On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams speak with Shawn Thornton, chief revenue officer of the Florida Panthers, about the team’s return to the Stanley Cup Final and what it means for various different revenue streams.
The Panthers face the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Finals on Wednesday. It’s a rematch of last year’s final, which the Panthers won in seven games, and the third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance for the Florida team.
Thornton talks about what that multiyear success means for the team. He discusses ticket renewals, sponsorship sales, and ticket pricing. He jokes that while he doesn’t get a ton of inbound sales calls, the conversations are easier now.
He also gave his thoughts on the team’s local media partnership. The Panthers used to be on one of the Bally’s RSN networks, but last summer moved to a broadcast deal with Scripps, a setup similar to a handful of other NBA, NHL and MLB teams caught in the Diamond Sports bankruptcy. While he declined to provide specifics on the economics, he did say game viewership is up more than 2x in some cases, and that helps the team in its broader partnership conversations.
The trio discusses the Tkachuk brothers–Matthew is one of the Panthers’ stars–who boosted their popularity during the Four Nations Face-Off earlier this year. That bleeds into a conversation about NHL players and their relationship with fame and marketing deals. For years, many marketing executives felt the culture of the sport made stars less likely to market themselves. Now, however, a fresh crop of young NHL stars seems to be changing that narrative, with a boost from new media and the league itself.
Thornton also talks about his personal journey from professional hockey player to team revenue boss. He played in the NHL for the Blackhawks, Ducks, Bruins and Panthers. At each stop, he said he gravitated to the business office. He arrived at the Panthers shortly after Vinny Viola bought the team in 2013 for $250 million, and the role grew from there.
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Gloucester’s silky backs and Bath’s fearsome forwards feature heavily among our best players of the year
Santiago Carreras (Gloucester) Plenty of quality contenders – Sale’s Joe Carpenter, Northampton’s George Furbank and Bristol’s Rich Lane – and I was also tempted to hand Alex Goode a well-deserved retirement gift. But Carreras has been an absolute joy to watch and central to Gloucester’s attacking reinvention. For a snapshot check out the try he helped to start and then finished against Sale at Kingsholm in January. The prospect of him linking up with Finn Russell at Bath next season is mouthwatering.
Jonathan Kuminga, one way or another, will play a big role in the Warriors’ offseason.
Golden State likely will either pay him in the form of a lucrative contact, or facilitate with the restricted free agent a sign-and-trade deal that lands the Warriors additional players/assets.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks joined 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs” on Monday and explained why Kuminga not only is the Warriors’ biggest storyline this summer, but also why the outcome of his restricted free agency pretty much controls what Golden State’s offseason looks like.
“It all depends on Kuminga,” Marks said. “He basically controls free agency in Golden State. If they sign him to a contract and bring him back, then that’s really it as far as what they can do in the offseason. They might have one of their smaller exceptions and everything here. And then you look at the rest of the roster, and it’s like, OK, is it [Buddy] Hield? Is it Brandin [Podziemski]? Is it some of those other players? Guys that are not making that much money.”
In addition to signing Kuminga to a long-term contract and the sign-and-trade outcomes, the young forward, as a restricted free agent, can agree to an offer sheet with another NBA team, which the Warriors have an opportunity to match. If they choose not to, Kuminga can sign elsewhere. Kuminga also could sign the $7.9 million qualifying offer the Warriors are likely to offer him, keeping him under contract for one more year at that figure before he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer. However, that option is highly unlikely.
It appears the Warriors either will sign Kuminga to a long-term contract, which will leave them with very little financial flexibility in free agency, or facilitate a sign-and-trade that brings in a player(s) that are a better fit in coach Steve Kerr’s rotations.
Regardless of which direction they go in with the 22-year-old this summer, his contract situation should play a big role in what the Warriors’ roster looks like for the 2025-25 NBA season.
SAN FRANCISCO — Last year, the San Diego Padres twice put 10 hits on Logan Webb’s line. The first time he saw them this season, he gave up five runs on nine hits.
Webb is one of the best pitchers in the world and has been since 2021, but the Padres have had his number, which isn’t ideal given how often the Giants see them and the likelihood that they might need to edge them in the NL West standings to make the MLB playoffs. There wasn’t much to celebrate on Monday night as the Padres won 1-0 at Oracle Park to gain a game in that race, but Webb was at least able to find a few reasons to smile.
