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Depleted Braves acquire pitcher Carlos Carrasco from Yankees for cash considerations

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees traded veteran pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the depleted Atlanta Braves on Monday for cash considerations.

The Braves acquired Carrasco a day after losing Grant Holmes to right elbow inflammation on Sunday. Holmes was originally placed on the 15-day injured list but moved to the 60-day IL after Erick Fedde was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals.

With the news involving Holmes, all five of Atlanta’s opening day rotation are on the 60-day injured list. Atlanta lost at Texas 8-1 Sunday, has dropped five in a row and is 12 games behind in the NL wild-card race.

Carrasco was 2-2 with a 5.91 ERA in eight games for the Yankees, who started him six times before designating him for assignment on May 6.

Carrasco was in spring training on a minor league deal and could have opted out but he was re-signed after posting a 1.69 ERA in five spring training outings, including four starts. After accepting his assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre, the 38-year-old right-hander was 4-2 with a 3.27 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) and was 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA in five July starts.

Originally acquired by the Cleveland Guardians from the Phillies for Cliff Lee in July 2009, Carrasco is 112-105 with a 4.18 ERA in 332 games (283) starts for Cleveland, the New York Mets and Yankees.

He led the American League in wins in 2017 when he was 18-6 with Cleveland and also was named the 2019 AL Comeback Player of the Year following a return from leukemia.

The Yankees made their third trade since Friday after acquiring Ryan McMahon from the Rockies and Amed Rosario from the Nationals.

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Luka Doncic: 'Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better'

Nothing motivates the greats quite like the quest to prove someone wrong. When the Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA by trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers, it was followed up by spin out of Dallas about GM Nico Harrison and the franchise's concerns about Doncic's lack of commitment to conditioning, taking care of his body and defense.

This summer, we have seen "skinny" Luka on social media as he works out to get in shape. Doncic spoke about that with Men’s Health Magazine.

" Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better...

"Every summer I try my best to work on different things. Obviously, I'm very competitive. This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better...

"Obviously, be the best that I can be, take care of myself. This year, with my team, I think we did a huge step. But this is just the start, you know. I need to keep going. Can't stop."

The Mavericks were not wrong to have concerns about Doncic's conditioning, it certainly has not been consistent throughout his career. (It's still a massive leap from having concerns to trading a top-five player in the world as he enters his prime because of it.) Doncic has improved his conditioning in the past, but due to injuries and other reasons, it has never stayed at the level Dallas' Harrison — a Kobe Bryant guy — expected.

What should scare the Mavericks is that they have just become the motivation he needed to genuinely change. If the disrespect from Dallas, combined with being on a new team and watching LeBron James' commitment to his body and conditioning daily, changes Doncic's habits, then the Mavericks have unleashed a monster on the league.

Doncic had spent the summer back in Europe with family and friends, but landed back in the United States in the last 48 hours for a Jordan Brand promotional shoe tour. After that tour, he returns to Slovenia to lead his national team in the EuroBasket that starts at the end of this month.

Doncic is eligible for a contract extension this summer: On Aug. 2, the Lakers can offer him a four-year, $223 million extension. They will, and Doncic is expected to re-sign with the team, although most likely on a three-year, $165 million max contract (or three plus a player option) because in three years he will have reached 10 years of service in the league and then can sign for up to 35% of the salary cap (the most the Lakers could offer right now is 30%). Expect that deal to be finalized before the season starts (possibly this week, while he is in the USA on a shoe tour, or perhaps closer to Lakers training camp).

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NHL Summer Splash Rankings: No. 21, Columbus Blue Jackets

The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash rankings continue to unfold with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 21st spot.

This series analyzes each NHL team’s off-season, ranking the teams that improved, stayed the same or got worse. We’re focusing on every organization’s additions and departures through free agency and trades, as well as coach and management hirings and firings.

We’re in the group of teams that have more or less stayed the same this off-season. You’ll find the teams that finished below the Blue Jackets at the bottom of this column. But first, our attention is squarely on the Jackets.

Additions

Charlie Coyle (C), Miles Wood (LW), Brendan Gaunce (C), Dysin Mayo (D)

The Breakdown: The Blue Jackets had the same number of wins as the Montreal Canadiens, but the Habs lost two more games in overtime instead of regulation and clinched the second wild-card spot. 

But Jackets GM Don Waddell used a good deal of his salary cap space this summer on a pair of veteran forwards – former Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild center Charlie Coyle and former New Jersey Devils and Avalanche winger Wood – to add depth and experience to his group.

