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Eric Chavez suggested Juan Soto be more aggressive at plate during slugger's first season with Mets

Juan Soto has always been known for his patience at the plate. 

The star outfielder put that on full display during his first season with the Mets, finishing with a league-high 127 walks and a National League-best .396 on-base percentage. 

However, during the season, hitting coach Eric Chavez believed Soto could be even more productive if the 26-year-old tinkered with his approach.

Chavez was a guest on Thursday’s episode of Foul Territory and was asked whether Soto could put up big offensive numbers if he was more aggressive at the plate and, perhaps, chase out of the strike zone more often.

He revealed that he spoke with manager Carlos Mendoza about that very topic.

“There were times, and I'll be honest. There were times where, myself, and I even talked to Carlos, about if we could get him to swing maybe 0-0 or some pitches he could do damage on early in counts -- but Juan, he is a precision hitter, I wouldn’t get him out of his comfort zone at all," Chavez said.

Soto’s first-pitch-swing rate dipped from last season with the Yankees (22.5 percent).

He also cut his chase rate down to an impressive 16.5 percent. 

All of that led to Soto finishing with a career-high 43 homers and 105 RBI.

While the Mets decided to move on from Chavez last week, he did suggest one way they could get creative with Soto without getting him out of that comfort zone is by bumping him up to the top spot in the order.

Soto has only been slotted there twice to this point in his big-league career.

“Juan is so good at getting on base,” Chavez said. “There are times where things are going and you’re in the middle of the lineup. Like Pete Alonso, we know Pete is going to chase, Pete is going to do damage. Juan can drive in 140 runs, but instead of doing that, where you’re telling him to get out of his comfort zone, slide him into the leadoff spot.

“He steals bases, he gets on base at a 40-percent clip, don’t have him get out of his comfort zone of what he likes to do, but you could be just as dynamic in the leadoff spot if you look at Shohei [Ohtani] and what he's done. Without changing the player too much, just change where he hits in the battling lineup.”

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James to miss start of NBA season with sciatica

LeBron James holds his hands on his chest
LeBron James began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 [Getty Images]

LeBron James has been ruled out for up to four weeks and will miss the start of the NBA season with sciatica, Los Angeles Lakers have confirmed.

James, 40, signed a new contract with the Lakers in June and is set to become the first player to play across 23 separate NBA seasons.

Sciatica is a pain in the sciatic nerve that goes down the lower back and through the leg.

James has not taken part in pre-season and missed the defeats against the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns earlier this month because of the glute nerve irritation.

The American is expected to be sidelined for all five of the Lakers' games in October, including the season-opener against Golden State.

James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, has never previously missed the start of the season in his 22-year career.

His tally of 1,562 regular-season appearances is just 50 short of breaking former Boston Celtics star Robert Parish's NBA record.

The four-time NBA champion featured in 70 of the Lakers' 82 games last term and played on 71 occasions in the year before.

Last season, James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game and finished sixth in Most Valuable Player vote.

The Lakers qualified for the play-offs in 2024-25 but lost 4-1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.

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LeBron James out at least three weeks with sciatica: Fantasy impact, roster fallout

Lakers star LeBron James could not take the court to begin the preseason due to a right glute issue, and apparently, the injury is more serious than initially believed.

On Thursday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that James will miss at least three to four weeks due to sciatica in his right side. Due to the timeframe, he won't be available for Opening Night for the first time in his 23-year NBA career.

After failing to play at least 60 games in three consecutive seasons, James appeared in 71 and 70 games the past two. His absence opens up a spot within the Lakers' starting lineup, raising the fantasy ceilings of Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton.

Who will start with LeBron sidelined? Lakers head coach JJ Redick has multiple options at his disposal, but regardless of who he selects, that player will likely be more impactful defensively than offensively. Holdover Jarred Vanderbilt and offseason addition Marcus Smart are two possibilities, with each bringing more consistent production to the table on the defensive end of the floor. While Smart has been the better scorer of the two throughout their careers, he hasn't always been a consistent shooter.

