The 2026 NBA Draft is on the horizon, bringing one of the most significant dates on the league’s calendar.
Childhood dreams of making it to the NBA will be achieved.
Teams will turn draft assets into tangible players who they hope will contribute to winning in the short- and long-term future.
Former Kentucky player Jayden Quaintance might not be available when the Lakers are scheduled to pick at No. 25 in the 2026 NBA Draft. NBAE via Getty Images
And in the background, teams will continue to explore the options that’ll help them achieve their goals for 2026-27.
For the Lakers, who have a first-round pick in the draft (No. 25), the opportunity the draft presents as it pertains to roster building can’t be whiffed on.
In their pursuit of assembling a roster that’ll be competitive against the 2026 Western Conference champion Spurs and 2025 NBA champion Thunder, the Lakers have two main options for their first-round pick: trade it for a player who’s ready to compete for a title now alongside Luka Doncic or select a prospect whom they plan to develop and hope will help now and in the future.
If the Lakers choose the latter, there isn’t a shortage of options.
Toward the top of that list, should he be available for the Lakers to draft, is Kentucky big man Jayden Quaintance.
Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky big
2025-26 stats (Kentucky): 5 points (57.1% shooting), 5 rebounds, 16.8 minutes in four games
2024-25 stats (Arizona State): 9.4 points (52.5% shooting — 60% on 2-pointers, 18.8% on 3-pointers), 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 29.5 minutes in 24 games
The defensive potential is what makes Quaintance such an intriguing prospect.
His blend of size, length, athleticism, quick-twitch and strength made him a versatile and formidable defender in college.
Quaintance can play drop coverage and prioritize protecting the rim with his long arms and leaping ability, as well as switch out on the perimeter and stick with opposing ball handlers because of his coordination, lateral-movement fluidity and quickness.
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has to decide if Quaintance’s health history negates his potential. The ex-Kentucky and Arizona State player might be selected before LA is on the clock in the first round. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
And his strength makes it challenging for bigger players to bump him off his spots.
Quaintance’s simply physically imposing: As a rebounder. As a rim protector. As a screener. As an over interior presence on both ends of the floor.
He’s a forceful player who should be ready for the NBA’s physicality from Day 1.
It doesn’t take much imagination to envision Quaintance developing into the type of player who can be a rim-running lob threat on one end and defensive anchor on the other, controlling the boards and helping win the possession battle with his knack for steals and offensive rebounds.
And as one of the younger players in his draft class — he played his entire freshman seasons at 17 years old and doesn’t turn 19 until July — there are reasons to be optimistic about his ability to further develop the passing and self-creation he showed glimpses of in college.
It’d take development and patience, but Quaintance fits into the archetype of big man Doncic thrives alongside.
Areas of improvement?
Before focusing on the medical side of things, Quaintance has pretty clear areas of improvement.
His poor free-throw shooting in college (45.2% — 38-of-84) makes it challenging to see him develop into a reliable shooting threat outside of the paint. He made 6-of-32 3-point attempts during his freshman season with the Sun Devils.
And Quaintance already could use improvement with finishing around the basket and having a softer touch around the rim on non-dunks/contested finishes that require more finesse.
Outside of taking slow-footed big men off the dribble, he wasn’t much of an offensive creator in college.
And there’s an overall refinement of his game on both ends of the floor that’ll take time to hone in on — which isn’t surprising considering his age and the fact he played just 28 games/776 minutes in college.
But the biggest concern about Quaintance, who’s a draft-lottery-level talent, will be on the medical side, which is something teams should get clarity on ahead of the draft.
He only played 67 minutes across four games with Kentucky during his sophomore season due to swelling in his right knee — the same knee in which he suffered a torn ACL in February 2025 during his freshman year.
Quaintance told the Lexington Herald-Leader at the combine last month that his knee felt good but wasn’t fully participating in the running, conditioning and “high-impact stuff” activities.
He took part in his agency’s pro day in May.
Quaintance will likely be drafted before the Lakers are on the clock with the No. 25 pick. But if Quaintance is available, the Lakers should take a shot on his upside despite the concerns.
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LeBron James’ decision on his future remains one of the biggest uncertainties heading into this NBA offseason.
With the 41-year-old superstar not ruling out retirement just yet, several teams likely will jump on the opportunity of landing a future Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee on their rosters.
The Warriors have been one of the teams considered to be a likely suitor for James in free agency, but Golden State reportedly anticipates the four-time NBA MVP to return to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Openness does not equal anticipation,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported Wednesday, citing team sources.
“All the intel that Warriors decision-makers have gathered continues to point toward James’ return to the Lakers, team sources said, and they are currently plotting their summer under that premise,” Slater wrote.
“The Warriors’ pitch, if the door cracks open, would be simple. They can clear room for the full $15.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel — a team-friendly, low-risk bargain with on-court and off-court financial upside.”
James is coming off a two-year, $101.4 million contract that he signed with the Lakers in 2024 and expired after the conclusion of the 2025-26 NBA season.
The 22-time NBA All-Star selection reportedly is in negotiations with the Lakers, making his return to Los Angeles the likeliest scenario ahead of James’ potentially 24th career season.
However, if the two sides do not come to an agreement, Golden State is expected to enter the sweepstakes to acquire James.
“James is an obvious top free agent target at that price point,” Slater also wrote. “The Warriors could theoretically tack on a second-season player option and get Stephen Curry in on the recruitment process, if required. But they haven’t knocked on that door because they’ve been given any indication it can be unlocked.”
With James’ history of playing with Curry during the 2024 Olympics and friendship with Warriors star Draymond Green, it would make sense for James to join Golden State for another potential championship run.
But with a return to Los Angeles being the likeliest scenario for James this offseason, it might be more difficult now to imagine the 21-time All-NBA selection donning a Warriors jersey at least once before his illustrious career comes to a close.
The Dodgers (47-27) beat the Rays (41-29), 1-0, behind a sixth inning Shohei Ohtani home run. Los Angeles clinched the series as they have took two out of three with today's afternoon matinee being the series finale.
