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Aaron Boone issues vote of confidence in Anthony Volpe as Yankees’ regular shortstop despite benching

Anthony Volpe is out of the Yankees’ lineup for two straight games for the first time in his career. 

He was benched in favor of utility infielder José Caballero in Sunday’s must-win series finale against the rival Boston Red Sox and again for Monday’s series opener with the Washington Nationals. 

Volpe will be available off the bench again in the Bronx, and Aaron Boone confirmed that he is expected to jump back into the starting lineup for Tuesday’s middle game. 

From there, the skipper says the team will lean on the youngster regularly down the stretch. 

"I view Anthony as our shortstop," Boone said. "I plan on having him back in there tomorrow and probably in some way shape or form tonight at some point, but just wanted to give him a couple here at the start."

The hope is that the 24-year-old will be able to use this two-game benching as sort of a reset to help get him back into a groove over the final few weeks of the regular season. 

Overall, it's been an extremely rough year for Volpe on both sides of the ball.

The former Gold Glover has taken tremendous steps backwards defensively, currently leading the American League with 17 errors while also sitting in the fourth percentile with -7 Outs Above Average. 

He is on pace for a new career-high with 18 homers, but has been struck in a brutal 1-for-28 stretch at the plate over the team's last three series. 

Volpe is now down to an ugly .208 average and .274 OBP with 122 strikeouts on the season. 

"He’s shown all the signs that he can be a really good offensive player," Boone said. "A little more consistency is that next wave and that’s what he’s working really hard to do, I’m confident he’ll be able to get there."

For the Yankees to make some noise in the American League, they'll certainly need Volpe to get there. 

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The Wraparound: Which Calder Finalist Is Most At Risk Of A Sophomore Slump?

Kick off the week with rapid-fire NHL and hockey topics on The Wraparound.

Which Calder Finalist Is Most At Risk Of A Sophomore Slump? by The WraparoundWhich Calder Finalist Is Most At Risk Of A Sophomore Slump? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Jack Williams discussed in today's episode:

0:00: Will Brady Martin suit up for the Nashville Predators this season?

4:55: Which newcomer on the Florida Panthers has the chance to make the biggest impact this season?

8:15: Which Calder Trophy finalist from last season is most likely to have a sophomore slump?

11:32: Will Pat Verbeek and the Anaheim Ducks end up trading Mason McTavish?

15:20: Could the sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins affect the direction of the franchise?

18:40: Do the Colorado Avalanche have the pieces to be the best team in the Central Division?

22:45: Do the Boston Bruins have a defensive core to compete for a playoff spot?

27:10: Who should be the next captain of the Bruins?

29:45: Should Tyson Barrie have ever been considered for the Norris Trophy?

32:19: Do the New York Rangers have the potential for a huge bounce-back season?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

iHeartRadio

Amazon

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16-year-old Rio Ngumoha stuns 10-man Newcastle with 100th-minute Liverpool winner

Goodness knows what the man who was not there made of it all. Might Alexander Isak have felt the tiniest bit guilty at the sight of his increasingly overwrought understudy, Anthony Gordon, missing a couple of extremely presentable chances before being sent off for a ridiculous first-half tackle on Virgil van Dijk?

And how did Newcastle’s currently striking star striker assess Hugo ­Ekitiké’s attacking performance for Liverpool? Even as Isak continues to endeavour to engineer a move to Anfield, did he celebrate Will Osula’s unexpected late Newcastle leveller to make it 2-2? What, precisely, did he feel when the 16-year-old visiting substitute Rio Ngumoha won it for the champions in the 100th minute?

Continue reading...
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Malik Monk reportedly likely to start season on Sacramento Kings roster

All summer long, the Sacramento Kings have explored the trade market for Malik Monk. He was linked to Detroit as part of a sign-and-trade to bring Dennis Schroder to Sacramento, but that deal got done without Monk. He was part of the Kings' sign-and-trade offer for Jonathan Kuminga that never got done.

Monk trade talk seems to have faded. The Kings are not actively involved in any trade talks for Monk and he appears likely to start the season in the California capital, which may impact the future of Russell Westbrook, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line on Substack.

