The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals play the rubber game of their three-game weekend series on Sunday Night Baseball.
Despite earning a split in the first two games, the series has been rough on the Cardinals’ bullpen, and they need a big night from starter Matthew Liberatore. For the Cubs, PCA and Michael Busch will look to continue their hot streaks.
This is less an endorsement of Matthew Liberatore and more an indication of the rough state of this St. Louis Cardinals bullpen. The last two starters have lasted a total of 7 1/3 innings, leaving eight St. Louis relievers to pitch 10 2/3 innings, throwing 164 pitches and giving up six runs.
Even if Liberatore is struggling, he’ll probably have to wear it and pitch into the sixth just to give the pen a rest. He’s done it twice this month and four times this season, and Liberatore is coming off a 101-pitch effort where he struck out a career-high 10. He’s ready for the workhorse role.
Michael Busch Over 2.5 hits + runs + RBI (+210)
Michael Busch has been the best-hitting first baseman in MLB for May and will add to his totals on the month’s final day. He’s hitting 73% better than the league average for the month and has a .955 OPS.
He has six runs, nine hits, and eight RBI over the last week, and he has four hits and four RBI in the first two games of the series. Busch homered and had a two-hit game in his only previous time facing Liberatore.
Pete Crow-Armstrong to hit a home run (+700)
Pete Crow-Armstrong had a big game on Saturday, going 4-for-5, homering, and keeping up a running taunting dialogue with the St. Louis fans. Once he’s fired up, he generally stays that way. Of his 48 career home runs, 12 have come within a day of a previous blast.
PCA has a five-game hitting streak and is hitting .364 with a .917 OPS over that stretch. His seven homers against the Cardinals are the most against any team, and his three homers at Busch match his highest in any visiting park.
How to watch Cubs vs Cardinals and game info
Location
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Date
Sunday, May 31, 2026
First pitch
7:20 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan (80) throws during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
After a productive six-game homestand, the Dodgers hit the road for a single series, playing the Arizona Diamondbacks for four games at Chase Field in Phoenix in the second meeting of the year between these two National League West rivals.
The Dodgers swept their opening series of the season from March 26-28 at Dodger Stadium. Arizona has been playing much better of late, winning 10 of 11 games before a hiccup this weekend in Seattle, putting themselves squarely in wild card contention.
Emmet Sheehan starts on Monday for the Dodgers, making his first career start at Chase Field. Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez on the mound for the home team.
The Diamondbacks are 18-10 at home, and have won eight of their last nine games in Phoeni. The Dodgers have won their last four road series.
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 30: First baseman Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres tries to pick off center fielder Dylan Crews #3 of the Washington Nationals at first base in the eighth inning at Nationals Park on May 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Nationals held off the Padres for a 9-4 victory after scoring 6 runs in the seventh inning. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (32-25) at Washington Nationals (30-29), May 31, 2026, 10:35 p.m. PST
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PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 26: Braxton Ashcraft #35 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on May 26, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home today against the Minnesota Twins looking to grab a win.
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This site’s manager is Brady Klopfer who also does all the minor league reporting, and upon seeing the news posted by Susan Slusser that the San Francisco Giants would be calling up outfielder Jonah Cox, he posted in our work chat: “I’m sorry WHAT,” which suggests to me that we should all treat this news with a lot of surprise.
The 24-year old is hitting .400/.453/.644 with 11 doubles, 5 triples, and 6 home runs for Double-A Richmond this season. He also sports a very interesting 2:1 strikeouts to walk ratio (31:16), which is well within the zone of where minor leaguers start projecting as serviceable major leaguers. But it’s that .400 batting average that will make him famous in the organization, we know that in our bones. The batting average fetishization is strong and .400 is .400. But he’s also quite fast and a proficient base stealer, a skill set the Giants have been sorely missing (they have just 14 stolen bases on the season). If you’re interested in hearing Cox speak, former site contributor Roger Munter interviewed him a few weeks ago for his There R Giants podcast — check it out!
