The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL enters trade season leading into the NHL Draft in two weeks, and the beginning of free agency on July 1. Based on a lengthy impasse between pending UFA Alex Tuch, most insiders are expecting the 30-year-old to sign elsewhere since there continues to be a considerable gap between what Tuch’s representatives are looking for and what Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen is willing to pay him.
There is a slim possibility that Buffalo could get something significant in return for the Syracuse, NY native if they arrange a sign-and-trade, so that another club can have him on an eight-year deal and spread out the AAV to lower the cap hit, but with the likely scenario that he simply walks away when free agency opens next month, Kekalainen will have to pivot to fill the scoring gap.
Over the next few weeks, we will look at potential options for the Sabres. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, that absence may have to be filled by youngsters like Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund, but Kekalainen will potentially need to find a veteran winger to replace Tuch in the top six.
Kekalainen will likely looking for a veteran with some leadership, a history of playoff performance, with cost certainty and some term remaining on his deal instead of a younger player like Anaheim’s Mason McTavish, who is 23 years old and is signed long term at an AAV of $7 million. Marchessault might be a fit for what the Sabres are looking for, if he would be willing to waive his no trade protection come to Buffalo.
The acquisition could be quite risky, since the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy winner is 35 and dropped from 42 goals with Vegas in 2024, to 21 in 2025, to 12 in 62 games with Nashville last season. The Predators may be in the process of a retool over a rebuild, and new GM Chris McFarland has already begun the reshuffle of his roster with the trade with Colorado for center Ross Colton on Tuesday.
The $5.5 million AAV for three more seasons is quite reasonable if he can bounce back and score 20+ goals. Kekalainen would likely not move any of his young forwards. Marchessault’s declining numbers could make the acquisition price relatively economical, with Nashville potentially willing to swap the veteran for a draft choice, a B-level prospect or a forward making a significant salary off the Sabres roster, like Ryan McLeod or Jordan Greenway.
The Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees meet again following New York's 12-2 whooping of Chicago, and our White Sox vs. Yankees predictions expect a similar outcome.
Find out why in my MLB picks for Wednesday, June 17.
Who will win White Sox vs Yankees today: Yankees -1.5 (+120)
This is one of the bigger ERA-to-expected ERA gaps you'll find this season.
Anthony Kay’s8.74 expected ERA is concerning, especially paired with a .438 xwOBA allowed and a 58%+ hard-hit rate. Regression is coming, and few teams are better equipped to take advantage of it.
In addition, it's not ideal that a 15% walk rate puts free runners in front of a New York Yankees lineup that I think has found its footing again.
Carlos Rodon counters with a 75th-percentile strikeout rate and 81st-percentile xERA against a Chicago White Sox lineup that strikes out heavily. Play to +100.
White Sox vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-103)
I like the Over to -130.
Anthony Kay's .594 expected SLG allowed and 10.3% barrel rate is a big story. I mentioned how I expect the Yankees to hit him hard, and there's just loads of evidence to back that up.
On the other side, Carlos Rodon's Bottom 3 percentile walk rate is always a story. It's an issue here because this White Sox team has quietly hung around the top ten of baseball in various hard-hit metrics.
The Yankees will do the heavy lifting, and the White Sox will put up a crooked inning in a hitter-friendly stadium.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 29-26, +5.46 units
Over/Under bets: 34-22, +15.82 units
White Sox vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Chicago +155 | New York -190
Run line: Chicago +1.5 | New York -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
White Sox vs Yankees trend
The New York Yankees have hit the moneyline in seven of their last eight games (+6.10 Units / 63% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Yankees.
How to watch White Sox vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
First pitch
7:05 p.m. ET
TV
CHSN, Amazon Prime Video
White Sox starting pitcher
Anthony Kay (6-1, 4.34 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Carlos Rodon (2-2, 3.19 ERA)
White Sox vs Yankees latest injuries
White Sox vs Yankees weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Chicago Blackhawks are going to make the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. They dropped two spots in the lottery, so they slot in behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, and Vancouver Canucks. It is expected that they are going to get a great prospect with this selection.
There is a lot of dialogue around the hockey community when it comes to the top 10 in this draft. 3 forwards stick out above the rest, and four defensemen who project to lead the pack at that position. There is also a Latvian player that some team is going to take a chance on, and may be thankful they did years down the line.
What will the order be when teams come up to make their selections? This mock draft goes through the 16 picks that were put through the lottery for non-playoff teams:
1. Toronto Maple Leafs - Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State
The Toronto Maple Leafs, unless they go way off the board, are going to select Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. With big changes within the organization over the last 12 months, he will be a part of their fresh start.
2. San Jose Sharks - Chase Reid, D, Sault St. Marie
Are the San Jose Sharks going to pass on the second-best talent in the draft for what they believe is the top defenseman in the draft? Chase Reid may be a star, and the Sharks need young defensemen in the organization much more than they need forwards.
