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Max Fried struggles, Yankees bullpen implodes late in walk-off loss to Rangers, 8-5, in extra innings

The Yankees led after three pitches, but on the final pitch of the night, surrendered a walk-off three-run home run to fall 8-5 to the Texas Rangers in extra innings Monday in Arlington.

In the home half of the 10th frame, Jake Bird, the fifth Yankee out of the bullpen, made Marcus Semien look foolish going down swinging on the sweeper before getting Adolis García to tap out to third. Manager Aaron Boone came out of the dugout to call for Wyatt Langford to be intentionally walked, and Josh Jung made that move look foolish: taking a sinker off the inside corner and driving a three-run homer 401 feet to left center to walk-off the Yanks.

The fourth straight loss doomed the struggling New York club to a 60-53 on the season (26-31 on the road) and lifted Texas to 59-55 (35-20 at home). The Yankees are now 5.5 games out of first place in the AL East and tied with the Seattle Mariners for the second Wild Card spot, with just a 1.5 game cushion ahead of the Rangers.

Here are the key takeaways...

- After Max Fried gutted through five innings, the bullpen trio of Luke Weaver, Camilo Doval, and David Bednar combined to retire the next nine batters with a strikeout each on 34 total pitches to preserve a one-run lead.

Devin Williams got the first batter of the ninth, but his 2-1 offering to pinch-hitter Joc Pederson was demolished 408 feet to right. The changeup hung right over the middle of the plate, and Pederson – 18-for-143 (.126) with a .473 OPS on the year – smoked it 101.6 mph off the bat to tie the game.

Williams got the game to extra innings, with a strikeout in the process, but it was his third blown save of the season as his ERA hit 5.10.

- In the top half of the tenth, Jasson Dominguez moved to third on a groundout and Anthony Volpe walked to put runners on the corners, but Austin Wells tapped into the 1-6-3 double play.

New York was 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position with six left on base through two frames while scoring three runs. They finished the night 3-for-15 with 10 left on base.

- The Yankees wasted no time jumping on left-hander Patrick Corbin as Paul Goldschmidt cranked a 92 mph sinker 419 feet to left field on the third pitch of the game. The homer, off the facing of the second deck, was his ninth of the season and first since June 19.

Amed Rosario followed by smacking a 92 mph sinker the other way into the right center gap for a double. Corbin got a pair of loud outs in between a pair of walks, which meantVolpe had a bases-loaded chance with two outs, but the shortstop went down swinging on a slider just off the outside corner. 

The Yanks jumped on Corbin again in the second:Wells singled, Goldschmidt roped a double to the gap in left, Rosario singled up the middle to score one, and Cody Bellinger singled to left to plate another run. A wild pitch put the runners in scoring position and Giancarlo Stanton was walked intentionally, but again, the Yanks left the bases loaded asDominguez went down swinging and Jazz Chisholm Jr. flied out to left.

- After Goldschmidt singled to start the fourth, leaving him a triple shy of the cycle, against Rangers reliever Jon Gray, Stanton hit his classic line-drive homer, annihilating a ball 427 feet to center (115 mph off the bat) to put New York back ahead, 5-4.

In what could be his final start of the series, as Aaron Judge is expected to come off the IL on Tuesday and take the DH role, Stanton slugged his 10th homer in his 36th game of the season and sixth in his last 12 games

- Fried retired the first four batters he faced with two strikeouts before he allowed the next six batters to reach: Langford roped a double to the corner in left field, Jung worked a walk, Josh Smith went right back up the middle to plate the Rangers' first run, JonahHeim’s infield hit loaded the bases, Ezequiel Duran's single to left tied the game by driving in two, and Sam Haggerty singled to center to load them again. 

Fried was responsible for the fourth run of the inning when he made a wild throw to second on a pickoff attempt. The lefty finally got out of the 35-pitch frame by retiring the next two.

After allowing a walk and a single in a scoreless third, the left-hander opened the fourth with a four-pitch walk and a Duran single to left. After a swinging bunt put two in scoring position, Fried froze Corey Seager with a sweeper and Volpe made a good stop on a smashed grounder, and his throw bounced the perfect height for Goldschmidt to field and end the inning.

Fried allowed a hit to start the fifth, but struck out the side to give him seven on the night. The lefty allowed eight hits and three walks (both matching his season high marks) but just four runs in five innings of work on 105 pitches (64 strikes).

- After Stanton's homer with two outs in the fourth, the Yanks managed just two hits – a Chisholm double and Bellinger single – as Gray kept it a one-run game to the middle of the eighth.

- The Yanks’ infield defense lacked a bit of crispness in the second inning. On the base hit up the middle that scored the first run, Chisholm and Volpe appeared to exchange glances as the ball went up the middle without either making much of an attempt at it. Later, Chisholm should have started an inning-ending double play, but his throw to second forced the shortstop to stretch and meant he couldn’t even attempt a throw to first.

