While there are still ways to go in the Phillies‘ 2025 campaign, signs are pointing to an exciting day to look forward to next summer.
MLB is heading back to Iowa for the first time in four seasons for a revival of the Field of Dreams game, this time between the Phillies and Twins, according to reports from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale and The Athletic’s Matt Gelb and Dan Hayes.
Alternate site games are nothing new for the Phillies in recent years, having played at the Little League Classic twice (2018 and 2023) and traveled to London in 2024 for a two-game series against the Mets. It will be a home game for the Twins, who haven’t played at an alternate site since 2018.
Since the last game held at the famous location in Dyersville, Iowa, between the Cubs and Cardinals in 2022, the site has been sold and a new stadium constructed.
MLB’s 2026 schedule is set to release Tuesday, and subject to some further steps, it looks like the Phillies are heading to the iconic cornfield.
DYERSVILLE, IA – AUGUST 11: A general view during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds at The MLB Field at Field of Dreams on Thursday, August 11, 2022 in Dyersville, Iowa. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
It looks like one of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 2025 unrestricted free agents is heading overseas.
Former Penguins' forward Emil Bemstrom - who ended up third on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins of the AHL in scoring last season with 23 goals and 48 points in 48 games - signed a one-year contract with SC Bern of the Swiss NL. The 26-year-old Swedish forward is set to play in Europe for the first time since 2020-21, when he played with HIFK Helsinki of SM-Liiga.
Bemstrom was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fourth round (117th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft. He debuted with Columbus in 2019-20, registering 10 goals and 20 points in 56 games that season.
He was dealt to Pittsburgh during the 2023-24 season, and he put up three goals and five points in 24 games with the Penguins that season. He spent some time in the NHL last season as well but put up just one point in 14 games.
Over the course of his NHL career so far, Bemstrom has amassed 34 goals and 75 points in 242 games.
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler’s season is over.
Wheeler was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and will require additional surgery that’s expected to sideline him for six to eight months, the team announced Saturday.
Wheeler had a follow-up evaluation following a procedure Monday to remove a blood clot from his upper right arm. After receiving a second opinion, it was recommended that Wheeler undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the coming weeks. Such a surgery would threaten Wheeler’s ability to start the 2026 season on time.
“It’s disappointing, but everybody knows it’s out of our control,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “We’re happy he’s going to be healthy, because it’s a very serious thing that he went through.”
Thoracic outlet syndrome is a condition in which bones or muscle press on blood vessels in the upper chest, near the shoulder, causing pain or numbness. Repetitive arm movements are a common cause, making baseball players and swimmers more susceptible, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Decompression surgery involves removing bone or tissue that’s causing the constriction.
Wheeler had been experiencing some shoulder soreness for several starts, but after saying he felt “normal” following his last start in Washington on Aug. 15, he later started feeling “heaviness” in his shoulder. The Phillies trainers decided to get him evaluated because it was a different symptom for him.
They had Wheeler examined by Nationals team doctors, who discovered the blood clot. The Phillies believe the clot was an acute onset, not related to the previous shoulder soreness.
“He wasn’t exhibiting any of the symptoms that ultimately drove us to get the Washington Nationals docs involved. They were great. They expedited everything,” said Paul Buchheit, Philadelphia’s head athletic trainer. “But we do think they were independent. Typically these things have a cluster of symptoms or symptom patterns and he wasn’t exhibiting any of those until we had him evaluated.”
Buchheit said Wheeler can begin his rehab throwing program approximately eight weeks after the decompression surgery. What that process will look like is unknown at the moment, and it’s not front of mind for the Phillies’ front office yet.
“I’m glad he’s OK and the prognosis is he’ll be back relatively soon in the (2026) season, but it’s a long time before we get to that,” said Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations.
Wheeler, 35, was 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA in 24 starts across 149 2/3 innings this season. His 195 strikeouts lead the National League and he was widely considered a candidate in this year’s Cy Young Award race. He is a two-time runner-up for the Cy Young, finishing second in 2021 and ’24.
