It was a rough night for an undermanned Senators squad in Toronto on Wednesday night.
With the Maple Leafs dressing all their top players, they didn't have much trouble with the Senators, defeating them 6-1 at Scotiabank Arena. John Tavares, Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic all had three points for Toronto, while Tim Stützle had the only marker for the Senators
Stützle gave the Senators an early lead at 6:35 of the first period. Carrying the puck down the left wing, he cut across the crease and tucked a slick backhand past Sergei Bobrovsky. Andre Burakovsky and Christian Kyrou picked up the assists.
Dylan Cozens was asked about the play of newcomer William Eklund and the team's performance in Monday's preseason opener.
The lead lasted just 70 seconds. Jake McCabe tied the game before John Tavares put Toronto ahead to stay late in the first on a two-on-one with William Nylander. Jack Roslovic added a power-play goal in the second before former Senator Zack MacEwen and defenseman Morgan Rielly stretched the lead to 5-1.
Auston Matthews completed the scoring in the third, ripping one off the post and ending Leevi Meriläinen's night.
Meriläinen, who didn't have an NHL-caliber defence in front of him, was under siege all night, allowing all six goals before Jackson Parsons replaced him in the third.
The Senators went 0-for-4 on the power play, while the Leafs went 1-for-3.
The Sens had chances to make the score more respectable. Bobrovsky robbed Stützle on a one-timer from close range. Kasper Halttunen struck iron twice on the same shift.
The Senators did have Stützle, Drake Batherson, Shane Pinto, Michael Amadio, Burakovsky and Tyler Kleven in the lineup, but most of the rest of their roster was made up of players fighting for NHL jobs.
Carter Yakemchuk got the toughest assignment of the group. The Sens effectively threw him into the deep end to see if he would sink or swim. Yakemchuk led the Sens with 25:29 of ice time against a skilled Toronto lineup and had a difficult night. It was a reminder that the role he played Wednesday is a big step up from the limited, well-insulated minutes he saw during his brief NHL looks last season.
It was a rough night in both cities for the Senators. Their more experienced group also lost at home, falling 4-2 to Toronto’s other split squad, which featured a heavy load of AHL players.
The Sens will close their preseason Saturday night with two simultaneous games against Montreal, one at home and one on the road.
The lefty slugger crushed his 40th and 41st home runs of the season Wednesday in a 9-2 win over the Rays, joining Aaron Judge and Joe DiMaggio as the only Yankees in franchise history to hit at least 40 homers within their first three major league seasons.
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“It’s a cool milestone,” Rice said. “It’s not something you go into the season aiming for. You don’t really know how it’s going to go, but as I was approaching that number, it was definitely something I was hoping to achieve.”
Rice’s production has helped the Yankees weather the extended absences of Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, and with neither guaranteed to be on the roster for the AL wild-card series because of their respective injuries, the Yankees will need Rice to stay hot after breaking out of a quieter summer.
“Just a complete hitter,” Judge said. “Each year he’s gotten better, each month he’s gotten better. Even through bad slumps, he’s making the reads and making the changes he needs to [make] to get back to his normal self. So it’s been fun to watch.”
Ben Rice hits a solo home run in the first inning, the first of his two dingers in the game, in the Yankees’ 9-2 blowout win over the Rays on Sept. 23, 2026 at the Stadium. Robert Sabo for NY Post
When Rice hit his 39th home run over the weekend in Arizona, Aaron Boone revealed that was his preseason prediction for the DH/first baseman.
But Rice said he knew his manager was short-changing him one from a nice round number, so when he got back to the dugout after his two long balls Wednesday, “he let me know it,” Boone said with a grin.
Ben Rice celebrates with an eye toward his teammates in the dugout as he rounds the bases in the fourth inning after hitting his second solo homer of the night in the Yankees’ blowout win over the Rays. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“I think I said, ‘Hey, there’s 40 for you,’” Rice said. “I was joking with him after the 41st one, saying, ‘Hey, thanks for inspiring me this year.’ But it’s all in good fun.”
Rice’s 41 home runs are now tied with Yordan Alvarez, Pete Alonso and Junior Caminero for the most in the American League and the third most in the majors.
Fernando Cruz is still holding out hope of pitching again this season despite being diagnosed with a partially torn UCL, a diagnosis he said Wednesday he was “not going to accept.”
The reliever threw his first bullpen session — using all four of his pitches, he said — Sunday and is slated to throw another Thursday.
“I think I’m in a really good position to be back, I will say, in the next couple weeks,” Cruz said. “But that’s not my call. I’m just getting in position to be there for my guys and perform the way I perform.”
The 36-year-old said he is “100 percent” ruling out surgery at this point and later added, “I’m going to beat this.”
Carlos Rodón was named the Most Valuable Philanthropist for September by the Players Trust, the charitable arm of the MLB Players Association.
The left-hander, who is also the Yankees nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, and his wife, Ashley, are active in supporting families facing infertility and pregnancy loss through the Carlos Rodón Foundation.
WEST SACRAMENTO, CA — Athletics catcher Brian Serven left Wednesday's game early after taking a ball to the face.
Serven was at bat in the bottom of the sixth inning when Angels pitcher José Fermin threw a 94 mph changeup that resulted in a foul ball.
The pitch just skimmed Serven's bat, which he had in a bunt position, and ricocheted directly into his left cheek bone, just under his eye. He took the impact and fell to the dirt.