- Dominguez entered the game in the top of the first inning after Austin Slater, making just his second start after coming over at the trade deadline, exited the game with left hamstring tightness. Slater sustained the injury running to first after grounding into a fielder’s choice to short.

Game MVP

The Rangers' bullpen got the job done with Gray starting things off with 5.0 innings of two-run ball before Luis Curvelo and Danny Coulombe pitched scoreless frames.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

These two sides face off on Wednesday with an 8:05 p.m. first pitch.

Right-hander Will Warren (4.64 ERA and 1.428 WHIP in 110.2 innings over 23 starts) gets the ball for the visitors and will have to be on his game as the hosts are going with Nathan Eovaldi (1.49 ERA and 0.893 WHIP in 103.0 innings over 18 starts).

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Sean Manaea's sixth inning put Mets in hole, Brett Baty's error sealed the loss

Before the sixth inning, Sean Manaea was making quick work of the Cleveland Guardians as the Mets left-hander held them scoreless through five innings on Monday night at Citi Field.

In fact, it looked like Manaea was on his way to another superb outing with a pitch count low enough that would enable him to go deep into the game, which would not only allow New York's bullpen some more rest, but also check off an important step in the Mets' attempt at stretching him out following injury.

Yet, as quickly as Manaea was disposing of the Guardians earlier, that's how fast they got to him in the sixth. After three singles, a hit by pitch and a wild pitch, suddenly, Cleveland had a 2-0 lead.

"It happened fast," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "Solid through five -- like dominating. First couple of guys get on, then (flyout) to Jose Ramirez, and then we get down 2-0, and you still feel like, ‘alright he’s in a good position to get out of this.'"

But on the second pitch thrown to Gabriel Arias, a 1-0 changeup left up in the strike zone, Arias parked it 440 feet to center field for a massive three-run bomb that quickly destroyed Manaea's night and put the Mets in a 5-0 hole.

After the game, Manaea, keeping it brief, said all the things that a starting pitcher would say after giving up a five-run inning like "I didn’t execute" and "no way around it, that sucks."

Manaea ended up going a season-high 5.2 innings, but allowed five runs on seven hits while striking out three.

Nevertheless, after Manaea's outing, New York persevered and was able to fight back almost immediately. Pete Alonso's 251st career home run, one shy of tying Darryl Strawberry's franchise record, got three runs back in the bottom half of the sixth, and just like that, the Mets were back in it.

They would tie it in the eighth with Alonso in the middle of it again, singling home a run to make it 5-4 before a sac fly by Mark Vientos evened things up. Unfortunately, New York was never able to take the lead despite multiple chances, including loading the bases with one out in the ninth.

It was Alonso, already 4-for-4, who came up to the plate with the bases loaded. A hit (or sac fly) would've won the game; a home run would've tied the record and caused chaos at Citi Field. Instead, Alonso struck out before Jeff McNeil lined out, which sent the game to extra innings.

"We had really good at-bats throughout and then just couldn’t get that last one there to finish the game," Mendoza said.

In the 10th inning, Brett Baty made an error on a bunt attempt, getting to the ball quickly but then throwing it wide of Francisco Lindor at second base. Mendoza said it was the right decision to keep the double play in order, but Baty's errant throw brought home a run for the Guardians and led to their second run of the inning, which turned out to be the game-winning run.

"I just gotta make a better throw on that play," Baty said. "The bunt was kind of up in the air, so I knew the runners were gonna have a tough read on it just because it went straight up into the air, and then I got it on one hop, and I gotta make a better throw than that."

But even after losing a tough one, Alonso pointed to the fight he saw from his team.

When asked how discouraging a loss like that can be, the first baseman thought the opposite.

"I think to be honest, it’d be more frustrating if we didn’t do anything, if we just kind of laid down right there," Alonso said, looking on the bright side. "... It was a good team comeback... There was a lot of positives. I know we didn’t get the W, but there’s a lot of positives because I think it would be more concerning if we had just kinda got blown out. But for us to battle back and keep fighting that’s a lot of good signs."

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Astros’ Isaac Paredes will rehab hamstring injury instead of undergoing season-ending surgery

MIAMI — Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes will rehab his right hamstring injury instead of undergoing surgery in hopes of returning before the season is over, general manager Dana Brown said Monday.

Paredes sustained what Brown described as a “severe” right hamstring strain in a loss to the Seattle Mariners on July 19. He’s had multiple rounds of imaging done since then and received a second opinion last week from a doctor, who told him his two choices were to rehab the injury or undergo season-ending surgery.

Paredes received a platelet-rich plasma injection for his hamstring and will begin his rehab stint, which will mostly take place in Houston around the team, Brown said. He added that the immediate course of action will be a “long period” of letting the hamstring rest before beginning any sort of exercise.

