Soriano has had his name swirl around discussions and trade rumors ahead of the MLB trade deadline, which is scheduled for Monday, August 3 at 6 p.m. ET and 3 p.m. PT.
Starting in place of Soriano is 36-year-old right-hand pitcher Brent Suter.
Soriano has put up a 9-6 record with a 3.29 ERA and 127 strikeouts. He's also tallied a 1.25 WHIP in 123 innings pitched. The 27-year-old, right-handed pitcher has appeared in and started 22 games for the Angels.
The Angels released the following statement on Saturday:
The last time Soriano pitched against the Brewers was during the 2025 season. On September 17, he pitched 1.1 innings where he allowed two hits, two walks and three runs in a 9-2 loss. He did not deliver any strikeouts during the September 2025 meeting at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
Jose Soriano stats and record
Soriano is on pace for a career-best 3.29 ERA. In his last outing against the San Francisco Giants, he helped the Angels to a narrow 4-3 victory where Soriano pitched five innings at Oracle Park.
On the mound, he put in work against one of the five California-based MLB teams. Soriano wasn't perfect but nevertheless put on a good pitching display that contributed in getting the job done.
He only gave up three hits and allowed one run in his July 26 performance. Soriano struck out five batters and only three were walked in 85 total pitches.
Soriano first signed with Angels as an international free agent for a $70,000 signing bonus on March 4, 2016. He had quite the journey that took him from his home in the Dominican Republic to Arizona to Iowa. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Soriano from the Angels in the 2020 Rule 5 draft. He spent time in Florida, before the Pirates sent him back to the Angels in 2021.
Soriano rehabbed from injury and continued to develop under the Angels' farm system until he got his break in 2023. He made his MLB debut on June 3, 2023 when the Angels promoted Soriano to the majors. It was the first time being called up in his career and he didn't look back.
In 38 appearances out of the bullpen during his rookie campaign, he threw a 3.64 ERA with 56 strikeouts over 42 innings of work.
Soriano, now in his fourth-year in the MLB, looks to improve upon his recent outings. However, it will be interesting to see whether he remains with the Angels as movement around the league is anticipated in light of the trade deadline.
In the meantime, Suter and the Angels will take on the Brewers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA beginning at 9:38 p.m. ET and 6:38 p.m. PT.
The Angels currently have a 42-68 record and are in fifth place in the American League West division. The Brewers are 68-41, sitting atop the National League Central with the best record.
Jordan Hicks starts today’s game as an opener for Noah Schultz. | (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Wow! First place in the Al Central by three games entering August, three straight wins over the top teams in the league, talk of adding at the deadline instead of the usual subtracting! Why, it’s enough to make a nonagenarian who hates fans and players happy, even if only because it means a whole lot more butts in seats and thus money in his pocket.
Trying to keep things going will be the one starting pitcher (or, today, bulk reliever, as fans of fiber call it) who has really struggled of late. Will Venable is going with an opener for Noah Schultz today, the first time that’s been tried. Jordan Hicks gets the nod to start the game, his first time in that role.
Hicks has fared extremely well lately, not giving up a run in 14 straight appearances since early June. Schultz, not so much, allowing 16 runs in 21 1/3 innings in July and not making it out of the fourth his last two times out.
Will how he does today impact trade deadline decisions on getting a starter? Only The Shadow knows. Well, The Shadow and Chris Getz.
Sox batters, fresh from clobbering long balls last night, will be facing modern medicine marvel Drew Rasmussen. The 31-year-old righty not only had two Tommy John surgeries while still in college (in a time when it was very unusual to be able to pitch effectively for more than a year or two after a second round), he had the nouveau internal brace surgery in 2023, and yet has come back to be an All-Star in 2025 and 2026.
Rasmussen sports a fine 3.07 ERA for the season, but had a mixed July, with two very bad starts early in the month. He was very good his last two starts, though, and held the Guardians to one hit over seven innings last time out.
Rasmussen will face a White Sox lineup that only has a change at catcher from last night’s slugfest.
First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. Central, when it’s supposed to be in the upper 80s in Tampa and likely to rain, so saved by the dome. Usual broadcast suspects, with Steve Stone off for the road trip (too bad), but John Schriffen still in the TV booth (also too bad).
