Washington Nationals @ Texas Rangers
Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
The Shed
RHP Cade Cavalli vs. RHP Kumar Rocker
Go Rangers!
Game 127 Game Day Thread – Washington Nationals @ Texas Rangers
Flyers' Matvei Michkov Badly Disrespected in New NHL Young Player Rankings
While last season may have been a rollercoaster, young Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov is turning out to be a much more polarizing figure for analysts than we may have originally thought.
On Wednesday, The Athletic prospects expert Corey Pronman released his ranking of the best U23 players in the NHL, including recently drafted prospects, and Michkov wasn't given all that much grace.
His placement was far from the most controversial, but still disrespectful relative to his achievements in the NHL thus far nonetheless.
Michkov, 21, was ranked as the 35th-best U23 player in the NHL by Pronman, putting him just six spots ahead of the 41st ranked Jack Nesbitt, who was drafted 12th overall by the Flyers in 2025.
The Flyers' Russian phenom placed just ahead of players like Roman Kantserov (37th) and Sam O'Reilly (40th), who have yet to play in an NHL game, while peers like Jimmy Snuggerud (33rd), Ryan Leonard (32nd), Ilya Protas (26th), Roger McQueen (25th), Viggo Bjorck (21st), Anton Frondell (20th), and Adam Fantilli (9th) were all well ahead.
Expert Names 2 Flyers Prospects Under Pressure Heading Into Next SeasonTime is ticking for these two Philadelphia Flyers prospects to reach their full potential and make a big NHL impact.That ranking of 35th is certainly unfair to Michkov, who has had to play for three head coaches in two NHL seasons while picking up a new language and culture on the fly in Philadelphia.
Despite coming into his second NHL season unprepared, plus those aforementioned circumstances, Michkov still finished his sophomore NHL season with 20 goals, 31 assists, and 51 points, leading the Flyers in scoring after the Olympic break to help spur the Orange and Black to their first playoff berth since 2020.
Yes, Michkov was mostly a no-show in the playoffs, but there would be no playoffs without him, either, and he did have the primary assist on Cam York's series-winning goal against the archrival Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 of the first round.
Michkov's perceived upside varies by who you ask, as some are more bullish on the raw talent, and others, like Pronman, have reservations about the average skating and defending.
Flyers' Matvei Michkov Flexes Physique In New Social Media PostAll eyes are on Matvei Michkov and the Philadelphia Flyers heading into the 2026-27 season.Still, Michkov's offensive production makes him much more accomplished than many players ranked above him or near him, and the 2023 No. 7 overall pick ranking below similarly average defenders with not even half of the offensive upside is simply disrespectful and dismisses everything he's achieved in the last two seasons.
Premier League 2026-27 preview No 17: Newcastle
After the departure of the manager and some of their best players, fans on Tyneside are braced for a transitional season at best
Guardian writers’ predicted position: 17th (NB: this is not necessarily Louise Taylor’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 12th
Continue reading...Jerry Buss wouldn’t be pleased with Lakers drama: Why Jeanie needs to wave white flag
Jerry Buss wouldn’t have wanted this.
After the Lakers owner died in 2013, there has been acerbic in-fighting between his children, most recently culminating in Jeanie Buss’ five siblings voting to sell the family’s remaining 17.8% share of the franchise, while she contests the sale so she can remain governor.
At this point, it’s time for Jeanie to just let go.
Sure, Jerry wanted the Lakers to remain in the family. But he wouldn’t have wanted this madness. There’s so much undercutting. Backstabbing. Drama.
He wouldn’t have wanted a franchise that won 10 championships under his reign to be dragged through his family’s mud for a decade.
He wouldn’t have wanted the greatest show in the league to devolve into a melodrama with his surname surrounded by bright lights.
This isn’t an indictment of Jeanie’s reign as governor, which included her acquiring LeBron James and helping guide the team to its first championship in 10 years in 2020.
