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The Vegas Golden Knights and the Anaheim Ducks face off in Game 3 of their second-round NHL playoff series. The teams split the first two games in Las Vegas. Game 3 is in Anaheim. The Golden Knights are slight favorites in Game 3 at 1.5 goals.
Date: Friday, May 8
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
TV Channels: TNT, truT, HBO, Spor
Live Stream:ESPN+ | Follow on Yahoo Sports
Spread: Anaheim Ducks +1.5
Moneyline: Anaheim Ducks -108 (49.6%) / Vegas Golden Knights -112 (50.4%)
Over/Under: 6.5
Observations after Sixers slide to 3-0 series deficit with home loss to Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers now face an even bleaker picture than they did after falling behind 3-1 in their first-round playoff series with the Celtics.
They suffered a 108-94 loss Friday night to the Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena, sliding to a 3-0 deficit in their second-round series. No NBA team has ever won a series after trailing 3-0.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson tallied 33 points and nine assists. Mikal Bridges added 23 points.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored a playoff career-high 22 points for the Sixers and grabbed eight rebounds.
Joel Embiid returned after missing Game 2 with right ankle and right hip injuries. He had 18 points, six assists and five rebounds. Tyrese Maxey posted 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting and seven assists.
OG Anunoby (right hamstring strain) sat out Game 3 for New York. His status is considered day-to-day, Knicks head coach Mike Brown said pregame.
Game 4 will be Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Here are observations on the Sixers’ Game 3 loss:
Miles McBride replaced Anunoby in New York’s starting lineup. The Sixers resumed business as usual with Embiid as their starting center.
Embiid dished out two early assists to George and the Sixers surged to a quick 9-0 lead.
Though there was a vocal contingent of Knicks fans in the building, the Sixers certainly felt the home crowd behind them for the first time this series. Brown called timeout after two straight Maxey-to-VJ Edgecombe alley-oops.
George nailed his third triple of the first quarter to put the Sixers up 23-12. He had another excellent, sweet-shooting start, scoring 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the first quarter.
The 36-year-old is up to 34 made threes in the playoffs, which is the most of any player. He cooled off badly Friday, scoring zero points after the first quarter, but George has mostly been what the Sixers envisioned as a consistent, efficient two-way wing next to Embiid and Maxey.
Brunson started 0 for 4 from the floor. Karl-Anthony Towns was sidelined by foul trouble for much of the first half.
The Sixers were still unable to extend their lead. Former Sixers guard Landry Shamet made a major impact off of New York’s bench, posting nine first-half points. Shamet leaked out for a dunk early in the second quarter to tie the game at 33-all. The Knicks went on top with a second-chance Jose Alvarado jumper.
New York built its lead largely through exploiting two Sixers weaknesses that have popped up often this season — poor defensive rebounding and lack of quality depth. The Knicks posted 13 of the night’s 15 second-chance points. They had a 16-0 halftime advantage in bench scoring, too.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse played a nine-man rotation. Quentin Grimes remained the team’s sixth man, Andre Drummond and Adem Bona both got brief shifts at backup center, and Dominick Barlow stayed in the rotation. The Sixers continued to rely heavily on their starters and no second-unit player fared particularly well in the first half.
Oubre’s buzzer-beating three dropped in to cut the Sixers’ deficit to 60-52 at halftime.
Embiid was obviously not at optimal health. Both his mobility and his leaping looked to be limited, although he did have explosive moments here and there.
The Sixers had stretches where they assigned Embiid to Josh Hart and essentially used him as a defensive roamer. On the other end, Embiid was upset about multiple no-calls and only managed eight points in the first half on 3-for-7 shooting.
Oubre helped the Sixers stay within striking distance and Towns picked up his fourth foul with 6:27 left in the third quarter. Oubre sunk a corner three and Embiid spiked Josh Hart’s shot inside during a third-quarter Sixers run. Embiid’s second-chance layup trimmed New York’s lead to 78-76.