Los Angeles is tossing Ohtani on the mound a day after he hit the game-winning homer. Ohtani is coming off his worst pitching performance as he allowed three earned runs over 6.2 innings. Ohtani's streak of 10 straight starts with two or fewer earned runs to start the season is over. The Dodgers are 11-2 at home over their last 13 games and won nine of them by two or more runs.
Tampa Bay will have Shane McClanahan start today in a meeting of the aces. With McClanahan on the mound, Tampa Bay has lost two straight, but is 8-5 overall this season. The Rays have dropped four of the last five games as the west coast trip has not been kind to them. Tampa Bay has been outscored 20-14 in the last five games as they scored eight runs in the only win — getting outscored 17-6 in the losses.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Rays at Dodgers
Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Time: 3:10 PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Rays at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers (-185), Tampa Bay Rays (+152)
Spread: Rays +1.5 (-143), Dodgers -1.5 (+119)
Total: 7.0
Probable starting pitchers for Rays at Dodgers
Wednesday's pitching matchup (June 17): Shane McClanahan vs. Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani is hitting .297 with 76 hits, 15 home runs and 42 RBI over 256 at-bats
The Dodgers’ Alex Freeland is hitting .225 with 32 hits and 46 strikeouts over 142 at-bats
The Rays’ Yandy Diaz is hitting .313 with 81 hits, 12 home runs, and 46 RBI over 259 at-bats
The Rays’ Cedric Mullins is hitting .198 with 41 hits and 44 strikeouts over 207 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rays at Dodgers
The Dodgers are 37-37 ATS
The Rays are 41-29 ATS, ranking fourth-best
The Dodgers are 41-33 to the Under, ranking fourth-best
The Rays are 34-32-4 to the Under
The Dodgers are 16-20 ATS at home
The Rays are 18-19 ATS on the road
Expert picks & predictions for today's game between the Dodgers and the Rays
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Rays and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Dodgers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Dodgers at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 7.0
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Jun 16, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (23) in action against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Though the Atlanta Braves only completed one inning on Tuesday night, the injury scares continued. In the bottom of the second inning against the San Francisco Giants, Michael Harris II was removed due to lower back tightness. There has not been any update on his status at this time.
Earlier this month, Harris dealt with lower back tightness and was out of the lineup for a couple days. He was able to come on as a pinch hitter and win the game for Atlanta, so hopefully this is a similar situation and nothing overly serious.
As far as the contest, the game was suspended in the bottom of the second inning and will resume this afternoon at 2pm ET with a 3-2 Giants lead.
More Braves News:
Check out the latest Braves Biweekly to be caught up on how Atlanta has performed the first half of June.
Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress has been connected to the Braves, so here is a scouting report ahead of the MLB Draft.
Philadelphia (40-33) clinched the series over Miami (36-38) with an 8-2 win that followed a 7-0 shutout on Monday. The Phillies have won three of the last four games and are 10-4 in June, as are the Marlins despite two-straight losses.
Miami has the second-best ERA in June (3.29), while Philadelphia is eighth (3.88). Both team's pitching staffs are top 10 in OBA, WHIP, strikeouts, and saves. On the offensive end, both teams are middle of the pack in batting average and most offensive categories with only home runs separating the two (PHI 21, MIA 15). Philadelphia is 5-1 versus Miami this season and have outscored the Marlins, 29-13.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Marlins at Phillies
Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Time: 1:05 PM EST
Site: Citizen Bank Park
City: Philadelphia, PA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Marlins at the Phillies
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
Moneyline: Philadelphia Phillies (-114), Miami Marlins (-105)
Spread: Phillies +1.5 (-187), Marlins -1.5 (+153)
Total: 9.0
Probable starting pitchers for Marlins at Phillies
Wednesday's pitching matchup (June 17): Sandy Alcantara vs. Andrew Painter
The Phillies’ Brandon Marsh is hitting .324 with 79 hits, 9 home runs and 34 RBI over 244 at-bats
The Phillies’ Adolis Garcia is hitting .195 with 45 hits and 84 strikeouts over 231 at-bats
The Marlins’ Otto Lopez is hitting .338 with 98 hits, 5 home runs, and 31 RBI over 290 at-bats
The Marlins’ Kyle Stowers is hitting .211 with 39 hits and 64 strikeouts over 185 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Marlins at Phillies
The Phillies are 27-46 ATS, ranking second-worst
The Marlins are 36-38 ATS
The Phillies are an MLB-best 39-31-3 to the Under, ranking third-best
The Marlins are 41-30-3 to the Over, ranking seventh-best
The Phillies are 13-25 ATS at home, ranking second-worst
The Marlins are 16-19 ATS on the road and 12-12 ATS as an away underdog
Expert picks & predictions for today's game between the Marlins and the Phillies
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Marlins and the Phillies:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Marlins on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Marlins at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 8.0
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But there are intriguing names left on the board. Here's what to know about NHL free agency:
When does NHL free agency open?
The free agent market opens at noon ET on July 1.
Who are the top NHL unrestricted free agents?
10. Anders Lee, New York Islanders
He has been the Islanders' captain since 2018 and is good for 20-plus goals, though he had 19 in 2025-26. Current cap hit: $7 million.
9. Mason Marchment, Columbus Blue Jackets
He struggled with the Seattle Kraken after his offseason trade, but his trade to Columbus revived his season with 32 points in 39 games. He's also an agitator. Current cap hit: $4.5 million.
8. Anthony Mantha, Pittsburgh Penguins
He's the third-highest-scoring player on the free agent list with 64 points after he signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh. Will a general manager be tempted to think he can do that again or look at his subpar production before that? Current cap hit: $2.5 million.
7. Viktor Arvidsson, Boston Bruins
The forward bounced back from a couple subpar seasons and had 25 goals and 54 points after being traded to Boston. Current cap hit: $4 million.
6. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers
The goalie won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles and two Vezina Trophies. He'll be 38 next season. Current cap hit: $10 million.
5. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
The NHL's all-time leading goal scorer is expected to either re-sign with the Capitals or retire. Otherwise, he'd be higher on the list. He scored 32 goals at age 40. Current cap hit: $9.5 million.
