Arizona Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes (39) pitches against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 1, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Good morning friends! Happy Mariners off-day to you.
The M’s saw their winning streak snapped yesterday in a 7-1 loss to the Mets. The M’s hit the road now for a stretch, going to Detroit, Baltimore, and Washington.
Importantly, it’s All-Star voting season. In my youth, I held steadfast to only voting for players who deserve it rather than just voting for my favorite players. But in recent years I’ve decided that I don’t care about voting for the “logical” choice. Life is too short to vote for someone else’s guy. Go vote Mariners!
In Mariners news…
Former Mariners Ken Griffey, Jr. and Harold Reynolds will join former Yankees ace CC Sabathia to host Play Ball Live on the MLB YouTube channel this Friday in advance of the MLB Breakthrough Series in an interactive stream designed to “engage, excite and inspire youth baseball and softball players all over the world.”
Baseball America released its monthly update of the top 100 prospects in baseball, with M’s right-hander Ryan Sloan officially being crowned the top pitching prospect in the sport.
Around the league…
Diamondbacks right-hander Corbin Burnes is likely out until September after suffering a teres major strain.
Rob Manfred made his first public comments about the economic proposals made by both sides, emphasizing the need to adjust the financial rules of the game for the sake of competitive balance.
Munetaka Murakami's remarkable first major-league season added another chapter Tuesday, as the White Sox slugger was named American League Rookie of the Month for May. | (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
When the White Sox signed Munetaka Murakami, there was hope.
There was optimism.
There was even a healthy amount of “what if?”
What there probably wasn’t was “first rookie since 1901 to hit 20 home runs before June.”
Yet here we are.
The American League announced Wednesday that Murakami has been named AL Rookie of the Month for May, a recognition that feels less like an award and more like an acknowledgment of the baseball fever dream he authored over the season’s first two months.
Before a right hamstring strain landed him on the injured list on May 30, Murakami spent the month terrorizing opposing pitchers. In 26 May games, the White Sox first baseman slashed .244/.382/.556 with eight home runs, 18 RBIs, 21 runs scored, and 19 walks. Among all major-league rookies, he led the way in homers, runs scored, and walks while tying for the lead in RBIs.
The power has been obvious from the moment he arrived. The patience has been nearly as impressive. Even during stretches when the batting average dipped, Murakami kept reaching base and kept hitting the ball with authority. That’s how a player can post a .937 OPS during a month where he hit “only” .244.
And the season totals remain downright ridiculous.
In 57 games, Murakami is slashing .240/.378/.560 with 20 home runs, 41 RBIs, 43 runs scored, and 44 walks. At the time of his injury, he was tied for the American League lead in both home runs and RBIs while ranking near the top of the league in runs scored, slugging percentage, OPS, and walks.
The pace was cartoonish: 58 home runs, 119 RBIs, 124 runs scored, and 127 walks over a full season.
For a franchise that has spent much of the last decade searching for impact hitters, Murakami immediately became one.
His 20 home runs before June didn’t just put him atop the rookie leaderboard. The feat had never been accomplished by a rookie in the modern era. In White Sox history, only Frank Thomas in 1994 and Jim Thome in 2006 had previously reached the 20-homer mark before the calendar flipped to June.
That’s elite company. That’s Hall of Fame company.
It’s also the latest reminder that Murakami’s transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to the major leagues has been far smoother than even the most optimistic projections could have imagined.
The White Sox will gladly trade individual awards for a healthy hamstring and a quick return to the lineup. Still, after two months spent rewriting record books and carrying the offense, Murakami has earned every bit of recognition coming his way.
The American League Rookie of the Month award is simply the latest piece of evidence.
And if his first two months in Chicago are any indication, it probably won’t be the last. Fingers crossed.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MAY 9: Jacob Wilson #5 of the Athletics bats against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 9, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Bill Streicher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Thursday all!
The A’s have taken the first two of three versus the Chicago Cubs after winning Tuesday, coming back in last night’s game and giving themselves a chance at a series sweep. They sit at 30-31, in second place in the AL West by two games and currently occupying the third and final Wild Card spot with a half-game lead over the Texas Rangers. The American League is weirdly bunched together two months into the season. For example, the Boston Red Sox are eight games under .500 but still within three and a half games of a playoff spot (but with five teams ahead of them). The Wild Card race is looking more and more likely it’ll be a year-long affair involving a majority of the teams in the Junior Circuit.
For tonight’s finale in The Windy City, it’ll be J.T. Ginn getting the ball hoping to propel the A’s to a series win. He’s coming off a fantastic performance last time out when he shut down the New York Yankees’ potent offense for six scoreless innings last weekend. The A’s would gladly take more of the same from their young right-hander this evening. The A’s have set themselves up for the sweep and have their best pitcher on the mound. Getting out of Chicago with three wins is very doable.
Off the field, shortstop Jacob Wilson continues to progress from his dislocated shoulder. He was seen taking batting practice at Wrigley Field yesterday afternoon before the game, and from the video it seems like his shoulder is in good shape:
Jacob Wilson taking BP here at Wrigley. Saturday is the target for him to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/2JV7gXQf6T
It seems that the team really did avoid a worst-case scenario with Wilson’s shoulder. Many times shoulder dislocations require surgery, or at a minimum any absence is measured in months not weeks. Since he’s been out for a good chunk of time it’s almost certain he’ll be going on a rehab assignment down in the minors, but he’s such a good hitter that he may not need more than a few at bats against lower-level pitching to be ready for an activation.
The A’s defense can not wait until Wilson returns. The shortstop has been out now for three-plus weeks and it’ll certainly be a full month before the team gets him back. Darell Hernaiz has handled shortstop duties in Wilson’s absence and has gone 17-for-58 (good for a .293 average) since taking over regular duties. He hasn’t been a huge liability in the field either, but the team is clearly better with Wilson in the everyday role. It’s good to know that Hernaiz can hold his own in a pinch moving forward.
