried’s return to the mound went well.
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First Bellinger: The left fielder survived two rehab games, including playing six innings in the outfield for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday, and said his hamstring was tested on a few plays and passed each.
“For me, come in, help the team win as much as I can and play my best ball,” Bellinger said before the Yankees lost, 4-3, to the Blue Jays in The Bronx on Saturday.
After four weeks sidelined, Bellinger will return to a club that has been changed by the trade deadline and Spencer Jones’ emergence as a useful player. The Yankees have been playing Heliot Ramos — a righty hitter brought in to do damage against lefties — most days in left and the lefty-hitting Jones most days in right.
It is possible that the two become a right field platoon tandem until and if Aaron Judge returns, though manager Aaron Boone did not want to tip his hand regarding right field.
“Wait and see,” Boone said before the team officially optioned utilityman Max Schuemann to the minors, which ensures Jones — who might have been on the bubble — will remain in the majors.
Fried, meanwhile, threw a bullpen session before the game for the first time since hitting the injured list with a recurrence of his elbow bone bruise. Fried threw 26 pitches, and his whole repertoire, and said he felt encouraged by his afternoon.
“Hopefully we’re moving in a good direction there,” Boone said of Fried, “and we’ll see what’s next if that’s a live [batting practice] or another side.”
Cody Bellinger (left), who is set to be activated by the Yankees on Sunday, talks with Max Fried during the Bombers’ 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Aug. 23, 2026 at the Stadium. Jason Szenes for New York Post
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Already a major piece, the lefty’s importance probably grew as Weathers left the loss with forearm discomfort and was sent for tests.
Judge’s rehab is going “well,” Boone said, and the team’s captain remains hitting. He graduated Friday to tee-and-toss and has not yet faced machine or live pitching.
There are no definitive updates regarding Judge, who has said he will return this season from his fractured rib.
“He’s throwing, running, lifting,” Boone said. “He seems to be in a good place and moving. For him now, it’s about just getting the body built up.”
Luis García Jr.’s two-run shot in the eighth inning was his career-high 26th homer of the season and third as a Yankee.
Australia mauled Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs in Mackay to level the two-Test series after their shock loss in Darwin with the Australian bowlers bouncing back in emphatic fashion.
Australia responded brilliantly to the debacle in Darwin by mauling Bangladesh in Mackay, with the innings and 51 run victory within two days squaring what proved to be an intriguing series following the upset in the first Test.
Mitchell Starc’s ten-wicket haul inspired Australia to a series-levelling, innings and 51-run victory against Bangladesh inside two days at Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena.
Manager Dave Roberts announced after the Dodgers’ 5-4 win against the Pirates on Aug. 21 that Pages' injury was "not season-ending," but he expects the first-time All-Star to be out 4-5 weeks.
Pages is considered the team’s top defensive player, leading the team in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and outfield assists.
Offensively, Pages has produced 80 RBI, 21 home runs and 72 runs this season.
The Dodgers will have to explore options that will not only help the team defensively but also provide another solid bat in the lineup.
Dodgers call up Alek Thomas
The Dodgers called up speedy outfielder Alek Thomas as a replacement for Pages.
“It felt good,” Thomas said before the game about being called up. “It’s been a little while, so I’m super blessed to be back and happy to help the team in any shape or form.”
Thomas recorded his first hit for the Dodgers and produced an RBI, bringing in Kyle Tucker to help make it a 3-2 game against the Pirates on Saturday, Aug. 22.
The Dodgers acquired Thomas in a trade for Jose Requena back on May 12. Thomas had an .855 OPS with the Oklahoma City Comets, the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate.
The Dodgers are expected to add another veteran bat to the lineup soon with the return of catcher Will Smith.
He participated in batting practice on Saturday against Shohei Ohtani.
Smith was dealing with an inflamed disc in his neck that’s kept him out of action since June 5.
Smith is expected to be activated from the injured list during the first week of September. He is not expected to join the team for its upcoming road trip against the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers.