"After Sacramento explored various trade scenarios earlier this summer involving Malik Monk, league sources say that the Kings are not actively engaged in such trade talks now. The Kings have maintained an interest in unsigned free agent Russell Westbrook, sources say, but I'm told that they have indeed explored the possibility of creating a backcourt opening for Westbrook by other means rather than dealing Monk."

This is the dead time of year for deals, largely because this is the time of year when NBA front office personnel tend to be on vacation. Things start to ramp back up — both for potential trades and with the still unsigned restricted free agents — closer to the start of training camp in a month. Talk of a Monk trade could ramp up then, but this may be more of a case where training camp starts and the Kings wait out the market, taking their time to see if a team realizes it needs guard help, or an injury changes the dynamic somewhere. The Kings are deep with guards and would be looking for frontcourt help, as well as just remaining financially flexible in the future to reshape the roster (how much longer Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis are with the Kings is up for debate).

For the Kings, swapping out Monk for Westbrook would save money (Sacramento is about $3.1 million below the luxury tax line and hard-capped at the first apron, another $7 million above that). Monk is entering the second year of a four-year, $78 million contract and is set to make $18.8 million this season — a fair market contract for what he brings to the table (arguably even a team-friendly deal). Westbrook, however, is unlikely to receive more than a veteran minimum deal.

Monk could provide guard depth for a lot of rotations around the league. Last season in Sacramento, Monk averaged 17.2 points and 5.6 assists a game. He's a career 35% shooter from 3 who struggled some with that shot last season (32.5%).

Monk may start the season in Sacramento, but it would be a surprise if he ends it there.

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Mason McTavish May Not Be Available For The Hurricanes To Target After All

Terrence Lee-Imagn Images

One Carolina Hurricanes trade target could look to sign a contract extension sooner rather than later. 

It wasn’t too long ago since the Hurricanes were linked as a potential suitor for Mason McTavish if he were to be on the trade block. 

According to Jimmy Murphy of RGMedia, the Hurricanes were keeping tabs on the availability of McTavish.

McTavish is a restricted free agent and has yet to sign a contract extension with the Ducks. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that a contract extension won’t get done. 

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek reportedly views McTavish as a cornerstone of the franchise.

“I can’t get into Verbeek’s head, but I don’t think he thought Zegras and Drysdale were sure things when it came to being core players,” Eric Stephens of The Athletic said. “I do believe he sees McTavish as one.”

Taylor Hall Has Felt At Home In Carolina, Leading To Contract Extension With Hurricanes Taylor Hall Has Felt At Home In Carolina, Leading To Contract Extension With Hurricanes There was one major positive to come out of Mikko Rantanen three-way trade between the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks for the Carolina Hurricanes. 

It’s unclear if the Hurricanes are still in the market for McTavish or if any trade talks between the Ducks and Hurricanes have ensued. 

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Mets’ Jose Siri set to take big step towards potential late-season return

Jose Siri is set to take a big step towards a potential late-season return to the Mets.

The speedy outfielder will officially begin a rehab assignment with the Low-A squad down in Port St. Lucie later this week. 

Siri has been sidelined since April 12 due to a fractured left tibia.

He appeared to be closing in on a return late last month, but hit a bit of a setback in his recovery when imaging showed the bone hadn't healed to the Mets' liking.

Instead, he ended up being shut down from all baseball activities until he was finally able to ramp things back up over the past couple of weeks.

Having missed so much time, though, Carlos Mendoza expects Siri to still be a couple weeks away.

“This is a guy who has been out pretty much the whole year,” the skipper said. “He’ll start playing every other day and then the next week we’ll start moving him up, but we have to see the full nine innings, back-to-backs, we gotta get the volume up.”

The team still hasn’t discussed Siri's exact role when he is eventually ready to return.

The most logical fit would seemingly be as an extra outfielder and speedster off the bench with them being able to add two players when roster expand in September. 

Siri was expected to split time with Tyrone Taylor in center after being acquired in an offseason deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, but the early injury quickly forced him to the sidelines. 

