With the end of August fast approaching, more Montreal Canadiens players are coming back to town in readiness for training camp. Yesterday, Austrian defenseman David Reinbacher was filmed skating in Brossard alongside Patrik Laine, Alex Newhook, and Joe Veleno under the watchful eye of Adam Nicholas.
The 20-year-old right-shot defenseman will no doubt be hoping to stay healthy during training camp after being injured in a preseason game last year. With Noah Dobson’s arrival to replace David Savard on the blueline, the team can afford to send the youngster to the AHL with the Laval Rocket if they feel that he needs more seasoning, but chances are he would rather make the jump to the NHL this season.
Dobson’s arrival has also meant that Logan Mailloux was dealt to the St. Louis Blues, leaving a pretty big hole in the Rocket’s defence corps. If the Canadiens were to send Reinbacher down to Laval, he would enjoy a lot of ice time in a setting that could potentially be more suited to his level of development.
The knee injury suffered in the preseason last year kept him out of action until the third week of February. When he did come back, the organization took a prudent approach with one of its most prized prospects since he was still experiencing some swelling in his knee. In 10 regular-season games with the Rocket, Reinbacher picked up five points and added another six in 13 postseason contests.
While the Canadiens do have some right-shot defensemen in the prospects pipeline, Mailloux’s trade leaves them with few NHL-ready options. However, one could argue Mailloux wasn’t even ready himself, but that’s a discussion for another time.
Whichever decision the Canadiens make on Reinbacher, the most important thing for his development will be to get plenty of ice time, and that starts with staying healthy. Hopefully, the injury ninja is ready to move on to another victim and allow the rearguard to work on his game.
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Or, at least, they aren’t actively considering it yet.
Manager Dave Roberts made that much clear this week, saying the club has had no such discussions with the Gold Glove right fielder-turned-success story at shortstop.
To this point, not even Teoscar Hernández’s defensive limitations or Michael Conforto’s offensive disappearing act have yet pushed the team to that theoretical extreme.
“We have not talked about right field at all,” Roberts said this week, as the noise around Hernández’s shaky glove grew louder following a pair of misplays in a Monday loss at Colorado.
“The way Mookie is playing at short,” Roberts added, “not bouncing him around, I think we feel very good about.”
Still, as the Dodgers enter the final 34 games of their schedule, starting with a crucial series in San Diego against the second-place Padres this weekend, the club’s outfield issues remain a problem.
And while Betts might not be the obvious solution this time — like he was last year when he made a late-season switch to right — the Dodgers will nonetheless have to find some answers.
Entering play Thursday, their two corner outfield positions combined ranked just 19th among MLB clubs in total wins above replacement, and 22nd in defensive rating, according to Fangraphs.
“Defense is a big part of postseason baseball and winning baseball,” Roberts said.
Here are the options the Dodgers will have to consider over the coming month and a half:
The current cast
Dodgers outfielders (from left to right) Teoscar Hernández, Michael Conforto (23) and Andy Pages run toward the infield to celebrate with teammates after a win over the Miami Marlins in April. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
For now, the Dodgers don’t have much other choice but to roll out the same couple lineup variations they have been sporting since the trade deadline.
Most nights, that means having Hernández in right field, where, despite a recent uptick from his once slumping bat, the 32-year-old ranks in the bottom half of MLB right fielders in defensive runs saved (-1) and outs above average (-9); and Conforto in left, where the only thing worse than his lowly rated defense (-2 DRS, -5 OAA) has been a .186 batting average that is a distant last among MLB hitters with 350 plate appearances (next closest: Oneil Cruz’s .207 mark).
Ideally, the Dodgers would benefit from shifting Hernández to left field (where he also struggled while playing primarily last season, but made fewer of the glaring mistakes that have marred his last couple weeks) and relegating Conforto largely to the bench.
But, that requires another option they trust to take on more playing time somewhere else in the outfield.
And if it’s not Betts, then Alex Call represents the current roster’s only potential fit.
Call arrived last month as something of an underwhelming deadline acquisition. Sure, he was having a nice season with the Washington Nationals, and burnished his reputation as a tough at-bat on opposing pitchers. But he wasn’t Steven Kwan, or Ramón Laureano, or Harrison Bader, or any of the more established big-league outfielders that were trade targets at the deadline.
So far, that’s been reflected in the Dodgers’ usage of the 30-year-old hitter, starting him just eight times in three weeks.
Call did have a strong showing in the Rockies series, reaching base eight times in 13 plate appearances, including a double and home run in a four-hit game Tuesday. He is batting .281 since joining the Dodgers, and has flashed (mostly) solid play in either corner outfield spot.
In time, perhaps he could step into more of a primary role. His versatile glove (he has also played center in the big leagues) and contact ability make him a potential floor-raiser for the lineup.
For now, however, given the team’s short-handed, injury-plagued bench, Roberts has committed to effectively platooning Call in left field alongside Conforto — the $17-million offseason signing whom the Dodgers seem to be giving one last chance to stage some sort of late-season turnaround.
The IL reinforcements
Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernández watches from the dugout during a game against the San Diego Padres on Aug. 15. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Eventually, if Conforto continues to slump and Call can’t command more playing time, the Dodgers will have to find a better option.
On Thursday, two potential alternatives suited up during rehab assignments with triple-A Oklahoma City.