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay and the team trainer ran immediately onto the field to check on Serven as Angels' infielders took a sportsmanship knee. Serven was down for several moments but slowly got up, signaling he was OK.
Brian Serven had to leave the game mid at-bat after a foul ball struck him in the face https://t.co/cLSruT4QX3
CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Stowers homered and the Miami Marlins prevented the Chicago Cubs from clinching a playoff berth for the second straight night with a 3-2 victory Wednesday.
Dansby Swanson drove in both runs for the Cubs, who needed a win or an Arizona loss to Colorado to secure an NL wild-card berth. The Diamondbacks beat the Rockies 5-3.
Joe Mack’s groundout brought home Augustin Ramirez with the go-ahead run in the seventh and the Marlins retired the next nine Chicago batters to win their second straight game after dropping three in San Diego.
Stowers hit his 21st homer, a two-run shot, off Kevin Gausman in the top of the sixth to break a scoreless tie. The Cubs evened things in the bottom of the inning when Swanson laced a broken-bat single into left field to bring home a pair of runs.
Cade Gibson (6-2), the second of four Miami relievers, struck out two in the seventh and Sandy Alcantara worked the ninth for his second save.
Reliever Ryan Rolison (9-2) took the loss.
Gausman struck out seven and allowed two runs, six hits and a walk in the first 5 2/3 innings. Miami’s Ryan Gusto allowed six hits and two walks while striking out five in 5 1/3 innings.
Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong needed a stolen base to become the seventh player to join the 40-40 club but went 0 for 3 with a walk and remained at 45 home runs and 39 steals.
Up next
The Cubs have not named a starter for Thursday afternoon’s home finale. RHP Tyler Phillips (5-6, 3.45 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Marlins.
The Pittsburgh Penguins' positional battles are in full swing, and with two pre-season games remaining, things are getting down to the wire.
For Thursday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the lineup is largely prospect-heavy, with the forward unit, especially, comprised of players in heavy competition for precious NHL roster spots.
It hasn't been an easy camp for anyone, as players, coaches, and management alike are navigating the challenges of a shortened camp. But the Penguins' staff has continuously reminded the players that their window is shorter this year to make an impression.
"The coaches are making sure we know that, when you blink, camp's going to be over," Hayes said after Monday's 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres to open the pre-season. "You don't want to regret anything, you kind of want to attack every day with the mindset that you don't know what's coming tomorrow. So, you just gotta attack every day with 100 percent."
And, given some new updates to the team's injury situaion, there may be even more opportunity for some guys to crack the NHL roster out of camp.
It was already announced earlier this week that center Blake Lizotte and forward Oliver Okuliar are out week-to-week with upper- and lower-body injuries, respectively, and forward Justin Brazeau skated with the team Thursday but is day-to-day. But to add to the mayhem, the Penguins also updated Ben Kindel's status.
Previously day-to-day with a lower-body injury sustained during the first period of Monday's game, Kindel was downgraded to week-to-week on Thursday and is still undergoing testing and evaluation to determine the extent of the injury.
So, with Lizotte and Kindel - both centers - unlikely to be ready for the season-opener on Sept. 30 against the Philadelphia Flyers, that opens up some space for a few younger centers to make an impression.
The likely frontrunners? Filip Hallander, Hendrix Lapierre, and Tristan Broz.
Lapierre, 24, was acquired from the Washington Capitals for a third- and a fifth-round pick this summer and has not yet lived up to his offensive ceiling in his short NHL career. He has 13 goals and 47 points in 158 career NHL games, but the Penguins believe there is more to untap, and he has looked good in the early days of camp.
Broz - turning 24 on Oct. 10 - is a responsible two-way center who can also put the puck in the back of the net. Injuries have limited him to playing in just one NHL game in the last season-plus, but his effectiveness in all three zones, his hockey smarts, and his ability to impact five-on-five play as well as both special teams units puts him in a nice position to, perhaps, take on third- or fourth-line duties for the Penguins momentarily.
Then, there's Hallander, who has been the standout among the fringe players in camp. His 2025-26 season was cut short just 14 games in because of a blood clot, but he looks the part and, like Broz, offers a valuable two-way skillset that can benefit the Penguins with two bottom-six centers out. He plays the wing more than he plays center nowadays, but the Penguins have options - as well as a solid, reliable player - in Hallander.
Those three players probably have the inside track to NHL minutes and spots on the roster when combining performance and positional need. However, don't discount a few others from making a big enough impression during Thursday's tilt that they could force the Penguins' hand.
The guy next in line very well could be Hayes, who scored five goals in 16 games for the NHL club last season. He scored an impressive goal in the pre-season opener when, with only a few ticks left on the second-period clock, he forced a turnover behind the Buffalo goal, circled just above the goal line, and sniped one over the right shoulder of goaltender Alex Lyon to give Pittsburgh back the momentum and its two-goal advantage.
"Momentum" is a term that comes to mind with Hayes's game, and that extra effort is noticed by teammates and coaches, too.
"It's the goal, but it was the time of the goal, too," head coach Dan Muse said. "Obviously, when you can get a massive momentum swing like that right before you go into the locker room. Even within that sequence, though, you saw him getting in on the hunt, getting in on the forecheck, that's a big part of his game.
"That kind of tenacious, puck-pressure, never-quit player - that's when he's at his best."