“His whole opinion on this is, he wants to work hard to try to get back this season,” Brown said before Houston’s series opener at Miami. “Of course, he’s going to dedicate himself to getting back.”

The Astros (62-50) currently lead the AL West with around 50 games remaining in the regular season. Surgery would have sidelined Paredes at least six months.

“He’s doing well and he’s working hard,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He’s in good spirits, and I know he would rather be on the field. We hope for the best.”

Paredes was injured running to first base on a single to left field during a 7-6, 11-inning loss to Seattle. He left the game and was replaced by Zack Short. The 26-year-old Paredes is hitting .259 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs this season.

Brown said that while it is too early to know if foregoing surgery could cause lingering issues in the long run, the team was informed of NFL players who have come back with no problems after rehabbing similar hamstring injuries.

“You can come back from this injury," he said. "Even though it was significant.”

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Baltimore RHP Grayson Rodriguez to have season-ending elbow surgery

PHILADELPHIA — Baltimore right-hander Grayson Rodriguez will have season-ending surgery on his pitching elbow next week.

Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino made the announcement before Monday’s game in Philadelphia.

Rodriguez started the season on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation that flared up in spring training. A rehab outing scheduled for April 17 was canceled because of a strained lat muscle.

The 2018 first-round draft pick, who missed three months of the minor league season in 2022 with a lat injury, hasn’t pitched in the majors since July 31, 2024. He finished last season on the IL with a strained lat.

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Yankees bring in right-hander Kenta Maeda on minor league contract

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees have signed right-hander Kenta Maeda to a minor league deal.

New York announced the move on Monday. The 37-year-old Maeda had been pitching for Triple-A Iowa, the top minor league affiliate for the Chicago Cubs, but he was released on Saturday.

The Yankees assigned Maeda to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Maeda had a 7.88 ERA in seven relief appearances for Detroit before he was designated for assignment on May 1. He went 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 17 starts and 12 relief appearances in his first year with the Tigers after agreeing to a two-year, $24 million contract in November 2023.

Maeda pitched well in his last two starts with Iowa, allowing one run and five hits in 12 innings. He went 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 12 starts with the Triple-A team overall.

Maeda made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, going 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 32 starts. He went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts for Minnesota during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, finishing second in AL Cy Young Award balloting.

Maeda, who missed the 2022 season because of Tommy John surgery, is 68-56 with a 4.20 ERA in 226 major league games, including 172 starts.

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Dodgers activate Max Muncy from injured list, but put Tommy Edman on shelf

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Max Muncy from the injured list and put fellow infielder Tommy Edman on the list Monday.

Muncy has been out since July 2, missing nearly five weeks with a bone bruise in his knee after a collision on a tag play during a game against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran slugger had been on a monthlong roll at the time of his injury, boosting his OPS to .832 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs.

Muncy returned more quickly than the initial six-week projection for his recovery. He was batting fifth and playing third base at Dodger Stadium on Monday night when Los Angeles opened a homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals.

“He’s put in a lot of work to get back with this timeline,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Getting him back lengthens and strengthens our lineup.”

But just when Muncy is healthy enough to return, the NL West-leading Dodgers are losing Edman after he aggravated his injured right ankle.

Edman left a game in Boston last week after apparently spraining his ankle while running the bases, and he came out of the Dodgers’ game against Tampa Bay on Sunday with pain from running the bases again.

“Don’t know how long it’s going to be, but I do think that he’ll be back at some point,” Roberts said. “The main thing is when he gets back, how we can make sure that this doesn’t happen again. It’s kind of a ligament strain, tendons, whatever it is.”

Edman also missed time in May with a sprained ankle. Last year’s NLCS MVP is batting .228 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs this season.

Edman joins the lengthy list of Dodgers hoping to return soon from injuries to bolster the defending World Series champions’ repeat bid. Los Angeles didn’t make a bold move at the trade deadline last week, deciding to roll with its current roster while aiming for full health in October.

Utilityman Kiké Hernández went out last month with a sprained left elbow, and he isn’t close to returning despite undergoing multiple procedures including platelet-rich plasma therapy and cortisone shots.

“We’re not there yet, as far as worrying the season is lost” for Hernández, Roberts said.

Other injury news is more encouraging: Second baseman Hyeseong Kim is swinging a bat and taking grounders in anticipation of returning from left shoulder bursitis as early as this weekend, while reliever Tanner Scott will throw another batting practice session soon in his recovery from left elbow inflammation.

Roki Sasaki is still on the injured list on his bobblehead night Monday. The rookie right-hander has been out since May 8 with a right shoulder injury, but he will throw three live innings Friday after hitting mid-90s velocity in his most recent mound session. If his arm continues to feel good, he will get a minor league rehab assignment next week, Roberts said.

