SAN DIEGO, CA - MAY 18: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Monday, May 18, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Dodgers objectives in the second game in San Diego: (a) score at least once; (b) make sure the Padres don’t score as many.
DENVER, CO - May 16: Colorado Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle (9) advances to third base in the eighth inning during a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 16, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Postgame update: After the game, Warren Schaeffer provided an update.
“Left side contusion on that diving play out there,” Schaeffer said. “We’ll know more tomorrow, but that was painful.”
Colorado Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle left today’s game against the Texas Rangers after making a spectacular diving attempt on a ball in the first inning, but he landed awkwardly on his left arm.
He got up slowly and remained in the game to finish the inning but did not return in the bottom half.
“I’m not the biggest guy in the world,” Thornton said Tuesday at Nationals Park.
“Everything you do is for the people who said, ‘He couldn’t do it.’ And the people who said, ‘He could.’ ”
Thornton, who has endeared himself to Mets officials in part because of his ability to throw strikes, is receiving the first shot at filling the vacancy created by Clay Holmes’ fractured right fibula. Holmes was injured Friday when the Yankees’ Spencer Jones hit a line drive off his leg.
In seven minor league starts this season he has pitched to a 3.16 ERA. Thornton appeared twice for the team in the Grapefruit League and left a positive impression on manager Carlos Mendoza.
Zach Thornton throws a pitch during the Mets’ spring training loss to the Marlins on March 6, 2026 in Port St. Lucie. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“I treat every game the same: I want to go out and compete,” Thornton said. “I am the ultimate competitor, a strike thrower.”
Thornton was selected over Jack Wenninger and Jonah Tong at Syracuse. The Mets also have potential starting options in the bullpen in Tobias Myers and Sean Manaea.
Mendoza was asked if Nick Morabito’s promotion to the major leagues (joining fellow rookies Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing in the outfield) means Juan Soto will be relegated mostly to DH.
“[Soto] is our left fielder, but hopefully we get some of the other guys from the injury list and those guys are going to need some DH appearances and Juan is going to be playing a lot of left field,” Mendoza said. “So right now while we can we will just use those [DH for Soto] days as much as possible.”
Entering play the Mets had participated in 10 extra-inning games this season, the most in the major leagues.
They had won six of those games, also the most in MLB. The most recent was their 16-7 victory over the Nationals in 12 innings Monday.
The Mets set a franchise record with 10 runs in an extra-inning frame. It was tied for fourth highest in major league history.
You read that right. Not just an inside-the-park home run. A GRAND SLAM.
The phenomenon happened in the bottom of the second inning during a home game against the New York Mets. The bases were loaded and James Wood stepped up to the plate against pitcher Nolan McLean. On the first pitch, the right fielder swung and sent the ball flying to left-center field.
Two Mets outfielders, Tyrone Taylor and Nick Morabito, ran toward the ball in an attempt to catch it and nab the easy out. Morabito, who was making his MLB debut, leaped against the fence and the ball bounced off his glove. The defenders looked at each other as the ball bounced away and Jorbit Vivas trotted home from third base, Drew Millas ran in from second and Nasim Nuñez rounded all the way from first.
Morabito scrambled, picked the ball up and tossed it to a teammate in the infield, who overthrew catcher Luis Torren as Wood slid across home plate head-first to complete the grand slam.
This Mets-Nationals game is BONKERS, and it's only the second inning. James Wood just hit an inside-the-park grand slam off Nick Morabito's glove. Can't say I've ever seen that one before. pic.twitter.com/sh5h1IyOtU
The play, which was Wood's 13th home run of the season, trimmed the Mets' lead to 5-4.
According to MLB reporter Sarah Langs, this is the third inside-the-park grand slam in the past decade. The Nationals have two of those, both at home. Besides Wood's massive hit, Michael A. Taylor had his own play in 2017. The third one occurred when Raimel Tapia of the Toronto Blue Jayshit a grand slam in 2022 at Fenway Park.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 14: Luis Castillo #58 and Bryce Miller #50 of the Seattle Mariners react during the game against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on June 14, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners defeated the White Sox yesterday thanks largely to a strong performance from Bryan Woo and just enough offense against White Sox lefty starter Noah Schultz before Colt Emerson broke the game wide open, but they’ll face another challenge today with Anthony Kay on the mound. Last time these two teams faced off, the Mariners hitters couldn’t solve Kay’s changeup, striking out five times in five innings while not punishing him for two walks. The Mariners will be switching things up on the pitching side, starting Bryce Miller, who was still on the IL last time these teams met, with Luis Castillo – who gave up two two-run homers in their last meeting – working out of the bullpen for the first time in his career.