In center field was veteran October hero Kiké Hernández, who has been sidelined for months (and limited physically before that) with an elbow injury he first sustained in May.
In left field, surprisingly, was South Korean offseason signing Hyeseong Kim, a second base specialist who dabbled in center field at the start of the season, before eventually settling in the infield prior to a shoulder injury.
Both players could represent defensive outfield upgrades once they return. Kim’s experimentation in left field is particularly intriguing, even though he suffered defensive lapses during his brief stint in center.
The real wild card in this equation, however, could be another name currently stuck on the injured list.
An ideal version of the Dodgers lineup figures to include utility man Tommy Edman in center, Teoscar Hernández in left and Andy Pages in right — allowing Betts to stick at shortstop; a combination of Kim, Kiké Hernández, Miguel Rojas (and maybe even Alex Freeland) to fill out second base; and Pages to move to right field, where his cannon of an arm is most valuable.
Edman, though, has been dogged by an ankle injury for much of the summer and still appears several weeks from returning. Questions remain as to whether he can get to a place physically where he could play outfield again this season.
“His versatility is a superpower,” Roberts said, in explaining why the team is trying to give Edman as much time to return as possible. “So the ability to play the infield, kick out to the outfield, and not be compromised by the ankle and not regress, that’s something we need.”
The Mookie scenario
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts throws out Milwaukee's Caleb Durbin at first base on July 20. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Though Roberts shut down talk of moving Betts back to the outfield, he was careful not to slam the door shut entirely when looking over the rest of the season.
“I think that’s a fair question,” Roberts said. “But I don’t think that we’re there quite yet.”
It was around this time last year, of course, that the Dodgers announced Betts would shift from shortstop back to right field; returning him to a position where he has six career Gold Gloves.
And for much of this season, large factions of the fan base have been waiting for history to repeat itself, especially amid speculation about how much Betts’ shortstop play has contributed to a career-worst season at the plate.
However...
This year’s Dodgers team is not last year’s Dodgers team. And this year’s version of Betts' shortstop play has added a new factor into a delicate equation.
While Betts would almost certainly remain a trustworthy option in right field, his defensive metrics at that position the last couple of years have grown pedestrian compared to his once-generational standards.
In his prime, Betts was usually somewhere between 15-30 in DRS and upward of 10-15 in OAA playing right field. But in more than 1,000 right field innings the last three years, he has only posted a plus-3 DRS and a net-zero OAA. His range is not what it used to be (Betts ranks in just the 35th percentile among major-leaguers in sprint speed, per Baseball Savant). And he has remade his throwing motion to better suit the demands of shortstop.
As Betts showed while playing right field last postseason, he can still make an impact there.
But as he has shown this year, he can be valuable at other spots on the diamond, too.
After struggling at shortstop last season, Betts now ranks third in the majors at the position in DRS (plus-11) and ninth in OAA (plus-3). Sure, Rojas or Edman could probably provide comparable (and in Rojas’ case, maybe improved) shortstop defense. But Rojas, 36, has struggled to hold up physically amid regular playing time the last couple years. And if Edman’s ankle isn’t good enough to handle center, it’s fair to wonder how limited he would be at a key position like shortstop.
It’s why, for now, the Dodgers are trying to simply tread water with their current outfield group, while waiting for a better fix (either in Call or Edman or Kiké or Kim or, if they must, maybe even Betts) to become clear.
What they do know: They need to be better in the corners, on both sides of the ball.
That was obvious before the trade deadline. It remains a problem now. And until they find a solution, it will loom as one potential stumbling block to their pursuit of a second straight World Series.
August is almost over. We’ve just about navigated the quietest month on the NBA calendar (Brad Stevens’ ceaseless roster tinkering, notwithstanding). And while we’re in no rush to wave goodbye to summer, the influx of pumpkin-spice products and way-too-early Oktoberfest beers is a firm reminder that basketball season can’t be far off.
So let’s dust off the Celtics Mailbag and see what’s on your mind:
How do you think Bill Chisholm will do in his first year as owner of the team? — @loganlavallee17 on IG
Before we answer your question, a quick story:
Back in 1986, the Celtics went public. The ownership group at the time sold off 40 percent of the franchise generating $48 million by selling 2.6 million shares at $18.50 per share. My dad, like any opportunistic Celtics fan, bought in. Probably just a singe share. But a few times per year, mail would show up at the house with updates on his investment with “Boston Celtics Limited Partnership” inscribed on all the documents. That the stock basically plummeted in the aftermath of his purchase didn’t matter. My dad owned a (teeny tiny microscopic) piece of the Celtics and, to this little kid, owning the Celtics seemed liked the most amazing gig in the world.
Which is to say that Chisholm is now living the dream of every kid ever born in New England, or whatever part of the world you happen to bleed your green. He paid slightly more than my Dad for his majority stake but Celtics fans ought to be thrilled that someone with roots here is at the helm. In our brief interactions since Chisholm emerged in the bidding process, it’s clear just how much of a fan the entire Chisholm family is of Celtics basketball, and he surely understands the responsibility that comes with being the person with the final call on all decisions about the team.
Even before the official transfer of power this week, we had spent a lot of time thinking about what Celtics fans ought to yearn for from a new owner. We were spoiled by the Banner 17 consortium helmed by Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca. They hired smart decision-makers and largely stayed out of their way. They were visible but not in your face in a Jerry Jones-type way. They spent big money whenever the team was positioned to contend. They always kept their focus on the next banner.