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Aaron Judge could return to Yankees lineup at Texas on Tuesday

ARLINGTON, Texas — Aaron Judge could be back in the New York Yankees’ lineup as early as Tuesday, when their captain is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list after being sidelined because of a flexor strain in his right elbow.

Judge hit off Yankees minor league pitchers at the team’s complex in Tampa for the second day in a row Monday before flying to Texas, where he was seen in the dugout during the opener of a three-game series. Manager Aaron Boone said the two-time AL MVP could be available Tuesday.

“I don’t want to say definitely because I haven’t seen him yet, but I think that’s the plan,” Boone said before the game.

Judge hasn’t played since July 25 because of the elbow strain. An MRI showed no acute damage to his ulnar collateral ligament and he had a platelet-rich injection July 27, when he was placed on the IL in a move retroactive to the previous day.

His .342 batting average was still the best in the majors going into Monday’s games. He was fourth with 37 homers and fifth with 85 RBIs.

If Judge does return while in Texas, Boone said he will be the designated hitter. But the slugging outfielder could also play catch while there, which will help determine when he could return to the outfield.

“I’m hoping that Judgie’s clean and is playing catch either (Tuesday) or the next day and we’ll start to get an idea about a timeline for that and then we’ll see when we get back home what happens there,” Boone said.

Giancarlo Stanton has been the Yankees’ starting DH for all of his 32 games this season, including the opener against the Rangers. He missed the first 70 games of the season with inflammation in the tendons of both elbows, and Boone said he wouldn’t play the outfield in Texas if Judge does DH during the series.

The first time Judge said he felt pain in the elbow was July 22 at Toronto, after he made a strong throw home when George Springer singled to right. An inning later, Judge winced after catching a fly in the right-field corner and throwing to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. Judge was caught by a YES Network camera clenching his right hand in a fist.

The Yankees arrived in Texas after being swept in a three-game series at Miami. That dropped them to third place in the AL East behind Toronto and Boston with 50 games left in the regular season, including Monday night. They go back home after the series in Texas.

Boone said having Judge back will be good for the team.

“Yeah, he’s Aaron Judge. We know what he means to our lineup and to the guys in the room,” Boone said. “So to get him back, we’re certainly excited about that and then hopefully shortly thereafter he’s back out in the field, too.”

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Mets erase five-run deficit but lose to Guardians in extra innings, 7-6

The Mets erased a 5-0 deficit but suffered a heartbreaking 7-6 loss in extra innings to the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night at Citi Field.

Here are the takeaways...

-Locked in a scoreless pitchers' duel entering the sixth inning, things changed in a heartbeat for Sean Manaea.

With the top of the order due up, Steven Kwan started the ambush with a single. On Manaea's next pitch, he hit Angel Martinez. After a Jose Ramirez flyout advanced Kwan to third, Manaea unleashed a wild pitch that had a lucky bounce to catcher Francisco Alvarez that prevented Kwan from scoring, with Martinez able to reach second.

Things spiraled from there. First, David Fry singled home a run (Juan Soto did well to quickly get the ball in to prevent another). Soto's effort proved futile as Carlos Santana followed with a run-scoring single of his own on the next pitch. The big blow came off the bat of Gabriel Arias, who smashed a three-run homer 440 feet to left center to make it 5-0 as it all came crashing down on the left-hander, who left after 5.2 innings.

-There was something about that sixth inning, though, because after New York was stifled by Guardians starter Slade Cecconi for most of the night, the offense broke out thanks to a little bit of luck.

Francisco Lindor began the inning by striking out but ended up on first base on a wild pitch strike three. Soto also reached base fortuitously after hitting a ground ball right to the second baseman Brayan Rocchio, who just completely missed it. What was an easy double play turned into runners at the corners with nobody out.

Given a gift, Pete Alonso did not waste it, although he wasted no time by attacking the first pitch he saw and depositing it into center field for a three-run home run that sent Citi Field into a frenzy. The long ball was Alonso's 251st of his career, one shy of tying Darryl Strawberry's franchise record.

Alonso, already 3-for-3, came up to the plate in the eighth inning with another chance to do big damage after Lindor and Soto singled in front of him. With the crowd on their feet, hoping for the slugger to tie Strawberry, Alonso -- again attacking the first pitch -- ripped a run-scoring single that got the Mets closer at 5-4. Jeff McNeil's fourth straight single of the inning loaded the bases before Mark Vientos hit a sac fly that tied the game.

New York left two runners in scoring position following groundouts by Cedric Mullins and pinch-hitter Brett Baty.

-After scoreless outings by Brooks Raley, Tyler Rogers and Reed Garrett, Edwin Diaz kept the game tied in the top of the ninth with a scoreless inning of his own, stranding a runner on at third base and nobody out in the process by striking out two in between a popout.