There’s no doubt that she has so much institutional knowledge. She became the first female majority owner to win an NBA title. She’s a trailblazer.
But there’s grace in knowing when to drop the rope.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post SportsFacebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
Really, what is she even fighting for at this point? She was the catalyst for selling the Lakers to Mark Walter for $10 billion in October 2025.
Yes, the deal was for her to remain governor through 2030, an arrangement new owners Bob Iger and Josh Kushner intended to honor after buying the team from Walter last week for $12.5 billion.
But things have changed.
They’ve gotten ugly again. The five Buss family siblings intended to use a tag-along provision to sell their remaining stake in the Lakers. They issued a statement to ESPN on Monday, saying, “It is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can.”
Jeanie, who was the only sibling who didn’t vote for the sale, dug her feet into the ground.
Through her lawyer, Adam Streisand, Jeanie is contending that a court ruled in 2017 that the team can’t be sold without approval by the co-trustees, who are Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss.
Now everything is going to be up to lawyers and courtrooms.
The losers of all of this? The Lakers, who will be paralyzed until this resolves, unless Iger and Kushner decide to cut ties with Jeanie.
This is nuanced.
Jeanie is the face of the Lakers. It made sense for Walter to keep her as governor after buying the team. Iger and Kushner were right to respect that. She provides a sense of continuity. Of oversight. Of comfort amid chaos.
But if there’s a war raging in the background, that detracts from any good she could do. If her family drama is a distraction, that’s going to hurt the Lakers more than she could help them.
The Buss family has overseen the Lakers for 47 years, turning it into the second-most successful NBA franchise with 17 championships. Under Jerry, the Lakers acquired superstars Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. He created the Laker Girls. He’s widely considered one of the greatest owners in sports.
Jeanie carried on his legacy. She’s respected. She’s beloved.
But her reign has always come with an ugly underbelly.
Jeanie fired her brother, Jim Buss, as the executive vice president of basketball operations in 2017 after the Lakers were heading toward their fourth straight losing season.
Things got even uglier.
Jim and Johnny Buss attempted a boardroom coup to oust Jeanie as the team’s controlling owner in 2017. She obtained a restraining order and filed a lawsuit against her brothers, with the siblings ultimately reaching a settlement that strengthened her power.
The drama didn’t stop there.
Under Jeanie’s governorship after the Lakers were sold to Walter, Joey and Jesse Buss were dismissed from their basketball operations positions in November 2025. Jeanie’s sister, Janie Buss, was also removed as the team’s longtime charitable services director.
A few months later, an ESPN story came out that undercut Jeanie’s relationship with James.
The story alleged that Jeanie resented James’ “outsized ego,” adding that she even “privately mused” about trading the megastar to the Clippers in 2022 and that she “begrudgingly” gave him a contract extension in 2024 because she feared the public backlash if she didn’t.
In a statement to The Athletic, Jeanie said, “It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama.”
James left the Lakers in free agency this summer after eight seasons with the franchise.
Now, the drama is raging once again.
Her siblings have banded together. And she’s refusing to wave the white flag.
But at this point, is that what’s best for the Lakers?
Jeanie agreed to sell the team. The Lakers deserve a fresh start. The Buss family drama would get in the way of that.
The Buss family was the greatest thing to happen to the Lakers.
But all good things must come to an end.
Royals vs. Athletics August 19th game discussion
Game 3 with the Sacramento/Las Vegas A’s will see the Royals going for a series win before the day game finishes off the four-game set tomorrow afternoon. This evening will feature Seth Lugo versus Gage Jump. Lugo has had an up and down season with some pretty disappointing overall numbers. Jump is a lefty whose ERA looks similar to Lugo’s but with better peripherals. That means the lineup is going to have an extra righty with Massey sitting for KC today with Loftin leading off again.