3. Vancouver Canucks - Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford
The Vancouver Canucks hired Caleb Malhotra's dad, Manny, to be their head coach this offseason. Now, they have a chance to select his son, who happens to be the best true center in the draft.
4. Chicago Blackhawks - Ivar Stenberg, LW, Frolunda
With the Sharks valuing a defenseman and the Canucks going with the bloodline, Ivar Stenberg falls to the Chicago Blackhawks at 4th overall. He plans on playing in the NHL as soon as 2026-27, and the Blackhawks have room for him with one of Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, or his countryman Anton Frondell.
5. New York Rangers - Keaton Verhoeff, D, North Dakota
The New York Rangers need everything to get back into contention after falling out of it. An offensive-minded defenseman with lots of skill makes sense for them as they move forward. Keaton Verhoeff would be a great addition to their future blue line.
6. Calgary Flames - Carson Carels, D, Prince George
Carson Carels joining the elite farm system that exists within the Calgary Flames organization would be perfect for his development curve. There is an argument to be made that he is the best defenseman in the class, but he falls to six here.
7. Seattle Kraken - Alberts Smits, D, Jukurit
Alberts Smits of Latvia seems to be the buffer between the top defensive prospects and the next tier. The Seattle Kraken taking a risk on him seems to be a great fit at this point, as they need a little bit of everything added to their roster.
8. Winnipeg Jets - Daxon Rudolph, D, Prince Albert
Daxon Rudolph doesn't have the projected ceiling that the other defenseman already off the board have, but the Winnipeg Jets have been a master of developing blue-liners and turning them into stars.
9. Florida Panthers - Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University
The Florida Panthers, who entered this season as the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, had one bad year due to injuries and will make the 9th overall pick. If they add Tynan Lawrence, who spent parts of this season as a projected top-three pick, they would only be improving their future, which is scary for the rest of the league.
The hockey nation of Sweden is pumping out multiple high-end forward prospects these days, and Viggo Bjorck is one of them. He impressed at the World Junior Championships on a team that also had Anton Frondell and Ivar Stenberg. He was also great for Sweden at the Men's World Championships and solidified himself as a top-ten pick. The Nashville Predators could use a dynamic winger like him in their pipeline and possibly on their team.
11. St. Louis Blues - J.P. Hurlbert, LW, Kamloops
The St. Louis Blues have two picks in the top 15. It might be wise for them to use both on forwards to improve their overall skill within the organization. Here at 11, J.P. Hurlbert of the Kamloops Blazers makes sense. He is committed to Michigan in the NCAA in 2026-27.
12. New Jersey Devils - Oscar Hemming, RW, Boston College
Oscar Hemming, a Finnish forward, played 19 games for Boston College in 2025-26. The potential to play with one of Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier may help him take his game to another level if he ever makes it to the NHL.
13. New York Islanders - Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor
The New York Islanders had a strong draft in 2025, including Matthew Schaefer with the number one overall pick. Now, they have a chance to add a stud forward in Ethan Belchetz, who spent the 2025-26 season with the Windsor Spitfires. Now, he will transition to play college hockey at Michigan State.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets - Adam Novotny, LW, Peterborough
The Columbus Blue Jackets are close to being a playoff team, but they must continue adding to their prospect pool. Adam Novotny is a strong forward who can score goals with the best of them, as far as prospects are concerned.
15. St. Louis Blues via Detroit Red Wings - Brooks Rogowski, RW, Oshawa
The St. Louis Blues have the 15th overall pick as a result of the Justin Faulk trade with the Detroit Red Wings. Brooks Rogowski, a winger, is the selection here for them. He is a winger who can make their middle six better with the potential of a top-line forward.
16. Washington Capitals - Ryan Lin, D, Vancouver
The Washington Capitals no longer have John Carlson, so selecting a defenseman may be something they are interested in for their long-term future. Ryan Lin is an option for them at 16th overall.
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LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani will make his scheduled start on the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Ohtani (6-2, 1.06 ERA) left a game in Pittsburgh with left knee inflammation. He missed the next day’s game against the White Sox in Chicago, then returned. This will be his first start since the injury in Chicago.
Roberts said the swelling in Ohtani’s knee had “completely dissipated.”
“I saw that he had just a catch-play right now,” Roberts said of Ohtani’s work. “He’s going to do his touchy-feely deal from the mound in a little bit. I saw him play some catch. Looks good, feels good. Look forward to him making a start tomorrow.”
The game against the Rays is an early afternoon start. It’s a tight window to prep and an early start.
“He likes his sleep. It’s certainly not ideal, but the calendar is the calendar,” Roberts said. “He’ll get his rest and do what he can to post tomorrow. … Anyone that has anything that has a potential red flag, we’ll certainly be watching closely. But again, he wouldn’t start if we felt that we were going to put him in harm’s way. He’s a competitor.”
After a 1-0 win over the Rays, Roberts said Ohtani would not hit.