And there's also Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen. McGroarty has put together a solid camp, has improved his skating a bit, and is determined to stick at the NHL level, which has been evident in his work ethic at practices and in games. He scored a late goal in Pittsburgh's 7-4 loss against the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday and will get another opportunity to make an impression Thursday.
So, too, will Koivunen, who missed his first scheduled pre-season tilt after he sustained a facial injury during practice earlier this week. Koivunen is set to be in the lineup Thursday as well, and given his eight-year contract extension and the work he put in during the summer, he will also have a pretty good shot.
"He's shown that he's put in the work in the summer," Muse said. "He looks stronger, but he's also showing that. I think he's stronger on pucks. The work that he put in over the summer has been noticeable, so I'm excited to see it here in a game."
Of course, guys like Elmer Soderblom - who has had an excellent camp - and Brazeau cannot be left out of the equation, either, even if they might seem to be locks more so than the others. At least, in Soderblom's case. But among young forwards scratching and clawing their way to the NHL, these six seems to be best-positioned to potentially crack the roster for opening night.
Thursday's game against Columbus - which will feature each player mentioned aside from Lapierre, who is limited to two pre-season games because of his "veteran" status of 100 or more games played - can be streamed on the Blue Jackets' website and listened to on the Penguins' flagship station, 105.9 The X.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 23: Eddie Pérez #95, Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 and Robert Suarez #75 of the Atlanta Braves hold the flag of Venezuela during pregame ceremonies for Los Bravos Night prior to the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kathryn May/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Well the Braves’ position in the playoffs may be clear (the third seed in the NL), but their opponent is far from clear, with the Padres, Phillies, and Cubs all very close to clinching wild-card spots, but within 0.5 games of each other, pending the Padres’ result against the Dodgers. With the return of Robert Suarez and the seemingly missed bullet of Ronald Acuna’s injury scare Tuesday, the Braves seem about as healthy as they could hope going into the playoffs. That said, the offense and pitching are both serious concerns. The pitching is fairly obvious, as the Braves have Chris Sale and a strong bullpen, but Tyler Mahle is a questionable second starter for a playoff team even with his phenomenal performance for Atlanta and behind him is a mess in the rotation. The offense has been a struggle for months now really and has a 98 wRC+ on the season. Ronald Acuna has looked like his prime self of late, but one man can only do so much. The talent is there but the consistency has not. Perhaps this will be the year for the offense to show up in the postseason after a number of years of high quality regular season offense, followed by disappointing playoff production.
DENVER (AP) — Corbin Carroll had a two-run triple to cap a four-run first inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.
Gabriel Moreno drove in the first run and finished with three hits to help Arizona (84-74) close within three games of the Phillies and Cubs for an NL wild card.
Moreno, with a .310 batting average, trails the Phillies’ Luis Arraez at .312 for the NL batting title with four games remaining.
Merrill Kelly (10-14) allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings to improve to 6-0 in nine starts at Coors Field since 2022. Jonathan Loáisiga earned his second save when he retired Ezequiel Tovar on a foul pop that first baseman Ildemaro Vargas caught at the railing with runners on second and third.
Ketel Marte reached second when Zac Veen misplayed his one-out liner to left field in the first and Moreno singled off rookie Mason Adams (0-2) two pitches later for the lead.
Nolan Arenado added an RBI single before Carroll hit his 17th triple — the most in the majors this season. The Rockies have allowed an MLB-high 131 first-inning runs.
Adams retired 13 straight following Carroll’s triple until Moreno singled leading off the sixth. All four runs off the right-hander were unearned. He allowed five hits and struck out eight in six innings for the first time in his six starts.
Adael Amador had an RBI double in the second and Hunter Goodman added a sacrifice fly in the third for the Rockies (57-101).
Tim Tawa hit his 11th homer off Mark Manfredi for a 5-2 lead in the eighth.
Tovar answered with his 12th home run of the season off Brandyn Garcia in the bottom of the inning.
DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 23: Starting pitcher Mason Adams #38 of the Colorado Rockies throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Coors Field on September 23, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 Colorado Rockies have combined flashes of brilliance with a struggle to complete a full game on all sides of the ball. Tonight’s game fell in that camp.
There have been a few games this year where if you removed just one stretch of mistakes from one aspect of the game, the Rockies would have been in the mix, if not fully in a position to win. Tonight, the Rockies found themselves in a hole early on, one that they were unable to climb out of. Their defense allowed for a flurry of unearned runs and their bats didn’t consistenly step up to support the starting pitching.
That said, the Rockies found themselves right in the mix with a playoff contending team right until the end, with a few key performances to point to.
The Rockies first inning woes continue
Over the last 10 games, the Rockies had allowed 16 runs in the first inning. Last night, the Diamondbacks got after Kyle Freeland early and nearly hit around the order on their way to an early 3-0 lead. That trend continued tonight, unfortunately.
Mason Adams got the first laugh, but not the last. He started strong, striking out Lars Nootbar quickly on four pitches. He finished Nootbar off with his curveball, a pitch that Adams has dominated hitters with this year.
Ketel Marte, who tends to hit well at Coors more often than not, hit a double to left on a ball that Zac Veen lost in the lights for an error. That would prove costly as Gabriel Moreno brought him home just two pitches later.