The staff ace went eight innings, scattering six hits and breezing through one of the league’s best lineups, one that seemingly had figured him out. Afterward, manager Bob Melvin, formerly the Padres manager, said that was probably as well as Webb had pitched against them. Webb smiled and gently pushed back.
“I think my best outing was when Bob was managing the other team,” he said.
Webb went the distance in his final start of 2023, beating Blake Snell and cementing his place in the top two of Cy Young Award voting. That night was classic Webb; he threw his changeup 57 percent of the time and got 15 outs on the ground, but ever since that win, the Padres have found different ways to bother him. Webb adjusted right back on Monday.
He started his night by leaning heavily on his slider to mess with hitters who had to deal with the usual shadows at 6:45 p.m., and that never slowed down. Webb ended up throwing 41 sliders, his most in a start since 2022. It was just the fifth time in 156 career starts that he threw more than 40 sliders.
“The plan was just to change some things up,” Webb said. “We noticed some patterns the last couple of games and it wasn’t that we pinpointed a certain pitch, it was kind of how [the Padres] went. It definitely helps when there’s some shadows early in the game and I could kind of tell that they were having trouble seeing it, especially early. We just kind of stuck with it throughout the game.”
While the Padres have given Webb fits over the last two seasons, the Kansas City Royals and Padres looked comfortable against him over his previous two starts. He said he met with catcher Patrick Bailey, pitching coach J.P. Martinez, bullpen coach Garvin Alston and baseball operations analyst Mario Ferretti to come up with some fixes.
“It was a really good game plan,” Webb said. “I feel like I’ve kind of struggled against this team probably over the past year, honestly. That’s what’s so hard but also so fun about this game. Especially in-division, you play a bunch of [good teams] … I’ve faced them so many times and you’ve got to try and mix things up and try different things. We just put our heads together and said, ‘We’re going to try this.’ It worked out.”
Webb came away with a no-decision, but he lowered his ERA to 2.55, which ranks fifth in the National League. He leads the league in innings pitched and is third in strikeouts, and at home, he has been even more dominant. Webb has a 1.12 ERA in six starts at Oracle Park, the lowest by a Giant in his first six home starts since Juan Marichal posted a comical 0.31 ERA at Candlestick Park to kick off his 1966 season.
Webb’s next start will come at home against a good Atlanta Braves lineup. He seems to have solved whatever bothered him the last couple of weeks, and for now, at least, he has given the Padres a new wrinkle to think about before their next matchup.
“I think that was the best I’ve ever seen him,” Bailey said. “He had all three pitches working, 80-something percent first-pitch strikes. That’s the best I’ve seen him.”
England talisman’s majestic innings against West Indies shows he still has worlds he wants to conquer
The winning moment is perfect. Perfect in concept, in balance, in execution, in placement, in flourish. The ball disappears through mid-on, and before it has even reached the boundary the lid is off and the smile is unsheathed, and for some reason it matters a great deal that the stroke to complete a towering one-day chase of 309 is not a wallop or a swipe, but an artful on-drive for four.
But then for all his brilliance, there has always been a pleasingly jarring quality to Root in limited‑overs cricket, even a kind of quiet defiance. His match‑winning 166 against the West Indies on Sunday was perhaps his greatest white-ball innings, but above all it was simply a Joe Root innings, all gentle nudges and classical drives, timing over power, manoeuvrability over muscularity, a triumph of pure talent.
Mets pitcher Paul Blackburn hadn't started a major league game in more than nine months, last pitching on Aug. 23, 2024. The 31-year-old worked his way back from multiple injuries and got his opportunity on Monday night in Los Angeles against the star-studded Dodgers lineup.
While the challenge against LA would be intimidating to any pitcher, not just in your first game of the season, it didn't phase Blackburn.
"It feels good," Blackburn said. "To come in here with the energy that was just out there during the game. Being able to just keep us ahead there when [Francisco] Lindor hit that homer to start the game. The biggest thing for me was just, 'How quick can I get them back in that dugout?' Kinda just keep the momentum on our side."