Lineups:
With the White Sox bringing out yet another lefty, the Mariners are pulling out their righty lineup. J.P. Crawford gets a day off, shifting Emerson over to shortstop for his first big-league start at the position. Righty Patrick Wisdom will handle third, making his first MLB start since September 28 of 2024, and hopefully defer to Emerson on anything hit to the left side.
Today’s game information:
Game time: 6:40 PT
TV: Mariners TV with Aaron Goldsmith and Angie Mentink, with Ryan Rowland-Smith as field reporter
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 14: Landen Roupp #65 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Landen Roupp, who enters tonight’s game with at 3.49 ERA, 2.68 FIP, with 58 strikeouts to 21 walks in 49 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, in which he allowed four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in five and a third innings.
He’ll be facing off against Diamondbacks right-hander Ryne Nelson, who enters tonight’s game with a 5.40 ERA, 4.80 FIP, with 43 strikeouts to 14 walks in 45 innings pitched. His last start was in the Diamondbacks’ 6-5 loss to the Texas Rangers last Wednesday, in which he allowed three runs on four hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings.
May 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) celebrates his home run with Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) during the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
There’s a Simpsons joke for every occasion. If the Phillies had tasted victory against Chase Burns, I would’ve had a great opportunity to break out one of my favorite quotes from the character with whom he shares a surname—“Honestly, Smithers, I don’t know why Harvard even bothers to show up— they barely even won!”. Except replace “Harvard” with “Phillies”. Anyway, I say let the Reds have their victory and their elite flamethrowing pitcher. The Phillies will always be first in fuzzy green mascots and gentlemanly club life.
Burns and Jesús Luzardo got off to quick starts, wrapping up their first two innings without allowing a run. Burns allowed a double to Alec Bohm in the first and a single to Bryson Stott in the second, but wrapped the inning up with the next batter in both cases.
Luzardo surrendered his first hit with the first batter of the third, Blake Dunn. He then walked Tyler Stephenson. The warning lights were flashing Reds. But Luzardo was neither to be dissuaded from his task nor persuaded to offer a Redleg a journey home. He induced the next two batters to hit weak grounders, turning the first into a twin killing and the second into the final out.
Burns seemed to be cruising through yet another inning, putting the first two Phillies he faced in the third down. That brought up Trea Turner, who got a slider he liked, then sent it somewhere Burns did not like: The left-field seats, underneath the scoreboard. The Phillies thus drew first blood.
But their own lips would be bloodied soon enough. In the fourth, Elly De La Cruz hit a liner to center that bounced off the top of Justin Crawford’s outstretched glove and bounced to the wall; De La Cruz made it to third. The next batter, Spencer Steer, put much less distance on the ball, chopping it into the infield. But the Phillies didn’t have anyone at first, and the weak contact became a hit. Runners on the corners, none away. Luzardo struck out Sal Stewart to provide some much needed relief, and Stewart, in turn, successfully overturned the challenge to provide some very much not needed heartburn. Stewart would eventually take his base via the free pass, and the bases were more loaded with Reds than Mr. Redlegs’ mustache is loaded with wax. The Cincinnatis hit a pair of sacrifice flies to score two and take the lead.
The Phillies’ attempts to take it back in the fourth and fifth were stymied by Burns, who put them down in order both times. Bohm grounded to short to make the first out of the fourth, and the next five Phillies were struck out by Burns. The next three weren’t, but they were sent back to the dugout in other ways.
Luzardo’s day ended as the seventh dawned. His performance had been quite good outside of a shaky fourth, and even there he recovered quickly and limited the damage. He just had the bad luck to face off against a pitcher having an even better day. Tanner Banks was the choice from the bullpen, and he encountered trouble fast, surrendering a leadoff double to JJ Bleday, and an infield hit to Dunn. Banks was a bit late in running to cover first, and Harper’s subsequent throw was rushed, sailing past Banks and allowing Dunn to advance to second. Banks then walked Tyler Stephenson, and the bases were more loaded with Reds than a bowl of Cincinnati chili is loaded with shredded cheese. A grounder from Ke’Bryan Hayes turned into a force out at home, and the Phillies turned to Jonathan Bowlan to get the next two outs. The same seemed to happen with Matt McClain’s grounder, but the Reds challenged, and the replay officials agreed that Dunn had made it home before the ball did. The subsequent run-scoring walk to Elly De La Cruz was not the worst thing that could happen when a slugger approaches the plate with the bases loaded, but it wasn’t terribly pleasing to the eye of the faithful Phillies fan either. The Phillies put the next two batters away to end the inning with the Reds up 4-1.