Prior to the season, the McCovey Chronicles community did not include him in the community’s prospect rankings list. As Brady wrote, Cox “was unable to take notable strides on offense,” hitting just .257/.333/.398 in 597 PA last season at Eugene. Slusser had a follow-up post saying that she didn’t think Cox would be in the lineup today, but would be around and available for this finale at Coors Field. Brady’s writeup a couple of days ago explains why he was the next minor leaguer to get the call to the big leagues:
Yet another strong game for right fielder Jonah Cox, who has officially graduated from “hot start” to “leveled up.” It’s been nearly 50 games and 200 plate appearances for the new-look Cox, whose swing has undergone changes that have resulted in dramatic improvements in both the stat sheet and the underlying metrics.
He was back to his old tricks on Thursday, though, as he hit 3-5 with a pair of infield singles and a stolen base, while also knocking a double.
Cox has, stunningly, hit safely in 40 out of 43 games this season, which includes 16 multi-hit games. A year after posting a .731 OPS, a 103 wRC+, a 22.4% strikeout rate, and a 12.0% swinging strike rate in High-A, he has a 1.130 OPS, a 196 wRC+, a 16.9% strikeout rate, and a 10.3% swinging strike rate in AA. He’s even stealing more bases, with 27 in 43 games, after an organization-leading 58 in 126 games a year ago (easier to steal bases when you’re getting on base seemingly every at-bat!).
Just a phenomenal year, and the A’s 2023 6th-rounder is quickly becoming one of the top prospects in the system.
Here’s hoping some of this hot streak carries over to the majors. Whew. What a great pickup for Ross Stripling. Will the move work out? Who’s to say. As the estimable Baseball Jeff reminds us,
Meanwhile, the Giants designated Ryan Borucki for assignment.
Now, before you go and say, “Good riddance!” just know that in addition to being really terrible (4.94 ERA / 4.93 xFIP, -0.2 fWAR in 23.2 IP), he was actually quite good as a LOOGY, holding lefties to a line of .195/.306/.244 (.550 OPS). The problem is, the modern game has phased out the LOOGY because of the three batter rule but also — and more importantly — because of the way lineups are constructed and substituted now. Borucki would’ve been a great guy to have during Buster Posey’s playing days.
10:20am edit: Tristan Beck has also been recalled to take Borucki’s spot on the active roster while Beck will be replacing Will Brennan who has been optioned back to Triple-A.
The Chicago Blackhawks have one of the best farm systems in the NHL. A lot of their top talent is already in the NHL, but there are great players in other developmental leagues around the world waiting for that chance to play in Chicago.
It is unclear if any of them will step into that “premier pure goal scorer” role that every good team likes to have, but there are a handful of candidates who possess great hockey IQ and the ability to shoot well.
Three of them in particular, Jack Pridham, Nick Lardis, and Marek Vanacker, are past or present OHL stars with the tools to be great NHL goal scorers.
In 2024-25, Lardis led the OHL with 71 goals as a member of the Brantford Bulldogs. He then turned pro in 2025-26 and continued to fill the nets. In 35 games with the Rockford IceHogs, Lardis had 18 goals. The early success earned him an NHL look when Connor Bedard got hurt, and he went on to play 41 games with 10 goals.
A 20-goal pace at the NHL level is no joke, especially for a rookie former third-round pick. Of the three snipers mentioned here, Lardis is the closest to fulfilling his destiny of being an impactful NHL sniper.
As for Vanacker and Pridham, they were the top two goal scorers in the OHL this season. Only time will tell if they follow the same path to success as a rookie pro as Lardis did. There are similar skill sets and mindsets, which allow them to find twine with regularity.
There is a wrinkle to the story concerning Pridham. If he doesn’t either sign his entry-level contract with Chicago or commit to the NCAA by June 1st, he will re-enter the draft in 2026. Chicago doesn’t want to lose him for nothing, but not everyone is going to work out when the farm is that deep.
Pridham is going to play in the Memorial Cup Final with the Kitchener Rangers on Sunday night. He will decide a major detail of his future following that big game, but it must be done in the short window before the aforementioned June 1st deadline.
Connor Bedard was touted as a sniper coming out of the WHL, but his playmaking has been incredible in the NHL as well. He is more of a well-rounded offensive player. It is also unclear what kind of players Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar will be in the offensive zone, but early signs of great playmakers are there.
Having snipers on the wing will be important for the construction of the team if they want to become a legit winner.