4. John Carlson, Anaheim Ducks
Carlson, the Capitals' all-time leader in scoring among defensemen, was traded to the Ducks in a shocker. He totaled 60 points in 71 games. Current cap hit: $8 million.
3. Rasmus Andersson, Vegas Golden Knights
The defenseman was traded to the Golden Knights this season by the Flames. He can provide offense with one 50-point season and others topping 40 points, including 47 points in 2025-26. He had an average playoffs. Current cap hit: $4.55 million.
2. Darren Raddysh, Tampa Bay Lightning
The defenseman had a breakout season with 22 goals and 70 points and filled in well while Victor Hedman was out with injuries and personal leave. His top season before that was 37 points. Current cap hit: $975,000.
1. Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres
The forward can score (two 36-goal seasons) and also kills penalties. He had 33 goals this season as the Sabres ended a 14-season playoff drought. After scoring four goals in the first round, he was held without a point in the second round as the Sabres lost in seven games. Current cap hit: $4.75 million.
Others to watch: Patrick Kane, Frederik Andersen, Mats Zuccarello, Brent Burns, Bobby McMann.
The Warriors have a big decision to make with their scheduled No. 11 pick in next week’s 2026 NBA Draft.
The options are endless and the team’s needs extend beyond one player or position, but one prospect in particular has stood out to someone close to the team, as ESPN’s Anthony Slater shared in a column published Wednesday.
The 23-year-old expressed the same mindset, detailing how he could see himself helping Golden State from Day 1.
“I would say, like five assists a game maybe to start off,” Lendeborg said after his Warriors workout. “A lot of defense, fastbreak opportunities for me. Depending on if I’m here or anywhere else, my role will be a lot different. But if I was here, I’ll be more like a secondary ball-handler. Whenever Steph [Curry] is taken out of the game, I’ll be there to assist, maybe provide a little more offense or instant offense.”
Lendeborg worked out for the Warriors last Thursday alongside Tennessee center Felix Okpara, Utah State guard Drake Allen, Illinois guard Kylan Boswell, South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson and Ole Miss forward/center Malik Dia.
Lendeborg is the only prospect among the group projected to go in the first round, so, to little surprise, he left a lasting impression on Warriors decision-makers in the building.
Slater added that Lendeborg solidified Golden State’s belief that the 6-foot-9 wing is a plug-and-play frontcourt option, per team sources.
A big reason for that is his age, as Lendeborg will turn 24 before the 2026-27 NBA season. He, nor the Warriors, views that as an issue.
“Lendeborg is 24, a week older than Jonathan Kuminga, the fifth-year wing the Warriors traded in February,” Slater wrote. “Lendeborg’s age, team sources said, doesn’t disqualify him. He’s a real option at the 11th spot. But it will be part of the calculus when the Warriors are on the clock, especially in a loaded lottery where a few intriguing prospects several years younger should fall.”
Last season, Lendeborg led the Wolverines to their first national championship since 1989, averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
The other finalists include: Joe Pavelski, Jay Woodcroft, Dallas Eakins and Pat Ferschweiler, according to Johnston's sources.
Roy, who turned 60 this season, was relieved of his Islanders' bench duties with just four games to go in the regular season in favor of Pete DeBoer.
The Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender has two years left on his deal with the Islanders, giving the Maple Leafs permission to interview him.
There were rumors at the end of the season that Roy would stay on with the Islanders in a scouting role, but general manager Mathieu Darche said during his end-of-season press conference that there was no truth to it and that Roy is a head coach.
The Reds (35-37) clinched a series victory over the Mets (32-41) with a 5-3 win on Tuesday. Cincinnati has now won three of their last four games, while New York has lost three of the past four.
Sal Stewart brought in four runs yesterday, including a three-run homer to seal the win for the Reds. Cincinnati started June 1-6, but has gone 4-3 since then. In the last week, the Reds are hitting just .216 (T-25th), but have the fifth-most home runs (12) as they have relied on power. In the last six games, the pitching rotation has heated up with the second-best 2.52 ERA and fifth-best OBA (.220).
Kodai Senga's return was ruined as the Mets lost their fourth straight game with him on the mound. New York is 6-8 in June and has had three two-game losing streaks already. In June, the Mets have a 4.56 ERA (20th) and that's dropped to a 5.75 ERA over the last seven games (27th). Nolan McLean takes the mound for New York in the series finale and the Mets have gone 2-4 in his six road starts.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Mets at Reds
Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Time: 12:40 PM EST
Site: Great American Ball Park
City: Cincinatti, OH
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Mets at the Reds
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
Moneyline: New York Mets (-136), Cincinnati Reds (+113)
Spread: Reds +1.5 (-149), Mets -1.5 (+123)
Total: 9.0
Probable starting pitchers for Mets at Reds
Wednesday's pitching matchup (June 17): Nolan McLean vs. Nick Lodolo
The Mets’ Juan Soto is hitting .289 with 59 hits, 15 home runs and 34 RBI over 204 at-bats
The Mets’ Marcus Semien is hitting .217 with 57 hits and 62 strikeouts over 263 at-bats
The Reds’ JJ Bleday is hitting .268 with 44 hits, 13 home runs, and 34 RBI over 164 at-bats
The Reds’ Will Benson is hitting .188 with 18 hits and 38 strikeouts over 96 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mets at Reds
The Mets are 30-43 ATS, ranking sixth-worst
The Reds are 39-33 ATS, ranking ninth-best
The Reds are 43-28-1 to the Over, ranking fourth-best
The Mets are 35-32-6 to the Under
The Reds are 18-19 ATS at home
The Mets are 15-22 ATS on the road, ranking sixth-worst
Expert picks & predictions for today's game between the Mets and the Reds
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Reds and the Mets:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Mets on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Mets at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 9.0
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 15: Dustin May #3 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after recording the final out of the game against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium on June 15, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the main problems last season was that the Cardinals were in R&D mode and in budget-aging-vet pitcher mode simultaneously, resulting in negative WAR value output from several players. From the testing of developing players standpoint, a brigade of suck was in effect from enough players that it created a siphoning effect that spoiled the performance of the team. We aren’t talking about just a player or two, but an aggregate of -.1 and -.2 WAR guys, basically replacement-level players on the downturn (Michael Siani, Cesar Prieto, Nolan Gorman, Garret Hampson, Ryan Vilade, Jose Barrero), a -.4 WAR version of Jimmy Crooks, and the failing big prospect that was 2025 Jordan Walker who finished at -1.3 WAR. The siphoning effect of this R&D mode was a negative 2.7 WAR!