Burns’ brutally effective night concluded with the sixth inning, and the Phillies set out to redeem themselves against the Reds’ bullpen. First order of business: Piercing the line of defense offered by Pierce Johnson. Rain began to fall on Citizens Bank Park, as the Phillies began their comeback campaign. Bohm worked a leadoff walk to continue a his hot streak, but Brandon Marsh struck out, and McClain made a great dive to turn a broken-bat liner up the middle from Adolis García into an out, and Stott went down on strikes.
Chase Shugart wears 55 on his back, and tonight that number served as a reminder of his task: do not let the Reds get their fifth run. The number that turned out to define his outing was three: the number of Reds that he faced, and the number that he sent trudging back to the dugout.
The Phillies took their next shot at narrowing the lead against Sam Moll, with Otto Kemp pinch-hitting for Crawford. Moll mollified the Phillies batters, and the home team was left with their fifth straight scoreless inning. Shugart took the ninth, and once again stymied the Cincys. That left the Phillies trio of Turner, Harper, and Bohm to kickstart a comeback. But Turner flew out, Harper struck out, and Bohm did too. The last strike came on an initially-called ball overturned by ABS; a final frustration in a wet, irritating night. So it goes.
The Phillies are 25-24. They’ll take on the Reds in the rubber match tomorrow at 1:05.
May 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) hits a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
The Tigers went into their second of four games against the Cleveland Guardians tonight, hoping to split the series early and end their growing losing streak. They had Keider Montero on the mound, up against Parker Messick for the Guardians. After a rough series opener on Monday, Detroit definitely wanted to turn things around for the hometown crowd.
Montero got things going exactly the way the Tigers hoped he would, getting the Guardians out 1-2-3. In the home half of the inning, the Tigers did the same, however, going three-up, three-down to end the inning quickly.
Kyle Manzardo started the second inning with a single, followed by a walk to Travis Bazzana. The Guardians love a bunt, so Angel Martinez laid down a sac bunt to advance both baserunners. A Steven Kwan sac fly then brought Manzardo home, putting the Guardians on the board first. In the bottom of the inning, Riley Greene got a one-out walk, then Spencer Torkelson hit a home run over the wall in left field. Wenceel Perez also singled, but two outs left him stranded. However, the Tigers now had the lead in the game.
Jose Ramirez got a two-out walk for Cleveland in the top of the third, but he was left stranded. In the home half, Jahmai Jones took a two-out walk as well, but much like with Cleveland, he was left stranded to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Manzardo got a leadoff walk, then Bazzana homered, bringing in two runs and putting the Guardians back in the lead. Kwan got a one-out walk, continuing his on-base efforts from the previous evening, but the Guardians weren’t able to add any additional runs. The game was still within one run. Riley Greene got a leadoff single to start the home half, and two outs later Hao-Yu Lee singled to put two men on base. In an effort to get Lee out at first, the catcher threw over to first, but it ended up in the field, and Greene was able to get all the way home, to tie up the game. Great work all around for everyone being on the ball with that one. Austin Hedges was charged with an error.
Lee continued to contribute with a crazy good catch and accurate throw over to first to get the first out of the inning in the fifth, in Daniel Schneemann. Dillon Dingler tried for his own highlight reel moment as a pop-up headed behind the plate but he couldn’t quite get his glove on it. The Tigers did get the next two outs, though. In the home half Matt Vierling got a leadoff walk, then with one out, Jones hit into a double play to end the inning.
Montero’s day was done after five innings, with a final line of 5.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HR on 85 pitches. It was a fairly unremarkable outing for Montero. Could have been better, but last night showed us it also could have been worse. Tyler Holton came in and got three outs in a row. Colin Holderman came in for the Guardians in the bottom of the inning. Greene continued to be the best performer on the team with a one-out single, but the Tigers failed to bring him home, with two outs to leave him stranded.
