New York Yankees third base coach Luis Rojas entered the MLB playoff conversation in the fifth inning of Game 2 in the AL wild card series, waving in Ben Rice to ultimately get thrown out at the plate.
The Yankees had just extended their lead to 2-0 on Cody Bellinger's RBI single and had runners on first and second when Luis Garcia Jr. followed with a single of his own. Rice was on second base and Rojas waved him home on the chopper hit through the hole into left field.
Nate Eaton threw home from the outfield and the ball easily beat Rice, with Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman applying the tag for the third out.
Rojas, who managed the New York Mets in 2020 and 2021, immediately started trending on social media for his decision to send Rice on the play.
In the next inning, Boston's Willson Contreras homered to half the Yankees' lead.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: San Diego Padres fans react after Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs strikes out during the eighth inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It could be the end of the Chicago Cubs season Wednesday night as the San Diego Padres will try to eliminate them at Petco Park. The Cubs will turn to RHP Kevin Gausman while the Padres will start Nick Pivetta. First pitch is scheduled for 9pm central time and the game broadcast is available via NBC/Peacock.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 30: Harrison Ingram #55 of the San Antonio Spurs and Kelly Olynyk #8 of the San Antonio Spurs talk after the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 30, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Gonzaga Bulldogs great Kelly Olynyk is leaving the NBA to join BC Roma of Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A and the EuroCup, according to multiple reports. The club was co-founded by Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, who also serves as a minority owner.
On his way to an NBA Finals appearance with the San Antonio Spurs this past summer, the seven-foot forward/center averaged just 3.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 8.6 minutes across 42 appearances off the bench. He also made the 2020 NBA Finals with the Miami Heat inside the league’s COVID-19 quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida.
According to Italian reports, NBA veteran Kelly Olynyk is close to reaching an agreement with BC Roma! 👀🇮🇹
The 35-year-old Canadian could become the latest big name to join the ambitious project backed by Luka Doncic and Donnie Nelson! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zSbJjeA756
Olynyk, the 13th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, has suited up for 842 regular-season games with eight different franchises in his 13 seasons in the NBA. The now 35-year-old Toronto, Ontario, Canada native put together career averages of 9.8 points on a shooting split of 48.6 field goal percentage/36.9 three-point percentage/79.4 free throw percentage, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
Gonzaga now has a total of 12 alums in the NBA to be listed on an opening day roster for the 2026-27 season.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
When asked what Michael Porter Jr. had to show amid salary negotiations, Nets GM Sean Marks was transparent in saying consistency and intangibles.
Porter was just as honest in his self-evaluation, admitting he has more to prove to get the kind of contract he wants from Brooklyn.
“Yeah, of course. There’s always more to show,” Porter said. “The main thing is winning. Who cares about putting up 20-plus points a game if you’re not winning? So I think I’ve got a lot more I want to show and prove.
Michael Porter Jr. looks on during Nets practice at HSS Training Center on Sept. 29, 2026, in Brooklyn. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“Obviously one of the big things is being a winning player in this role. I think we can win a lot of games with me being a focal point on offense. So, we’ve just got to win and it’ll take care of itself. But like I said before, I’m not really tripping about it. I’m just excited to play basketball and get the season rolling.”
Despite Porter having become extension eligible on July 6, he and the Nets haven’t reached a deal yet.
Porter is on a $40.8 million expiring deal. He can sign for up to four years, $234 million. He won’t get that much, but how much will he and agent Mark Bartelstein press for? And considering he’s 28 and coming off a career year, what else can he show Brooklyn that he hasn’t already?
“Great question. First and foremost, you’ve got to give the coaching staff a lot of credit there, not only what they did for Mike, but for the whole roster in general,” said Marks, who eschewed the typical GM-speak.
“For us, we’re looking for consistency from [Porter]. We’re looking for him to take another step on the defensive end of it, rebounding. … So just become more of a complete player on the court. The other one is what can you do [in terms of] the intangibles. That’s important for us in the locker room.”