On the pitching side there was a total of -1.3 WAR, so theoretically the team could’ve been 4 wins better if they would have just gotten replacement level performances out of 13 roster spots. It was not as fun as it should’ve been.
Then you had the constant reminder that two spots in the rotation would be occupied by guys like Miles Mikolas (a hair above replacement level last season), replacement level Erick Fedde, with up-and-comer Michael McGreevy doing his best. But that’s the past now, and in 2026, Chaim Bloom’s Cardinals roster management is more up to the task.
***
Jimmy Crooks will be 25 before the season is over. All of the projection systems like his bat more than Pedro Pages’, and maybe his defense too. According to projections, look to get from .8 to 1 WAR out of Jimmy. Or if his bat surprises, he will be more than an 87 to 101 wRC+ hitter, which covers the range of mainstream projection systems. Could we hope for something like 105-110+? My wishcasting projections articles at the beginning of the season seem less wishy-washy at this point for several players (*I did not know that Jordan Walker was going to do this, though, just to be clear!). With Jimmy Crooks, it sure feels like it’s a main catcher upgraded scenario! Pedro is still there for depth and support, and of course, Ivan Herrera carries on as a DH/C hybrid.
How is Jimmy Crooks actually hitting so far? 83 wRC+ over 35 PA with 1 HR… he’s hitting like Pedro Pages!
After Nolan Gorman was set to soon surpass his -.2 WAR total of last season, the Cardinals decided to stop that situation from happening again. Blaze Jordan was hitting really well at AAA, so the timing was perfect. Blaze Jordan is just 23, but is projected to be about average on 3B defense, maybe a tad less, if anything, but not bad projections there really. But what he was really promoted for was his hitting. A consensus of projections have him at 94 wRC+, but there are a good number of systems projecting him as a league average hitter. And we think he can be better than that, don’t we? Wishcasting again. If nothing else, he should turn the tide at third base and not be negative fWAR. Projections say that Blaze should be worth at least half a WAR. Maybe more if he is mature for his age. Could be… it would be sort of a miracle if the Cardinals get more than 1 WAR from his the rest of the way, but, it also doesn’t sound too far-fetched.
How is Blaze Jordan actually hitting so far? 159 wRC+ over 19 PA! 1 HR and 12 Total Bases ( he already has a home run, triple, double, and singles, well played Blaze).
Nathan Church falls under the same category of stop-gap reinforcement players. I like all three of these guys enough to view the projections as their floor. It’s the same story with Church, he isn’t projected to be league average at hitting, but he is projected as a helluva lot better than Victor Scott II at the plate. He should also be good for half a WAR, instead of minus fWAR. The consensus projection has him at around 88 wRC+.
How is Nathan Church actually hitting so far? 92 wRC+ over 185 PA, right around his projections. But to make it more fun, he’s hit 5 HR! It may be funny to hear that Blaze Jordan is beating Nathan Church in the triples dept.
Which of the three do you think will be the best hitter? The obvious answer is Blaze Jordan, but Jimmy Crooks is probably the best overall prospect of the three. And the darkhorse candidate would be one Nathan Church, he isn’t projected to be too bad at the plate either. Maybe one of them will end up being above league average at hitting! Wouldn’t that be nice. So far we have Jimmy underperforming on offense, Church at projections, and Blaze torching his projections sheet.
The upgrade of Crooks over Pages is probably only a marginal upgrade, but if he can hit MLB pitching, he will be a sizable one. His defense is better, overall, and he could be the catcher of the future for all we know. Maybe we will have three different catchers tailored to different pitchers? Get creative, Cardinals! I know you will.
The upgrade over Gorman will be tough to tell for a while. The projections still like Gorman as much as Blaze Jordan at hitting, and his defense is probably a little better than Jordan’s. But in the abstract, it sure seems like the bleeding has been stopped when it comes to third base offense. And for what it’s worth, I don’t think the projections are right about Gorman.
Nathan Church is obviously an upgrade on offense over Victor Scott II, so that problem is also sort of solved. The defense won’t be quite as good, but it is certainly good enough. It will help a lot if Church ends up a league average hitter or more…
These three players may only be marginal upgrades, but they have made the lineup a lot easier to watch, more balanced, and a lot less lopsided. A bottom of the order of Jimmy Crooks, Blaze Jordan, and Nathan Church is just obviously better than it was earlier in the season, at least watching as a fan so far. The middle of the season is where we are going to find out if Nathan Church is more than a stopgap measure, if Jimmy Crooks is ready to take the reins of the main Cardinals catcher, and if Blaze Jordan has been promoted too soon or right on time!
***
Ok so, this comes as a surpise to me, but it could be that Bloom and the Cardinals freaked out a bit because there is another list of negative WAR players this season, and they have already reached -2.4 WAR. Break glass! EXIT!
With a tough month of July coming up, the Cardinals needed reinforcements. By changing the roster so much for the middle third of the season, the Cardinals just may stem the flow of loss through player value. Victor Scott II, Pedro Pages, and Nolan Gorman obviously could not hit 2026 MLB pitching.
One last note: who was even more demotable than Gorman and Victor Scott II? Thomas Saggese at -.4 WAR.
Along Came Noot
While we have turned the tide with rising prospects (hopefully!), we must not forget what may be the biggest upgrade of all: Lars Nootbaar. Noot has come back from a somewhat long healing process from surgery on his heels… and it’s at a next level for him: in 45 PA, Lars has hit 2 HR, 2 doubles, knocked in 6 runs, and scored 7 times. It sure is fun having this guy back on the team, and watching him now as the elder is wonderful!