The loss of Wheeler is a blow for the Phillies, who have World Series aspirations and began the day with a 6-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East.
“It’s never good to lose a Zack Wheeler, your No. 1 pitcher,” Dombrowski said. “I think we have starting pitching depth that’s capable of pitching well for us. Again, you’re never going to replace an individual like that. ... I’ve been in all different types of scenarios with pitchers being out. We have a good ballclub, and we’ll be looking for other people to step up and pick up the slack for us.”
The Phillies will rely on a trio of lefties — Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo, as well as veteran righties Aaron Nola, who missed three months with ankle and rib injuries — and Taijuan Walker to carry the rotation.
Top prospect Andrew Painter would be next up if needed, but he has struggled in Triple-A this season, his first after missing two years while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Thomson said he hasn’t noticed a dour mood in the clubhouse after the players learned Wheeler wouldn’t be back. With a veteran club like the Phillies, he didn’t feel the need to have a team meeting to address losing one of its most important players six weeks before the postseason.
“They’re baseball players,” Thomson said. “They just kind of move on. We’ve got a game today. They’re not going to cancel it. We’ve got another one tomorrow. We just got to keep moving forward.”
Jeff McNeil opened the scoring with a three-run homer in the third inning, Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos hit back-to-back HRs in the seventh, and then Starling Marte crushed a solo shot of his own two batters later. Vientos and McNeil would add on with back-to-back homers in the ninth, giving New York six home runs on the night.
It's the second time the Mets have hit six home runs in a game against the Braves this month, doing so previously on Aug. 12. After Saturday's win, their fifth in the last seven games, manager Carlos Mendoza discussed the difference he's seen in the offense as of late.
"Creating traffic and then feel like we’re doing a way better job with runners in scoring position," Mendoza said. "Putting the ball in play, using the whole field, picking each other up, and then continuing to add on… As a team offensively, you got to continue to add on. Controlling the strike zone, making better swing decisions. And then picking each other up, second and third and nobody out and Jeff gets that three-run homer, that was huge.
"Continue to have good at-bats and we know we’re a good offensive team and we’ve seen that the last few weeks."
Mendoza went on to say that he thinks the offense started to turn a corner during the Milwaukee series earlier in August and have been improving each series since.
"Even though we didn’t get the win, that weekend in Milwaukee against a pretty good pitching staff, we put some really good at-bats; we just didn’t finish games," Mendoza said. "Series after series, the Seattle series, we've been facing some really good arms and I feel like as a whole, we’ve put really good at-bats."
One of the key contributors Saturday night was Marte, who collected his fourth three-hit game of the season. Marte finished 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run, two stolen bases, and an impressive outfield assist to complete the inning-ending double play. Mendoza gave Marte praise for his all-around contributions and how important he is to this team.
"He’s running around, but he’s a good player," Mendoza said. "When he’s healthy and feeling really good, that’s the type of performance we’ve seen defensively, offensively, the base running. This is a guy we will continue to protect because we need him healthy, but playing at that level, we need that."
He added on Marte's power: "He's more balanced, he's healthy. When he can stay on that back leg and create that much force, he's got quick hands, the ball jumps off his bat. The balance, he's trusting the swing decisions. The lower half is in a really good position that allows him to do damage."
The 36-year-old has looked like his vintage self recently, hitting .313 with four home runs over his last 15 games. After playing just 86 games in 2023 and 94 games last season, Marte was asked how this season feels now that he's healthy, saying he's willing to do all he can every game.
"It feels good to be in the spirit of competition, to be able to go out there and have the trust of the manager," Marte said through a translator. "No matter how I'm feeling, I'm going to go out there. If there are days that I can't walk, I'm still going to go out there and give my best and leave it all out there on the field, no matter how it is that I feel. But I feel like I'm competing right now."
Marte noted his approach has been to "put the ball in play" and credited hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes for helping him stay locked in at the plate. The veteran added that he's pleased with how the team has played in Atlanta and they'll have to continue with that "brand of baseball" down the stretch.