An additional positive for Waddell is the re-signing of veteran defenseman Ivan Provorov to a seven-year contract extension worth $8.5 million per year. The 28-year-old Provorov could’ve received at least that much money from another team, so his decision to stay in Columbus was an endorsement of sorts for the Blue Jackets as an organization. He wasn’t an addition, but the Blue Jackets did a good job not to see Provorov become a departure.

Another de facto addition for the Jackets this coming year will be one full season of goaltender Jet Greaves. The 24-year-old looked terrific in 11 NHL appearances last season, posting a .938 save percentage and 1.91 goals-against average. He’s going to push starter Elvis Merzlikins for the No. 1 job in net for Columbus, and that can only be a good thing. 

Daniil Tarasov, Miles Wood and Zach Werenski (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)

Departures

James van Riemsdyk (LW), Justin Danforth (RW), Sean Kuraly (LW), Kevin Labanc (RW), Jack Johnson (D), Jordan Harris (D), Daniil Tarasov (G)

The Breakdown: Most, if not all, of the Blue Jackets’ departures were depth players. Van Riemsdyk had 36 points in 71 games this past season, while Danforth had 21. Kuraly and Labanc combined for 29 points.

Depth defensemen Johnson and Harris averaged fewer than 13 minutes of ice time. Goaltender Tarasov had a 3.54 GAA and .881 SP.

Columbus won’t miss the playoffs just because any of the seven departed players left a competitive crater that can’t be filled. Waddell must believe the team filled in any gaps through internal promotions, trades and free-agent signings.

The Bottom Line

While there was a considerable exodus out of Columbus this off-season, the Blue Jackets are likely to be on the rise because management believes in their core of youngsters. That belief may prove to be ill-founded, but there’s no guarantee of its success or failure either way. 

The Jackets are where they are in our NHL summer splash rankings because they didn’t get considerably better or worse. They’re about the same, so they’re in the middle pack.

That said, if the Blue Jackets’ defense can improve from conceding the eighth-most goals in the NHL this past year, we believe Columbus’ offense – fuelled by youngsters Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov and Norris Trophy front-runner Zach Werenski – should be enough to push this team into the post-season after a five-year playoff drought.

Also of note: Waddell still has about $16.3 million in salary cap space, leaving him primed to be a mover and shaker on the trade front during the season. With Columbus’ defense corps on the rise, the Jackets could look for help at forward or in net. But for the moment, at least, this Blue Jackets team has the promise of youth along with a bedrock of veterans to keep the team in the playoff hunt all season long. Waddell’s refusal to make a slew of additions is essentially a vote of confidence in his core talent.

Summer Splash Rankings

21. Columbus Blue Jackets

22. Washington Capitals

23. Nashville Predators

24. New York Islanders

25. Tampa Bay Lightning

26. Toronto Maple Leafs

27. Dallas Stars

28. Calgary Flames

29. Los Angeles Kings

30. Winnipeg Jets

31. Chicago Blackhawks

32. Buffalo Sabres

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Harper not thrilled with loose lips from the clubhouse

Harper not thrilled with loose lips from the clubhouse originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CHICAGO – If it was up to Bryce Harper, any words spoken, noses touched or expletives delivered in the clubhouse when it comes to discussions about the potential of a salary cap being put in place by Major League Baseball should stay there.

Well, it seems not all in the Phillies clubhouse have the same beliefs as their leader.

In a story by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, it was revealed from his sources that Harper got nose-to-nose with commissioner Rob Manfred and at one point told him to “get the f— out of our clubhouse.” Passan reports that he talked with sources who were inside the meeting and went on to quote Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos about what went on.

Passan wrote that sources told him Manfred replied to Harper that he wasn’t going to leave because there was important MLB business to discuss. Sources told Passan that Harper and Manfred shook hands following the meeting.

The current collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, 2026. According to Passan, multiple owners want a salary cap implemented while the Player’s Association is strongly opposed. 

“Those are good meetings to have,” said Harper before the Phillies took on the Chicago White Sox Monday. “I understand players, owners and major league baseball are good meetings to have. I don’t want to get into any details or anything else. You guys saw what was in the article. But I won’t be getting into the details of what happened or how I felt or anything else like that. I don’t think it does any good for anybody to have that happen. For me, I’m just trying to worry about baseball, trying to worry about everything in here. I think right now that’s where I’m at as a player. Everybody saw the words and everything that happened. I don’t want to say anything more than that. I want to focus on my teammates and our union as a whole and just worry about winning baseball.”

In the story, Castellanos is quoted on the confrontation between Harper and Manfred, though he never says specifically what Harper said. “It was pretty intense, definitely passionate,” Castellanos to Passan. “Both of ’em. The commissioner giving it back to Bryce and Bryce giving it back to the commissioner. That’s Harp. He’s been doing this since he was 15 years old. It’s just another day. I wasn’t surprised.”