They were fans, just like the rest of us.
If Chisholm follows the same road map, he’ll be just fine. He is taking over at a somewhat awkward juncture, both with the Celtics having to tear down the expensive roster that delivered Banner 18, and All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum rehabbing from Achilles surgery.
Our only advice to the Chisholm family would be to stay off social media, tread cautiously when listening to sports radio, and don’t read the YouTube comments. There are invariably going to be fans (and pundits) that don’t take the time to educate themselves on the new NBA landscape and the prohibitive nature of a punitive new collective bargaining agreement. They’ll simply stomp their feet and scream loudly about cost-cutting moves. They’ll invoke Chisholm’s private equity background without stopping to acknowledge the fact that salary cuts were coming regardless of who was at the helm heading into the 2025-26 season.
Chisholm can trust that Stevens, Mike Zarren, and Boston’s creative front office squad will chart a fast track back to contender status. We think it will be good for Chisholm to have Grousbeck around, too. Why not learn from someone who saw a bunch of peaks (and a couple valleys) over 23 years at the helm?
We’re intrigued by the new ownership group. Aditya Mittal, one of the team’s new alternate governors, showed off his deep pockets with a reported billion dollar investment. Bruce Beal has Boston roots and pro sports experience with a minor stake in the Miami Dolphins. Robert Hale brings familiarity from the last ownership group. Mario Ho is a lifelong Celtics fan.
Like any new owner, there will be a natural desire for Chisholm to put his imprint on a new investment. But he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to tinker with what’s worked here. The power structure basically remains intact as he slides into the big chair. Those at multiple levels of the organization that met with Chisholm during the transition process came away raving about his overall enthusiasm for the new gig.
Making money is important and Chisholm has tough decisions to make, including the long-term arena plan for a team that doesn’t currently own its building. But it feels like the Celtics are in good hands with someone that genuinely wants to see the team continue to thrive.
Odds that Tatum comes back this season? — @captainmike617 on IG
It feels like we’re going to have to tackle this question every mailbag this season so let’s not dance around it.
We think there is a 100 percent chance that Tatum is going to attack his rehab with a relentless energy and a desire to beat whatever the generally accepted timeline is for an Achilles rehab. The team 100 percent put Tatum in the best possible position to do such by getting him into surgery just hours after the tear, and with a surgeon known for his expertise and advancements in Achilles repair.
It feels like the team’s reluctance to 1) Set a firm timeline and 2) Formally rule Tatum out for the 2025-26 season, even after a team like the Pacers did just that with Tyrese Haliburton, seems to suggest a desire to avoid putting any limitation on the rehab process. I thought team president Rich Gotham summed it up best when he recently noted, “What I know about JT is he’s going to do everything he can to put us in a position to make a decision.”
Right now, the focus ought to be on getting better every day. Tatum might have even coined the perfect rallying cry for Celtics fans in a recent video update when he noted the grueling nature of the initial rehab but optimistically declared that there are, “Better days ahead.”
I am not 100 percent sure it is in the best interest of the team to put Tatum back on the court this season. I am also 100 percent not a doctor. If he rehabs to the point where it is both safe and beneficial for him to return to NBA action, then why procrastinate? But the state of the team, at the point Tatum might be ready to compete again, could dictate whether that’s a prudent decision.
For now, we’re content to cling to the small glimpses of Tatum’s journey and the progress he’s clearly making.
How do you envision the initial starting lineup, with top 5ish guys all being wings/guards? — @sammy_hall5 on IG
If the Boston Celtics were forced to play an exhibition game on September 1 and Joe Mazzulla foolishly asked me to submit the starting lineup, I’d go: Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta. My general thinking: The remaining pieces from your championship core get first crack at starter roles this season.
Mazzulla will be able to mix and match when the team gets on the court in September. Maybe certain combos have better chemistry. Like any overhauled roster, there should be experimentation to figure out what gives this team the best opportunity to succeed.
All that said, we love the idea of Pritchard in the starting role. Every time the Celtics have thrown more on his plate, he’s gobbled it up. There’s little reason to believe he wouldn’t do the same in starter minutes. If Anfernee Simons sticks on the roster, we’re intrigued what he can do as a volume scorer off a new-look bench.
The bottom line is that there’s a whole bunch of opportunity for players throughout the roster and, starter or otherwise, maybe the most intriguing aspect of camp is going to be seeing who grasp that opportunity.
🔊 Celtics Talk Podcast: Payton Pritchard on Celtics’ summer changes, NBA’s new heave rule and Kyrie wanting to swing on him | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Is it best for the Celtics to attempt to make the playoffs, or rest Tatum the full year and get into lottery? — @brad_ted on IG
One of our favorite memories of the Brad Stevens era came right after the Celtics acquired Jae Crowder in December 2014. As the Celtics engaged in a relentless roster churn, Crowder basically pinned Stevens against a wall after a practice and asked him if he was OK with losing. Stevens was adamant that tanking wasn’t even a consideration and the Celtics wanted to win games. The Celtics finished 40-42 that season and earned the 7th seed in the East. That team got swept in Round 1 by LeBron James and the Cavaliers, but that season set a tone that allowed the team to truly launch in the aftermath.
Stevens has routinely put a high value on winning and the message that focus sends to a team.