If the Blackhawks lose Pridham, they won't be happy about it, but it isn't a make-or-break situation either. They have a farm system filled with players who could develop into high-end snipers, and they have a lot of draft picks to work with as well.
Kyle Davidson has stayed the course throughout this process, and he will do what he can to make sure more goal-scoring talent is inserted into the lineup over the years.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Al Horford #20 of the Golden State Warriors during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 111-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is a version of February 22 where the Warriors don’t even bother. Their best player Stephen Curry was out. Their All-Star acquisition Jimmy Butler III was out. Their prized trade deadline piece Kristaps Porzingis was ruled out that morning. Their future Hall-of-Famer and best defender Draymond Green got scratched before tipoff. The opponent was the dangerous Denver Nuggets and the best big man in the world Nikola Jokic was standing on the other side of the floor.
What the Dubs had left was Al Horford. As it turned out, that was enough.
Horford scored 11 points in the first quarter before most people had settled into their seats, going 4-of-5 from the field with three threes while Golden State built a lead that told Denver this was not going to be the afternoon they expected. He had 17 points and four assists in his first 14 minutes, and he did it with the particular calm of someone who has been in difficult basketball situations for two decades and stopped finding them frightening a long time ago.
The Nuggets had to account for him as a real offensive threat, which changed the geometry of everything else Golden State was trying to do, which is exactly the kind of quiet, competent damage that never shows up in highlights but wins games. This is actually why the Warriors wanted him in the first place. When Golden State brought Horford in, the bet wasn’t on the version of him that fills a stat sheet every night. It was on the version that understands how to read a game, how to make the right decision under pressure, and how to be exactly what a team needs on a given night without needing to be told what that is.
That kind of player takes time to find his footing in a new system, and the Warriors were patient with him through the stretches where it wasn’t clicking, because they understood what they were waiting for. February 22 was the receipt. When four rotation players went down and the franchise needed someone to just be a professional about the whole thing, Horford was ready because Horford is always ready; that is the only version of him that has ever existed.
He finished 8-of-11 from the field, 6-of-7 from three, with seven assists, three steals, and two blocks. His sixth three-pointer had Chase Center losing its mind for a 39-year-old role player February, which is not a sentence anyone wrote in their pregame preview.
Jokic finished with a triple-double because that is what Jokic does. The Nuggets scored 117 points because they are still the Nuggets. None of that really matters. What matters is that on a day when the Warriors lost four rotation players and most of their margin for error, the best player on the floor in a Warriors uniform was a 39-year-old center who looked completely unbothered by any of it.
Horford was BALLING, salute to him for exemplifying the Warriors mentality.
The 2025-26 season did not end as a major success for the New York Islanders, with the team tumbling out of the playoff picture in April.
However, Bo Horvat had another great season for the Islanders, despite missing 14 games to injuries.
Horvat posted 31 goals and 57 points in 68 games, leading the team in goals. His 57 points were good for third on the team, trailing only Mathew Barzal (80) and rookie superstar, Matthew Schaefer (59).
The next closest Islander to those three was Anders Lee, with 19 goals and 42 points in 82 games.
Horvat also represented Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, playing a key role in Canada's bottom six, penalty kill, and second unit power play.
With all that attention, The Hockey News named Horvat the 87th best player in the NHL this past season, just ahead of fellow Olympians Brock Nelson (89) and Anthony Cirelli (88).
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 30: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Kansas City Royals during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field on May 30, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for May 31, 2026 against the Kansas City Royals: starting pitchers are Jack Leiter for the Rangers and Michael Wacha for the Royals.
The Rangers look to try to sweep the Royals this afternoon. Evan Carter, who got hit in the foot with a pitch on Friday, is sitting for the second day in a row. Alejandro Osuna, who was hit in the finger while bunting yesterday and left the game, is starting.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Jung — 1B
Nimmo — RF
Burger — 1B
Duran — SS
Osuna — LF
Higashioka — C
Lopez — 2B
Helman — CF
1:35 p.m. Central start time. The game is a pick ‘em.
The family of late NHL player Claude Lemieux has released a statement, saying they are donating his brain for study and asking for "compassion" in reporting his death.
Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup winner, died on Thursday, May 28, at age 60. His body was found in a warehouse of a furniture showroom that the family owned in Florida.
