Jul 3, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Jake Bennett (64) throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
TV: NESN First Pitch: 7:40 p.m. ET Location: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago
The Red Sox will look to push their winning streak to five against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Boston has been superb throughout its most recent stretch, averaging seven runs per game across the four-game winning streak and allowing more than two earned runs in just one of those games — though there are questions about just how long this thing is going to last…
Jake Bennett will toe the rubber once again, with the expectation that he’ll blow past his previous career-high in innings pitched in one season after surpassing the total in his last start. Bennett carries a 3.10 ERA into his eighth start, having struck out 31 batters in 40.2 innings pitched Red Sox manager Chad Tracy is rocking with a similar lineup to that of the series opener, with Masataka Yoshida, Carlos Narváez, and Tsung-Che Cheng entering for Romy Gonzalez, Connor Wong, and Andruw Monasterio.
Davis Martin will look to push things in the right direction for Chicago.
Braden Montgomery, who was the centerpiece of the trade that brought aboard Garrett Crochet, will make his debut against the team that drafted him after being inserted alongside Junior Perez.
The Red Sox have just five games remaining before everyone takes a break for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. If they’re going to position themselves for a run, things need to continue moving in the right direction.
WEDNESDAY FACTS: The Cubs are 11-4 in all games on Wednesday this season and 6-2 on the road. They finished last year 13-12 overall and 7-6 on the road. They are 15-14 in the second games of series and 8-6 on the road. They finished last season 34-19 overall and 17-9 on the road. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
BACK TO BACK: In their 17-6 surge since June 11, the Cubs have lost back-to-back games only once, Friday and Saturday at home vs. the Cardinals. They had won three, two, four and five games in a row before their back-to-back wins Sunday and yesterday. Forty of the Cubs’ 51 wins have come in winning streaks and 29 of their 40 losses have come in losing streaks. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
HOME RUN FACTS: The Cubs’ eight home runs in their 23-3 pummeling of the Padres last Wednesday made it just the 37th game since 1901 in which a team homered at least eight times. The Cubs have not hit any homers in their four games since then. Twenty of the previous 36 teams with eight or more homers hit at least one in their next game. All of the 16 others homered again in their second game. Only two of the previous 10 teams with at least eight homers did not hit one in their next game: the Phillies, who had been the last team to hit eight before the Cubs, on Sept. 24, 2025, and the Blue Jays, who hit eight on June 13, 2021. After the Cubs broke their team record by slugging eight homers vs. the Cardinals on July 4, 2025, they hit two, one, one and no homers in their next four games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN WRIGLEY FIELD HISTORY: The home of the Cubs hosts its first All-Star Game. The AL defeats the NL 2-1 in front of 41,123 at Wrigley Field. Cubs representatives are Phil Cavarretta and Andy Pafko. Pafko has one of the NL’s five hits. It happened 79 years ago today, Tuesday, July 8, 1947.
Over his last three starts, Colin Rea has a 1.76 ERA and 1.304 WHIP, a good turnaround from a rough patch he had in late May and early June.
Rea last faced the Orioles in 2024. Current O’s are a small sample size 9-for-35 (.257) against him with one home run (Tyler O’Neill), and 12 strikeouts.
Dean Kremer missed two months this year with a right quad strain and has made just one start since his return, July 1 vs. the White Sox, who he held to four hits and one run in six innings. He threw 79 pitches in that game so likely isn’t on any pitch limit in this one.
Kremer last pitched against the Cubs July 9, 2024 in Baltimore and they hit him hard, including home runs by Michael Busch and Ian Happ. Michael Conforto (3-for-4) has also homered off Kremer.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 30: Kevin McGonigle #7 of the Detroit Tigers looks on during the singing of the national anthem prior to the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Monday, March 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With the 2026 MLB amateur draft only days away, and Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris going into his fourth draft as head of the club, it’s a good time to look back at his first three efforts. The 2023 edition was, of course, quite a good one. Harris and amateur scouting director Mark Conner, along with assistant GM and VP of the scouting department, Rob Metzler, crushed this draft comfortably. That we can say that only three years later is entirely a credit to Mr. Kevin McGonigle, who is already paying huge dividends and could prove their best position player pick of all-time. Of course, the Tigers found quite a lot of other talented players in that draft, and even beyond McGonigle it may go down as one of the club’s best since the draft was initiated in 1965.
The Tigers selected 21 players in the 2023 draft, ultimately signing 19 of them total. This was the first we saw of the club’s draft strategy under the new leadership group. As we’ve come to expect, they favored left-handed hitting prep players who play up the middle, a strategy that has continued to SS Bryce Rainer in 2024, and SS Jordan Yost and catcher Michael Oliveto in 2025 with their first round picks. They allocated quite a bit of money to lure a couple of promising, well regarded arms away from their college commitments, and added a sprinkling of athletic, small school players with good contact ability, as well as a selection of overlooked college arms and a JUCO pick to round out their first draft.