Game #127: Athletics at Royals Game Thread
Yesterday, the Athletics were three outs away from evening up this four-game series against the Kansas City Royals. However, the league-worst bullpen cost the team once again. Hogan Harris blew his sixth save of the season, allowing the Royals to tie the game before giving way to fellow reliever Elvis Alvarado, who surrendered Bobby Witt Jr.‘s walk-off bloop single.
With two games remaining in Kansas City, the A’s still have a chance to earn a series split, but they must first break their two-game losing streak tonight.
Roster Move
Before the game, the A’s injured list got a bit less crowded. Veteran left-hander Jeffrey Springs returns after missing three weeks because of hip discomfort. To make room on the roster, struggling reliever Seth Johnson was optioned to Triple-A, where he can work on regaining his form in a lower-pressure environment.
Springs will have an immediate opportunity to make an impact, as he will start for the A’s today. The 33-year-old southpaw enters his 23rd start of the season with a 3-11 record, a 6.17 ERA, a 1.48 WHIP and 88 strikeouts over 108 innings.
Springs was a solid starting pitcher in his first season with the Athletics last year. This year, things have gone south, as he has not won a game since April. In his most recent seven starts, Springs went 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA and a 1.93 WHIP.
When fellow veteran Luis Severino went down with an injury earlier this season, the team looked to Springs to provide a solid experienced presence in the rotation. Instead, Springs has pitched like one of the worst pitchers in the league, as only two MLB pitchers have allowed more home runs than him this season.
The fly-ball pitcher has especially struggled at Sutter Health Park, calling it “a recipe for disaster.” Yet, he has performed just as badly on the road, something he will try to remedy this evening in his second start against the Royals this season and eighth of his career.
Here’s how the A’s starting lineup shakes out tonight:
Jacob Wilson is out of the lineup for a third straight game. That shoulder injury has kept him sidelined in recent games. There is a real possibility that he will soon join the team’s lengthy season-ending injured list.
With the A’s on track for another 100-loss campaign, the objective for the rest of the season should be for the veterans to finish strong and for the youngsters to take advantage of extended playing opportunities.
If the Athletics want to win tonight, the team will need center fielder Henry Bolte and second baseman Jeff McNeil to continue their respective hot streaks. Additionally, this game gives Tommy White and Max Muncy another chance to position themselves as part of the A’s future plans. Finally, catcher Jonah Heim is feeling the effects of being pushed into an everyday role following starter Shea Langeliers’ injury. Not only does Heim have one hit in his past 20 at-bats, but he also committed a crucial catcher’s interference error that gave Kansas City a free baserunner in its game-winning ninth inning rally.
The A’s offense will face Royals right-hander Seth Lugo. The 36-year-old enters his 26th start of the season with a 5-7 record, a 4.59 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP and 108 strikeouts over 139 1/3 innings. Lugo has struggled lately, posting a 4.66 ERA over his past seven starts. The 10-year veteran received a no-decision in his last start against the Los Angeles Angels after allowing five runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Over his career, Lugo holds a 2-0 record with a 4.66 ERA and 26 strikeouts in four total appearances against the Athletics. The right-hander will aim to earn his third win against the A’s, but given his current run of form, tonight presents a great opportunity for the A’s offense to put more runs on the scoreboard. The Green and Gold must take advantage of any mistake pitches Lugo leaves over the plate if they want to hand him his first defeat against them.
And Kansas City’s lineup:
All of the Royals’ regulars are in the lineup, spearheaded by the duo of Witt Jr. and right fielder Jac Caglianone. Left fielder Tyler Tolbert gets his first start of the series after his game-tying, pinch-hit two-run single in the ninth inning last night.
Win #50 is waiting for us! We need this one. Let’s go A’s!
Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA
What Jeanie Buss’ court order means for family’s attempt to sell Lakers
The state of the Lakers’ ownership continued to more turns.
It was just last week when Mark Walter agreed to sell his share in the franchise to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger at a historic valuation of $12.5 billion – just 10 months after Walter officially became the Lakers’ majority owner.
This week, it appeared the Buss family voted to sell their remaining 17.8% share of the Lakers to Kushner and Iger.