-The Mets had a chance to win it in the last of the ninth. After Alvarez singled and was taken out for pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor, Lindor doubled down the right-field line. With the speedy Taylor running, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh could've sent him, but elected to hold him at third base. The Guardians intentionally walked Soto to bring up Alonso, who was 4-for-4 on the night and chasing history. But Alonso struck out and McNeil lined out to send the game to extra innings.

-Staying in the game for defense after pinch-hitting earlier, Baty made a costly error in the 10th when he threw wide of shortstop on a bunt attempt. The error brought home a run and put Ryan Helsley in a big mess with runners at second and third and nobody out. Helsley allowed a second run (neither of them earned), and New York entered the bottom of the 10th down 7-5.

-Baty did his best to make up for his error by singling home a run to cut the Mets' deficit to 7-6 with two outs, but Luis Torrens, in his first at-bat of the night, ended the game with a deep flyout to right field.

-Before that nightmare inning, Manaea was in total control of Cleveland's hitters and looked great in his fifth appearance and fourth start of the year. Efficient with his pitch count through the first five innings and just 57 pitches thrown, it looked like Manaea was well on his way to his longest outing of the season. And while he did pitch into the sixth inning for the first time as a starter this season, he failed to join David Peterson as the only other Mets starter to complete six innings since Clay Holmes did so on June 7.

His final line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K on 85 pitches (62 strikes).

Game MVP: Gabriel Arias

His three-run bomb was the cap to the Guardians' five-run sixth inning, but his sacrifice fly in the 10th inning was the insurance run needed to come away with the win.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets' homestand continues on Tuesday night with another game against the Guardians. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

RHP Clay Holmes (9-6, 3.45 ERA) matches up with RHP Logan Allen (7-9, 4.06 ERA).

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Where New Blackhawks Should Fit In Lineup

It is no secret that it has been a far quieter off-season this year for the Chicago Blackhawks compared to last year. While this is the case, the Blackhawks did make a few new additions, as they brought in Andre Burakovsky, Sam Lafferty, and Dominic Toninato.

With this, let's take a look at where each player could end up fitting into the Blackhawks' lineup now.

Andre Burakovsky Should Fit In Blackhawks' Top Six 

When looking at the Blackhawks' current roster, it is likely that Burakovsky will have a spot in their top six. There are not too many better wingers than Burakovsky on the Blackhawks right now, and they are likely to give him the best chance to succeed after acquiring him from the Seattle Kraken.

Burakovsky could be a nice fit playing with either Connor Bedard on the first line or Frank Nazar on the second line. In either scenario, Burakovsky would give one of Chicago's young centers the opportunity to play with a skilled veteran.

Sam Lafferty Should Fit On Blackhawks' Fourth Line

Lafferty has been a bottom-six forward throughout his career, and this should not change during his latest stint with the Blackhawks. When looking at Chicago's current group, Lafferty could be a nice fit as their new fourth-line center. However, due to his versatility, he could move to the wing on their fourth line if needed.

Dominic Toninato Should Fit As Extra Or AHL Forward

It seems likely that Toninato will serve as simply an extra orward for the Blackhawks next season if he makes their NHL roster. However, Toninato could also be a nice addition for the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, as he would give them a veteran forward to help mentor their youngsters.

Blackhawks Key Forward Is Big X-Factor Blackhawks Key Forward Is Big X-Factor During the 2024 NHL off-season, the Chicago Blackhawks signed forward Tyler Bertuzzi to a four-year, $22 million contract. The expectation was that he would be a key part of the Blackhawks' forward group, and it is fair to say that he was just that for them during the 2024-25 season. 

Photo Credit: © Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

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James van Riemsdyk Excited To Join Former USA Teammate Patrick Kane With Red Wings

As one of the more active teams in free agency during the offseason, the Detroit Red Wings have brought in multiple new players that will suit up for them in the upcoming 2025-26 NHL Season.

One new face in Detroit is veteran forward James van Riemsdyk, who had spent the last two seasons playing for the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets, respectively. 

The former second overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft behind his now-current Red Wings teammate Patrick Kane, van Riemsdyk brings 1,082 games of experience to a team hoping to break their postseason drought. 

Having already played with multiple high-profile veteran players during his career like Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, Brad Marchand, and John Tavares, van Riemsdyk will be bringing his own leadership style to the Red Wings as he explained via the club's official website. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

“It’s a full-time commitment,” van Riemsdyk explained shortly after signing. “Whether that’s your preparation, being ready to practice, being ready to play and being ready to recover to get ready for the next game. Just trying to do the right things like that every day. And just trying to bring positive energy to the group and on the bench. It can be a long year, lots of ups and downs, so I think you need to have some of that sounding board just to help things stay even keeled when maybe things aren’t going your way.”

