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Texas Rangers lineup for August 13, 2026 against the Anaheim Angels: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Walbert Urena for the Angels.
Its almost game time! You fired up! WOOOOOOOO!!!
The lineup:
Pederson — 1B
Langford — LF
Seager — DH
Nimmo — RF
Duran — 3B
Carter — CF
Lopez — SS
Wynns — C
Foscue — 2B
9:07 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -148 favorites.
Kendrick Perkins believes the Los Angeles Lakers should enter the 2026-27 season with championship expectations, even if he still has serious doubts about how the roster is built around Luka Dončić.
Discussing the Lakers after the release of their schedule, Perkins pointed to Dončić and an offense he expects to rank among the NBA’s best as reasons Los Angeles should remain dangerous.
“They still have one of the best offensive players in Luka Dončić,” Perkins said on ESPN’s NBA Today. “They got enough offensive firepower to win games in the regular season.”
But Perkins still placed the Lakers behind Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver and Minnesota in the Western Conference hierarchy.
That relatively modest assessment follows much harsher criticism he previously directed at the franchise’s decision to build around Dončić and Austin Reaves.
“Luka and Austin Reaves are your franchise players,” Perkins said earlier this offseason on Perk Unplugged. “Two guys who are both defensive liabilities.”
Perkins went even further, suggesting playoff opponents could actively seek out Los Angeles because of those defensive weaknesses.
“It ain’t a team in the world, it ain’t a player in the world that’s afraid of Luka and Austin Reaves,” Perkins said. “When the playoffs come around, they’re gonna be looking to get to the seeding where they can actually look at them.”
That makes his latest “championship or bust” declaration less of an endorsement than a statement about the standard attached to the Lakers.
“The middle of the pack doesn’t mean nothing to the Laker fan base,” Perkins said. “It’s championship or bust.”
Oddsmakers appear more aligned with Perkins’ concerns than his optimism.
FanDuel lists Los Angeles at +5500 to win the 2027 NBA championship, behind 17 other teams. Oklahoma City leads the market at +230, followed by San Antonio at +280.
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That is a sizable disconnect for a franchise beginning an era centered squarely around Dončić.
The Lakers have continued searching for reinforcements, including being linked to former Warriors star Klay Thompson, but questions remain about whether the current group has enough defense and depth to survive four playoff rounds.
Dončić, however, is setting a much higher bar.
Following the Lakers’ $12.5 billion sale to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, he wrote that he was “excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA.”
Perkins’ position is therefore a complicated one: he has questioned whether the Lakers built the right team around their superstar while insisting the franchise cannot lower its expectations.
For now, Vegas agrees with his skepticism more than his championship standard.
The Pittsburgh Penguins should be open to the idea of signing at least one defenseman to a professional tryout (PTO) agreement ahead of training camp.
When looking at the remaining unrestricted free agents, one player who could make sense for the Penguins to take a look at on a PTO is defenseman Ben Hutton.
The Penguins could use more competition on the left side of their blueline after losing Ryan Shea to the Edmonton Oilers in free agency and trading Parker Wotherspoon to the Vegas Golden Knights. Because of this, a player like Hutton could be worth taking a gamble on with a PTO.
Hutton is a solid veteran defenseman who could give the Penguins another option for their bottom pairing if he earned a contract for the season. However, he could also be useful for the Penguins to have around as an extra defenseman as well due to his experience.
Overall, there would be zero risk in the Penguins bringing in Hutton a PTO. If they did and felt like the fit wasn't there, they simply could release him from his PTO without signing him to a contract.
In 55 games last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, Hutton posted six goals, nine assists, 15 points, and a plus-2 rating. He also played in seven playoff games for Vegas this past fall, posting one assist and a plus-1 rating.
Max Fried’s outing Thursday qualified as good enough that he bears zero blame for the Yankees’ ultimate 1-0 loss to the Mariners on Thursday.
It wasn’t, however, good enough that he was particularly happy with himself afterward.
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Try it free“Definitely a grind,” Fried said, having tossed five innings of one-run ball, with Weston Wilson’s home run the only blemish on his record. “Didn’t feel like I necessarily had my best stuff and was a little erratic. Relied on [catcher] Ali [Sánchez] and defense. We had some nice defensive plays today.”
Fried required 88 pitches to get through his five innings of work and, mostly, pitched to contact. After getting Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodriguez looking to start the game, Fried struck out just two Mariners.
The Yankees’ infield defense, though, was excellent behind him, and the Mariners hit all of six balls hard against him, according to Statcast.
George Lombard Jr. started one double play, made a clean turn at second on another and made a charging play on Brandon Donovan’s second-inning ground ball that Jazz Chisholm Jr. was caught waiting on.
A 2-2 cutter that hung in the middle of the zone for Wilson was the only real mistake of Fried’s day, and even that cleared the left field wall at Yankee Stadium by all of one row.
“Definitely wish I had that two-strike back to Wilson,” Fried said. “But all in all, grinded. Definitely a hard-fought game today.”
To the extent you could call anything a problem, it was that Fried threw more pitches than necessary, perhaps costing himself a chance to go deeper into the game.
“I think probably a couple of those innings, he had a chance to have a quick inning and they maybe worked their way on or worked foul balls and things like that, longer counts,” manager Aaron Boone said. “So it made for a longer day out there for him in some put-away situations.
“I thought [his] stuff again was really good. Got a couple of double play balls that helped him.”
Indeed, if this qualifies as underwhelming, the Yankees will qualify as happy with the bigger-picture outlook from their ace. Thursday was Fried’s third straight start — and fourth in five — of allowing one run or fewer.