1- CF Max Clark (Franklin Community HS) $7,700,000
The talented young center fielder signed as the third overall pick in the draft and took an underslot bonus $641,700 under the recommended amount. He’s moved as quickly as hoped, and at age 21 is having a solid season at the Triple-A level while polishing his game for the big jump. Clark can really hit, rarely strikes out, takes his walks, and is developing into a force defensively and on the basepaths. The big question is how much power he’ll grow into, but he’s comfortably among the top outfield prospects in the game and seems likely to make his major league debut sometime before the end of the season. Yes, Wyatt Langford was probably the better pick based on speed to the major leagues, but when all is said and done, Clark may yet prove the more valuable player.
CB-A- SS Kevin McGonigle (Monsignor Bonner HS) $2,847,500
The Tigers locked up their new star infielder with a bonus that was about $540,000 over slot, using the savings from Clark’s bonus to double up on an elite pair of high school talents. Little more needs be said as McGonigle rocketed through the minor leagues despite a few injuries and is well on his way to an AL Rookie of the Year title, and may make a push into MVP conversation if the power starts showing up a little more as he’s settled into the league. This may turn out to be the best pick in Detroit Tigers’ history. It feels great for Tigers’ fans knowing he’s already locked up on a long-term deal.
2- 2B Max Anderson (Nebraska) $1,429,650
Anderson also signed for about $750,000 under slot, helping the Tigers spread their bonus pool around. The stout infielder has power and good contact ability, and just hasn’t yet developed a selective enough eye to get to that power at the major league level consistently. A solid infielder who is a bit light in the range department, most of Anderson’s value is going to have to come from the bat, but he’s handling Triple-A much better in his second look and doing plenty of damage. He’ll have to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason, so at least a look at the show later this season is pretty likely for the 24-year-old infielder.
3- LHP Paul Wilson (Lakeridge High School) $1,697,500
Wilson signed for about $750,000 overslot, passing on his commitment to Oregon State. He is the son of a former major league pitcher in Trevor Wilson, and was regarded as a very polished lefty on draft day. Like most of the Tigers prep pitchers drafted under Harris, Wilson spent most of his time on the injured list in 2024-2025, and was pretty wild on the few occasions when he did pitch. However, in recent weeks he’s completed some rehab work at the Complex League level and returned to Single-A Lakeland to hopefully, finally embark on his pro career at age 21. So far, Wilson has shown mid-90’s velocity with quality breaking and offspeed stuff that still needs a lot of refinement. He’s finally on his way, so we’ll just cross our fingers and hope he’s finally put the injuries behind him and gotten himself physically built up to handle the pro workload. This could still turn out to be a great pick, but for now those grades are entirely incomplete.
4- 3B Carson Rucker (Goodpasture Christian School) $772.500
This prep third baseman received an extra $145,000 over slot to pass on a University of Tennessee commitment. He had a strong arm and good defensive chops for his age, with some quality power potential as well. However, Rucker dislocated his left shoulder and tore the labrum in 2024 as well just four games into his pro career. That cost him that whole season, and he dealt with some injuries in 2025 as well. Now 21 years old, Rucker has power and can play a pretty good third base, but while he’s walked a lot more and been a pretty productive hitter for Single-A Lakeland, his strikeout rate has been sky high. Rucker is really just healthy and getting steady reps for the first time this season, so I wouldn’t jump ship just yet, but things certainly aren’t going according to plan in his case.
Things started off smashingly for Hamm. His overhand delivery produced a pretty spectacular riding fastball that sat 94-95 mph and touched 97. The Tigers encouraged him to pitch up in the zone, and helped him refine the heater along with his wipeout curveball. He was also making progress on a slider by spring 2025. Hamm got some mention at the ends of various top 100 prospect lists heading into the 2025 season. Unfortunately, he struggled through a difficult campaign at the Double-A level that saw him deal with the dreaded dead arm syndrome.
His velocity started dipping down to 90-91 mph and sometimes worse, and while the Tigers shut him down eventually, he hasn’t pitched yet this season and there are no details about his status. All we can say is that he hasn’t had Tommy John surgery, and so shoulder trouble seems the likely culprit. He’ll be 24 in September, but he had looked good at Double-A before the troubles began, so there’s time for him to get back on track.
6- C Bennett Lee (Wake Forest) $297,500
Lee has developed into a decent catching prospect, with good defensive skills and plenty of leadership ability, but not a whole lot to write home about at the plate. The 24-year-old just isn’t going to hit at the major league level, although with a little improvement, it’s possible he could end up a Triple-A depth catcher who sees time in the major leagues as an injury replacement down the road.
7- SS John Peck (Pepperdine) $247,500
The 23-year-old John Peck was an early example of the Tigers hunting athletic, contact oriented up-the-middle defenders from smaller schools or with lesser college pedigrees, and getting them at bargain prices to help balance out the bigger bonuses given elsewhere to the prep picks. Peck has developed nicely, filling out his six-foot frame and developing above average raw power to go with pretty good skills on the infield. A right-handed hitter, Peck still needs to be more selective in his swing decisions, but he’s hit his way rapidly through the minor leagues considering his draft stock, and is tracking as a future utility infielder with some pop who can play just about anywhere on the diamond. Heck of a good value pick.