As they had in Game 1, the Sixers intentionally fouled Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson, sending him to the line late in the third quarter. Robinson went 3 for 4 on the foul shots generated by the Sixers’ hacking, although he did later have an 0-for-2 trip.
The Sixers’ offense missed some good looks in the final minutes of the third quarter and the Knicks made them pay. After Grimes air balled a three long and George’s jumper hit the front rim, Shamet drilled a triple with 7.1 seconds left in the third to give the Knicks an 88-79 edge.
Grimes scored the Sixers’ first bench points with a three-ball early in the fourth quarter. He canned another to pull the Sixers within four points and prompt a New York timeout.
The Knicks regained control and the Sixers continued with a George-Barlow frontcourt until Embiid subbed back in with 6:05 left in the game. Brunson scored in transition seconds after Embiid entered and the Sixers’ deficit grew to 99-86.
While the Sixers have had promising patches in the last two games, the bottom line is the Knicks have been the better, deeper team and the series scoreline reflects that. Once more, the Sixers will stare down an elimination game Sunday.
The Montreal Canadiens face the Buffalo Sabres in Game 2 of their second-round NHL playoff series. The Sabres won Game 1 4-2. Buffalo is also favored in Game 2 by 1.5 goals.
Date: Friday, May 8
Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Where: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
TV Channels: TNT, truT, HBO, Spor
Live Stream:ESPN+ | Follow on Yahoo Sports
Spread: Buffalo Sabres -1.5
Moneyline: Buffalo Sabres -136 (55.2%) / Montreal Canadiens +114 (44.8%)
Over/Under: 5.5
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The Cleveland Cavaliers return home for Game 3, facing a massive hole after dropping the first two games of the series in Detroit. With no NBA team ever coming back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series, urgency should be at an all-time high for Cleveland on Friday night.
These Pistons vs. Cavaliers predictions are built around a bounce-back performance from James Harden and a Cavaliers team that has been dominant on its home floor throughout the playoffs.
James Harden has been far more aggressive offensively at home, and Cleveland desperately needs that scoring punch with its season threatening to spiral. Detroit has struggled to contain downhill guards in this series, and Harden’s usage should spike in a must-win environment. Expect Cleveland to lean heavily on its stars early and often.
James Harden has been far more aggressive offensively at home, and Cleveland desperately needs that scoring punch with its season threatening to spiral. Detroit has struggled to contain downhill guards in this series, and Harden’s usage should spike in a must-win environment. Expect Cleveland to lean heavily on its stars early and often.
The Cavaliers have failed to cover the spread in five straight road games, but they're 4-1 ATS across their last five at home. Cleveland will be playing with a major sense of urgency, looking to avoid a 3-0 hole that has never been overcome in playoff history. I expect Harden to be better, and the combination of him and Donovan Mitchell will be too much for Detroit to contain.
Get Zak Hanshew's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Pistons vs Cavaliers predictions for Game 3.
Stay up-to-date with the latest NBA Championship odds for each remaining team, as well as NBA title splits, betting trends, and the previous list of teams that have won the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
See what the current line movement and updates are in the NBA Finals MVP odds race, along with Finals MVP betting trends, favorite analysis, and recent superstars to receive this award.
Never lose track of where each series sits with our live NBA Playoff bracket, as well as the updated prices for each team to win their respective series — round by round.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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PHILADELPHIA — Game 3 was too soon for OG Anunoby.
Despite the Knicks’ optimism that his injury is minor, Anunoby was out for their clash against the 76ers Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. He had been listed as questionable heading into the game.
Anunoby suffered a right hamstring strain during the Knicks’ 108-102 Game 2 win on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. But imaging revealed that it is a “very minor” strain, The Post’s Stefan Bondy reported, and he is truly considered day-to-day with confidence he should not miss much time.
The Knicks had to play at least one game without him, however. Miles McBride was elevated into the starting lineup in his place.