Castellanos is quoted more in the story, but he was giving his feelings on why a salary cap shouldn’t be a part of baseball, not more about the meeting.

Harper doubled down on not wanting to talk to anyone, outside of the people involved, about his thoughts on a cap and any other subjects.

“I’ve talked labor and I’ve done it in a way that I don’t think I need to talk to the media about it,” he said. “I don’t need it out there. It has nothing to do with media or anybody else. It’s what we can as players and owners and everybody else to come together to try to make this game great. I’ve always been very vocal, just not in a way that people can see. I’ve always been outspoken within these limits of the clubhouse doors and anywhere else. But I don’t think, necessarily, anything should be relayed to media or what happens or what I’m talking about or how everything is going.” 

Though he wasn’t in the meeting with Manfred last week, that reportedly lasted about an hour, manager Rob Thomson is on the same thought path as Harper.

“I can’t really comment on it because I wasn’t in the room,” Thomson said. “You hear bits and pieces. Even if I was in the room I think everybody in here understands my stance on clubhouse meetings, is that whatever is said in there stays in there. I wouldn’t give anything to anyone.” 

This is the type of situation that could cause some problems due to lack of clubhouse trust or a clear-the-air type thing that could bring a team closer together. We will see if anything more comes of it in the coming days. 

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Devils Rank Near Bottom in NHL Lifestyle Rankings

Cardinal Point Athlete Advisors recently released a lifestyle ranking of all NHL cities, and the New Jersey Devils came in near the bottom, ranked 29th out of 32 teams.

The rankings were based on seven equally weighted factors, where a score of “1” indicates the best relative ranking among NHL cities. The top-ranked city was home to the Montreal Canadiens, while the Devils landed closer to the bottom.

The only teams ranked below New Jersey were the Seattle Kraken (30th), the Washington Capitals (31st), and the New York Rangers (32nd).

The Devils currently play at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, a location that ranked as the fourth-worst NHL arena location in this report.

What Was the Ranking Based On?

The overall score was based on seven key factors:

  • Safety
  • Cost of Living
  • Traffic
  • Climate
  • Rent
  • Groceries
  • Restaurant Prices

Each category was scored out of 32, with the Devils’ results as follows:

  • Safety: 31st
  • Cost of Living: 25th
  • Traffic: 29th (out of 31, as one city did not have data)
  • Climate: 14th (highest category ranking)
  • Rent: 23rd
  • Groceries: 26th
  • Restaurant Prices: 23rd

When all scores were combined, the Devils ranked 29th out of 32 teams.

Where Did the Data Come From?

The rankings were created using two reports from Numbeo.com, a global cost of living and quality-of-life database:

Cost of Living Index by City 2025 Mid-Year

Quality of Life Index by City 2025 Mid-Year

According to the data, Newark scored particularly low on safety, with a Safety Index of 23.17, categorized as “low.” Only Detroit, home of the Red Wings, scored lower in that category (32nd), although Detroit still ranked 18th overall in the lifestyle rankings.

While Newark wasn't ranked the worst NHL city, the Devils still landed in the bottom tier—primarily due to concerns around safety, high grocery costs, and poor traffic conditions.


Photo Credit: © Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

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Opinion: Devils Should Take a Chance on Bordeleau

The New Jersey Devils signed forward Thomas Bordeleau to a one-year, two-way contract on July 24th, following a trade with the San Jose Sharks earlier this month.

The deal is worth $775,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 in the AHL, with $125,000 guaranteed. Because it’s a two-way contract, Bordeleau may begin the season with the Utica Comets, giving the Devils added roster and salary cap flexibility.

However, cracking New Jersey’s deep prospect pool might be Bordeleau’s biggest challenge.

Now entering his fifth professional season, Bordeleau has spent most of his time in the AHL with the San Jose Barracudas. He’s appeared in 44 NHL games, tallying 18 points (six goals, 12 assists), but has yet to establish himself as a full-time NHLer.

At 5'10", Bordeleau is a quick, skilled center whose speed and versatility could make him a valuable asset in the Devils’ bottom six. Still, he hasn’t found much success at the NHL level, and even his AHL production has left room for improvement. He recorded just 38 points in 59 games last season with the Barracuda.

One thing working in his favor? Familiarity. Bordeleau played alongside Devils defenseman Luke Hughes and Utica’s Ethan Edwards during the 2021–22 season at the University of Michigan. Reuniting with former teammates could provide the chemistry and confidence boost he needs.