“Sign me up for one run, getting us into the middle of the game,” Boone said. “We just weren’t able to do much offensively. But I thought he threw the ball pretty well overall.”
I was unable to get to a Minor League Baseball roundup yesterday, so we’re doing a midweek two-day special! Here’s everything that happened with the San Francisco Giants Minor League affiliates on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
The most exciting news is that AAA Sacramento outfielder Turner Hill has been called up! He’ll join the Giants on Friday, which is awesome.
Sacramento is getting emergency help from a pair of A-Ballers, High-A Eugene’s Jose Ramos and Low-A San Jose’s Dario Reynoso. That probably means that Parks Harber is headed to the outfield with Hill leaving town. But the River Cats should have plenty of infielders in the coming days, as they just claimed Shay Whitcomb off of waivers, while Marcelo Mayer is set to begin a rehab assignment.
AA Richmond released RHP Brad Deppermann.
And in encouraging news, Baseball America released their latest farm system rankings, and the Giants are No. 4!
Tuesday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Las Vegas Aviators 9-2 [box score]
Wednesday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Las Vegas Aviators 7-3 [box score]
Well, a pair of typical Pacific Coast League games here: some inspiring hitting performances, but not a lot to love on the pitching front.
As far as the hitting goes, it’s hard to ignore just how red hot right fielder/center fielder Turner Hill is. It was another sensational set of games for the 27-year old undrafted lefty, who hit 2-4 in both games, and collected a home run and a double on Tuesday.
That pushed Hill’s hitting streak to a whopping 26 games. 26! And it’s not like he’s collecting a hit a night, either … he’s averaging nearly 2 knocks a game during the streak, as he’s gone an unfathomable 48-108 with 16 extra-base hits, 9 walks, and just 9 strikeouts in that time. There’s hot, and then there’s whatever the hell this is…
Most notably, however, was that Hill left Wednesday’s game late after being subbed out for a pinch-runner. That paved the way for today’s news: he’s getting called up! Hard to argue with that, given his .950 OPS and his 148 wRC+ in Sacramento this year.
Speaking of speedy and defensively talented outfielders who could end the year in San Francisco, Jonah Cox had another solid pair of games, hitting 2-7 with a double, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 2 strikeouts. He’s been red hot since making his AAA debut which, critically, came after his MLB debut. Through 11 games with the River Cats, he’s 22-47 with 6 extra-base hits, 5 walks, and 7 stolen bases. Absolutely splendid!
Those weren’t the only good offensive performances from outfielders, either. Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) had a tough Tuesday, going 0-3 with a hit by pitch and a strikeout, but responded on Wednesday with his best day since joining Sacramento, as he hit 2-5 and smashed not just a double, but his 1st AAA home run, giving him an even 20 dingers on the year.
Davidson’s numbers are still lagging in AAA — he has a .209 average, a .584 OPS, and a 59 wRC+ — but his at-bats are getting so much better. It certainly looks like he’s adjusting well, which is all you want to see in AAA.
Left fielder/center fielder Scott Bandura had a similar weekend, as he hit 0-4 with a strikeout on Tuesday, but on Wednesday went 2-4 with a home run and a walk. Bandura’s home run was quite memorable, as he hit it off of former Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel. That’s one to remember!
Bandura has adapted to AAA excellently. Despite a very slow start after an early season promotion, the 2023 7th-rounder is all the way up to an .828 OPS and a 117 wRC+.
Rounding out the homer party was second baseman/left fielder Thomas Gavello, who hit 1-3 with a solo blast and a hit by pitch. The 2022 13th-rounder has a .648 OPS and a 74 wRC+ on the year.
LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) had a tough start on Tuesday, as he survived just 2.2 innings, giving up 5 hits, 2 walks, and 4 runs, while striking out 3. On the exciting front, Whitman has returned to Sacramento’s rotation after a brief and odd stint in the bullpen. On the unfortunate front, he’s still pitching a reliever’s number of innings because of how hard he’s been hit in his 2 starts since returning to the rotation.
LHP Seth Lonsway had a much better start on Wednesday, though it wasn’t particularly good. Lonsway did a good job limiting runs, as he only gave up 2 in 6 innings … despite allowing 2 home runs, 6 hits total, 3 walks, and a hit batter, with just 2 strikeouts. Not a very sustainable way to do it, but hey, whatever works!
Whitman has a 5.36 ERA and a 5.96 FIP with Sacramento, while Lonsway has a 5.78 ERA and a 6.60 FIP.
RHP Joel Peguero (No. 27 CPL) began a rehab assignment and it did not go well. Pitching for the first time in 2.5 months, Peguero faced 3 batters and walked them all, while throwing just 3 of his 15 pitches for strikes. That ended up being an ERA buster as well, after RHP Wilkin Ramos allowed all 3 inherited runners to score.
RHP Ryan Walker had a nice outing though, pitching 2 scoreless innings with 1 hit and 2 strikeouts. Walker has been strong in AAA this year, with a 1.88 ERA … but just a 4.15 FIP, and only 7.9 strikeouts per 9 innings.
Tuesday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Harrisburg Senators 4-2 [box score]
Wednesday Game 1: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Harrisburg Senators 6-2 (7 innings) [box score]
Wednesday Game 2: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Harrisburg Senators 7-6 (11 innings) [box score]
Quite a way to end Wednesday’s doubleheader, as the scheduled 7-inning game went 11 innings after each team scored exactly once in the 8th, 9th, and 10th innings.