Hunter Goodman flashed his always strong ABS challenge skills for the second strikeout of the inning, coming on a four-seam fastball that kissed the corner of the zone. But with two outs and two on, Nolan Arenado — who was just a triple short of the cycle last night — singled to left to score another. Veen’s rough start continued, as he scooped the ball but bobbled it.
With a sharp triple down the first base line, Corbin Carroll scored two more to make it an early 4-0 deficit for the Rockies. The Rockies went down in order in the bottom of the inning to leave things there.
No trouble with the curve for Adams
Sadly, Adams’ first career win proves to be elusive. Even still, all of his starts have shown stretches of extreme promise. Tonight was no different.
After surrendering four runs in the first, Adams locked in and bounced back, sitting down 13 straight batters from that point on until his next allowed hit in the top of the sixth. He got ahead in counts often (with 65% first pitch strikes) and worked his pitches well. In particular, Adams continues to be a master of the curveball. Entering tonight, he maintained a .083 batting average against for the pitch, allowing only one hit on curveballs all season.
He relied on the strength of that pitch today, alongside a mix of other effective pitches. He used his four-seamer most today (28%), but mixed in the sinker (24%) and curveball (21%). He kept hitters guessing with the curve (70% whiff rate) and sweeper (13% usage, 43% whiff).
During his stretch of four 1-2-3 innings, he continued to add to his strikeout total. Among those strikeouts, several rattlers were the victim of the curve tonight. Of his eight strikeouts, four of those came on a swinging curveball, as he rang up Nootbar (twice), Tim Tawa, and Pavin Smith with the pitch.
In another 100-loss season, you want to be able to point to bright spots, and Adams has been just that. He tallied an astounding 41% whiff rate on called strikes and set a new career high with those eight strikeouts. He ended his day after 6.0 innings pitched with zero earned runs and four runs allowed on five hits and no walks.
It’s impossible to know how the first inning and the game would have shaken out if the fly ball was reeled in for the second out. Without the outlier inning, Adams could have been in position for a competitive game throughout. Nevertheless, he put up one of, if not the best performance of his career, showed a lot of resilience, and put together a strong starting spot to build momentum heading into next year.
Diamondbacks holding steady
For their part, the D-backs held steady tonight, both in the game and in the Wild Card race.
While Adams held off the Arizona offense after the first, the Diamondbacks were able to add a small cushion in the bullpen innings. With Mark Manfredi in the game in relief, Tawa launched a home run to left field to give Arizona a 5-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning. That would be Arizona’s lone run outside of the first inning. Arizona managed eight hits on the night, but were shut down for a long stretch.
The Rockies offense did better than they did last night but couldn’t quite get enough going. Their seven hits came in spurts and they ended the night with four batters left on base as a team.
Arizona gave up some ground on the other end of a solo shot in the bottom of the inning, as Ezequiel Tovar homered to right field to bring the Rockies back within two runs at 5-3.
Keeping an eye on the Wild Card race around the league, the Diamondbacks got some much-needed help. The Chicago Cubs fell to the Miami Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies dropped a game to the Milwaukee Brewers, opening things up for the D-backs to threaten for one of the three open playoff spots.
Final Thoughts
On offense, Tovar had a night, logging two hits and two runs, including a solo homer. For a player that struggled to find contact through much of the season, settling in for most of the team’s runs was a win.
But the star of the show was Mason Adams, acquired in the Brenton Doyle trade, who delivered in his last start of the season. In that last start, he made it into the sixth inning for the first time all year. That feat was especially impressive given that it took over 30 pitches for him to escape the first.
In a game at Coors Field, Adams deserves all the kudos for holding strong and making it deep into the game. Manager Warren Schaeffer noted that Adams “kept his head about him in the first inning and was basically unhittable after that.” He added that “he’s extremely even-keeled. The game can speed up, but I don’t ever see that with Mason.”
It’s hard to be happy about 101 losses, but at this point in the season, it’s promising to see some good in the lineup. For a team with glaring holes in its rotation, having a pitcher like Adams stepping up throughout the year and late into the season provides a glimmer of hope for the 2027 campaign.
Up Next
It’s time for one last hurrah at Coors Field.
With tonight’s loss, the Rockies sit at 32-48 at home on the season but will try to end things on a good note. They’ll finish off the three-game series against Arizona before heading out to Chicago for a weekend series against the White Sox.
Tanner Gordon gets the start for Colorado. This year, he’s 1-5 in 11 starts and 23 total games, with a 6.01 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 84/18 K/BB.
Eduardo Rodriquez takes the mound for Arizona, entering with a 15-7 record over 31 starts, with a 2.89 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and a 140/62 K/BB.
The first pitch for the Thursday afternoon game is set for 1:10 p.m. MT.
NEW YORK — Maybe nothing has changed with Aaron Judge’s status, but the Yankees captain prefers to conduct the narrative regarding his calf injury.
Judge's message is, essentially: Don't rule me out of next week's opening playoff round.
A day after manager Aaron Boone said that “we’re planning on him not being a part of that’’ Wild Card series roster next week, Judge said he's aiming to be in that lineup.
"My goal is to come back as soon as I can. If (Boone) says I’m not going to be ready…I’ve got no control over that,'' said Judge. "I’ve got control over what I can do to get back as soon as I can.
"So, if you ask me if I’m going to be back, I’m going to tell you, yeah, I’m doing everything I can every single day I show up here to get back and be ready to go.''
Locked in as the AL’s top wild card, the Yankees will host a best-of-three series against Boston, beginning Tuesday night.