8- RHP Jatnk Diaz (Hazleton Area HS) $247,500
Diaz was a fun story on draft day, as the young right-hander’s senior season was washed out by ineligibility due to his travels to the Dominican during the COVID pandemic. He basically took it upon himself to coach himself up as a pitcher and was popping 95+ in short bursts after getting in outstanding shape on his own. Diaz got help from others in the local baseball community to get the word out and the Tigers caught wind of him and picked him up as another good value pick with the physical potential to develop into a pretty good pitcher. It’s been slow going, as Diaz has dealt with several injuries as well. He’s back in the Complex League after struggling at the Single-A level, and that mid-90’s velocity has been only occasionally in evidence. He’ll turn 22 in the next month, so next year may be his last chance to show he can stay on the mound and start making some real progress.
9- RHP Hayden Minton (Missouri State) $162,500
Minton recently got promoted to Double-A Erie. He’s a decent minor league starter with a pretty good breaking ball. Something else is going to have to pop in terms of stuff to make him a really viable prospect, as the hoped for 2026 breakout isn’t panning out for him. Now 25 years of age, he’s running out of time but should remain a quality org arm for a little while longer while he tries to take the next step.
10- LHP Andrew Sears (Connecticut) $167,800
Another excellent value pick on the path to making good is this intense left-hander, currently dealing for the Double-A SeaWolves after an injury to start the season. Sears profiles more like a swingman type than an obvious, future major league starting pitcher, but ongoing development of his changeup could change that assessment. He works quickly and aggressively, attacking hitters from a low three-quarters slot with a good fastball-slider combination. Sears should be up to Triple-A by year’s end, and will provide starting and middle relief depth to the Tigers in 2027 and beyond, and possibly more.
11- SS Jim Jarvis (Alabama) $175,000
Jarvis was yet another excellent value pick as a light-hitting, plus defensive shortstop with enough tools to make him a viable bench player. The Tigers flipped him from the Double-A level to the Atlanta Braves at last year’s deadline for reliever Rafael Montero. That’s probably not going to end up hurting them, but Jarvis was recently called up by the Braves to work off the bench, making him the second player from the Tigers 2023 class to reach the major leagues.
12- RHP Andrew Dunford (Houston County HS) $367,500
Dunford was another injury plagued prep pick from this class who was eventually released. The Astros picked up the 21-year-old and currently have him rehabbing with their Complex League club.
13- OF Brett Callahan (Saint Joseph’s) $197,500
Of all the high quality value selections the Tigers made with unheralded, small school players, Callahan is tracking to be the best of the bunch. The left-handed hitting outfielder is capable of playing all three positions and features a strong, accurate throwing arm that argues for a long-term corner outfield gig. He’s always pulled a lot of balls in the air and is now showing occasional bursts of plus raw power as well. Those batted ball tendencies got him on our radar from the start, and after battling injuries in 2024-2025, Callahan tore up the Double-A level this spring and is now working at the Triple-A level. His power and zone discipline gives him quite a lot of upside, but it’s his defense and base stealing ability that makes him a complete package and a viable major league platoon outfielder. The final step is to tone down his aggressive approach just enough to put more balls in play deep in counts. Those refinements will get him to the show, and there’s still a fair chance that Callahan breaks out into a well above average major league regular.
14- 2B David Smith (Connecticut) $150,000
Smith had himself a decent enough full season debut, but struggled in 2025 and was released. He’s currently a free agent.
15- C Brady Cerkownyk (Connors State) $397,500
Cerkownyk was an intriguing JUCO pick with a quality hit tool and the possibility of developing into a major league catcher with a lot of work. He got off to a decent start, but injuries and struggles at the plate led the Tigers to release him last year. Now 23, he’s in the Washington Nationals system and still trying to get established at the Single-A level.
16- RHP Donye Evans (UNC Charlotte) $150,000
Evans is still a reliever in the Tigers system but hasn’t really flashed enough stuff or command to get on the radar.
17- LHP Bradley Stewart (Cooper City HS) Unsigned
18- 3B Ethan Farris (Cypress Woods HS) Unsigned
Farris elected to go to school, as he wasn’t going to get a big bonus and was probably more of a backup plan in case one of the other prep picks declined to sign. He’s had a decent career at Texas State but is still just a mid to late round pick. He’s started to flash a little power and is still a strong-armed infielder, so it wouldn’t be too shocking to see the Tigers circle back on him after the first seven or eight rounds this time around.
19- RHP Blake Pivaroff (Arizona State) $150,000
Pivaroff pitched briefly in the Tigers’ system, but was released in 2025 and hasn’t caught on anywhere else.
20- RHP Johnathan Rogers (Tupelo High School) $150,000
Rogers showed some early promise, then dealt with injuries as well. He and the Tigers briefly parted ways, but Rogers got himself into better shape and found his velocity again. He re-signed with the Tigers and is currently just trying to build up some volume pitching in the Complex League. He still won’t turn 22 until September.