That said, the path to the NHL is crowded. As Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News recently outlined, the Devils have one of the league’s most promising prospect pools:

Top Devils Prospects

LW: Lenni Hämeenaho, Cole Brown, Josh Filmon, Shane Lachance C: Conrad Fondrk, Gustav Hillstrom, Samu Salminen, Matyas Melovsky, Mason Moe

RW: Arseniy Gritsyuk, Ben Kevan, Cam Squires, David Rozsival

LD: Anton Silayev, Daniil Orlov, Topias Vilén, Daniil Karpovich

RD: Simon Nemec, Seamus Casey, Sigge Holmstrom, Charlie Leddy

G: Mikhail Yegorov, Trenten Bennett, Veeti Louhivaara, Tyler Brennan, Jakub Malek

Bordeleau will be competing with the likes of Conrad Fondrk and Lenni Hämeenaho, both of whom have already made strong impressions on the Devils’ staff.

If Bordeleau hopes to solidify an NHL future, he’ll need to outperform the competition and prove he belongs on a team with playoff aspirations.

There’s a real chance everything clicks for him this season. He’s got the pedigree, the speed, and the support system in place. But make no mistake: this might be his final shot to carve out a career in the pros.

For Thomas Bordeleau, the time to make a statement in New Jersey is now.


Photo Credit: © David Gonzales-Imagn Images

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Sheepishness may follow sour grapes in handshakes row as England near end of brutal series | Ali Martin

Ben Stokes and his team got it wrong on graceless end to final day that showed their vulnerability and India’s unity

India spent a day with Manchester United’s squad before the fourth Test, only to then pull off the kind of collective defensive effort rarely seen at the other Old Trafford in recent seasons. But they were not alone in veering away from their pre‑match preparations.

Gilbert Enoka, the All Blacks adviser who made famous their “no dickheads” policy, did some work with England on the training days, only for them to act briefly like … well, let’s just say their adoption of something similar remains a work in progress.

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Bristol Motor Speedway game tops 85,000 in ticket sales, will break MLB attendance record

BRISTOL, Tenn. — The Speedway Classic will break Major League Baseball’s single-game, regular-season attendance record.

The game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves, which will be played Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway, already has sold more than 85,000 tickets. The first American or National League game ever played in Tennessee will eclipse the previous paid attendance record of 84,587, set on Sept. 12, 1954, when Cleveland Stadium hosted the New York Yankees.

The Speedway Classic will feature pregame pageantry from the U.S. Navy and a ceremonial first pitch between two Hall of Famers: Chipper Jones (Braves) to Johnny Bench (Reds).

The game also will include a full day of musical performances, with Tim McGraw, Pitbull and Jake Owen taking the stage for their concerts.

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Report: Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred confronted by Bryce Harper during meeting

CHICAGO — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper had a spirited exchange during a question-and-answer session between the commissioner and the team, according to a person with direct knowledge of the conversation.

The person spoke to the AP on Monday on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos previously confirmed some details from the meeting in interviews with The Bandwagon and ESPN.

Manfred met with the Phillies and Red Sox during their series last week in Philadelphia. The session with the Phillies lasted for more than an hour.

Manfred spoke with the NL team about the media landscape and working together to grow the sport, according to the person with knowledge of the conversation. At some point, Harper told Manfred if he was there to talk about a salary cap, he could “get the (expletive) out” of the clubhouse.

Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, 2026, and some players are concerned about a possible management push for a salary cap. Harper is a two-time NL MVP and one of the game’s marquee names, making his confrontation with Manfred more noteworthy.

Manfred and some owners have cited payroll disparity as one of baseball’s biggest problems, while at the same time MLB is working to address a revenue decline from regional sports networks. Unlike the NFL, NBA and NHL, baseball has never had a salary cap because its players staunchly oppose one.

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MLB Power Rankings: Blue Jays soar to the top, streaking Mets gain momentum as trade deadline looms

Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, the Blue Jays keep on rising, Aaron Judge is hurting, the Tigers are slipping, the Mariners make the first big move before the trade deadline, Emmanuel Clase is probably not on the trade block anymore, rookie slugger Nick Kurtz has perhaps the best game by a hitter in MLB history, and much more:

(Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook)

Let’s get started!

MLB: Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles
Fantasy baseball stashes: Players who could see their value increase at the MLB Trade Deadline
Eric Samulski discuss some players to stash ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline

Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, July 28.

1) Toronto Blue Jays ⬆️

Last week: 3

Another week, another new No. 1 team. Is this season fun or what? Even with a loss on Sunday, the Blue Jays made a huge statement by taking three out of four from the Tigers. Max Scherzer made one mistake to take the loss Sunday, but he mostly looked dominant while striking out 11 batters on his 41st birthday. Some good news even in a rare loss for the Jays.