"The family recognizes that there has been public reporting about the circumstances of Claude's death," said the family statement, which was shared by his son, Brendan, a 2014 second-round NHL draft pick. "Suicide is complex, and the family asks media and the public to discuss this loss with care, compassion and respect for those who loved him.
"Anyone in crisis or emotional distress in the United States can call or text 988 for confidential support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline."
Here's the latest on the death of Claude Lemieux:
Family donating his brain for CTE study
The statement said the family will donate Lemieux's brain to the UNITE Brain Bank at the Boston University CTE Center for research into the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts and traumatic brain injury.
"The family emphasizes that this decision is a gift to science, to athletes and to future generations of families seeking answers. No conclusion should be drawn at this time regarding any diagnosis," the statement reads.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma. It has been found in posthumous studies of the brains of football and hockey players, most recently in former NHL tough guy Lyndon Byers, who died in July.
Who was Claude Lemieux?
Lemieux played 21 NHL seasons and won Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens (1986), New Jersey Devils (1995 and 2000) and Colorado Avalanche (1996). He was playoff MVP in 1995 after scoring 13 goals with the Devils.
He also was a gritty player and agitator whose hit on Kris Draper in the 1996 playoffs left the Detroit Red Wings player with severe facial injuries and sparked a yearslong rivalry between the Red Wings and Avalanche.
After his retirement, he became a prominent player agent, representing Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen, Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider and others.
"Claude was a beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend and teammate," the family statement said. "To the hockey world, he was one of the game's most unforgettable competitors: a four-time Stanley Cup champion, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, and one of the great playoff performers of all time. To his family, he was more than a hero: he was loving, loyal, funny, protective, and generous. He was stubborn, and he was completely devoted to the people he loved. He was adored by his family in turn.
"Claude was a passionate man. He brought that passion to the rink, to his work, to his friendships, and most of all to his family. He was fierce on the ice because he cared so deeply about winning, about his teammates, and about never giving less than everything he had. Away from the game, he was tender, loyal and full of life. He made us laugh, he showed up for us, and he loved his children and grandchildren with his whole heart."
Darren McCarty pays tribute to Claude Lemieux
Darren McCarty had fought Lemieux the season after his hit on Draper. He said he learned of Lemieux's death from Draper.
McCarty, who has done charity appearances with Lemieux, posted a tribute to Lemieux and also spoke about him on Woodward Sports.
"I'm a guy who has asked for redemption in a lot of ways in my life, and trying to prove that some of the things I've done in the past aren't who I am today," McCarty said. "Claude Lemieux is the one person in life who has proven to me that the guy on the ice wasn't the guy off the ice. He was loved very much. ...
"The best way for me to describe my feelings and whatever else, is that it's very sad. I'm very sad."
Frederik Andersen clinches Hurricanes series with heavy heart
Andersen, one of Lemieux's first clients as an agent, won Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals to send the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006. He did so with a heavy heart after the death of Lemieux.
"I can't talk enough good things about this team and the way they've supported me," he told TNT. "It's been awesome."
The Philadelphia Flyers have seen a number of their prospects get traded to new teams or commit to colleges recently, and that trend is reportedly likely to extend to the goalie position now, too.
Top Flyers goalie prospect Egor Zavragin had a strange season, playing 12 KHL regular season games for SKA St. Petersburg, 18 VHL regular season games for SKA-VMF St. Petersburg, and one MHL regular season game for SKA-1946 St. Petersburg.
After playing 46 KHL regular season games for SKA and HK Sochi last year and breaking out onto the scene in a major way, Zavragin struggled to earn a consistent spot in the lineup this year and fell out of favor in the eyes of new head coach Igor Larionov.
The Flyers' 2023 third-round pick still posted a respectable 2.63 GAA and .919 save percentage, but those stats paled in comparison to the 2.01 GAA and .939 save percentage of Artemi Pleshkov, and 2.50 GAA and .928 save percentage of Sergei Ivanov.
Pleshkov and Ivanov were first and eighth in the KHL in save percentage, respectively, whereas Zavragin was 15th.
And that isn't a knock on Zavragin. Statistically, he still performed better than established KHL goalies (and some former NHLers) like Timur Bilyalov, Alex Georgiev, Vasili Demchenko, Zach Fucale, Spencer Martin, Louis Domingue, Chris Dreidger, and esteemed Colorado Avalanche prospect Ilya Nabokov, who is about to make the jump to North America.