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 28: Ryan McMahon #19 of the New York Yankees throws the ball to first base during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on July 28, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 MLB season is well into the second half, and while there have been some tough breaks, the Yankees have done a nice job on the whole staying afloat. They have been missing the irreplaceable Aaron Judge for some time now, Giancarlo Stanton’s status is as mystifying as ever, and now missing Cody Bellinger for a long spell, the roster does not look the way fans may have envisioned early in the year. Despite this, the Bombers have a firm grasp on a playoff spot, and are very much in the race for the AL East. While this can be attributed to many things, solid work with the leather certainly plays a role.
As with every other passing month, July did not pass without some highlights on the defensive side. With the month coming to a close, let’s take a look at some of the most notable flashes of the leather throughout July.
On the first day of the month, in a close game at home against the Tigers, Anthony Volpe made an early entry into our list. With two outs in the fourth inning, Zach McKinstry hit a looping popup, ticketed for the center-field grass. Already shaded slightly up the middle, Volpe ran nearly straight back, before making the impressive over-the-shoulder catch and sliding to a knee, preventing a single and bringing the inning to a close.
In the second inning of a scoreless game against the Phillies, José Caballero cemented his spot in July’s finest plays. With Cam Schlittler on the mound, Alec Bohm ripped the first pitch the other way toward the hole on the right side, only for Cabby to pick the worm-burner off the turf, roll over onto a knee, and make a sharp throw over to first base to just barely get Bohm. Every play mattered in this game, as the Yanks went on to win 1-0.
In the same game, Bellinger gave more proof to the importance of defense in the tight Yankees win. Later in the game, with the Phillies hoping to stage a rally in the ninth, Brandon Marsh nearly started one with extra bases when he rocketed a ball to the warning track the other way. Bellinger, as he does so well, had a beat on it and used every bit of his big frame to leap and make the play a few feet in front of the wall.
Some of the most memorable defensive plays in baseball often involve a player far away from where their position typically roams. In this play, a chopper off the bat of Colson Montgomery bounced over first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, only for Jazz Chisholm jr. to range deep into the outfield, extend to snare the grounder, and make a spinning throw to first base. It’s not often you see a second baseman make a throw from the foul line, probably 50 feet beyond the first base bag, but Chisholm made it look pretty seamless here.
This was very much a game to forget for the Yankees, as they ultimately lost in 12 innings. There was a time, however, that a couple of slick defensive plays nearly netted them a win in the 11th (before defense ended up biting them elsewhere). The first play sees some damage control from Goldschmidt over at first base. With no outs and a runner on second base, Camilo Doval fielded a soft chopper to his right before rocketing a throw into the dirt at first base. The veteran Goldschmidt calmly made a swift pick of the ball in front of the runner to secure the hue out.
The second play comes from the always-impressive Ryan McMahon, who snared a hard grounder to his left, quickly got to his feet and threw a strike over to first base. At the time, it was a game-saver, as the tying run was standing on third base with one out. We won’t talk about anything else from this game! If you dare ponder it, consider it a Dishonorable Mention.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 30: Alejandro Osuna #19 of the Texas Rangers reacts after hitting a single in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 30, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for August 1, 2026 against the Houston Astros: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Ronel Blanco for the Astros.
Texas looks to rebound from yesterday’s ugly loss and re-gain first place in the American League West. Its a lefty-heavy lineup that includes Joc Pederson at first base.
The lineup:
Pederson — 1B
Langford — LF
Seager — SS
Nimmo — DH
Carter — CF
Duran — 3B
Osuna — RF
Diaz — C
Lopez — 2B
6:10 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -120 favorites.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 11: Logan Gilbert #36 of the Seattle Mariners looks on during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 11, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners games will continue until morale improves.
As a reminder, if you want to chat about trade deadline stuff – rumors, suggested trades, analysis of other teams’ moves – you can do that in the trade deadline thread linked here or pinned on the homepage.
Lineups:
News:
Luke Raley has been moved to the IL with his nagging elbow issue; OF Stuart Fairchild, signed as a minor-league free agent in early July, is here in his place. Read more here. Also, in case you missed it, there was also a roster move yesterday, with J.P. Crawford headed to the IL to try to heal up his inflamed wrist; Leo Rivas is here instead. There are also some updates on the injured relievers as well as some other miscellany (apparently Brendan Donovan counts as miscellany to me); read it all in John’s injury update here.