2) Chicago Cubs ⬆️

Last week: 4

With Shota Imanaga coming off his roughest start of the season, the Cubs’ need for an impact starting pitcher becomes more clear. The big question is who? Edward Cabrera? Sandy Alcantara? Merrill Kelly? Zac Gallen? MacKenzie Gore? The clock is ticking.

3) New York Mets ⬆️

Last week: 8

Seven straight wins for the Mets to climb back into first place in the NL East. The best sign in recent days has been how good Francisco Alvarez has looked following his return from Triple-A.

4) Milwaukee Brewers ⬇️

Last week: 1

The Brewers walked off the Marlins on Sunday to avoid a sweep, but up next is a three-game first place showdown against the Cubs in Milwaukee. That’s as important as it gets in late July.

By the way, the best thing I saw this weekend was this. So cool to see Prince Fielder hitting bombs.

5) Los Angeles Dodgers ⬆️

Last week: 6

The Dodgers have had a patchwork rotation for much of the year, but with Blake Snell nearing his return, it suddenly looks like the club could have a surplus. Would the club actually consider parting with Dustin May to improve in other areas?

6) Detroit Tigers ⬇️

Last week: 2

The Tigers scored 10 runs on Sunday to snap their six-game losing streak. Kerry Carpenter went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his return from the injured list, but getting him back is a big deal for this lineup moving forward.

7) Philadelphia Phillies

Last week: 7

Kyle Schwarber reached 1,000 career hits on Friday, and of course he did it with a homer.

Nobody has hit more homers (319) within their first 1,000 hits than Schwarber.

8) Houston Astros ⬇️

Last week: 5

The battered and bruised Astros continue to stumble. After getting swept by the A’s, they’ve now lost 11 out of their last 16 games. Look for the club to prioritize a position player via trade this week.

9) San Diego Padres

Last week: 9

When there are trades happening, you can expect A.J. Preller to be involved in some way. He has a way of keeping us on our toes, so nothing can be ruled out, including potentially moving closer Robert Suarez or Dylan Cease to upgrade other parts of the roster. Watch this situation closely.

10) New York Yankees

Last week: 10

Yes, it sounds like things could have been much worse in regard to Aaron Judge’s elbow, but missing him for any length of time is a brutal blow in a tight AL playoff situation.

11) Boston Red Sox

Last week: 11

Garrett Crochet outdueled Clayton Kershaw on Saturday and Alex Bregman hit a go-ahead homer on Sunday as the Red Sox took two out of three from the Dodgers. The big question for the Red Sox to start the week is if Aroldis Chapman’s back injury is a long-term concern.

12) Seattle Mariners

Last week: 12

Lots of things to discuss with the Mariners. Cal Raleigh is now the AL MVP frontrunner with Aaron Judge sidelined and Seattle’s lineup is looking more fearsome with the acquisition of Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks.

I couldn’t write about the Mariners here without mentioning Ichiro’s wonderful speech at his Hall of Fame induction on Sunday. There’s simply nobody better than this man.

13) Texas Rangers ⬆️

Last week: 17

After sweeping the Braves, the Rangers have now won six straight games and find themselves very much in the mix for a playoff spot.

14) Cincinnati Reds

Last week: 14

The Reds and Braves will square off in the first-ever “Speedway Classic” this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. MLB says they’ve sold over 85,000 tickets to Saturday’s game, which will set a new regular-season MLB attendance record.

15) San Francisco Giants

Last week: 15

It took long enough (17 starts), but Justin Verlander finally picked up his first win of the season last Wednesday against the Braves. He’s now sitting on 263 wins for his career, so getting to 300 is looking unlikely for the 42-year-old.

16) St. Louis Cardinals ⬇️

Last week: 13

Does the developing situation with Emmanuel Clase make it more likely that the Cardinals trade closer Ryan Helsley? The impending free agent told Katie Woo of The Athletic last week that he sees the odds as, “90 percent I go, 10 percent I stay.” It’s a weird spot for the Cardinals, as they are one game over .500 and 3.5 games out of the Wild Card race to begin the week.

17) Tampa Bay Rays ⬇️

Last week: 16

The Rays are 6-15 this month and look more and more like a seller going into this week’s trade deadline. The question is whether we’ll see some smaller deals or bigger moves involving the likes of Yandy Diaz or Brandon Lowe.

18) Cleveland Guardians ⬆️

Last week: 20

The topsy-turvy Guardians have been playing better recently, but should they keep the band together? One player we know won’t be traded is Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, who has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of MLB’s sports-betting investigation.