But, given that Zavragin is clearly also behind Pleshkov and Ivanov, a trade would be beneficial for the Flyers prospect's development, and that is exactly what might happen.
According to KHL insider Hockey News Hub, it would not be a surprise if "Zavragin is traded in the next couple of days," and that Metallurg Magnitogorsk is the "most likely" destination with their need to replace the departing Nabokov.
Zavragin will have to overtake incumbent Alexander Smolin to become the starter with Metallurg, but he at least would have a clear path to rotational minutes on a team just went to the Gagarin Cup Eastern Conference semifinal.
The 20-year-old has only one year remaining on his KHL contract, and from there, he would be free to join the Flyers organization and continue developing here.
May 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
Where to watch: NBCSN/Peacock
Probable pitchers: RHP Kyle Bradish (2-6, 3.86 ERA, 61 K) vs. RHP Spencer Miles (2-0, 2.16 ERA, 32 K)
The Orioles have put all of Birdland on an emotional rollercoaster this past week, starting with a Colton Cowser walkoff homer vs. the Tigers and ending with a Pete Alonso walkoff single last night vs. the Blue Jays. In between those two walkoff winners, we saw the Orioles sweep the Rays only to open the Toronto series with two straight frustrating losses. This afternoon’s contest will give the O’s a chance to split the series vs. the Blue Jays and start a new week on a high.
Leading Baltimore into the Sunday finale is the scorching hot Kyle Bradish. The Orioles right-hander has three quality starts in his last four outings and is sporting a 3.49 ERA in May. The 29-year-old’s recent uptick in form has coincided with an increase in curveball usage from the O’s former ace. Through five starts in May, Bradish’s curveball usage has increased from 19.5% to 26.3%. It’s been a much sharper breaking ball that’s been nigh un-hittable for his opposition, with opponents hitting .077 against the curve this month with a 47.3% whiff rate.
Toronto has often caused Bradish problems throughout his career, something he’ll try to reverse this afternoon. The right-handers’ 5.18 ERA vs. the Blue Jays is the seventh-worst against any opponent. Due to his elbow injury and recovery time, Bradish hasn’t faced Toronto since May 15th, 2024, when he went 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB and 3 K in a 3-2 Orioles win. The O’s starter will have to be careful against Toronto outfielder Jesús Sánchez, who is slugging .600 vs. curveballs this season.
Opposing Bradish for the Blue Jays is rookie right-hander Spencer Miles. The former 4th-round pick out of the University of Missouri was primarily used as a reliever early in the season, but has either started or followed an opener in his last four appearances. Miles has only allowed one earned run across those four longer outings, striking out 16 across 15.1 IP.
The Missouri native has a very similar repertoire to Bradish, relying on a hard sinker that sits around 96mph and a high spin rate curveball. Unlike Bradish, Miles uses his arsenal to generate more groundballs than swings and misses, boasting a 55.4% ground ball rate (93rd percentile). That could pose a problem for an Orioles team that grounded into four double plays yesterday and six total in the series.
May 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (49) talks with pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) before the game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images
To get that series win, the Brewers will send out ace Jacob Misiorowski, who is looking to put a bow on one of the best months we’ve ever seen for a Brewer pitcher. Across five starts this month, Miz is a perfect 4-0 with a 0.29 ERA (one run) across 31 1/3 innings, allowing just 11 hits and six walks with a whopping 49 strikeouts, pushing him to 100 for the season over just 64 innings.
Opposite Miz will be Tatsuya Imai, who is coming off his best start in the majors. After starting his career with an 8.31 ERA over his first 17 1/3 innings (16 earned runs), he went six no-hit innings on Memorial Day against the Rangers, allowing four walks and striking out two as Steven Okert and Alimber Santa closed things out for Houston’s fifth no-hitter in the last five years (including one in the 2022 World Series).
In roster news, the Brewers have reinstated left-handed reliever Rob Zastryzny from the 60-day injured list. To open up the 40-man spot, left-hander Angel Zerpa was moved to the 60-day IL, as he’s out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Right-hander Carlos Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to make room on the active roster.