Robert heard boos from the home crowd after hitting both homers.
“It feels good to hit homers against any team at home,” Robert said through an interpreter. “But I will say it felt good to hit the home runs here, just because it was a stadium I played so many games over my career.”
Robert, who spent seven seasons with the White Sox, hit a two-run homer in the third that gave the Mets a 4-1 lead. He also delivered a solo blast in the seventh.
Overall, the Mets hit five homers.
“[Friday] it felt a little weird here and a little strange,” Robert said. “Today, it was pretty normal.”
Luis Robert Jr. belts a homer in the the third inning, the first of his two dingers, of the Mets’ 10-5 win over the White Sox on Aug. 23, 2026 in Chicago. AP
Francisco Alvarezsnapped an 0-for-14 with a single in his first at-bat, but his frustration level has mounted lately in inverse proportion to his OPS.
The Mets catcher had an outburst on Friday after a strikeout, returning to the dugout and snapping his bat in half. Alvarez finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
“The frustration was from [Friday], because it only matters the day we played,” Alvarez said before the game. “What happened before is in the past. It’s more about the day.”
Alvarez began play 8-for-52 (.154) in August with an anemic .536 OPS. He had strikeouts in 25 of those at-bats.
“He’s incredibly passionate — he wants to be great for the team,” interim manager Andy Green said of Alvarez’s emotional display. “He wants to be great because he puts a lot of work in.”
Green said Alvarez’s issue simply hasn’t just been chasing pitches outside the strike zone.
“I think chase usually shows up after you have missed your pitch,” Green said. “He’s had some pitches to hit but he hasn’t necessarily squared up. When that happens he’s found himself outside of the strike zone.”
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Mark Vientos, who began a minor league rehab assignment as the DH on Friday for Double-A Binghamton, will see action at first base and third base before returning to the Mets, according to Green. Vientos is rehabbing a right-hand fracture that has kept him sidelined since July 10.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 22: Cleveland Guardians right fielder Jo Adell (7) celebrates his run scored in the sixth inning during a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Jo Adell has been everything the Guardians were hoping for and more. His mammoth 3 run HR tonight completely changed the game. He also singled and scored in the 6th inning from a Patrick Bailey single, so he was involved in all four of the Guardians runs tonight. He is now slashing .243/.323/.526 in 16 games as a Guardian. If we are able to get back into this playoff race, Jo Adell will be a huge part of it.
It’s also noteworthy that we have seen Angel Genao start two games in a row at SS, considering the season that Brayan Rocchio has had. Rocchio has had a rought stretch offensively as of late, but he has still been one of the best SS defenders in the MLB this season. As long as Rocchio is healthy I imagine he will be in the lineup tomorrow.
The Guardians will go for the sweep tomorrow at 3:10 pm ET. It will be Foster Griffin vs Tomoyuki Sugano.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 22: Manager Torey Lovullo #17 takes the ball from starting pitcher Michael Soroka #34 of the Arizona Diamondbacks for a pitching change during the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Chase Field on August 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On paper, anyway, Michael Soroka was the better starting pitcher than Reds starter Rhett Lowder. Especially after the beatdown we put on Cincinnati last night, it seemed like pretty good odds that we’re stomp the Reds again. Sadly, however, that was not the case. Soroka sucked tonight, Lowder was good until he wasn’t so much, but by then the Diamondback were already in a hole that, despite some sporadic efforts by the offense, we couldn’t climb our way out of. Especially because the hole kept getting deeper.
In fact, it started to feel, at least to me, like it might be a foregone conclusion before we’d even gotten our offense involved. Elly De La Cruz lined a very hard-hit double into the right field corner to lead off the game, and one out later was driven home by a very hard-hit JJ Bleday grounder that got past Tim Tawa at first and rolled into the right field corner for another double. That was the only damage at first, it that was the start of the hole. 1-0 Cincinnati
Soroka managed to put up a zero in the second, though in some respects it was an even harder inning for him, and one that inspired even less confidence. There was a two-out hit-by-pitch. Then there was a ten-pitch at bat by the guy in the Red’s nine hole that ended in a walk. Soroka had thrown 18 pitches in the first, and he needed 22 more to get through the second, and he really looked like he had no idea where his pitches were going to land once he let them go.