19) Kansas City Royals ⬆️

Last week: 21

While we wait to see what path the Guardians will take, it’s clear that the Royals are still in it to win it. In addition to acquiring Randal Grichuk in recent days, they have agreed to an extension with right-hander Seth Lugo. Still, it will be challenging to chase down a Wild Card spot while missing both Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic from their starting rotation.

20) Arizona Diamondbacks ⬇️

Last week: 18

Let the deals begin! The Diamondbacks have already traded Josh Naylor (Mariners) and Randal Grichuk (Royals) over the past few days and we should see Eugenio Suarez, Merrill Kelly, and Zac Gallen follow them out the door before Thursday’s deadline. Suarez has slugged his way into being the most-coveted name on the trade block, with the Yankees, Reds, Cubs, Tigers, and Phillies among the potential landing spots.

21) Los Angeles Angels ⬇️

Last week: 19

Mike Trout reached the 1,000 career RBI mark in majestic fashion on Sunday, as he launched a 443-foot homer to center field. The future Hall of Famer is now just three homers away from 400 for his career.

22) Minnesota Twins

Last week: 22

The Twins are a key team to watch leading into the trade deadline. There’s the obvious route to go with impending free agents like Harrison Bader,Willi Castro, and Danny Coulombe, but they could make things interesting if Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran are made available.

23) Miami Marlins

Last week: 23

Sandy Alcantara picked a good time for a throwback performance. The former Cy Young Award went a season-high seven innings while allowing just an unearned run against the Padres last Wednesday. The Marlins have other likely trade candidates, but Alcantara’s situation is the most interesting to follow this week.

24) Baltimore Orioles

Last week: 24

There’s been some talk in recent weeks about the Orioles potentially trading Felíx Bautista, but that’s increasingly unlikely after he landed on the injured list last week with right shoulder discomfort. Gregory Soto was shipped to the Mets over the weekend and we should hear plenty of buzz about names like Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Laureano, and Charlie Morton, among others.

25) Athletics ⬆️

Last week: 26

The A’s just pulled off their first-ever sweep of the Astros in Houston, highlighted by rookie slugger Nick Kurtz having perhaps the best game by a hitter in MLB history.

In addition to being the youngest player ever to pull off a four-homer game, Kurtz’s 19 total bases tied the MLB record set by Shawn Green on May 23, 2002. He's something special.

26) Atlanta Braves

Last week: 25

The Braves can’t wait for 2026 to come along. Grant Holmes hit the IL due to right elbow inflammation on Sunday, joining rotation mates Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez, and AJ Smith-Shawver on the sidelines. The Braves acquired the recently-DFA’d Erick Fedde from the Cardinals as well as Carlos Carrasco from the Yankees just to have some warm bodies who can throw some innings.

27) Pittsburgh Pirates ⬆️

Last week: 28

With another dominant outing Sunday against the Diamondbacks, Paul Skenes has won back-to-back games for the first time this season. Of course, that’s not his fault. Skenes holds a ridiculous 1.83 ERA and 146/32 K/BB ratio over 133 innings (matching his innings total from last year) and should be considered the frontrunner for NL Cy Young Award honors.

28) Washington Nationals ⬇️

Last week: 27

Nationals outfielder Jacob Young pulled off one of the best catches of the season last Wednesday.

29) Chicago White Sox

Last week: 29

White Sox fans are getting a tantalizing glimpse at the future, with shortstop Colson Montgomery recently homering in three straight games.

30) Colorado Rockies

Last week: 30

Well, hey, look at that. The Rockies have won consecutive series for the first time this season and might be able to avoid the White Sox record for futility.

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Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg has died at 65, the team announces

Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg has died at 65, the team announces originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg has passed away at the age of 65, the team announced Monday night.

Sandberg had been battling metastatic prostate cancer since January 2024. After a brief remission, he was dealt a setback in December when he announced that his cancer had returned and spread to other organs, leaving him to face more intense treatment.

He did throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Wrigley Field in early April, but his health had not improved, and the team announced he had passed away Monday.

In a press release following Sandberg’s death, the team announced they would wear a special jersey patch for the remainder of the season in his memory.

“Ryne Sandberg was a hero to a generation of Chicago Cubs fans and will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise,” said Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts on behalf of his family and the Cubs organization. “His dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career. He was immensely proud of his teammates and his role as a global ambassador of the game of baseball, but most of all, he was proud of Margaret, his children and his role as husband, father, and grandfather.”

Sandberg had released a statement on social media earlier this month:

“To all my Fans and extended baseball Family – I wanted to share an update regarding my health,” the statement said. “It’s been a challenging few months as I have been going through treatment on a regular basis. 