At 138 wRC+, Nootbaar is hitting at Burly and Herrera levels! I know he won’t be able to keep that up (but hope he does!), but wow, this lineup is stacked with Lars Nootbaar in it! And let’s keep in mind Nootbaar won’t even turn 30 until next year. Not only is the bottom of the order not a huge liability now, there are 5 well above average hitters in the lineup. That’s fantastic!
And it’s not just the ‘Return of Nootbaar’, the ignition of Blaze Jordan, the return of injured Church, and Jimmy Crooks III; the bench is WAY better with Bryan Torres and Nelson Velazquez. Jose Fermin isn’t too shabby either, hitting around league average. That’s some real depth all of a sudden.
***
And so ends the baseball portion of this week’s article. And it is time to talk music over the years of my life. After going through COVID this decade I have been listening to a lot of music of the past, but now, I am focusing on each year going back 50 years. I started with 1975, and now I’m up to 1991.
1991
1991 featured an explosion of the evolution of heavy metal, the big grungey debuts of Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ and the masterpiece that is ‘Badmotorfinger’ by Soundgarden, several important and absolutely classic shoegaze albums, and the advancement of hiphop into new creative realms. And more! Next week I will be focusing on that huge heavy metal explosion… this week, all that other good stuff.
My Bloody Valentine – ‘Loveless’ you probably either love it, hate it, or still have never heard of it, but Loveless by My Bloody Valentine of the UK is absolutely incredible and sounds like nothing else before or after. Channeling punk, pop, psychedelia, noise, and even hiphop influences as per the band leader’s interviews, the notoriously over budget, multiple studio warpage of time and space into sonic art is a capture of guitar innovations, gigantic walls of sound generated by actual walls of amplifiers and oozing with effects pedals. Best heard on vinyl with your head between two big speakers with the sound cranked up. I’m not even so sure it’s their best album but it is absolutely memorable and fantastic and stands on its own planet of sound.
Mr Bungle – self titled It was pretty tough not to rank this #1 because this album opened a lot of doors into different genres of music for me, and also acted as a weirdo dark comedic concept album recorded impeccably well. The main aspects of this album is how it’s somehow on a major label, it’s from way back in 1991, and it just gets you ready for hearing heavy metal, funk, jazz, ska, experimental music, and more.
Soundgarden – ‘Badmotorfinger’ perhaps the best grunge album of all time! this or Dirt by AIC. If there is a sound more unmistakenly 90s, I guess it would have to be something like Nevermind because of it’s uber-popularity (which will be covered further down in the list). Perfect album from start to finish. I have retired all of the first three into my album hall of fame, btw, written in past years! We are getting into my high school stomping ground of music.
Massive Attack – ‘Blue Lines’ Massive Attack’s debut I would file under the very best of trip-hop releases, and among the band’s best albums. This to me is every bit as good as their mega-release ‘Mezzanine’, it’s just a lot different. (my other favorite by Massive Attack is ‘100th Window’). ‘Blue Lines’ shows the roots of the genre, way back in 1991 there wasn’t much else like this. Another big UK release! But forget all that, I would simply call this an all time classic of any genre!
PRIMUS – ‘Sailing the Seas of Cheese’ rounding out my top 5 is this super fun, genius level musical experience, complete with claymation cover and videos! The musicianship on display here is both of some of the most tightly crafted and the most bizarre. Super creative, artsy, but also dark and heavy and magnificently twisted. I would rank this higher but I honestly listen to ‘Badmotorfinger’ and ‘Blue Lines’ more often these days. Primus is more of a special, cheesy occasion. But also, super necessary.
Dogfaced Hermans – ‘Mental Blocks For All Ages’ wow has this band gone from the outer reaches of my brain to one of the favorite bands in a really short period of time! I always remembered hearing the name over the years but never bought an album or saw them live. Well now, consider me a big fan. Really cool post-punk music recorded really well and where have you been all my life.
The Jesus Lizard – ‘Goat’ the Jesus Lizard get even weirder here, and it was either the first or second album I bought from them, while I was still in high school. I’m sure it warped my mind just as much as anything else! Creepy, weird, and brimming with creative rock and punk vibes. They are at their best here just as they are on all of their first 4 albums. David Yow is the nicest unhinged madman you’ll ever meet. Air-tight Steve Albini recording!
Talk Talk – ‘Laughing Stock’ shout out to the VEB’rs who recommended this band to me! This so happens to be my favorite album by them. It crosses so many styles of music while sounding natural about it, taking music to new places while keeping it chill. I wasn’t expecting to put it high on the list but this is pretty high!
Sonny Sharock – ‘Ask The Ages’ another big find that I am still getting accustomed to… for fans of jazz and rock! Sharock did the them for Space Ghost Coast to Coast, in case you hadn’t heard. Very uniquely gifted guitarist and the right band to back him up! Instrumental genius.
SWANS – ‘White Light From the Mouth of Infinity’ goth rock at its best! there is even a song or two that sounds like, triphop? I think so! This sounds nothing like the Swans of the 80s. Music for a new era. A dark introspective masterpiece.
Del the Funky Homosapien – ‘I Wish My Brother George Was Here’ Del The Funky Homosapien is one of the most gifted rappers and producers of all time! His wordplay is not to be fucked with. And this album is just a bunch of funky awesomeness from a big year in rap music. I have lost track of the amount of times I’ve listened to this one! Been with me since the late 90s on a used CD.
Gang Starr – ‘Step In The Arena’ Gang Starr is Guru and DJ Premier. If you know, you know. I wasn’t too into hiphop in high school but I remembered years late that some of my friends were into Gang Starr. One of them is no longer with us. He got a little too into the lifestyle. I ended up buying their best of years later, which made me a fan of Guru’s socially conscious lyrics and the top notch production of DJ Premier.
Organized Konfusion – self titled with Del the funky homosapien, hiphop began to branch out into an “alt hiphop” direction. Organized Konfusion I would throw under the same umbrella with A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul occupying that new territory as well. Organized Konfusion ended up being around for a while, never quite cracking into the mainstream, but they were too cool for that. To sum it up: this is just a damn good party album! An exciting, really fun listen, that if I gave it more of a chance, might move up several spots on this list.