“Obviously things change a little bit,” Josh Hart said before Game 3. “He’s a great defensive player. So it just means guys that are playing are going to have to step up, cover for each other.”
The Knicks would not elaborate on whether Anunoby is able to run or what he is actually able to do on the court.
“We just have to go out and try to do our job, whatever our job is,” coach Mike Brown said before Game 3. “Nobody has to do anything extraordinary. Defensively and offensively, it’s the same with OG being out. It’s going to be a collective effort for everybody to step up. You always talk about next man up, that’s what it is during this time of the year or the regular season.”
Anunoby appeared to suffer the injury while driving to the basket during the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game. He began visibly limping, but remained in the game for a few plays and even attempted a dunk — though he was blocked. He asked for a sub and came out with 2:31 left in the game, went to the locker room and did not return.
He has arguably been the Knicks’ most consistent player this postseason — he is averaging 20.3 points on stellar 61.9 percent shooting from the field and 53.8 percent shooting from 3-point range. His defense — on Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu in the first round against the Hawks and primarily Paul George in this second-round series against the 76ers — has been superb.
Anunoby’s absence left a major hole to fill.
“OG’s been unbelievable,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said before Game 3. “He’s been amazing both in the Atlanta series and in this series. He has been as good as I’ve ever seen him. He just keeps getting better and better, it’s a testament to him to continue to just keep playing. He guards every position. His shooting’s been great, now he’s even, his cutting game is great. Once he dribbles inside the line, you used to kind of think ‘let’s force him inside the line and who knows what’s going to happen.’ Now he’s dunking on people and hitting that 17-footer. He’s been doing everything at a super high level. … I’m a big fan of OG’s.”
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As the series shifts to Minnesota, the Timberwolves return home looking to respond in Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs, with our NBA player prop projections identifying several strong value spots on the board.
By breaking down the data and comparing it to the latest market lines, we’ve uncovered where the strongest betting edges lie for this pivotal matchup.
These Spurs vs. Timberwolves predictions are driven by numbers instead of guesswork.
If you’re building your card, here are the model’s top NBA picks for Friday, May 8.
 Spurs |  Timberwolves |
|---|---|
| Wembanyama o12.5 rebounds -110 | Edwards u23.5 points -115 |
| Castle o16.5 points -112 | Gobert o10.5 rebounds -135 |
| Fox o5.5 assists -105 | Reid o1.5 3-pointers -150 |
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Projection: 13.44 rebounds
Death. Taxes. And Victor Wembanyama snatching up rebounds for the San Antonio Spurs like it's going out of style.
This one has become a staple for a reason, and there’s little indication that changes now. Expect Wemby to keep doing Wemby things and stay active on the boards.
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Projection: 17.18 points
Stephon Castle has been operating like a well-oiled machine throughout the playoffs, especially against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He’s shot 50% or better in both Game 1 and Game 2 against Minnesota and has cleared his points prop in each outing.
With that level of consistency, there’s little reason to expect the trend to slow down anytime soon.
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Projection: 6.18 assists
De’Aaron Fox has cleared this assists line in five of the Spurs’ last seven playoff games, reinforcing how effective San Antonio is when he’s setting the table and keeping them within striking distance — or outright in control.
Playmaking is built into Fox’s game, and he’s not likely to drift away from what makes him most effective.
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Projection: 20.95 points
The Timberwolves are taking a cautious approach with Anthony Edwards’ health, making it no surprise that his points prop is leaning toward the Under.
While he’d undoubtedly like to bounce back and help erase the disappointment from Game 2, Minnesota’s priority is keeping his minutes in check to avoid aggravating his knee issue and risking further setback.
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Projection: 11.56 rebounds
Rudy Gobert has been right on the edge of this rebounds line, grabbing 10 boards in both Games 1 and 2 against the Spurs.
With the Timberwolves looking to respond in Game 3, he should have another strong opportunity on the glass—and this time, it feels like he finally breaks through and hits the Over.