Steven Kwan got a leadoff double to get the seventh inning started, and he advanced to third on a sac bunt by Hedges. A Brayan Rocchio groundout brought Kwan home and pushed the Guardians into the lead. They’d have to settle for just the one run, but the game was no longer tied. In the home half, Erik Sabrowski was the new pitcher for Cleveland. With one out, Zack Short walked. Two outs followed, though, so the Tigers once again left a man stranded.
A freshly returned Will Vest came in for the Tigers in the top of the eighth, and he got three outs in a row. In the bottom of the inning, the Guardians once again dipped into their bullpen for Tim Herrin, who gave up a leadoff walk to Jones. Then, with one out, Riley Greene was hit by a pitch to send him to first. That was all she wrote for Herrin who faced the minimum three batters and got yanked. Hunter Gaddis replaced him and Colt Keith got a free ball thanks to a pitch timer violation. He ended up grounding into a force out anyway, eliminating Greene. Wenceel Perez walked to load the bases. A pinch-hitting Zach McKinstry came in, and in the Tigers’ best chance of the game, he grounded out to end the inning.
Burch Smith replace Will Vest for the ninth, and gave up a leadoff single to Bazzana. A double play off the bat of Martinez eliminated him, though, and then a truly remarkable catch by Matt Vierling in center kept Steven Kwan from getting on base yet again, and ended the inning. With only a one-run deficit, the Tigers still had a chance to turn things around, but they’d have to do it against Cade Smith. With one out, Vierling singled, followed by a single to Kevin McGonigle. With two on and two out, it was up to Dingler. Alas, he was struck out to end both the inning and the game, and the gap between the top and bottom of the AL Central widens.
Make no mistake: the Avalanche are the best team in the league, and on paper they’re the better team in the series. The Golden Knights have a steep hill to climb if they don’t want to get caught in the snowdrift. Here are the three biggest challenges they’ll face as they try to topple the big bad Avs.
1. Center Depth
The Golden Knights are a much stronger team with William Karlsson back in the lineup. However, there’s no denying that the Avalanche have some of, if not the, best center depth in the league. They made a buzzer-beater move for Nazem Kadri at the deadline, which took them from exceptional to elite. Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, and Jack Drury round out the rest of the center corps— they’re so deep down the middle, Nic Roy is slotting in on the wing.
The Avalanche centermen are all 200-foot players who are just as strong on the defensive side of the puck as they are offensively. Brock Nelson was a Selke finalist, and Nathan MacKinnon is no slouch defensively.
2. Offense from Defensemen
Shea Theodore has played like a man possessed through 12 postseason games with four goals, one an overtime game-winner, and nine points. Noah Hanifin, too, has six assists in 12 games. Otherwise, the Golden Knights haven’t gotten much from their defenseman in terms of offense this postseason. Rasmus Andersson has three assists in 12 games, and Kaedan Korczak has one in nine.
Cale Makar is the best defenseman in the world, but he’s far from the only offensively gifted defenseman on the Avalanche roster. Devon Toews, Makar’s Olympic teammate and perpetual d partner, is having himself a postseason with two goals and eight points in nine games.
It’s not just the usual suspects producing for the Avalanche. Sam Malinski, a 27-year-old undrafted free agent out of Lakeville, Minnesota, continues to impress in his elevated role and has a goal and three points in nine games. Brett Kulak is known more for his steady defensive play, but he brings quite a bit to the table offensively… and that’s before his overtime series-clinching goal against the Minnesota Wild.
3. Nathan MacKinnon
I know, I know, I already brushed on MacKinnon when discussing the Avalanche’s center depth. But what he’s doing this postseason is nothing short of remarkable, even by his standards. MacKinnon has seven goals and six assists– all primary– in nine games. He drives the offense both at 5-on-5 and on the power play, as he’s scored three of his seven goals on the man advantage.
But, as it often is with great players, it’s not just the goals and assists that matter when looking at MacKinnon. He’s also drawn six penalties and is 53.7% in the face-off dot. The Avalanche are a force of nature this year, and MacKinnon is more than doing his part to try and help his team get across the finish line. If the Golden Knights can’t contain him, or at least limit his impact, this could be a short series.