"It feels good. The way that we've been playing the last two nights, we've been taking a lot of pitches, but also taking advantage of pitchers' mistakes," Marte said through a translator. "And we've been playing the brand of baseball that we know we're capable of playing. We've been aggressive on the basepaths, we're being aggressive on pitches in the zone.
"And when that's able to click for us, we're able to show the team we're capable of being. To then finally achieve the goal that we've promised each other at the end of the day."
NHL fans have been counting down the days to the 2025-26 season ever since the Florida Panthers raised the Stanley Cup for a second consecutive season back in June.
Some offseasons - like that of the Panthers - have been quite short, while others have been two months longer. And in many ways, that longer wait has added even more anticipation.
For the Pittsburgh Penguins, there may still be a lot of summer business left. But, no matter what happens the rest of the summer, there are going to be several storylines to be on the lookout for once the puck drops on their regular season on Oct. 7 against the New York Rangers.
Here are five of those storylines to watch for during 2025-26 season:
1. How high can Crosby climb?
Given the fact that the Penguins are in a period of transition, one of the main events for folks to look forward to - as always - is watching their captain take the ice on a nightly basis.
And he has the chance to reach some pretty big heights this season on the all-time scoring list.
Right now, Sidney Crosby sits ninth all-time in scoring with 1,687 points - just 36 points behind fellow Penguins’ legend Mario Lemieux at 1,723. But Crosby has an opportunity to climb even higher than that as long as he remains healthy and assuming he doesn’t experience a significant dropoff in production in his age 38 season.
Ahead of Lemieux at 7th and 6th, respectively, is Steve Yzerman (1,755) and Marcel Dionne (1,771). He would need 85 points to pass Dionne and sit sixth all-time heading into 2026-27 - which seems entirely reasonable given his straight-line production the last several years.
Penguins: Where Sidney Crosby Ranked On New Top Centers ListPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby may be entering his 21st NHL season, but he is still a legitimate superstar. He had another fantastic season in 2024-25 for the Penguins, as he recorded 33 goals, 58 assists, and 91 points in 80 games. This was the 20th season in a row that Crosby produced at an over a point per game pace, which is an NHL record.
If Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell stick around - and Crosby shows the same kind of chemistry with youngsters Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty that he did at the end of last season - 85 should be attainable. Next up would be Ron Francis at 1,798.
Crosby should also pretty handily enter the top-15 all-time in goal-scoring, as he is just 15 shy of Dave Andreychuk (640 goals) - who sits directly at No. 15.
But, even the tandem at the NHL level is not guaranteed. And the battle at the AHL level is wide open.
Joel Blomqvist, 23, made his NHL debut last season and had two shorter-term NHL stints with mixed results. He should, presumably, be in the mix for an NHL spot as well, but it’s unlikely that the Penguins carry three goaltenders, especially with the logjams they already have at forward and defense.
If he isn’t in the NHL mix, he will be added to an AHL battle with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) that also includes Filip Larsson, Taylor Gauthier, and the raw but high-upside Sergei Murashov. All four goaltenders certainly belong at the AHL level - and Gauthier, interestingly, signed an AHL contract despite being in Wheeling the past two seasons.
The Penguins have a lot of young goaltending depth, and it will be interesting to see how everything shakes out following camp and throughout the season.
3. Where will the kids call home?
It’s been discussed at length that the Penguins got pretty good looks at defenseman Owen Pickering and forwards McGroarty and Koivunen last season. All three showed that they should probably be playing in the NHL full-time next season, and they all seem ready to take the next step in their development.
But - again, as we’ve discussed at length - it’s not that simple.
According to PuckPedia, the Penguins currently have 13 forwards and eight defensemen on their active roster - which doesn’t include any of those three. The fact of the matter is that Pickering, McGroarty, and Koivunen will all need to put together standout camps in order to break the NHL roster and force Kyle Dubas’s and the Penguins’ hand with some of their veterans.
Of course, injuries are inevitable, as are changes. Even if none of the three break camp, they will almost certainly be the first to get called upon when the need arises. Still, where they call “home” for most of the season is very much up-in-the-air, even if it should be a relatively obvious conclusion.