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Projection: 2.04 3-pointers
Naz Reid has been knocking down threes at a hot clip against the Spurs, shooting 67% in Game 1 and 75% in Game 2.
He’s consistently been good for at least one or two triples throughout the playoffs, and with the series shifting back to Minnesota, there’s little reason to expect that trend to slow down now. He'll do enough from beyond the arc to clear the Over in Game 3.
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| Location | Target Center, Minneapolis, MN |
| Date | Friday, May 8, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Prime Video |
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With free agency still more than a month away, teams already eliminated from the postseason are putting together their big boards. Targets they’re interested in. Assets they have available. Ways to start piecing together the puzzle that will become the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns roster.
We all have our theories about who the Suns should add, who they could add, and how they can make the money work. At the same time, the front office is building its own board. And according to reports, two names on that list are players still active in the postseason. Two players who bring very similar traits.
Per Clutch Points reporter Brett Siegel, the Suns have been linked to Dean Wade of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Harrison Barnes of the San Antonio Spurs.
Both players are power forwards who can stretch the floor. Neither gives you much interior size, still, both provide a real presence from beyond the arc.
Harrison Barnes will be 34 next season and entering his 13th year in the league. He’s coming off his second season with the San Antonio Spurs and made $19 million last year. San Antonio does hold his Bird rights if they want to bring him back. Given the youth movement happening there, it’s hard to see them spending heavily to retain Barnes at this stage.
Dean Wade is interesting for different reasons. He’s 29 years old with six seasons of NBA experience, all spent with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s finishing up a three-year, $18.5 million contract. Cleveland is operating over the second apron, which means tough business decisions are coming. They also hold Wade’s Bird rights, still, retaining him could become difficult depending on how aggressive they want to be financially.
So the question becomes, what is their value on the open market? And is it something the Phoenix Suns would be willing to pay?
There are other factors involved as well. If the Suns move off either Grayson Allen or Royce O’Neale, or both, then Dean Wade becomes a much more intriguing target. You don’t want to overpay for him, still, he could replicate parts of the outgoing skill set while giving you more size in the process.
Harrison Barnes is different for me. On a veteran minimum deal, sure. Beyond that, I’m not interested at this point.
Given the fact that Phoenix will probably operate on the fringes instead of chasing splashy trades, these are the kinds of names you should expect them to be tied to. Moving off Allen or O’Neale is realistic, and doing so could open different ways to improve around the margins. You still have to replace what those players provide.
Wade shot 36.2% from three this season. Barnes shot 38.8%. Both are complementary pieces that can help in spot starts and rotational roles. The question becomes role expectation. They’re unrestricted free agents. Maybe they want more. Maybe they want starting opportunities, similar to what Tyus Jones once sought in Phoenix.
That’s where restraint matters. If starting promises are part of the pitch, the Suns should pass. You already have Rasheer Fleming sitting there. He should be getting starts at power forward next season, not veterans born during the Bush administration.
That’s my two cents. Let us know in the comments how you feel about the Suns being linked to these two players.
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks hired Mike Schmitz as general manager on Friday, naming the Portland Trail Blazers' assistant GM to his new role three days after introducing Masai Ujiri as team president and alternate governor.
The announcement gives Schmitz the title Nico Harrison held until he was fired in November, nine months after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a move that backfired badly on the franchise.
The Mavericks said Schmitz would oversee day-to-day management and strategic alignment in the club's basketball operations department.
The move comes with Dallas still not having provided any clarity on the future roles of Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi. They were named co-interim GMs when Harrison was fired and engineered the trade of Anthony Davis, the centerpiece acquired by Dallas in the Doncic deal, to Washington.
Schmitz and the Nigerian-raised Ujiri have strong ties to Africa. Schmitz has spent time working on youth basketball development in Ujiri's homeland and has served as an assistant coach with the Ugandan national team.