In his last pitching start, Ohtani gave up four runs — three earned runs — in 6 2/3 innings and the Dodgers lost to Pittsburgh, 9-8.
Edman back in action
Utility man Tommy Edman was reinstated by the Dodgers following offseason ankle surgery.
Edman, who was the 2024 NLCS MVP in the Dodgers World Series championship year, will make his season debut soon.
“The good thing was, I saw progress with every step along the way. It just wasn’t as fast as I expected,” Edman said.
TODAY’S GAME: The Astros and Tigers will play the rubber game of their three-game series today in an afternoon matchup at Daikin Park.
RHP Peter Lambert (5-4), who’s won three straight decisions, will get the start for the Astros opposite the Tigers and RHP Casey Mize (2-3), who’s being activated off of the IL to make today’s start.
DRIVING THE LAMBO: Today’s Astros starter RHP Peter Lambert has been solid in his 10 starts for the Astros, going 5-4 with a 3.47 ERA (22ER/57IP) with 53 strikeouts and a .212 opponent average.
Lambert pitched last year for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the NPB, posting a 3.98 ERA (55ER/124.1IP) with 111 strikeouts in 23 appearances in Japan.
He began this season at Triple A Sugar Land (1.84 ERA in three appearances) before being called up to join the rotation on April 17.
VS. THE TIGERS: The Astros and Tigers will play all seven of their games against each other within a two-week span, with the Astros traveling to Detroit next weekend.
In 2025, the Astros and Tigers finished with identical 87-75 records, but because the Tigers won the season series over the Astros, they earned the final Wild Card playoff spot.
TODAY’S RADIO BROADCAST: The Astros English radio broadcast today will feature Robert Ford and Kevin Eschenfelder, who’s subbing for Steve Sparks.
Sparks will return to the booth on Friday.
LOS ASTROS: Space City Home Network is televising this series in English and Spanish with the Spanish broadcast being televised on SCHN2.
Enrique Vasquez and Gene Flores are on the call on the Spanish telecast this series.
PEN PALS: Since May 15, the Astros bullpen has a 2.73 ERA (33ER/108.2IP) with 101 strikeouts, a 1.04 WHIP and a .189 opponent average.
Among AL teams since May 15, the Astros bullpen ranks first in ERA, first in WHIP, and first in opponent batting average.
The Astros are also 17-13 since May 15.
ALL-STAR VOTING UPDATE: On Monday, MLB announced the first balloting update for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, which revealed DH Yordan Alvarez as the AL’s top vote-getter among all position players.
Other Astros among the AL’s top 10 at their respective positions: 2B Jose Altuve (4th), SS Jeremy Peña (5th), 1B Christian Walker (9th), 3B Isaac Paredes (9th), and C Yainer Diaz (9th).
MAKING THE PLAYS: The Astros have committed the fewest errors (29) and own the best fielding percentage (.989) in the AL.
1B Christian Walker has led the way, as he has not committed an error in 74 games and 522 total chances.
LAST NIGHT’S WIN: The Astros and Tigers played an entertaining ballgame last night with Houston scoring three in the 8th for a 4-2 comeback victory.
3B Raynel Delgado (2×4, 2RBI) was the hero as the rookie hit a go ahead, two-run single in the 8th for what were his first Major League RBI.
RHP Hunter Brown (1ER/5.2IP) made his much-anticipated return from the IL and fanned seven in his outing, but did not factor into the decision.
THE HUNT IS ON: RHP Hunter Brown returned from the IL last night after dealing with a right shoulder strain which cost him over two months, 67 team games, and approximately 12 starts.
He was effective in his return, improving to 1-0 with a 1.10 ERA (2ER/16.1IP) in three starts in 2026.
A 2025 All-Star, Brown finished third in the 2026 AL in Cy Young voting after going 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA.
ON THE LEADERBOARD: DH Yordan Alvarez leads MLB in OPS (1.074), SLG (.644) and total bases (174).
In the AL, he ranks first in batting average (.326), first in hits (88), first in HR (24), first in XBH (38), second in RBI (54), second in OBP (.430), fourth in BB (46) and seventh in runs (49).
ON-BASE MACHINE: OF Yordan Alvarez is on a 23-game on-base streak (dating back to May 22), in which he’s batting .376 (32×85) with nine homers, 23 RBI, 15 walks, a .471 OBP and a 1.200 OPS.
This ranks as the fifth-longest streak of his career and his longest since he posted a 26-game streak from Aug. 2-Sept. 2, 2024.
SELECT COMPANY: DH Yordan Alvarez played in his 750th career game on Monday and went 2×4 to raise his career average to exactly .300.
With 194 career HR, Alvarez ranked sixth in MLB history in homers through a players first 750 career games.
THE LINEUP: The Astros have not repeated a lineup, using 75 different lineups in their 75 games.
DH Yordan Alvarez has the most starts at any spot in the lineup among Astros, hitting second 63 times.
WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER: 1B Christian Walker ranks third in the AL in RBI (52), behind only 1B Nick Kurtz (57) and DH Yordan Alvarez (54).
He also ranks tied for fifth in AL in homers (18), sixth in total bases (137) and tied for sixth in extra-base hits (32).
SEÑOR CIEN: IF Isaac Paredes, who recently reached 500 career hits and 100 career homers, recorded his 100th career double last night.
He is now just the fourth Mexican-born player in MLB history with 500 career hits, 100 doubles and 100 home runs, joining IF Vinny Castilla, IF Jorge Orta and IF Aurelio Rodríguez.
WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader is 1-0 with three saves and a 0.00 ERA (0ER/6IP) in six appearances this season.
He’s allowed just two baserunners (one walk, one hit) and has fanned eight.
Hader had a delayed start to the season, missing the first two months with left biceps tendinitis.
ON THE MEND: RHP Cristian Javier started last night for Triple A Sugar Land at ABQ (COL) in what was his third minor league rehab start.
He worked 3.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with six strikeouts, while throwing 63 pitches (37 strikes).
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, June 17, 1:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
WASHINGTON — Nationals reliever Paxton Schultz has his first career victory thanks to a rarely seen official scorer’s decision.
Schultz pitched a scoreless eighth inning in Washington’s 6-4 victory over Kansas City. The Nationals already were up 6-3 when he entered the game — they’d scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh — but that didn’t preclude Schultz from receiving the win.
In the top of the seventh, Washington was up 3-1 when Richard Lovelady entered the game with one out and two on. He retired two of the three men he faced, but the one batter who reached against him was Isaac Collins, whose two-run single tied the game at 3.
Although Lovelady was in the game when the Nationals took the lead for good, according to Rule 9.17 (c), a reliever is not supposed to receive the win if he has been “ineffective in a brief appearance.” If that sounds like a harsh way of describing Lovelady’s outing — 2/3 of an inning, one hit, zero earned runs — the rule book gives even more guidance.
“The official scorer generally should, but is not required to, consider the appearance of a relief pitcher to be ineffective and brief if such relief pitcher pitches less than one inning and allows two or more earned runs to score (even if such runs are charged to a previous pitcher),” it says.
The rules about awarding wins to relievers have been in the news recently after Texas rookie Robby Ahlstrom got his first victory via a scoring appeal. Ahlstrom entered with two outs in the fifth inning against Kansas City. The Rangers led 3-2 in a game they’d eventually win 4-2. Because the starter didn’t go five innings, the official scorer was supposed to give the win to the most effective reliever.
Ahlstrom got a celebratory beer shower after that game, only to find out that Jacob Latz — who came in later — had received the win. The Rangers appealed, and MLB eventually changed the win to Ahlstrom.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers rookie left-hander Robby Ahlstrom is OK not celebrating his first big league victory a second time.
That celebratory beer shower Ahlstrom got in the clubhouse after a road win in Kansas City just came four days before he officially was awarded that win.
“I mean, we celebrated like I did (get the win). I mean everybody thought it was going to be that way,” Ahlstrom said two days before his 27th birthday and a day after an appealed scoring change rightfully made him a winner.
“A little interesting finding out after the fact,” he said. “I was more thinking of like, I don’t want to go through that beer shower again.”
Ahlstrom came on with two outs in the fifth inning and a runner on in the finale of a four-game series against the Royals. He retired all four batters he faced while Texas extended its lead to 4-2. Cole Winn then threw a scoreless inning and closer Jacob Latz finished it with two perfect innings.
Since Texas starter Kumar Rocker had exited one out shy of qualifying for the win, it was assumed by everyone — except the official scorer that day — that Ahlstrom was the winner in his fourth big league appearance, and Latz had another save.
It wasn’t until Ahlstrom checked his phone afterward that he saw the official box score listing Latz as the winner instead.
“No one wants to get beer poured on them if they don’t even get the win,” Latz said. “So we’re happy that it was actually meaningful.”
The Rangers appealed the decision by the scorer. That process included input from Latz, who noted that he had entered the game in a save situation and said Ahlstrom deserved the win.
MLB made the change, with manager Skip Schumaker informing Ahlstrom just before pregame stretch and congratulating him again for his first win. His fellow relievers cheered the news.
“He got the beer shower already, so I’m glad he didn’t have to do that again,” said Schumaker, adding he was excited for Ahlstrom, who made his big league debut June 3.
“You put MLB next to it, it’s kind of cool getting your debut, your first strikeout. But the ultimate goal is to come up here and help the team win ballgames,” Ahlstrom said. “So if you have a ‘W’ next to your name, you did something right. So I think that’d be the coolest part.”
I still have plenty of digging to do to get myself out of this home run hole, but I've hit a dinger here in four straight articles and have gone +10.71 units over those four days. Let's keep the good time rolling with some four-baggers and MLB player props.