The Twins also made their own roster moves: they’ve acquired pitcher Dean Kremer from the Orioles, who has reported to the team. Zebby Matthews was rewarded for his career night against the Mariners last night by being optioned to Triple-A to make room for him.
Today’s game information:
Game time: 1:10 PT
TV: Mariners TV with Aaron Goldsmith and Ryan Rowland-Smith, with Angie Mentink as field reporter. This game will also be televised nationally on FS1, with Connor Onion and Mark Sweeney as the announcers. This is my first time typing that particular name and I assure you, his name is in fact Connor Onion and he is real. This fact brought to you by Cibo Matto (you gotta know your chicken onion).
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 31: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves takes batting practice prior to the game between the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Friday, July 31, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kathryn Skeean/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Braves are going for another series win at home against their division rival Nationals. Reynaldo Lopez is taking the mound, with Miles Mikolas starting for Washington, in a matchup of unconvincing righties.
Drake Baldwin gets the nod at leadoff against the righty starter, as Walt Weiss continues to swap him and Acuna at the top of the order. Elsewhere, Dominic Smith returns to the lineup, DHing and batting sixth, right ahead of the remnants of Austin Riley. Mike Yastrzemski and Jim Jarvis make up the back of the lineup.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 29: Edgar Quero #26 of the Chicago White Sox is mobbed by teammates after hitting a walk-off RBI single in the 12th inning against the New York Yankees at Rate Field on July 29, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 05: Jericho Sims #00 of the Milwaukee Bucks scores on a dunk during the first half of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum on April 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers made their big move this summer in landing Walker Kessler, but there’s still work to be done in the front court.
In parting with both Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton this offseason, LA has holes to fill, even if they took care of the hard part. Kevon Looney was brought in but given his age and mileage and his drop in production, most don’t view him as the primary backup center.
The Lakers appear to be included in that mix as multiple recent reports have indicated they’re still in the market for a big man. But it’s a market that isn’t friendly to buyers right now, so not much headway has been made.
LA has at least one more move to make with the roster already at 16 players. With a chase for Jonathan Kuminga still on, though, it’s not clear how a backup center fits into the equation. It’ll likely have to be the Lakers taking a chance on an underutilized player buried on a roster.
One player who could fit that bill, and who has been mentioned with the Lakers multiple times this week, is Jericho Sims with the Bucks.
Dan Woike of The Athletic first brought him up as a potential option based on “conversations with both team and league sources” about the type of players the Lakers could target. Then, on Friday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reiterated that report, noting that the Bucks could have a roster crunch that forces a move.
Milwaukee, which has also been linked with interest in Peyton Watson, has a roster crunch and is looking to trim its roster from 17 to 15 players by opening night. As The Athletic’s Dan Woike noted, the Los Angeles Lakers could be a trade partner for Bucks center Jericho Sims.
The first thing worth noting is that the Lakers, too, have a roster crunch, so the two teams making a deal right now doesn’t make a ton of sense. For the purple and gold, they would need to do a lot of consolidating to get to a point to trade for Sims or, potentially, work out a multi-team trade.
He’s an uber-athletic big man who amassed 95 dunks in 67 games last season. Comparatively, Hayes had 122 last season in 66 games. While his time with the Lakers was up-and-down, Hayes definitely had some moments in the purple and gold and the team did not replace his athleticism or lob-catching ability at center.
Sims, however, does have flaws. He leaves something to be desired defensively and is not a rim protector despite the athleticism. In many ways, he’s limited like Hayes in those regards.
His contract is friendly as he’s set to make $2.8 million this season after picking up a player option this offseason. It would also make him very easy to trade for, if the Lakers do end up going down that route.
But, again, many things must happen before then. Presumably, the Lakers are likely going to address their need for a wing with trade assets first before eyeing anything else. And to even open a roster spot, the Lakers will have to make a three-for-one trade, which is very unlikely as teams do not have three open roster spots at this point in the offseason.