He threw five scoreless innings with three strikeouts, including two against reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani. Blackburn got Ohtani out all three times, forcing him into an inning-ending groundout with runners on first and second base in the fifth inning. After the 4-3 win, Blackburn said he and catcher Francisco Alvarez had a strong game plan and stuck to it. He also noted past experiences against Ohtani in the AL West and used that to his advantage.
"I think really our game plan coming in was cutter, curveball, changeup. Probably leaned on those a lot tonight," Blackburn said. "Not very often to you go against a lineup like that and not have to kind of go to your second option, your plan B. I think in between innings, just the way Alvy and I communicated all night, I feel like we trusted in our plan and we didn't let off."
Overall, Blackburn allowed three hits with a walk over 77 pitches (49 for strikes). He didn't throw any fastballs in the outing against a lefty-heavy Dodgers lineup, noting he "can’t really rely on a single pitch" and used the cutter to his advantage instead.
"He was really good," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "I thought he attacked the zone, used all of his pitches. I thought the cutter was good, the sinker was good against righties, the changeup kept those guys off balance, guessing. He was pitch efficient to be honest with you.
"Obviously we didn’t make a play that extended that inning in the fifth inning, but overall against a pretty good lineup obviously for him to be out there for the first time after so much time that he missed, unbelievable job there."
"Gotta wait and see, but there’s a good chance he will go back to the bullpen for now and then we’ll go from there," Mendoza said.
Blackburn feels prepared for the new role and will be ready to pitch whenever his name is called.
"I would say yeah," Blackburn said. "I think my role here is a little different and I’m just gonna be ready to pitch when they want me to pitch. I’m not blind to the guys that are coming off the IL here soon and just being able to take the ball whenever they want me to take the ball."
Mets 3B/DH Mark Vientos fell after running out of the batter's box in the 10th inning on Monday night in Los Angeles against the Dodgers and appeared to grab his hamstring in pain.
After New York's 4-3 win, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Vientos was getting checked out by the trainers, but the injury "didn't look good."
"Yeah I was just there in the training room, he's getting looked at by the trainers, it's the hamstring obviously," Mendoza said. "Didn't look good. Like I said, he's going through all the testing so we'll wait and see."
Vientos entered the game as a pinch-hitter for DH Jared Young in the top of the eighth inning and flied out. He finished the game 0-for-2 and is hitting just .230 on the year with six home runs and 21 RBI over 53 games.
The Mets will now "wait and see" like Mendoza said as to what's next and if Vientos is to miss time on the injured list. Brett Baty started at third base on Monday and has been strong defensively (in addition to at the plate) since returning from a stint in Syracuse, as the two have split time starting.
Vientos heading to the IL could open up a roster spot for Ronny Mauricio to return to the bigs, as the slugging prospect has been on a tear in Triple-A. Mendoza said Saturday that the team has been getting "really good" reports on Mauricio, but they intend for him to get more reps while patiently "watching" his progress. Mauricio could fit in at 3B, 2B, and even DH.
Mark Vientos fell after running out of the batter's box in the 10th and appeared to grab at his hamstring pic.twitter.com/lj1quXgYDZ
The Mets won their fourth straight by taking the opener of their four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3, in 10 innings.
Here are the takeaways...
-For the sixth time already this season, Francisco Lindor gave New York an instant 1-0 lead after leading off the game with a home run against Dustin May. The solo shot was Lindor's team-leading 14th of the season and his second in as many days as his hot stretch continues.
With that home run, the shortstop is just one leadoff bomb away from tying the Mets' franchise record for leadoff home runs in a season set by Curtis Granderson in 2015 and matched in 2016. At this pace, that record will be Lindor's at the end of the month. The most leadoff home runs he's hit in a season is nine in 2018 with Cleveland.
Lindor is also now tied for fourth place in franchise history with eight leadoff home runs as a Met, matching Tommie Agee and Lenny Dykstra.
-For a while, Lindor's home run was the only run in the game as May and Paul Blackburn were each pitching well. It wasn't until the fifth inning when New York scored again.
After back-to-back singles with one out from Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez, Lindor popped out to bring up Brandon Nimmo who hit a ground-rule double to the right-center field gap that scored McNeil and doubled the Mets' lead. Unfortunately, because the ball bounced into the stands, Alvarez could only advance to third even though he would've scored easily had the ball stayed in play.