Not so fast.
Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss is opposing her siblings’ vote to sell the family’s share of the Lakers, according to a letter from her lawyer, Adam Streisand. The letter, obtained by the California Post on Monday, argued her siblings can’t legally execute a sale without her approval and that any vote of the Buss family selling would be “void.”
Her siblings who are part of the Buss family trust (Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss) fired back at Jeanie on Tuesday, making it clear they intend to go through with the sale.
But how did the Lakers, and the Buss family get here? And what exactly are the two sides arguing?
Court order details
At the heart of Buss opposing her siblings’ vote to sell their share of the Lakers is a 2017 court order, with Streisand saying that no sale could happen “without approval by the co-trustees, i.e. Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss.”
Jeanie didn’t vote to sell the family’s ownership stake in the Lakers, while the other five siblings in the trust did.
The court document from 2017 stated that the co-trustees of the Buss family trust are instructed to take all “actions reasonably available to them, including voting the Trust’s shares” to ensure that Jeanie was elected as the Director of the Board of the Lakers on an annual basis during her lifetime.
The document goes on to state “absent a further order of this Court modifying the Trust based upon proof of circumstances justifying modification under applicable law.”
The document also added that the co-trustees of the family trust are “instructed to take all actions [reasonably] available to them, including voting the Trust’s shares” to ensure that Jeanie is elected as the controlling owner of the Lakers on an annual basis during her lifetime.
One of the main problems of the Buss family attempting to sell their share of the Lakers: It would result in Jeanie no longer being the team’s Governor, since she would no longer have the qualifying 15% ownership stake in the franchise required to hold that position.
She has been the team’s Governor since 2013 after Dr. Jerry Buss’ death.
When Walter purchased the majority ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family, the league announced that Buss would remain the team’s Governor for a period of at least five years (through 2030).
Iger told the California Post last week he and Kushner intended to honor the agreement made between Walter and Buss.
And based off of the last couple of days, it appears Jeanie wants to remain Governor of the Lakers.
Streisand wrote in the letter to the Buss siblings’ attorneys: “No sale of the JAB Trust’s 17.8% ownership interest in the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. can be effectuated without approval by the current co-trustees, i.e., Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss.
“Pursuant to the JAB Trust and the attached Court Order, the co-trustees are bound to vote the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. shares to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain Controlling Owner. Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise, and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court.”
The Buss siblings’ side
Jeanie’s siblings believe they have the right to sell the family’s shares of the Lakers via a “tag-along” provision that was included when the Buss family sold the Lakers to Walter in June 2025.
ESPN reported the provision gave the Buss family the opportunity to “tag along on any sale and valuation Walter secured for his shares.”
The siblings believe that the family trust, which includes six of Jerry Buss’ children — Johnny (69), Jim (66), Jeanie (64), Janie (62), Joey (41) and Jesse (37) — needed a majority vote (four out of six) to allow the trustees to sell the family’s shares.
What happens next is unknown, with the potential of this dispute having to be resolved through a legal process growing unless the side can come to an agreement without litigation.
‘Can play for a long time’: New Test star emerges with stunning haul as India thrash rivals
Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar finished with 10 wickets as India thrashed Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first Test in Galle on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Mets’ Jared Young focused on ‘keeping things simple’ as hot streak rolls on at plate
What more can be said about Jared Young?
Young has more than taken advantage of his opportunity in the Mets’ lineup this season, and that continued again on Wednesday afternoon.
The sweet-swinging lefty enjoyed himself another multi-hit showing.
He flew out to right in his first at-bat of the day, but then ripped a two-out single behind Carson Benge’s two-run homer, which opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth.
Young was retired again his next time up, but tacked on a much-needed insurance run in the eighth.
Left in the game for a tough left-on-left matchup with the dominant Yuki Matsui, the veteran saw just one pitch before ripping a two-out RBI single up the middle to make it a three-run ballgame.
