Mets reliever Joey Gerber exited Wednesday’s 9-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays with a blister on his right finger, interim manager Andy Green confirmed after the game.
In his first inning of work, Gerber worked around a leadoff walk for an 11-pitch fifth, and after getting the first man of the sixth on five pitches, the trainer was called upon.
Entering Wednesday's game, Gerber had pitched six innings on the year over four outings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.
The Philadelphia Flyers have officially lost one of their depth defensemen.
The Colorado Avalanche have announed that they signed have signed former Flyers defenseman Noah Juulsen to a two-year contract.
Juulsen spent this past season with the Flyers and was a decent part of their blueline. In 52 games with the Flyers during the 2026-27 campaign, the 6-foot-2 blueliner recorded one goal, 10 points, and 104 hits. This was after he had zero points and 101 hits during the 2024-25 season with the Vancouver Canucks.
Overall, Juulsen was a decent depth defenseman during his time with the Flyers, but it makes sense that they moved on from him. They have young right-shot defenseman like David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk who should be competing for NHL spots next season.
Juulsen will likely be a candidate to play bottom-pairing minutes with the Avalanche after signing with the Central Division club. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact he can make after signing with Colorado from here.
For one, James’ stature in the league is unprecedented, at least in the modern NBA. He’s the type of player who — thanks to his tenure and track record of excellence — is able to dictate the terms of essentially every facet of his employment. From nutrition and rest to coaching and personnel matters, James has earned the ability to curate his experience for what will presumably be the final stop of his record-shattering career.
Above all else, expect fit to be the deciding factor.
Here’s a look at four landing spots for LeBron James, ranked by best fit.
On one hand, the playoffs revealed just how badly the Nuggets need another play-maker and shot creator. On the other, the postseason also showed how old and slow the Nuggets suddenly looked. James would certainly solve the first issue, but at 42 next December, it’s undeniable that James has lost a step.
He nonetheless remains a player who would fit alongside Nikola Jokić — an excellent passer in his own right — and Jamal Murray. Still, James does not appear to have any tangible link to the Denver community and it’s unclear if he has much of a personal relationship with either of Denver’s stars.
This may be the most seamless fit on a personal level. Akron has always been home for the James family. He already had two separate stints with the Cavaliers and James’ ties to the area cannot be replicated. In a basketball sense, however, it appears to be a bit of an awkward fit.
Cleveland already has Donovan Mitchell and James Harden on the roster. Both are ball-dominant guards who thrive most when they’re the ones initiating the attack. James is built in the same mold. In fact, the more awkward moments with the Lakers this past season were when James was forced to defer substantially to Luka Dončić. This pairing would seemingly require James to sacrifice some key parts of his game. But it would be a storybook ending if James can elevate the Cavs, who were swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, to another title.
This is all about James and his respect and admiration for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. A long-time friend of both, James would provide a much-needed, play-making outlet to ease pressure off of Curry. One of the hardest-working players in the NBA, Curry is constantly on the move when off the ball in an attempt to create space. Yet, Golden State’s offense the past couple of seasons has lacked a true ball-handling point guard, so those duties have also often fallen to Curry.
James would instantly become a facilitating play-maker who would get even more out of Curry. The issue, however, would be that the Warriors would be pinning their hopes to aging stars. If Kristaps Porziņģis continues to have health issues, availability could be a problem for the Warriors.
James played arguably the best basketball of his career when he was in Miami from 2010-14. Coach Erik Spoelstra and the same crew in the front office, led by Pat Riley, remain. And while there was some tension between James and Heat executives late in his time with the Heat, all sides have seemingly reconciled and are on good terms. In February 2026, when the Lakers unveiled a statue of Riley, James met Riley pre-game and the two embraced.
James, who has been a fixture on Team USA, bonded with Spoelstra, who had been an assistant coach for the team, and Heat captain Bam Adebayo. The Heat, as currently constructed, lack a true play-making ball handler. And James, in the twilight of his career, has become more of a ball-dominant distributor than a pure scoring threat. Taking that a step further, Spoelstra has embraced quick, up-tempo play; Miami ranked first in the NBA in pace (104.22). And alongside new acquisition Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Heat would then hold the two top fastbreak threats in the NBA, as James led all players with 5.7 fastbreak points per game and Antetokounmpo tied for second (5.5).
Then there’s this: during a 2024 Instagram Live chat, a fan asked James if he missed Miami. Before he could respond, James’ wife, Savannah James, off camera, responded “Yes.” Then, when LeBron asked to clarify the question, Savannah James said, “I miss the city.”
