What does the future hold for Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane?
He hit multiple career milestones this season, including scoring his 500th career goal, becoming the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history, and, on Monday evening, picking up the 1,400th point of his Hall of Fame career.
He's also a pending unrestricted free agent.
Following Monday's game, Kane made it sound as though he absolutely plans on playing next season.
"I haven’t really thought about it too much. I’ll definitely be playing," Kane said. "I think there’s more in the tank, and excited to see what level that can be at."
Detroit would be hard-pressed to replace the offense that Kane has provided to them this season. While he missed chunks of the season with injury, Kane has still scored 16 goals while adding 41 assists. He's also currently sporting a plus-two rating.
The chances of the Red Wings re-signing Kane are likely good, considering his friendship with forward Alex DeBrincat and the friendship of their young sons with one another.
Kane has spoken glowingly of playing for the organization and living in the Metro-Detroit area, and it would be difficult to see him opting to move his family elsewhere for what could potentially be his final NHL season.
While the Red Wings ultimately finished on the outside looking in at the postseason race, Kane's efforts down the stretch were especially noticeable, having scored at over a point-per-game pace during the last 24 games.
"Happy with the way I finished, especially after the Olympic break," Kane said. "Felt really good. Definitely feel like there’s more gas still in the tank."
In each of the last two offseasons, Kane has signed a one-year extension to remain with Detroit. Don't be surprised to see history repeat itself for a third time this summer.
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 12: Nick Pivetta #27 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Petco Park on April 12, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres officially announced that starter Nick Pivetta, who suffered an injury while pitching on Sunday, is being placed on the 15-day injured list. It will be retroactive to April 13. The diagnosis is right elbow inflammation. Pivetta was in the fourth inning of a perfect start against the Colorado Rockies when his velocity dropped and manager Craig Stammen walked out and took the ball.
Starter Matt Waldron and reliever Alek Jacob have been brought up from Triple-A El Paso with Waldron saying (per Padres media) that he will be starting on Friday in Anaheim against the Angels. Waldron has had starts for the Chihuahuas with 12 innings pitched and has allowed seven hits and no runs with 12 strikeouts.
His last start was April 9, going five innings with two hits and no runs with three strikeouts. Friday would normally be the spot for Germán Márquez, following Walker Buehler on Thursday, but the starting pitchers past today’s game against the Mariners have not been announced by the Padres.
Jacob can be activated and used out of the bullpen until Waldron is needed to start. That would give the bullpen a fresher arm to relieve some stress on the current pitchers. Jacob last pitched 1.2 innings on Sunday for El Paso. He has pitched 7.1 innings over five games with a 0.00 ERA. He has six strikeouts and three walks.
Pivetta was placed on the injured list by the Boston Red Sox, his team in 2024, with a right elbow flexor strain and he was activated after a month on the IL. He also experienced what was described as arm fatigue during Spring Training this year and was shut down for a start before resuming his build up.
There was no announcement regarding elbow imaging done or if that is in the plan for Pivetta.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 14: Jonathan India #6 of the Kansas City Royals throws the ball to first base as Kevin McGonigle #7 of the Detroit Tigers collides with him during the bottom of the first inning at Comerica Park on April 14, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. McGonigle was out at second base and Dillon Dingler #13 of the Detroit Tigers was thrown out at first base to complete the double play. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Tigers are happy to be home. They had an incredible weekend sweep against the Marlins, and with division rivals the Kansas City Royals in town for a three-game series, they were hoping to keep climbing in the AL Central standings. For the first game of the series, Framber Valdez was up against Cole Ragans. Valdez had a rough go in his last outing and was looking for some redemption at home.
In the top of the first, Maikel Garcia reached on a fielding error by Kevin McGonigle at third. Bobby Witt Jr., who is certain to be a problem for the Tigers this series, grounded into a double play, and another out wrapped up the ending with no damage done. In the home half, Matt Vierling hit a one-out single. Isaac Collins, the Royals’ left fielder, chased down a Kevin McGonigle foul, landing in the seats and soon exiting the game entirely.
McGonigle ended up walking, but then a double play ended the inning.