Schmitz joined the Trail Blazers in 2022 after spending five years as a draft analyst at ESPN.
“I have tremendous respect for Masai, this ownership group and the vision they have for the future of the franchise,” Schmitz said. “I'm excited to get to work alongside the talented people already in place and help build a championship-caliber organization.”
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
The San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves meet in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals series. The teams split the first two games in San Antonio. Game 3 is in Minneapolis. The Spurs are favored by 4.5 points. The over/under for the matchup is set at 216.5.
Date: Friday, May 8
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV Channels: Amaz
Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports
Spread: Minnesota Timberwolves +4.5
Moneyline: Minnesota Timberwolves +165 (36.2%) / San Antonio Spurs -198 (63.8%)
Over/Under: 216.5
Game 1:Timberwolves 104, Spurs 102
Game 2:Spurs 133, Timberwolves 95
Game 3: San Antonio at Minnesota (Friday May 8, 9:30 ET, Prime Video)
Game 4: San Antonio at Minnesota (Sunday May 10, 7:30 ET, NBC/Peacock)
Game 5: Minnesota at San Antonio (Tuesday May 12)*
Game 6: San Antonio at Minnesota (Friday May 15)*
Game 7: Minnesota at San Antonio (Sunday May 17)*
The game of basketball can be complex. But often, its solutions can be simple. For the Lakers, there are two things they consistently haven’t been able to do this postseason: grab rebounds and control the basketball.
Against Houston in the first round, they eventually won the battle of the boards as the series progressed, but now in the second round, the Thunder are winning in this department.
Across two games, OKC has outrebounded Los Angeles 76-71. Turnovers have been even more concerning. The Lakers lead the playoffs in turnovers, averaging 18.1 per game. In their Game 2 loss, the Lakers had 21 turnovers, and the Thunder scored 26 points off them.
“You can start seeing some trends here,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said postgame. “We probably need to go back to the two keys we had against Houston which is take care of the ball and box out. It’s not on a high volume, but they’ve killed us in both games. Every time they’ve gotten an offensive rebound, they’ve scored.”
If you give the Thunder additional opportunities, they will make you pay. OKC leads the NBA in 2nd chance points, averaging 18 per game in the playoffs. Against the Lakers, that number has increased to 19. With LA struggling to take care of the ball and unable to retain possession on misses, it’s no surprise they are down 2-0 in this series.
“I think tonight, we did a good job with our first defense, but we have to clean glass,” LeBron James said. “We have to do a better job. We let Chet get some offensive rebounds and some putbacks, either get to the free throw line or some putbacks. [Against] a team like that, you can’t give up second-chance points. We did a great job in the Houston series as the series went on of being better at that. We got to do a better job of hitting and not allowing them to get second-chance points. When you’re able to hold a team like that to a first stop, I think we can get better at that.”
Before this series started, LeBron mentioned a need to take care of the details. In Game 1, the Lakers all agreed that it didn’t happen. Now, after Game 2, the chatter after the loss is more of the same.
So far, the Lakers haven’t been able to execute on all phases of a game for four quarters. The reason is a combination of the Lakers not taking care of things and the Thunder making that happen. This is a tough matchup for the Lakers. OKC is the favorite to win it all and hasn’t shown any cracks in its armor.
It’s up to the Lakers to create them, and that starts with controlling what they can control. In Game 3, they need to grab those boards and be smarter with the basketball. If not, they’ll be one step closer to elimination.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers head home today looking earn a much-needed win over the Detroit Pistons, as they trail 2-0 in this second-round series.
My Pistons vs. Cavaliers predictions are looking for superstar guard James Harden to get back on track in front of the home crowd.
Here are my best free NBA picks for Game 3 from Rocket Arena on Saturday, May 9. Don't miss tip-off at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, and for more on this game, read Ed Scimia's Pistons vs. Cavaliers props.