Overall one of the better drafts in Tigers’ history
It’s hard not to conclude already that 2023 was one of the best drafts in team history, and it may very well go down as the best ever. McGonigle is the cream of the crop, but between Clark looking like the center fielder of the future, and players like Callahan, Anderson, Peck, and Sears closing in on the major leagues, the first draft for Scott Harris went very well.
This draft did establish a template that the Tigers have largely continued to follow. Their success in adding athletes from smaller programs or without huge college pedigrees has proven very fruitful and a credit to the Tigers’ improvements in developing hitters overall. The base strategy of taking up the middle, left-handed hitting prep talents at the top of the draft is already proving a winner, and they’ve continued that tendency with picks of Bryce Rainer, Jordan Yost, and catcher Michael Oliveto in the 2024-2025 drafts.
The heavy bonus pool allotment toward prep pitchers, on the other hand, has been a minor disaster, leaving the Tigers with most of their top pitching talent still in A-ball, and with many bigger names still on the injury list. There is still plenty of time for Wilson to get it going, and possibly Jaden Hamm can get beyond his own injury woes and become a contributing factor again, but the system is currently heavily lop-sided toward position players, and that trend started with this draft.
The Harris struggles to acquire pitching at all levels remains the crucial organization weakness to worry about in the years ahead. However, the skill with which they’ve targeted a whole slew of talented, athletic young players at all points in the draft and developed them bodes very well for the system’s continued strength overall. They’ve just got to do a better job balancing things out, and figure out how to better to avoid the plague of injuries that have beset the pitching side of all three of Harris’ draft classes. Pivoting more to JUCO and undervalued Division I and II arms has been their approach the past two drafts, but those classes have still been riddled with injuries on the pitching side early on.
Now that we are a week into NHL free agency, a lot of this year's top unrestricted free agents (UFAs) have found their new homes. While this is the case, there are some interesting UFAs still on the market who the Montreal Canadiens could consider targeting.
One specific UFA who could make sense for the Canadiens to bring in on a short-term deal is forward Michael Bunting.
The Canadiens could use another top-nine winger on their roster. Bunting would be an interesting player for them to bring in, as he is capable of providing decent secondary offensive production to go along with some bite.
In 74 games during this past season split between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, Bunting posted 14 goals and 33 points. This was after he had 19 goals, 38 points, and 68 penalty minutes in 76 games during the 2024-25 season. He also had 55 points in 81 games during the 2023-24 campaign, so he could be a solid pickup for the Canadiens.
If the Canadiens signed Bunting, he could be a good fit on their third line. However, he also would be capable of moving up and down the lineup because of his versatility and ability to play both wings.
Overall, on a one-year prove-it deal, Bunting could be worth taking a chance on. From 2021-22 to 2024-25, he scored at least 19 goals each season.
Many of this year's most notable UFAs have signed their new contracts now that it has been a week since NHL free agency started. Yet, there are still a decent number of players who have yet to land deals at this point in the summer.
A good chunk of them just so happen to be former Pittsburgh Penguins players.
Anthony Mantha, Michael Bunting, Matt Grzelcyk, Reilly Smith, and Danton Heinen are some of the former Penguins without deals at this stage of the off-season.
In Mantha's case, it is likely that he is waiting to find the right deal. He has set himself up for a nice raise, as he posted career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists, and 64 points last season with the Penguins.
With Bunting being a gritty forward who can produce decent offense, he should be able to land his next contract soon. The 30-year-old forward posted 14 goals and 33 points in 74 games last season split between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars. He appeared in 79 games over two seasons with the Penguins from 2023-24 to 2024-25, posting 20 goals and 48 points.
Grzelcyk was a great fit on the Penguins' blueline during his lone season with the team in 2024-25. In 82 games, he set career highs with 39 assists and 40 points. He cooled off last season, as he posted 12 assists in 69 games with the Chicago Blackhawks. However, his experience could lead to him landing another NHL contract this summer.
Smith spent the 2023-24 season with the Penguins, recording 13 goals and 40 points in 76 games. The veteran winger saw a dip in offensive production last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, as he posted 26 points in 69 games. He could land a one-year deal with a team if they feel he can bounce back.
As for Heinen, he spent four seasons over two stints with the Penguins. He played in 13 games last season with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he had a goal and an assist. He followed that up by recording 10 points in 33 games with Columbus. Teams looking for help in their bottom six could consider taking a flier on the 10-year veteran.
There is speculation that the NBA veteran’s former teams have an edge in the sweepstakes because of the familiarity each presents.
James made two stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning one ring during his tenure with the organization.
LeBron James’ free agency decision is one of the biggest NBA stories of the summer. Getty Images
The 41-year-old also spent four glorious seasons with the Miami Heat, winning two titles and a pair of Finals MVPs. While Cleveland is home for James, he’s carried mantras and mentality from his time in Miami.
Now, there’s an opportunity for James to return to Cleveland or Miami.
There’s speculation that the Cavaliers are the frontrunner for James, but the latest update could turn the tide in favor of the Heat.
Miami is reportedly open to giving Bronny James a two-way contract if LeBron James signs with the team, according to On SI’s Ethan J. Skolnick.