The price on Alec Bohm is nearly 300 points higher than it has been all week, yet today's matchup might be the best one he's seen. Michael Busch is also being priced as a lefty-on-lefty matchup, but the Colorado bullpen will be forced to cover innings today and doesn't have a left-handed option available.
Finally, I need a piece of this Pirates/Athletics game because Sutter Health Park is a launching pad, and Bryan Reynolds stands out.
These are my favorite home run props for Wednesday, June 17.
UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Alec Bohm
+940
Michael Busch
+508
Bryan Reynolds
+404
💲Today's HR parlay
+29317
Home run pick: Alec Bohm (+940)
Citizens Bank Park ranks as the second-best home run park on the board today, per Ballpark Pal. The Phillies have a home run edge against Sandy Alcantara, who owns the 18th-worst HR/9 rate among MLB starters over the last 30 days and doesn't generate many ground balls, with a 36.3% rate.
Philadelphia should get plenty of balls in the air, and somehow Alec Bohm is still paying a silly +940 to keep raking.
Bohm has been cruising at home in June with a 1.046 OPS. He has three home runs over his last 45 plate appearances and went deep again last night. Those previous home run prices were all shorter than +700. Where else are you going to find a cleanup hitter at this number?
Bohm also owns the second-best slugging percentage on the team over the last two weeks. He's seen Alcantara 32 times in his career and has hit .344 with an .851 OPS in that respectable sample.
I have this fair price closer to +650.
Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC 10, Marlins.TV
Home run pick: Michael Busch (+508)
Here is another great price in a plus-plus matchup against the Rockies, who have a short-leashed starter with home run issues and will eventually turn things over to a depleted bullpen that gets hit harder than any unit in baseball.
Michael Busch will have the wind helping his pull-side power today at Wrigley Field, with 13-mph winds blowing out to right-center. The attractive price is largely due to the lefty-on-lefty matchup, but Colorado starter Sean Sullivan left his last outing due to illness and threw only 49 pitches. He owns a 5.76 ERA in Triple-A this season and has allowed 10 home runs in just over 54 innings.
He'll eventually hand the ball to a bullpen that has three relievers unavailable, including its only left-handed option. This isn't a true lefty-on-lefty matchup for nine innings, and Busch offers plenty of value for a hitter who owns the third-best slugging percentage on the team over the last two weeks.
The Cubs are hitting multiple dingers today, and Busch's HR price has been +330 and +375 in this series.
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, Rockies.TV
Home run pick: Bryan Reynolds (+404)
Sutter Health Park once again projects as the best home run park on the slate today. Bryan Reynolds hit two dingers last night, and I'm backing him to add another.
Aaron Civale is starting for the Athletics and making his first start off the IL. Before going down last month, he owned one of the worst HR/9 rates in baseball, and is an extreme flyball pitcher.
He likely won't go deep and will hand things over to a bullpen that ranks fourth-worst in baseball by ERA over the last two weeks.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SNP, NBCSCA
Josh Inglis' 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 16-113, -31.26 units
Today’s HR parlay
Alec Bohm
Bet Now +29317
Michael Busch
Bryan Reynolds
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 16: Nasim Nuñez #26 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with third base coach Victor Estevez #7 after hitting a triple in the fifth inning during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Nats have been a series winning machine lately, but sweeps have been hard to come by. They will look to change that against the struggling Royals. With a win today, the Nats would move to a wild 5 games over .500. Finishing off the sweep would be a big step for this group.
Blake Butera has made some tweaks at the bottom of his lineup. Jose Tena will get the start at DH. That means Jacob Young will sit and the outfield will be Daylen Lile in left, Dylan Crews in center and James Wood in right. Keibert Ruiz will be back behind the plate. Zack Littell had his first rough start in a while and is looking to bounce back.
With a righty on the mound, the Royals will add some left handers to the lineup. John Rave will make his first start of the series in right field. Lane Thomas remains in the lineup, but he is lower in the order. Catcher Carter Jensen is back in the lineup and leading off. That pushes Salvador Perez to DH. Luinder Avila gave up 8 runs and couldn’t get out of the 1st inning in his last start, but the righty throws hard.
The Nats have used late inning rallies to overcome the Royals in the first two games, and will look to finish off what would only be their second sweep of the year. Getting 5 games over .500 would be quite the accomplishment. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs placed right-handed pitcher Daniel Palencia on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation hours after he struck out three in the ninth inning to pick up the win in a 5-4 comeback victory against the Colorado Rockies.
The Cubs recalled Gavin Hollowell from Triple-A Iowa to replace Palencia.
After Palencia walked the first batter he faced, Cubs manager Craig Counsell went to the mound with a trainer to check on Palencia, but left him in the game to finish the inning. The Cubs scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to give Palencia (2-1, 2.70 ERA) his second win.
”I was just concerned that the body language wasn’t normal,” Counsell said. “He said he was fine but then he had symptoms afterward, the elbow didn’t feel great afterward and didn’t feel great today.”