That excitement aside (and a shoutout to RHP Mitch White for being the pitcher who finally stranded a Manfred Man), it was a pretty uninteresting trio of games for the Squirrels. LHP Greg Farone and RHP Trystan Vrieling had similar starts, in which they had nice strikeout-to-walk ratios, but struggled with hits and runs. Farone went on Tuesday and went 6 innings deep, with just 5 hits, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts. But 2 of those 5 hits were home runs, as he got tagged for 4 runs, though only 2 earned runs. Vrieling went 5 innings, with a sterling 6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio … but gave up 9 hits and 6 runs.
Farone, a 7th-round pick in 2024, hasn’t had a good 2nd season, with a 5.60 ERA and a 5.64 FIP. But lately he’s really improved the strikeouts and walks: after having 58 strikeouts to 36 walks through his 1st 15 starts, the 24-year old has 33 strikeouts against just 7 walks in his last 6 outings. Great improvement to see!
Vrieling, a 3rd-round pick in 2023 by the Yankees, is also having a tough year, with a 4.34 ERA and a 5.13 FIP. He’s also been better with the strikeouts and walks lately.
A pair of really nice relief outings, from RHPs Marques Johnson and Tyler Vogel. Johnson struck out 4 batters in 2 shutout innings, with just a hit allowed, while Vogel pitched a perfect frame with 2 strikeouts. Both players are having slightly disappointing seasons, and surely had visions of being in AAA right now (Johnson was recently sent back down to AA after a stint in Sacramento, while Vogel has been with Richmond all season). But each player has a lot to love about the pitches they throw.
Very mild-mannered offense. Center fielder Trevor Cohen was brilliant on Tuesday, hitting 4-5 with 2 stolen bases, a caught stealing, and a strikeout. The doubleheader was less kind to last year’s 3rd-round pick, as he went 0-7 with a walk and a stolen base. It’s been an exciting AA stint for the 22-year old lefty from Rutgers, who has a .791 OPS and a 110 wRC+ through 24 games, with 12 stolen bases in 16 attempts.
Just 1 home run over the 3 games, courtesy of catcher Ty Hanchey, who caught the 1st game of the doubleheader and the 2nd part of Game 2, after replacing Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL). I would assume that meant Villarroel suffered an injury of sorts, but he’s in today’s lineup, so that’s a good thing.
Hanchey hit 2-4 with a 3-run blast and a hit by pitch, raising the UDFA’s OPS to .764 and his wRC+ to 105. Not only that, but the home run came with 2 outs and 2 strikes in the 9th, and tied the game! A solid season for the 26-year old.
Tuesday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Hillsboro Hops 5-4 [box score]
Wednesday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Hillsboro Hops 5-3 [box score]
A pair of the best pitching prospects in the system started these games, and the results were fairly similar: extremely exciting and encouraging performances, though not the greatest overall results.
On Tuesday it was RHP Ramon Marquez, who made his organizational debut. Marquez, a 20-year old who was the headline piece to come back in the Luis Arráez trade, has been in the midst of an outrageous breakout campaign. The Giants got their first glimpse of that on Tuesday, when he struck out 8 batters in just 4 innings of work. That’s quite on brand for Marquez, who has a stunning 101 strikeouts in 63 innings this year, between both A-ball levels. There is extreme electricity in that arm!!
The rest of Marquez’s performance wasn’t as strong, however. He only gave up 3 hits, but that included a home run and a double. He only walked 1 batter, but he hit 2. The end result was 4 earned runs on his ledge, in as many innings. But certainly a reminder that ERA is far from the only thing that matters … that was a rock star performance in so many ways.
On Wednesday it was LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL), who was similarly awesome, striking out 6 batters in 5.1 innings, while allowing just 4 baserunners. But, as was the case with Marquez, those baserunners did some damage: Bresnahan only ceded 3 hits and 1 walk, but 2 of the 3 hits cleared the fence.
That’s been an issue for the recently-turned 21-year old, who also came to the Giants in a trade (the Alex Cobb deal of 2024). In 88 innings this year, Bresnahan has struck out 104 batters, while allowing only 56 hits … but 10 of those 56 hits have left the park. That’s given the 2023 13th-rounder a 4.08 FIP, despite a glistening 2.76 ERA. This is certainly a case of the ERA looking a lot more important, and not just because it’s so much better.
RHP Hunter Dryden pitched well while piggybacking after Marquez. He gave up 3 hits, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and 1 unearned run, while striking out 3. It’s been a tough year for the 2024 17th-rounder, who has a 4.75 ERA and a 5.39 FIP. But he’s been so much better lately: in his last 3 games, the D3 Whitworth product has pitched 15 innings and allowed just 10 hits, 3 walks, and 1 earned run, while striking out 15. Here’s hoping he keeps that up for the rest of the year!
RHP Marty Gair, a flamethrower who also came over in the Arráez deal, made his 2nd appearance with the Emeralds, and his 4th total appearance in High-A. He allowed a hit, a walk, and a run, with a strikeout in an inning of work.
On the hitting front, the organization’s top home run hitter was at it once again, as center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) went 3-7 with a 2-run blast, a walk, 3 strikeouts, and an error. Diaz, whose 22 home runs are tops on the farm, has taken his already solid game to a whole new level over the summer. Since the start of July, the just-turned 21-year old righty has hit 47-138 with 12 home runs and 21 total extra-base hits. In July he posted a stunning line of .327/.340/.635, and he’s one-upped himself in August, as he sits at .382/.432/.794. Outrageous! His OPS is up all the way to .836 on the year, though his wRC+ is “just” 113 due to a lowly 3.5% walk rate.
Just an awesome year for Diaz, who will likely find himself in AA before the year ends. But because he’s still in High-A, we’re at least getting to see him play center field on a daily basis, which is fun.