Salvador Perez kicked off the second with a single. A groundout then resulted in possibly the funniest out of the season, as Framber Valdez knocked down a ball from Vinnie Pasquantino, going to the ground and struggling to get a grip on it before making the slowest toss in history to second and still managing to get the out. Pasquantino did manage to get safely to first, though. Starling Marte then singled. Jonathan India walked to load the bases. Carter Jensen grounded into a force out, eliminating India, but scoring Pasquantino, putting the Royals on the board first. The Royals would have to settle for the one run, though. In the bottom of the inning, Ragans got the Tigers out in order.
In the top of the third, Valdez finally got his feet under him a little better, getting two outs before giving up a walk to Lane Thomas. In the home half, the Tigers went down 1-2-3 again.
The fourth finally went entirely smoothly for Valdez as he got the Royals to go three-up, three-down. Matt Vierling for MVP of this game as he got on base for the second time in the game, this time with a walk. A McGonigle groundout advanced him to second. A Dingler groundout got Vierling to third. On a lengthy plate battle (and hoping to finally, finally get on base) Wenceel Perez went to a full count, before a called strikeout, which he then challenged, and good for him, because it was ruled ball four and got him a free base. The Tigers couldn’t manage to get a run across though.
The top of the fifth saw the Royals go 1-2-3 again. Hurray! In the bottom of the inning Spencer Torkelson took a leadoff walk twice. The first time the ball four call was overturned on a challenge, then he worked the count again and got on base. The effort didn’t pay off, though as a pop out and double play ended the inning.
Bobby Witt Jr. got a leadoff single in the top of the sixth. Three outs followed, including Valdez’s first strikeout of the game. The man just really loves inducing a ground ball, what can I say? Speaking of groundouts, the Tigers got two of them in the bottom of the inning, plus a lineout for a little fun.
The Royals went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh. In the home half, it was getting on to crunch time for the Tigers, who needed to act soon if they were planning to make some kind of comeback and not lose the game by a single run. The Royals were the first to go to their bullpen, bringing in Matt Strahm. Dingler got things going with a leadoff single to the infield, beating out a slow throw by Maikel Garcia. With two outs, Torkelson drew a walk, and it was up to Javier Baez. But death by groundout continued, and the Tigers left the inning with a goose egg on the scoreboard.
Valdez’s day was done, with a final line of 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K on 87 pitches. Having a pitcher who is good at inducing groundballs is swell, but you need to have the infield defense to make it work for you. Unclear at this point if the Tigers have the necessary combo for success. Still, decidedly a better outing for Valdez overall. Will Vest came on to replace him. And you know who does strikeout batters? Will Vest. He did it three times in a row, in fact, and man, there’s just something extra enjoyable about watching fastball strikeouts after watching a pitcher who specializes in weak contact. Mmmm, fastballs. In the home hald, Nick Mears was the newest Royals pitcher to face the Tigers. Zach McKinstry got a leadoff double. Gleyber Torres hit a grounder to get McKinstry to third. Colt Keith came off the bench to pinch hit for Vierling. He hit a liner down the middle but Bobby Witt Jr. is a menace and smothered what would have been an RBI single for the second out of the inning. It’s really rude when he’s good against us. A wild pitch by Mears and heads up baserunning scored the Tigers’ first run of the game to tie things up.
McGonigle took a walk. Dingler then drove the ball right down the third base line and McGonigle went first to jome on the double, giving the Tigers the lead. The Tigers wouldn’t get any more runs, but they had the lead, and the best closer in the business (historically speaking) coming up.
Kenley Jansen came in for the ninth. Lane Thomas got a leadoff single. Thomas stole second, and while McKinstry did try a really fun jump-over-the-runner-and-tag-him-on-the-head play, it was just a little too slow. A Perez groundout advanced Thomas to third. A Pasquantino groundout put the Tigers just one out from victory, and one runner 90 feet from a tie game. Let’s all hold our breath. Jansen was dialing his cut fastball up over 96 mph, which is a great sign after sitting 92-93 mph early on. A flyout to Baez after getting to a full count ended the game, and Jansen managed to snag himself a save that puts him alone at third all-time saves leader with 479.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich is expected to miss at least a month with an adductor strain.
Yelich left in the fifth inning of the Brewers’ 8-6 loss to the Washington Nationals on Sunday with what the team described as tightness in his left hamstring. The Brewers placed him on the injured list Tuesday, retroactive to Monday, and said he had a second-degree adductor strain.
The Brewers estimated he would return in mid-to-late May, though Yelich said he didn’t want to put a timeline on it.
“I’m just trying to go about it the best I can, do a good job with the rehab and get back out there as quickly as possible,” Yelich said.
