Apr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) talks with guard Stephon Castle (5) after falling to the ground during the first half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Victor Wembanyama left Game 2 of the Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers after falling and smacking his head on the court with 8:57 left in the second quarter. He was driving when Jrue Holiday pulled the chair, and he fell face first. He slammed his chin on the court and appeared to lose consciousness for a split second. As he tried to get up, he appeared dazed and sat back down before heading to the locker room. He did not return after being entered into concussion protocol.
While there is no set timeline for return from a concussion, a player who enters protocol must pass certain tests and by symptom free for at least 24 hours before being cleared to return. The average return time is usually between 5-7 days, which means it could be at least Game 5 before he returns. If there is a silver lining, it’s that the Spurs played all their regular season games against Portland without him and still went 2-1, but the playoffs are a different animal.
Wemby had played in 12 minutes with 5 points and 4 rebounds before exiting. The Spurs were down 32-34 when he left and tied 57-57 at halftime.
Once upon a time, Owen Tippett was the most popular Philadelphia Flyers player mired in the NHL trade rumors, but now, especially after his legendary play in Game 2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup playoffs, those days are over.
Tippett, 27, may always be a polarizing player with offensive production that isn't quite in line with his overall skills and athleticism, but, as he enters his prime years, has found what makes him an effective NHLer.
Expectations were always, fairly or unfairly, high for the former No. 10 overall pick after being the centerpiece of the Claude Giroux trade, and while Tippett has not replaced Giroux, he has established himself as a core player for the Flyers.
In his four full seasons in Philadelphia, Tippett has reached 20 goals four times, including a career-high 28 goals in 2023-24 and this year in 2025-26. Those two seasons, by extension, saw Tippett break the 50-point threshold.
Heading into this year, one of the perpetuated knocks on Tippett was his decision-making, often choosing to shoot from poor angles or pass when an option wasn't open.
This year, Tippett finished the season with 220 shots on goal--the second-fewest of his tenure in Philadelphia--but a career-high 12.7% shooting percentage. It was one of many ways Tippett continued to work at and round out his game.
That maturity manifested in the form of an assist in Game 2 against the Penguins, when Tippett played the puck to himself around a Penguins forward along the wall before carrying forward and dishing to Garnet Hathaway for an easy tap-in shorthanded.
This time last year, that never seemed like it would ever be a possibility.
After a dismal 2024-25 season, the buccaneering winger was primarily involved in trade talks because of his inconsistency, aforementioned decision-making, and lack of versatility, as well as the Flyers' glut of cheaper alternatives at the position.
Then, Tippett went on to establish himself as a penalty-killer for Rick Tocchet's club, primarily due to the injuries Tyson Foerster dealt with before and after the start of the season, while also racking up a career-high 166 hits, according to Hockey-Reference.
A player who was once an all-offense daredevil volume shooter is now a dual-threat power forward that can contribute on both special teams.
Former Flyers head coach John Tortorella deserves some credit for getting the ball rolling on Tippett, but it has really been Tocchet and Co. who have finished the job developing the speedster.
And Tippett isn't the only one. Teammates Noah Cates and Christian Dvorak have also looked like brand-new players this season, even if they aren't as naturally gifted as Tippett in terms of talent and athleticism.
But, as the Flyers continue their playoff run and head into the offseason, they can say with certainty that Tippett's $49.6 million contract ($6.2 million AAV) is a steal for a play-driver that now contributes as much as he does at both ends of the ice.
Wembanyama left Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday, April 21, following a fall in which he hit his head on the floor.
“He has a concussion and he’s in the protocol, and we’ll obviously take the proper and appropriate steps,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game.
Johnson added that Wembanyama was not being examined for anything beyond his assessment in concussion protocol. Johnson did not have any information for a possible timeline for Wembanyama to return to the court.
“You know, it’s tough,” Johnson added. “The protocol is the protocol, so we’ll just follow it as everyone else does and plan accordingly.”
The Blazers eventually would come back from a 14-point deficit with a little more than eight minutes to play to win the game, 106-103, tying the series at one game apiece.
Wembenyama was being guarded by Blazers guard Jrue Holiday, who played solid defense on the 7-foot-4 MVP candidate, at the time of injury. Wembanyama made a series of moves against Holiday as he attempted to drive to the lane. He opted for a spin move when Holiday read the move and retreated, "pulling the chair" from Wembanyama, who lost his balance.