Nets general manager Sean Marks speaks to members of the media during Media Day at HSS Training Center on Sept. 28, 2026 in Brooklyn. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Rookie lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. is still recovering from rolling his left ankle, not yet having advanced to contact yet.
“He’s been doing noncontact. He’s in good spirits. He’s engaged with the practices. He’s learning what’s going on, getting the reps that he can,” Jordi Fernández said. “So far that’s where we are right now, which is a small setback.
“But mentally that’s going to also be a positive thing for you, is how you overcome adversity and fight through it. It defines who you are. Those are the type of players and people that we want in this organization, people [that] have grit.”
Porter praised the 20-year-old in his work coming back from the minor injury.
“Yeah, he’s doing what he can,” Porter said. “He’s staying in shape, getting on the VersaClimber, getting on the bike, lifting weights, doing what he can to be ready to go once his ankle gets better.”
England’s Jonny Bairstow is ready to bury the hatchet with Australian cricket fans as the Ashes villain joins the Melbourne Renegades for the upcoming Big Bash season.
The defensive pairing that began the Rangers season opener in the spotlight because of Alberts Smits’ debut ended up back in it by the final minutes with Braden Schneider’s blunder.
As the three Blueshirts forwards changed late in the third period of their 3-0 loss to the Bruins on Tuesday, Schneider ended up alone on the rush and got burned by a JJ Peterka deke that went between the defenseman’s legs.
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Peterka ripped a shot past Igor Shesterkin, and 52 seconds after Boston broke a scoreless tie, the Bruins doubled their lead — with Schneider’s gaffe emerging as one of the lasting images of the night.
“You get that shift and you get caught out there a little too long,” Schneider told The Post on Wednesday after the Rangers practiced in Tarrytown. “I get caught with a bad gap, and, I mean, I made a bad read. Not much you can do. He made a good play and just try to move on from it.”
It marked a rough start to a critical campaign for Schneider, who was a restricted free agent at the end of last season and returned to the Rangers on a one-year deal.
Next summer, he’ll likely be in the same position again, and he expressed a desire to move past his individual woes last season — when he was thrust into a larger role with Adam Fox’s injury and ended up being on the ice for a Blueshirts-worst 63 goals at 5-on-5 — in an interview with The Post’s Mollie Walker on Tuesday.
But the Schneider and Smits pairing will continue to face plenty of critique.
Braden Schneider looks to take the puck away from James Hagens during the first period of the Rangers’ opening-night road loss to the Bruins at TD Garden in Boston. Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
For Schneider, it’ll revolve around his Rangers future still being uncertain.
And for Smits, who skated 16:54 while recording two hits, a blocked shot and a pair of giveaways, it’ll be for gauging whether the 18-year-old and No. 5 overall pick in June’s draft encounters any growing pains.
“I thought when the game started, it was happening fast for him out there,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of Smits, “but I thought as the game went on he settled down. … I think when he gets himself in trouble is when he tries to do a little bit too much. Try to make a soft play to the middle, and that’s where sometimes you gotta make a simple play.
“But I think as a young player, you’re gonna make those type of mistakes — and you’ll learn through those experiences, and our job is to try to help him do that.”
Defenseman Vincent Iorio, who was day to day with a lower-body injury, was assigned to AHL Hartford after clearing waivers.
That’ll give the Wolf Pack a blue line that includes Iorio, Urho Vaakanainen, Marc Del Gaizo, Dennis Cholowski and Drew Fortescue — a collection of players with 497 combined NHL games between the regular season and playoffs.
When asked about the Rangers having a stretch of five games in eight days to open the season following a condensed training camp, and whether that’s a good thing, Sullivan said, “I’ll tell you after the five games.”
“If we can build some momentum and have some success,” Sullivan said, “we’re gonna like it, right? … I think it’s good in a way that it gets you in the routine right away. You start playing games, and it’s hard to simulate that type of competitive action in a practice environment. With a shortened training camp, I think it will give us an opportunity to build more of a conditioning — a fitness foundation for game situations.”