The Dodgers would intentionally walk Juan Soto to load the bases for Pete Alonso and get the right-on-right matchup which worked after Alonso ended the inning with a flyout.
-As for Blackburn, the right-hander couldn't have asked for a better season debut. Tasked with the tough assignment of pitching against Los Angeles' potent lineup after nearly 10 months between major league starts, Blackburn turned in five scoreless innings after allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out three on 77 pitches (49 strikes).
The 31-year-old was never in a ton of danger, only allowing a runner beyond first base twice. With runners on first and second in his final inning, Blackburn retired Shohei Ohtani on a ground ball to keep the Mets in front. Blackburn bested Ohtani in all three plate appearances, striking out the DH in his other two at-bats.
-Ohtani would get his revenge in the seventh inning, homering off Max Kranick to get the Dodgers on the board and cut New York's lead to 2-1.
-That score stood until the ninth inning with Ohtani once again up at the plate, this time with runners on first and third and one out against Edwin Diaz. Needing a strikeout, Diaz got Ohtani to fly out to left field which scored the tying run for the closer's first blown save of the season.
Still not out of the inning, Diaz struck out Teoscar Hernandez for the final out of the inning and sent the game to extra innings.
-In familiar territory after both teams went to extras in the series opener at Citi Field last week in a game that ended up going 13 innings, the Mets wasted no time re-taking the lead in the top of the 10th inning against Tanner Scott who they have had success against. Alvarez started things off with a double which scored the free-runner at second base and Lindor singled in another run to give New York a two-run lead.
-Up 4-2 in the bottom half of the inning and four of his relievers already used, manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Jose Castillo to close things out. But the lefty created a mess by walking Freddie Freeman to start before allowing an RBI single to Andy Pages. Castillo struck out Max Muncy for the first out of the inning before getting pulled for Jose Buttó.
Buttó entered with the tying and winning runs on first and second and got Will Smith to flyout for the second out of the inning. Facing NLCS MVP Tommy Edman, Buttó got a hot shot back up the middle and snagged it before throwing to first base for the final out of the game.
Game MVP: The Franciscos
Lindor and Alvarez both deserve the shine tonight after combining for four hits and three RBI.
Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman strikes out with the bases loaded to end the sixth inning in a 4-3 loss to the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on Monday night. (Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
It took the Dodgers until the ninth inning Monday night to erase their first two-run deficit.
But when Tanner Scott surrendered a pair of scores in the top of the 10th, they couldn’t do it again.
In a 4-3 extra-innings loss to the New York Mets on Monday, a night that started with frustration — then crescendoed with a late-game rally — ultimately ended in a familiar fizzle.
Despite tying it behind a seventh-inning home run and a ninth-inning sacrifice fly from Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers (36-24) once again stumbled beneath the weight of their slumping closer.
In the top of the 10th, Scott gave up an RBI double to Francisco Alvarez to lead off the inning. Francisco Lindor followed with a down-the-line single to bring another run for the Mets (38-22). The left-hander, who signed for four years and $72 million this offseason, has a 4.73 earned-run average in his first 28 outings.
And after coming back once on Monday night, the Dodgers’ magic ran out in the bottom of the 10th.
Although Freddie Freeman led off with a walk, and Andy Pages followed with an RBI single that made it a one-run score, the Dodgers came up empty the rest of the way.
Max Muncy struck out. Will Smith pinch-hit for Michael Conforto at the last second — literally running out of the dugout with Conforto already digging in at the plate — but flied out to center. Then Tommy Edman scorched a comebacker straight to reliever Jose Buttó, concluding a night in which the Dodgers went two for 11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 men on base.
Austin Ainge is the Utah Jazz's new president of basketball operations, the team announced Monday.
While he is the son of Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge, team owner Ryan Smith wanted to make sure everyone understood that this was not some nepo baby hire. (Quote via Andy Larson of the Salt Lake Tribune.)
"Austin will be running the program. He's got final recommendation to myself on any decisions that need to be made. I think it's the job of both Justin (Zanik, Jazz GM) and Danny and myself to kind of plug into him."
Austin Ainge spent 17 years with the Celtics, working in various basketball-related positions, and has been the team's assistant general manager for the past six years. He earned a ring with them in 2024.