If anything, this might be a player worth monitoring if he’s released due to the roster crunch or if he’s still buried on the Bucks’ bench when the season starts. But there are plenty of reasons it makes sense for the Lakers to be targeting Sims, if indeed they are.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
37. Ashton Schultz - Center (Chicago/Sioux City - USHL)
The Sabres continued their practice in the 2025 NHL Draft of selecting players with longer development windows, since they did not have to sign them within two years. That window has altered slightly with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement kicking, but GM Jarmo Kkealainen and his scouting staff will have plenty of time to evaluate young center Ashton Schultz, who was selected in the sixth round (167th overall) in the first decentralized draft in Los Angeles.
The Victoria, MN native is a product of the vaunted Minnesota high school system and played 11 games in the USHL for Sioux Falls as a 17-year-old, while also scoring 57 points in 28 games for Minnetonka HS. In 2024-25, he scored 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists) in 57 games for the Chicago Steel, and last season, he split time between Chicago and Sioux City, posting 42 points (17 goals, 25 assists) in 49 games.
The 19-year-old is committed to play for the University of North Dakota this fall. The 5’11”, 181 lb. center is described by Elite Prospects as someone who ”always gives his teammates an option, whether that’s offensively, defensively, or along the walls. Sturdy inside contact with play-killing skills, he breaks up the opposition’s cycle, diffuses their rushes, and retrieves pucks at top rates.”
San Diego Padres SP Joe Musgrove (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres have great confidence in Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta when they take the hill. Each pitcher has defined why they’re a top-of-the-rotation starter with their bulldog-like mentality.
Musgrove is the hometown hero who pitched the first no-hitter in franchise history. Pivetta had a breakout 2025 campaign, going 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 31 starts. But elbow injuries have derailed their seasons.
Arm Injuries are tough
The road to recovery is tough. The rehab process is slow and frustrating, but quite necessary. First, both right-handers must begin throwing at 75 feet, then gradually move to 125 feet. Next is a throwing session off the mound before heading out for rehab starts.
Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager AJ Preller is optimistic that Musgrove and Pivetta will pitch again this season. Currently, both starters are on the 60-day injured list, but neither has thrown a minor-league rehab start.
Musgrove’s recovery has been bumpy
Musgrove is recovering from the after-effects of Tommy John surgery that has sidelined him since October 2024. However, in Spring Training, he suffered a setback that has kept Musgrove from making his season debut. Unfortunately, his injury history seems to drag on longer than expected.
Immediately, the Friars placed Java Joe on the 60-day IL. Thanks to rest and rehab, he is now throwing short stints off the mound. Musgrove will not be rushed, but the hope is that he will return by late August or early September.
The return of Pivetta is not far off
In an early-season start against the Colorado Rockies, Pivetta exited the game with elbow stiffness. Afterward, an MRI showed a flexor strain. Team doctors recommended rest and rehab over elbow surgery. So far, the diagnosis has paid off.
Pivetta threw 20 pitches in a simulated outing in late July at the Peoria Sports Complex. He is expected to throw another brief simulated outing before having another MRI to check on his elbow’s condition. If the images are good, Pivetta will be sent out for minor-league rehab starts.
He may have a shorter timetable than Musgrove in returning to the active roster. But Pivetta will need at least four or five appearances before the Padres can consider him ready to pitch in the majors.
The Padres have been dealing with multiple injuries to the starting rotation all season. It began with Yu Darvish and Musgrove in Spring Training. Then you add Pivetta and his rotation replacement, Lucas Giolito, to an already long laundry list.
The return of Musgrove and Pivetta atop the rotation could alter the National League Wild Card race.
But let’s take it one step at a time. The Friar Faithful need to see them pitch in games before we can dream.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are acquiring right-handed reliever Camilo Doval from the New York Yankees in hopes of giving their struggling bullpen a boost.
Pittsburgh is sending prospects Omar Alfonso, a catcher, and Luis Cruz, an outfielder, to New York for Doval, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person told the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official.
The 29-year-old Doval, an All-Star in 2023 when he served as the closer for the San Francisco Giants, provides Pittsburgh with a much-needed experienced arm as the Pirates try to hang around in the crowded race for a National League wild-card spot.
Pittsburgh’s bullpen has been an issue all season. The club has blown 20 saves this season, perhaps the biggest reason the Pirates entered Saturday at 55-56 despite scoring the second-most runs in the majors. The latest setback came on Friday night, when a two-run lead in the eighth inning in Cincinnati morphed into an 8-7 loss.