Bronny James’ contract with the Lakers became fully guaranteed the day before LeBron James informed the Lakers he would be leaving the organization. Getty Images
The Miami Heat would be open to giving Bronny James a two way contract if they sign LeBron, per @EthanJSkolnick
James informed the Los Angeles Lakers he would not return for the upcoming season the day before his son’s $2.3 million contract with the team became fully guaranteed. Now, Bronny is eligible to be traded and the Heat appear to be open to welcoming the 21-year-old.
But Miami’s willingness to sign Bronny to a two-way deal is contingent on James’ decision.
LeBron James is reportedly interested in continuing the father-son duo with Bronny James on the court. Getty Images
Aside from his previous teams, there have been several suitors linked to James this summer, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Interested teams have opted to publicly make free agent pitches to James as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer mulls over the next step of his storied career.
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Curry competed in the American Century Championship, a celebrity golf tournament that takes place at Edgewood Tahoe Resort. The Warriors star was asked about the possibility of teaming up with James in the Bay.
LeBron James is the top free agent of the summer and everyone wants to know where he’ll go next after eight seasons with the Lakers. Best Image / BACKGRID
“I’d say more so I’m interested to just play golf with LeBron. We’ll handle the basketball stuff, but I want to see the golf LeBron free agent. He’s out here really grinding on the game. But I’m sure we obviously would love to play together,” Curry said Wednesday.
“I mean, hopefully it happens. But he’s deserved the opportunity and the right to take his time with the decision.”
Steph Curry on the possibility of playing with LeBron James:
“I’d say more so I’m interested to just play golf with LeBron. We’ll handle the basketball stuff, but I want to see the golf LeBron free agent. He’s out here really grinding on the game. But I’m sure we obviously would… pic.twitter.com/aGcZhc5PYI
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat appear to have an edge over other suitors in the race for James, but the details into the process largely remain a mystery.
LeBron James, Steph Curry teamed up for Paris Olympics
In 2024, James and Curry teamed up for the first time in their careers during the Paris Olympics. The star-studded duo led to Team USA to a gold medal and demonstrated undeniably chemistry on the court.
James also had the opportunity to work with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr during their gold medal run.
It’s highly unlikely James or Curry will play together on the international stage again as both players don’t plan on returning for the 2028 Olympics.
But the future Hall of Famers have a chance to team up once more.
Having long wanted to play with one another, Curry and James led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in one of the greatest basketball games of all time. AFP via Getty Images
LeBron James, Warriors deal would have to include Anthony Davis trade
The cost for the Warriors to sign James is steep, however, as NBA insider Shams Charania reported the NBA’s all-time leading scorer wants the team to acquire Anthony Davis.
The Warriors could still trade for Davis from the Washington Wizards, but the return package would be exorbitant and would likely include Warriors star Jimmy Butler. The Wizards would have the upper hand in said trade and would certainly demand an high price given the Warriors’ desperation to bring both James and Davis to the Bay.
Golden State engaging in trade talks for Davis would also first require reassurance from James that he’d sign with the Warriors.
James and his camp have been very discreet in their deliberations, and while the Warriors remain a possibility for the 41-year-old, there are other teams that appear to be ahead of Golden State.
If James signed with the Cavaliers, he’d get the opportunity to end his career where he started it.
Signing with Miami would bring James back to the place where he won two NBA titles and a pair of Finals MVP awards.
But at this stage of his career, James is looking for complete basketball happiness.
Could that be found by teaming up with Curry? Possibly.
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"I mean, it's definitely a 10. It's the elbow, that's my bread and butter," Mets relief pitcher Austin Warren said Wednesday about his level of concern regarding his most recent injury.
After struggling and not "feeling great" in his last two outings, Warren was placed on the 15-day injured list with right forearm tightness as he now waits for MRI results to come back.
He's allowed nine runs on eight hits across two-plus innings of work in those last two games, including letting up five runs without recording an out in Tuesday's wild loss to the Kansas City Royals. The right-hander said he began to feel the forearm tightness during and after the game.
"Forearm tightness, yes. Haven't felt great the past couple," Warren said. "Obviously, that's part of the game these days. I've had outings earlier in the year that I haven't felt great that went better than last night. But yeah, last night, I threw a pitch, I don't know what pitch number it was, but it just didn't feel great. I came right in and told them right away. Yeah, got some MRIs this morning and we're waiting to hear back."
The 30-year-old knows the implications at hand having already undergone Tommy John surgery back in 2023. He was asked how this injury feels to his previous, saying it's never an easy thing for a pitcher to deal with and is hoping it's just inflammation.
"It's hard to explain. The elbow is a crucial part to a pitcher's body. It's not fun, but hopefully it's not bad," Warren said.
He added: "It's hard to say. I've had Tommy John before, obviously I don't want to have it again. I hope it's not serious, hopefully it's just some inflammation from throwing a lot lately. We'll hopefully know in the next couple of hours or tomorrow."
Losing Warren for an extended amount of time would be yet another blow to the Mets bullpen. He's gone 1-3 with a 4.63 ERA over 26 games this season, but flashed his peak ability with a 1.15 ERA over 11 appearances in May.