Next up will be the Houston Astros. We will have a surprise starter on the mound tomorrow, not one of the arms that was just called up earlier in the week:
Jack Perkins is moving back into the A’s rotation and will start Friday’s series opener against the Astros.
The promotion of Perkins to the starting rotation will make plenty of A’s fans happy. There was a belief that Friday’s series opener would feature either Kade Morris or Mason Barnett getting the ball for the start but it’ll instead be the right-hander who has been in the Athletics’ bullpen all season long.
The former 5th-round pick came up as a starting pitcher and turned heads on his way to the big leagues but has been used almost exclusively as a relief pitcher over the past two seasons. So far in 17 games for the A’s this year Perkins has a 5.46 ERA across 28 frames. He’s been hit especially hard in recent outings; the right-hander posted a 7.98 ERA in the month of May in just nine appearances out of the ‘pen. They’re not exactly promoting him to the starting five when he’s rolling.
He did make four starts in September to wrap up the year and held his own. There has been a belief that the bullpen is his likely long-term home but it seems the club is finally ready to give him a look here in 2026. With the state of the rotation right now there’s every chance that Perkins can parlay a strong start into another and hopefully follow a similar track as Ginn. High hopes but why not?
Morris and Barnett are as of this posting available for a Saturday afternoon start in the second game of the Houston series but nothing outside of Perkins getting the ball for the series opener in Houston has been confirmed. Neither of them pitched in the first two Cubs games so if one of them makes it into today’s finale, we’ll know Saturday’s starter is likely the other guy. Who would you guys rather start on Saturday in Houston?
Even though it’ll be Perkins on Friday, it seems Morris and Barnett are still in the running for a start on Saturday:
#Athletics skipper Mark Kotsay said pregame here at Wrigley Field that Kade Morris ans Mason Barnett are each available in relief again today against the Cubs.
"We're gonna keep them in the bullpen, and we'll make a decision… Saturday is a TBD, and how we get there and who we…
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 03: Walker Buehler #10 of the San Diego Padres looks on in the first inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 03, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres have truly been stuck in a rut lately. The club has been unable to score enough runs to back their starting pitchers. The Friars struggled through the first six innings before scoring a run against Philadelphia Phillies’ ace Cristopher Sánchez on an RBI-single from Jackson Merrill. The lone run ended the lefty’s historic 50 2/3 scoreless innings streak.
Unfortunately, reliever Jason Adam would immediately give up the game on two mistakes, resulting in home runs to J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber in the bottom of the seventh. Despite the Friars tacking on a run in the eighth against reliever Brad Keller, it wasn’t enough to back starter Walker Buehler’s one-run outing.
The Padres need a win. Badly. They need it any way they can get it. Hopefully that win will come today, and San Diego can salvage the series finale against Philly.
Taking the mound
Zack Wheeler (PHI) v. Lucas Giolito (SD)
The former ace returned from his season-ending surgery in 2025 and picked up right where he left off. Wheeler has pitched to a 2.27 ERA across 43 2/3 innings with a ridiculously low 0.85 WHIP. He’s been a large part of Philadelphia’s recent turnaround.
The righty got rocked by the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in his last start, allowing four runs (each on a solo home run) across six innings of work. San Diego will need to punish his mistakes in order to stave off the sweep.
Giolito had a similar poor outing recently, giving up four runs in just 2 2/3 innings pitched against the Washington Nationals this weekend. After two solid starts to the year, it was a tough watch. Giolito has struggled with command and will need to fix that when facing the Phillies’ sluggers.
His 4.97 ERA is a little misleading. He’s pitched much better than that stat line would suggest, but Giolito has also not done a lot as of late to prove that he deserves better consideration. Hopefully he’ll be able to do that this afternoon.
Batter up!
Ty France has continued to prove his usefulness, going 2-for-4 with a double in yesterday’s game. Fernando Tatis Jr. has also continued to heat up, going 1-for-4 and scoring a run for the Friars.
Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
Gavin Sheets, LF
Miguel Andujar, DH
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Jase Bowen, RF
Freddy Fermin, C
Most of the Padres have yet to face Wheeler but, of the ones who have, Xander Bogaerts and Merrill have had the most success. They boast a respective .300 and .286 career batting average alongside a 1.064 and 1.429 OPS against the righty.
Relief corps
With Buehler going six innings, San Diego only used two pitchers to finish out the game, with Adam and Wandy Peralta covering the final two innings. That leaves the ‘pen fresh for today should Giolito falter early again.
Jeremiah Estrada, Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Bradgley Rodriguez will all be readily available to pitch. With the Padres on a losing streak, Miller hasn’t pitched since last Friday. Hopefully he’ll get the chance to come out in the series finale today.
Dante Nori of the Reading Fightin Phils is present before a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on April 19, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
There were lots and lots of hits in Binghamton. There were not many at all down in St. Lucie. The Phillies prospects played a quartet of games against the Mets’ affiliates, and won three of them. Gotta get that rivalry started early.
Rochester 5, Lehigh Valley 3
The IronPigs held their foes scoreless for eight of nine innings. Unfortunately, the one inning they didn’t— a five-run second— was enough to sink them. Starter Tucker Davidson had a rough night, taking the loss. Ryan Cusick pitched four scoreless in relief, and Felix Reyes hit a two-run homer to put Lehigh Valley back in striking distance, but the Red Wings ended up flying to victory over the IronPigs.
Binghamton 16, Reading 11
They were not lacking for runs in New York. The Fightin Phils had a good night at the plate, with Dante Nori going three for six, and Aroon Escobar adding a hit and a pair of free passes. But starter Jean Cabrera struggled, allowing nine hits and nine runs, all earned. His night ended after just 1.1 innings of work. A trio of relievers steadied the ship, but Colin Peluse allowed a quintet of runs in the seventh (four earned), and the Fightins couldn’t recover.