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Another option is offseason addition Jake LaRavia, who has started the Lakers' first two preseason games. While not the defender that Vanderbilt or Smart is, LaRavia's versatility makes him an intriguing deep-league option if he's allowed to start in James' place.

As for the remaining starters, Luka Dončić is the Laker whose draft outlook will be impacted the least, as he already boasts a top-5 ADP. He'll have even more responsibility to begin the year, so fantasy managers who land Dončićwill hope his efficiency does not take a hit with LeBron unavailable.

Reaves, Ayton and Rui Hachimura should all move up draft boards, with the former being the safest option to reach for. Last season, Reaves provided fourth-round per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats. Hachimura was a late-round option a season ago, and he remains a player who should be selected just outside the first 100 picks.

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Ayton is the wild card, especially considering his play in the Lakers' first two preseason games. After a listless effort in the team's opener, the center was better in Sunday's exhibition loss to the Warriors. The former first-overall pick doesn't lack talent, but inconsistent effort is why the Lakers signed him on a relatively cheap deal this summer.

Ayton totaled 95 appearances in his two seasons with the Trail Blazers, including 40 during the 2024-25 campaign.

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Instant Observations from Phillies' heartbreaking season-ending loss to Dodgers

Instant Observations from Phillies' heartbreaking season-ending loss to Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LOS ANGELES — There was hope leaving Dodger Stadium Wednesday night. The Phillies were reminded what they’re capable of doing and put together a complete performance with an offensive explosion and structurally sound pitching.

All the momentum was in the Phillies’ favor going into Game 4. Cristopher Sanchez was on the mound and a win would send the NLDS back to Philadelphia with a chance to advance to the National League Championship Series for the third time in four seasons.

That hope went wide and fast, as did Orion Kerkering’s failed attempt to get Andy Pages out at home in the 11th inning when the third out was right there at first base. An unbelievably frustrating error that will linger well into the offseason and beyond.

2-1, Dodgers. That’s a wrap on the Phillies’ 2025 season. One that started with so much hope to bounce back from a devastating exit last season.

This exit already feels worse.

•Rob Thomson puts Orion Kerkering in behind Jesus Luzardo twice in this series and it came back to bite them, twice. There are two outs in the 11th and one of your top arms is on the mound, how do you opt to go to Kerkering in such a high-level situation? As the final ball of the evening dribbled out to Kerkering on the mound, J.T. Realmuto was gesturing for him to throw the ball over to first base. The ball soared so far away from Realmuto that you almost couldn’t believe it. But it happened. And that’s the lasting memory people will take away from this one. Thomson said the plan was to only have Luzardo pitch one inning because he was working on short rest and when he was pushing 30 pitches with back-to-back righties coming up, he wanted to make the change. It’s a nightmare of an ending when the game was still in reach.

•Sticking with the theme of two, how do you waste two fantastic starts from Cristopher Sanchez in the same series? Two of them. Zack Wheeler is done for the season and Sanchez steps up as the club’s ace without hesitation or difficulty to adapt and you can’t find a way to score any kind of run support? Poor Sanchez. Poor Luzardo for getting the same experience in Game two. And poor Sanchez, again. This is nothing new for the Phillies. The same thing happened with Wheeler in Game One of the NLDS last year against the Mets.

•The Phillies mustered up one run in 11 innings. That’s not good enough against any team, especially one looking to repeat as World Champions. Truth of the matter is, the big bats wanted to play hero ball. There were big swings and big moments in Game 3 that were trying to be replicated. They didn’t adjust, they didn’t try to play small, it was swing for the fences and go back to the dugout. How do you expect to win a series, let alone a game, when the top three in the order go 1-for-14? The photo-finish of the Kerkering throw ending the game is what people will remember down the road … but this one was lost well before.

•Give Sanchez his flowers. Give him the whole dang garden. If Sanchez comes out next season at this level, expect to see his name in Cy Young conversations. Sanchez pitched 6.1 innings, allowing five hits and one run. You couldn’t ask for anything better.