Also homering was right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL), last year’s 7th-round selection. Maldonado went 3-7 with a 2-run shot, a walk, a strikeout, and an outfield assist, and has looked so comfortable since getting promoted. Through 4 games with the Emeralds, the righty is 5-14 with 2 homers, 2 walks, and just 3 strikeouts. He’s certainly making the promotion look like the right move!
No one else stood out on offense. Shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), who has been brilliant with his promotion, had a quiet pair of games, hitting 1-7- with 2 walks. Third baseman Walker Martin had a difficult time, going 1-8 with 4 strikeouts, a stolen base, and 2 errors. Level, a 19-year old switch-hitter, has an .836 OPS and a 120 wRC+; Martin, a 22-year old lefty, has a .725 OPS and a 90 wRC+.
Tuesday: San Jose Giants lost to the Fresno Grizzlies 7-2 [box score]
Wednesday: San Jose Giants lost to the Fresno Grizzlies 5-4 [box score]
We’ve become accustomed to players with the last name “González” dominating for San Jose, but what about “Gonzalez”? That was the case on Tuesday, when designated hitter Fernando Gonzalez carried the offense, when he hit 2-3 with a home run and a walk, accounting for 50% of their hits and 100% of their extra-base hits.
It was a rare show of power for Gonzalez, who caught and went 0-4 on Wednesday. The 24-year old, who was taken in the final round of the 2024 draft, has strong contact skills and a good eye, but doesn’t hit for a lot of power. He has a minuscule 7.2% strikeout rate on the year, between the ACL and Low-A, and an 11.2% walk rate. But this was just his 9th extra-base hit in 152 plate appearances. He has a .719 OPS and a 90 wRC+ with San Jose on the year.
The more highly regarded player of that last name didn’t do much, however, as Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) hit 0-3 with a walk, 2 strikeouts, and a caught stealing on Tuesday, and didn’t play on Wednesday. Interestingly, González played second base in that game despite Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) not playing. I would assume that’s a nothing burger, and just the teaming wanting to get reps at shortstop for Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL), who went from 1st to 3rd on the depth chart with the arrival of those teen phenoms. Hernández played on Wednesday, at shortstop, and went 1-5 with a strikeout and an error.
Right fielder Tanner Mally, the team’s 17th-round pick last month who is the only one of their 2026 draftees currently playing, continues to fit right in. The 21-year old righty went 2-7 with a triple, a walk, and 2 strikeouts, and has now hit safely in 5 straight games to start his career. He’s 8-19 with 2 triples, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts so far.
RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) started on Wednesday and had his best game since returning from injury. Cayama got hit a little too much, as he gave up 7 hits in 5 innings, which tagged him for 3 runs. But his nearly unparalleled combination of electricity and control was on display once more, as he needed just 66 pitches to get through those 5 innings, with 47 of them being strikes, and recorded 6 strikeouts without walking any hitters. That’s the Argenis we know and love! The 19-year old only has a 4.63 ERA and a 4.30 FIP, but has 57 strikeouts to 13 walks in 46.2 San Jose innings. I’m very much looking forward to how he performs in Eugene next year.
Things went less well for Tuesday’s starter, RHP Trey Seeley, as he gave up 5 hits, 3 walks, 3 runs, and 2 earned runs in 3.2 innings, with 4 strikeouts. It’s been a tough debut season for last year’s 13th-rounder, who has an 8.46 ERA and a 9.30 FIP with San Jose.
RHP Chen-Hsun Lee continues to look comfortable in San Jose, as he threw 2 no-hit innings, albeit with 2 walks and 2 unearned runs, the result of his own error. Lee, who struck out 3 batters, maintained his 0.00 ERA in San Jose, though he has a 4.39 FIP. He’s walking too many hitters, but has only allowed 6 hits in 12 innings with the Baby Giants.
RHP R.J. Dabovich made his 2nd rehab appearance and pitched a scoreless inning, with a hit and a strikeout.
Tuesday: DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Mets Orange 9-1 (8 innings) [box score]
This was a scheduled 9-inning game that was called right as the 8th inning got underway due to rain.
A few nice performances, but none better than the fantastic game that designated hitter Franco Willias had, as he continues his superb season. The 21-year old hit 3-4 with a double, a walk, and 2 stolen bases, which pushed his hitting streak to 16 games. It was also his 3rd straight game with 3 hits. During that 16-game hitting streak, the righty is 33-64 with 11 extra-base hits, and 8 walks. Willias has been one of the very best players in the DSL this year, and has a stunning 1.106 OPS and a 170 wRC+, with 31 stolen bases. It’s his 3rd year in the DSL, and it’s certainly going to be his last.
Right fielder Rainer Espinoza hit just 1-4 with 3 strikeouts, but his 1 hit was a home run, his 1st of the year. It’s been a very tough and disappointing 2nd season for the 17-year old, who has been limited to just 8 games, while having only a .387 OPS and a -15 wRC+, a year after a delightful debut as a 16-year old, when he posted a .760 OPS and a 117 wRC+.
Nice performance from the catcher spot: Diego Alambarrio started and hit a perfect 3-3 before giving way to Luis Padron, who doubled in his only at-bat. Alambarrio, an 18-year old in his 2nd season, has an .828 OPS and a 112 wRC+; Padron, a 16-year old in his debut campaign, has an .864 OPS and a 103 wRC+.
RHP Santiago Guerrero, a 19-year old in his 1st season, had a decent start, throwing 4 innings and allowing 4 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run, with 3 strikeouts. Guerrero has a 3.34 ERA, albeit with a 6.01 FIP due to a huge number of walks. Another debuting player, LHP Moises Soto, pitched well. Soto, a 17-year old, pitched a scoreless inning with a hit and 2 strikeouts. He’s only allowed 2 hits and 1 run through 6 innings in his 1st season.