Throughout his career, van Riemsdyk has been known for making a living around the net and the lip of the crease in a style similar to that of former four-time Stanley Cup champion forward Tomas Holmstrom. 

van Riemsdyk also brings considerable experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Red Wings, having skated in 82 career playoff games, including a trip to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final (against Kane's Blackhawks). 

Having already trained with Kane and represented the United States alongside him as part of the 2014 Sochi Olympics as well as the World Juniors Championships and World Cup, van Riemsdyk is looking forward to playing with Kane for the first time on an NHL roster.

“(Kane) is one of my really good buddies and we’ve obviously been through this whole journey over the years together in a lot of ways,” van Riemsdyk said. “Through some different USA Hockey things, with training or bouncing ideas off each other for stuff like that, so really exciting that we get a chance to do all that." 

van Riemsdyk, Kane, and the rest of the Red Wings are now just over one month away from the start of Training Camp, held annually in Traverse City, Michigan. 

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Yankees' Austin Slater exits Monday's game against Rangers in first inning with hamstring tightness

Yankees outfielder Austin Slater exited Monday's game against the Texas Rangers in the first inning with what the team called left hamstring tightness.

Slater, making just his second start since coming over at the MLB Trade Deadline in a deal with the White Sox, smashed a hard grounder to short in the top half of the first inning and appeared to experience some discomfort in the back of his left leg as he was running to first base. 

"Felt it coming out of the box," Slater said after the 8-5 loss.

With Slater at first after the fielder's choice and runners on the corners, Rangers starter Patrick Corbin was set to deliver the next pitch, but time was called, and Slater called for the trainer. He was hardly examined and began walking off the field toward New York's dugout on the third base side of the field under his own power, after grabbing at his hamstring.

Jasson Dominguez entered as his replacement.

Manager Aaron Boone confirmed the deadline acquisition is headed for the IL, which is a big loss for the Yankees in this regard: the right-handed batter came in to provide another weapon against left-handed pitchers. Entering the night, he had an .825 OPS in 72 at-bats against southpaws on the season.

"Feel pretty devastated, to be honest," he said about the timing of the injury. "This was especially a night where I feel like I could have helped the team in a lot of different ways. Definitely not how I wanted to start off my tenure here. But the goal now is to get healthy quick, and get back on the field."

Slater said it was too early to tell the severity of the injury and hoped to get an MRI before the club left Texas to "reevaluate" the injury.

The Yanks are expecting to reinstate Aaron Judge from the injured list just on Tuesday, so they were expected to make a move this series. But with Judge only DHing in the first games he comes back, and Giancarlo Stanton not going to play the outfield in Texas, a second move could still happen to get an outfielder.

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Former Ottawa Senators Set For 2025–26 CTC Homecomings

The Ottawa Senators recently released their 2025–26 regular season schedule, and with it comes a parade of familiar faces poised to make their returns to Canadian Tire Centre. Fans can look forward to equal doses of nostalgia and rivalry as several former Sens come back this season in different sweaters, some for the first time.

That includes Josh Norris, who'll roll into Ottawa for the holidays wearing white, blue and gold and the number 13 – possibly a number chosen to offset his bad luck in the injury department.

Here's a look at the notable dates and returning players, along with a brief snapshot of their time in Ottawa:

Thursday, October 16 vs Seattle Kraken — Joey Daccord

Daccord, drafted by Ottawa in 2015, played parts of two seasons before being claimed in the Seattle expansion draft. Now entering the first year of a 5-year, $25 million deal, he’s back where his NHL journey began. Not bad for a 7th-rounder.

Saturday, October 18 vs New York Islanders — J.G. Pageau, Anthony Duclair, Matthew Highmore

"Pageau! Pageau! Pageau! Pageau!" The fan-favourite and Ottawa native spent seven seasons with the team and was known for his playoff heroics and clutch goals. Duclair, who had a 23-goal season with Ottawa in 2019–20, and possibly Highmore (if on the roster), also join him in the return. Pageau is entering the final year of his contract.

Monday, October 27 vs Boston Bruins — Mark Kastelic, Joonas Korpisalo

Mark Kastelic, a rugged centerman drafted by the Senators in 2019, will face his old team for the first time since being traded. Meanwhile, goalie Joonas Korpisalo—whose tenure in Ottawa didn’t go as planned—will be back in town on the Sens' dime. They’re still paying $1 million of his salary annually for the next three years.

Tuesday, November 11 vs Dallas Stars — Matt Duchene

Duchene returns once again to face the team that gave up a significant trade package to acquire him back in 2017. His time in Ottawa was brief and turbulent during the team’s retooling years.

Thursday, December 4 vs New York Rangers — Mika Zibanejad

Drafted sixth overall by Ottawa in 2011, Zibanejad played parts of five seasons before being traded to New York, where he blossomed into a top-line NHL centre.