Milwaukee also selected infielder/outfielder Greg Jones from Triple-A Nashville and transferred left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny to the 60-day injured list.
The 34-year-old Yelich was in the lineup as a designated hitter Sunday and said he started to feel something was off while grounding into a fielder’s choice in the first inning. He stayed in the game and grounded out in the third before getting pulled for a pinch hitter in the fifth.
“After running to first in the first inning, it just kind of felt weird,” Yelich said. “I just thought it was tight, kept going and after my (next) at-bat, I felt like it was weird.”
Milwaukee already had outfielder Jackson Chourio and first baseman Andrew Vaughn on the injured list due to hand issues. The Brewers said Tuesday that Chourio is expected to return in early May and Vaughn could come back in mid-May.
The Brewers also are playing without starting pitcher Quinn Priester (thoracic outlet) and reliever Jared Koenig (elbow). Milwaukee had lost five straight for its longest skid since 2003 as it prepared to open a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.
“We’ve had a lot of adversity early,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “We’ve faced this before. It just seems different in terms of how it’s kind of piled on us.”
Yelich, the 2018 NL MVP and a three-time All-Star, is hitting .314 with one home run, 10 RBIs and three steals in 15 games.
Murphy said Gary Sánchez probably will get much of the playing time at designated hitter in Yelich’s absence.
Sánchez replaced Yelich in the fifth inning Sunday and hit a game-tying, three-run homer in the seventh. He entered Tuesday with four homers, matching Jake Bauers for the team lead.
Yelich is coming off a 2025 season in which he played 150 games – his second-highest total since joining the Brewers in 2018 – after back issues had limited him for multiple years.
He said this is the first time he has dealt with a soft-tissue injury. Now, he’s the latest key player missing from Milwaukee’s lineup.
“No one’s going to feel bad for us,” Yelich said. “You’ve got to navigate injuries and difficult parts of the season. The guys will be all right. Just kind of hold it down. It’s a really long year. There’s good times and bad times in a season. You’ve got to deal with adversity throughout.”
Jones, 28, was batting .317 with a .462 on-base percentage, no homers, seven RBIs and seven steals in 13 games with Triple-A Nashville. He was in the major leagues for six games with Colorado in 2024 and three with the Chicago White Sox last year.
ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 3: Alexey Toropchenko #13 of the St. Louis Blues and Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battle for the puck on April 3, 2025 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 10: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres reacts after pitching the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before the start of the 2026 season the San Diego Padres were projected to win 79-80 games by FanGraphs and PECOTA. The assumption was the bench was not deep or talented enough, the starting pitching was not deep or talented enough and the bullpen wouldn’t be as good with the departure of closer Robert Suarez.
It is obviously way too early to prove any of those assertions wrong. The returns so far show that the Padres have the potential to be way better than assumed and a lot rests on the starting pitching.
The one thing no one expected, not the so-called experts or anyone who covers, or is a fan of the team, was for new closer Mason Miller to overwhelm baseball.
Coming to the Padres from the A’s at the 2025 trade deadline, in exchange for top prospect Leodalis DeVries, Miller was the setup man for Suarez. And he was really good. He pitched in 22 games and 23.1 innings with a 0.77 ERA, allowing 10 walks with 45 strikeouts. His fastball topped out at 104.5 mph in the playoffs against the Chicago Cubs – the highest velocity of any pitch in postseason history.
While no one on the outside of the organization knows exactly what changes were made between last year and this year, there are observable differences that might help explain what we are all seeing Miller do so far this year.
Defying gravity
Modern day pitchers increasingly rely on two things in order to get hitters out. Their velocity and their ability to spin the baseball. Command is a constant in baseball with every successful pitcher needing good command of their pitches.
The “rising fastball” description is a myth. No pitch can rise after being thrown. The term “Induced Vertical Break” (IVB) was developed to describe the illusion of a ball rising as it approaches the plate. What actually occurs is that the spin the pitcher puts on the ball causes it to drop less than we expect due to the forces of gravity on the pitch. That is called the “ride” of the pitch and backspin is the only way to induce it.
What Mason Miller does incredibly well is throw both of his dominant pitches (fastball and slider) for strikes consistently and also has the most break on his slider this season that he has ever had.
The hitters are timing up for a fastball that normally comes at them from 100-104 mph (his average is 101.4) and they often get a slider that looks like it’s coming right over the plate and ends up off the plate.