Ainge takes over a very different franchise in a very different position in Utah. The Jazz are rebuilding, and while they have some interesting young talent — including Isaiah Collier, Keyonte George, Kyle Filipowski, and Walker Kessler — they are a long way from being a playoff team. Utah had the worst record in the NBA last season, but fell to the No. 5 pick in the draft lottery. This roster also features some solid veterans who could draw trade interest this offseason, such as Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Collin Sexton. Ainge was diplomatic when asked how far the Jazz are from the playoffs.
"You know, it'll just depend on how these guys develop and what other moves we make, right? It's a hard thing to predict. I think it's fair to say we got a lot of work to do."
However, when asked about tanking he was more direct.
"You won't see that this year... If you look at the playoffs and look at all the best players in the NBA, and how many of them went No. 1 — it's better to have number one, but there's a lot of other stars that came from all over the draft ... it's not the only way to do it."
Utah may not tank, but in a ridiculously deep West where very likely at least 13 teams will go in thinking playoffs-or-bust, it could be another rough year for Jazz fans. It's a fan base accustomed to some level of success, dating back to the Jerry Sloan-coached Malone/Stockton teams, through the Donovan Mitchell/Rudy Gobert era. It's a fan base that wants to believe.
It just needs a reason to hold on to hope. The Jazz have a strong player development history and a well-respected coach in the recently extended Will Hardy, but they need that player to anchor their future around. It's now up to the younger Ainge to find that guy.
Yankees closer Luke Weaver is expected to be placed on the injured list due to a hamstring injury, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
He suffered the injury on Sunday while warming up and wasn't available to pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Weaver underwent an MRI on Monday and could miss four-to-six weeks, but the official timetable will be determined on Tuesday, Passan notes.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone was planning on using the right-hander in the ninth inning, but said he felt discomfort while warming up in the bullpen.
While Boone hoped the injury wasn't too serious, it appears New York will be without their closer for the foreseeable future. Weaver has recorded eight saves while pitching to a stellar 1.05 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 25.1 innings.
The Yankees will likely turn back to former closer Devin Williams, who was removed from the role at the end of April. Williams has five saves on the year, but only one (on May 27) since blowing a save opportunity on April 25 against the Toronto Blue Jays. The two-time All-Star went 2-0 with a 4.22 ERA over 10.2 IP (12 games) in May and has been even better as of late, owning a 2.70 ERA with nine strikeouts over his last seven games.
Dodger Stadium was built in 1962 but underwent a major renovation project before the 2020 season. (Harry How / Getty Images)
Yankees supporters are accustomed to Dodger Stadium being hostile ground, but being hit by a chunk of concrete falling from the stadium ceiling is beyond what fans steel themselves to encounter.
That is indeed what one Yankees fan says happened to him at Friday's Dodgers-Yankees game.
Ricardo Aquino of Mexico City told the Athletic via a translator that a piece of the ceiling hit him in the back while he was seated in the top deck of the stadium during the third inning of the game. A photo showed the piece to be roughly the size of a baseball.
Aquino said he was in pain but applied an ice pack and soldiered on through the rest of the game, which the Dodgers ultimately won, 8-5, the news outlet reported.
A day later, a piece of concrete netting was installed in the area of the ceiling in the Section 10 reserve where the incident was reported, The Times confirmed.
"We had professionals and experts at Dodger Stadium this past weekend to examine the facility and ensure its safety," Dodgers spokesperson Ally Salvage told The Times. "We will also be undertaking a longer-term review."
Dodger Stadium, which opened in 1962, is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium west of the Mississippi and the third oldest in the nation, after Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago — both of which have also experienced issues with aging concrete.
In July 2004, there were three reports of chunks of concrete tumbling from the upper deck at Wrigley Field, prompting the Chicago Cubs to install protective netting and review stadium infrastructure, according to the Associated Press.
A major $100-million renovation project was completed at Dodger Stadium before the 2020 season. It included a new center field plaza with food and entertainment areas, more elevators and new bridges allowing fans to walk the entire perimeter of the stadium from any level inside the venue.
More renovations were completed in advance of this year's season, this time focused on upgrading the clubhouse.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts sprints to first base after hitting a two-run double against the Athletics at Dodger Stadium on May 14. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers’ lineup should be back at full strength soon.