The Mets have made another set of roster moves, as the team has called up right-handed pitchers Xzavion Curry and Tobias Myers, placed fellow right-handed pitcher Austin Warren on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain, and designated right-handed pitcher Matt Seelinger for assignment. And Dedniel Núñez, yet another right-handed pitcher, is having his rehab assignment transferred from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Syracuse.
Seelinger was the 61st pitcher the Mets have used since the beginning of the 2025 season, the highest total in all of baseball, and his addition to and removal from the active roster might’ve been the cruelest of the team’s never-ending churn. A 31-year-old journeyman, Seelinger was put into a 9-9 game and proceeded to give up seven earned runs in two innings of work in his major league debut.
Curry, who is 27 years old, signed a minor league deal with the Mets earlier this season, and he’s made ten appearances in Syracuse, where he’s thrown 49.1 innings with a 4.74 ERA and a 5.68 FIP working as a starting pitcher.
Myers was thought to be a great addition when he came to the team alongside Freddy Peralta in the trade that sent Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to Milwaukee during the offseason. He’s been bouncing back and forth between Syracuse, though, since the Mets got him, and he has a 6.21 ERA and a 4.93 FIP in 42.0 innings at the major league level this year.
Warren had been looking very good this season, but a disastrous outing last night against the Royals left him with a 4.63 ERA and a 4.66 FIP in 35.0 innings. His second-to-last outing before hitting the IL went poorly, too, and before that, he had a 2.45 ERA and a 4.06 FIP.
Núñez is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, prior to which he had been one of the Mets’ best relief pitching breakouts of the past several years. He will presumably get a look at the major league level at some point this year, but he has an option remaining and could end up pitching in Syracuse beyond his rehab assignment, at least until the Mets start trading away other relievers from their active roster.
Apr 13, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) looks to pass the puck against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Kamil Krzaczynski/Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
CHICAGO — Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard will miss the start of the season after he had surgery on his left shoulder.
Team physician Michael Terry said Bedard is expected “to make a full recovery in an approximate timeline of four months.” The NHL hasn’t announced its regular-season schedule, but the Blackhawks played their first game last season on Oct. 7.
Bedard, who turns 21 on July 17, got hurt while skating with a group of NHL players in his hometown of Vancouver. It’s a major blow for a Blackhawks team trying to emerge from a painful rebuilding process.
Bedard set career highs with 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games in his third NHL season. He missed 12 games after he hurt his right shoulder on a draw during a 3-2 loss at St. Louis on Dec. 12.
“He’s so important to our team,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in April. “He took such a big step forward this year in every facet.”
Bedard is a restricted free agent, and it remains to be seen if the injury has any effect on the negotiations for his next contract. He missed nearly six weeks of his rookie season with a broken jaw.
Chicago went 29-39-14 last season, an 11-point improvement on the previous season and still nowhere near playoff contention. It has finished No. 31 in the NHL each of the past three years.
The Blackhawks haven’t made a postseason appearance since the NHL used an expanded playoff format after the 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bedard has been the centerpiece of the team since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He made his anticipated NHL debut that October and won the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year. He had 23 goals and 44 assists while appearing in all 82 games in his second season.
Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard had surgery on his left shoulder on Wednesday, July 8, and will be out for four months, the team announced.
Video last week showed Bedard leaving the ice grabbing his shoulder after he was hurt while practicing with other players in Vancouver.
The four-month timeline will keep Bedard out of the lineup until early November. The starting date for the 2026-27 season won't be announced until next week, but he will likely miss a month or more.
Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 draft, is a restricted free agent and will need a new contract before the start of the 2026-27 NHL season.
I have video of Connor Bedard leaving practice today with a left shoulder injury, as first reported by @RyanmcgregorCHI. You can hear him in severe pain as he leaves the ice: pic.twitter.com/MySM1UwLht
This is the third major injury of Bedard's young career.
The 20-year-old injured his right shoulder last season during a last-second faceoff on Dec. 12 and missed 12 games before returning. He also missed another game that season with injury.
As a rookie, Bedard suffered a broken jaw during the 2023-24 season and missed 14 games.
What does Connor Bedard injury mean for the Blackhawks?
The Blackhawks are 8-17-2 over three seasons when Bedard is out of the lineup, so him missing the first month is not a good sign for a team that finished second to last in the league last season. A slow start would be costly in the strong Central Division.
Bedard had 44 points in 31 games before last season's injury and had four points in the first eight games of his return before his production began picking up.
His 75 points were more than 35% of the Blackhawks' 210 goals.
Frank Nazar was the No. 2 center last season, so he could move up. The Blackhawks will also have Anton Frondell, the 2025 No. 3 overall pick, for a full season.
When does the 2026-27 NHL season begin?
The full schedule for the 2026-27 NHL season will be announced on July 16. The season typically begins in early October but could move earlier because the league is switching to an 84-game schedule.
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"This season has challenged me in ways I haven't experienced before, both physically and mentally," Verlander said in his social media post. "I've always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I'd keep playing. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number, or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me when it was time.
"Over the last several months, I've realized that time has come."