Cavaliers: The Cavaliers kept things close in Game 2 despite a poor performance from James Harden, and Harden should get back on track in the pivotal Game 3. Donovan Mitchell has played his best basketball at home, and the Cavs are 31-14 at Rocket Arena compared to just 25-21 across all other venues this season.
James Harden delivered a dud in Game 2, scoring 10 points on just 3-of-13 shooting while failing to do much as a rebounder or facilitator. He’s been hounded with a reputation for flopping in the playoffs throughout his career, and I expect him to respond with a bounce-back effort in Game 3.
Harden is averaging 19.6 points per game in the playoffs, and he’s scored 19+ in five of nine outings. He’s reached that scoring milestone in 21 of 35 games with the Cleveland Cavaliersoverall and in nine of 16 at home. He finished with exactly 18 points in three more home appearances.
The superstar guard has averaged 22.8 points at home compared to just 17 on the road in his first postseason run with Cleveland, scoring at least 18 in all four games at Rocket Arena and at least 19 three times.
It’s do-or-die time for Cleveland, and with the series — and his reputation — on the line, I’m betting on a big game from Harden.
COVERS INTEL:James Harden has scored 19+ points in 112 of 182 career playoff games, good for 61.5%.Harden has averaged 7.2 assists across 35 appearances with the Cavaliers, and he's dished at least seven dimes 23 times. Harden finished with exactly seven assists in four of five matchups against the Detroit Pistons this season, failing to do so only in his disappointing Game 2 performance.
The Cavaliers have failed to cover the spread in five straight road games, but they're 4-1 ATS across their last five at home. Cleveland will be playing with a major sense of urgency, looking to avoid a 3-0 hole that has never been overcome in playoff history.
I expect Harden to be better, and the combination of him and Donovan Mitchell will be too much for Detroit to contain.
Donovan Mitchell averaged a career-best 28.7 points per game at home this season, scoring 26+ in 28 of 41 games at Rocket Arena and reaching that mark in 47 of 79 games overall. He averaged 29.8 points across four matchups with the Pistons, scoring 30+ and hitting the Over on this line three times.
Jarrett Allen bounced back from a poor showing in Game 1 with 22 points in Game 2. He's averaged 15.4 points across five matchups with the Pistons this season, hitting the Over on this line three times. Allen has averaged 12.8 points per game at home compared to just 10.6 on the road in this season's playoffs.
The Cavaliers have covered the spread in four of their last five home games. Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Cavaliers.
| Location | Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH |
| Date | Saturday, May 9, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC |
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The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 38.
The buzz about Waldschmidt has become increasingly loud of late. MLB Pipeline has listed him as the team’s best prospect, and in the top fifty overall in baseball. He’ll be making his debut less than two years after being picked by the Diamondbacks in the 2024 draft. Waldschmidt was the 31st overall selection, out of the University of Kentucky. We have Corbin Carroll to thank for him, since the D-backs earned the additional slot courtesy of Carroll winning Rookie of the Year the previous season.
2025 proved to be a breakout year for Waldschmidt, as he destroyed the ball, in particular after a mid-season promotion to Double-A Amarillo. If that is undeniably a hitter-friendly venue (the team OPS was .777), his line of .309/.423/.498 for an OPS of .921, while still only aged 22, was still very impressive. He then batted .302 with an .836 OPS in spring training, but did not make the Opening Day roster, and was sent to Triple-A Reno. In 34 games for the Aces, Waldschmidt has a triple-slash of .289/.400/.477 for an .877 OPS. Though as can never be said often enough, expect those numbers to take a sizable hit in the majors. But the peripherals look pretty damn good:
I think it is no coincidence that the team waited until now to promote Ryan. By doing so, the team avoided him being potentially eligible for “Super Two” status. This allows certain players to reach arbitration after 2+ years service time, rather than the usual 3+. Last year, the cutoff was quite high: players needed 2 years, 140 days to qualify, which basically means they needed to be called up in the first 32 days of the season. We’re now on day #44 of this season, so even if the cut-off point is lower, Waldschmidt should be on normal progression through the arbitration process.