The Spurs center twisted and turned before falling to the hardwood and smacking his head on the ground.
Wembanyama sat on the court under the basket for several moments, first holding his face and then putting his head in his knees as teammates came over to check on him. When the Spurs training staff came out, Wembanyama got to his feet and went to the locker room. He would not return.
The Spurs took a timeout following the injury.
Victor Wembanyama hits his head hard on the floor, after the drive and spin move on Jrue Holiday.
He looks dazed and confused, the Spurs take a timeout and he heads to the locker room. With replays. pic.twitter.com/hrEAKkEDMb
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 24: A detailed view of the Los Angeles Angels logo on a seat inside Angel Stadium of Anaheim before the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago Cubs on August 24, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game two of three in Anaheim. And it is another late one for you guys out east (tho I guess I’m further east than any of you). Though, if everything goes to plan, I should be flying home today. I say if all goes to plan, because we’ve had a couple times when our flight home was cancelled and we had to stay an extra day or two. It always worked out really well, we enjoyed our extra days.
But then, this will be a month away and I’m sure we’ll be ready to get home. The great part it is a direct flight, 10 hours. I’m sure there will be a few days of jet lag. Jet lag never used to get to me, but the last few years, especially coming home, it’s kicked my butt.
It will be good to be back and into a normal routine. Likely, I’ll be ten pounds heavier and be wanting to take off that weight in a hurry.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 16: Landen Roupp #65 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 16, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to Oracle Park tonight to begin a three-game series.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Landen Roupp, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.38 ERA, 2.20 FIP, with 24 strikeouts to seven walks in 22.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 3-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, in which he allowed just one hit with six strikeouts and two walks in six innings.
He’ll have his work cut out for him, facing off against Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.10 ERA, 3.48 FIP, with 21 strikeouts to three walks in 25.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Dodgers’ 2-1 win over the New York Mets last Tuesday, in which he allowed one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and a walk in seven and two thirds innings.
Tanner Scott pitches against the New York Mets earlier this season. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Who’s your closer, Dave Roberts?
The Dodgers’ manager paused and thought about it before offering an answer. Edwin Díaz, the closer the Dodgers signed for $69 million, is scheduled to undergo elbow surgery Wednesday and is not expected to return until after the All-Star break.
“I would say, probably, Tanner Scott,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers signed Scott for $72 million before last season, but he lost the closer’s role during the season and did not pitch in the postseason.
In his first 10 appearances this season, Scott has given up one run in 8⅔ innings, with no walks and eight strikeouts.
Roberts, asked why he offered Scott as his answer, paused again.
“Don’t have an answer,” Roberts said. “I honestly don’t know. Tanner could pitch in the seventh tonight, and Blake [Treinen] could get the save. It’s kind of day to day.”
Alex Vesia has not given up a run in 8⅔ innings, with three walks and 10 strikeouts. Of the Dodgers’ six saves this season, Diaz has four and Vesia has two.
Why the hesitation?
“For me, I think the closer should stand out among the other guys as far as performance, a clear-cut guy at the back end,” Roberts said. “That’s my hesitation. If we don’t have a clear-cut guy that I feel should get the lion’s share, or should be the dedicated closer, then I feel that — I know people don’t like to hear — but the closer by committee.”
Girl dad
Freddie Freeman rejoined the team Tuesday, two days after the birth of his daughter. He and his wife Chelsea welcomed London Rosemary Joy Freeman, with London a nod to Chelsea’s English family and Rosemary Joy Freeman as the full name of his late mother.
“I got to hold her one last time before I got on the plane this afternoon,” Freeman said. “She’s perfect.”
After three sons, he said, the Freeman family is complete.
“You will not be seeing another baby announcement from the Freemans,” he said. “This is it. We are happily done with four. She is the perfect addition.”
In order to clear a roster spot for Freeman, the Dodgers returned first baseman-outfielder Ryan Ward to triple-A Oklahoma City. Ward made his major league debut Sunday, collecting two hits and driving in a run.
“I’ve gotten to know Ryan over the last few years," Freeman said. "He’s an incredibly hard worker. He’s worked so hard for that moment …
“We all know he can do it. I’m sure there will be another opportunity at some point for him to get back here.”
Etc.