Doval went 3-1 with a 4.54 ERA in 44 games this season for the Yankees. He has had issues with walks recently, issuing at least one free pass in four of his last five appearances with New York, including two while taking the loss against the Chicago White Sox on July 29.
Pittsburgh is hoping a new setting provides a fresh start. The Pirates could also use the help. The club designated former closer Dennis Santana for assignment last month and have few viable right-handed options near the back end of the bullpen.
We are now officially just one month away from training camp, and the Philadelphia Flyers, for all intents and purposes, look to be done adding to their roster for now. That said, injuries always happen, and internal competition is never a bad thing.
Free agency opened a month ago, but the Flyers overall did very little, signing veteran fourth-liner Noel Acciari and a slew of AHL players, headlined by journeyman Zach Aston-Reese and former first-round pick Nolan Foote.
With their overall lack of additions, the Flyers figure to be one of the more active teams around the NHL with PTO signings ahead of training camp.
No. 3: Kevin Hayes, C/LW
I know what you're thinking, and maybe this isn't possible after the whole Cutter Gauthier debacle with former head coach John Tortorella, but Kevin Hayes is a serviceable depth option as an offense-first, top-nine forward.
Hayes, 34, is in the twilight years of his NHL career, and he is no longer attached to the albatross $7.142 million cap hit that helped accelerate his previous departure from the Flyers three years ago.
Unsuccessful stints with the St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins leave Hayes a free agent, but advanced data shows a player who is still effective relative to his role when given a chance.
Hayes flamed out with the Penguins, but still played some decent hockey in Pittsburgh. (JFresh Hockey)
If there's no bad blood between the veteran forward and the Flyers, there could be a fit here, particularly in the event of an injury.
It's worth noting, too, that Hayes scored 13 points in 19 games the last time the Flyers made the playoffs before this past year--2019-20--and there is an element of familiarity with a number of current Flyers players.
Hayes scored four goals, four assists, and eight points in 28 games with the Penguins last year.
No. 2: Luke Glendening, C/RW
Continuing with the theme of center and forward depth, Luke Glendening has seemingly been replaced by Acciari, who joined the Flyers on a two-year pact at the start of free agency last month.
Still, the Flyers were big fans of the 37-year-old, the versatility he brought, and the fire he played with in his short time in Philadelphia.
Down the stretch and in the playoffs, Glendening, who was claimed on waivers from the New Jersey Devils, emerged as an integral piece on the Flyers' fourth line next to Sean Couturier, especially after Nikita Grebenkin suffered what ended up being a season-ending injury.
Glendening, often used as a faceoff and matchup specialist, scored two goals, three assists, and five points in 18 regular season games with the Flyers, posting a +4 rating and winning 57.2% of his draws.
In 10 playoff games, Glendening scored one goal and was a +3, but won only 48.7% of his faceoffs.
If the formerly undrafted veteran remains unsigned as training camp draws closer, and wants to continue his NHL career, a reunion with the Flyers on a PTO basis makes perfect sense for both sides given the fit.
No. 1: John Klingberg, RHD
One thing the Flyers made clear heading into the offseason was their desire to add to and upgrade the defense.
To this point, though, they haven't really done that.
Left-shot bruiser Simon Benoit was brought on in the Joseph Woll trade, replacing a superior puck-mover in the younger Emil Andrae, and that was it.
Talented trade deadline addition David Jiricek is poised to take on a bigger role and have a chance at finally establishing himself as an NHL regular, but the Flyers have done little to insure themselves in the event that this doesn't happen.
Top prospect Oliver Bonk is even less experienced at the NHL level, and there are no guarantees either youngster can run a competent power play at this level.
That's where John Klingberg comes in.
Klingberg, 33, was once one of the NHL's premier offensive defensemen, but injuries contributed to a rapid decline at both ends of the ice.
After extensive time off the ice due to surgeries and rehab, Klingberg played 56 games for the San Jose Sharks last season, scoring 10 goals, 17 assists, and 27 points, including five goals and nine points on the power play.
This would have played Klingberg second to only Travis Sanheim in goals among Flyers defensemen, and second in points behind Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale.
Additionally, the Flyers, as a team, had only three power play goals from defensemen: one each from Sanheim, Drysdale, and Cam York.