To make room for Waldschmidt, the move may signal the end of Alek Thomas’s time in Arizona. A second-round pick in 2018, he made his debut for the Diamondbacks in 2022, so is in his fifth major-league season with the team. He initially looked promising through his first two seasons, and was a key component of the D-backs’ run to the World Series in 2023. Nobody can forget him coming off the bench (below) to hit a key, game-tying home run facing Craig Kimbrel in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Phillies, likely saving the D-backs from a 3-1 deficit in the series.
But, sadly, it has more or less been downhill since then for Thomas in Arizona, through a brutal combination of injury – a strained hamstring cost him much of the first half the next season – and ineffectiveness. While his defense has typically been reliable and often brilliant, the struggles at the plate basically canceled out anything Alek could produce with his glove. Since the start of 2024, Thomas has appeared in 210 games, but been worth just 0.1 bWAR, due largely to an OPS+ of just 75. This season has been worse still: 28 appearances and only a 54 OPS+. With Thomas now perhaps out of minor-league options (there’s some debate over that), being designated for assignment was the only alternative.
We’ll see how the move works out for Arizona. It’s possible Thomas might get through waivers and go down to Reno. But if Waldschmidt lives up to expectations, the prospects of Alek finding his way back onto the 40-man roster, and then to the big leagues, are not something on which I would want to bet.
Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
The idiot that said, “Harper is coming” asks:Do you have any ideas on who could be the back end of the bullpen partner with Bednar by the end of this season? Is it someone from within, or someone acquired in trade? And who?
How about we consider options for both, since there are plenty of candidates to talk about. Internally, the Yankee bullpen has seen its greatest success with its firemen, the pitchers rushing into jams in the middle-to-late innings or evading some self-created trouble. Brent Headrick and Fernando Cruz are the staples here, but the revamp that the team gave their bullpen at the deadline hasn’t worked out quite so well in supplementing them, forcing them to take more and more responsibilities on their shoulders. These might be the names we’d want to elevate to full-time set up duty, but they run the risk of burning them out by the time summer arrives if that workload continues.
To give one of them room to shift into that role, the Yankee could elevate Yovanny Cruz (1.72 ERA in 15.2 innings at Triple-A) and mix him into the middle-inning cacophany. There’s also the impending rotation crunch to consider, as Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole’s return will push one of the regular starters this season down into the ‘pen. Ryan Weathers seems the likeliest candidate, with Will Warren flashing some potential middle of the rotation development this season. In either case, Fernando Cruz seems the better candidate for a traditional set-up man, as Headrick has excelled at stranding runners this season whereas Cruz has looked better being given a fresh frame to work through.
Externally there’s many avenues the team could take, but they’re cloudier at the moment with so many AL teams jumbled up in the standings. With just four teams sitting above .500 and the bottom pairing of the Astros and Angels only three games out of the final Wild Card should the season end today, getting many of those mediocre teams to commit to selling will take some time. Even a would-be easy candidate in the Phillies a mere week or two ago look more lively after firing Rob Thomson and winning eight of their last ten games. However, nice as it’d be to trade for Jhoan Duran they might not be able to shop at the top of the market (though with how aggressive they’ve been in playing their best options this year, who knows). Milwaukee’s Trevor Megill was a name floated over the offseason, but he hasn’t gotten off to the best start and the Yankees might be gun shy about dealing with the Brewers after the Devin Williams saga last year. A candidate I think could shine with some Matt Blake spin is Miami’s Tyler Phillips, a swingman who has gotten some chances late in games for the Marlins and showcases potential, but has worked a bit too many walks. Ultimately, it’ll come down to who separates themselves from the pack and if there are teams that could contend but would be willing to retool for next year before we can get any definitive names, but the good thing is that there will always be someone willing to deal out bullpen help.