Zastryzny, 34, has been a solid option for the Brewers the last two seasons, pitching to a 2.12 ERA with 25 strikeouts across 29 2/3 innings (though his 4.09 FIP indicates some regression is expected). While he’s missed the entire season with a left shoulder strain, he’s appeared in seven games while rehabbing with Nashville, allowing no runs on two hits and a walk over 6 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts. He’ll add another left-handed option to Milwaukee’s bullpen to go with DL Hall, Aaron Ashby, and Shane Drohan.
Christian Yelich leads things off as the DH today, with Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang, and Andrew Vaughn following. Jake Bauers bats fifth and starts in left, with Gary Sánchez batting sixth as the catcher to give William Contreras a day off. Sal Frelick, David Hamilton, and Joey Ortiz round things out.
First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
Mar 31, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles fans get a stadium view from above the bullpens prior to the opening home game against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
I’m going to put up the GameThread a bit early today. The game is an early start and there isn’t much for news this morning.
It is Shane Bieber’s birthday. He is 30 today and has exactly 100 decisions in his career, 66-34. Do you think he’ll make it to 100 wins? Often pitchers who don’t throw a lot of innings in their 20s do well in their 30s. Shane’s only thrown 200 innings twice and 100 innings four times, so there should be some left in his arm, when he’s all healed up.
It is a strange balance. The Jays signed Jose Berrios to a long term contract, in part because he was so consistent, throwing a lot of innings every year, but then those innings caught up on him.
Shane is to pitch for Dunedin today, his second rehab start. A couple more starts, and we can start thinking about him joining the Jays again.
Anyway, happy birthday Shane. I hope we see you on the mound soon.
Max Scherzer is making a start for Buffalo today, 1:00 Eastern start. They figure he’ll be throwing 30-40 pitches. So, soon he could be back. Of course, back and effective are two different things.
Today’s lineup. McAdoo plays first, with Vlad getting half a day off, DHing.
And Spencer Miles gets to be a real starter. Nathan Lukes hits in the leadoff spot.
With all the excitement after the NBA Draft Lottery, and leading up to the NBA Draft, it’s very easy to forget that there is a very fine line we must walk when it comes to our roster. After the season the Jazz just had, I know that it’s hard to imagine what a fully healthy, functional, and lethal basketball team looks like but we do have some things to consider.
With the #2 pick in this year’s draft there are HUGE implications for the upcoming season and the franchise’s future. With that incoming rookie, there will be some shifts in the rotation that we must consider. There will be players that logged a lot of minutes for the Jazzmen last year that will not get the same kind of burn this year; it’s unfortunate, but eggs must be broken to make a championship omelet.
Even with us being so close to the NBA Draft, there hasn’t been any confirmation yet as to who the Washington Wizards will take #1 overall. With that in mind I think that, realistically, it will come down to the Jazz selecting BYU forward AJ Dybantsa or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson. While it may seem inconsequential, there are very different outcomes for each selection, and what it means for our role players that we came to know and love during this past season.
Option 1: Darryn Peterson
I think that this would be the best case scenario for everyone involved as it pertains to the rotation. My unconditional and irrational love for Isaiah Collier aside, Keyonte George is the point guard of the future for the Jazz and that means that we need a starting shooting guard. That Darryn Peterson guy? Pretty good, in my opinion.
He had an up-and-down season at Kansas marred with “injuries” or at the very least injury prevention measures, but with the report that Peterson and his team have resolved the cramping issues I don’t have any other option than to believe him. I don’t have any other choice to believe the he’s going to be healthy coming into the year, maintain that health throughout the entire 2026-2027 season, and end up on an All-Rookie team.
The most noticeable shift that would happen in the rotation would be Ace Bailey moving back to the bench, which causes a domino effect of Cody Williams, Brice Sensabaugh, and Elijah Harkless getting less minutes (assuming they all come back or don’t get traded). There were times that Williams, Sensabaugh, and Harkless were remarkable during the past season, but without the offensive upside that Peterson brings, it’s hard for me to argue that they get the same amount of (or more) minutes in good faith. Bailey is a bit of a different story.