Jersey Shore 5, Brooklyn 4 (1o)
The BlueClaws were kept quiet on offense, at first. They had only one run through six. But they scored a trio in the seventh, then held their Brooklynite foes scoreless in the eighth and ninth to force extras. The Cyclones couldn’t muster a run in the tenth, and that made things simple for the BlueClaws. Tyler Pettorini gamely sacrificed himself via a bunt to put the ghost runner on third, and Luis Caicuto ended it with a single to right. Center fielder Pedro León was three for four on the night, and starter Sam Highfill made the Cyclones dizzy, with 8 strikeouts through five IP.
Clearwater 2, St. Lucie 0
After being rained out yesterday, Clearwater had a doubleheader against the St. Lucie Mets today. And they started it in grand fashion. A trio of Threshers hurlers took to the mound, and not one of them allowed a hit. Tanner Gresham K’d 8 Mets through five innings, Marty Gair continued the no-no in the sixth, and Gabe Craig struck out the side to complete it. The game only ran seven innings due to the Single-A doubleheader rules. Nevertheless, a no-hitter is always to be celebrated, even more so when it comes against the next generation of Mets. The Threshers were themselves held scoreless through five, but plated two runs in the sixth in scrappy fashion, with Griffin Burkholder and Robert Phelps making it to base on a walk and error, respectively, Nathan Humphreys showing that the sacrifice bunt is not a lost art, and Alirio Ferrebus singling to send the first two home.
Clearwater 5, St. Lucie 3
The Threshers continued their no-hitter through nine, in a sense: they held the Mets hitless through the first two innings of the second game. Jaeden Calderon hit a homer in the third to give Clearwater a lead, which they surrendered in the bottom fifth. But the Threshers were not content to settle for a split, even if their half of it was a no-hitter. Instead, they chose late-inning heroics, scoring four in the seventh (and final) inning via a pair of singles, a walk, and a pair of errors. Cody Bowker had 6 strikeouts through four as the Threshers concluded a very successful day in St. Lucie.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 3: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks handles the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs were comfortably in control against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals. The Spurs held a 14-point second half lead by flummoxing what was a high-powered Knicks’ offense all postseason. The game started to change in the third quarter when Victor Wembanyama headed to the bench for a breather, which allowed Jalen Brunson to catch a rhythm and his teammates to find their confidence. The game was tied going into the fourth quarter, and that meant New York had the Spurs right where they wanted them.
Brunson took over down the stretch to deliver the Knicks a 105-95 Game 1 victory in San Antonio. It didn’t matter that the Spurs led for most of the night, because the Knicks have the best clutch player in the game, and he again willed them across the finish line with spectacular shot-making on a night where he had to briefly go to the locker room after injuring his knee.
The Knicks have stolen homecourt advantage. The Spurs are suddenly in a must-win situation in Game 2 before the series heads to Madison Square Garden. Here are our Game 1 overreactions after a fantastic start to the 2026 NBA Finals.
Jalen Brunson can’t be stopped in closing time
If you want to beat the Knicks, you better have a big fourth quarter lead, because if it’s close, Brunson is taking New York home. The Knicks have fantastic spacing with three knockdown shooters around their star guard, and it allows him to work one-on-one in the biggest moments. Brunson is about as small as NBA players get, he’s not particularly fast, and he hasn’t dunked the last two seasons. It doesn’t matter: he gets to his spots better than anyone in the league, and he has both the courage and the touch to consistently hit shots from a variety of angles.
Brunson has a lifetime of practice in these clutch situations. I vividly remember his high school heroics in suburban Chicago leading Stevenson to three Finals Four appearances and one state championship. He was a role player on one national championship team at Villanova as a freshman, and the driving force on another as a junior. He’s built for these moments. If the game is tight late, the Knicks know they have the ultimate closer.
The Spurs blew it by not playing Dylan Harper down the stretch
Rookie guard Dylan Harper might have been San Antonio’s best player in Game 1, but head coach Mitch Johnson pulled him out of the game with four minutes left, and he never returned. Johnson chose to close with De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and Julian Champagnie. You can quibble with who you think should have been on the bench out of that trio, but there’s no doubt that Harper should have been on the floor.
Dylan Harper is the youngest player to score 10+ points in an NBA Finals game.
Fox just hasn’t been at his best all season, and it’s likely that he’s still playing hurt after missing games in the Western Conference Finals with an ankle injury. He was pretty bad all night in Game 1, finishing with seven points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field. Fox missed a nine-foot jumper that could have tied the game with 90 seconds left, then he bailed out the Knicks by fouling Mikal Bridges late in the shot-clock on the next possession. That swing lost the Spurs the game.
Harper was outstanding in the first half before cooling some in the second. Still, he finished with 16 points and eight rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting. It’s worth noting that Harper was -5 in his 28 minutes, while Fox was even through his 38 minutes. I just feel like Harper is the Spurs’ best backcourt shot-creator at this point, and without him creating advantages, San Antonio’s offense bogged down late.
De'Aaron Fox in the 4th quarter:
0 PTS 0 AST 2 TO 0-2 FG in 11 minutes
Dylan Harper led the Spurs in scoring through 3 quarters but only played 3:33 in the fourth.
Karl-Anthony Towns is a matchup nightmare for Victor Wembanyama
Brunson will get most of the credit for the Knicks’ Game 1 win, but Towns was every bit as important. He got it done on both ends of the floor in his marquee matchup with Victor Wembanyama, and it leaves the Spurs scrambling for answers on how to unlock their 7’5 alien for the rest of the series.
Towns is one of the best shooting big men ever, and he naturally pulls Wembanyama out of the paint when the two are matched up on each other. Towns isn’t just a jump shooter, though: his ability to put the ball on the floor and drive hard to the hole puts Wemby in difficult situations where he has to slide his feet and can’t rotate to help his teammates.