The city skyline and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) are seen from the Hole In The Rock trail during a record heat wave in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 19, 2023. The extreme heat in the northern hemisphere is putting an increasing strain on healthcare systems, hitting those least able to cope the hardest, the World Health Organization said July 19. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
GIANTS
DIAMONDBACKS
Harrison Bader – CF
Ketel Marte – 2B
Luis Arraez – 2B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Casey Schmitt – DH
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Rafael Devers – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Willy Adames – SS
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Matt Chapman – 3B
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Drew Gilbert – LF
Gabriel Moreno – C
Daniel Susac – C
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Will Brennan – RF
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Landen Roupp – RHP
Ryne Nelson – RHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 39.
Selected from Triple-A Reno: C Aramis Garcia(No. 35)
Placed on the 10-day injured list: C James McCann (strained right quad)
As expected, McCann has to hit the IL, having injured himself legging out a ground-ball late in last night’s blowout win. It really wasn’t necessary, but I can’t criticize a player very much for trying too hard. He’ll probably miss 4-6 weeks. It leads to the return of Aramis Garcia, who was DFA’d earlier this month. He made it through waivers, returned to Reno – and, hey, what do you know, he finds himself back on both the 40-man and the active roster again. We had two empty spots, so there’s no need for a move as yet. We’ll have to wait and see which of the players on the 60-day Injured List are ready to be activated first. Best guess? Might be Jordan Lawlar, might be A.J. Puk.
Arizona will look to build on last time’s offensive outburst: insert obvious comment about “perhaps they should have saved some of those runs for tonight.” After a couple of dismal outing, Ryne Nelson has bounced back, with a May ERA of 2.33 across three outings. That goes with a very solid K:BB of 19:3 across 19,1 innings. However, Ryne still has only one win in nine attempts this year, and has a six-game winless streak coming into tonight’s outing. The Giants, as we have already documented, have struggled on offense this year, so this could be a good chance for Nelson to end that run and get back into the W column.
Upodate on the Corbin Burnes front. Nick Piecoro reports that Burnes “said he has two more bullpen sessions before he faces hitters, likely in a live session next Friday. He thinks it could be a couple of weeks or so before he starts getting into games. Still targeting a mid-July-ish return.” That’s still a couple of months off, but it’s going to be interesting to see how the team handles it, in terms of roster spots and rotation places. Presuming none of the other starting pitchers need to hit the IL, there’s going to be seven starting pitchers for five spots. Could be a case of the audition starting tonight for Nelson…
May 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Koa Peat participates in the 2026 NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
For the past year or more, Koa Peat’s status as a future NBA Draft first round pick was a foregone conclusion. After Peat’s lackluster showing at last week’s NBA Draft Combine, that assumption is being put to the test.
The Arizona forward has slipped in three post-combine mock drafts, putting to question whether Peat should return to college for another year or stay in the NBA Draft. Peat had one of the worst shooting performances in recent combine history, causing draft analysts to question whether he’s deserving of a first round pick.
Peat went 6 of 25 in the combine’s spot-up shooting drill, 6 of 25 from 3-point range and 15 of 30 shooting off the dribble. The 6-foot-7 Peat tested well in agility drills, but his poor shooting form was the talk of the combine.
“It’s not the results, it’s how it looked,” 247Sports’ Isaac Trotter said this week. “It was a release that just looked funky, uncomfortable, weird. He’s trying to get a little bit more arc on his three-point jumper is what he said. It looks like he’s just remaking it at the wrong time.”
Now that draft analysts have had a few days to digest what they saw at the combine, the verdict is starting to trickle out on Peat’s draft stock: He’s moving in the wrong direction.
NBC Sports’ Raphielle Johnson and Kurt Helin’s most recent mock draft has Peat not listed in the first round. Neither does Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo released his mock draft today, which has Peat going 27th to the Boston Celtics.
Woo wrote: “Peat was a hot topic at the combine, as teams expressed concern over what appeared to be fully reworked jump-shot mechanics as he struggled in shooting drills. The door remains open for him to return to Arizona, which would give him additional time to solve those issues, with his shot viewed as the primary factor holding him back from having a solid NBA career. Whether he figures it out, his future might ultimately be as a small-ball five, a role that would allow him to use his strength and skill to his advantage while mitigating the potential negative impact of his shot.