•Circle the sixth inning as the silent killer. Outside of an early Alec Bohm error Thursday, the defense was everything you needed it to be in an elimination game. Trea Turner makes a diving catch to squash all momentum on the base paths and helps Sanchez out of his fifth consecutive scoreless inning. How does the heart of the order respond? Kyle Schwarber strikeout, Bryce Harper ground out, Alec Bohm single and Brandon Marsh being called out on strikes.

•Nick Castellanos has the potential to go down as one of the most misunderstood athletes in Philadelphia history. His honesty is unique in ways you don’t see often anymore, and because he’s in the spotlight, it gets tossed under a microscope. Of course he cares and it’s crazy to think otherwise. Castellanos sent a jolt through Citizens Bank Park in the ninth inning in Game 2 with a two-run double. He then rips one down the left field line just fair Thursday to get Max Kepler home from second. It took seven innings to get a run across the plate from either team and Castellanos gets the credit for it.

•There weren’t many holes in the lineup once the series shifted to L.A. but a surprising one has been Brandon Marsh. There were a handful of at-bats from Marsh with two outs and runners on where he couldn’t get anything going. It happened twice in Game 3 and in the first inning of Game 4. You know the stakes and getting even a single run across home plate would’ve been huge right out of the gate. Unlike Wednesday, it came back to bite the Phillies. Marsh went 0-for-7 in the final two games.

•It was a roller-coaster first year in Philadelphia for Max Kepler. There were offensive struggles, comments made about wanting to be an every day player and a turnaround that no one could’ve predicted. Kepler has come up HUGE defensively in the past two games with two diving catches that stopped the bleeding before it even had a chance to begin. Freddie Freeman led off the bottom of the second with a single and if Tommy Edman’s line drive to left had gotten past him, there’s a good chance the Dodgers go up.

•You know the definition of insanity — doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different outcome. A picture of the core of the 2022-25 Phillies officially needs to be printed next to the definition moving forward. How upsetting it will be to look back on this core and think they never won it all. So many squandered opportunities in the most heartbreaking of ways. Moves that should’ve been made two seasons ago will now have to be made simply due to the amount of expiring contracts within the club. When the Phillies take the field in about five months, things are going to look very different.

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LeBron James out at least 3-4 weeks with sciatica on his right side, will miss opening night

One of the most impressive parts of LeBron James' career has been his durability. For example, in 22 seasons, he had never missed an opening night.

That changes this year. LeBron James is out with sciatica on his right side and will be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks, the Lakers have announced. That means he is out for opening night, Oct. 21, when the Lakers host Stephen Curry and the Warriors in the second game of a double-header, the games that mark the return of the NBA to NBC and its debut on Peacock.

Even the most optimistic timeline has LeBron missing the Lakers' first six games, but with him being re-evaluated in a month expect that number to climb into the double digits.

Sciatica is a shooting pain, often accompanied by weakness or numbness, along one side of the body due to pressure on the sciatic nerve. That nerve runs from the lower back through the hips and down the leg to the feet. That compression of the nerve can be caused by a number of things, such as a herniated disc, a bone spur, lifting something heavy incorrectly, or other issues. The treatment rarely involves surgery, but is more about rest, specific stretches and exercises (depending on the cause of the pain) and heat/ice on the affected area.

LeBron, 40, was a second-team All-NBA player for the Lakers last season averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds a game. The Lakers had hoped to use this year's training camp to get LeBron and Luka Doncic more comfortable playing next to one another, but LeBron's sciatica has put that on hold. Doncic has been a full participant in practices, Lakers coach J.J. Redick said today.

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"Super Honored": Emmitt Finnie Grateful For Opportunity With Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings are set to begin their centennial campaign with a matchup on Thursday evening against the historic Original Six rival Montreal Canadiens, and while this campaign will be all about the franchise celebrating a full century in Motor City, there are several youngsters being introduced into the institution that is Red Wings hockey. 

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (15th overall, 2024), Axel Sandin-Pellikka (17th overall, 2023), and Emmitt Finnie (201st overall, 2023) have all made sufficient enough an impression on Red Wings coaching and management during Training Camp and the pre-season that they saw fit to reward them with roster spots for Opening Night. 