KAT also guarded Wembanyama for most of the game, and did a great job denying him deep post position. His Knicks teammates were crashing down for digs every time Wemby put the ball on the floor, but Towns was the first line of defense. In addition to continually pushing the French superstar to the perimeter, Towns also did a great job on the defensive glass. His box score numbers were solid but unspectacular with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists on 7-of-15 shooting, but it’s no coincidence that he finished +14 in 34 minutes. Towns swung the game, and I’m not sure the Spurs have an answer for him.
Josh Hart is the ultimate glue guy
Per @bball_ref, Josh Hart is the first player at 6'5" or under to grab 15+ rebounds in a Finals game since Sam Jones in 1963.
It’s been easy to blame Josh Hart when the Knicks have struggled over the last few seasons because he’s a shaky shooter and doesn’t have much creation ability. Still, there’s a reason New York continues to stick with him, and Hart rewarded them with a gutsy role player performance in Game 1. He only scored three points in 27 minutes on 1-of-5 shooting, but Hart still helped swing the game with his rebounding (15 boards), defense (four steals), and connective playmaking (six assists). He finished the game +22 in 27 minutes. You feel Hart’s presence whenever he’s on the floor, and his selfless nature is part of what’s elevated this Knicks team to such great heights.
Victor Wembanyama needs a post game
Wemby is probably the best player in the world at age-22, but he still has a lot of room to get better. Game 1 showed some holes in his offensive skill set on a cold shooting night when the Knicks weren’t letting him get all the way to the basket. Wembanyama just doesn’t really have a plan of attack inside the arc yet, so much so that it often feels like his best bet is just throwing the ball at the rim and trying to get his own rebound. What he really needs his a mid-range bag or a post-up game to help settle the offense in tense moments.
His shot chart from Wednesday night shows how much room he has to improve inside the arc but away from the rim. Wemby was 1-for-7 on non-rim two-pointers. That’s a hard way for any star player to live when the game slows down in the playoffs.
The Knicks’ chemistry is something special right now
The Knicks have now won 12 straight games since the Atlanta Hawks took a 2-1 series lead against them in the first round. New York has a +19.1 net-rating for the playoffs. If the Knicks finish this thing off, it’s one of the most dominant playoff runs ever.
I’m interested to see how the Knicks respond if they ever lose a game. Will they slip into the bad habits they showed earlier in the year? At this point, it feels like this team has counters for everything, and they’re playing with an incredible amount of unselfishness. That’s what championship teams are made of.
Jaxson Dart gave fans insight into his NBA Finals experience.
The Giants’ quarterback was in a suite at Frost Bank Center for Game 1 between the Knicks and Spurs on Wednesday night, as seen in an Instagram story that featured Giants teammate Brian Burns and comedian Pete Davidson.
From the suite, Dart starts the video by recording the court during a fourth-quarter play that saw Jalen Brunson drive to the rim for a pull-up jump shot.
Brian Burns flexes and yells in celebration during Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs on Wednesday.
It sent Knicks fans into a frenzy, including Dart, who turned the camera toward the suite where a bunch of fans were jumping up and down and screaming.
He went on to find the three-time Pro Bowler Burns, who was yelling and flexing, and then the video flashes to a smiling Davidson.
Pete Davidson celebrating as the Knicks pulled ahead in the in the fourth quarter against the Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Instagram @jaxsondart
Dart, Burns and Davidson witnessed Brunson’s fourth-quarter magic.
The three-time All-Star led the Knicks as they erased a 14-point third-quarter deficit to mark their 12th straight win in this playoff run.
Dart, who is prepping for his second year with the Giants, attended the Finals on the heels of an eventful few weeks.
He received pushback after introducing Donald Trump to an audience at Rockland Community College in Suffern in late May, even from his own locker room.
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart answers questions from reporters during football practice, Friday, May 29, 2026. Noah K. Murray for NY Post
In a since-deleted post, Abdul Carter took to X to say “Thought this s–t was AI, what we doing man.” He then followed up with a post to say the two settled the dust after speaking “as men.”
Dart later held a locker room meeting to explain his decision, yet Carter did not attend due to family obligations related to the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha.
Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jameis Winston also addressed the team.
“I also understand in this world, politics can be a sensitive matter, a sensitive topic,” he said “I also understand that I’m the quarterback of the New York Giants and that involves a lot of responsibility.”
The Spurs host Game 2 on Friday night before the series heads to New York.
Wednesday saw two interesting twists in the case of Terry Rozier, the former NBA player charged with taking part in an illegal gambling scheme while a member of the Charlotte Hornets.
First, the same arbitrator who ruled in February that the Miami Heat had to pay Rozier his $26.6 million salary this past season has now altered his ruling to say Rozier was in violation of his NBA contract and must forfeit much of that money, something released in a court statement and first reported by Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Second, Rozier's attorney asked the judge in his case to lift a no-contact order with the Charlotte Hornets — the team Rozier was with when he allegedly committed the crimes — because it is hindering his free-agent opportunities, a development first reported by the Associated Press.
Rozier was named in a federal indictment and has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, among other things. Prosecutors allege Rozier conspired with known professional gamblers to win prop bets based on his performance (in games where Rozier removed himself early due to injury). A second indictment came down last week, tied to the same case, and in each instance, Rozier has proclaimed his innocence. He has said he did not participate in the scheme and has asked that charges against him be dismissed.
While the arbitrator originally ruled the Heat had to pay Rozier for this season while he awaited his day in court, the NBA returned to that case to argue that because of the terms of Rozier's bail bond — he cannot travel across the country or be in contact with the Miami Heat or Charlotte Hornets — he could not fulfill his contract and should not have been paid. The arbitrator agreed.