If Peat stays in the draft, teams picking in the 20s will have to consider investing in his development, noting his winning history, sturdy frame, and potential two-way versatility, provided he starts to make open jumpers. The Celtics have done a strong job with internal development and could view this as a value opportunity if he falls.”
If the mock drafts are any indication of how NBA franchises view Peat, then his fall presents a valid question of whether he should return to Arizona for a sophomore season or risk not being taken in the first round.
Peat’s deadline for a decision is coming up quickly. Early draft entrants looking to maintain their eligibility have until May 27 at 11:59 p.m. EST to completely withdraw from the NBA Draft pool.
Arizona will have its answer on Peat’s decision no later than May 27, the deadline to withdraw and maintain college eligibility.
Jan 4, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin (8) talkes with Assistant Coach Steve Hetzel, prior to the game against the Denver Nuggets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The New Orleans Pelicans hiring team did its best Reggie Evans impersonation this week, scooping up Jamahl Mosley in a ferocious flash. The Orlando Magic fired him as their head coach on May 4, and the Pels signed him as their own two weeks later.
However, the summer’s head coaching candidate that Brooklyn Nets fans care most about remains available as does one of the team’s fan favorites are still out there — with at least one team still considering them.
This week on his substack, Marc Stein reported that Jordi Fernandez’s No. 2 and longtime friend, Steve Hetzel, along with former Nets forward Jared Dudley remain head coaching targets for the Portland Trail Blazers. They also seem to have some new competition hailing from the Twin Cities.
“League sources tell The Stein Line that the Blazers, meanwhile, have expressed interest in Minnesota assistant coach Micah Nori in addition to previously reported candidates Jared Dudley and Hetzel,” Stein wrote.
In the same substack, Jake Fischer later confirmed that Hetzel got as close as you could to the NOLA job before it ultimately went to Mosley: the short list. The job is open because new owner, Tom Dundon, had made it clear that another coach with a Nets connection, Tiago Splitter, will not return as head coach. Splitter, who was a Nets assistant and player development coach for five years, was elevated to the top job in Portland the day after head coach Chauncey Billups was suspended indefinitely following his arrest on illegal gambling charges.
“(Splitter) remains a candidate for the full-time post on some level along with various assistant coaches we’ve reported on like Micah Nori (Timberwolves), Jared Dudley (Nuggets), Greg St. Jean (Lakers) and Brooklyn’s Steve Hetzel, who was a finalist for the New Orleans job,” Fischer wrote.
Hetzel had been an assistant coach in Portland between 2021 and 2024 before joining the Nets. He also has had assistant coaching gigs in Detroit, Charlotte and Orlando. He served as head coach of Cleveland’s G League team early in his career as well as Portland and Brooklyn’s Summer League teams in recent years. He ran the Nets’ team in Las Vegas the last two years.
In addition, Hetzel has been involved in the Nets draft process, having been frequently shown in last year’s SCOUT series that highlighted the 2025 draft process. With another big pick to make in about a month, then two summer leagues after that, we’ll know soon if he’ll be back again helping out here … or elsewhere.
Among the top priorities for the Philadelphia Flyers this offseason is going to be finding a competent complement to starting goalie Dan Vladar.
The book is not necessarily closed on incumbent backup goalie Sam Ersson, who is a pending RFA in need of a new contract, but his performances and consistency have only gotten progressively worse during his three years in the NHL with the Flyers.
So, if the Flyers move on from Ersson and let him pursue other opportunities elsewhere, they have two options: sign a goalie from an underwhelming crop of free agents, or trade for one.
Their best choice, for all intents and purposes, is going to be the latter.
One of the first places the Flyers should consider looking is, perhaps surprisingly, Buffalo, where the Sabres have four goalies who could conceivably be NHL regulars, all of whom are under contract for next season.
Established veterans Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon lead the way there, and Colten Ellis, a waiver claim from the St. Louis Blues, made his NHL debut this season, going 8-4-2 in 12 games for the Sabres with a 2.90 GAA, a .903 save percentage, and one shutout.
And then there's Devon Levi, the critically acclaimed but undersized goalie prospect who has yet to gain a foothold on an NHL roster spot for an extended period of time.
The 24-year-old has played 39 NHL games across three seasons, going a modest 17-17-2 with a 3.29 GAA and .894 save percentage.
Comparatively, Ersson, 26, has a 3.01 GAA and a .884 save percentage to go with his 65-50-17 career record.