Roberts said Shohei Ohtani, who did not bat when he last pitched, would be in the lineup as hitter and pitcher Wednesday. … Blake Snell is scheduled to start a minor league rehabilitation assignment Wednesday in Ontario. Roberts said Snell would need “most likely” four minor league appearances before rejoining the Dodgers. … The Dodgers gave center fielder Andy Pages his first day off Tuesday. Pages leads the major leagues with a .370 batting average. … Dalton Rushing started at catcher Tuesday, and Roberts said he would do so again Thursday. Will Smith started three of the four games in Colorado.
CHICAGO — Philadelphia ace right-hander Zack Wheeler, out since last August because of a blood clot found near his right shoulder and thoracic outlet surgery, will return to the struggling Phillies rotation on Saturday in Atlanta, manager Rob Thomson said Tuesday.
A three-time All-Star, the 35-year-old Wheeler last pitched on Aug. 15, 2025, at Washington, exiting after five innings.
Wheeler finished his sixth season with the Phillies at 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA through 149 2/3 innings and 24 starts. He's 113-75 with a 3.28 ERA for his career over 11 seasons with Philadelphia and the New York Mets.
Wheeler completed a five-game minor league rehab stint on Sunday when he threw 77 pitches for Double-A Reading. The righty also pitched for Triple-A Lehigh Valley during the assignment.
Thomson didn't think Wheeler, who rejoined the Phillies in Chicago, would face significant restrictions against the Braves.
“I see him as kind of a six (inning), 90 (pitch) guy,” Thomson said before the Phillies faced the Cubs. “I think he's basically at the end of spring training.”
Wheeler's return could provide a much-needed boost to the Phillies, who entered Tuesday on a six-game slide that dropped them to 8-14.
“I think having Zack Wheeler on your 26-man roster makes you a better roster no matter what,” Thomson said. “So when he's healthy and pitching, well he's one of, if not the best pitcher in the National League.”
The Anaheim Ducks lost their first playoff game in eight years in somewhat devastating fashion. As has been typical, they fell behind by a couple of goals in the first period and battled back to take a 3-2 lead into the third period.
Like the veteran, unflappable team that the Edmonton Oilers are, they adjusted and stormed back with a goal halfway through the third, followed by another one with two minutes left when it seemed like the game was heading to overtime.
The Oilers took game 1of the series by a score of 4-3, but there were several aspects Anaheim could build upon, along with areas that’ll need some fine-tuning if they’re to make a series out of this.
Here are some adjustments they will need to make in game 2 and moving forward:
Stick to Your Identity
For the majority of the season, the Ducks have been one of the most unpredictable, volatile, yet fun teams in recent memory. Their ability to score goals at will came attached to a willingness to pressure and activate for offense in all three zones.
That priority to possess pucks through heavy pressure came at a cost this season, however. In learning a new system and playing to their offensive strengths, they sacrificed on the defensive end of the spectrum and were forced to outscore their problems or rely on their goaltenders significantly to win hockey games this season.
As the playoffs drew nearer, the significant mistakes were minimized to a degree, but were still present. Playoff hockey is notoriously tighter, and details become more influential. In an attempt to eliminate said costly mistakes in game 1, the Ducks’ first period was a clear effort to play a safer brand of hockey.
In that first period of game 1, Anaheim made smart advancements with pucks, were conservative with their pressures, and defensemen were hesitant to activate, a sizable feature to their offense generation this season.
“I feel like we kind of dipped our toe in and were just kind of waiting to see what was going to happen,” Killorn said. “It’s kind of been the case with our team all year. Once we go down, I think we feel a little bit more comfortable, which is weird. Once we went down, I felt like we were just a little bit looser and felt like we could make some plays.”
Following the first intermission and after giving up the first two goals of the hockey game, Anaheim reverted to the brand of hockey that made them so successful. They pressured puck carriers into turnovers, flew weak-side teammates, and were aggressive with their pinches on outlets.
The first ten to fifteen minutes of the game, where the Ducks played over-cautiously, proved costly, as they couldn’t weather Edmonton’s offensive storm playing that way. They’ll need to make a more concerted effort to dictate game flow from the opening puck drop in Game 2.
Heavier F1
An aspect of the Ducks game in 2025-26 that’s been spotty has been the effectiveness of their forecheck. They prefer to maintain possession as they advance pucks up ice rather than settle for stretch passes, high flips, tip-ins, or dump-ins deep into the opponent’s end in order to establish a forecheck.