Also on Wednesday, Rozier's attorney, Jim Trusty, filed a motion with the court asking the judge to dismiss the ban on contact with the Hornets as NBA free agency nears. From the filing (via the AP):
"With the NBA's free agency process officially beginning June 30, maintaining the Hornets on the no-contact list would likely prevent him from having any opportunity to play in the NBA. Under the current ruling of the arbitrator, an inability to play for or against the Charlotte Hornets would constitute a 'failure to perform services' by Mr. Rozier and substantially diminish or eliminate any chance of being contracted by an NBA team."
In a practical sense, no NBA team would go near the 32-year-old guard with this gambling case hanging over him (something unlikely to change even if he ultimately does have the charges dismissed). The Heat waived Rozier in April and technically he is a free agent. Rozier played 10 NBA seasons, averaging 13.9 points per game.
The Giants (24-38) won 1-0 against the Brewers (37-22) and avoided the series sweep. The Brewers are up 2-1 in the series and today's afternoon meeting will be the series finale.
Milwaukee has won seven out of the last nine games and have won their last three games following a loss. The Brewers only managed three hits in the 1-0 loss, which brought their batting average down to .244 over the last six games (17th). Milwaukee has allowed has three of fewer runs in four straight games and seven of the last nine. The Brewers have a 2.83 ERA over the past six games (3rd) and a 2.69 ERA in the previous 13 (2nd).
San Francisco is 2-7 in the past nine games and 6-14 in the last 20 games. Outside of the last game, the Giants pitching staff has been struggling with a 6.15 ERA (29th), a .276 OBA (T-27th), and 1.62 WHIP (29th) over the last 15 days (13 games). On the other hand, the Giants' offense has stayed hot with a .312 batting average (1st) over the last six games and .282 in the past 13 (2nd).
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Giants at Brewers
Date: Thursday, June 4, 2026
Time: 2:10 PM EST
Site: American Family Field
City: Milwaukee, WI
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Giants at the Brewers
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Milwaukee Brewers (-186), San Francisco Giants (+153)
Spread: Brewers -1.5 (+105), Giants +1.5 (-127)
Total: 9.0
Probable starting pitchers for Giants at Brewers
Thursday's pitching matchup (June 4): Adrian Houser vs. Cameron Crow
The Giants’ Jung Ho Lee is hitting .307 with 61 hits and 86 total bases over 199 at-bats
The Giants’ Matt Chapman is hitting .231 with 52 hits and 56 strikeouts over 225 at-bats
The Brewers’ William Contreras is hitting .288 with 63 hits and 85 total bases over 219 at-bats
The Brewers’ Garrett Mitchell is hitting .235 with 36 hits and 67 strikeouts over 153 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Giants at Brewers
The Giants are 26-36 ATS, ranking fifth-worst
The Brewers are 35-24 ATS, ranking fourth-best
The Giants are 30-27-5 to the Over
The Brewers are 31-27-1 to the Under, ranking eighth-best
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Giants and the Brewers
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Brewers and the Giants:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Brewers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Brewers at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 9.0
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 24: Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Chase Harlan (94) at bat during the MLB Spring Training game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 24, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Tulsa, Great Lakes,, and Ontario all won, with a highlight for the Drillers’ 16-hit effort in a commanding win over the Sod Poodles.
Player of the day
Now batting .333, Chase Harlan was at the forefront of a winning effort for the Tower Buzzers, managing to hit his eighth home run of the season, anchoring that lineup and helping Ontario move above .500 ball, now sitting at 27-26.
— Ontario Tower Buzzers (@towerbuzzers) June 4, 2026
Selected in the third round of the 2024 Draft, Harlan is a month away from turning 20, and a call-up to a higher level might be in the cards for him if he keeps up this kind of production.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Despite having eight of its nine hitters who started the game reach safely at least once and out-homering their opponent two-to-zero, the Comets dropped this one at home by a score of nine to five. Jackson Ferris had a choppy start, allowing three runs in as many innings, and reliever Ryder Ryan was ambushed for another five runs.
Offensively, the standout name for the Comets was shortstop Noah Miller, who homered and tripled, raising his OPS to .811. The other home run for Oklahoma City came from the former Diamondback Alek Thomas, who was making his debut for the Comets, batting eighth and playing center field.
Double-A Tulsa
It was a good day for hitters at the bottom of the lineup, with Chris Newell responsible for half of the Drillers’ RBI in an 8-3 win over the Sod Poodles—this included a two-run shot in the sixth that gave Tulsa the lead for the first time in this game.
Other than standout prospect Zyhir Hope, who went 0 for 5, everyone else chipped in—shortstop Elijah Hainline didn’t record an out across five of his plate appearances with three hits and two walks, while Josue De Paula has now reached base safely in 20 straight games.
Starter Adam Serwinowski overcame his struggles in 2026 to earn his fourth win by allowing just one run in six innings of work. The walks were a bit of a problem, conceding four of them and only two hits, but nothing that would spoil his start. Recently activated reliever Lucas Wepf allowed back-to-back solo shots in the ninth and still didn’t risk this win for the Drillers.
High-A Great Lakes
After squandering an early 3-0 lead, the Loons took advantage of poor defensive work from the Lugnuts by scoring two of their final three runs on a wild pitch and a throwing error, winning the game 6-4. Responsible for blowing the lead and ultimately the winning pitcher of record, Jakob Wright was the bulk man out of the bullpen, covering 4.2 innings and allowing four runs in the process.
One of the more stable performers for the Loons this season, center fielder Charles Davalan had the go-ahead RBI in the seventh, his 29th of the year. Number two hitter Emil Morales had three of the Loons’ eight hits on this one, including a mammoth blast.
Emil Morales pummels a 441-foot homer for the High-A @greatlakesloons ⚡️
There aren’t too many hitters outperforming Chase Harlan across the board in the Dodgers minor league system, and the young third baseman was yet again responsible for a Tower Buzzers win, securing two RBI in a 4-2 effort over the Ports.