“That was a huge swing from Jared to give us a little cushion there,” Andy Green said.
Kodai Senga had to work through his first scare in his new high-leverage role, but the Mets rolled a game-ending double play to secure a second straight series victory.
For Young, that was just his eighth hit against a left-hander in 35 tries on the year.
No matter who he faces, though, the slugger just continues to produce as he’s now hitting .270 with 20 XBH’s, 30 RBI, and a .880 OPS for the season.
“It’s going to sound cliché, but I’m just keeping things simple,” he told SNY’s Steve Gelbs. “Doing my work in the cage with the coaches, listening to my teammates, and just going out and playing ball.”
That simple approach certainly has worked for Young.
The 31-year-old is enjoying the most consistent stretch of his big league career with a .332 average, 12 RBI, and a .880 OPS over his last 30 games.
With five years of club control remaining, Young figures to be playing himself into a role on the 2027 Mets roster.
Jays @ Ray Game Thread
We might as well make it two in a row against the Rays. Getting 10 runs again would be a good thing too. Half a game out of a wild card spot seems unbelievable considering where we were at the start of the month.
Vlad is going to play a rehab game tomorrow in Dunedin.
The Jays are saying that Ernie Clement is ‘under the weather’ and that George Springer is getting a day off to rest his shoulder and allow Kirk to DH while Valenzuela plays behind the plate.
And there are a couple of former Jays watching the game today:
Go Jays Go.
GIANTS AT GUARDIANS: Wilkinson vs. Messick, discussion
Guardians vs. Tugboat. Oh boy.
Here’s the Giants’ lineup:
Here’s the Guardians’ lineup:
Rhys Hoskins to the IL, DeLauter and Adell still out with various ouchies. Looks like the bench is Patrick Bailey and David Fry (back for Hoskins), folks.
Let’s go, Guardians!
‘Really exceptional’: O’Neill hails Durán as Celtic surge towards Champions League
A stunning double from the summer signing Camilo Durán helped Celtic open up a commanding lead against Lask in their Champions League playoff. Benjamin Nygren also produced a superb finish to send Martin O’Neill’s side on their way to a 3-0 first-leg win over their Austrian opponents in Glasgow.
The visitors had two goals disallowed for offside and created chances throughout in an open encounter but Celtic were clinical as they continued their strong start to the season. Nygren has been at the heart of it with four goals and four assists in as many games and he opened the scoring in the 26th minute. The Swede readjusted his body to volley into the top corner from 20 yards after a weak clearance from Kieran Tierney’s cross.
Continue reading...Penguins Should Strongly Consider Signing This Free Agent Now
The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a busy summer, as they have brought in many new players.
While this is the case, it is fair to argue that the Penguins should not be done yet. The left side of their blueline could use more depth, as they did not re-sign Ryan Shea and traded Parker Wotherspoon.
While many of this year's top free agents have been signed, there are still some interesting players looking for new homes in the middle of August. Among them is defenseman Logan Stanley, and he could be a nice pickup for a Penguins club that needs more blueline depth.
If the Penguins added Stanley, he would give them another intriguing option for their bottom pairing. He would also provide them with a shutdown defenseman for their penalty kill.
Furthermore, with it now getting closer to September, it is very likely that Stanley could be had at an affordable price. On a short-term deal, the 28-year-old blueliner could be a strong fit on the Penguins' roster.
Stanley played in 76 games last season split between the Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres, where he recorded nine goals, 17 assists, 26 points, and 128 penalty minutes. With numbers like these, the 6-foot-7 defenseman would be a solid depth pickup for Pittsburgh. Let's see if they pursue him from here.
St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds Game Discussion Wednesday
It’s game 4 of the St. Louis Cardinals 5-game series vs the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday evening as Matthew Liberatore will hopefully be the best version of himself as he’s the scheduled starter. The Reds will force Chase Burns onto the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 5:40pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
Game Thread: On paper this is a killer matchup
Go Rays!
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!