Per Boone, Judge was diagnosed with a “moderate’’ grade right calf strain, which Judge clarified as the soleus muscle.Its proximity near the Achilles tendon, and the general nature of calf strains, suggests a weeks-long recovery, placing Judge's 2026 season in jeopardy.
Ultimately, Boone added that he’s “not expecting’’ Judge for the first round. “But I’m not ruling it out either.’’
Judge told ESPN that "we've done a lot of talks" within the organization about his injury status, "but I can't control what people say.''
When asked by ESPN if he expected to be active next week, Judge said: "I don't make the roster. I've got no idea."
Judge had a platelet-poor plasma (PPP) injection Monday, further limiting his already limited activity this week.
Boone restated that the Yankees' championship goals haven't been altered due to Judge's injury.
"Look, we've played much of the year without him, and for the most part we've done a pretty good job,'' said Boone. "So, (our) guys are used to it.''
Judge missed 84 team games due to a fractured first right rib. He returned to the lineup on Sept. 8, and batted .174 (4-for-23) in seven games with one homer, a .513 OPS and 13 strikeouts.
Lifted for a pinch-hitter during a Sept. 16 game at Minnesota, Judge was placed on the 10-day IL retroactive to Sept. 17.
LOS ANGELES — Josue De Paula's first trial run in the big leagues has come to an end. For now, at least.
With Shohei Ohtani back in the lineup for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, Sept. 23 against the San Diego Padres and manager Dave Roberts wanting to get a look at other players competing for a spot on the postseason roster, Roberts said the choice to option De Paula to Triple-A Oklahoma City was easier than it might've appeared on the surface.
"This was the original thought," Roberts said. "That once Shohei gets back, we were going to send (De Paula) out. We had a runway to give him, which we gave him, and he performed more than admirably."
Even that might be an understatement to how well De Paula played.
In a small sample size of 11 games, the 21-year-old showed a confidence and poise beyond his years in the batter's box, controlling the strike zone like a seasoned vet and drawing 11 walks. And once the hits started falling, De Paula showed how dangerous he can really be, mashing three doubles and a home run (his first MLB hit in Miami) while driving in seven RBIs and posting a 1.081 OPS across 31 at-bats. His last regular season game in LA on Tuesday may have been his best yet as De Paula went 2-for-3 with a walk and his first career triple in a 7-0, series-opening win over the Padres.
He's played so well, in fact, that Roberts is seriously considering him for the postseason roster.
"He's a part of that conversation," Roberts said. "He's earned that."
De Paula's value goes beyond the stat sheet, too. Whether he's flipping the bat and yelling, "I really do this!" to his teammates in the dugout after hitting his first career home run, flexing after driving in a go-ahead run on a double or just nodding his head after not chasing a ball outside the zone, there's a level of swag De Paula brings to Dodger Stadium that not only energizes his older teammates, but also captivates fans in attendance every time "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G. blares over the loudspeakers when the Brooklyn native walks up to the plate.
Per MLB rules, a player who has been optioned can be eligible to play in the postseason as long as his club did so at least 10 days before a series. Optioning De Paula Wednesday would make him eligible to play in the NLDS, Game 1 of which starts on Saturday, Oct. 3, exactly 10 days from now.
That gives the Dodgers flexibility to evaluate the rest of the players vying for a spot in October with limited at-bats to go around in their remaining five games. Roberts specifically mentioned that he wants to get more reps for Miguel Rojas and Kiké Hernández, but the player that De Paula is most directly competing with is probably Dalton Rushing. He's been on the IL since Sept. 5 with right elbow discomfort but is expected to be activated ahead of the final regular season series in San Francisco this weekend.
Rushing won't catch again this season, so his best shot at making the playoff roster is as a lefty bat off the bench, which is the role De Paula would also have, given that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman mentioned they currently view De Paula as a DH until his defense develops and he can be the capable corner outfielder they believe he can be one day. The Dodgers are unlikely to carry both De Paula and Rushing in October.
But while Rushing, Rojas and Hernández try to make their case in the last few opportunities, De Paula's already made his impression on Dodgers brass.
"Josue's been awesome," Friedman said. "Injected some real-life energy into our team as we got into September and close out the regular season. He handled himself as well as he could possibly do. ... He's done everything he can to put himself in a position to be in the conversation for us as we make our postseason roster."
"He's just a special hitter," Roberts said. "Hitters don't see the ball that quickly out of hand. It's a gift. Just the ability to (not) chase, I think that lines up in the postseason and no moment's gonna be too big for that kid."
De Paula joins the Comets in the middle of the Triple-A playoffs, but Roberts has basically seen enough from the rookie. The onus now lies on the vets.
STATELINE, NEVADA - JULY 12: Stephen Curry plays his shot from the second tee box during the final round of the American Century Championship 2026 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course on July 12, 2026 in Stateline, Nevada. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
He’s been eligible for a contract extension for nearly a month and has likely been discussing terms with the Golden State Warriors for longer than that. Still, Steph Curry says that the delay in his signing an extension in no way suggests he’s wavering on his “obvious goal” of playing with the Warriors for his entire career.
Steph Curry tells ESPN his unsettled extension will have no impact on his play or the team's vibe: "No drama. No talking points. This team should be competitive and go win."