Saturday, December 6 vs St. Louis Blues — Mathieu Joseph

Joseph returns after being traded in the 2024 offseason. He spent parts of three seasons in Ottawa.

Tuesday, December 9 vs New Jersey Devils — Connor Brown, Evgenii Dadonov, Stefan Noesen, Angus Crookshank (if rostered)

Brown, a key player during the rebuild; Dadonov, a high-priced signing who struggled in Ottawa; and possibly Crookshank, a former B-Sens standout, all come back under the Devils' banner. Noesen was a 2011 first-rounder who was dealt to Anaheim in the Bobby Ryan trade.

Thursday, December 18 vs Pittsburgh Penguins — Erik Karlsson

A marquee night as the two-time Norris Trophy winner with the Sens makes his return. Drafted in 2008, Karlsson served as captain and spent nine seasons in Ottawa before being traded in 2018.

Saturday, December 20 vs Chicago Blackhawks — Nick Foligno

At 37, Foligno is still rolling. A first-round pick by the Sens in 2006, he spent five seasons in Ottawa before being traded to Columbus for Marc Methot 13 years ago.

Tuesday, December 23 vs Buffalo Sabres — Josh Norris

The biggest homecoming of the season. Traded at last season’s deadline in a blockbuster that brought Dylan Cozens to Ottawa, Norris—if healthy—will face the team that gave him his NHL start and his current massive contract.

Monday, December 29 vs Columbus Blue Jackets — Erik Gudbranson

The Ottawa native played 36 games for the Senators during the shortened 2020–21 season. Now wearing an "A" in Columbus, he’ll enjoy some home cooking with the family.

Thursday, January 1 vs Washington Capitals — Jakob Chychrun

Chychrun returns after an impressive first season in Washington. He’s in year one of an eight-year, $72 million deal with the Caps.

Saturday, January 3 vs Winnipeg Jets — Vladislav Namestnikov, Dylan DeMelo

DeMelo was solid and a social media darling during his time in Ottawa. Namestnikov was here for a short cup of coffee in 2019–20.

Monday, January 5 vs Detroit Red Wings — Alex DeBrincat, Austin Watson, Cam Talbot, Jacob Bernard-Docker

A loaded return night. DeBrincat, once pegged as a long-term core player, didn't want to be here. So he was traded after just one season. The popular Watson brought grit and leadership during his three seasons. Talbot and Bernard-Docker round out the group of familiar faces.

Saturday, January 24 vs Carolina Hurricanes — Mike Reilly

The smooth-skating defenseman played 70 games with the Sens between 2019 and 2021. Reilly missed over four months with the Islanders after a heart procedure last season—so it’s good to see him playing anywhere.

Saturday, January 25 vs Vegas Golden Knights — Mark Stone

Stone, who spends his summers here, plays in Ottawa for the first time since 2022. The Sens’ 2010 sixth-round steal captained Vegas to a Cup two years ago.

Wednesday, January 28 vs Colorado Avalanche — Parker Kelly

Known for his relentless motor, Kelly was a locker room favourite during his tenure in Ottawa. He now grinds it out for the Avs.

Sunday, March 15 vs San Jose Sharks — Adam Gaudette, Zack Ostapchuk (if rostered)

Gaudette played a short stint with Ottawa, scoring a surprising 19 goals. Ostapchuk, a former Sens prospect, could face his former organization if he cracks the Sharks’ NHL lineup.

Saturday, April 4 vs Minnesota Wild — Filip Gustavsson, Vladimir Tarasenko

Gustavsson is no longer being pushed by veteran Marc-Andre Fleury, who's now retired. Now the internal competition comes from young Jesper Wallstedt. Tarasenko, whose brief stay in Ottawa helped out the top-six, comes back with the Wild after a tough season in Detroit.

Tuesday, April 7 vs Tampa Bay Lightning — Nick Paul, Boris Katchouk

Paul, a do-it-all forward in Ottawa, has been excellent for Tampa. Katchouk, once a Sens fourth-liner, also returns.

There it is — a season filled with emotional reunions, feel-good storylines, and, in the case of the well-liked Norris, whose exit is still so fresh, maybe a few tears.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

More Sens Headlines:
Oops: Sens Fan Accidentally Receives Unreleased Ottawa Senators Third Jersey
Should Batherson Have Been Considered For Team Canada's Orientation Camp?
Five Ottawa Senators Who Wouldn't Look Out Of Place On The Ring of Honour
Mark Stone Jokes That It Wasn't Always Easy Playing On Brady Tkachuk's Line
2018 World Junior Trial Ends: Former Senator Alex Formenton Found Not Guilty
Croatia's NHL Trailblazer: Sens Prospect Bruno Idžan Takes NHL Road Less Travelled

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Schwarber leads way as Phillies pull off dominant win over Orioles

Schwarber leads way as Phillies pull off dominant win over Orioles originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

If the Phillies can take advantage of breaks like the one they caught Monday night, this might turn out to be a pretty special year.