Though it’s not their preferred brand, when they are forced to play that way, the Ducks can mount steady and efficient forechecks where they cause turnovers deep in the offensive zone or disrupt breakout attempts before counterattacking after a change of possession.
The Oilers’ forward group is as deep, diligent, and dangerous as it gets in the NHL. However, their defense corps, when pressured properly, can be forced into turnovers in precarious situations on the ice.
With questionable puck-retrievers on the blueline and a goaltender not known for playing pucks proficiently behind his net, that could provide the Ducks an exploitable facet within their opponent in Game 2 and beyond.
Draw Opposing F1 Low
Early in Game 1, it was clear that part of the Oilers’ game plan involved laying a hit on Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe every time he touched the puck. As the game progressed, LaCombe and the defensemen adjusted to Edmonton’s mandate for a high-pressure F1.
LaCombe would draw said forechecker, either using his momentum against him or drawing him out of position so he could move pucks to his open outlets, slip an incoming hit, or join a rush.
For the Ducks to best utilize their top defenseman, it would benefit them to continue using Edmonton’s desire to be physical with LaCombe against them.
If the Ducks can build on the aspects of their game that were successful in Game 1, while making some slight tweaks to their approach and deficiencies, they would have a good chance of heading back to Anaheim with this series tied at one game apiece.
Fresh off a victory last night in Seattle, the first place A’s take on the Seattle Mariners tonight at T-Mobile Park. The A’s have not sat atop the American League West Division since June 19, 2021. It’s early and hardly an opportunity for a parade since they are just one game over .500, but it is worth noting.
Tonight, Jacob Lopez takes the mound for the A’s. The 28-year-old lefty is 1-1 in four starts this season with a 6.38 ERA. He’ll go up against Luis Castillo for the Mariners. Castillo is 0-1 after four starts, with a 5.40 ERA in eighteen innings.
Castillo will go up against this lineup for the visiting Athletics:
Apr 20, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) steals a base before Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) can receive a throw during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Luis Castillo gets the ball for the M’s, still in search of his first win of 2026 in his fifth start. With a 5.40 ERA this season, the results haven’t been on La Piedra’s side to this point, though his 3.30 FIP suggests some bad luck.
Last time out in San Diego, Castillo allowed quite a bit of hard contact for one earned run over 5.1 innings — though that line is a tad deceiving. He gave up four runs in total, all of which came during an ill-fated second inning in which he made an error on a throw to Josh Naylor at first that maybe should’ve been picked, making three of the runs unearned. All in all, no one is accusing the Mariners infield of putting on a defensive clinic lately, but Castillo didn’t exactly look sharp either. He’ll look to bounce back in the friendly confines of T-Mobile Park.
The Athletics will counter with Jacob Lopez (1-1, 6.38 ERA), who is also making his fifth start of the season. For more on the pitching matchup, you can check out the series preview written by Jake Mailhot.
In other news this afternoon, the Mariners designated RHP Casey Legumina for assignment in the aftermath of his losing decision last night. As a corresponding move, RHP Alex Hoppe was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma and will join the Mariners bullpen. His first appearance will be his major league debut. John Trupin wrote about the roster move here.
Lineups
The Mariners are rolling out their righty platoon to face the lefty Lopez. Cal Raleigh will get a DH day while Mitch Garver is behind the dish. With Rob Refsnyder in the lineup batting leadoff, J.P. Crawford slots down to sixth.
Game Information
First Pitch: 6:40 p.m. PDT
TV: Mariners.TV, with Aaron Goldsmith, Ryon Healy and Ryan Rowland-Smith
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.
This aerial view taken on January 7, 2026 shows Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
WHITE SOX
DIAMONDBACKS
Andrew Benintendi – DH
Ketel Marte – 2B
Munetaka Murakami – 1B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Miguel Vargas – 3B
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Colson Montgomery – SS
Adrian Del Castillo – C
Everson Pereira – RF
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Sam Antonacci – LF
Jose Fernandez – DH
Chase Meidroth – 2B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Tristan Peters – CF
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Reese McGuire – C
Alek Thomas – CF
Sean Burke – RHP
Merrill Kelly – RHP
Fun fact: if you discount James McCann’s single inning of work, the Arizona bullpen now has an ERA of 3.81, better than the rotation’s figure of 4.03. Admittedly, I guess you could discount Ryne Nelson’s last start and reduce similarly – by an even larger amount, actually – the rotation ERA, getting it down to 3.40. We probably need to take the good with the bad. But Brandon Pfaadt’s outing certainly saved the bullpen after Nelson’s blow-up. It’s only the third time a D-backs reliever has thrown over six innings. One came in 2001, when Randy Johnson threw seven after Curt Schilling started, when a power outage in San Diego pushed the game to the next day. His 16 K’s is still the MLB record for reliever strikeouts, breaking a mark set in 1913.