While Klingberg ranked at or near the bottom in many qualifying metrics among the 30 defensemen who played at least 165 minutes on the power play last season, he did, however, rank eighth in scoring chances per 60 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick.
It's unlikely Klingberg is the answer for the Flyers' power play at this stage in his career, and he may not end up being an upgrade at all, but the Flyers could do worse than to give out a PTO and see if there's anything left in the tank worth taking a chance on.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 5: Landry Shamet #44 and Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks high five during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 5, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
There is an active NBA player whose career is already the envy of many of his peers. This player has:
Been a starter in multiple NBA Finals
Won a championship
Been All-Defensive First Team
Finished second for Defensive Player of the Year
Been his team’s leading scorer (26 points per game)
Been his team’s second-leading scorer
Been his team’s fourth-leading scorer
Had top-20 seasons in points, field goals, shooting %, 3-point %, free-throw %, steals & lowest turnover %
By 2050, when climate and social chaos have killed off pro sports, this player will be long-forgotten. If not before.
That player is not Kenny Sears, inactive from the NBA since 1964 and the mortal coil since 2017. I mention Sears because he is an ur-example of the sands of time disappearing all trace of a legend. Man spent six-plus seasons as a Knickerbocker. Twice he was an All-Star. One year when he wasn’t, he still finished eighth for MVP, a feat he accomplished twice in New York. He led the league in shooting twice, including a healthy 10 points above the league average (49%-39%) in 1959.
Now, nobody knows him.
Go on, look up the numbers. Dismiss. Deride. “There were only, like, 15 players back then anyway. Of course he was an All-Star; everybody was!” A combo forward who didn’t tip the scales at 200 pounds, lighter than Mikal Bridges, barely bulkier than Landry Shamet. Dude looked like he couldn’t dunk a donut, much less a basketball. Still, Sears’ biggest failing dwarfs all those. He wasn’t superficial.
I don’t mean he wasn’t shallow. I don’t mean that he was, either; I’ve no idea what Sears was like as a person. I mean he wasn’t where the fans’ eyes went first — that’d have been Carl Braun, Richie Guerin, Dick McGuire, Harry Gallatin. When we first see someone we see the surface of them, what’s sparkly and obvious. Braun was named to five All-Star teams. Guerin made six. McGuire and Gallatin? Seven. Compared to them, Sears wasn’t even Fredo to Sonny and Michael, more de Gaulle to Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin. Maybe you’re a big deal back in Lille, but this is Yalta, son.
As fun as it is to just sit around and remember random NBA guys (Yinka Dare!), I’m not suggesting you have to. You’d probably like it, though. It’s fun, even if only as an apertif or chaser. I’m asking you to remember the specific players you do. Get together with your people and talk about them. Talk over drinks. Pop some eds. Write about the players who struck you, even if you only a note pad, a lily pad.
Some personal faves? Drazen Petrović. P.J. Tucker. Manute Bol. Jamal Crawford. And it’s cliche, but Toronto Vince Carter . . . Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, VC and if I’m honest Victor Wembanyama are maybe the only NBA players I’ve ever seen who look like cheat codes in a video game.
Magic was a magician, but a magician is a person who’s mastered anticipation and deception. Kyrie Irving can make any shot from any angle at any point in his jump or descent anywhere on the court, thanks to repetition of however many drills and skills it takes to become second-nature. But the nature is, by definition, secondary and not primary.
Jordan was literally brighter than everyone else on the floor. He moved differently. If you didn’t see it, I’m sorry, because I doubt it shows up on a computer screen. But on the TV in your living room in 1992, I am telling you that man glowed and he flowed. It wasn’t just me.
Shaq was like the actual Hulk. Like the league had been full of Captain Americas and Black Panthers and a few Things, and then one day the Hulk showed up. The contrast, that erasure of a long-held sense of scale — it took your breath away. The biggest centers looked like forwards next to him. This is not normal.
Carter leads the super-super short list of NBA athletes so athletic they make NBA athletes look like amateurs. Imagine St. John’s is playing UConn next winter and somehow Anthony Edwards is on the Red Storm. Connecticut has top athletes, but Ant *actually is* in a different league. Carter looked like he belonged in whatever alien basketball league was a level up from the NBA.