Main Source – ‘Breaking Atoms’ along the same lines as Organized Konfusion, if you like fun early 1990s hiphop, you need this in your library. Still new to me, and obviously sort of obscure, but I love it.
Public Enemy – ‘Apocalypse 91… the Enemy Strikes Black’ running out of time here, but Public Enemy and the Bombsquad were still in their prime here! Classic hiphop.
MC Solaar – ‘MC Solaar – “Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo when I worked at an ad agency my department (the scanning and imaging dept) used to play this album and the one after it all the time! That’s how I got into French rapper MC Solaar. I don’t know French but this music is really freakin cool.
Nirvana – ‘Nevermind’ and yes I do love this album, and it’s very important along the musical timeline of history… but it’s not my favorite of theirs like at all. It’s a perfect album don’t get me wrong, and it deserves a lot of its legacy, and yep, ahead of its time. But yeah, I liked Bleach and In Utero and maybe even Incesticide more. I think it just may be one of those classic albums I’ve heard too many times, but it’s still good.
Fishbone – ‘Reality of My Surroundings’ this album was on my bench for when I was sick of hearing everything else. It’s a really really good 90s album, I would recommend it to anyone looking to hear the sound of 1991. I should listen to this one more often, reminds me of being in high school and learning about a bunch of musical styles. Fantastic album, the opening track “Fight The Youth” is THE song to hear. Lots of funk and ska going on here, but mostly it just rocks in an alternative fashion.
Chapterhouse – ‘Whirlpool’ obviously my 2nd favorite shoegaze album from the important year of 1991. It sounds like a cross between My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, sort of, but they are contemporaries and just didn’t get as famous. This album is truly fantastic, and good! If you like the genre, it’s a must have.
Dinosaur Jr – ‘Green Mind’ total 90s classic rock here, and put Dinosaur Jr on the map around the country! They toned down their sound a bit here, but to good ends. The songs end up more memorable than previous albums, as good as they were.
Slowdive – ‘Just For A Day’ another defining shoegazer classic! For those who don’t know the genre: it’s named because of a journalist coining the term, as a lot of the bands would stare at the floor and their pedalboards. It’s at times noisy, psychedelic, post-punk, but Slowdive pushed forward the dreampop nature of it, and this is them at their early stages, already nailing the sound.
Nomeansno – ‘0+2=1’ oh man this is so good! Punk rock at its best! Maybe this should be higher. It’s growing on me.
Swervedriver – ‘Deep Seat’ 1990s classic shoegaze album from the big year of 1991! My favorite song is “Rave Down”, getting goosebumps hearing it right now. Driving alt rock of the highest order.
Rabih Abou-Khalil – ‘Al-Jadida’ as it turns out Middle Eastern jazz is really fucking cool! I would induct this into my jazz hall of fame in a heartbeat.
Mercury Rev – ‘Yerself is Steam’ I have never given this album enough of a chance but whenever I heard it I recognize its place in music history as a very unique form of art and a very 1991 entry into the psychedelic rock lexicon. Very alternative.
Honorable Mentions: Ween – ‘The Pod’ I don’t even know what to say about this but, it’s gotta be heard to be believed. The ultimate fucked up stupid drug music, or total genius bedroom recording masterpiece? You decide. De La Soul – ‘De La Soul Is Dead’ one more 1991 classic hiphop masterpiece! A Tribe Called Quest – ‘Low End Theory’ and how could I forget this top tier 1991 hiphop album for the ages! I almost did! wth
***
The Cardinals play an afternoon game today. At 1:15pm Kyle Leahy defends his home turf vs the Padres and Griffin Canning (what a name!) who isn’t doing so well this season. Fangraphs gives the Cardinals a 55.4% chance of winning.
A Former Montreal Canadiens pick from the 2013 draft, Zachary Fucale, never really made it to the NHL, aside from a four-game stint with the Washington Capitals. He now plays professional hockey in Russia, in the KHL. However, he spends his summer in Montreal, where he is involved in the summer hockey scene. Fucale is one of the founders of the Living Sisu summer hockey league, and he’s also behind the Make Your Move Showdown.
Last year, the showdown allowed Canadiens’ fans to marvel at Ivan Demidov’s talent and this year, Fucale has managed to get another Habs prospect to attend: Alexander Zharovsky. Current Canadiens Zachary Bolduc will also be in attendance for the event, which will be held at the Centre d’excellence Sports Rousseau on July 11.
It will be a big hockey weekend in Blainville-Boisbriand, as the arena will also host a shootout tournament over the weekend, for which any hockey player can register. On Saturday evening, the amateurs will make way for professionals, alums, and NHL prospects. At 7:00 PM, Zharovsky, Bolduc, Bruno Gervais, Max Talbot, Thomas Bordeleau, social media sensations Swaggy P, and Eli Sherbatov will take to the ice for the showdown. Participants in the Maye Your Move Tournament will have free entry, but tickets to the event can also be bought for $20 here.
The evening was a resounding success last year, with some fantastically showy moves being made on the ice, and this year’s edition promises to be just as entertaining, on top of allowing fans to see just what Canadiens’ prospect Zharovsky can do. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, so time is of the essence if you don’t want to miss the opportunity to be dazzled by Zharovsky’s hands.
The move made a ton of sense for the Flyers, who got bigger on defense with Benoit and improved their goaltending by adding Woll. But with Toronto’s crease looking a little crowded, I wondered if Ersson will actually be a Maple Leaf at the end of the month.
Ersson, acquired as part of a deal that also netted Toronto a promising young defenseman and draft capital, is a restricted free agent. His previous two-year, $2.9-million contract with the Flyers carried a $1.45-million AAV. The qualifying offer required to retain his rights sits at roughly $1.6 million for the 2026-27 season. General manager John Chayka was deliberately noncommittal when asked about it Tuesday afternoon.