The third inning was another bad one, as Sal Stewart blooped a single just behind second base to lead off the frame. JJ Bleday struck again, seeing six pitches before sending the seventh out to that notch in the wall just to the right of straightaway center field for an RBI triple. A fly ball to center scored him, and after an eight-pitch walk, Soroka finally got the final two outs. Two more runs in, though, and 27 more pitches thrown, putting him at 67 for the night. 3-0 Cincinnati
The top of the fourth sucked even more, thanks to a seven-pitch walk to kick things off, and then two one-out singles, the second of which brought another run home. That earned Soroka the hook with 84 pitches thrown total, and ten outs recorded. Zack Littell came out with his mop, and surrendered a sac fly and two walks as he worked to get the Reds back out onto the field. 6-0 Cincinnati
So, yeah. That’s the margin of victory right there. Meanwhile, we’d only managed a leadoff Lars Nootbaar double and a Tim Tawa bloop single against Lowder, who cruised easily through his first three innings of work. We managed to get to him a bit with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to Nolan Arenado sending his 21st home run of the year just over the left field fence. 6-1 Cincy
Didn’t really matter, though, as Littell gave the run back on a two-out De La Cruz to right in the top of the fifth. 7-1 Cincy
Andf so it proceeded from there. Ildemaro scored off a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to some hits behind him, to close the gap to 7-2, but Littell gave the run back in the top of the sixth on a solo shot that completed JJ Bleday’s cycle and made it 8-2. Arenado reached on catcher’s interference to leadoff the bottom of the sixth, and crossed the plate again thanks to a Tim Tawa homer over the fence in left center, making things 8-4, but Littell gave back both runs in the top of the seventh to bring it to 10-4.
About this time, folks started dropping into the Gameday Thread to excoriate Torey Lovullo for having given up the game when we were only down by six and leaving Littell in there, etc, etc, and while I suppose I can sort of see the argument if I squint, the sad fact is that, even with the offense we were able to muster in the later innings, we still didn’t manage to score enough runs to surpass that initial 6-0 deficit that Soroka’s work created. Torey did pull Littell for Dennis Santana to start the eighth, though, and aside from giving up a leadoff solo home run to Matt McLain to bring things to 11-4, he did his job. We got another run off of the Reds’ bullpen in the bottom half, thanks to a couple of walks and a two-out Ryan Waldschmidt RBI single, but that simply gave us the last scoring in the game. 11-5 Cincinnati
Tonight’s GDT was a ghost town for the vast majority of the game, for good or ill, with us eventually limping to 153 comments at time of writing. I certainly hope that the folks who didn’t drop by found something better and more pleasant to do with their time. To be honest, I would likely have gone off to prune some thornbushes or practice body-blocking some cacti or perhaps exfoliating with a belt sander had I not been contractually obligated to sit through the whole nine innings. But I’m a professional, damnit. Precious few comments turned Sedona Red, but there is one hands-down winner that appeared from onedotfove at a point in the game where a turnaround still seemed like it might be possible:
Hope is always the better choice, so thank you for that. On the upside, Cabriel Moreno did manage to extend his hitting strreak with a one-out double in the bottom of the ninth, so while the huge comeback didn’t happen, there was a positive or two.
So, assuming you have a paid Peacock account, I hope you can join us for the rubber match tomorrow as we try to win the series against these pesky Reds. Andrew Abbott goes for them, Mitch Bratt goes for us, first pitch is scheduled for 1:15pm AZ time, and JustRonn will be your guest recapper. Come and keep him company if you can, and root us on as we try for a needed series win.
As always, thanks for reading, and as always, go Diamondbacks!