In 2025, Miller had a 44.4% K-rate and a 45.2% whiff rate with a 35.7% chase rate over the entire season. Those are all great numbers and put him in the 98-100% ranking among all pitchers. He threw these pitches from a 35-degree arm angle. In his previous professional seasons, his arm angle was fairly consistent, between 34-36 degrees.
2026 dominance
In the 7.1 innings pitched so far this season, Miller has thrown to 24 batters and has struck out 19 of them. 18 of those are swinging strikeouts. The best K-rate for a pitcher normally is 40-50%, exactly where Miller sat last season.
His success this year puts him at a 79.2% K-rate with a 60.8% whiff rate and a 57.1% chase rate against those 24 batters. Some of this can actually be explained. Miller has more IVB on his slider this season than ever before. Measured in inches, his previous slider broke 1.6 inches more than expected and he currently is sitting at three inches more break than expected. Sliders break laterally and down, as opposed to fastballs that appear to rise when they don’t drop as much as expected. Breaking pitches either move down or laterally and some do both.
His arm angle has changed significantly from previous seasons. He is now throwing from a 39 degree angle and that could explain the significant difference in his slider break from last season.
The effect on his fastball is less dramatic with less than an inch difference from last year to this year. (Stats per Baseball Savant)
Ben Clemens of FanGraphs wrote an article for the site detailing how dominant Miller has been and how unprecedented this dominance is.
We’re still squarely in small-sample season, but Miller stands out even there. His slider is missing more bats than anyone else’s in baseball, of course. The gap between his slider’s swinging-strike numbers and second place (Erik Miller) is the same as the gap between second and 11th place. That 80% whiff rate looks just as silly. Mason Miller has recorded as many swinging strikes on his slider as Jesús Luzardo, a slider-dominant elite starter. But Luzardo has thrown more than twice as many sliders! They’re tied for the sixth-most slider whiffs in the majors so far this year – and Miller has gotten there in only 7 1/3 innings.
Can he sustain this?
The obvious answer is no.
The Cy Young conversation has begun in baseball because of how dominant he has looked in this young season. The last reliever to win a Cy Young Award was Eric Gagne in 2003.
Miller is fast approaching the record for scoreless innings for a Padres reliever, held by Clay Meredith at 33 ⅔ innings in 2006. Randy Jones holds the record for starters at 30 scoreless innings. Miller currently sits at 28 ⅔ scoreless innings dating back to last August.
All over baseball, the Mason Miller appearance is considered must-watch. MLB Network put together a compilation showing his progress through his career and how dominant he has become.
No matter what happens this season with Miller, he has elevated the excitement on a national level and brought more attention to the Padres with his performances. His new walk-up music and the video show that Petco Park presents when he enters, also went viral at the start of the season.
All eyes remain on Miller while he tries to continue his dominance and set new records. The Friar Faithful have the best reliever in baseball. Enjoy it.
Mets right-handerJonah Tong was dominant in the early innings of his start for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, but it did not end the way he would have wanted.
Going up against the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Tong struck out the side in the first inning, which included Jasson Dominguez and Oswaldo Cabrera.
Tong allowed one run across his first four innings, but the fifth was not kind to the youngster.
After walking the leadoff batter, Ernesto Martinez Jr. took Tong deep and cut Syracuse's lead to 6-3. Tong bounced back to strike out former big leaguer Paul DeJong, but Payton Henry homered to make it 6-4.
Dominguez doubled before Tong struck out Oswaldo Cabrera. Tong got behind Max Schuemann in the count, 2-1, when the infielder lined a single to score the fourth run of the inning, and ended Tong's night.
Dan Hammer replaced Tong but gave up a double to Spencer Jones as the RailRiders tied the game at 6-6, with all six runs going against Tong.
Tong finished Tuesday's start, throwing 86 pitches (53 strikes), allowing six earned runs on five hits (two home runs) and three walks. He did strike out a season-high 10 batters.
Tuesday was Tong's fourth start at Triple-A this season. His last start saw him allow just two runs on one hit through five innings, but it's been an inconsistent beginning to Tong's minor league season.
His ERA now stands at 7.04, but his high strikeout rate is still intact. He's now punched out 23 batters across 15.1 innings.