However, the “legitimate” record is the 20 outs recorded by Vidal Nuño in 2015. Josh Collmenter got clobbered by the Nationals and left with one out in the second. Nuño took over and allowed two runs through the end of the eight. It was still an 11-1 loss, but again it helped save the bullpen. Vidal threw 105 pitches, eleven more than the Washington starter… Who was none other than Max Scherzer, the starter for Toronto in the game before Sunday’s blow-out. History not repeating itself, but certainly rhyming. In his six year career, Nuño had only a handful of starts where he threw more pitches. But in addition to RJ’s game (109 pitches), Braden Shipley threw more, tossing 108 in relief during a 2017 game in Minnesota.
Some health updates. You’ll note that Corbin Carroll is back, and should have no limitations, Torey Lovullo calling him “good to go.” Gabriel Moreno is eligible to come off the IL today, but it appears that won’t happen before the weekend series in Mexico City. He still needs to take full-blooded swings to confirm everything is good there. Finally, tidying up something from earlier in the week. Jack discovered that the unexpected return of Tommy Henry to the mound last week is because he did indeed only need the internal brace procedure, not full Tommy John, allowing for a quicker rehab. A.J. Puk had something similar, but it is his second operation. He said today he expects to go on a rehab assignment at the end of May.
The Buffalo Sabres brought in the most popular athlete in the city to fire up the crowd before Game 2 of their playoff series against the Boston Bruins.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, wearing Alex Tuch's No. 89, had the honor of banging the drum for the Sabres on Tuesday night, leading the chant of "Let's go Buffalo!" After his final hit, Allen tossed the drumstick aside and pulled out what appeared to be a beer from his back pocket. He proceeded to chug the drink (most of it anyway), to roars of approval from the crowd.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 19: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates his two run home run with Julio Rodríguez #44 during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on April 19, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last week, I dropped a request in the FEED for all y’all’s hottest Mariners takes and you definitely served up some HEAT. Here is a handy ranking system:
Blake Beaven = 1 star – a fine yet fairly tepid take Chris Bosio = 2 stars – workmanlike, solid, but not earth-shattering Hisashi Iwakuma = 3 stars – an above replacement level hot take, boundary-pushing but not absurd Matt Brash = 4 stars – a very hot and BRASH take, will upset people, will get the people going Cliff Lee = 5 stars – nuclear, scorched earth-level take
Okay, let’s see what we’ve got here. We’ll start tepid and work our way up.
Poster Donguelard says: “People give Randy Arozarena way too much shit for for how productive he is.
Rating: Blake Beaven
I mean, I obviously agree with this. Randy is a good ballplayer. He definitely turns it up and turns it down as the situation requires. He is not a 100% hustle up the line every time player. He’s conserving his ammo for when he needs it, and as a 42-year-old who still tries to play sports, I respect that. He’s a couple hot streaks away or flashy catches away from being everyone’s favorite player again. Randy gonna Randy.
Poster Chris From Bothell says: “Dan’s devotion to doing lefty-righty matchups is going to directly cost the M’s at least 3 wins by the end of the season. The Padres finale on April 16 was one of those.”
Rating: Chris Bosio
I’m putting this on the tepid side of things, but still very respectable in terms of a take. Costing 3 wins can definitely mean the difference between the postseason or golf season, but I think this take would be much hotter if we were talking about Dan’s decisions costing the team 5-6 wins. Now we’re getting spicy.
MarinersFanInAZ says: “Emerson Hancock will be the second-best starter this year.
Rating: Hisashi Iwakuma
Oooh baby, we’re cookin’ now. This is definitely a hot take, but certainly not impossible from the small sample size we’ve seen so far from the Mariners starters. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that Bryan Woo takes the top honors, and then we’ve got newcomer Hancock in second, so then how far behind are Gilbert, Kirby, Castillo, and even Miller once he’s back? If they’re all relatively close behind Hancock, then hello playoffs. If there’s big drop off, then yikes! This is a good and spicy one, well done.