“While I am continuing to fight, I’m looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends. 

“I haven’t been to Wrigley Field as much as I hoped in the first half but I’m watching every game and am excited for the second half and to see Wrigley rocking like 1984! 

“Thank you for all the messages of support. Go Cubs!”

Sandberg was drafted by the Phillies in the 1978 MLB Draft. He appeared in 13 games for the Phillies during the 1981 season, then was traded to the Cubs in 1982, along with Larry Bowa in exchange for Ivan de Jesus.

Sandberg then played nearly his entire MLB career with the Cubs, winning National League MVP honors in 1984 while collecting nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger awards. He was a 10-time All-Star and won the 1990 Home Run Derby at Wrigley Field.

In all, Sandberg hammered 282 home runs and drove in 1,061 RBI’s in his big league career, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

He would later serve as a manager at various levels of the Cubs’ organization before being hired by the Phillies in 2013. He would manage 278 games, with a record of 119-159 before resigning during the 2015 campaign.

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2025 Anaheim Ducks Prospect Rankings: 4. Stian Solberg

The Anaheim Ducks have missed the playoffs every year since 2017-18 and in doing so, have drafted in the top ten for seven consecutive seasons and procured one of the NHL’s deepest and most potent prospect pools.

Despite several young players having graduated and become full-time NHLers, such as Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger, the Ducks still have an impressive pipeline of potential impact and depth prospects yet to make the jump.

Six Ducks Prospects Named to 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase Rosters

Can ‘Rangers West’ Help Get the Ducks Back Into the Playoffs?

For this exercise, only players who haven’t lost rookie status are eligible for a ranking, and to be clear, these are my (Patrick Present) subjective rankings.

Honorable Mentions: Yegor Sidorov, Herman Traff, Tarin Smith, Lasse Boelius, Calle Clang

Top Ten:

10. Nathan Gaucher, 21, C, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

9. Ian Moore, 23, RHD, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

8. Sasha Pastujov, 22, W, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

7. Tomas Suchanek, 22, G, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

6. Eric Nilson, 18, C, Michigan State University (NCAA)

5. Lucas Pettersson, 19, C, Brynas IF (SHL)

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Stian Solberg is selected by the Anaheim Ducks with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

4. Stian Solberg, 19, LHD, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

When making this list, there was a sizable gap between the four players at the top and the prospects ranked at five and beyond. While there will certainly be very good NHLers that I ranked between five and ten, and even some after ten, the Ducks’ top four prospects are expected to become impact players at the NHL level and even core pieces of the franchise when they hope to be perennial contenders.

Coming in at the four-spot is a player sure to become a fan favorite (if he isn’t already) with his consistent physical play and knack for scoring big goals from the blueline: Stian Solberg.

Solberg’s defining quality is how difficult he is to play against on a nightly basis. He punishes opponents when they look to get to the high-danger areas of the ice, and he finishes every hit after his check distributes the puck. Every inch of ice in the offensive zone comes at a cost when being defended by Solberg.

He’s a powerful skater with an advanced knowledge of angles, even after making the jump from European ice surfaces to North American ones in 2024-25. Everything he does on every shift is done at full effort, whether it’s netfront battles, puck retrievals that lead to crisp breakout passes, or everything in between.

He makes decisive, smart decisions with the puck and is quick to join a rush from the weak side when it’s available. His shot selection drives his offense at the blueline, as he consistently gets a heavy shot through traffic, and when a lane opens below the top of the circles, he leans on his stick and buries pucks more often than not.

At the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Ducks traded picks 31 and 58 to jump up to 23 and select Solberg, who was awarded the moniker “most violent player in the draft.”

He spent the majority of his 2024-25 season, his first outside of his native Norway, playing for Färjestad BK of the SHL, where he totaled 12 points (3-9=12) in 47 games before his role decreased as the playoffs approached. To ensure more ice time and get a head start on the transition to a smaller ice sheet, as well as a different style of game, the Ducks organization deemed it best he finish his season in San Diego with the Gulls of the AHL.

“I don't think they valued him enough in Färjestad to deserve to keep him around for longer, that’s just my personal take,” Ducks assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Martin Madden said. “I think he proved in his short stint in San Diego, and right now at the World Championships, that he has a really valuable role already. He can have an impact when you trust him with ice time.”

He fit in seamlessly, as his signature style is as conducive as it gets to North American professional hockey. He tallied five points (2-3=5) in ten AHL games to end the season before heading to Europe to play in his second consecutive IIHF World Championship representing Norway, where he scored six points (4-2=6) in seven games, including a hat trick against the United States.