Dubas got the ball rolling early last season when he traded center Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals in November, so it’s reasonable to expect he won’t be trigger-shy if the right offer comes about for any player of value. This will be especially true if the Penguins start off as poorly as many expect their season to go.
If all of Rust, Rakell, and Erik Karlsson are on the roster to begin the season, it’s safe to bet that all three won’t be on the roster by the end of it.
What is the plan for next season? Are the Penguins trying to tank, or are they okay with being in the mushy middle again?
At this point - with the roster as-is - it’s hard to say they’re going full-tank. But that may change quickly depending on how the team starts. Either way, watching Dubas's approach to the roster and to the trade market should say a lot, regardless of how the team ends up performing.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani walks back to the dugout after striking out in the first inning of a 5-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Saturday at Petco Park. (Derrick Tuskan / Associated Press)
Dave Roberts does not believe his Dodgers team, amid another unexpected skid that has dropped them into second place in the standings, is suffering from a lack of effort.
What the manager did acknowledge, in the wake of a 5-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Saturday night, is that their intent might be misplaced.
Right now, it’s clear the Dodgers are going through their latest offensive funk.
In two games against the Padres this weekend, they have managed only two runs (both via home runs from rookie infielder Alex Freeland) and five hits. They have failed to adjust against crafty veteran pitchers who, for the most part, have given them very few good pitches to attack.
As a result, they have squandered the division lead they retook just a week ago, going from two games up in the National League West after last weekend’s sweep of the Padres, to one game behind their Southern California rivals in the wake of consecutive and stunningly abject offensive displays at Petco Park.
And suddenly, they are facing a look-in-the-mirror moment, needing to recalibrate their approach with a more team-first mindset.
“This time of the season, it's not about the mechanics, your swing,” Roberts said. “It's about how, 'Can I help the team win?'"
Lately, in the case of too many stars throughout the lineup, the former is outweighing the latter.
Saturday brought the dynamic into clear focus.
A night after Yu Darvish navigated the Dodgers’ lineup in a six-inning, one-run, one-hit gem, Nestor Cortes — he of infamous October history, after giving up Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series last year with the New York Yankees — had a similarly clear plan of attack.
Or, more accurately, non-attack.
Rather than challenge the Dodgers over the plate with diminished stuff in just his fourth start since returning from an early-season elbow injury, the veteran left-hander pitched them carefully. Cutters and changeups away to a right-handed-heavy lineup. Sweepers to the other side of the zone against the Dodgers’ few lefty threats.
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nestor Cortes delivers against the Dodgers in the third inning Saturday. (Derrick Tuskan / Associated Press)
Effectively, he dared them to be patient, to shorten up their swings, to take what he was giving them and try to build rallies slowly and methodically — rather than with long balls that have primarily fueled the Dodgers’ offense, perhaps to a fault, for much of the season.
“He just kind of stayed away from us the whole time ... just picking at the outside corner the whole night,” catcher Will Smith said. “Credit to him. He pitched well. He certainly didn’t give us anything to hit.”
But rather than adjust, the Dodgers played into his hands. They tried to slug. They took big hacks at pitches that required more of a contact approach. And, while they did hit some balls hard — none more so than a deep fly ball from Freeman in the second inning that died at the warning track — all they came away with in Cortes’ six scoreless (and nearly perfect) innings was a sixth-inning single from Miguel Rojas.
In each of the Dodgers' other 19 at-bats against the Padres trade deadline acquisition, they recorded nothing but outs.
“[We have to] find a way to move the line forward, get hits, spoil pitches, compete,” Roberts said, after just the Dodgers’ second two-hit performance this season. “There’s a different level of trying. I think everyone's trying. But I think that [we need] the next level, of going with whatever swing you have that particular night and fighting and willing yourself to get some hits, get on base, create innings and score runs.
“It's not a lack of talent. Certainly not a lack of try. But we got to do more,” Roberts added. “You got to kind of understand what's happening in a ballgame and make your adjustments."
Indeed, the Dodgers’ recent inability to adjust at the plate has put them in a bind entering the stretch run of the season.