22 — Lisbel Diaz — [19 in High-A; 3 in Low-A]
20 — Bo Davidson — [1 in AAA; 19 in AA]
16 — Cam Maldonado — [2 in High-A; 14 in Low-A]
10 — Scott Bandura — [7 in AAA; 3 in AA]
9 — Turner Hill — [AAA]
7 — Thomas Gavello — [AAA]
6 — Ty Hanchey — [4 in AA; 2 in High-A]
3 — Fernando Gonzalez — [2 in Low-A; 1 in ACL]
1 — Rainer Espinoza — [DSL]
Sacramento: 7:05 p.m. PT at Las Vegas (SP: TBD)
Richmond: 3:30 p.m. PT at Harrisburg (SP: Yunior Marte)
Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT at Hillsboro (SP: Henry LaLane)
San Jose: 6:30 p.m. PT vs. Fresno (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV.
A Northern Territory cricket fan has become an overnight viral sensation over a mid-match sledge aimed at Aussie superstar Steve Smith.
Modest but sensible-looking recruitment befits the club’s new air of stability but a continuation of their spring slump could test David Moyes’s appetite for the fight
Guardian writers’ predicted position: 10th (NB: this is not necessarily Andy Hunter’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 13th
Continue reading...The Los Angeles Kings are entering a new era, and Peter Laviolette knows there is no simple way to replace Anze Kopitar.
Kopitar was more than the Kings' captain. For nearly two decades, he was the standard by which the organization measured itself — a franchise player, a leader and the steady presence at the center of everything Los Angeles accomplished.
Now he's gone.
And while the Kings cannot simply replace everything Kopitar brought to the organization with one player, Laviolette believes the answer may come from somewhere else: the players already in the room.
That means the Kings' next step won't simply be about adding talent. It will be about finding the players capable of taking on bigger responsibilities and understanding that their careers still have another level to reach.
"There's always more," Laviolette said recently in a sit-down with LA Kings Insider.
That mindset could become critical for Los Angeles.
With Kopitar's retirement, a massive leadership void has opened inside the Kings' dressing room.
Laviolette understands the challenge.
"This group's got to find a way to move forward," he said. "We've got to find the leadership. We've got to find the success that he helped drive this organization to find."
That doesn't necessarily mean one player has to suddenly become Kopitar.
Instead, Laviolette appears to be looking for leadership to emerge collectively as a group.
And there are plenty of candidates.
Players such as Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere aren't rookies anymore. They've accumulated NHL experience and, in Byfield's case, already have several seasons under their belts.
But Laviolette isn't ready to stop calling them young.
That's important.
Because the Kings' new coach doesn't appear interested in allowing experience to become an excuse for settling into a player's current level.
That's perhaps the most intriguing part of Laviolette's message.
A player can have hundreds of NHL games under his belt and still have another level to reach.
"I think it's important that they realize that, too, that experience doesn't necessarily mean that you've reached the top of what you can do," Laviolette said. "There's always more."
For a Kings team trying to establish itself beyond the Kopitar era, that philosophy could be particularly important.
Byfield, for example, is entering a crucial stage of his development. He has already played enough NHL hockey that the "young player" label can feel somewhat outdated, but he's still only beginning to approach what the Kings believe he can become.
Laferriere is in a similar position.
These aren't players being asked to learn how to survive in the NHL anymore.
They're being asked to figure out how to drive winning.
And with Kopitar no longer there to carry part of that responsibility, the opportunity is sitting directly in front of them.
"As a guy like Anze moves off and into retirement, a door's open for others to try and step up, whoever that might be," Laviolette said.
That last part may be the most revealing.
Whoever that might be.
Laviolette is leaving the door open. If this is any indication on what the future of the team may look like, the captaincy must be earned.
The leadership transition isn't the only thing Laviolette believes can move the Kings forward.
He also wants a different kind of relationship between the coaching staff and the players.
Laviolette described the modern NHL locker room as much more collaborative than the one he entered when he began coaching.
"There used to be a day when I started, where there was just one voice," he said. "Now it is about... back and forth."
That doesn't mean the coach gives up control.
Laviolette was clear that everyone still has a job to do.
But he believes successful teams require communication between the people making decisions and the players living with those decisions every night.
"If there's no belief in it... you're beating your head against the wall trying to get something done," Laviolette said.
That's a significant philosophy for a team entering a transition.
The Kings aren't simply replacing one player. They're trying to establish a new identity.
And Laviolette appears to believe that identity has to be built with the players rather than simply handed down to them.
There will inevitably be questions about what Los Angeles does externally.
But Laviolette's comments suggest that he sees an equally important opportunity internally.
The Kings have players who have been around long enough to understand the league.
Now they have to take the next step.
Kopitar's retirement creates an obvious void, but it also creates an opportunity for Byfield, Laferriere and the rest of Los Angeles' young core to redefine themselves.
The Kings don't need someone to become the next Anze Kopitar.
They need players to become more than they have been before.
And if Laviolette can get that out of them, Los Angeles may discover that the path forward was sitting in its locker room all along.
We suggested a replacement back in late June, and given his accomplishments, longevity and connection to the organization, it should be an obvious consideration.
Drew Doughty has been with the Kings for his entire career and is entering his 19th professional season. More importantly, he was alongside Anze Kopitar for both of Los Angeles' Stanley Cup championships. If the Kings are looking for someone who understands what it takes to lead this franchise, Doughty has already been there for it all.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off a sweep, and they're -145 favorites to keep the good times rolling against the Milwaukee Brewers tonight.