Hollowell, 28, has made one appearance for the Cubs this season, allowing two runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Boyd to get minor league rehab
Starter Matthew Boyd (knee) is headed for a minor league rehab stint after a successful bullpen session, and Justin Steele (elbow surgery) has rejoined the team to begin a throwing program expected to last about three weeks, Counsell said.
The Cubs still hope Steele will pitch again this season despite a flexor strain that pushed back his timetable.
“He’s got runway,” Counsell said. “He can’t afford any setbacks. But we’ve got time.”
Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said the wave of injuries to pitchers — the Cubs have eight pitchers on the injured list, including starters Boyd, Steele, Caleb Horton and Jamieson Taillon —- has pushed the depth the Cubs thought they had to the limit.
“We thought we had real numbers there, and then the number of injuries took care of it,” Hoyer said. “Now we have to be creative.”
Mar 30, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) goes up for a shot against Utah Jazz guard Bez Mbeng (21) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images
When the Cleveland Cavaliers signed Sam Merrill to a contract extension and let Ty Jerome walk, it raised a lot of eyebrows. It created unnecessary discourse around who they should have let walk in free agency when they could have retained both at the expense of going further over the second apron. Merrill’s 2025-26 season showed why the Cavaliers invested in one of the league’s purest three-point shooters.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Regular Season Stats
12.8 points
2.6 rebounds
2.4 assists
46.1% FG
42.1% 3PT FG
85.5% FT
Merrill is arguably one of, if not the most straightforward, grades on this Cavaliers roster. The question boils down to “how well did Merrill shoot the ball in 2025—2026?” The answer to that question is very well.
It was not only that Merrill had his highest three-point percentage since his rookie season, but also that he accomplished this feat while shooting the highest number of attempts from the perimeter in his career.
If one word could describe Merrill’s past season, it is confidence. It takes a certain mindset to blindly fire from the perimeter as Merrill did. There is a sureness with his approach, combined with the ability makes him a one-man wrecking crew to opposing defenses. I’m not saying Merrill was the Cavaliers’ version of Steph Curry, however, the way that his presence can bend a defense is a difference maker alone.
Merrill is an active shooter; he does not sit idle in the corner and wait for the primary ball-handler to generate his looks for him. When Merrill is on the floor, he is arguably the most active player, constantly forcing opposing defenses to keep their eyes on him as much as any star the Cavs have in lineups with him.
What separated Merrill’s 2025-26 season from others is that it felt like the Cavs optimized Merrill as a player. They featured him in a way that previous versions of the team didn’t. This was best shown once the Cavaliers acquired James Harden at the trade deadline.
Harden passed the ball most to Merrill of anyone on the Cavs, averaging nearly 10 passes a game. James Harden and Merrill are an intriguing example of how Merrill’s game is far from just a floor spacer. Their partnership evolved into these convoluted pick-and-roll or pop actions where their basketball IQ would stand out almost instantly.
When players like Harden immediately take note of how dynamic a player Merrill can be, it validates the investment made into Merrill at the beginning of the season. The Cavaliers made the correct choice of extending Merrill and keeping his elite skills in house. As the Cavaliers look forward, it’s safe to say that Merrill will continue to play an integral part of the offense and motion of it.
Jun 17, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Tennessee Volunteers helmets lined up before the game against the LSU Tigers at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
Tennessee picked up a commitment from Wyatt Hanoian on Tuesday, a transferring second baseman from Air Force. Hanoian made his commitment public on Tuesday night.
Hanoian hit .357 for Air Force this season as a true freshman, which put him on the Mountain West All-Freshman team. The switch-hitting second baseman hit six home runs, walked 32 times, hit 14 doubles and four triples this year.
The most impressive stat for Hanoian? A staggering on-base percentage of .498. For reference, Garrett Wright, who was seemingly always on base for Tennessee this season, held a .439 mark.
Hanoian made 33 starts at second base for the Falcons, along with eight in right field, a handful at third base, along with a few as the team’s designated hitter. The class of 2025 prospect was the No. 222 player out of the state of California in the recruiting cycle.
He joins former two-way Mercer star Braydon Kersey and Northwestern State pitcher Brody Trosclair in Tennessee’s current transfer portal class.
Infielder Wyatt Hanoian, @BaseballAmerica's No. 27 transfer, is transferring to Tennessee. Switch hitter with great zone control and feel for the barrel. Hit .357/.498/.573 with six HR, 14 doubles, four triples and 32 walks to 21 strikeouts in 2026. pic.twitter.com/YWrTtZdaFe
Former San Jose Sharks goaltender Magnus Chrona is heading back to his native Sweden, but that didn't prevent him from being involved in a trade on Tuesday.
Last month, Chrona signed with Brynäs IF in the Swedish Hockey League on a contract that runs through the 2027-28 season. Then, on Tuesday, his NHL rights were traded from the Nashville Predators to the Colorado Avalanche along with two third round draft picks with Ross Colton and Isak Posch heading the other way.