If he waits, it's about future flexibility: "Information and patience is key."https://t.co/eOVt2jsc7g
There’s no reason to debate what Curry deserves after delivering four championships to the Warriors, who are worth roughly 25x what they were before he arrived. If he wants to take a max deal for two seasons, the Warriors are going to pay it, and we’ll get a big retirement tour, complete with a heartfelt, scrappy battle for a play-in spot. He’d also have the chance to get a rare no-trade clause, not that it seems likely the Warriors would trade him without his cooperation.
But it certainly sounds like Curry isn’t going to simply take as much money as possible, or he would have already done it. Speaking to ESPN, he made it clear he wants to resolve his contract situation before the season and have “No drama, no talking points.”
It’s an interesting conundrum, because while the Warriors have limited options for improving next season if Curry takes a max, which would lower their potential cap space from over $100M to around $45M, with the contracts of Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis all expiring. That’s a huge difference, but it comes with a lot of questions.
Do the Warriors have a plan to exploit all that cap space?
It’s all well and good to create cap space and options, and the Warriors have a mixed record in exploiting that. Clearing money in the summer of 2016 and landing Kevin Durant? A-plus. Amassing a collection of tradeable deals and trading for Jimmy Butler in 2025, after striking out on a Durant return? Solid B-plus. Getting Green to opt out of his deal and standing pat while waiting for LeBron James this year? D-minus.
2. Where do the Warriors spend that money?
The list of unrestricted free agents available next season is unexciting. The biggest prize would look to be 22-year-old All-NBA center Jalen Duren, but even with his contentious negotiations this summer, it’s hard to believe the Detroit Pistons would let a 22-year-old All-NBA center hit unrestricted free agency. As long as the Denver Nuggets don’t implode, Nikola Jokic is unlikely to be going anywhere, nor is Giannis Antetokounmpo after the Miami Heat emptied the chamber of picks and players to get him.
The best player who could be available is Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks, who is quite good indeed! Towns is an underrated defender and perhaps the best-shooting center in NBA history, which allows his teams a lot of flexibility in who plays around him. Head coach Mike Brown and the Knicks offense unlocked a previously-unknown level of passing from Towns during their title run. Towns has a $61M player option for 2027-28 but extension talks with the Knicks have reportedly stalled.
Beyond Towns, the players who can opt out of their 2027-28 deals tend to be older: Jrue Holiday, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Julius Randle, Damian Lillard, and Rudy Gobert. On the younger side, Jalen Green of the Phoenix Suns has a player option, as does Bennedict Mathurin of the New Orleans Pelicans. And if the Warriors want to bang their head against the same wall, Durant and James can both become free agents.
3. How good could the Warriors be if Steph Curry played for the minimum?
$100M is really a lot of money, and opens up a lot of options for trades, signings, sign-and-trades. Should the team have extra money, they’ve got more to work with, in front of a roster that would have Curry, Al Horford, Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos, plus whoever they sign or trade for. And a lot of question marks beyond that.
4. What about Brandin Podziemski?
Going into his fourth year, Podziemski is eligible for a rookie extension. But as we’ve seen with Jonathan Kuminga, teams have far more leverage than players until they can hit unrestricted free agency, much less restricted status. The Warriors have very little motivation to lock up Podz early unless they get a discount. Even if he’s facing restricted free agency in the summer of 2027, the cap hold for Podziemski should be around $17M, which could be similar to what he’d get in a long-term deal. If he signed for less than that for 2027-28, it would mean even more cap savings.
5. How long do the Warriors and Curry have to decide?
Technically Curry can sign an extension at any time during the season, but his “no drama” comments indicate he’d like to wrap things up before the season begins. But at least for now, the idea of Curry leaving in free agency doesn’t seem to be something he’s considering. It’s up to the front office to convince him that if he gives up money, they’ll actually do something with the extra cap space.
Cooper spent 33 years with the White Sox organization, including 18 years as the team’s major league pitching coach and as part of the staff of the 2005 World Series-winning team.
The post by his family on his Facebook page indicated that Cooper died on Tuesday in Brentwood, Tenn., and stated that he was believed to have “passed away peacefully.”
Chicago White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper calls the bullpen for a reliever during a Major League Baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on July 18, 2019. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“His fierce passion for baseball, and the coaches and players around him, brought him a life filled with great pride, stories, and accomplishments,” the post from the Cooper family read. “This passion was superseded only by his unbreakable love for his family and friends. He cared immensely for his loved ones.
“He lived a life blessed by God, which he talked about whenever he had the chance. He was very thankful for his blessings and success both in and out of baseball. He checked in with his friends and family constantly, and was always a call away, willing to lend an ear and give his sincere advice and encouragement.”
Cooper was born in New York and grew up in Woodside, according to a Hall of Fame page on the Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School website. He attended McClancy and then went to New York Institute of Technology, where he played baseball and basketball.
Cooper was selected by the Yankees in the 17th round of the 1978 draft and made his MLB debut with the Twins three years later. He spent time with the Twins, Blue Jays and Yankees in the big leagues.
From left, Chicago White Sox players Jon Garland, Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras, pitching coach Don Cooper and Freddy Garcia celebrate after winning Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California, on Oct. 16, 2005. MLB Photos via Getty Images
He went on to coach after his playing career and was with the White Sox organization going all the way back to 1987.
Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen memorialized Cooper in a post on X.
Guillen managed the Chicago American League team for eight seasons.