The famed director had to be held back from going after a fan in the Legends Suite dining area before the Yankees faced the Red Sox in their wild-card series on Wednesday night.
Lee entered the Legends Suite around 6:30 p.m. and was amiable, taking selfies with anyone and leaving seats open at his table in case anyone wanted to join him.
JUST NOW: Spike Lee has to be held back from going after a fan while dining pregame at Yankee Stadium.
The fan was filming Spike eating and asked him how he felt about Palestine, according to people closer to them at the table. pic.twitter.com/Lg1vFtiRed
One person asking for a selfie requested Lee say “F–k Palestine,” which caused the 69-year-old to get up and seek out security, becoming angry with the individual, who was indeed kicked out.
“Why’d you come over to me?” an agitated Lee, wearing red Yankees gear, shouted at an unidentified person as he is restrained by staff.
A man in a blue sport jacket pointed to someone at a nearby table, telling them, “You’ve gotta go. You’ve gotta go.”
Per a source, the person was “absolutely wrong,” and “ruined our f–king meal.”
Requests for comment from Lee’s reps and the Yankees were not immediately returned.
Spike Lee and Nick Turturro after the final out of the 9th inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Lee was on hand Tuesday night behind the Yankees’ dugout during the opener of the first-round series against Boston, and posted a photo alongside his daughter, Satchel, on social media.
The NHL debut of Alberts Šmits went as most do for any rookie.
Throughout training camp and the preseason, Šmits was consistent and reliable, playing a steady game while not looking to be overwhelmed, which ultimately helped him earn a spot on the New York Rangers’ opening-night roster.
In the first period of Tuesday night’s game against the Boston Bruins, the 18-year-old went through the typical rookie experience, with the game moving quickly and him being forced to adapt to the pace of NHL play on the fly.
At first, Šmits struggled specifically in his own zone, as he was critical of himself when speaking with the media after the game.
"I just gotta make better decisions at some points,” Šmits said. “I made a couple plays that weren't there, and I would like to take those back. But I think the best thing I can do right now is just think about it, learn from it, and move on and try to not make the same mistakes in the future."
Over the course of the night, Šmits settled into the game and looked much more comfortable with the speed of play.
Mike Sullivan wasn’t overly concerned with Šmits’ shaky start to his NHL debut, and he was impressed with the way he responded as the night progressed.
“I’m sure there were some anxious moments for him,” Sullivan said of Šmits. “I thought when the game started, it was happening fast out there for him, but I thought as the game went on, he settled down. I think his size, his reach, the way he leans on people, his ability to defend, his mobility, I think all of that is evident.
“I think when he gets himself in trouble is when he tries to do a little bit too much and try to make a soft play to the middle. That’s when you need to make a simple play. I think as a young player, you are going to make those types of mistakes and you’ll learn through those experiences, and our job is to try and help him do that.”
Šmits ended the game playing 16:54 minutes, while recording one block, two hits, and two giveaways.
PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks has been charged with driving under the influence related to his arrest in March by police in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Online court records show that Brooks has a court date on Oct. 28 for the the Class 1 misdemeanor charge.
“This charge stems from the incident last March,” Suns senior vice president of communications Stacey Mitch said in a statement. “We have addressed the matter with Dillon and have no further comment.”
Brooks was arrested during a traffic stop on March 6 at roughly 1 a.m. and after an investigation, he was taken to jail. He was released following the booking process around 3:30 a.m.
The 30-year-old was out with a fractured left hand at the time. He averaged a career-high 20.2 points per game last season and signed a $73 million, three-year extension during the offseason that will keep him with the team through 2030.
Brooks is also facing separate misdemeanor reckless driving and speeding charges related to an arrest in January. The court date for that case is Nov. 9.
ESPN first reported the developments in the cases.
The battle for the last Knicks roster spot has taken a twist.