With an in-form Roki Sasaki on the mound against a cold offense, my Brewers vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks see value in backing Los Angeles to pull off a low-scoring victory on Thursday, Aug. 13.
Roki Sasaki's figured it out for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has posted an xFIP of 3.32 or lower in five straight starts after doing so only three times over his first 15.
That has rightfully translated to improved results, with Sasaki conceding only eight earned runs over those five games.
The Milwaukee Brewers have struck out at the fourth-highest rate vs. righties in August while hitting just .212.
I expect Sasaki to have another quality start, putting the Dodgers in good position to win their fourth straight.
Bet to -155.
COVERS INTEL:Sasaki has held opponents to a poor 29.5% hard-hit rate over the last month, the fourth-lowest mark among today's projected starters.The Brewers are ice-cold at the dish, sitting Bottom-5 in batting average, wOBA, OPS, and SLG vs. right-handed pitching this month, and it’ll be tough to get back on track against Sasaki in his current form.
While the Dodgers showed more life against the Royals, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for their bats.
They are 18th in wOBA and have hit into grounders at the eighth-highest rate in August. They could also be without Freddie Freeman, who left Wednesday's game after falling down the dugout steps while trying to catch a pop-up.
I don’t see a ceiling game against Shane Drohan and a strong bullpen.
Play the Under to -125.
Andy Pages crushes left-handed pitching. His counting stats are good, and his underlying profile is even better.
Pages sits in the 95th percentile in xSLG, the 96th in xwOBA, and has a hard-hit rate well over 50%. That’s a good recipe for power.
Drohan isn’t overly reliant on his fastball (31.1%), and Pages hammers his secondary pitches like the curve, sinker, slider, and cutter.
I think +440 is a generous price, and I would back Pages down to +400.
Winds are blowing out, but temperatures are expected to hover around the low 70s. Small boost to the bats.
Los Angeles has hit the Game Total Under in 26 of the last 45 home games (+5.35 units, 11% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Dodgers.
| Location | Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | Thursday, August 13, 2026 |
| First pitch | 10:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | Brewers.TV, SNLA |
| Brewers starting pitcher | Shane Drohan (6-4, 3.87 ERA) |
| Dodgers starting pitcher | Roki Sasaki (5-5, 4.54 ERA) |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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The 2026-27 NHL season is approaching and the league took another step in the ramp-up by announcing the preseason schedule on Thursday, Aug. 13.
Because the NHL season has increased from 82 games to 84 this season under the new collective bargaining agreement, the preseason schedule has been reduced.
There will be 65 games over eight days, starting on Sept. 19 and ending on Sept. 27. The regular season will start two days later with five games.
The exhibition schedule features four neutral-site games, including the annual Kraft Hockeyville game.
The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators will face off on Monday, Sept. 21, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. As part of the Kraft Hockeyville program, the nearby town of Saint-Boniface, Quebec, received $250,000 for upgrades to its local arena and $10,000 worth of youth hockey equipment from NHLPA Goals & Dreams.
Here is the 2026 NHL preseason schedule:
All times Eastern
SATURDAY, SEPT. 19
SUNDAY, SEPT. 20
MONDAY, SEPT. 21
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23
THURSDAY, SEPT. 24
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26
The schedule for the 2026-27 NHL season will begin on Sept. 29 with five games on opening night:
The NHL never rests, and USA TODAY is keeping tabs on the league all year long with reporters covering every team and transaction. Follow the news on our NHL hub . Get our USA TODAY Sports newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NHL preseason schedule announced with reduced number of games
Entering the final week of June, the Yankees were sitting 17 games above .500 and about to play a four-game set with the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox entered the series at Fenway Park as a team continually adrift, two months removed from firing their manager and sitting 14 games below .500.
Over the next 49 days, it has been a tale of two cities: Boston swept the four games and has gone 33-10 (.767 winning percentage), snapping a five-game skid with a win Thursday. New York would lose 11 of the next 13 games and is 20-22 (.476) and is just 3.0 games ahead of the old rivals in the AL East.
"We're just grinding through it right now,” manager Aaron Boone said after a 1-0 loss to the Mariners to cap a 5-4 home stand against St. Louis, Atlanta, and Seattle.
Since the All-Star break, the Yanks have gone 14-11, and the constants have been too many close games (11 one-run contests) and a lack of offense (they’ve failed to score more than three runs 17 times).
“We’re playing a lot of good teams on the schedule the last month or so,” Boone added. “We’re playing these types of games every day. Close ballgames, even last night when we break out and pull away, it’s still a tie game in the seventh.
“The good thing is we're very used to playing in these situations. Hopefully that's a good thing for us. But we've got to continue to move the needle offensively."
The biggest reason for the recent tumult has been that the bats have gone ice cold and stayed cold. Over their last 25 games, the Yankees have posted a .641 OPS (third-lowest in baseball during that span) while striking out 242 times (fifth-most) and posting a .207 batting average (worst). Boston, meanwhile, has a .739 OPS (top in MLB) and .266 team average (fifth best) during that span.
Aaron Judge's absence, as well as Cody Bellinger's and, to a lesser extent, Giancarlo Stanton's, hasn't helped. Nor have the season-long woes for Jazz Chisholm Jr. or the recent skid from Ben Rice: .172/.274/.323 slash line for a .597 OPS with 34 strikeouts in his last 93 at-bats. And the deadline additions have been mixed: Luis Garcia Jr. has four extra-base hits in eight games with a .755 OPS, but Heliot Ramos has just two hits in 25 at-bats (.080). Of course, George Lombard Jr.'s debut has been a bright spot with two home runs in his first eight games.