But before he puts on the uniform for the last time, he still plans to step on the mound again, no matter what it takes.
"I'm fully committed to giving my team everything I have," he said, "for the rest of this season."
I saw his first start of the season in Arizona in March, and like everyone else, was eagerly looking forward to him stepping back on the mound in Detroit, and hearing the thunderous ovation from Tigers’ fans witnessing his return home.
Now, four months later, we’re still waiting, hoping he can pitch again before the season ends.
If we dare dream, we’d love to see him pitching one more time in the World Series.
Verlander, 43, will be remembered as one the greatest pitchers of his generation. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and who knows, perhaps a unanimous Hall of Famer.
This is a man who won three Cy Young awards and an MVP award. He won 266 games, ranking 37th all-time. He has 3,554 strikeouts, ranking eighth in history. He joins Dodgers great Don Newcombe as the only players in MLB history to win the rookie of the year, Cy Young and MVP awards in his career. He’s also one of just six pitchers in history to throw three no-hitters.
What I’ll remember is that he was an ultimate gamer, a workhorse, who wasn’t worrying about pitch counts. He couldn’t care less about fatigue. He never wanted to come out of games. He pitched more than 200 innings 12 times in his 21-year career, including eight seasons in a row, leading the league in innings four times.
It’s a marvelous gesture by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to select Verlander as a "legend pick" to be at the 2026 All-Star Game. He’s on the 60-day IL with hip and hamstring injuries, but man, wouldn’t it be something for Verlander to get that thunderous ovation to throw out one of the ceremonial first pitches?
This will be Verlander’s 10th All-Star appearance, and his first with the Tigers since 2013, resurrecting memories when he was on that star-studded Tigers’ staff with Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Rick Porcello and Doug Fister. Verlander later won two World Series championships with the Houston Astros, but it still bothers him to this day that he and the Tigers didn’t win in 2013, knocked off by the Boston Red Sox.
Verlander loved showing young pitchers what it takes to be an ace of a staff, and as much as folks want to say that wins are an overrated stat for starting pitchers, it meant everything to Verlander.
Winning games means that you’re pitching deep into games.
Winning games means that you’re out-pitching the other pitcher.
Winning games means that you are doing absolutely everything in your power to win games.
That was Verlander, who badly wanted to be last 300-game winner, no matter how old he got, but damn it if Father Time didn’t get him too.
"It’s a different conversation now than it was last year when I seemed to be really healthy," Verlander told reporters two weeks ago, "a lot of thoughts that I’m going to have to take into consideration. My family is up here with me now. My son is turning 1, my daughter is 7. There’s a lot of things that are also going on in my life that are a draw away from the game.
"But I’ve always said I want to play until the wheels fall off. I don’t know, maybe they are falling off. I hope not."
Well, it looks like they have, but no matter how many starts Verlander has left in him, or if he can’t return, memories will never be forgotten.
He has been a living legend, wearing the Old English D with pride, and his jersey, No. 35, will one day be officially retired by the Tigers.
The man gave everything he had to the organization, and really, to all of baseball. He was an ultimate role model on and off the field.
When he leaves, and takes off his uniform for the final time, we may never see another one like him, and perhaps never another 250-game winner again.
"I hope it happens," Verlander told USA TODAY Sports, in March, "but the way the game is now, I kind of doubt it."
Agree.
Say farewell to the end of an era, and one of the greatest pitchers we’ll ever see.
Larry Nance Jr. is the kind of veteran that coaches and front offices like to have on playoff teams: He can give you some backup big minutes during the season, but also is great in the locker room and has seen a lot, he can be a calming influence when needed.
An 11-year veteran, Nance played in 35 games back home in Cleveland last season, missing time largely due to a calf strain. When he did play, he averaged 3.7 points and 2.7 rebounds a game in limited minutes. The concern is his health, he's played in 59 total games across the past two seasons.
The finances on this will likely mean another move. The Pacers are hard-capped at the first apron and are $1.9 million below that number, according to Spotrac. While a veteran minimum only counts as $2.4 million against the cap (Nance gets paid the full $3.9 million), Indiana needs to make another move to get under that hard cap number. The Pacers have a couple of young players on non- or partially guaranteed deals that could be let go (Micah Potter or Quenton Jackson). Or, Nance could sign an Exhibit 10 version of the contract, which is non-guaranteed and would not count against the cap (because it is generally given to players invited to training camp and headed to the G League, but that is not the case with Nance, the deal could be converted to a standard deal down the line).
The former drafted him and threw him into Major League Baseball’s deep end shortly thereafter, while the latter became his second home after a late-career trade that saw him refine his craft, ratchet up his dominance and become a World Series champion.
The 266 wins, 3,554 strikeouts and three Cy Young Awards are more than enough evidence his Cooperstown case is airtight. Yet Verlander, who announced Wednesday, July 8 that he will retire after this season, was so much more than just the numbers.
Sure, he had his share of big-game failings — 556 career starts and 10 trips to the postseason will bring its share of rainfall — but Verlander also stood tall when it mattered most countless times.