Finnie will be getting a true baptism by fire into the NHL, beginning his young career playing on Detroit's first line with team captain Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. 

Naturally, when he found out the news that he'd made the cut, it was an exciting feeling. 

"I just came to the rink and found out I was going to be in the lineup, there was lots of excitement and nerves for tonight, but just you know, happy it all worked out," Finnie explained Thursday morning ahead of his NHL debut.

It doesn't seem like long ago that established Red Wings players like Larkin, Raymond, and Moritz Seider were once rookies themselves, and Finnie has leaned on their support and picked their brains on what he himself can expect as he hits the ice for the first time in regular season play. 

"I've talked to a couple of guys about their first games and how to kind of get into it and relax then nerves, and they tell just keep telling me to play my game and the nerves will settle in off the start," Finnie said. "Just be super confident out there and play my game."

Just like his rookie teammates Brandsegg-Nygård and Sandin-Pellikka, Finnie is going to have a large presence of relatives in the stands to watch his inaugural contest.

"I've got my mom and dad, brother, sister, my girlfriend, aunt, uncle, and his wife," he said of who will be coming to support him. "Lots of family and friends." 

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

Finnie especially impressed with his play in Training Camp and the pre-season, during which he skated in seven of eight games and was used in all situations by head coach Todd McLellan. Not only does he possess tremendous speed, he's also shown that he's unafraid to go into the tough areas of the ice - not something that your average 20-year-old does with such enthusiasm. 

"I think I bring a high motor, I feel like a 200 foot player, and I have lots of speed so I can be all over the ice and impact the game in lots of ways," Finnie said of his playing style. 

During McLellan's press conference following Wednesday's practice, he said he'd love to have some of the younger Red Wings players take a crash course in Red Wings history so that they could better appreciate that their vocation has brought them to such a historic team.

While Finnie was only weeks away from turning three years of age when the Red Wings last won the Stanley Cup in 2008, he's already familiarized himself with some of the dominant teams of years past who wore the logo he now sports himself. 

"I'm pretty familiar with it, just obviously watching highlights and stuff like it," Finnie said of understanding the history of the team he now plays for during their most recent period of NHL supremacy. "They were a dominant team and had dominant players. It's definitely the expectation for this team, and they've built a legacy around it. We just want to get back to that point."

Meet The New Guys: Detroit's Trio Of RookiesMeet The New Guys: Detroit's Trio Of RookiesThe Detroit Red Wings will open their 100th season on Thursday by ushering in a new era, as top prospects Emmitt Finnie, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka make their NHL debuts in key lineup roles.

Starting his own career in the 100th year of the winningest franchise in the history of any United States-based NHL team isn't something that Finnie is taking for granted. 

"It's very special, obviously the Winged Wheel is a historic logo and any time you get to wear it, it's very special," he said. "I'm super honored to be in this position." 

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LeBron James to miss Lakers' opening game because of sciatica issue

El Segunda, CA, Monday, September 29, 2025 - LeBron James talks with reporters.
LeBron James will be reevaluated in three to four weeks for a sciatica issue that has sidelined him during training camp. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James will miss the season opener with what the team said was a sciatica nerve injury on his right side, the team announced after practice Thursday. The Lakers said James will be re-evaluated in approximately three to four weeks and that further updates will be provided at that time.

James, who is entering an NBA-record 23rd season, was limited to mostly individual workouts while dealing with nerve irritation in the glute during training camp. He didn’t play in the Lakers’ first two preseason games.

When asked about managing stars Luka Doncic and James during camp before the announcement was made about his superstar player, Lakers coach JJ Redick told the media that the 40-year-old James was “on his own timeline.”

"You gotta play the cards you're dealt,” Redick told reporters. “I know that's a cliche, but that's just reality. … No one's gotten any time with LeBron. … He hasn't been on the court with the team. So that's just reality."

The Lakers open the regular season Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors, but fans won’t get to see legends James and Stephen Curry share the court together at Crypto.com Arena.