Maybe the Celtics will need to ponder the potential benefits of a lottery pick if things go awry this season. But, out of the gates, the plan should be to see what this group can do. There is still way too much talent here for us to believe that Boston isn’t a playoff team. Maybe injuries and depth issues change that outlook, but we’re pretty bullish on a team that’s helmed by a Brown-White-Pritchard triumvirate.
We think this year’s team could give off 2016-17 Celtics vibes. A spunky group that out kicks ever prognostications. The absence of championship-or-bust expectations ought to let the returning members of the championship core play free.
Let’s see where that takes this group. But our general theme heading into her 2025-26 season is no limitations. Not on Tatum’s rehab, not on the potential of a new-look group.
Which Celtics newcomer are you most excited about? — Celtics Twitter
While we were on vacation we saw a post on X asking Celtcs fans which newcomer they were most excited about. Can we submit a vote for Josh Minott?
With less than 500 total minutes over three seasons in Minnesota, we really don’t know what the still-only 22-year-old is capable of. We love his blend of size, athleticism, and relentless motor. The Lawn Mower is a stellar nickname. On a team that needs size, we’re intrigued to see if Minott can distinguish himself.
Dane hopes to end two-year Grand Tour drought at the Vuelta a España, with the Tour de France winner and Remco Evenepoel absent
Jonas Vingegaard’s latest bid to escape the constant shadow of Tadej Pogacar and reboot his status as a Grand Tour winner kicks off this Saturday at the Vuelta a España.
The Dane’s two-year Grand Tour drought – his last success was in the 2023 Tour de France – has been marked by a near-fatal crash and some occasionally unseemly jostling for leadership within his Visma–Lease a Bike team.
Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing has played 13 innings at first base this season since being called up in May. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Dalton Rushing keeps a few baseball gloves on the top shelf of his corner locker in the Dodger Stadium clubhouse. None of them is a catcher’s mitt.
Which seems significant since Rushing is a catcher.
But in college at Louisville and in the Cape Cod Summer League, he played more games at first base and in the outfield than behind the plate. So he still runs out with a fielder’s glove during batting practice, just in case.
“I'll shag during BP, just kind of to take the shakiness, just to be as comfortable as possible if I have to go out there,” he said.
“It’s good to have that skill, to bounce over there and play. But the biggest thing moving forward is catching.”
Using Rushing as anything other than Will Smith's backup behind the plate would qualify as a “break glass in case of emergency move” for manager Dave Roberts, although he has played Rushing for 13 innings at first base and tabbed him as the next man up when he feared Freddie Freeman would miss time after being hit on the left wrist last month.
“He can handle first base,” Roberts said. “I don't feel good with him in left field, but he's done it.
“Right now the main thing is to spell Will; continue to be good behind the plate.”
Few teams cherish utility more than the Dodgers, who have used five players in at least three different positions this season. However, catchers — even backup catchers — are typically valued more for their unique skills at calling games, blocking 100-mph pitches in the dirt and throwing out would-be base stealers than for their versatility.
That’s why Smith, the Dodgers’ starting catcher and a three-time National League All-Star, has played just 3 2/3 innings anywhere else in the field in seven major league seasons. Rushing expects the same.
“The main focus is catching. It's been catching since I showed up,” he said. “When they made the decision to bring me up in May, it was kind of: ‘Hey, we want this guy to catch. Learn the position. Learn these guys as much as possible.’
“I like to keep it in my back pocket that I can play other positions. But I would say the main reason is still to catch.”
And hit, since the Dodgers also see value in Rushing’s bat. A left-handed hitter with pop, Rushing was slashing .308/.424/.514 when he was called up from triple-A Oklahoma City in May.
“The bat got him here,” Roberts said. “The performance got him here.”
How long it keeps him here is uncertain. Rushing, who has always been a starter, is having trouble adjusting to limited at-bats, hitting .186 with more than twice as many strikeouts as hits in 37 games.
But then this isn’t the first time he’s followed Smith since both catchers played college baseball at Louisville and in Cape Cod League. Smith, 30, who was born in Louisville, was undrafted out of high school but became a first-round pick of the Dodgers three years later, signing for a $1.775-million bonus. He made his big league debut in 2019, the same year Rushing graduated high school.
Rushing, 24, from Tennessee, was a second-round pick in 2022, getting just under $2 million to sign with the Dodgers.
“He’s older than me by a few years, but we crossed paths a good bit,” said Rushing, who shares an agent with Smith. “It's similar paths. That's kind of what just allows the Dodgers to know what they're getting.
“He helps out a lot, and it makes my job a lot easier. Seeing him do what he does every day and kind of just running things off of each other and just trying to learn as much as possible.”
It some ways, then, Rushing finds himself in the perfect position. No matter which glove he uses.
Attorneys Steve Haney and Mike Schachter told Charania that the Eastern District of New York determined Beasley is no longer a target following allegations regarding gambling on NBA games and prop bets during the 2023-24 season.
“Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation,” Haney told ESPN. “An allegation with no charge, indictment or conviction should never have the catastrophic consequence this has caused Malik. This has literally been the opposite of the presumption of innocence.”
The Eastern District of New York declined ESPN’s request for comment on the matter on Friday.
News of the investigation came out in June, right as Beasley was about to enter NBA free agency on the heels of a breakout season with the Detroit Pistons. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said at the time that the league was “cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation.”