Mar 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher MacKenzie Gore (1) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
BRONX, NY - APRIL 09: Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics pitches during the game against the New York Yankees on April 9, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Ready to get back in the win column, A’s fans? After seeing their five-game winning streak snapped yesterday in the series opener the team dropped down a spot in the rankings to second place in the AL West. Luckily for them they can get back into a tie for the division lead if they can overcome their rivals the Texas Rangers in the second game of four tonight.
It’ll be a battle of left-handers on the mound tonight. For the Athletics’, they’ll have Jeffrey Springs on the bump getting the ball for his fourth start this season. He’s been easily the team’s best pitcher in the early going as he’s 2-0 and sporting a 1.47 ERA across 18 1/3 innings pitched. His most recent outing was especially dominant as he allowed just one hit and two walks in seven full frames against the New York Yankees’ dangerous lineup. If he can do that against that juggernaut of a lineup then the Rangers’ bats have a big challenge ahead of them tonight. In seven career games (four starts) against the Rangers Springs has a solid 2.55 ERA, including two starts last season when he first went six shutout frames on the road and then pitched into the sixth and allowed three runs in his second against these guys. The A’s would be happy with either of those performances again tonight.
Here’s how manager Mark Kotsay drew up the lineup for tonight’s contest:
As you may have noticed we’ll be getting our first real look at Zack Gelof in the outfield tonight. After getting an inning of work in center field last night he’ll be asked to handle a full game in right field, which will be his first career start on the grass at the big league level. Keep an eye on how he handles his new position this evening.
Elsewhere across the lineup Shea Langeliers will get a half-day off by DH’ing and leading off. That means we’ll get an Austin Wynns appearance this evening. First baseman Nick Kurtz will bat behind him tonight and then it’ll be Jacob Wilson, rising in the order above Tyler Soderstrom.
And we’re also getting some seriously good news in regards to the hot corner. After leaving yesterday’s contest after getting hit by a pitch on the hand Max Muncy is back in the starting nine and at his usual third base. We all held our breath last night when the HBP occurred but it seems like Muncy has dodged the worst possible outcome. Thanks incredibly lucky for the A’s since Muncy has been one of the better hitters for the squad so far.
The Rangers meanwhile have their own lefty in MacKenzie Gore on the mound for tonight’s game. One of Texas’ big offseason acquisitions, Gore has lived up to the high cost it took to acquire him from Washington, pitching to a 2.76 ERA in his first three games in a Rangers uniform. He’s pitched at least five innings in each appearance so far so if he’s looking lost or struggling early the A’s would be smart to capitalize on those chances and possibly chase him from the game early.
Here’s the Rangers’ starting lineup for Game 2 of this four-game set:
All the regulars in there for Texas this evening, with just a couple small changes from last night’s lineup. We’ll be getting an Andrew McCutchen sighting tonight as he’ll line up in left field for Texas in this one. A very right-handed heavy lineup, and that makes sense considering the left-handed Springs is on the bump.
First place is on the line tonight. Even though it’s early it’s still nice to be sitting atop the division. Let’s go A’s!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies during the third inning at Petco Park on April 11, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Seattle Mariners (8-9) at San Diego Padres (10-6), April 14, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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Los Angeles, CA - April 12: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) walks back to the mound after a pitch during the third inning of an MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, April 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Dodgers close out their homestand on Wednesday night against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium, on the 79th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s debut with Brooklyn in 1947. All uniformed personnel on Wednesday will wear number 42.
Shohei Ohtani, who has not allowed an earned run in 12 innings so far this season, starts on the mound on Wednesday night. Right-hander Clay Holmes starts for the Mets.
Early in the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets, Heat captain Bam Adebayo was shaken up when he took a hard fall on the court. He was deemed questionable to return with a lower back injury, per the Heat.
But Adebayo was not on the court when the second half began and he was officially ruled out for the game before the third quarter was complete.
During the second-quarter play, Adebayo was trying to save a ball from going out of bounds when Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball took Adebayo's foot out from under him. Adebayo lost his balance and then fell on his backside, landing on his tailbone. Adebayo fell without the ability to brace himself. He remained down in discomfort for a minute or so, but eventually walked off.
He got up on his under his own power, though he walked gingerly into the locker room for observation.
Bam Adebayo falls hard and walks gingerly to the locker room after LaMelo Ball grabs his foot while in mid-air, swinging it (with replays) pic.twitter.com/bI3gC13xKk
With his ability to guard every position on the floor, Adebayo is Miami’s anchor on defense. A three-time All-Star and five-time All-Defense selection, Adebayo averaged 20.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in 73 appearances.