“We’re going to make some decisions as to what our goalie pipeline looks like,” Chayka said. “He’s a good young goaltender. He’s someone we identified with upside and someone our staff could work with, so we will get together with (Director of Goaltending) Curtis McElhinney and make that decision.”
"He's a battler, he's a gamer."
"He doesn't care if you're 6'4', 6'8', he'll go right through you."
Flyers GM Daniel Briere shares what the Leafs are getting in Sam Ersson and Emil Andrae pic.twitter.com/LMZxY0mdMD
That measured response, combined with the current state of Toronto’s crease, led me to believe that the Leafs are not likely to extend the qualifying offer—a move that would turn Ersson into an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
The Arbitration Risk
It’s not that the Leafs wouldn’t be interested in him; it’s more to do with the fact that qualifying him would also give the goaltender a chance to drive up his price via arbitration. Although Ersson’s numbers aren’t anything to boast about, the arbitration process is deemed to weigh heavily in a player's favor. With the salary cap rising to $104 million from $95.5 million the year before, it’s not inconceivable to see Ersson receive a small bump from his $1.6 million qualifying offer.
The optimal situation for both Ersson and the Leafs would be to work out a deal before the June 29th deadline to tender a qualifying offer—perhaps for the same money, or even a little less. But the last thing the Leafs would want is to tender Ersson a qualifying offer and then see the player go to arbitration. The Leafs would not be able to walk away from an arbitration award less than $4,950,080.
Re: Ersson, I asked GM John Chayka if the #Leafs intend to qualify him (He's an RFA). Says he and Curtis McElhinney will discuss their plans in the coming weeks.
Ersson’s recent track record in Philadelphia—a pair of uneven seasons that ultimately led the Flyers to move on—does little to change the calculus. At 26, he remains young enough to rebound, but the Leafs don’t appear to want to see that at any cost.
Prioritizing Cap Flexibility
Cap flexibility also factors heavily. By declining to tender, Toronto avoids locking in $1.6 million on a player who would likely spend most of the season in the American Hockey League or as injury insurance. That money can instead be deployed toward other roster needs or simply preserved as the front office navigates a busy offseason that includes further decisions on the blue line and forward group. The trade itself already delivered meaningful cap relief by moving Woll’s remaining two years at approximately $3.67 million annually and Benoit’s $1.35-million deal.
Chayka’s public comments emphasized the “upside” the organization sees in Ersson and the willingness of goaltending development staff to work with him. However, the acquisition of Ersson was never framed as the centerpiece of the deal. Andrae, a mobile, offensively inclined defenseman still on an entry-level deal, and the third-round pick carried more obvious long-term value. Ersson functioned as the necessary third piece to facilitate the swap and give Toronto a temporary goaltending body while decisions are finalized.
In today’s NHL, where cap space and roster flexibility are premium assets, carrying three or four NHL-caliber goalies at meaningful salaries has become increasingly rare. The Leafs have already shown a preference for blending established netminders with high-upside prospects rather than accumulating mid-tier veterans at premium rates. Declining to qualify Ersson would align perfectly with that philosophy.
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For the first time in quite a long time, goaltending is looking like a strength for the Philadelphia Flyers, and the organization is hoping they can keep it that way for the long haul, too.
The 2026 NHL Draft is just under two weeks away now, and the Flyers traded their third-round pick, in addition to Emil Andrae and Sam Ersson, to the Toronto Maple Leafs for goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit.
As a result, they now have just four picks: first, second, sixth, and seventh-rounders.
The middle rounds have been completely exhausted, but the Flyers have not drafted a goalie since 2023, when they took both Carson Bjarnason and Egor Zavragin.
If the Flyers had it their way, they would land another decent goalie prospect in the 2026 draft.
"We'd like to. You remember a few years ago, we ended up drafting Bjarnason and Zavragin back-to-back, and it's just the way our guys saw the value of those guys. That was the time we didn't think Zavragin would be there, where we was, we could pass up on him," Flyers general manager Danny Briere said at his pre-draft media availability Tuesday.
"We're not going to force it. If it falls in the right slot, then we're going to jump on it. . . We still have [Aleksei Kolosov], Bjarnason, and Zavragin developing nicely. So, again, it has to make sense for us to take them. If there's a better player at a different position in the first or second round, we're probably going to go in a different direction, but we'd like to add a goalie if we had the chance."
Woll, 27 going on 28, and Dan Vladar, 28 going on 29, are in their primes now, while Bjarnason had an up-and-down first year playing professional hockey for the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms and ECHL Reading Royals.
Kolosov, who will quietly already be 25 come Jan. 4, has come along nicely as the starter for the Phantoms this past season, but he's on a one-year contract looking to prove himself, eventually, at the NHL level.
As for Zavragin, well, the 20-year-old was just traded to Metallurg Magnitogorsk in hopes that he'll play regular KHL minutes this season after taking a back seat to Artemi Pleshkov and Sergei Ivanov on SKA St. Petersburg.
The 2023 third-rounder has one year remaining on his current contract, and reports are swirling that he'll extend with Metallurg for another year as well.
That all said, the Flyers have no apparent sure things for the long-term yet, which makes adding more young talent at the goalie position a prudent strategy.
"Goalies, you almost have to be lucky to fall into place. Either you step up in the range, sometimes they fall. Once one goes, typically a bunch go right away, so you can't just reach," Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr added.
"If your second-round pick's later, you can't just reach to take a goalie just to take the goalie. If they're in that range that makes sense for your organization, you do it, but at the same time, some years it falls into place for goalie. I, personally, would like to try to draft a goalie most years. When we took two the one year, it kind of took pressure off the year after. We didn't see the value of drafting another one at some of those times, but if it happens, it happens."
Before Kolosov (2021), Bjarnason, and Zavragin (2023), the last goalie the Flyers drafted was Roddy Ross, who went 169th overall in the sixth round of the 2019 draft.
Ross, 25, never signed with the Flyers, spending four seasons playing in USports for the University of Saskatchewan before finally turning pro last season, playing 40 ECHL games for the Wichita Thunder.
The Flyers' goalie outlook can rapidly change with an injury to Vladar or Woll, or if Kolosov doesn't remain with the organization beyond the upcoming season.