Beasley, 28, remains an NBA free agent, though Charania reported that several teams have kept in contact with his representation.
Charania previously reported that Beasley and the Pistons were in “serious talks” on a three-year, $42-million contract to keep him in Detroit before the investigation.
Beasley averaged 16.2 points per game and played all 82 regular season games in 2024-25 after signing a one-year deal with the Pistons last offseason.
His previous NBA stops include the Denver Nuggets (2016-20), Minnesota Timberwolves (2020-22), Utah Jazz (2022-23), Los Angeles Lakers (2023) and Milwaukee Bucks (2023-24). He was sentenced to 120 days in jail in 2021 stemming from a felony charge on threats of violence, and was eventually suspended for 12 games by the NBA.
The probe into Beasley came more than a year after Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA over prop bet investigations. Porter eventually pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud, with sentencing set for this December as prosecutors estimate he could get up to four years in prison.
The National Basketball Players Association said Friday that there has been no evidence of a greater, league-wide issue with gambling beyond Porter.
“NBA players compete at the highest level with the utmost integrity and are concerned that prop bets have become an increasingly alarming source of player harassment, both online and in person,” an NBPA spokesperson said. “If tighter regulations can help minimize that abuse, then we support taking a closer look at them.”
Attorneys Steve Haney and Mike Schachter told Charania that the Eastern District of New York determined Beasley is no longer a target following allegations regarding gambling on NBA games and prop bets during the 2023-24 season.
“Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation,” Haney told ESPN. “An allegation with no charge, indictment or conviction should never have the catastrophic consequence this has caused Malik. This has literally been the opposite of the presumption of innocence.”
The Eastern District of New York declined ESPN’s request for comment on the matter on Friday.
News of the investigation came out in June, right as Beasley was about to enter NBA free agency on the heels of a breakout season with the Detroit Pistons. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said at the time that the league was “cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation.”
Beasley, 28, remains an NBA free agent, though Charania reported that several teams have kept in contact with his representation.
Charania previously reported that Beasley and the Pistons were in “serious talks” on a three-year, $42-million contract to keep him in Detroit before the investigation.
Beasley averaged 16.2 points per game and played all 82 regular season games in 2024-25 after signing a one-year deal with the Pistons last offseason.
His previous NBA stops include the Denver Nuggets (2016-20), Minnesota Timberwolves (2020-22), Utah Jazz (2022-23), Los Angeles Lakers (2023) and Milwaukee Bucks (2023-24). He was sentenced to 120 days in jail in 2021 stemming from a felony charge on threats of violence, and was eventually suspended for 12 games by the NBA.
The probe into Beasley came more than a year after Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA over prop bet investigations. Porter eventually pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud, with sentencing set for this December as prosecutors estimate he could get up to four years in prison.
The National Basketball Players Association said Friday that there has been no evidence of a greater, league-wide issue with gambling beyond Porter.
“NBA players compete at the highest level with the utmost integrity and are concerned that prop bets have become an increasingly alarming source of player harassment, both online and in person,” an NBPA spokesperson said. “If tighter regulations can help minimize that abuse, then we support taking a closer look at them.”
Twelve clubs have changed manager, including six of the top eight, in a season with more questions than certainties
It did not take long after Napoli had won Serie A in May for some journalists to ask whether their manager would desert them. Antonio Conte had grumbled for months about transfer decisions. Even in this moment of triumph, his body language around the owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, remained frosty.
Recent history hung over Napoli. Luciano Spalletti stepped down after leading the Partenopei to a Scudetto in 2023, riding off into the sunset in his newly pimped out Fiat Panda and citing a “personality clash” with De Laurentiis. But Conte is his own man with his own imperatives. Three months later, he stands as a rare point of continuity in a league determined to eschew it. Twelve of 20 clubs have changed manager – a drop, admittedly, from 14 last summer – including six of the top eight finishers.
Forty years ago, the 25-year-old Brazilian produced possibly the finest drive of his career, and it’s still vivid in the mind of his mechanic Chris Dinnage
As debut victories in Formula One go, few come close to the masterclass delivered by Ayrton Senna for Lotus at the Portuguese Grand Prix in 1985. A drive which still stands 40 years later as one of the defining moments of the Brazilian’s extraordinary career, not least when witnessed first-hand by No 1 mechanic in Estoril, Chris Dinnage.
“It was an exceptional performance by a gifted racing driver who had one mission and that was to win, to be the best,” says Dinnage. “I think there’s very few races since where you could say someone had such a command of what they were doing.”
Attorneys Steve Haney and Mike Schachter told Charania that the Eastern District of New York determined Beasley is no longer a target following allegations regarding gambling on NBA games and prop bets during the 2023-24 season.
“Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation,” Haney told ESPN. “An allegation with no charge, indictment or conviction should never have the catastrophic consequence this has caused Malik. This has literally been the opposite of the presumption of innocence.”
The Eastern District of New York declined ESPN’s request for comment on the matter on Friday.
News of the investigation came out in June, right as Beasley was about to enter NBA free agency on the heels of a breakout season with the Detroit Pistons. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said at the time that the league was “cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation.”
Beasley, 28, remains an NBA free agent, though Charania reported that several teams have kept in contact with his representation.