Highlighting Harlan’s performance buries the lede, as this game also saw the rare four-inning save for Ontario. Tyler Gough covered the game’s first five innings, allowing just one run, and the Tower Buzzers gave the final four to Jesus Tillero for the final four. Tillero dealt with traffic all the way through, but held onto the lead.
Transactions
The Tulsa Drillers activated right-handed pitcher Lucas Wepf from the injured list.
Wednesday’s scores
Oklahoma City 5, Round Rock 9
Amarillo 3, Tulsa 8
Great Lakes 6, Lansing 4
Ontario 4, Stockton 2
Thursday’s schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Christian Zazueta) vs. Lansing (Zane Taylor)
5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (River Ryan) vs. Round Rock (TBD)
5:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Payton Martin) at Amarillo (Daniel Eagen)
6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) vs. Stockton (Shotaro Morii)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 01: Daylen Lile #4 of the Washington Nationals bats against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park on June 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Daylen Lile is one of my favorite players on the Washington Nationals, but he is really struggling right now. The 23 year old is 4 for his last 27, and has scuffled badly since his amazing series against the Reds. When you watch Lile hit, it is easy to diagnose his problem, he is swinging at everything.
Lile has been chasing more than he did last year all season long. However, this problem has really caused him trouble lately. Last season, Lile’s chase rate was 26.7%, which is slightly better than the league average. This year that chase rate is up 10 points to 36.7%, and it is causing him to struggle.
Daylen Lile's chase rate is up 10% this year from 26.7% to 36.7% and it is really taking away a big part of his offensive game. Just seems like he is swinging at everything
One of the secrets of Daylen Lile’s success last year was that his swing decisions were very sharp. He was chasing less than the average hitter while swinging at pitches in the zone at a 75% clip, which is very high. Lile was using his premium hit tool to make contact on pitches in the zone while laying off the junk. Being aggressive in the zone and patient out of it is part of what makes guys like Freddie Freeman and Corey Seager such special hitters.
It is also one of the reasons I loved Lile so much entering the season. His rookie season was so impressive offensively. Lile hit .299 with an .845 OPS as a 22 year old. I love comparing him to Michael Brantley, and I still think he has that ability offensively. However, he needs to get back to making good swing decisions, or else that comparison will not stick.
I am being harsh on Lile right now, but he has not been awful either. Despite a heavy slump, his OPS is still above .700 and he is close to a league average hitter. Once he gets on one of his signature heaters, that OPS will be right back up towards .750. Lile has also been much better defensively this season, which helps his profile massively.
Lile’s batted ball data is pretty similar to last year as well. He is whiffing more, but part of that is due to the chase issues. Fundamentally, he is still the same guy other than the chase problem. We still see the flashes of excellence from him as well. That series in Cincinnati in front of his family was absolute fireworks. I thought that would kickstart his campaign, but instead, he has gone into a tailspin since then.
All of those home runs in that Reds series may have given Lile some of the wrong ideas as well. There are times at the plate where he is trying to do too much. You see that a lot with runners in scoring position, where Lile is a dreadful 9 for 64. When you talk to Lile and people in the building, you get the sense that he is a guy who has very high standards and can be hard on himself. Right now, that is leading to a lot of pressing and trying to break out of his slump with one swing.
Having high standards is a positive quality, but it can be a curse as well. In a 162 game season, you do not want to get too high or too low. Lately, it feels like Lile is chasing that magic from last September, both figuratively and literally. He just seems like a player who needs a day off right now.
Love Daylen Lile and he means a ton to this team but boy does he need an off day right now
Long term, I am still very bullish on Lile, especially with his defensive improvements. His fielding run value has gone from -10 to +3 in just one season. Lile’s elite speed always gave him the ability to be a good defender, but this year he has a much better idea of what he is doing in the outfield.
If he can combine this year’s defense with last year’s hitting, Lile can be a borderline star player. I truly believe that player is in there as well. He is just 23 years old and in his first full season as a big leaguer. Daylen Lile has a sweet swing, but right now he is just using it too much.
With this coaching staff, I have faith that they can get Lile back to his best. That would make this lineup even more dangerous. Sophomore slumps are a real thing, and Daylen Lile is going through one right now. However, he will come out the other side of this better than ever once he recalibrates his swing decisions.
On Thursday, June 4, the Rockets unveiled new branding that reintroduces the iconic "ketchup and mustard" color palette made famous by the franchise's 1994 and 1995 NBA championship teams.
The Rockets will debut three new uniforms — one white, one red and one black, all with yellow highlights — for the 2026-27 season. The team also added a yellow outline to its primary "R" logo, recreated its global logo as a triangle shape inspired by space mission patches, and brought back the popular Dunkstronaut as a permanent secondary logo.
While the colors and some aspects of the uniform redesign capitalize on nostalgia for the '90s era of Rockets basketball, including a slanted font and lowercase "T" mimicking the retro logo, other details reflect the franchise's modernization.
Subtle vertical stripes on the "Association" and "Icon" uniforms are inspired by a rocket's rotation as it launches into space, while the stripes on the black "Statement" uniform are inspired by a quasar, an ultra-bright galactic nucleus. Each jersey features a "Clutch City" tag framed by two quasars. The waistbands on all three uniform shorts feature the Dunkstronaut, which became immensely popular with fans after it was used on City Edition uniforms during the 2023-24 and 2025-26 seasons.
The Rockets worked for three years on the new logos and uniforms, a process that involved adjusting to feedback from the NBA and Nike. From the start, however, the Rockets were sure they wanted a callback to the championship team colors.
"If you're going to update something and do it, to not bring back the iconic colors — it was obvious the decision we were gonna make," said Rockets president of business operations Gretchen Sheirr. "Tying back to the nostalgia and the legacy of what this franchise has been for 60 years was very important, but also being very clear that we are going big places and we have a bright future."