They waived John Konchar on Wednesday and signed Tony Bradley to a nonguaranteed Exhibit 9 deal as a training camp tryout. Bradley will join Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman as centers trying to win that battle.
Coach Mike Brown acknowledged that “we’re looking at that position heavily,” given that Andre Drummond is the only backup center on a guaranteed deal behind Karl-Anthony Towns.
Knicks sign veteran center Tony Bradley signed Tony Bradley to a nonguaranteed Exhibit 9 deal as a training camp tryout. Getty Images
But Bruce Brown and Ochai Agbaji — both wings, not bigs — are part of that veteran battle as well. The Knicks could theoretically take one of those two and kick the need for a third-string center down the road.
“Tony’s a veteran guy that’s still in his prime and has a good feel for the game,” Brown said of Bradley. “Knows how to play the game the right way.”
The Knicks also signed Jaden Akins to a two-way deal. He fills the last two-way slot, after previously signing Tyler Nickel and Kevin McCullar Jr.
Akins was with the Knicks at Summer League. Undrafted last year out of Michigan State, he spent last season with the Pistons G-League team.
“Josh was a power forward but when it came to the conditioning test, the power forwards and centers have an easier time [requirement],” Brown said. “Not much, but an easier time than guards. So all year I was calling him a power forward and he was cool with it but I could tell he didn’t really like it. But as soon as he heard about the conditioning test, he said he was a power forward.”
The Knicks championship helped rekindle familial relationships.
“I have people coming to me and saying, ‘I haven’t talked to my family member in 10 years,’ ” Miles McBride said. “And I’m like, ‘Well, we should not be the reason you’re rekindling relationships.’ But that’s cool to hear. It’s not what I want to hear necessarily but those are cool moments to hear that what we’re doing on the court was able to bring people back together.”
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chicago Cubs (0-1) at San Diego Padres (1-0), September 30, 2026, 7:00 p.m. PST
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Having been in the big leagues since 2013, Sonny Gray has accumulated a lot of stats in his career. He certainly can’t be aware of all of them, but there’s one this year that he clearly knew by heart.
“I think I’m the best pitcher in the American League going through the order the third time,” Gray said Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, after the Red Sox were swept out of the Wild Card Stadium. “I think that’s a fact.”
Indeed, the 36-year-old was great when facing a lineup for a third time this year, holding hitters to a .180 average while posting a 1.99 ERA.
Yet while the crafty veteran was aware of his effectiveness the third time through the batting order, his manager was either unaware or not interested in letting Gray pitch out of a miniature jam with the Red Sox’ season on the line.
After Gray allowed two singles with the Yankees leading 1-0 in the fifth, first-year manager Chad Tracy strode to the mound and inexplicably called upon lefty reliever Erik Miller for the second straight night at the same exact point in the game.
That move backfired immediately in Game 1, when Miller replaced Payton Tolle and surrendered a home run on his third pitch. And it failed again in Game 2, with Miller giving up two hits to the only batters he faced. The first was Cody Bellinger, who ripped an RBI single off Miller’s slider to double the Yankees’ lead to 2-0.
Gray, who will finish in the top three of Cy Young voting this year, felt he should have been given the chance to at least finish the fifth inning.
“I would have liked to live or die with me in that moment, but that’s the competitor I am. I think you could probably ask the guys, and they felt the same way,” Gray said. “I felt strong, I felt confident, I felt convicted. But what can you do?”
Gray added: “I would have liked to been trusted in that moment.”
Certainly, Gray’s work both this season and throughout his career earned him a start in the playoffs over Ranger Suarez, who’s one of the best postseason pitchers in baseball history. And at just 70 pitches, and after getting proper rest down the stretch, Gray was far from being on the ropes when Tracy made his call.
Even though the decision to go to Miller allowed the Yankees to instantly double their leads in both games of the sweep, Tracy defended his decisions.