Even if they avoid a series sweep Sunday, they will only be tied atop the division. If they lose, they will face a two-game deficit in the standings with 31 games to go.
In either scenario, they will face a closing month that will demand more consistent offense in order to win the NL West.
Given the mechanical issues much of their lineup is facing at the moment — from Smith and his seven-for-50 slump over the last 15 games, to Teoscar Hernández and his 33% strikeout rate in August — the pressure to provide more competitive, team-minded at-bats is starting to mount.
“We are who we are. We've got a lot of guys that can leave the ballpark and that can hit homers,” Rojas said. “But we all know, too, that we can play better baseball than the way that we've been playing the last couple days. I feel like the offense is kind of inconsistent at times. We can always get better. We all know we need to get better if we want to win games in a consistent way."
By the time Rojas exemplified that approach in the sixth inning, shooting an 0-and-1 cutter the other way for the team’s first hit (and baserunner) of the night, Saturday’s game was already a lost cause.
Tyler Glasnow gave up three runs in the fourth, when bad command led to two walks that helped load the bases, Ramón Laureano laced a two-run single the other way, and Jake Cronenworth added a sacrifice fly.
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers against the Padres in the fifth inning Saturday. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
The Padres’ dominant bullpen was looming, with Freeland’s pinch-hit homer in the eighth proving to be the only damage allowed.
What already felt like an unlikely comeback bid was then officially dashed by Xander Bogaerts’ two-run double off Justin Wrobleski in the eighth — giving the Padres (74-56) enough cushion to avoid using closer Robert Suarez for a second-straight game in the ninth.
“We needed to jump on [Cortes], put some runs up early on him,” Smith said. “But we just didn’t do that.”
Moving forward, however, Saturday’s game might have provided lessons. Even if the Dodgers aren’t swinging the bats the way they want to, there are still other ways to generate offense.
“I feel like a lot of swings that we took today weren't really good swings to get on base,” Rojas said. “It was a little more to do damage early in the count. And [Cortes] was able to capitalize on that.”
Again, Roberts didn’t necessarily fault his club for falling into such a trap. He knows he has a team that — when right — is built on slugging the baseball and punishing mistakes opposing pitchers make against them. He noted the personal work hitters are putting in every day to try and get their mechanics on track.
At the same time, though, “we're at the end of August,” he noted. “It's just about getting the job done and finding a way to find some production.”
“You have to, again, take what the pitcher gives you and try to create something. You can't always go for that big swing. You got to kind of shorten up [sometimes]. We have it in there, and we do it at times. But I just don't see us doing that collectively.”
The good news: Roberts could already feel a shift postgame. As he traversed a somber clubhouse, he said he heard smaller conversations among players featuring “some good things from our guys along those lines.”
“Players are saying the right things,” he insisted. “It's gonna change. It'll change."
Still, as a group, the reality is nonetheless clear.
The Dodgers (73-57) are once again a second-place team. For them, playoff baseball effectively starts now.
That means adjustments have to be made to opposing pitchers’ game plans. Mechanical impurities can no longer be an excuse for wasted at-bats.
“It’s a reminder — let’s just get back to being who we are, and doing those little things; scratching and clawing; finding ways and willing yourself, your team, your offense to score some runs,” Roberts said. “I do believe that that kind of desire will manifest itself. I do."
It better. Because there will be many more games like the past two, and the Dodgers (who reside in the second NL wild-card spot, five games clear of the cut line) might find themselves limping into October, facing a potentially daunting postseason path.
Teenager curls home goal in another strong performance for new side
He says his ambition is to ‘make the crowd go wild’ at Vicarage Road
The young Socceroos star Nestory Irankunda has scored his first goal for the Championship side Watford with a stunning free kick.
The 19-year-old winger, who starred at Adelaide United but struggled to get game time at Bayern Munich, curled home a glorious 25-yard free kick to give the Hornets the lead at Swansea in the 35th minute of their 1-1 draw on Saturday.