Rockets players first saw the uniforms at a photo shoot in early April, and according to Sheirr, they were hyped about the new threads.
The Rockets teased the reveal earlier in the week with a "Rudy T's Diner" video. Shot at Tel-Wink Grill, a classic diner in southeast Houston, the spot featured cameos from Hall of Fame coach Rudy Tomjanovich, Hakeem Olajuwon, Vernon Maxwell, Ralph Sampson, Calvin Murphy and Steve Francis, alongside Houston celebrities Slim Thug and Mo Amer.
“We heard our fans…Ketchup and Mustard is back!” said Patrick Fertitta, Vice Chairman of the Houston Rockets and Comets, in a statement. “From the time my family bought the team in 2017, we’ve heard from countless fans about how deeply those colors are tied to their memories of Rockets basketball. We wanted to create something that celebrates the generations of fans who built Rockets basketball while inspiring the next generation of Rockets fans.”
The team is already selling new apparel on its website, with jerseys available for preorder, and fans in Houston can check out gear in person at a retail pop-up shop on Friday, June 5 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
BOSTON, MA - CIRCA 1964: Phil Linz #34 of the New York Yankees looks on during an Major League Baseball game against the Boston Red Sox circa 1964 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Linz played for the Yankees from 1962-65. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The game of baseball requires many player archetypes to compete for positions on major league (and professional) rosters. Sluggers, contact hitters, and defensive wizards all have their place within the game. But there’s another group of players (albeit a smaller genre) who are still around and have made their way onto World Series-winning rosters: the utility players.
This group usually has a higher floor and lower ceiling than the others, but if you can find an excellent one, the goal is to keep him around as long as possible. And while a player like Phil Linz wasn’t a star utility man, he still carved out a seven-year career in the major leagues, while also being the key cog in one of the most famous stories in Yankees history.
Philip Francis Linz
Born: June 4, 1939 (Baltimore, MD) Died: December 9, 2020 (Leesburg, VA) Yankees Tenure: 1962-1965
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Linz grew up playing baseball. He wasn’t the biggest kid, but he was good enough to be signed by the Yankees straight out of Calvert Hall College High School in 1957. His hometown squad in the Baltimore Orioles didn’t sign him because one of their scouts, Walter Youse, was also Linz’s head coach at Calvert Hall, and he knew that Linz’s vision was terrible. He couldn’t see and, most importantly, he refused to wear glasses. But after signing, he began wearing them in the minor leagues.
In 1957 and 1958, Linz, at 18 and 19 years old, played Class-D ball for the Kearney Yankees in Kearney, Nebraska, and the Auburn Yankees in Auburn, New York. He batted .230 with Kearney and then, following that first season in the minors, saw his average jump up to .283. In 1959, he got promoted to the Class-C Modesto Reds, where he hit .298 in 141 games played, and he saw another jump to Class-B with the Greensboro Yankees in 1960 at the age of 21. He hit for over .300 for the first time in his career (.321 to be exact) in 126 games, excelling in the contact area of the game as he hit only four homers out of his 505 at-bats and 162 hits. He also won the Carolina League batting title that season by .0002 points as well.
Linz’s performance year-over-year earned him the call-up to the Double-A Amarillo Gold Sox, where he played 105 of his 119 minor league games that season (the other 15 were when he was called up to Triple-A Richmond). He hit .349 in Double-A with an .851 OPS. He won his second straight minor league batting title that season, earning a trip to the major leagues and the opportunity to wear the pinstripes for the first time.
While he did receive that chance in 1962 under manager Ralph Houk, it wasn’t in a full-time role. Instead, Linz battled for the starting shortstop position in spring training, lost to Tom Tresh (who ended up playing 157 games that season), and was used as a utility player, playing all around the infield and even a few games in the outfield, mostly as a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner. In total, he played 71 games that season, slashing .287/.316/.372. And despite not playing a game in the postseason, he still received a World Series ring after a 4-3 series defeat of the San Francisco Giants. It was more of the same in 1963, playing where his manager needed him and as a pinch-hitter or runner in 72 games. He did go back to the World Series that year, but the Yankees were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, this time he did manage to make three separate appearances, all of which were of pinch-hit variety. Linz’s biggest feat was singling off Sandy Koufax in Game 4.
The 1964 season was the best for Linz in a variety of areas, including games played, on-base percentage, OPS, and OPS+. But that wasn’t the biggest story of the season for Linz. Instead, the biggest story came because of a hobby. On a road trip to Chicago to play the White Sox, Linz ended up purchasing a harmonica for fun. But following the wrong end of a four-game sweep in a tight pennant race, the harmonica was the last thing that Yogi Berra, a first-year manager unhappy with his team’s performance before going to play the Boston Red Sox, wanted to hear from the back of the team bus.
Linz decided to practice the instrument to take his mind off not playing during the series, and began playing the only song he knew: Mary Had a Little Lamb. And, of course, it sounded as good as a first-time harmonica player could make it sound. The rest of the story is told best by Yankees player and former teammate of Linz, Jim Bouton, in his book “Ball Four:”
“Yogi, who was in the front of the bus, stood up and said, “Knock it off.”
Legend has it that Linz wasn’t sure what Berra said, so he turned to Mickey Mantle and asked, “What’d he say?”
“He said play it louder,” Mantle explained.
Linz didn’t believe that. On the other hand he didn’t stop. In a minute Yogi was in the back of the bus, breathing heavily and demanding that Linz shove that thing up his ass.
“You do it,” Linz said, flipping the harmonica at him. Yogi swatted at it with his hand and it hit Pepitone in the knee. Immediately he was up doing his act called, “Ooooooh, you hurt my little knee.” Pretty soon everybody was laughing, even if you’re not supposed to laugh after losing, especially a doubleheader.”