When they’ll be able to say the same about their pitching staff is anyone’s guess.
First, the good news for the team: After fracturing the fourth toe on his left foot (the one closest to the pinky toe) last week and missing all three games against the New York Yankees, shortstop Mookie Betts went through a full slate of pregame hitting, baserunning and defensive drills on Monday and seemed probable to be available off the bench for the Dodgers in their series-opener against the New York Mets.
Assuming he continues to feel good, Betts should also return to the starting lineup on Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts said.
“That’s all contingent on if he recovers well tonight,” Roberts said.
Based on Betts’ activity level Monday, he certainly appeared to be ready to return. As one of the first Dodgers players on the field before the game, he spent several minutes running the bases, then went through a full session of infield grounders at shortstop. Betts also took batting practice, a day after Roberts said his swing in the batting cage “wasn’t compromised at all” by the freak injury.
“For me, I just want to make sure I move to make plays for those guys,” Betts said Sunday. “Hitting, hopefully that comes along. I just want to make sure I can play defense."
As for the less encouraging update: A week after throwing his first bullpen session since going on the injured list in April with shoulder inflammation, Tyler Glasnow has been feeling general body discomfort, Roberts said.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers against the Phillies on April 6, 2025 in Philadelphia. (Derik Hamilton / Associated Press)
Glasnow has continued to play catch, including on Monday afternoon in the outfield of Dodger Stadium. But Roberts said he is “not sure when he’s gonna get back on a mound.”
“There was one ‘pen, and then [his] body didn't respond,” Roberts said. “So we're trying to figure out when we can ramp him back up.”
Given Glasnow’s extensive injury history, such a setback qualifies as only mildly surprising. The 31-year-old has never made more than 22 starts or pitched over 134 innings in a major league season. And while he set both of those high-marks in his first season with the Dodgers last year — arriving in Los Angeles via a trade from Tampa Bay two winters ago and an ensuing five-year, $136.5-million extension — he never returned from an elbow tendonitis injury he suffered in August, despite repeated attempts to comeback in time for the playoffs.
“I know he's just as frustrated as we all are [that] the process since we've had him, it just hasn't been linear, as far as getting him back,” Roberts said. “He's champing at the bit, so that's a good thing. He's very anxious to get back out here and help his team.”
Of the Dodgers’ injured quartet of star pitchers — which also includes Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani — Glasnow was initially expected to return first.
Now, however, he and Snell might be on more similar timelines. Snell made notable progress in his throwing progression this week and could begin throwing bullpens early next week.
“He’s in a really good spot physically and mentally,” Roberts said of Snell.
Sasaki has also been throwing lately, though Roberts noted it has been low-intensity. Ohtani, meanwhile, threw his second live batting practice over the weekend, and remains on track to return sometime after the All-Star break.
In the bullpen, the Dodgers should get a couple of reinforcements in the coming days.
Hard-throwing right-hander Michael Kopech (out since the start of the season with a shoulder injury) will be in Los Angeles this week after completing a minor-league rehab assignment, though exactly when he will be activated remains to be seen. Kopech yielded 11 runs and 11 walks in 6 ⅓ innings with triple-A Oklahoma City, and Roberts said the club wants to “evaluate, see how he is” up close before having him make his MLB season debut.
Another veteran right-hander, Kirby Yates, threw his second bullpen session on Monday since suffering a hamstring strain last month. He will next throw a live batting practice on Wednesday, and could be activated as soon as next weekend.
Each day that goes by, Mets left-hander Sean Manaea gets closer and closer to returning to the team.
He took another positive step in that direction on Monday after throwing 29 pitches in a live bullpen that "went well," according to manager Carlos Mendoza.
"We just gotta wait and see how he responds in the next couple of days and then we’ll have that discussion whether he’s gonna need another live BP or he’s ready to go on a rehab assignment," the skipper added.
Of course, a rehab assignment would be the last hurdle for Manaea to cross before joining the Mets for the first time this season since he suffered a right oblique strain at the start of spring training after re-signing with New York on a three-year, $75 million contract.