Now, even the Flyers themselves have admitted it's probably time to add a new face between the pipes through the draft.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 16: Pete Alonso #25 of the Baltimore Orioles is hit by a pitch in the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on June 16, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Kevin Ng/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first inning was somewhat encouraging. Taylor Ward opened with a double and later scored on a Samuel Basallo single. But the entire lineup collected just one hit for the final eight innings. Brutal. It was an almost identical experience to the last time they faced Logan Gilbert, which was just a few days ago in Baltimore.
At least Brandon Young was good again, though not as dominant as he has sometimes been. Still, it was another quality start (six innings, three runs, four hits, four walks, two strikeouts) for the sophomore, who still sports an impressive 3.18 ERA on the year.
Because the Orioles offense was so bad, the game also wrapped up rather quickly. It took just two hours and 18 minutes from first pitch to final out. So if you did make the poor decision to stay up and watch this game, at least you still made it to bed at a somewhat reasonable time.
This west coast swing is just getting started, unfortunately. There are eight games left on this road trip, including two more in Seattle. Kyle Bradish will be on the bump tonight, and the Orioles could use a return to form for the righty. He has allowed 10 runs over his last two starts (eight total innings). They need more from him, though he is far from the only one that has hid the skids recently.
These next few days, much like the lengthy home stand a couple of weeks ago, feels make or break. If they can go .500 or so on this road trip, they will be in a good spot. If they fall apart, it could make sense to start looking towards July with a sellers’ eye.
Links
O’s get their closer back as Helsley returns from IL stint | Orioles.com In case you missed it, Ryan Helsley is back with the Birds. Anthony Nunez was sent down to Triple-A Norfolk to make room. The O’s closer says he is without pain and felt good during his two rehab outings. It’s tough luck for Nunez, who has had a rocky (but often impressive) first taste of the majors this year. He also has all of his options remaining, so he is the easiest member of the group to send down to Norfolk for now.
Digging into the mailbag | Roch Kubatko Nothing major in here, but it does include injury and rehab updates for several notable Orioles. The Orioles could use the help, though most of their success will be determined by the players already on the roster. They need their stars to perform more than they need their complementary players to get healthy.
Manny Machado: ‘I’ll always be an Oriole at heart’ | Baltimore Baseball Manny wasn’t here long enough to get his number retired, and he won’t go into the Hall of Fame as an Oriole. But his contributions to the organization are still sizable. He will likely get a spot in the Orioles’ Hall of Fame someday, and when people look back at his career it is undeniable that many of his biggest moments came in orange and black.
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Orioles birthdays
Shane Baz turns 27 today. The Orioles traded for him this past offseason, and then handed him a big extensions. So far, his performances have been mixed, though the potential remains evident.
The late Dave Pope (b. 1921, d. 1999) was born on this day. He spent parts of two seasons with the Orioles from 1955-56, playing in 98 total games in that time.
This day in O’s history
2005 – Orioles star Miguel Tejada plays in his 822nd consecutive game, tied for the ninth-longest streak in MLB history.
2008 – Top prospect Matt Wieters hits his first career home run as the Orioles beat the Mets 6-4.
Happy birthday to Andrew Chafin, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1915 – Zip Zabel comes out of the Chicago Cubsbullpen with two outs in the 1st inning to face the Brooklyn Robins. Zabel wins the game in the 19th inning, 4-3, in the longest relief effort in major league history, and other stories as well.
1943 – Boston Red Sox player-manager Joe Cronin inserts himself as a pinch-hitter in both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics – and hits three-run home runs in each at-bat, becoming the first major leaguer to pinch-hit home runs in both ends of a doubleheader.
1579 – English navigator Francis Drake lands on the coast of California at what becomes known as Drakes Bay, for ship repairs; claims area on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, and names it “Nova Albion.”
1631 – Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, then spends more than 20 years building her tomb, the Taj Mahal.
1775 – Battle of Bunker Hill (actually it was Breed’s Hill).
1885 – Statue of Liberty arrives in NYC aboard French ship “Isere.”
1954 – Rocky Marciano beats Ezzard Charles by unanimous points decision in his 3rd world heavyweight boxing title defense at Yankee Stadium, NYC.
1962 – US Open Men’s Golf, Oakmont CC: Jack Nicklaus wins his first major title by three strokes in an 18-hole playoff with Arnold Palmer.
1991 – The body of the 12th US President, Zachary Taylor, is exhumed to test how he died; rumors had persisted since his death in 1850 of arsenic poisoning – no evidence of this was found.
1994 – O.J. Simpson does not turn himself in on murder charges, forcing LA police to chase his Ford Bronco for hours before he eventually gives up (seen live on national TV).
2003 – “Moneyball”, a book about the 2003 Oakland Athletics baseball team and GM Billy Beane’s sabermetric approach, inspired by Bill James, is published.
2021 – US President Joe Biden signs into law the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act making June 19th a federal holiday commemorating emancipation.
Today in music history:
1957 – “So Rare” by Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra peaks at #2.
1965 – British rock band The Kinks arrive in NYC beginning their 1st US tour.
1966 – Peter Green, British blues-rock guitartist joins John Mayall’s Bluebreakers.
1967 – “Somebody To Love” by Jefferson Airplane peaks at #5.
1970 – British rock band Led Zeppelin begin their last European tour.
1971 – Carole King‘s album “Tapestry” goes to #1 on US album charts and stays there for 15 weeks.
1976 – New Wave band Blondie release their debut single “X Offender,” written by Debbie Harry and Gary Valentine.
1980 – Columbia Records releases Bruce Springsteen‘s fifth studio album “The River”; the 2-record set becomes a global smash, going top five in 8 countries.
1997 – Wynton Marsalis releases his “Blood on the Fields” album (first jazz work to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music – 1997).
2022 – “Running Up That Hill” single by Kate Bush goes to #1 on the UK chart; originally released in 1985, the song was featured in sci-fi television show “Stranger Things”, its record 44 year climb to the top also makes Bush (63) the oldest female artist to score a No.1.