“[Tolle and Gray] are great, yeah. Our bullpen’s been great all year, too,” Tracy said. “It’s a case sometimes of depending on what the score is and how much wiggle room we have, if we were able to put up some runs and maybe have some more breathing room, we might be able to [keep the starters in the game]. But trying to be aggressive and create tough matchups, and it just didn’t work out.”
Tracy’s assertion that the bullpen has been great all year is true overall, but it doesn’t apply to Miller specifically.
After joining the Red Sox as the return in the Marcelo Mayer trade, Miller made a strong first impression, posting a 0.63 ERA and 1.047 WHIP in his first 14 appearances. He struck out 25 batters and walked just six in that span, earning a trusted spot for high-leverage, late-game situations for Boston.
But his effectiveness nosedived late in the year, when he posted a 12.46 ERA and 2.538 WHIP over his final five appearances, walking six batters while striking out just four.
Those struggles clearly continued in Game 1, when Miller gave up a home run and an infield single in his one-third of an inning, but Tracy — with his full complement of high-leverage bullpen arms available — went right back to Miller in Game 2. For a second straight night, Miller could not deliver.
Tracy and the Red Sox felt comfortable giving the ball to Tolle in Game 1 on the road in Yankee Stadium. Yet with two outs and nobody on in the fifth, and with Tolle at just 83 pitches, Tracy took that ball away and gave it to a reliever in whom the manager should have lost trust.
Tracy and the Red Sox then felt comfortable giving the ball to Gray in Game 2, this time with the season hanging in the balance. Yet with two outs and two runners aboard in the fifth, Tracy again took the ball out of the hand of the trusted starter to place it in the shaky left hand of Miller.
Both times, the move did not work. And though the correlation may not be strictly scientific, both bullpen moves led to Game 1 and Game 2 spiraling out of control from that point forward.
Gray, who’s set to become a free agent this offseason unless he retires, said that Tracy did not give him an explanation for the move. Gray was also asked if Boston would be a “destination” if he does choose to pitch again next year.
When asked how different it feels being in his third year as an NBA coach than his first, he opened up.
“I probably shouldn’t admit this,” Redick said at Lakers practice Wednesday, “but early in my coaching career I felt like I was cosplaying a little bit, you know? It’s like I was pretending to be a coach.”
Luka Doncic talks to JJ Redick against the New Orleans Pelicans. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Redick was stunningly hired to take over the Lakers’ helm in June 2024 after Darvin Ham was fired.
Why was it so eyebrow-raising?
He had no coaching experience. He was taking over a 17-time championship franchise. There was no margin for error.
Talk about pressure.
Redick has always come across as ultra-confident. He had to be. But on Wednesday, he let us peek behind his tough veneer.
Even the coach of the Lakers can have imposter syndrome.
Good thing for the Lakers, their gamble has panned out.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacts on the court during the third quarter of a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
Last season, Redick became the first coach since Phil Jackson to have back-to-back 50-win seasons.
Redick has drawn comparisons to Pat Riley, who had very little coaching experience (two years as a Laker assistant from 1979-81) before taking over the helm in 1981. Riley went on to win four championships in LA. Last season, he was honored with a statue outside of Crypto.com Arena.
“I think he’s got a little more gray hair. but he’s been great,” Reaves said when asked about Redick’s growth over the last three seasons. “Care factor’s high, intelligence is high. He cares more than anybody else and wants to win just like we do. So, you know, having that as a coach, you respect that.”
This much is for sure: Redick has gained the respect of everyone in the locker room over the last two seasons. No one is second-guessing the Lakers’ decision to hire him anymore.
And Redick no longer feels as though he’s faking it.
“I just think you get more reps, you get more comfortable,” Redick said.
That said, Redick is very much still learning.
Austin Reaves, JJ Redick and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers pose for a portrait during NBA Media Day at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo. NBAE via Getty Images
He’s the first to admit when he thinks he could’ve handled situations better. There was the time he snapped at a reporter who asked if he was going to lean on his assistants for substitution patterns ahead of Game 5 of the first round of the 2025 playoffs. Or when he and Doncic shared a tense moment on the bench last season. After both of those moments, he vowed to do better.