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 19: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics reacts against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on January 19, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Celtics made a solid move by signing Mitchell Robinson to a three-year deal earlier in the day. As Charania reported Robinson’s signing on ESPN, he also broke down the Brown negotiations. The Celtics are reportedly seeking a package of players and picks, and have asked for as many as four future first-round picks in some discussions. Charania reports that Boston is talking to 8-10 teams right now. Watch the full clip here:
Reporting for NBA Today on championship center Mitchell Robinson leaving the Knicks to join Boston — and the bigger domino facing the Celtics: pic.twitter.com/QpT59VvaSn
I came up with Jaylen Brown fake trades last week. The best package feels like it could come from the Portland Trail Blazers or Houston Rockets. The Rockets could offer Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. if they want. The Blazers could potentially build a package around Donovan Clingan and Jrue Holiday. I listed the Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, and Washington Wizards as potential sleeper teams. Will a dark horse candidate emerge to trade for Brown?
The most surprising thing is that the Celtics are shopping Brown hard even though he hasn’t asked for a trade. Brown’s contract is the biggest hurdle for Boston or another suitor right now. He has three years and over $180 million left on his deal.
Where will Jaylen Brown land? Are the Celtics crazy for trying to trade him?
The Los Angeles Dodgers go for the sweep of the Athletics on Wednesday night in Sacramento.
Having won seven of their last eight games, L.A. is the favorite (-163) in the betting market.
That being said, my Dodgers vs. A’s predictions and MLB picks for Wednesday, July 1, think there’s value with the A’s (+152) given their starting pitching advantage.
Who will win Dodgers vs A's today: Athletics (+152)
The Los Angeles Dodgers have opted to push back Shohei Ohtani’s start to Friday, leaving them in a precarious pitching situation for today’s series finale.
Charlie Barnes is expected to get the start, and neither his 6.14 xERA across 43 career Big League innings nor his 1.59 WHIP at Triple-A inspire confidence. The bullpen behind him has a below-average 4.12 SIERA in the last 14 days.
J.T. Ginn (3.93 xERA) gives the Athletics a starting pitching advantage. With L.A. having already wrapped up the series, I’ll back the A’s at home up to +145.
COVERS INTEL:With winds of 8–10 mph blowing out to dead center on a warm, sunny day in Sacramento, J.T. Ginn will look to keep the ball out of the air with his 74th-percentile groundball rate.
Dodgers vs A's Over/Under pick: Over 10.5 (-128)
Both of the first two games of this series went Over the total, moving the Athletics to 26-15-2 O/U at home.
Barnes has an unseemly 75 Stuff+ that would rank 289th out of 290 pitchers to have started a game in the MLB. The A’s rank ninth in wRC+ (102) against southpaws and should inflict damage.
The Dodgers’ lineup is fully operational with Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman back healthy and Mookie Betts resembling his former self (202 wRC+ since June 19).
There’s reason to expect supple offensive output from both teams at Sutter Health Park (110 Park Factor).
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 24-23, -3.41 units
Over/Under bets: 32-15, +16.40 units
Dodgers vs A's weather
Dodgers vs A's odds
Moneyline: Los Angeles -160 | Athletics +156
Run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (+100) | Athletics +1.5 (-102)
Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-122) | Under 10.5 (-109)
Dodgers vs A's trend
The Atheltics are 12-5 in J.T. Ginn’s last 17 starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. A's.
How to watch Dodgers vs A's and game info
Location
Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, CA
Date
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
First pitch
9:40 p.m. ET
TV
SNLA, NBCSCA
Dodgers starting pitcher
Charlie Barnes (0-0, 5.40 ERA)
A's starting pitcher
J.T. Ginn (6-4, 3.15 ERA)
Dodgers vs A's latest injuries
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.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 29: Hao-Yu Lee #50 of the Detroit Tigers runs to first base after hitting a 2-run scoring single during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For a moment, we had hope. The Yankees came back in the bottom of the ninth inning, showing exactly the kind of fight and fire that has been so absent over the last week. They closed a two-run deficit in genuinely exciting fashion. Then the floor fell out from under them, they lost their seventh straight, and suffered their second straight sweep. Tigers 6, Yankees 2 is your final in 11 innings.
Let’s start with Will Warren, and you can tell that he came in with a defined gameplan. The Tigers are a dead-red fastball hitting team, and his career-high 29 percent changeup usage was deliberate in getting Detroit hitters out in front of the plate. For the most part it worked, with 15 whiffs leading to seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched. Warren is not your ace, on net you take that kind of start. It was Warren’s best start since May 31st, even if he never really seems to be driving the game in the way that certain other pitchers can just take over.
We have a couple easy takes here, stuff that’s in the dirt or on the toe, but that cluster down and just off the plate against righties should be an interesting watch in Warren’s next start. His changeup has been far better than his slider so far this season — indeed the offspeed is the only pitch besides Will’s four-seam that has a positive run value — and he’s using it just nine percent of the time. The pitches obviously have different uses but you wonder about him using today as a lesson and incorporating it into his repertoire more.