Taylor filled in tremendously over the first few weeks, but after he ultimately struggled the team turned to Jeff McNeil out there and then acquired Cedric Mullins in a deadline deal with the Orioles.

Mullins has picked things up with the bat after a bit of a slow start with the new club, but his defense has left much to be desired.

Siri's return could provide a much-needed boost with his dynamic speed and outfield defense in the latter innings.

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Canadiens' New Projected Defense Has Intriguing Look

The Montreal Canadiens are a team on the rise, and a big reason for it is their strong defensive depth. They only improved it this off-season, too, as they acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders.

When looking at the Canadiens' defensemen, it is clear that they have a ton of options to work with. Thus, there will be plenty of competition at training camp once it begins. 

Recently, the NHL's official Facebook account shared their defense projections for the Canadiens, and they went with some interesting pairings.

For the Canadiens' first pairing, the NHL's account predicted that Kaiden Guhle will play on the left side, while Lane Hutson would play on the right. This pairing would make sense, as Guhle's strong defensive play would give Hutson the freedom to take plenty of chances offensively. They also have experience playing together.

For the Habs' second pairing, the NHL's account sees Mike Matheson playing alongside Noah Dobson. Having a star like Dobson playing on the second pairing would certainly spread out the Canadiens' depth on the blueline, and Matheson could work well playing with him. 

As for the Canadiens' third pairing, the NHL's account has Arber Xhekaj playing with Alexandre Carrier. With Carrier being a dependable defensive defenseman, Xhekaj could benefit playing with him as he continues to work on his development.

If this ends up being the Canadiens' defensive group on opening night, Jayden Struble would be the odd man out. With this, it is apparent that the Canadiens have plenty of solid defensemen to work with.

Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see what their blueline ends up looking like once the season is officially here. 

Canadiens Star Lands Top 10 Rating In NHL 26Canadiens Star Lands Top 10 Rating In NHL 26Earlier this off-season, the Montreal Canadiens made a big splash when they acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. They then quickly signed him to an eight-year, $76 million contract extension. With this, he is expected to be a major part of the Canadiens' blueline moving forward. 
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Canadiens Star Lands Top 10 Rating In NHL 26

Earlier this off-season, the Montreal Canadiens made a big splash when they acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. They then quickly signed him to an eight-year, $76 million contract extension. With this, he is expected to be a major part of the Canadiens' blueline moving forward. 

Dobson has been a star throughout his career, and he has been rewarded for it. EA Sports has revealed that Dobson is one of the top 10 right-shot defenseman for NHL 26, which will be released on Sep. 12. 

Dobson earned the No. 9 spot, as EA Sports has given him an 88 overall rating. With this, he has the same rating as other star defensemen like Evan Bouchard, Colton Parayko, Moritz Seider, Dougie Hamilton, John Carlson, and Drew Doughty. That is certainly some great company. 

In 71 games this past season with the Islanders, Dobson recorded 10 goals, 29 assists, and 39 points. Overall, he put up decent numbers in 2024-25, but he is a clear bounce-back candidate heading into 2025-26. Just back in 2023-24 with the Islanders, he scored 10 goals and set career highs with 60 assists and 70 points in 79 games. If he gets his numbers back up like that in 2025-26, it would be massive for the Canadiens. 

Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj Should Hit New LevelCanadiens' Arber Xhekaj Should Hit New LevelThe Montreal Canadiens have plenty of young players who fans should pay close attention to in 2025-26. Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj is certainly one of them.
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Francisco Alvarez takes batting practice, could begin rehab assignment in next few days

Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez took batting practice on Monday at Citi Field as he works toward a potential return from a UCL sprain in his right thumb.

Alvarez was placed on the 10-day IL last Tuesday, with the plan at the time being for him to be reevaluated in 10-to-14 days.

The catch, then and now, is that Alvarez will eventually need surgery to repair his injury. But the hope is that he'll be able to play through it upon his hopeful return and through the remainder of the season.