Serena Williams made a a surprise – and early – appearance at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, emerging from behind the stage to introduce “former rival, former fan and forever friend” Maria Sharapova for her induction on Saturday night.
Williams, a 23-time grand slam champion who will be eligible for her own enshrinement in 2027, drew gasps and shrieks from the crowd at the Newport shrine.
The Mets smashed six more home runs on Saturday and Clay Holmes pitched six innings for the first time in more than two months as New York defeated the Braves, 9-2, in Atlanta.
New York has hit 29 home runs in their last 11 games, including Saturday. Four Mets pitchers held the Braves to two runs on just five hits.
Here are the takeaways...
-After a 21-hit barrage on Friday, the Mets' lineup wouldn't go that nuclear on Saturday, but they continued to get knocks against Cal Quantrill. Francisco Lindor extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a third-inning single to lead off. After a Juan Soto walk, they executed a double-steal to put runners on second and third and no outs. Pete Alonso grounded to the left side for the first out before Mark Vientos struck out swinging. The Mets were in danger of not getting a run, but Jeff McNeil, starting for the first time in three games, launched a towering three-run blast just inside the right field foul pole.
-The Braves almost answered the Mets' three-run third with a big inning of their own in the bottom half of the inning. After Holmes couldn't come down with the toss from Alonso, putting runners on first and third with one out, Starling Marte -- making just his sixth start in the outfield this season -- caught a fly ball in left before throwing a seed to Hayden Senger and getting Nacho Alvarez Jr. at home.
It wouldn't get easier for Holmes in the fourth. He walked back-to-back batters to start the inning and got Michael Harris II to hit a grounder to McNeil, who turned to try and get Ronald Acuña Jr. at second, but the former NL MVP slid in safely before the ball got there -- after it was overturned by replay. With the bases loaded and no outs, Marcell Ozuna got a sac fly to give the Braves their first run of the game. Drake Baldwin hit a slow chopper to Holmes to drive in another on the groundout. Holmes got Ozzie Albies to fly out to end the threat, but Atlanta picked up two runs without getting a hit in the fourth.
A 1-2-3 fifth and some stellar defense by Lindor and Tyrone Taylor in the sixth helped Holmes get through six innings for the first time since June 7. Coincidentally, the Mets had gone 62 games before a starter other than David Peterson went six-plus innings when Nolan McLean broke that on Friday. And now Mets starters have done so in back-to-back games.
Holmes had retired 10 straight batters before a one-out single in the seventh and left after a quality start. The right-hander tossed 94 pitches (54 strikes) through 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, two walks and striking out four.
-After that three-run shot by McNeil, the Mets' offense was kept at bay by Quantrill and Braves relievers until the seventh, when Alonso hit a towering blast just inside the right field foul pole with Soto on first base to give the Mets a 5-2 lead. Vientos followed with a no-doubt homer to left field to put the Mets on top, 6-2.
It's Alonso's first home run (43 ABs) since the two-homer night when he broke Darryl Strawberry's franchise record. The Mets weren't done in the seventh as Marte hit a solo shot to give New York a four-spot in the inning. Marte was removed from left field in the seventh for Cedric Mullins, who played center and Taylor shifted to left. Vientos and McNeil would cap off the Mets' scoring with ninth-inning solo shots, the second of both slugger's games.
-In relief of Holmes, Gregory Soto, Tyler Rogers and Edwin Diaz -- who hadn't pitched in a week -- picked up the final eight outs. Here how it broke down:
Soto: 0.2 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
Rogers: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Diaz: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K
-The 6-9 hitters went a combined 12-for-20 with six RBI in Friday's game, but didn't have the same success on Saturday. That part of the lineup went 4-for-17 with one RBI. Three of those hits came from Marte. Brett Baty, who had four hits, went hitless, while Taylor picked up just one hit after picking up three on Friday.
-Mets stole four bases on Quantrill, Marte having two of them. It's the first time they stole four bases in a game this season.
Game MVP: Starling Marte
The veteran outfielder not only went 3-for-3 with a homer, two stolen bases, but that assist in the outfield changed the tenor of the whole game.