Poster Nichos9 says: “Bryce Miller is coming for Luis Castillo’s job not for Emerson Hancock’s.”
Rating: Matt Brash
Woooo, boy, this is BRASH as hell. I respect it, but definitely disagree for two reasons. 1. I think Castillo’s demise has been greatly exaggerated. He’s fine and he is a crafty veteran at this point and will figure out how to keep winning games for as long as his arm stays healthy. 2. This take assumes that Bryce Miller is going to come back and really put it all together again. Sadly, I have my doubts. I want it to happen because I love Cowboy Bryce and he’s fun to watch when he is on his game, but I will believe it when I see it. Still, this is steaming hot take because of how sneakily divisive it is. Well played!
Poster YesItsRyan says: “Cole Young proves he is the best Mariners 2nd baseman since the 90’s.”
Rating: CLIFF LEE (sirens, fire alarms, Chernobyl klaxons)
Hoooo YEAH, head for the hills! We’ve got a winner right here. Let’s take a look at the highest single season bWAR totals by Mariners second basemen since 1990
Bret Boone, 2001: 8.8 bWAR
Robinson Canó, 2016: 7.3 bWAR
Harold Reynolds, 1990: 4.8 bWAR
Joey Cora, 1997: 2.6
It goes downhill pretty quickly after that, so let’s stop there. So, I admit, I did not see this coming from Cole Young after what we saw last season. Obviously it’s April, but he’s been one of the compentnt hitters in the lineup for the last month and is currently 4th in bWAR for the Mariners in 2026. That’s pretty significant for a fairly overlooked prospect (not by one Kate Preusser, I am legally obligated to say). So Yung Cole is off to a great start, he is very strong, can slug the ball, and has a pretty high baseball IQ. Can he outdo 2.6 by Joey Cora? Pretty decent chance, I’d say. Could he outdo Harold Reynolds at 4.8? We’re in big stretch territory. Possible but unlikely. How about 7.3 by Canó? I mean, the Mariners are definitely in the playoffs if that happens. That would overcome A LOT of shortcomings by other players, but is extremely unlikely. Can Young outdo Boone at 8.8? I’m gonna say that record will probably he held by Boone until the sun burns out unless Young shows up with suspiciously swollen fore arms out of nowhere and begins doing nonchalant flick of the wrist bat flips on dingers.
So, yes, I certify this take as NUCLEAR. Bombastic. Morally questionable. Scorched earth.
Okay that’ll do it for this week’s reverse mailbag. Thank you to everyone who dropped a take, I’ll include more next time. The spicier, the better. Keep an eye out for the next prompt later this week.
The Golden State Warriors have a number of decisions to make this offseason, including whether or not to part ways with head coach Steve Kerr after 12 seasons and four NBA championships.
Questions loom about Kerr's future with the Warriors. His contract expires this summer. Even he was uncertain on what would transpire in the next days, weeks or months.
"I don't know what's going to happen. I still love coaching, but I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date," Kerr told reporters after the Warriors ended their season with a 111-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns on April 18 in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
"There's a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it's time for new blood and new ideas and all that. And if that's the case, I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise, in front of our fans in The Bay, and to coach Steph Curry, to coach Dray, the whole group. So it might still go on. May not, I don't know at this point, but we all need to step away a little bit and then reconvene."
However, it seems that signs are pointing towards Kerr not working out a deal to return to the Warriors, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole. Poole reported that the Warriors' coach would not be brought back unless Kerr had a "renewed faith in his role as the franchise shifts toward the future."
Warriors leaders on Kerr's future
Kerr's future remains up in the air. Warriors star Stephen Curry just wants his coach to be happy in whatever his next step is going to be, but he is hoping that it's another year in The Bay.
"I want coach to be happy, I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe he's the right guy for the job. I want him to have an opportunity to again enjoy what he does, so whatever that means for him," Curry said. "However it goes, you're thankful for what we've been able to accomplish over this run, thankful for an opportunity, hopefully, to put it together, do something again next year."
In their NBA Play-In loss, potentially their final game together, Kerr embraced Curry and Draymond Green moments before the conclusion of the game and said, "I don't know what's going to happen next, but I love you guys to death. Thank you. I appreciate you."