Now would also be a good time to mention the team at the top of the division, the Tampa Bay Rays, who are idle on Thursday and hold a 6.5-game lead over the Yanks thanks to going 18-8 since the break, are riding a nine-game winning streak, and are about to host the scuffling Baltimore Orioles for a four-game set.
“It's been playoffs every day it feels like, these games,” Boone said of the intensity of the season with still 41 games to play. “I got people on the street saying, ‘Hey, it'll turn around.’ And I'm like, 'We're doing alright.’”
Boone said he’s seen them “doing a lot of really good things,” and is seeing “little crumbs” of the offense getting jump-started while the pitching stays consistently good. However, the skipper isn’t letting his surging rivals move his focus from the short term.
“Honestly, I really haven’t even looked ahead like that… Now it’s just kinda on to Toronto,” he said, referencing the upcoming weekend series with the Blue Jays. “Not getting ahead of myself with like ‘Oh, let's go win 10 in a row or eight…’ No, you gotta go play well, and hopefully that stuff takes care of itself. And we put ourselves in a good position.
“On to the road.”
In the second half of their careers, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant had their differences, but have never lost their respect for one another.
On Thursday morning, Durant revealed what it was like playing beside Westbrook for eight seasons (2008-2016), as he was left “inspired.”
Durant shared a story on X detailing his time as teammates with Westbrook, where he asked former Oklahoma City Coach, Maurice “Mo” Cheeks what’s harder: “workout after practice or before??”
Durant asked the question because he would always find Westbrook finishing up his workouts in the morning.
“Mo like, ‘Coming in before practice is probably harder,” Durant wrote. “Since then, it’s been my routine… a lot of people looked at the emotions on the court, and though Russ was loud, nah to me, he was quiet and methodical.”
Durant went on to write that Westbrook would always lead by example, leaving everything out there, while experiencing true freedom.
“I seen it inspire people from all walks of life, crazy thing is, he didn’t say much, just showed up.” Durant wrote. “For 18 years. This basketball life is sacred to us as professionals, what we put into that court means everything. Some of us wish we could go back and do things with a little more intent, and some can just wipe their hands and be satisfied with the time spent.”
When Westbrook and Durant were teammates in Oklahoma City, the two were on the brink of becoming one of the greatest duos in basketball, as they made the Western Conference Finals five times, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2012 with James Harden.
The trio of Westbrook, Durant, and Harden ultimately ended up losing in the 2012 NBA Finals to the LeBron James-led Miami Heat. Harden would leave the two behind after he was traded to the Rockets.
Durant became the league’s MVP in 2014, and would go to the Western Conference Finals with Westbrook two more times in 2013 and 2017, when they were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors.
Durant reached free agency that offseason and would end up signing with the Warriors.
This sparked a rivalry on the court that would last between the two, while the Warriors would become the team to become the league’s juggernaut.
Durant and the Warriors would go on to win two NBA titles [2017, 2018], where he was crowned Finals MVP in both series, while Westbrook would win MVP in 2017.
In his post, Durant hinted at wishing he had handled his departure from Oklahoma City by saying, “Some of us wish we could go back and do things with a little more intent, and some can just wipe their hands and be satisfied with the time spent.”
Durant ended the post by reminiscing about their time together as teammates and went on to send his love to Westbrook and his family and congratulate him on an “Iconic career.”
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Jazz Chisholm Jr. wavered between downcast and confident that his season from hell would turn around in its final six weeks following a rancid day at the plate against the Mariners, but one solution the Yankees infielder didn’t want to entertain was sitting on the bench for a few days.
“I don’t think that would help,” Chisholm said Thursday after striking out three times, including for the last out in a 1-0 loss to the Mariners. “That’s the only way I know how to get through anything is to keep going through it. I feel like to sit and just sit on it is not a good move either.”
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Try it freeChisholm was pinch hit for against a lefty last Friday against the Braves, and though the Yankees could look for similar opportunities to do so, he doesn’t like that idea either.
“My numbers are better [compared to last season] against lefties,” he said. “I don’t think — like, why.”
Chisholm’s batting average is similar against lefties and righties, but his OPS is nearly 90 points lower against left-handed pitching.
The Yankees have also built some right-handed depth after trading for Heliot Ramos, who pinch hit for Spencer Jones in the eighth inning Thursday.
As for how to fix his own season-long hitting woes — his .687 OPS is down massively from his .813 mark a year ago, as are most of his numbers — Chisholm sounded out of ideas.
When it was put to him that he has a 40 percent whiff rate against breaking pitches, Chisholm replied, “I’m at a 40 percent whiff rate on every pitch right now.”
“Missing fastballs down the middle. Missing sliders down the middle. I can’t tell you why,” he said. “Or else I would be hitting.”
Chisholm said he’s talked to Paul Goldschmidt a couple of times about the pressure of being a pending free agent, but claimed that’s not weighing on him so much as his struggles are in general.
Given the Yankees’ bigger-picture hitting issues, which were at the forefront again Thursday, the club desperately needs Chisholm to solve what’s ailing him sooner rather than later.
“I feel like overall, he’s making good swing decisions,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s not chasing. There’s some patience in there. But probably, whether it’s just missing, maybe a foul off, maybe swinging through more pitches than he’s used to, just hasn’t gone on that hot streak at any point.”
That might be coming, Chisholm said. Although, whether he truly believes it is probably an open question.
“Forty-one good games can turn a season around. And that’s what I’m planning on doing,” he said. “… I feel like mentally, I’m not defeated. So if I was mentally defeated, I think it would have been a different story in my eyes, but I’m not. I feel like I’m still as good as I am.”