Charania previously reported that Beasley and the Pistons were in “serious talks” on a three-year, $42-million contract to keep him in Detroit before the investigation.
Beasley averaged 16.2 points per game and played all 82 regular season games in 2024-25 after signing a one-year deal with the Pistons last offseason.
His previous NBA stops include the Denver Nuggets (2016-20), Minnesota Timberwolves (2020-22), Utah Jazz (2022-23), Los Angeles Lakers (2023) and Milwaukee Bucks (2023-24). He was sentenced to 120 days in jail in 2021 stemming from a felony charge on threats of violence, and was eventually suspended for 12 games by the NBA.
The probe into Beasley came more than a year after Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA over prop bet investigations. Porter eventually pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud, with sentencing set for this December as prosecutors estimate he could get up to four years in prison.
The National Basketball Players Association said Friday that there has been no evidence of a greater, league-wide issue with gambling beyond Porter.
“NBA players compete at the highest level with the utmost integrity and are concerned that prop bets have become an increasingly alarming source of player harassment, both online and in person,” an NBPA spokesperson said. “If tighter regulations can help minimize that abuse, then we support taking a closer look at them.”
Nothing can kill a winning streak like sloppy play, and that's exactly what happened to the Yankees on Thursday in their 6-3 loss to the Red Sox.
Not only did the Yankees pitching walk nine batters, they left 10 runners on base and made four errors -- yes, four -- that resulted in three runs and ultimately were the difference in this game.
"Not a real clean game for us. A lot of free bases there," manager Aaron Boone said of his team's performance after the loss. "For the most part in the first half, we were able to overcome them…they made us pay on the last error on the homer. Not a great night for us."
That homer Boone alluded to was the exclamation point on the tough night for the Yankees. First, Luis Gil had trouble with his command, walking five batters and making the first error of the game when he booted a chopper to him to lead the second inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed up with a throwing error on a potential double play ball that allowed the runner to advance to second with one out. After a stolen base and a walk, Ben Rice made a throwing error trying to catch a runner stealing that gave the Red Sox an extra base and allowed the runner at third to score.
Three errors in one inning, but Gil and the Yankees kept it at just one run allowed.
Gil would allow Boston runners to clog the bases through his five innings of work, but allowed just two runs and was the pitcher of record on the winning side when he was done. The Yankees bullpen would walk four more batters and allow the Red Sox to capture the lead, 4-3, which held until the ninth inning.
It looked as if the Yankees were going to bat in the bottom of the ninth only down one, when the fourth and final error occurred. With one out, Yerry De Los Santos got a ground ball to first base, but Paul Goldschmidt could not get the ball out of his glove to make the flip to the pitcher covering. Two batters later, Roman Anthony blasted a towering two-run shot with two outs to give the Red Sox the insurance they needed, an at-bat that would have never occurred.
"Definitely gave them spots to win and I felt like tonight was one of those nights where we beat ourselves," Chisholm said after the game. "Just like [Cody Bellinger] said in the past, sometimes you just got to look at yourself in the mirror and say, 'Hey you beat yourself tonight. Tomorrow, come out better and focus more.'"
"You can’t fix every time you make errors, it’s going to be hard to overcome. It might have been the reason we lost tonight," Goldschmidt said. "There’s a lot of good teams in this league. Any time you give them an extra out, extra runs, they got two when I made my error in the ninth, it could have been a different game, I’m sure they probably scored another run off another error. You make it hard on yourself. We didn’t play good enough to win tonight."
Thursday was the third game in which the Yankees made four-plus errors in a single game this season. That's the most in MLB. Before Thursday's game, the last time the Yankees committed four-plus errors and walked nine-plus batters in a nine-inning game at home was May 1912 (h/t Katie Sharp).
Both Chisholm and Goldschmidt said they are not overly concerned with their errors moving forward when they were asked. Chisholm specifically pointed to the Gold Glovers in the infield and chalked Thursday's performance to "just baseball," but what should be concerning is the team's performance against the teams they are likely to face in the postseason.
After Thursday's loss, the Yankees are 6-17 against the Tigers, Blue Jays, Astros and Red Sox (5-1 against the Mariners) this season. Boston pulled within 0.5 games of the Yankees for the first wild card spot and improved their record against the Yankees to 6-1 this year.
Goldschmidt was asked about why Boston has had the Yankees' number this season and the former MVP could not think of a reason.
"I don’t have an answer. We played a lot of close games with them," he said. "They’ve been able to make one more play, one more hit than us. Hopefully, we can change that tomorrow."
The Yankees and Red Sox meet three more times this weekend before they meet in a three-game set in Boston in mid-September. There is still time to turn the narrative that Boston owns them this season, but it's getting late early.
The date is Aug. 21, and the Pittsburgh Penguins still have not traded Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, or Erik Karlsson.
Given the discourse surrounding the Penguins in pretty much all circles - fan circles, media circles, and team circles alike - this is a bit surprising. Even if general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas is known for big splashes in the month of August during his tenure with the Penguins, it certainly seems a bit too quiet.
Dubas himself - as well as new Penguins’ head coach Dan Muse - have re-emphasized the fact that the team is in a period of transition. In these periods of transition, teams typically sell high-value, aging assets in an effort to rebuild a core that is younger and provides some promise for the franchise going forward.