The Mets are dealing with another potential IL situation on their roster.
Before Tuesday's game against the Dodgers, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was asked why he decided to go with Mark Vientos over Jared Young at first base, and the skipper revealed that Young is dealing with a knee injury.
"Jared is dealing with some left knee discomfort. Happened Sunday after the game," Mendoza said. "Didn't get better yesterday, so we have to see what we're dealing with here.
When asked if an IL stint is possible, Mendoza said it was but that they have to wait and see the results from imaging they had done on Tuesday.
"Yea we have to see what we're dealing with and see what we got," Mendoza said of a potential IL stint for Young. "Have to check in to see if he's available today. And then we'll go from there."
Young has appeared in 11 games so far this season, mostly off the bench, but has been effective in his handful of starts. This year, he's 7-for-20 with two doubles, two RBI with a .391 OBP.
In Young's last game, Sunday against the Athletics, he went 1-for-2.
The Mets are dealing with a few injuries on their roster. Of course, Juan Soto is on the IL and they just placed reliever Joey Gerber on the IL with a blister. Jorge Polanco is dealing with Achilles tendinitis and has been in and out of the lineup -- and unable to play first base.
The injuries are a part of the Mets' early-season struggles, along with their lack of offense. Mendoza has changed his lineup a bit in recent games to try and get a spark from his bats.
For Tuesday's game, Mendoza moved Vientos down in the lineup and explained that he just liked Francisco Alvarez's at-bats right now.
"Just continue to move guys around and continue to get guys going," Mendoza said.
One aspect of the lineup he won't change, for the time being, is moving Francisco Lindor out of the leadoff spot.
"Not at this point," Mendoza said of the proposition. "He's too good of a hitter. I haven't considered that."
After a hot stretch, Vientos is just 2-for-24 over his last seven games. Lindor's slump has been season long. The shortstop is slashing .176 with an OBP of .291 and has not recorded an RBI yet.
“That was last week,” coach Steve Kerr smiled. “Draymond’s very excited.”
Draymond Green said the Warriors’ play-in fate was “not that exciting” last week. Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
Preparing for a win-or-go-home play-in game Wednesday against the Clippers, the nine-time all-defense honoree has taken a hands-on role. He has always had a sharp basketball mind and has never shied away from speaking up, publicly or in practice.
“I probably talk a little too much,” Green chuckled.
The Warriors will need Green to be locked in to have any hope of slowing down Kawhi Leonard. He bodied the Clippers’ star the last time the two shared the court in March and, looking ahead to the assignment in Wednesday’s win-or-go-home play-in game, paid a high compliment.
“This Kawhi we’re watching now,” Green said, ”… he looks like the Kawhi we played in the NBA finals seven years ago.”
That version of Leonard averaged 28.5 points and 9.8 rebounds while leading the Raptors to a shocking upset of Golden State, which lost Kevin Durant in the process. This version set a career-high in scoring, with 27.9 points per game, while taking 3s at his highest rate ever.
Most importantly, Leonard was healthy enough to play 65 games for only the fifth time in 14 NBA seasons. Both players should be well-rested Wednesday after they sat out Sunday’s meaningless regular-season finale.
“I always tell guys, Kawhi’s a great player. If he can shoot 50% from the field and I can make him miss one more shot, I did my job,” Green said. “I think that’s ultimately what you have to understand when you’re playing against superstars. … Ultimately as the defender, I just need to try to make it a little bit tougher. Make that shot a little bit tougher.”
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard looks to pass the ball while being defended by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. AP
While Green said it will take a “complete team effort” and that “no one guy is going to stop Kawhi,” he will likely bear the brunt of the assignment with the Warriors missing Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, two athletic wings both lost to season-ending knee injuries.
Shadowing a superstar is a different kind of role than the small-ball center Green played that unlocked the Warriors’ infamous lineup of death during the height of their dynasty.
It’s something made possible by a roster construction that hasn’t been all too common in Golden State over the years. With Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, the Warriors have a combination of size and skill that gives Kerr the opportunity to experiment with different looks.
“It gives us protection in the paint defensively,” Kerr said.
It has been rare for all three to share the court at the same time, but with both Porzingis and Horford active — albeit on minutes restrictions — one should be able to patrol the paint at all times, freeing up Green to attach himself at the hip to Leonard.