Green, too, is hopeful that Kerr, and himself, will be back with the Warriors next season. However, Green said he doesn't believe that his coach since 2014 is coming back.
On an episode of The Draymond Green Show, the Warriors forward gave his honest opinion about Kerr's future based on conversations he's heard and the energy around the topic.
"If you ask me, I don't know that he's coming back," Green said about Kerr's future with Golden State. "If you want my opinion, just all the talk that's been going around... I think not. It just feels like that I don't know. I hope he's our coach next year."
He added: "I don't know man, it felt like that was it. Is it? I don't know. Like I said, I hope not. But for some reason it just felt like that was it and if it was man what a run it’s been. I’m so lucky to have had for 12 years Steve as my coach.
Steve Kerr coaching resume
The Warriors are Kerr's first-and-only coaching experience, which began in the 2014-15 season. He has a 604-353 (.631) coaching record in regular-season games. His postseason record is 104-48 (.684).
Kerr was named the 2016 NBA Coach of the Year. He coached Golden State to a NBA-record, 73 wins, which was a record previously held by the 1996 Chicago Bulls who won 72 games. Kerr was a backup point guard on that Bulls team.
Kerr coached the Warriors to four NBA titles in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. He was named one of the Top 15 Coaches in NBA History in 2021.
Warriors' rumors for Steve Kerr replacement
If Kerr isn't back with the Warriors, there would be a handful of suitors for him and ideal replacements to succeed the coach as the mastermind of Golden State basketball.
Golden coached at the University of San Francisco for three seasons before leaving for Florida and reportedly has a relationship with Warriors owner Joe Lacob and his family.
Sean Burke will make his fourth appearance this season, hoping to bounce back from last week’s outing against the Rays. | (Getty Images)
The White Sox snapped their series drought over the weekend, taking two of three from the Athletics for their first series win since early April against the Blue Jays. They now head out to the desert to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game set. In some good news, the South Siders are shockingly not in last place in the AL Central, and officially do NOT have the worst run differential in the MLB — thank you, Kansas City, for both.
On top of that, two of their prospects were named players of the week in their respective leagues (Colby Shelton and Braden Montgomery), and left-handed pitching prospect Noah Schultz bounced back in his second start with five solid innings on Sunday, so not all is bad.
Righthander Sean Burke is making his third start (fourth appearance) of the season, and despite a rocky outing last week against the Rays, he’s been fairly solid overall this month, with a 3.86 ERA in three games (16 1/3 innings). Though he’s sitting at a cumulative 4.43 ERA on the year, his 3.77 FIP highlights that the defense could be impacting his expected performance, which wouldn’t be all that surprising considering the Sox rank 26th in fielding run value this season, according to Statcast. Burke also doesn’t walk an absurd amount of batters, ranking in the 73rd percentile for walk rate (6.9%), so if the team were more solid behind him, he might have better numbers.
Burke will face some tough D-backs hitters with Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, and Geraldo Perdomo already packing a punch of power at the top of the order. Though he is batting eighth, Ildemaro Vargas has had a hot start to the season, slashing .368/.390/.596 with a .986 OPS with five doubles so far.
For Arizona, righthander Merrill Kelly will take the mound, making his second start of the season after beginning the year on the IL. Kelly gave up two runs on five hits, including a homer, across 5 1/3 innings in his first outing, though shaky command led to four walks against three strikeouts. In 32 starts last season, he posted a 3.52 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP, and he tends to lean towards his cutter and changeup to shut down an at-bat.
For whatever reason, Andrew Benintendi is leading it off for the White Sox. However, the following three are the hot core in the lineup that are hopefully going to remain more consistent to help turn things around: Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, and Colson Montgomery. And honestly, don’t leave out Everson Pereira batting fifth because after a few horrific at-bats to start the season, he has really turned it around and has been leading the Chicago offense alongside Murakami.
In the last week, Mune ranks sixth in MLB in OPS (1.311) and slugging percentage (.833), and has mashed three homers, driven in seven runs, and walked five times. Montgomery and Vargas have also mashed two bombs apiece in that same time frame, and Montgomery’s 1.117 OPS in his last five games certainly looks a lot better than a couple of weeks ago.
The first pitch on the West Coast is later, at 8:40 p.m. CT. You can tune in at the usual locations: on TV at CHSN or on the radio at ESPN Chicago AM 1000. Back-to-back series wins, anyone?