This line of thought seems logical enough, and it led many to believe that selling off at least one of Rakell, Rust, or Karlsson this summer for valuable assets in return was going to be one of the top priorities of the offseason. After all, there is a generational talent waiting in the wings for the 2026 NHL Draft in Gavin McKenna, and there are several other potential franchise-altering talents near the top of that class, too.
But the fact of the matter is that the Penguins - for better or for worse - haven’t gotten quite rotten enough up to this point to seriously put themselves into the 2026 draft lottery conversation. It’s not even clear if that is their goal for next season, as Dubas did say during his end-of-season press conference that he felt like the Penguins were headed in a better direction.
So, where is the urgency-o-meter in terms of the Penguins trading one of these players prior to training camp? And what are some of the factors feeding that urgency meter?
Throughout the offseason and going back into last season, Dubas and the Penguins have discussed the fact that the organization will be putting a major focus on development.
But - as any hockey mind knows - the process of “development” doesn’t just entail what happens before a player reaches the NHL level. Development doesn’t just stop when a player takes NHL ice. In fact, there are often still a handful of years left for players needing to develop themselves at the NHL level.
Several Penguins’ prospects - most notably forwards Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, goaltender Joel Blomqvist, and defenseman Owen Pickering, but also including roster hopefuls like forwards Filip Hallander and Tristan Broz as well as defenseman Harrison Brunicke - have already proven to some degree that they belong at the NHL level and that they’re ready to take the next step in their development by being there full-time.
Right now? According to Puckpedia, the Penguins have 13 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders on their active NHL roster, and none of those spots include any of the above names. Of course, competition is good for these prospects. But with that crowded a roster, the Penguins also run the risk of a roster logjam potentially stunting the development of some of their best prospects.
As such, making a trade prior to training camp to, at least, vacate one of those roster spots is probably not a bad idea.
Maybe the plan isn’t what people think it is
The youth movement aside, there is, perhaps, another explanation as to why Dubas hasn’t pulled the trigger on one of those three guys yet.
As discussed before, Pittsburgh is in a period of transition. While many equate that to a full rebuild, it’s possible that a “full rebuild” simply isn’t what is happening here.
What if Dubas and the Penguins believe that contention is closer than folks seem to think? He has expressed some hesitancy in dealing a player like Rust, 33, who has three years remaining on his contract at just $5.1 million average annual value and who has been a part of the equation for a long time. Even after the 2025 trade deadline came and went without a Rakell trade - he also has three years remaining on his deal that pays him $5 million annually - Dubas expressed that they thought it was “in the best interest of the team to have him remain.”
Of course, this can all be GM-speak, as we’ve heard many times before. But it should be considered that Dubas might simply see a path to the Penguins competing with Rakell and Rust still on the roster, or, at least, one of them. Same goes for Karlsson, who generates nearly all of the Penguins’ offense from the blue line and has two years remaining on his lucrative deal.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to tell what the aim is for Dubas and the Penguins. Maybe - just like him with the trade market - we might just have to play the waiting game a bit longer.
Once again, the Pittsburgh Penguins face goaltending questions heading into a season.
They still have Tristan Jarry on the roster even though he was sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton twice last season. It seemed the Penguins had given up on him after placing him on waivers during the season, when he was struggling, but due to Joel Blomqvist's struggles in the second half, the Penguins called Jarry back up for most of March and all of April.
To Jarry's credit, he played well in his final 14 appearances, despite the Penguins being out of the playoff race. He finished March with a .907 save percentage and April with an .898 save percentage. He had a save percentage of .900 or better in nine of his 14 games down the stretch. Yes, the games had low stakes, but he still played well.
He's going to be the starter to open the season, but that won't inspire a lot of confidence in the fanbase since he's had countless chances to be the number one guy and has failed. The Penguins are rebuilding, so they're not in a rush to get rid of him. Now, if a team expressed interest in Jarry, the Penguins would have no problem moving on from him due to his inconsistencies and because he makes $5.375 million per season.
While Jarry will be the starter to open the year, he may have a quick leash if Arturs Silovs or Joel Blomqvist push him. Silovs is a slight favorite to get the backup job right now after how great he was during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. He was the MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs and helped the Abbotsford Canucks win the AHL title, finishing with a 16-7 record, 2.01 goals-against average, and a .931 save percentage.
The Penguins traded for him on July 13 for forward Chase Stillman and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Silovs didn't have a path to the NHL for the 2025-26 season due to Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen being locked up long-term by the Vancouver Canucks, so the Penguins pounced on that opportunity. They also wanted to get deeper at the position after trading Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks. Nedeljkovic had been Jarry's backup for the previous two seasons before getting moved.
The Penguins appreciate how Silovs elevates his game in big moments, as seen when he helped the Canucks get within a game of the Western Conference Final in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He played in 10 games, finishing with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. Some may scoff at those numbers, but seven of those came against the Edmonton Oilers, who eventually got to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Florida Panthers.
Silovs has also played extremely well for Team Latvia on the international stage. In 2023, he helped Latvia win its first-ever Bronze Medal at the IIHF World Championships. He finished the tournament with seven wins and a .921 save percentage before he was named the tournament MVP.
He has the ability to make this a 1A-1B or a complete starter situation if he's playing well and if Jarry falters. However, if Jarry is at least average, he could get around 60% of the starts while Silovs or Blomqvist would get the other 40% of the starts.