Still, given how long he's been out (after experiencing a setback in April with discomfort and inflammation), the 33-year-old will likely need some more time pitching in rehab games when he does eventually take that next step.
Another injured pitcher is also on his way back to the Mets as reliever Brooks Raley, who signed a one-year deal earlier this season, has already thrown three live bullpen sessions.
"He’s already facing hitters and all that so yeah he’ll continue to face hitters and then he’ll get to a point where he’ll go on a rehab assignment," Mendoza said.
The lefty reliever is recovering from Tommy John surgery he got at the beginning of the 2024 season.
Meanwhile, Jose Siri (fractured tibia) is with the team on their West Coast road trip as the trainers continue to monitor the outfielder as he continues to do more baseball activities. However, "he's not close yet" to re-joining the team.
"He’s gotta continue his running progression, build volume and then once he clears that hurdle then we’ll start talking about a potential rehab assignment, but I don’t think that’s happening soon," Mendoza said.
As for Monday night's starter, Paul Blackburn is making his season debut after multiple injuries kept him off the field since the end of last year. It will be Blackburn's first start in the majors since Aug. 23 against the San Diego Padres.
Mendoza noted that the right-hander will have no limitations on the mound after the Mets took their time with him, letting him make seven rehab starts between three minor league levels where he finished with a 3.68 ERA (1.09 WHIP).
"We took our time to make sure that he was fully built up and he’s making this start and he’s going there as a normal pitcher," Mendoza said. "I’m gonna treat it the same and hopefully he goes out there and does what he usually does -- give us a chance to win a baseball game."
Two words followed the London Knights throughout the 2024-25 season: unfinished business.
At first, those two words were whispered behind closed doors in conversations about how the Knights had come up short when they were the favourites to win the 2024 Memorial Cup.
"We went through the whole process last year and came up short with 20 seconds to go in a hockey game," said Flyers prospect Denver Barkey after the game. "We remembered that all summer and talked about it all year - that's been our motivator,"
Slowly, the drumbeat grew. First, it was announced that most of the team would return to London for the 2024-25 season. Next, the Knights dominated the OHL, losing only 13 games during the regular season to finish at the top of the OHL.
London stomped their way through the playoffs not losing a single game until the OHL Playoff Finals. After dropping game one of the finals, London won four straight games to take down Oshawa and book their tickets to Rimouski for the 2025 Memorial Cup.
At that point, the question was asked point blank. Is there unfinished business for this group? A resounding yes was the response. This season would not be complete without a Memorial Cup victory.
On Sunday night, the London Knights took care of business, defeating the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1 to secure the Memorial Cup for the third time in franchise history.
Make no mistake, this was a special group of players, the majority of whom came together two seasons ago. They won back-to-back OHL titles and set OHL and franchise records. To cap that off with a Memorial Cup victory must be perfection for a team that seems so close.
"This is my family, these guys are my brothers," said San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson. "It feels like it's the perfect ending for this core ... it's how it should have gone out."
This time around, the Knights had to walk the hard road to the Memorial Cup Final after they lost their first encounter with the Tigers 3-1. Medicine Hat went down early in that game before scoring three unanswered goals to seal their place in the final.
London made it through the semi-final in dominant fashion beating Moncton 5-2 while outshooting their opponent 37-23.
In the rematch against Medicine Hat, it was once again the Knights who struck first. Winnipeg Jets prospect Jacob Julien scored halfway through the first to give London the early lead. The score would remain 1-0 heading into the second.
As they did so often in the OHL Playoffs, the Knights took over in the second period, opening up a four-goal lead within the opening 12 minutes of the period thanks to a goal from Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan and a pair scored by Barkey.
The Tigers pushed back in the third with star forward Gavin McKenna scoring a goal early in the period to give the team hope. With minutes to go McKenna put another puck into the net before the goal was called back upon review.
The Knights fought the Tigers off for the rest of the period leading to the final score of 4-1. The win gave Head Coach Dale Hunter his third Memorial Cup trophy, tying him for the most ever won by single coach. Early in the tournament he took the title of most wins in Memorial Cup history.
This London team will go down in the history books as one of the best rosters ever iced by an OHL team. Their accomplishments are impressive, and many of these players will make their way into the NHL in the very near future. While this team will never play together again, their names will sit next to each other on the Memorial Cup.