The best-case scenario for James and the Lakers have him returning in three weeks, meaning he would miss the first five games and would return to play Oct. 31 at Memphis.

Read more:Fan is suing LeBron James for 'fraud, deception' after Lakers star teased 'Second Decision'

The four-week timeframe would have James missing the first nine games and coming back Nov. 8 at Atlanta.

The last time James spoke to the media was on media day on Sept. 29 and the conversation was about his plans on retirement.

He didn’t give a timeline then, mostly shrugging it off.

“I don't know,” James said then. “I'm excited about today, I'm excited about an opportunity to be able to play a game that I love for another season. And whatever the journey, however the journey lays out this year, I'm just super invested, because like you just said, I don't know when the end is, but I know it's a lot sooner than later.

“So just being super appreciative of the fact that I could come up here, do another media day and talk to you guys and do all this stuff around here, so just excited about the journey and whatever this year has in store for me.”

James has just one year left on his deal with the Lakers, a $52.6-million contract option that he exercised over the summer. He did not sign an extension with the Lakers, meaning that James will be a free agent when the 2025-26 season is over, free to sign with another team — or retire.

James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer during the regular season with 42,184 points. He’s played the second-most regular-season games in history at 1,562, only 50 behind the leader, Robert Parish, a record James is in line to break this season — although that timeline has been pushed back because of his sciatica injury.

He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists last season, showing no signs of slowing down.

“The things that still push me is the fact that the love of the game is still high,” James said on media day. “The love of the process is even higher. So that's what continues to push me to play this game. I mean, it's really that simple. Me training and working on my body and trying to get my body as close to 100% as possible every year, it's something that's like — it's a beautiful thing for me.

“Just continue to challenge to see how well I can push myself to play the game at a high level, recover at a high level, be able to sleep better, mentally prepare, try to stay sharp throughout the course of a long season. And just the roller coaster of an NBA season, that's all like, gratifying to me, no matter the good, the bad, the ugly. I love that process. … So much that goes into it, more than just picking up a basketball and shooting at the rim.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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6-Foot-9 Forward Makes NHL Debut As Senators Begin New Season In Tampa

Now... where were we?

After ending an eight-year playoff drought last spring, the Ottawa Senators begin a brand new season Thursday night, easing oh, so gently into the new campaign with two road games against heated division rivals and perennial powerhouses. 

No biggie.

It’ll be a visit to Tampa tonight against the Lightning, then Sunrise on Saturday to take on the Panthers. The two Florida teams ended their preseasons in ornery fashion — trying to settle old scores and beat the tar out of each other – so as far as compete-level goes, they're both wide awake to open a new year, and looking to make a good impression on their fans.

As the Senators contend with all that, they'll also be without Drake Batherson and Tyler Kleven, both still nursing injuries. If not for their absence, Ottawa’s lineup would look almost identical to the one that bowed out in six games to the Toronto Maple Leafs last May.

But with Batherson sidelined and Adam Gaudette signing in San Jose over the summer, two free agent signings slip into the forward mix and make their Sens debuts tonight. Lars Eller will, of course, be an everyday player in the bottom six, and it looks like Olle Lycksell will slot in tonight as the 12th forward. 

On defense, Kleven’s absence means Donovan Sebrango draws in on the third pair beside Nikolas Matinpalo.

That leaves newcomer Jordan Spence, a right shot, on the outside looking in — at least for opening night. Earlier today, THN's Graeme Nichols wrote about Spence starting his Sens career in the press box.

Jordan Spence: A Healthy Scratch For Ottawa Senators Season OpenerJordan Spence: A Healthy Scratch For Ottawa Senators Season OpenerThe acquisition of Jordan Spence in the offseason was a move that garnered a lot of praise around the nation's capital because of the shortcomings the Senators had last season with their right-shot depth.

There was some discussion about Spence playing his wrong side in Kleven’s place, but the Sens opted for Sebrango, the natural lefty, who has just two career NHL games under his belt.