The only area of his game that will need polishing before he makes his NHL debut is rush defending. He does well to angle and seal on the wall, especially on the smaller ice surface, but when pucks move up ice, he could stand to close gaps sooner to not be so flatfooted against an opposing transition attack.

Solberg will projectably assume a sizable role with the Gulls in 2025-26, likely killing penalties and featuring on the power play. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he plays NHL games at some point during the upcoming year as well. The organization has a lot of faith in him as a future impact contributor to their team.

Ducks Sign Drew Helleson to Two-Year Extension

Ducks Sign Lukas Dostal to Five-Year Extension

Ducks Sign Clang, Myšák to One-Year Deals

Photo Credit: INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / MATT ZAMBONIN

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Yankees trade Carlos Carrasco to Braves

The Yankees have moved on from veteran Carlos Carrasco.

The team announced that they have traded Carrasco to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash considerations.

Carrasco, 38, joined the Yankees on a minor league deal this offseason but ended up being a part of the rotation in April as a result of injuries to Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil.

Carrasco was DFA’d in early May and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was later called back up for one day in June, but was then waived before ending up back in Triple-A.

Overall, Carrasco pitched in eight games (six starts) with the Yankees, posting a 5.91 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 10 walks in 32.0 innings. He had much more success with the RailRiders, pitching to a 3.27 ERA in 11 games (10 starts).

Carrasco, who was once traded to the Mets in the deal that brought Francisco Lindor to Queens, will pitch for his fourth major league team (two stints in Cleveland, Mets, Yankees), assuming he appears in a game with the Braves.

General manager Brian Cashman continues to be active in the days ahead of the July 31 deadline, as the Yankees have now completed three trades in the last few days, including bringing in Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario.

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Super League votes to add two clubs and return to 14-team competition for 2026

  • Top-flight clubs agree to expansion for next season

  • Bradford Bulls and London Broncos could go up

Super League will become a 14-team competition again in 2026 after rugby league’s elite clubs opted to expand by two teams for the start of next season.

The league has operated with 12 teams for the last decade but clubs agreed to the expansion on Monday at a meeting in Leeds which opens the door for at least two Championship teams to join the elite ranks for 2026.

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Orel Hershiser puts a bounty on his Topps one-of-one signed chrome card

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 01: Tanner Scott and Evan Phillips onstage with Orel Hershiser at DodgerFest 2025 at Dodger Stadium on February 01, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Cassidy Sparrow/Getty Images)
Pitchers Tanner Scott and Evan Phillips onstage with broadcaster and former pitching great Orel Hershiser, right, at DodgerFest 2025 in February. (Cassidy Sparrow / Getty Images)

Orel Hershiser was one of a kind as a pitcher, tossing two complete-game victories to lead the Dodgers to the 1988 World Series championship after going 23-8 during a regular season that included a record streak of 59 consecutive scoreless innings.

Now in his 10th season as a color commentator and analyst for the team on SportsNet LA, Hershiser enjoys a side hustle running a collectibles store in Claremont called Legends' Attic.

Long an avid card collector, the pitcher nicknamed the Bulldog by former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda is exhibiting tenacity and persistence in pursuit of a one-of-one baseball card of himself. Hershiser signed the Topps Chrome card on March 12 during spring training, and he wants it for himself.

What lengths will the Bulldog go to get the card? He's put out what serious card collectors call a bounty.

Read more:Plaschke: Forever the Bulldog, Orel Hershiser should never be forgotten for his heroics in 1988

Hershiser even made a video pleading for the card.

"If you pull the Orel Hershiser one-of-one card, I really want that card," he said in the video. "I know that in this industry there is a lot of trading and I've already seen that there's been some bounties out there. Maybe I should create a bounty."

Hershiser has no idea who owns the card or how far away from Los Angeles they live, but he nevertheless listed what he's willing to trade: Two round-trip airline tickets, a stay at the "luxurious" DoubleTree hotel next door to Legends' Attic, tickets to a Dodgers game, a visit to the broadcasting booth where Hershiser and Joe Davis operate, and an autographed Hershiser jersey.

Presumably the offer also includes the obligatory DoubleTree chocolate chip cookies upon check-in.

Read more:Kid makes family more than $1 million after Freddie Freeman grand slam ball he caught sells

One would think a collector as savvy as Hershiser wouldn't open negotiations by placing all his cards on the table, but, hey, he's the Bulldog and only one card in return will do.

"I want to pull my card and I want you to find me and I want that card pristine," he all but demanded on the video. "I need it for my collection. Please!"

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.