Davis Martin was tossed from the White Sox’s loss to the Reds on Thursday after throwing at Sal Stewart’s head, not once, but twice and hitting him in the helmet during the third inning.
The incident caused both benches to clear, although nothing beyond that went down as the umpires regained control and eventually ejected the White Sox right-hander.
“I thought that was extremely blatant, and you can’t throw two balls like that head high. You can kill somebody. I thought that was terrible,” Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters, according to MLB.com.
Martin did appear to be having control issues during the outing before he hit Stewart in the head, having hit Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson in the first inning and hitting the backstop with several pitches.
Things took a turn in the top of the third when Martin fired a 0-1 pitch that sailed way over the head of Stewart, who ducked down to avoid being hit.
Martin did seem to motion a non-verbal apology after the throw and Stewart could be seen giving him a thumbs-up in acknowledgement.
However, that didn’t last long when the very next pitch hit the bill of Stewart’s helmet and the Reds’ player angrily gestured toward Martin.
While it wasn’t directly known what Stewart said, he gestured about it being the second pitch that Martin had thrown near his head.
“More than anything, it was just kind of a scary moment,” Stewart told reporters. “I’m not sure exactly what happened, but it’s scary when two balls are coming up and in, so that’s all I have to say about it.”
Martin was eventually thrown out of the game after the umpires met on the field.
The Reds went on to win the game 9-8.
It was bound to happen. The Cubs offense has been so good lately that you knew if they ran into a good, hot pitcher they’d probably get stymied.
And that was what happened Thursday afternoon at Nationals Park. It took until two out in the seventh for Cade Cavalli’s no-hit bid to be broken up. Michael Busch’s little flare single into left field did it. But that was the only Cubs hit of the afternoon as they lost the last game of the road trip to the Nats 7-0. I don’t usually put photos of Cubs opponents at the top of recaps, but Cavalli is the story of this game, and so he gets the photo spot. It was the second time this year the Cubs were one-hit — also by the Braves May 12.
The game began quietly. Cavalli and Kevin Gausman both retired the first nine hitters they faced — just the second time this year that had happened.
Gausman got touched up for a run in the fourth on a single by Abimelec Ortiz and RBI double by Dylan Crews. Still, this felt like a game the Cubs could get back into until the Nats exploded for a five-run fifth off Gausman, highlighted by a three-run homer from Ortiz, who looks like a pretty good major-league hitter.
So Gausman has had one good start and one not-so-good as a Cub, and his next outing — presuming the Cubs remain on rotation and don’t add Edward Cabrera back — should be next Tuesday at Wrigley Field against the White Sox.
Once the Nats were up by six, all attention turned to what was at that point a perfect game bid, as Cavalli had retired the first 15 Cubs in order. The perfecto ended when he walked Dansby Swanson leading off the sixth, but the no-hitter was still intact. Could the Cubs potentially get back into the game?
Nope. Michael Conforto hit into a double play and Miguel Amaya struck out, Cavalli’s seventh, so the no-hitter was intact through six innings.
Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out leading off the seventh and Seiya Suzuki flied to right, so seven outs stood between Cavalli and a place in the history books.
Busch took care of that with his single [VIDEO].
And that kept the Cubs’ current no-no-hit streak going (Bluesky link):
That means the Cubs have been no-hit just once in their last 9,628 games dating to Sandy Koufax’s perfect game against them Sept. 9, 1965 at Dodger Stadium. That, of course, was Cole Hamels’ no-hitter against the Cubs at Wrigley Field July 25, 2015, ending their MLB record streak of not being no-hit at 7,920 games, 80 games short of 8,000 and a few weeks short of 50 years. And, of course, three years later Hamels became a Cub.
Aaron Civale relieved Gausman and, as was the case with Javier Assad Wednesday, he saved the rest of the bullpen by finishing the game with 3.1 innings on only 37 pitches, allowing one run. This resets the bullpen well for the upcoming homestand.
As for Cavalli, he was removed after eight innings and just the one hit by Busch. Clayton Beeter finished up for Washington and retired the Cubs 1-2-3 in the ninth to wrap things up.
Fortunately, this offensive blackout only counts as one loss, and the Cubs still had a successful 4-2 road trip. If they keep winning series like this, two of every three the rest of the year, they’d win about 26 games, giving them 97 wins for the year — which would match that 2015 team.
More on Cubs and no-hit streaks from BCB’s JohnW53:
The Cubs’ current streak of 1,707 games without being no-hit is the 86th longest since 1901.
There are 10 longer active streaks. These are the top five, including games by teams that played this afternoon.
4,252: Angels (13th longest; began Sept. 12, 1999)
2,892: Royals (May 20, 2008)
2,416: White Sox (May 4, 2011)
2,264: Twins (May 4, 2012)
2,233: Cardinals (June 2, 2012)The Cubs’ MLB-record streak was 7,920 games, Sept. 10, 1965-July 24, 2015. It is 811 games, 11.4 percent longer, than the second-longest 7,109 by the Reds, June 24, 1971-April 20, 2016. That one was ended by Jake Arrieta, in his second no-hitter.
The Cubs also have the sixth-longest streak ever, 5,412 games, May 3, 1917-June 18, 1952.
The Cubs’ 9,628 games while being no-hit once also is the MLB record.
The Cubs are 3.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central after this loss, pending the Brewers game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles tonight. If you’re going to follow that game, it’s at 9:10 p.m. CT and Shane Drohan pitches for Milwaukee against Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki.
As for the Cubs, they return to Wrigley Field to open a six-game homestand with a three-game series against the Cardinals. Clay Holmes will make his first start at Wrigley as a Cub, and Matthew Liberatore will go for St. Louis. Game time is 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Apple TV (how to watch).