The story went around like wildfire, as team journalists who were on that bus couldn’t wait to write it and turn it in to their editors for publication. Linz was inevitably fined $200 (approximately $2,148.52 today) for the incident, even though it blew over and he wasn’t suspended. However, while earning $14,000 on his contract that year, he also received a $5,000 endorsement deal from harmonica maker Hohner, making the $200 not even a dent in his earnings. He also received $200 from Houk for music lessons.
But the story got even better when it was viewed as the turning point for the Yankees’ season. They lost the first two games in Boston but went on a 23-6 run, finishing 30-13 the rest of the season to finish ahead of the White Sox for the American League pennant by one game. From then on, Linz became a legend.
Linz ended up becoming the starting shortstop following an injury to Tony Kubek’s wrist, and he batted leadoff against the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. He was given the leadoff hitter position and hit .226 with two solo home runs off Barney Schultz and Bob Gibson, but the Yankees ultimately lost the title in seven games and then Berra was fired after the season.
Linz was with the Yankees for one more season under a new coach (playing 99 games and batting .207) before being traded to the Phillies for utility player Ruben Amaro in a one-for-one deal. He appeared in only 63 games over a season and a half before he was traded in July of 1967 to the New York Mets for second baseman Chuck Hiller. In 102 total games for the Mets, he hit .209 with a 46 OPS+. Linz played his final season of major league baseball at age 29 in 1968 after rejoining the Mets because he still wanted to play. But his best days were behind him, and he moved on to the restaurant business, where he created and owned a sports bar, Mr. Laffs, for 23 years, along with a couple of other restaurants. Linz passed away at the age of 81.
One of the most famous Yankees to play the game came not from his ability to crush the baseball over the outfield fences, but instead from a measly harmonica. The legend of him will live forever through books, articles, and oral stories from Yankees legends who passed it down through generations. Happy birthday, Phil.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 03: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres is hit by a pitch in the eighth inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 03, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres continued their freefall toward mediocrity with their fifth straight loss to the Philadelphia Phillies this time by the score of 3-2 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. The Padres were finding ways to win despite their inconsistent offense through the first 50 games of the season but have not had that same luck over their last 10 games. San Diego is 2-8 over that span and is in danger of being swept by Philadelphia for the second time as they enter the final game of the series today at 10:05 a.m.
The Padres had their chances, yet again, to win a game against the Phillies, who had Christopher Sanchez on the mound, but like the day before, they failed to come up with a clutch hit with one out and runners on the corners in the top of the eighth inning. Fernando Tatis Jr. reached on a one-out single and was followed by Miguel Anduja, who singled to put runners on the corners. Manny Machado struck out for the second out of the inning, but then Gavin Sheets walked to load the bases and Xander Bogaerts was hit by a pitch to force in a run to make the score 3-2. With the bases loaded Ty France hit a ground ball to Philadelphia second baseman Bryson Stott who forced out Bogaerts at second base to end the threat and the inning.
Phillies closer Jhoan Duran got his second save of the series facing just three Padres in the ninth inning. He got Jackson Merrill to lineout and then struck out Bryce Johnson and Samad Taylor to close out the contest. Merrill provided the lone highlight for San Diego with an RBI-single off Sanchez in the top of the seventh inning. He followed France who hit a two-out double and came into score with Merrill’s hit. It was the first run allowed by Sanchez in 50.2 innings.
Walker Buehler started for the Padres and pitched six innings, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Jason Adam, who has not been the same dominant reliever since returning from his ruptured quadriceps tendon, allowed home runs to J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber in the bottom of the seventh inning, which proved to be the difference in the game. San Diego will try to salvage the series with a win today.
German Marquez may rejoin the San Diego rotation soon. He started his rehab assignment with the El Paso Chihuahuas with 2.1 innings pitched without allowing a run and striking out three batters.
Baseball News:
Shohei Ohtani continued to dominate both sides of the baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers with a six-inning scoreless performance on the mound and a day at the plate that saw him reach base five times in their 7-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Senators head coach Travis Green may not have been one of the three finalists for the 2026 Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year, but the voters certainly didn't ignore him.
Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning finally got his due on Wednesday, when the league announced he had won the trophy for the first time. Meanwhile, Green finished up sixth in the voting, even ahead of Rod Brind'Amour, whose team made quick work of the Senators in round one and sits four wins away from a Stanley Cup.
The voting is based exclusively on the regular season, and voters were impressed by Green's steady hand at the wheel, guiding his team to the playoffs through some very rough waters this season.
The Senators had a difficult first half, marred by shaky goaltending, off-ice drama and one injury after another down the stretch, especially on their blue line. But Green was impressive, keeping the Senators focused on the things they can control, and the messaging was consistent.
The Sens finished the season on a furious 21-6-3 run to grab the final playoff spot in the East. Green ended up with four first-place votes, five second-place votes, and eight third-place votes.
Dan Muse of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres were the other men who were up for the award, presented to the head coach “adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success." Along with Cooper, who won by just three points, the three finalists finished way ahead of everyone else.
Only two Senators' head coaches have ever won the award. Paul MacLean in 2012–13, and Jacques Martin in 1998-99. Green won't join them this year, but still deserves a ton of credit for keeping Ottawa's weird season on the rails.
But after two first-round exits and a 2-8 playoff record, next season's playoffs won't have any sort of 'just happy to be here' vibe. Entering year three this fall, Green knows full well that both the bar and the pressure will be raised.
Meanwhile, Cooper was surprised with the award during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the "Coop’s Catch for Kids" Family Lounge at Muma Children's Hospital in Tampa. "Coop’s Catch for Kids" is the name of his foundation that helps raise funds for pediatric cancer research.
He thought he was there exclusively for the ribbon-cutting until they wheeled in the trophy right at the end of the ceremony.
"OK, you got me," Cooper said in the video of the ceremony posted on NHL.com.
"I don't have any words. I never thought this would be a reality."