Carlos Mendoza said ahead of Monday's game against the Phillies that Alvarez also took batting practice at Citi Field on Sunday.

Mendoza added that if all goes well with Alvarez over the next few days, he'll begin a rehab assignment on either Wednesday or Thursday.

If Alvarez is able to begin his rehab assignment as planned and can play through the pain at a satisfactory level, it's fair to believe his rehab assignment will not be long. 

Alvarez's injury occurred eight days ago against the Mariners on a head-first slide into second base.

The 23-year-old, who missed the start of the season with a hamate fracture in his left hand and spent a chunk of the year working on things at Triple-A, appeared to have found his stroke at the plate before the injury.

Since returning from the demotion in late July, Alvarez is slashing .323/.408/.645 with four homers, six doubles, one triple, 13 RBI, and 14 runs scored in 71 plate appearances over 21 games.

In Alvarez's absence, Luis Torrens has been getting most of the starts behind the plate while Hayden Senger serves as his backup.

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Forgotten Flyers Prospect On Last Chance to Make NHL Impact

(Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)

Training camp and the start of the NHL preseason will make for a pivotal few weeks for forgotten Philadelphia Flyers prospect Adam Ginning, a defenseman now lost at the bottom of the pecking order.

Ginning, 25, has played just 11 NHL games for the Flyers over the course of the last three seasons, scoring one goal.

The 6-foot-3 Swede saw the bulk of that action in the 2023-24 season as an injury replacement, featuring in nine games under now-departed head coach John Tortorella.

Last season, as we know, is a different story, as Ginning played just one game - Jan. 30 against the New York Islanders - taking just 18 shifts and playing a total of 12:48 while picking up a -1 rating.

That's hardly a sign of trust as it is, and it was further evidenced by fellow Swedish defense prospects Emil Andrae and Helge Grans earning longer cameos in the NHL with the Flyers last season.

Now, with a new head coach in Rick Tocchet coming in and John Snowden now in charge of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms operation, any good faith Ginning has built over the years has been reduced to a clean slate.

That could work in the 25-year-old's favor, but it could also doom him to another full season in the AHL.

At this point, Andrae, Grans, Nick Seeler, Travis Sanheim, Cam York, Egor Zamula, Dennis Gilbert, and, probably, Hunter McDonald are all ahead of Ginning on the organizational depth chart.

The lack of upside hurts Ginning, too, as he'll turn 26 during the season (Jan. 13), has very little NHL experience relative to his peers bar McDonald, and produces a nominal amount of offense.

Ginning sunk his chances of making the NHL roster last season with a dreary preseason marred by turnovers, inaccurate and delayed passing, and generally being a slow operator at the heart of the Flyers' defense.

Tocchet, in his only two playoff appearances as an NHL head coach, heavily utilized puck-movers like Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jakob Chychrun, Alex Goligoski, and Tyler Myers.

The defensemen who didn't move the puck as well or put up as many points were defensive foils, like Niklas Hjalmarsson, Ian Cole, Nikita Zadorov, Carson Soucy, and Jason Demers; all of whom were fairly accomplished NHL defensemen at that point.

Flyers' Next Rebuild Step Hinges on Jamie Drysdale's DevelopmentFlyers' Next Rebuild Step Hinges on Jamie Drysdale's DevelopmentHow Jamie Drysdale plays in the 2025-26 season will, for better or worse, alter the path of this rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers team.

Noah Juulsen, too, has joined Tocchet in Philadelphia, further muddying Ginning's chances of sticking with the Flyers.

The 2018 second-round pick also has just one year remaining on his contract with the Flyers, after which he'll become a Group-6 unrestricted free agent.

And, before Ginning signed that two-year extension with the Flyers last offseason, there were well-traveled rumors that the hulking rearguard could opt to return to Sweden rather than continue to compete for an NHL future.

Based on how last year went, from preseason on, Ginning is effectively on his last chance to make it happen before a move to Sweden becomes the ideal path forward.

The Flyers welcome the competition - it will be fierce this fall - but Ginning has a long and arduous few weeks ahead of him if he is to finally stick at the NHL level.