Redick is willing to do the hard work. He’s introspective. He obsessively rewatches games in a dark basement.
He’s his harshest critic.
That led to a major change last season.
“I had a great revelation towards the second half of last year that I talked about with my performance coach this summer,” Redick said. “…Some of the things that helped me as a player are deterrents for me as a coach. I think particularly with last year’s team — and I don’t know how this year’s team is going to be — but I felt like calm is better.
Luka Doncic talks with JJ Redick during a time out. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“When I played — I talked with Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] about it this summer — when I played, I played with an anger. There was an inner-anger that drove my competitiveness. That’s not always a good thing as a coach, particularly now.”
Redick, who was known as a dagger 3-point shooter during his 15 seasons in the NBA, realized he needed to adjust his style.
He set the tone. If he was too intense, it resonated differently as a coach than as a player. Instead of being inspiring, it was detrimental.
So, Redick adjusted.
After laying into the Lakers following an embarrassing 119-96 loss to the Rockets on Christmas, Redick was noticeably calmer when they dropped the rope in subsequent games. And as the season progressed that started happening less and less.
Then in the spring, the Lakers showed what they were made of by going on a 16-2 run. Everyone around the league began to wonder if they were championship contenders before Doncic and Reaves suffered injuries on April 2.
Redick then inspired the Lakers to believe they could win without their two-highest scorers in the playoffs. They went on to beat the Rockets in the first round before being swept by the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.
This season will be yet another learning curve for Redick.
But he’s ready for whatever comes.
He knows he belongs.
And that’s very obvious to the rest of the league, too.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Joe Musgrove #44 of the San Diego Padres reacts after striking out Michael Conforto #20 of the Chicago Cubs in ninth inning to end game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres released their Wild Card playoff roster the morning of the first Wild Card game against the Chicago Cubs.
There were surprises.
Deciding to go with 15 position players and 11 pitchers was the first choice that raised eyebrows. The second was putting Miguel Andujar and Joe Musgrove on that list.
Both Musgrove and Andujar were on the injured list prior to the end of the season. Andujar had rehab appearances with Triple-A El Paso before the end of their season. He continued working in Arizona with the developmental and instructional games at the Peoria Sports Complex.
Andujar joined Musgrove in their pursuit of returning to the team. After an unsuccessful attempt to rehab as a starting pitcher, Musgrove and the Padres’ decisionmakers opted to have him work in shorter spurts, pitching as a reliever instead of a starter.
That choice proved to be the difference maker for Musgrove. President of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller discussed Musgrove’s inclusion on the roster in his interview with the morning show of the Padres flagship station, 97.3 The Fan.
Preller reported that shorter appearances pitched by Musgrove resulted in a normal bounce-back for his arm. The soreness he reported after his longer appearances went away, and he was able to pitch on a normal schedule. That breakthrough allowed him to prove he was able to contribute to the team during the playoffs. Musgrove had no issues with his stuff during this lengthy ordeal. His fastball velocity topped out at 97 mph and his repertoire showed his normal spin. His issue was recovery.
The organization kept this information on the down-low over the past couple of weeks. The last time fans and the media heard from Musgrove, he was discouraged and at wit’s end about his next move. While the Padres went through their last two series of the season, clinching home-field advantage for the first round, Musgrove was in Arizona. The hard work he put in to get himself ready for the postseason was shielded from everyone outside the organization.
Return of the native son
During the pregame introductions for the first Wild Card game, fans gave Musgrove a rousing ovation. The team set the stage with an almost perfect first playoff game, with Michael King throwing seven shutout innings while the offense and its stars went off.
Yuki Matsui threw 11 pitches in the eighth to get the team to the ninth inning with an 8-0 lead.
Even NBC decisionmakers understood the importance of what was happening in San Diego after the eighth inning.