A challenged two-out call to keep J.T. Realmuto on base in the sixth inning was the first of many cascading events that led the Phillies to a 13-3 win over the Orioles.

Much of the crowd may have been hoping for a close game, thus demanding the services of new closer Jhoan Duran. But it was his former and current teammate who provided much of the excitement as the Phillies rode a spectacular sixth inning into a dominant win.

With two outs in the sixth, J.T. Realmuto was called safe on a ground ball to third. Replay appeared to show the throw may have beaten him by the slightest of margins.

Put it this way. If it was watched 100 times, it’d probably split down the middle whether he was out or not. But the call on the field stood and Realmuto was at first with two outs in a 3-3 game.

Nick Castellanos then singled on a 3-1 pitch to bring up Harrison Bader, the newly acquired outfielder Dave Dombrowski plucked from the Minnesota Twins, just a day after pilfering closer Duran at the trade deadline.

Not to be outdone by the weekend of Duran thrills, Bader turned on a high, 97-mile-an-hour fastball from Orioles reliever Corbin Martin and buried one deep into the left field seats for a 6-3 lead.

That was his first big moment as a Phillie.

“New team, new situation, new fan base, new city. I’m here for a reason, one singular reason, and that’s to perform and help this team win,” said Bader. “It feels really good to come through in that situation. Good to get the first one out of the way.

“I’m very flattered and grateful for the opportunity. When I’m out there and so many fans are behind me and cheering for me and wanting me to succeed for this team, it makes me feel really good and I’m just extremely grateful. I’m just going to try to settle into that and play the best I can for my teammates and for this fan base.”

He may not have had that opportunity Monday night had it not been for the hustle of Realmuto, who just barely kept that miraculous inning alive.

“Just the hustle of J.T. down that line kept the inning going; we score eight runs after that,” said Rob Thomson. “You have to give a lot of credit to J.T.” Asked what he thought of the call, Thomson said with a bit of a smirk, “I thought they got it right.”

It was a home run hitting night at The Bank as a total of eight left the yard, six by the home team. And you know when you’re talking homers this season, Kyle Schwarber has to be involved.

Bryce Harper opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning. But the Orioles quickly answered in the second, as Tyler O’Neill launched a two-run shot off Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo to give Baltimore the lead.

The Orioles went up 3-1 in the third when Jordan Westburg went yard, but Schwarber answered in the bottom of the inning when his second-deck, 427-foot blast tied it at three.

Then came the two-out magic in the sixth for the Phils. After Bader’s heroics, the Phillies got three straight singles to score another run and then a walk to Trea Turner to load the bases.

As Schwarber strode to the plate, deafening chants of “MVP” greeted him. Schwarber blasted a second-pitch grand slam to the second deck to bring four more to the plate.

“You hear MVP chants, and I think they’re warranted,” said Luzardo. “He’s a stud and I couldn’t be happier for him. It couldn’t happen to a better guy.”

“It was incredible,” said Thomson. “He’s had a great year, he really has. The home runs, the RBI, the big hits he’s had for us, the on-base (percentage). He’s just had a great year.

“He’s one of those guys. He’s very humble. He’s a great person. He does a lot for the community, does a lot in his organization and he’s a great player, great hitter. I can understand why everybody loves him. I do, too.

For good measure, Edmundo Sosa and Weston Wilson each hit solo shots in the eight to close out the huge scoring night for the Phils.

Luzardo delivered six innings with three earned runs and a pair of homers allowed. He did not walk a batter and struck out seven. Most importantly, he had his command, as 64 of his 91 pitches were for strikes.

His last outing was a seven inning, two-hit, no run performance against the Chicago White Sox last week. With the win, Luzardo improved to 10-5 and the Phillies upped their record to 64-48. They not have a one and a half game lead on the New York Mets in the East as they lost, 7-6, to Cleveland Monday.

“They put up some runs in the first three innings and you have to find a way to keep the team in the game,” said Luzardo. “I thought me and J.T. did a good job of that. I was grateful we could make the adjustments and kind of change the game plan on them. Anytime you can get a quality start and a win, that’s a great night.”

A great night it was for many, and Schwarber won’t forget any time soon. “I think that we always feed off energy and when you get into a spot and the crowd’s up and chanting whatever it is, you feed off it. Those are the moments that you take in as a player. Those are special things that happen and those are things that kind of just go back in the memory and hold on to those things for a while. I appreciate it. I’m just here to help these guys win on a daily basis.”

He’s doing that. Asked later about how he’s capable of doing what he’s done this season, Schwarber said, “baseball is fun.”

It is, especially for him right now.