Chrona, 25, was traded to Nashville as a part of the trade that brought Yaroslav Askarov to the Bay Area during the summer of 2024. After the trade, he spent the entirety of his time in the Predators organization with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.
The former University of Denver goaltender only appeared in nine NHL games during his time as a Shark, registering a 4.71 goals against average and an .859 save percentage.
Since Chrona moved to North America to play at the University of Denver ahead of the 2019-20 season, he has yet to make his debut in the SHL.
New York, N.Y.: San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama reacts after hitting the floor hard against the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals on June 8, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
To get a sense of how universally beloved Victor Wembanyama was before playing a single second of NBA basketball, look at the way the best players in the world described him ahead of his first professional minutes.
“I think he’s going to be one of the best to play this game,” added Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Wembanyama had a higher approval rating than pizza and puppies when the San Antonio Spurs selected him first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft out of Le Chesnay, France. The 7-foot-4 center with an 8-foot wingspan walked into the league looking like a wacky waving inflatable tube man and became the first unanimous Rookie of the Year since 2016, averaging 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds. Despite being a 20-year-old rookie, he led the league in blocks with 3.6 per game, finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind fellow French big man Rudy Gobert. “Let [him] win it now,” Wembanyama said. “Because after that, it’s no longer his turn.”
Confident quips like that one — along with various philosophical ruminations — only worked to further endear Wembanyama to the basketball world and beyond. Legions of new fans from all over fell in love with his rare combination of brash competitiveness, raw vulnerability, confidence, calculation, and, of course, his one-of-a-kind style of play. One couldn’t help but stare in wonder at the way he dominated the game on the defensive end, where the biggest, fastest athletes in the world veered away from him at all costs.
Off the court, Wembanyama was unafraid to stand out in historically unmasculine ways. “Personally, I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotion,” he said after crying on the court following a big Spurs win. In a league full of guarded superstars who would rather act tough than stand out, Wembanyama’s vulnerability was a breath of fresh air. “He has a spine, guts, and heart,” NBA journalist Michael Pina wrote. “To soberly possess such authenticity at that age, in front of the world, is special. It makes him such an easy player to bet on. He cares deeply.” The recognition only continued to build as Wembanyama won the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year award and finished third in MVP voting after leading the upstart Spurs to 62 wins and a spot in the NBA Finals this June.
However, over the past few weeks, people have started to turn on Wembanyama. Though it started with Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks fans, it wasn’t just egg-gate — basketball fans everywhere are suddenly turning on the NBA’s golden child. “I cannot stand this guy,” basketball podcaster David Jacoby said on “The Zach Lowe Show.” “I hate his outfits. I hate his face. I hate his hair. I hate everything about him.”
The question is, why?
Is it because Wembanyama is a frontrunner — a rare exception in being considered the world’s best basketball player before winning a title? Is it because he’s a bully, throwing elbows and jabs at opposing players without facing repercussions from the NBA? Or because he’s too full of himself? Too corny? Too calculated? Or is it simply because he has the conviction to parade around with his dogs out in the Garden?
Wembanyama the frontrunner
On May 18, despite coming into Game 1 of the Western Conference finals as significant underdogs to the reigning NBA Champion Thunder, Wembanyama became just the fifth player in NBA history to drop 41-points and 24-rebounds in a playoff game. The Spurs won the double-overtime classic, 122-115, with Wembanyama looking like the best player on the floor over two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Typically, an athlete isn’t crowned as the best player alive until they win the big one, especially in basketball, where one player can affect the game in so many different ways. But Wembanyama is different. “The best player in the (expletive) world,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle announced for all the world to hear in a postgame interview on NBC. And it wasn’t just him: basketball analysts and former players were equally loud about Wembanyama now having the claim to basketball’s throne.
It was clear to anyone watching that he was on his way there. But now? At age 22? For some, he was being punctually recognized. For others, it was too much praise too fast, resulting in him becoming overrated. “Wemby ain’t the one, yo. Y’all crowning Wemby too fast,” radio host and culture critic Charlamagne tha God said on “Breakfast Club Power 105.1.” “I don’t see the dominance yet.”
Wembanyama the bully
Wembanyama’s frustration had been mounting throughout the postseason, where he was subjected to more contact than anyone since prime Shaquille O’Neal. And it boiled over during the opening minutes of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, when Wembanyama shoved Knicks star Jalen Brunson to the floor despite the ball not being anywhere in their vicinity.
“I hate him. He’s a bully,” Knicks fan and head of content at The Ringer, Sean Fennessey, said on the “Bill Simmons Podcast.” “He’s dirty, like it’s very obvious; you can watch clips from the game, he plays like a bully, and he’s not being officiated like a bully, and it’s annoying. So, it’s hard to watch the series.”