While Porzingis said his defensive mobility wasn’t where he would like it to be — “I just need to lose a couple pounds, honestly” — he is still 7-foot-2. The Clippers, on the other hand, have tended to play small since trading Ivica Zubac at the deadline.
“My length is still there,” Porzingis said. “Just anticipating things. Making the right reads. Being there for my teammates. All of those things I can do.”
Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers handles the ball defended by Draymond Green. Getty Images
Containing Kawhi is one half of the task at hand for the Warriors. Shifty scoring guard Darius Garland is the other piece of the puzzle. The two players have a combined usage rate of more than 50% since the Clippers acquired Garland for James Harden at the trade deadline.
De’Anthony Melton, who will have his fair share of face time with Garland, has been admiring how Green goes about his business in preparation for his own matchup.
“It’s different,” Melton said of Green’s focus. “It’s my first time being on the same side as them. So to see their gameplan discipline and how they attack everything and how they think is huge. … Having vocal leaders is important for us.”
Nobody, of course, has been more vocal than Green.
“Oh, man,” Kerr said. “This is the time of year that Draymond loves. He’s locked in. Leading a lot of the discussion about what we’re trying to do. He’s been great.”
Donning his coach’s cap, Green said he sounds “probably a little too close to Steve.” He just wants to make sure no detail gets overlooked in the hours of game film there is to pour over.
“Trying to be another set of eyes for our coaching staff,” he said. “When you’re watching the amount of film they’re watching, sometimes that can lead to some fatigue. So what are they missing? And that can ultimately save a bucket. Save one bucket, could be the game.”
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is congratulated by Draymond Green after Curry made a three-point against the Sacramento Kings. Getty Images
However, Green isn’t the only one in Golden State’s locker room who’s locked in.
They also have that guy in the No. 30 jersey.
“The beauty of being a superstar like Steph Curry, the level of focus that I have to go into a game with daily, he don’t have to,” Green said. “But when it comes to playoff time, his focus goes to a completely different level. He talks more. He’s putting guys in position. He’s telling people what you’re going to see. … When Steph speaks like that, it’s a calming force.”
After Golden State finished the regular season Sunday night, Curry was asked what having Green around heading into the postseason does to boost the team’s confidence.
“Had that confidence for … 14 years,” he responded, nodding his head emphatically.
“When you give him a specific challenge, whether it’s a matchup or a must-win game, it brings the best out of all of us,” Curry expanded on Tuesday. “When we have time to prepare for a matchup … it’s that ultimate game of chess that he loves to play. It just brings a competitive spirit out of him that’s built the resume that he has.”
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe made his first rehab start on Tuesday night, playing for Double-A Somerset and it was a bit of a mixed bag.
Volpe finished the game going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, but he was going up against one of the best pitchers in the league, Zack Wheeler.
The Phillies ace was making a rehab start of his own, and the right-hander struck Volpe out swinging on three pitches. In Volpe's second at-bat, he put up more of a fight. Volpe worked the count full and fouled off a couple of pitches before Wheeler finally got the young infielder to strike out swinging on a nasty sweeper.
In the field, Volpe made every play hit to him at shortstop. Rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery, Volpe is showing no effects of the injury that hampered his offensive and defensive performance in 2025. He was eventually pulled after five innings.
Volpe had his worst statistical season last year, batting .212 with 19 home runs and a career-low .272 OBP. He also had a career-high 19 errors in the field.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Volpe will play about three to five innings in his first couple of starts before building him up. The Yankees skipper said that Volpe has had more than 50 live at-bats in the Yankees complex in Tampa and has put in a lot of work at shortstop, so he considers Volpe ahead of where players are at when spring training begins.
Anthony Volpe fields his first chance in his first rehab appearance for Somerset pic.twitter.com/mi70G9ozE7
Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. was also playing in Somerset on Tuesday and started at third base to pair with Volpe. Lombard was a victim of a Wheeler strikeout in the first inning, going down in six pitches. But the second at-bat, he launched a 3-1 pitch deep to right-center field, but the ball died at the wall and was caught for the first out of the fourth inning.
Lombard has had a hot start to his Double-A season. He entered Tuesday's game hitting .464 with five doubles, two home runs and four RBI in seven games.
Red Wings’ Late-Season Collapse Matches Rare Mark Not Seen Since 1970The Detroit Red Wings became just the second team in NHL history and the first since 1970 to achieve a dismal mark. 