“My career wouldn’t have been the same without Don Cooper,” he wrote. “Coop was one of a kind and taught me so much about pitchers, pitching, and their mindset. Always a close friend to my kids and family. Thank you for everything, Coop. My deepest condolences to his family. Rest in peace.”
Cooper was the pitching coach during the 2005 season when the White Sox won the World Series with a pitching staff that threw four consecutive complete-game victories in the ALCS, marking the first time a team had done so during a postseason since the 1928 Yankees.
Cooper was eventually relieved of his role in 2020.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The boos directed at Marcus Semien in Wednesday’s eighth inning were music to the Mets’ ears.
Semien’s shot to left field had just cleared the fence to put his team ahead, and the fans at Globe Life Field let him know he had betrayed them in the moment.
This certainly wasn’t Pete Alonso returning to Citi Field.
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That blast, coupled with Brett Baty’s grand slam an inning later, fueled the Mets’ 7-2 victory over the Rangers that further wounded a team fighting for the AL West title.
The Mets will try to complete the series sweep Thursday.
Semien, traded by the Rangers last offseason for Brandon Nimmo, was just one of the Mets’ big performers on this night. Another was Nolan McLean, who concluded his rookie year with an outing indicative of his season.
Marcus Semien of the New York Mets runs the bases following a home run against the Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Getty Images
The right-hander allowed two earned runs on three hits over seven innings with five strikeouts, completing his season with a 3.16 ERA. Overall, he pitched 179 ²/₃ innings and struck out 194.
New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty is greeted in the dugout after hitting a grand slam home run against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field, Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Juan Soto’s two-run homer in the third inning gave the Mets a 2-0 lead. Soto’s homer was his 27th this season.
Baty, pinch hitting, homered in the ninth for his second grand slam this season.
Kodai Senga’s role will be among the uncertainties facing the Mets heading to the offseason.
The right-hander moved into the closer’s spot with Devin Williams’ injured list stint late this season and was largely successful. But Williams’ return to the bullpen this week — he will be the team’s closer heading into spring training — left manager Andy Green on Wednesday to answer questions about where Senga will fit in 2027, when he will be entering the final year of his contract.
“I think there’s a real decision point there and it’s not one that we’re ready to make today,” Green said.
Senga has expressed a preference to pitch as a starter. But he struggled in that role this season, prompting his move to a bulk relief role before transitioning to aa high-leverage, one inning pitcher after the trade deadline.
He entered the day with eight saves in nine opportunities and had a 3.78 ERA in 18 appearances since Aug. 1.
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“We have an idea of how he fits in the pen now, which is really helpful,” Green said. “We don’t know the depth of our rotation going into ’27 right now. There’s a free-agency period. There’s a lot of uncertainty that could unfold over the offseason and he will fit into the spot he fits the best for us because that is how we should move forward at this point in time … where we’re at [after the offseason] will make the picture clearer nd figure out where the puzzle piece fits the best.”
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 23: Brett Baty #7 of the New York Mets celebrates a grand slam during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on September 23, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets beat the Rangers for the second straight night, defeating Texas 7-2 at Globe Life Field to secure the series victory and play the role of spoiler. Nolan McLean retired the Rangers in order in every inning he pitched except one and earned his 12th win in his final start of 2026. Three home runs—one from Juan Soto to get the Mets on the board, a go-ahead solo shot from Marcus Semien, and a pinch-hit grand slam from Brett Baty that sealed the deal—were responsible for all seven of the Mets’ runs.
The first inning was rather uneventful except for the fact that right after Gary Cohen mentioned that Rangers first baseman Jake Burger was on the precipice of breaking a Rangers club recrod for consecutive errorless games, he made an error on the very next play on a Bo Bichette grounder that went right between his legs for the game’s first base runner. Nothing came of it, however, as Mark Vientos flew out to end the inning.
The Mets did not record a hit until the third inning, thanks in part to a couple of nice places early in the game by Wyatt Langford in the outfield. But finally Francisco Lindor broke through against Cody Bradford with a two-out single up the middle and Juan Soto followed with a 429-foot blast to put the Mets on the board. Given a 2-0 lead to work with, Nolan McLean made quick work of the Rangers early and was perfect through four innings. The Mets squandered a golden opportunity in the fifth when the first two runners reached base, but did not score. Francisco Alvarez singled to lead things off and then A.J. Ewing dropped down a bunt intended to be a sacrifice, but he ended up reaching first base safely because the catcher Danny Jansen went to field it, but Bradford got in his way and the Rangers were unable to make the play. Nick Morabito then failed to execute a sacrifice bunt and struck out. Not taking any chances in a game that is crucial for their playoff hopes, the Rangers brought in Tyler Alexander to face the top of the order. Francisco Lindor flew out to center and not wanting to allow Soto to beat them again, Alexander intentionally walked Soto to load the bases. The move worked; Bo Bichette grounded out to end the inning.
Meanwhile, the Rangers did all of their damage against Nolan McLean in one inning in the bottom of the frame. Brandon Nimmo led off with a single for the Rangers’ first hit. Ezequiel Duran then grounded out for the second out, but Nimmo advanced into scoring position on the play. Jake Burger then smacked a single to plate the Rangers’ first run. As often happens with McLean, the base runners came in bunches; Nicky Lopez singled to advance Burger to second and Danny Jansen walked to load the bases still with only one out. But McLean did good to limit the damage to just one additional run. Evan Carter hit a grounder to second on which the Mets could not turn a double play, recording only the out at second base as the tying run came home. Carter stole second base, but McLean induced an inning-ending popup off the bat of Wyatt Langford to stop the bleeding.