Choosing to stay in the stadium instead of going to a commercial break, the network cameras saw the reaction of the crowd when Musgrove stepped out of the bullpen door and onto the Petco field for the first time in almost two years.
With the first sounds of his walk-out song, Vampire by Tribal Seeds, playing over the park PA system, the entire stadium crowd stood and cheered the return of the hometown player to the Padres.
The cameras then switched to a shot of the Padres dugout as Musgrove jogged to the mound. Everyone stood, and many joined the fans in applauding the return of the native son.
Big-game Joe
Musgrove last threw a pitch in the major leagues on October 2, 2024. He pitched that whole season knowing his elbow was going to go. It was just a question of when.
It turned out the “when” was during the playoffs while Musgrove was pitching in the second game of the Wild Card Series versus the Atlanta Braves. He walked off the mound after 3.2 innings of work while allowing one hit and one run while striking out four Braves.
He had Tommy John and flexor tendon repair surgery on Oct. 11 and began the long process of rehab to return to the team. That process did not go well for Musgrove. He started Spring Training with the hope of returning to the starting rotation by mid-season. After experiencing multiple episodes of arm soreness and poor recovery after pitching, Musgrove missed the entire regular season for the Friars.
The irony of coming full-circle within the Wild Card Series, two years apart, showed the no-quit nature of the Padres’ pitching leader. Musgrove isn’t the ace of the staff, but he is the heart of the staff. He could be the heart of the clubhouse, judging by the reaction of his teammates to his return to the team.
After striking out the first hitter, Musgrove allowed two hits and a walk to load the bases. With closer Mason Miller warming in the bullpen, Musgrove buckled down and struck out Michael Conforto for the final out. His teammates lined up to congratulate him with hugs.
The future is not clear; the present is bright
There is no way to know what the future holds for Musgrove as he continues to come back from his surgery. Being a starter is the goal for a pitcher who has one more year left in his contract with the organization.
That is the long-term concern.
In the short term, Musgrove only cares about one thing — helping his team win. Being a reliever is not a unique experience for him, as Musgrove pitched out of the bullpen when he won his World Series ring with the Houston Astros in 2017.
Based on his recovery from his first major league appearance, Musgrove will make himself available for any situation, any role, and at any time during this postseason. That desire to do whatever he can for his team and his teammates is one of the things that has always set Musgrove apart with the Padres.
William Karlsson has been a fixture throughout all 10 years of Vegas Golden Knights hockey, from the franchise’s unforgettable expansion-draft beginnings to a Stanley Cup championship and everything that followed. On Wednesday, the Golden Knights made sure that chapter will continue.
Vegas signed Karlsson to a two-year contract extension worth $6.75 million annually, keeping the veteran center under contract through the 2028-29 season.
Karlsson, 33, was entering the final season of the eight-year, $47.2 million contract he signed with the Golden Knights in 2019. Instead of allowing one of the most recognizable players from the franchise’s inaugural roster to hit free agency, Vegas opted to keep him around for two more seasons.
The extension also takes care of one of the most important pieces of business remaining on the Golden Knights’ offseason agenda.
Vegas extended captain Mark Stone to a two-year deal on Sept. 12, and Karlsson was among the team’s most notable remaining contract situations. The Golden Knights now have four pending unrestricted free agents: forwards Victor Olofsson and Nic Dowd, defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and goaltender Carter Hart.
Few players are more closely tied to the Golden Knights’ history than Karlsson.
Selected from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2017 expansion draft, Karlsson quickly became one of the faces of a franchise that shocked the hockey world during its inaugural season. He has remained a key part of Vegas ever since, helping the Golden Knights go from an expansion team to Stanley Cup champions in just six seasons.
Karlsson has appeared in 570 regular-season games with Vegas, scoring 191 goals and 238 assists for 429 points.
Now, with a new contract in place and a surgically repaired wrist, Karlsson gets two more seasons to add to a Vegas legacy that began on Day 1.