Speaking of Blomqvist, he's still going to get the chance to win the backup job during training camp after struggling from mid-January until early-March last season. He was below .900 in terms of save percentage during those six weeks and was giving up too many goals to his blocker side. NHL shooters were consistently targeting that area whenever he was in the net, which quickly became an issue.
The jury is still out on whether he can be a consistent NHL goaltender. He has the talent and is young, but needs to string together some solid stretches in the league.
Say what you want about the Penguins heading into this year, but they're not running the same goalie tandem back. No veteran is blocking either of these two young goalies for the backup job, and it's going to make for a fun competition during camp.
The Yankees committed four errors and left 10 runners on base in their 6-3 loss to the Red Sox on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.
The loss cuts their lead for the first wild card spot to just 0.5 games in front of Boston. The loss snapped the Yankees' five-game winning streak and the Red Sox are now 6-1 this season against their rivals.
New York now has three games of four-plus errors this season, the most in MLB. But it wasn't just their defense; the offense, while resilient, just didn't do enough with their opportunities. The Yankees finished 2-for-7 with RISP and left 10 men on base. The Red Sox were much worse, going 3-for-19 with 14 left on base.
Here are the takeaways...
-Walks got Luis Gil in trouble on Thursday and it started early. He walked two batters to give the Red Sox a scoring opportunity with two outs for recently signed Nathanial Lowe. The left-handed slugger flew out to right to end the threat.
Errors were the story in the second inning. Gil booted a chopper back at him, allowing the leadoff hitter to reach and then Jazz Chisholm Jr. overthrew, by a lot, Paul Goldschmidt on a potential double play ball that went into the dugout, allowing Cedanne Rafaela to reach second on the second error of the inning. Ryan McMahon prevented a throwing error from Ben Rice, starting at catcher, on Rafaela's steal of third. After a walk, Rice would overthrow Anthony Volpe on a steal of second to allow the first run of the game to score.
Gil worked out of the inning by picking David Hamilton off of third base and getting Roman Anthony to ground out, but Boston had been held hitless after two innings and still led thanks to the three errors and four walks from Gil.
-Giancarlo Stanton started in right field and his deficiency out there showed in the third inning when Alex Bregman hit a ground-rule double that the slugger could not get to. But Gil stranded the runner as he got the next three batters out without allowing a run. Runners on base was a common theme for Gil as he struggled to pitch clean innings, but, to his credit, he squirmed his way through five innings. His biggest Houdini act came in the fifth when a walk and two singles loaded the bases with no outs. After striking out Trevor Story, Gil got Lowe to fly out, which drove in a run, and Masataka Yoshida to fly out to end the inning, allowing just one run.
Gil was not sharp, but gave the Yankees a chance by pitching five innings of two-run ball. He tossed 93 pitches (52 strikes), allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and five walks while striking out just three batters.
-The Yankees hit 14 homers in their two-game series sweep of the Rays and they continued the power surge in the second inning when Rice made up for his error by launching a solo shot to tie the game.
It's the 20th consecutive run the Yankees have scored that's come via the home run. They tied the 2020 Yankees for most consecutive runs scored via the home run by any team in at least the expansion era (since 1961) (via Sarah Langs).
That streak would end in the fourth when Chisholm led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on the throwing error from catcher Carlos Narvaez.Goldschmidt poked a single through the drawn-in infield to put the Yankees on top 2-1.
In the fifth, Red Sox manager Alex Cora pulled starter Lucas Giolito with two outs and Aaron Judge on first base for lefty Justin Wilson to face Rice. The left-handed slugger walked and Chisholm blooped a single just beyond Story's glove to drive in Judge, who stole second earlier in the inning, and retake the lead. After a walk to Goldschmidt to load the bases, Wilson got McMahon swinging to end the threat.
-The Yankees had an opportunity to score in the seventh after LHP Steven Matz gave up a one-out triple to Rice. However, he struck out Chisholm swinging and got Goldschmidt to pop out to first to escape the jam.
-Camilo Doval was the first arm out of the pen, and his struggles continued. After a leadoff infield single by Hamilton, Doval made three disengagements to balk Hamilton over to second. He walked Narvaez on four pitches before facing the top of the Red Sox lineup. Anthony lined a single the other way to tie the game at 3-3, and that was it for Doval. Doval has allowed at least one run in five of his nine appearances since being traded to the Yankees.
Mark Leiter Jr. was next and got the next two batters out (Bregman pop-up, Jarren Duran groundout) to keep the score tied. Luke Weaver was on in the seventh and allowed a leadoff single and then a double in the gap to Lowe, allowing Story to score and take the lead 4-3. After a soft groundout, Weaver walked back-to-back batters to load the bases with one out. Weaver struck out Narvaez but was pulled for Tim Hill. The southpaw struck out Anthony to strand more runners.
The combination of Hill and Yerry De Los Santos got through the eighth inning, stranding two more runners. De Los Santos started the ninth and was on his way to getting the first two outs without issue, but Goldschmidt's error allowed Hamilton to reach safely. Two batters later, Anthony hit a two-out, two-run blast to give the Red Sox a 6-3 lead.
-In the bottom of the ninth, former Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman got Judge (pop out), Cody Bellinger (groundout) and Stanton (ground out) to end the game.
Game MVP: Roman Anthony
The slugging rookie drove in three runs but none bigger than that two-run blast to keep the Yankees at bay.