What makes them unforgettable? Because there are stories only you can tell. You decide which to carry with you, which to share with others. Example: in a March 1993 game between Miami and Washington, the then-Bullets collected 30 rebounds. The Heat’s Rony Seikaly had 34 by himself.
That’s not life-changing information. Your pulse didn’t climb. But before I knew that, all I remembered of Seikaly was he was a famously favorite target of Patrick Ewing, and he was married to an SI swimsuit cover model. He was a far better offensive big than the Benoit Benjamins and Sam Bowies of his day, though clearly below Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. Still, don’t lose the lead: how many people walking around the planet ever out-rebounded an NBA team?
I was too young and dumb to properly appreciate Seikaly. Back in the day I could only see the Heat on TV when they were playing the Knicks, Nets or Bulls (this being the glorious age before Miami ever sniffed the playoffs). So how badly was I overlooking others? How many? And if I could be so wrong about people I watched play, what to make of my thoughts about all those I never did?
How easily we forgot how great “pretty good” players were. Did you know Shaq once finished tied in MVP voting with Anthony Mason? Mase’s career didn’t take off till he was 25, but by the time he retired he’d been on an All-NBA Team with Shaq, Penny Hardaway and John Stockton, won Sixth Man of the Year, finished top-10 for DPOY three times and top-15 for MVP twice. Someday someone will compare him with Malik Rose.
I don’t blame people. We mostly all have bigger issues in life. Underrating NBA players doesn’t matter, except that it does as part of the same flattening we do with the past. The 1920s weren’t just flappers, nor the ‘40s WWII, nor the ‘60s hippies, etcetera. If your idea of gumbo is broth, the cooking is gonna suffer. As are those you feed.
Once upon a time, a player made All-NBA First Team his first 10 years. Starting in his second season, he averaged 25 to 31 points a game for a decade, twice leading the league; in that same stretch he averaged 15-20 rebounds per night. He was MVP twice, runner-up twice and top-four eight times. Nobody remembers him.
How about the guy who won more scoring titles than the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and more blocks titles than its all-time leading shot blocker? He’s got more MVPs than Michael and more rings than LeBron, but is at best an afterthought in GOAT debates, at worst an also-ran — who pays homage to an even more dismissed all-timer.
Bob Cousy gets written off for playing against plumbers by a catch-and-shoot specialist who spent half his career coming off the bench. Wilt was only great because there weren’t any other 7-footers back then. Magic and Bird went from Jordan’s mountaintop in 1990 to dust in his wake by 2000. MJ wasn’t even really athletic, he just played when everybody else was a literal toilet. Draymond Green thinks he could’ve guarded Shaq.
If you never watched the old Knicks, watch an old game. Basketball-reference can’t capture Bill Bradley’s incessant movement, its impact on the opponent’s defense. The stats can tell you Willis Reed was better than the average bear, but can’t convey his combination of silk and steel. Check out Kareem his first years in Milwaukee. Even late-stage Wilt Chamberlain was doing things that make you rewind because you can’t believe it.
But you have to dig in. They say the devil’s in the details. They also say hell has all the best musicians. So if you wanna have fun, ya gotta go deep.
Don’t ever forget Mikal Bridges’ midrange movement and mastery, or the multiple, multiple, multiple playoff games he’s already *won* with his defense. Don’t ever let Mitchell Robinson be reduced to a rim-runner who couldn’t shoot free throws. By all things holy, guard against the erosion of Josh Hart’s impact over time. How many fans today have any inkling the importance that Alvin Robertson, Joe Dumars and Horace Grant held for their sides? If you don’t tell the story of Hart, and keep it warm and alive inside, rest assured he’ll morph for the ignorant from a cornerstone to a backpack.
I don’t think I’m often clear why something matters to me, and why I think it should matter to you. More and more of our lived experience and made memories come from screens. We neuter more and more of our senses as our eyes dominate our perceptions. One of the strangest experiences I had as a professor was seeing students go 80 minutes without writing down a thing we talked about in class, then after it was over snapping a photo of the whiteboard. That. Isn’t. The. Same. Thing.