OLDY MOLDY asks: Should we stop believing that Spencer Jones will get called up before September or can he hit enough dingers to force the issue?
I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Spencer Jones’ day has come, as he was promoted today and will likely see some action over the course of this weekend. The bad news is it came at the expense of Jasson Domínguez, who crashed into the left field wall on Thursday and was put on the IL for a low-grade AC sprain. With Domínguez already taking the place of Giancarlo Stanton on the roster after he was put on the IL, the door was open for Jones to finally make his MLB debut. How long will his first stint in pinstripes last? Undetermined for now, as a Stanton injury can always snowball into a significant amount of time missed and Domínguez looked to be in severe pain on the play that took him out of the game, but the mere fact that he’s here in May is a sign of two things: the team believes he deserves a test against Major League pitching, and they’re willing to run the roster that gives them the best chance to win every day.
Jones may not get much playing time at the moment — the starting outfield of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham is still intact and Grisham is finding more and more green grass to land on after getting incredibly unlucky at the start of the year. The avenue for a starting gig just isn’t there yet, but the team is willing to disrupt Jone’s tear at Triple-A (he owns a .958 OPS with 11 home runs in 33 games played) to field him over a more conventional stopgap. It makes sense that the role would be realized once it was made for Domínguez, who similarly had gaps in his game that the team wanted him to work on in the minors, but it is still a surprise to see and could prove to be a signal that other top prospects can contribute this season should they continue making the case.
Trent Grishams Mustache asks: Will Volpe get all of SS reps in AAA with Lombard playing 3B and maybe 2B or do they prioritize Lombard and have Volpe cross train at 2B?
For the moment it looks like this will be the case, though our own John Griffin made the case recently for why the Yankees should consider shifting Volpe around, and noted in his article that Aaron Boone walked back some initial comments on his demotion about locking him into the role saying “right now, he’s going to play shortstop.” So for now Volpe will get comfortable at his old position while George Lombard Jr. flexes his defensive prowess by covering second and third base, which he did earlier in the year when Volpe was rehabbing with him down in Somerset as well. If Lombard is being seriously considered for a role in the majors this season it makes sense that they’d give him that chance to win a spot through versatility, but Volpe’s track record implies that he’d be closer to a call-up and could also use the practice if Lombard long-term looks to be the shortstop of the future. It’ll be an interesting case to monitor, but as of right now nothing out of the ordinary is happening down on the farm with those two.
The Detroit Red Wings had a choice to make this past offseason following the acquisition of goaltender John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Petr Mrazek.
Either they re-sign Alex Lyon to another short-term contract and continue rolling forward with three goaltenders on the roster as they had done for much of the previous two seasons, or they could allow veteran Cam Talbot to battle it out with Gibson for the starting role.
They chose the former, and Lyon's time with the club ended. He decided to join his third Atlantic Divison team, signing a two-year, $3 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres.
While Buffalo's start to the season was inconsistent, they caught fire midway through December and remained one of the NHL's hottest clubs all the way through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, for which they qualified for the first time since 2011.
Lyon, who broke the Buffalo club record by Hall of Famer (and former Red Wing) Dominik Hasek for most consecutive regular-season wins, has posted elite numbers so far in the playoffs.
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Lyon, who replaced Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen during their opening round series victory over the Boston Bruins, currently boasts an impressive 1.30 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage through six games, in which he's gone 4-1.
His goals-against average and save percentage are both second overall among NHL playoff goalies behind only Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, who has gone a perfect 7-0.
Lyon has bounced around the NHL throughout his career, having played with both the Philadelphia Flyers and Hurricanes before joining the Panthers. He was their initial postseason starter in 2023 for what would be the first of three straight trips for the club to the Stanley Cup Final before eventually being replaced by Sergei Bobrovsky.
Following that run, he signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings, and went 35-27-6 across 74 total contests, racking up a 2.96 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage.
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