If there’s an upside to the 5-foot-11, 188-pound Spence sitting out, it’s that he won’t have to retrieve pucks in the corner against a Tampa forecheck that will include 6-foot-9, 242-pound Curtis Douglas. The 25-year-old Chara-sized forward was claimed off waivers from Utah earlier this week and is expected to make his NHL debut tonight.

Ottawa Senators Projected Lineup vs Tampa Bay

Forwards
Tkachuk – Stützle – Zetterlund
Perron – Cozens – Amadio
Greig – Pinto – Giroux
Cousins – Eller – Lycksell

Defense
Sanderson – Zub
Chabot – Jensen
Sebrango – Matinpalo

Goaltenders
Ullmark (starter)
Meriläinen

Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lineup

Forwards
Guentzel – Point – Kucherov
Hagel – Cirelli – Goncalves
Bjorkstrand – Gourde – Chaffee
Geekie – Holmberg – Douglas

Defense
Hedman – Raddysh
McDonagh – Cernak
Lilleberg – Crozier

Goaltenders
Vasilevskiy
Johansson

As for last season, Tampa finished seventh overall in the NHL last season, just five points ahead of Ottawa, their expansion cousins. The two clubs split their four-game season series, 2-2. The game plan remains relatively simple. Keep Tampa's top line in check, and you give yourself a chance. But if they go off, as they often do, it's lights out. No Ottawa player last season had more points than Jake Guentzel (80), Brayden Point (82) and Nikita Kucherov (121).

The Sens went 3-3 in preseason while Tampa finished 6-1, which head coach Jon Cooper put zero stock in.

"I've seen teams in the league that have gone undefeated in the preseason and didn't make the playoffs that year. So you take parts of your game out of the preseason, but the win-loss record is kind of irrelevant, to be honest."

That all changes tonight, as things get real. Faceoff is 7 pm on TSN5.

More Sens Headlines From The Hockey News Ottawa:
Travis Green Says Senators Are 'Headed In the Right Direction'
Senators Send Yakemchuk To The Minors, Place Batherson And Kleven On IR
Sens Land A True NHL Heavyweight In A Deal With The Devils
More Senators Broadcast Changes: Marc Methot Out At TSN
Brady Tkachuk On Starring In Prime Video Show: 'I'm An Open Book To Begin With'
Broadcast Frustrations Resurface For Senators Fans

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Lyon The Latest Opening Game Goalie For The Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres embark on their 2025-26 regular season on Thursday against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center with a certain amount of uncertainty between the pipes, as veteran Alex Lyon will step in for injured starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The lower-body issues that Luukkonen suffered before training camp and during the Sabres preseason home finale last week has his status in limbo, which means that head coach Lindy Ruff will lean heavily on Lyon in the month of October. 

The Sabres are hoping to seize on a home-heavy schedule in October, as they start the campaign with six of their first eight games at KBC, and only one back-to-back contest. Lyon has carried the ball before in the American Hockey League, but could never earn a starter’s role in Philadelphia, where he spent four seasons. The 32-year-old played down the stretch for Florida three years ago, helping the Panthers win the final Eastern Conference playoff spot by a point over the Sabres. 

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Lyon turned that opportunity into a two-year deal with Detroit, where he was the primary starter in 2024 and split duties with Cam Talbot last season. The signing with Buffalo gave the Sabres a capable Plan B in case Luukkonen regressed as he did last season, since the Sabres clearly do not want to continue to recall and demote Devon Levi multiple times and allow him to develop in AHL Rochester. 

The interesting note is that tonight the Sabres will have a different goalie starting the season opener for the fourth straight season. In 2022-23, veteran Craig Anderson started and the Sabres beat the Ottawa Senators 4-1. In 2023, 22-year-old Devon Levi was given the net to start the season and lost three of first four starts, including the opener to the Rangers 5-1. Last season, after playing well in the second-half of 2024, Luukkonen started the opener of the Global Series in Prague, losing 4-1 to the Devils. 

There is a great deal of pressure on the Sabres to get off to a good start and a lot of that will depend on Buffalo playing better defensively, which has been the mantra of training camp, and Lyon being up to the task of being the starter while Luukkonen is out of action.