We live in an age when more than ever before we can’t trust our own eyes. And where there’s people who can’t see, there’s people selling something promising slivers and glints of light, for a price. Don’t buy it. Re-learn what you know. Re-love what you’ve loved. One day your now is everybody’s then, and all you’ll have left of it is whatever you took the time to keep. It matters in basketball. Not just in basketball.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 25: Luke Raley #20 of the Seattle Mariners runs to third base during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on July 25, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners announced today that they have moved OF Luke Raley to the 10-day IL with a left forearm strain. Raley was out of the game yesterday after feeling pain in the elbow pregame, and today the team opted to move him to the IL to try to calm the inflammation and hopefully get him back before the end of the season.
The elbow issue isn’t a new one for Raley, who has been managing nagging pain in the joint for “years” in what manager Dan Wilson described as a “wear and tear” situation, but the injury cropped up in a more serious fashion back in late June after he aggravated it on a swing, forcing Raley to miss three games. Raley has been trying to manage the issue with treatment, but his production has dropped off sharply as the season has gone on. One of the team’s hottest hitters in May, with a 215 wRC+, Raley’s production in June dropped to a wRC+ of just 15 for June and 38 for July.
“It gets to a point where it’s difficult and it’s painful, and he felt like he wasn’t helping the team at that point,” said manager Dan Wilson, who also said there was no inciting incident causing the pain, rather just a threshold of daily pain that was crossed to the point where it’s not sustainable. “He’s going to take a break here and hopefully get some results.”
To replace Raley, the Mariners are selecting OF Stuart Fairchild, back for a second turn with his hometown organization. Born in Seattle, Fairchild attended Seattle Prep before attending Wake Forest for college; the Reds took him 38th overall in the 2017 Draft. Fairchild had a previous stint with the Mariners in 2022, when he was with the team just briefly from April to May before being DFA’d; he’d go on to bounce around several different organizations, eventually signing a minor-league free agent deal with Cleveland prior to the 2026 season. The Mariners signed him back into the organization as a minor league free agent in early July.
Fairchild’s main attribute is that he’s a right-handed hitting outfielder, something the Mariners need desperately; the local ties are a bonus. However, Fairchild might have a similarly brief stint with the Mariners this time around if the team decides to go bold at the trade deadline and bring in longer-term help, or if they do as John (and me and many others) wishes and call up hot-hitting (and right-handed) prospect Michael Arroyo.
Depending on how long Raley is out, it’s possible Mariners fans have seen the last of the beloved hard-nosed outfielder, who seems like a likely non-tender candidate this winter. Raley made just over $2M with the Mariners this season, avoiding arbitration, but still has two more years of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent. With similarly left-handed-hitting prospect outfielder Lazaro Montes approaching the majors, and a roster that’s heavily slanted towards left-handed bats to begin with, there might not be as natural a fit for Raley as there has been in years past. No matter what happens, no one can take away the joy that is watching Luke Raley play baseball – specifically running around the bases – but we’re crossing our fingers for a speedy recovery anyway.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Luke Keaschall #15 of the Minnesota Twins reacts after being picked off at first base during the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):3:10 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe:Lookout Landing
The Twins’ offense rallied late last night to pull out a victory. They’ll likely need to do the same today facing Logan Gilbert, who has quietly been one of the best pitchers in baseball since he debuted in 2021. The Twins will counter with rookie Connor Prielipp.
Prielipp’s top level numbers aren’t great, but there’s a lot to like below the surface. He’s also already flew past last season’s career-high innings total and will likely start transitioning to the bullpen soon follow the Twins’ acquisition of Dean Kremer last night. For context. Prielipp has thrown a combined 91 innings between MLB and AAA this year. He threw 82.2 total last season and 58 combined innings from 2020-2024 due to two separate Tommy John surgeries.
Roster Notes
The Twins made a slew of transactions this morning. AJ Minter was officially added to the active roster and Zebby Matthews was optioned to St. Paul. I don’t imagine Zebby will be down there long due to the Prielipp issue I mentioned.
Garret Acton was also reinstated from the 60-day IL and optioned to AAA. Kremer wasn’t added to the active roster yet, but will also obviously need a roster spot shortly.
To make space on the 40 man for those three, Cole Sands and Mike Paredes were both transferred to the 60-day IL, effectively ending their seasons. Cody Laweryson was designated for assignment for the third roster spot.
The Twins will still have a 26-man move to make for Kremer, which likely be optioning either Kendry Rojas or Jack Anderson. Frankly, it will probably depend on who throws today so that they don’t option a fresh arm.