Knicks fans like Fennessey had a legitimate gripe: Wembanyama already accumulated two flagrant fouls earlier in the postseason, most notably for losing his temper and elbowing Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid in the head during their second-round series, which resulted in an ejection but not a suspension. A third flagrant would have put him one short of a one-game suspension in the NBA Finals — a death knell as far as the NBA’s surging ratings were concerned. And while the league had an opportunity to retroactively upgrade the clear violation to a flagrant foul, they chose not to. “It’s just better for the league if there’s six games or seven games instead of four games, and so it’s hard not to think that when you’re watching the game,” Fennessey added.
The tinfoil hats came out, and anyone rooting against the Spurs was quick to point out that the NBA was protecting their golden child, who brought so many new, global eyeballs to the game that he could do no wrong. The animosity only grew from there.
Wembanyama the tryhard
After missing a buzzer-beating jump shot that would have won Game 2 of the NBA Finals for the Spurs, Wembanyama needed to decompress. “The Playoffs, it’s like… a whirlwind. It’s hard to put your head out of the water,” he said. “I need some time off, let my brain cool down, recover. Recover as much for the body as for the mind.”
Last Sunday, in between Games 2 and 3, he went to Gramercy Park in lower Manhattan with his sister, Éve, to sketch. All of a sudden, his park rendezvous became the main storyline, with hilariously inaccurate hypotheses flying about regarding the calculated, pretentious superstar. “He’s corny as fuck,” one Knicks fan said to the Channel 5 YouTube channel. “And he’s just trying way too hard to make a storyline for himself.”
Finally, after the Knicks won Game 5 of the NBA Finals and put an end to their 53-year championship drought on Saturday, Wembanyama returned to the Spurs locker room without shaking hands with his opponents. It drew the ire of fans and players alike, with four-time NBA Champion Draymond Green saying, “Look your killer in the face. You got to look them in they face… and so to see them walk off the court, it was disheartening.”
But isn’t Wembanyama supposed to be different? Isn’t that what people liked about him in the first place?
Wembanyama the product of the internet age
It’s clear that people are turning on Wembanyama for the same reasons they originally fell in love with him, from his awe-inspiring feats of athleticism to his brash competitiveness to his quirky hobbies. These characteristics endeared him to people until they didn’t. It begs the question: Is it possible that Wembanyama changed during the postseason, behaving in a more distasteful way? Or is there something about the postseason spotlight that changed the way we think about him?
One could argue that he brought the villain narrative onto himself, going out of his way to provoke Knicks players and fans. There’s no doubt that Wembanyama enjoys being an agitator at the center of the basketball universe, growing increasingly disdainful of the media as the postseason went along before saying “see y’all… never” at his final press conference of the season. But it’s not so simple as to say Wembanyama chose villainy for himself.
Wembanyama isn’t the modern NBA’s first villain, and he won’t be the last. Just a few weeks ago, Gilgeous-Alexander had a similar fall from grace. After ethically working his way up the basketball ranks from an undersized underdog in Hamilton, Ontario to the best player on earth, he was framed as an unskilled flop-artist who was ruining basketball (and the future of the sport). What do Wembanyama and Gilgeous-Alexander have in common, other than the fact that they are both foreigners?
They are both products of the internet.
An unfortunate truth of the modern world is that people increasingly encounter reality through “algorithmic feeds built to warp reality, on platforms with every commercial incentive to keep users scrolling,” culture and technology writer Lane Brown writes in a Vulture story titled “The Feed is Fake.” Now that everything an athlete says or does can be recorded, cut up, aggregated, and misrepresented online through bad-faith actors who understand that extreme content gets rewarded, celebrity athletes like Gilgeous-Alexander and Wemby are subjected to the internet and its hot-take machinery finding something they don’t like about them and drumming it up until it becomes a story.
“On social media, popular opinion is being formed, measured, and manipulated all at once,” Brown continues. “And every signal the platforms produce — a trending song, a backlash, a talking point, the feeling that ‘everybody’ is suddenly talking about the same thing — can now be fabricated by unseen actors with hidden agendas.” As hateful content gets drummed up by the algorithm, trust in journalism declines and good reporting disappears behind paywalls, the average fan and media member are forced to look towards the comment sections for a sense of what’s being said. Talking heads pick up on that and bam! You got a snowball of negativity becoming too big to stop because on the internet, hate rises to the top.
It happened to Gilgeous-Alexander. And now it is happening to Wembanyama — and it will only get worse. Next season, the French Freak will be back in San Antonio with more tricks in his bag and more haters magnifying and criticizing his every move. Because in the modern NBA, the true sign of superstardom isn’t rings or MVP trophies: it’s hate and villainy. Get used to it.
The Tampa Bay Rays, ranked second in the AL East with a 41-29 record, face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are first in the NL West with a 47-27 record. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored with a -160 moneyline compared to the Tampa Bay Rays' +135. Starting pitchers are Shane McClanahan for Tampa Bay, with a 3.23 ERA, and Shohei Ohtani for Los Angeles, with a 1.06 ERA.
How to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
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