McLean bounced back with a very quick 1-2-3 inning in the sixth and the Mets’ half of the seventh inning played out almost exactly like their missed opportunity in the fifth. Chase Silseth took the mound for the Rangers and Francisco Alvarez greeted him rudely with a sharp single up the middle—the first time in his career he’s had four straight multi-hit games. A.J. Ewing followed with a walk and then Nick Morabito once again failed to bunt the runners over and bunted a two-strike pitch foul for strike three. Desperate to keep this important game tied, Rangers manager Skip Schumaker turned to his closer Jacob Latz to get the final two outs. Francisco Lindor made a bid for home run number 300, but the ball was caught on the warning track for the second out. The Rangers then intentionally walked Juan Soto to load the bases for a second time and for a second time it worked; Bo Bichette flew out to right field to end the inning.
Nolan McLean finished his night on a high note, retiring the Rangers in order to keep the game tied. Marcus Semien rewarded McLean’s brilliant work by putting him in line for the win in the top of the eighth with a two-out, go-ahead solo homer off his former team. Devin Williams made his first appearance back from the injured list in relief of McLean in the eighth and recorded a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout of Wyatt Langford to cap it off. Jordan Montgomery took the mound for the Rangers in the eighth and Morabito redeemed himself somewhat with a one-out hit—his first big league hit off a left-handed pitcher. He advanced to second on a Lindor dribbler in front of the plate for the second out. The Rangers then—you guessed it—intentionally walked Juan Soto yet again. It marked the first time a Met has been intentionally walked three times in a game since David Wright in 2009. Montgomery then made way for righty (and former Met) Trevor Williams to face Bo Bichette, who this time finally made the Rangers pay by drawing an unintentional walk to load the bases. Brett Baty then pinch hit for Mark Vientos to face the righty and dealt the decisive blow—a towering grand slam to extend the Mets’ lead to 7-2 and break the Rangers’ hearts.
Cionel Pérez was tasked with the ninth inning by now-official manager Andy Green and worked around a one-out single to Josh Jung to complete the victory and give Nolan McLean the win in his final start of 2026. The Mets will go for the sweep at Globe Life Field tomorrow afternoon.
Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +28% WPA Big Mets loser: Bo Bichette, -15% WPA Mets pitchers: +29% WPA Mets hitters: +21% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Marcus Semien’s go-ahead home run in the eighth, +29.6% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jake Burger’s RBI single in the fifth to drive in the Rangers’ first run, -10.9% WPA
The Mets secured a series win against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night, winning by a score of 7-2.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- In his final start of his rookie season, Nolan McLean looked like he was on his way to something special after retiring the first 12 batters he faced on just 43 pitches. However, a Brandon Nimmo single to lead off the fifth inning put history to rest.
-- A groundout advanced Nimmo to second and a single by Jake Burger ended McLean’s shutout bid and cut New York’s lead to 2-1. After finding an opening, the Rangers did not let up and loaded the bases on the right-hander following a single and a walk.
With his back against the wall, McLean got Evan Carter to ground one to second base, but the Mets couldn’t turn the double play thanks to Carter’s speed and Texas tied the game. Still in trouble, McLean finally ended the inning with a popout, leaving two runners in scoring position.
-- The rocky fifth inning took McLean 26 pitches to complete and came out of nowhere. In fact, before the game manager Andy Green was asked about the rookie’s season and talked about wanting McLean to work on limiting those innings where he’s forced to work a ton.
To McLean’s credit, he did manage to keep what could’ve been a big inning to just two runs and then went back out in the sixth inning and needed just five pitches to get through the frame. The right-hander ended his outing by retiring the side in order in the seventh inning on just eight pitches.
-- Overall, McLean allowed two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out five on 82 pitches (52 strikes). Aside from the fifth inning, the youngster pitched six perfect innings in what was another fantastic start and ends his season with a 3.16 ERA in 31 starts.
-- McLean left in a tie game but his teammates picked him up as Marcus Semien made the right-hander the pitcher of record on the long side (12-10) with a solo home run with two outs in the eighth against his former team which put New York ahead, 3-2.
The Mets’ only other offense prior to that came in the third inning off the bat of Juan Soto who demolished an 0-1 changeup from Cody Bradford for a two-run shot.
-- The Rangers learned their lesson after that and intentionally walked Soto three times later in the game, twice to load the bases – seldom seen. Both times it worked, though, as Bo Bichette ended the inning by making an out.
The last time, however, came back to bite Texas. With New York up by a run in the top of the ninth and a runner on second with two outs, the Rangers intentionally walked Soto and then walked Bichette after a tough at-bat. With the bases loaded, pinch-hitter Brett Baty, who has been on a tear to end the season, hit a no-doubt grand slam off Trevor Williams that went 455 feet and blew the game wide open.
Over his last 30 games, Baty is slashing .348/.439/.609 (1.048 OPS).
-- Devin Williams made his first appearance since re-joining the team from the IL, entering in the eighth inning of a one-run game at the time and pitching a perfect inning with a strikeout.
Game MVP: Nolan McLean
Baty's grand slam will capture the headlines, but McLean showed his mettle and ended his rookie season on a high note.