It's worth noting, too, that Levi's numbers are dragged down by a nine-game stint last season that saw him go 2-7-0 with a 4.12 GAA and .872 save percentage.
And, in fairness to Levi, the Sabres were never particularly good during his time in the NHL and only had things click this season after general manager Kevyn Adams was fired and replaced by Jarmo Kekalainen.
So, heading into his age-25 season, Levi has no path to a roster spot in Buffalo despite having already played 175 professional games in the Sabres organization.
This is where the Flyers step in.
Behind Vladar, the Flyers currently have Aleksei Kolosov, who recently re-signed with the club for one year, and Carson Bjarnason.
It's possible that Kolosov could step in and play a full NHL season as a backup, but the idea of him taking over as the starter in the event of an injury to Vladar is a rather uncomfortable one.
Bjarnason, of course, is still just 20 years old and finished his first professional season, which came with an ECHL stint with the Reading Royals.
Longtime NHL media maven Jeff Marek recently claimed that things are "over" between Levi and the Sabres, so, all things considered, a huge opportunity would be waiting for him in Philadelphia.
The price to acquire the goalie prospect can't be that high, given that the Sabres have no leverage with three goalies clearly ahead of him in the pecking order, and Levi comes with only a one-year commitment at an $812.5k cap hit if things don't work out.
Plus, the Flyers could always insure themselves with lower-tier free agent options with experience, such as Matt Murray, Vitek Vanecek, and even old friend Cam Talbot, heading into training camp and the preseason.
If things really do work out for the Flyers and the franchise finally catches a break, Levi will have realized his potential as a starting-caliber NHL goalie, which would help form a robust tandem with Vladar.
The time is now for Levi, who is running out of runway to crack an NHL roster after a promising start to his pro career.
We can be certain that the 24-year-old will be extra motivated heading into a contract year after being cast aside, and the Flyers have had great success targeting such players in the recent past, including Vladar himself.
The Grand Rapids Griffins have no choice but to win three straight games against the Chicago Wolves, who lead the AHL Central Division Finals two games to none and can close things out on Tuesday night.
And the physical intensity has picked up in the first period of play, culminating in an on-ice melee following a dirty hit from behind on forward Amadeus Lombardi, who was already down in a vulnerable position, by Wolves defenseman Charles Legault.
Immediately, forward Carter Mazur, who scored for the Griffins earlier in the period, stepped in and began doling out some physical punishment to Legault as a scrum ensued.
Meanwhile, Lombardi was clearly shaken up and very slow to recover.
Insanely dangerous and dirty play. Hitting Lombardi as he’s already down sliding into the boards mazur steps up for him nice to see. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/J4OZZgoSu6
— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) May 20, 2026
Lombardi, who was taken by the Detroit Red Wings with the 113th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, has three assists in seven AHL postseason games this spring after having tallied 16 goals with 26 assists in 47 regular season contests this season.
Mazur, who got in several games of NHL experience under his belt in Detroit this season, has scored five goals for the Griffins in the postseason so far.
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The Nationals slugger crushed a deep fly ball to left that not only popped out of the Mets rookie’s glove but ended up turning into a rare inside-the-park grand slam.
Mets starter Nolan McLean easily got the first two outs of the bottom of the second inning before allowing a double and single with a hit by pitch sandwiched in between.
Wood, who had 31 homers last year and 12 entering Wednesday’s ballgame, sent a high, arcing fly deep to left field that sent Morabito back to the fence.
At the top of his leap, Morabito, making his major league debut, saw the ball bounce off the heel of his glove and roll all the way to center field. Center fielder Tyrone Taylor didn’t appear to know where the ball was and stayed near Morabito, who was down on the warning track.
By the time Morabito got to his feet and went for the ball, Wood was inevitably going to score on a wild homer that went 379 feet but never left the confines of Nationals Park.
Rookie left fielder Nick Morabito stands on the on deck circle before his first MLB at bat during the Mets’ 9-6 loss to the Nationals on May 19, 2026 at Nationals Park. Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
To add insult to injury, Morabito was plunked in his second plate appearance in the top of the third.
But Morabito got a measure of redemption in the bottom half when he made a leaping catch reaching into the stands down the left field line on a Jorbit Vivas fly ball that turned into a sacrifice fly.
The outfield prospect had a .754 OPS with four homers and 14 steals in 41 games with Triple-A Syracuse this year.