Bailey really started to find his footing in the league during the last 20 games of the season. He averaged nearly 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 stocks (blocks + steals) a night, while shooting 36% from deep on a high volume of shots. He showed great consistency in that stretch as well; he scored in double figures in 19 of the 20 games, including three 30 point outings. In the final quarter of the season it seemed like Bailey was starting to figure the NBA game out. His defensive blunders still drove me up a wall, but his offensive feel and consistency was something to be admired. I would hate the relegate him to the bench after that kind of turnaround, but I don’t see another avenue. When compared to each other, it seems like Peterson is the more NBA level scorer, which would mean that Bailey would have to head back to the bench. He could be a great 6th man for us, though.
There is a small chance (and I mean microscopic) that we could trade Lauri Markkanen to the highest bidder, which would allow Bailey to play the small forward position, but if that trade were to happen I can’t image that it would be prior to the trade deadline. Without that certainty, I can’t imagine a world where both Bailey and Peterson get 30+ minutes a night. I think a more likely path would be for Peterson to get around 28 minutes a game, Bailey would get roughly 24 minutes a game, and Williams, Sensabaugh, and Harkless get minutes in the teens if not the single digits. As someone who has written a glowing article about Elijah Harkless it’ll be disappointing to see him not get any minutes (again, assuming he’s brought back) but I can’t say that it would be the wrong decision.
Option 2: AJ Dybantsa
I said before that it hasn’t been made clear what the Wizards will do with the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, so in the rare chance the he isn’t selected by Washington, it would make sense for the Jazz to select the BYU product. The story writes itself, and while he isn’t a “home town kid,” it would be nice to see him continue his basketball career in Utah.
His selection by the Jazz is a tad more complicated than a Peterson selection. Dybantsa can play multiple positions, but the positions that he plays the majority of the time are… a bit full at the moment. Markkanen is slated to be our starting small forward, recently acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. is slated to be our starting power forward, and while we didn’t see Dybantsa play a ton of minutes at the center spot, that position is also locked up assuming that we can re-sign Walker Kessler.
Could he play the shooting guard role and have the rest of the rotation work out like we discussed with Peterson? Sure, I guess? He isn’t exactly a natural fit, though. Standing at 6’9”, he isn’t exactly shooting guard shaped. He also, to this point in his career, doesn’t space the floor incredibly well as he shot just 33% from three last year at BYU. If anything he would be like a DeMar DeRozan shooting guard, and unless it’s suddenly the early 2010’s again, I just don’t see that leading to winning basketball.
It also wouldn’t make any sense to have Dybantsa be selected as the No. 2 pick and be put on the bench behind Markkanen or Jackson Jr. I also don’t think that it would make sense to put either of them on the bench in favor of Dybantsa. If we were to select Dybantsa it would more than likely cause a series of trades, namely a Lauri Markkanen trade. He’s been in the rumor mill recently, and he’s been connected to the Detroit Pistons. Although the Pistons have future draft capital to trade, they are in the business of winning which would make their picks mostly useless, and they don’t own the rights to any juicy picks in the future. The trade would most likely consist of a sign-and-trade for Tobias Harris plus salary filler, and multiple first round picks. To be honest, I wouldn’t hate it. It opens up the space for Dybantsa to play immediately, it doesn’t relegate Ace Bailey to the bench, it would keep the bench piece’s minutes at a manageable level, but (respectfully) the drop-off from Lauri Markkanen to Tobias Harris is pretty steep for a team that’s trying to make their way back to the playoffs.
The Jazz have been known to slow-roll their players before; Bailey came off the bench for the first 10 games or so last year, and had the Jazz had anything close to a healthy season, maybe that first start for him would have come in February instead of November. I think that doing that with Dybantsa would be very complicated, but I can’t deny how excited I would be to see a bench unit led by him. If he were to be a bench player this upcoming year, we could very well get a repeat of 2005 when Ben Gordon won the 6th Man of the Year award while being a rookie. Is it likely? No. Is it complicated? Yes. Am I glad that I’m not the one making these decisions? Yes, but I wouldn’t mind the paycheck.
The postseason is wrapping up quickly which means that the offseason fun is upon us. We’ve got a lot of great stuff in the works here at SLC Dunk so be on the lookout for that! Who do you think we should draft? Who do you have winning the NBA Finals and how long do you think it’ll be until we hoist the trophy? Sound off in the comments!
Matthew Liberatore Over 15.5 outs
Michael Busch Over 2.5 hits + runs + RBI