Here’s five moments that defined Verlander’s nearly peerless career:
Verlander made his major league debut July 4, 2005 and had just a two-start cameo before winning 17 games in claiming the 2006 Rookie of the Year award.
Yet before that plaque would be officially awarded, Verlander stood in old Yankee Stadium, Game 2 of the AL Division Series, with the Tigers — a curiosity that hadn’t reached the playoffs in 19 years — already trailing 1-0. A “New York Times live blog” of the event seemed to portend baseball’s future.
“Verlander,” it noted in the second inning, “is now hitting 100 mph with his fastball.”
The kid would strike out five in 5 1/3 innings as the Tigers gained a split at the Stadium and stunned the heavily favored Yankees in the ALDS.
And so began a couple patterns: The Tigers were legit. And Verlander was Kryptonite for the Yankees.
Five years later, he’d strike out 11 in eight innings of 2011 ALDS Game 3, and the Tigers would vanquish the Yankees in a decisive fifth game. In 2012, it was eight shutout innings, stretching his postseason scoreless streak to 23, before a ninth-inning homer in an ALCS Game 3 win as the Tigers eliminated the Yankees in five.
And then there was Houston.
Verlander’s 11th-hour approval of a deal from Detroit to the Astros on Aug. 31, 2017 had a massive impact on the sport. Verlander was the ace the budding dynasty Astros needed, and he proved it in that year’s ALCS against the Yankees: A five-hitter with 13 strikeouts in a 2-1 Game 2 win, and seven shutout innings in a Game 6 victory. Houston would clinch the pennant a night later.
The Yankees finally got him 2019, scratching out four runs in seven innings of ALCS Game 5. Three years later, though, a 39-year-old Verlander would strike out 11 in six shutout innings of ALCS Game 1. The Astros would sweep the Yankees and go on to win another World Series.
The Yankees can only wonder how many Fall Classics the kid from Old Dominion locked them out of.
Justin Verlander: MVP
There is a certain “know it when you see it” element to pitchers winning Most Valuable Player awards. After all, they’ve got their own little Cy Young Award, which is often more than sufficient to honor the most dominant arm in the game.
Yet in 2011, you knew it when you saw it with Verlander.
Nobody wins 20 games anymore, and hardly anyone pitches 200 innings. Well, in that blessed season, Verlander won 24 games, pitched 251 innings, struck out 250 batters, posted a 2.40 ERA and 0.92 WHIP and led either the majors or the AL in all those categories.
He completed seven innings in 26 of his 34 starts. In 11 of those, he pitched eight or nine innings and allowed two or fewer runs. He struck out 250 and walked 57.
Wanna know what a pitcher’s MVP season looks like? It's that.
Justin Verlander: No-hit knack
Verlander joined an exclusive club on Sept. 1, 2019, by tossing his third no-hitter: Only Nolan Ryan, Larry Corcoran, Cy Young, Bob Feller and Sandy Koufax have thrown that many.
Want a more exclusive club? Verlander went more than eight years between no-hitters, pulling the feat off against the Toronto Blue Jays both times. Only Randy Johnson — who went 11 years — had a longer time in between.
How long has this freaking guy been pitching? Well, his three no-hitters landed in the presidential terms of George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
Justin Verlander: Winner-take-all hero
Only twice has Verlander started a winner-take-all game. They came in consecutive years, against the same opponent, in the same stadium. And both performances were equally dominant.
Verlander’s lone postseason shutout came Oct. 11, 2012, in ALDS Game 5 at the Oakland Coliseum. A spirited five-game set ended quietly, as Verlander punched out 11 A’s, walked one and gave up four hits.
Almost exactly a year later — Oct. 10, 2013 — it was as close to a carbon copy as you could get: Eight shutout innings, 10 strikeouts, one walk, two hits, and Joaquin Benoit on to save it in the ninth. A Miguel Cabrera fourth-inning moonshot off Sonny Gray quieted the 46,959 on hand at the Coliseum.
Yet it was Verlander who snuffed out the opponent’s hopes, as he so often did.
Justin Verlander: Finally, a World Series win
By 2022, the game had changed so much, and when the Astros reached the World Series, we saw that up close: They pitched a World Series no-hitter but needed four pitchers to do so.
A night later, the tension of the game’s past and present collided in the bottom of the fifth inning at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.
Verlander was nursing a 2-1 lead when he struck out Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto to begin the inning. But then Bryce Harper rocketed a double — 115.3 mph off the bat — to right field.
Verlander’s tank was nearly empty, a 39-year-old who’d struck out six and was sitting on 84 pitches. The dangerous Nick Castellanos was at the plate.
Dusty Baker, as old school a manager as you can find, wanted Verlander to notch his first World Series victory in nine tries. He needed just one more out.
Yet the Series was tied, 2-2. A base hit from Castellanos, and the game would be similarly knotted.
Baker let him face Castellanos. And a couple hours later, Baker was searching for Verlander in the visiting clubhouse, wanting to give him the lineup card from his first World Series win. It took him 10 pitches, including five foul balls, but Verlander got a harmless fly ball to left field from Castellanos. Another battle won. Another start, maximized.
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