He got touched up by Kevin McGonigle for the rookie’s seventh homer of the season, and got into some trouble in the sixth allowing multiple Tigers to reach. Riley Greene brought in a second run with a sac fly ending Warren’s day, but the bullpen managed to limit damage the rest of the day. He doesn’t inspire me or make me think “dang, Warren’s on the hill, we got this,” but it was perfectly representative of a decent MLB pitcher today. The problem for most of the game was the Yankee B- lineup was about as bad today as the C lineup was yesterday.
They didn’t get their third hit until the eighth inning, a single from pinch-hitter Spencer Jones — the IV must have done its job. José Caballero followed with a single of his own to put multiple men on for the first time all game. Oswaldo Cabrera’s sac bunt was the right call, bringing Ben Rice to the plate with one out and two men in scoring position… only to go down swinging. Jasson Domínguez lined a ball to center to end the inning.
Things did pick up in the ninth, at least. Take it away, Amed Rosario:
After that, Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored a run all by himself. Beating out an infield single, Jazz stole second and third on consecutive pitches. A pitch bounced in front of the plate gave Chisholm the chance to scamper home and we were all tied up.
Anthony Volpe had an infield single of his own, before being tossed out trying to steal second, Spencer Jones flew out, and off to extra innings we went. Fernando Cruz managed to navigate the top of the tenth, surviving his own terrifying wild pitch to get the Yankees in the position to walk it off. Caballero’s sac bunt got Manfred Man Spencer Jones into scoring position, but neither Cabrera nor Ali Sánchez, batting after Detroit intentionally put Ben Rice on, could cash.
Enter Camilo Doval, and the Tigers put up four runs despite making two outs immediately. I don’t want to go into details because I thoroughly, thoroughly detest so many things about the person Doval is on a baseball diamond, but it involved a multitude of walks issued. I’m sure he is a pleasant dining companion and he uses his left and right turn signals but I would like him to not be on this team anymore. Sánchez added a throwing error for good measure, the team’s second of the day and 69474th of the last week.
The Yankees do not play a baseball game tomorrow, but I am somewhat convinced they will still find a way to lose. The Minnesota Twins come to town on Friday, and while that’s usually a salve for whatever ills the club, the way the team is playing right now it’s hard to get excited even about New York’s personal punching bag. First pitch of a new series comes at 7:05 p.m. Eastern Friday night.
When the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames, the expectation was that it wouldn’t be a rental. It took them until July 1st to sign him because of salary cap technicalities, but Andersson is indeed staying in Sin City.
On Wednesday, the Golden Knights signed Andersson to a seven-year contract carrying an $8.5 million AAV.
In years one and two, Andersson will count for $10.5 million against the cap. In year three, that becomes $10.2 million; in year four, he’ll make $9.1 million. In year five, Andersson’s cap hit drops to $6.6 million, and in years six and seven, he’ll make $6.3 million.
Andersson’s contract extension also comes with trade protection. In years 1-5, he has a full No Trade Clause; in years six and seven, that becomes a Modified No Trade Clause with a 15-team no-trade list.
Instant Analysis
At first glance, this is a steep price tag. With his $8.5 million AAV, Andersson is now the highest-paid active Vegas defenseman by more than $1 million. And this isn’t a cheap group— the Golden Knights will split $27.275 million between Andersson, Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, and Jeremy Lauzon until 2032.
Andersson struggled mightily when he arrived in Vegas, and it took him a while to settle in. He eventually found his game, but his early struggles returned with a vengeance in the postseason. He was caught out of position far too often, he lost puck battles, and he tried to force plays, resulting in costly turnovers.
However, extending Andersson was also something that needed to happen. He’s a smooth-skating defenseman who can eat up top-four minutes. When he’s on his game, he’s an elite puck mover who doesn’t hesitate to jump up into the rush. Right-shot defensemen don’t grow on trees, and Andersson is the only Vegas blueliner to have that certain skill set.
Signing Grade: B-
Even in a rising cap world, the Golden Knights aren’t exactly flush with cash. Necessary or not, adding another $8.5 million contract to the books is a tall ask. There’s a world where this contract ages poorly; if that’s the case, Andersson’s trade protection will make it very difficult to move him.
That being said, this is a high-risk, high-reward situation. Without Alex Pietrangelo, the Golden Knights were hurting for a defenseman to eat those top-four minutes. They did their best to replace Pietrangelo with a cheaper option, and gave Zach Whitecloud and Kaedan Korczak opportunities to earn that ice time. Both tried, neither were successful.
Andersson has shown that he can handle the responsibilities required to fill the Alex Pietrangelo-shaped hole in the Golden Knights’ blue line. He can play with that physical edge, he can drive offense with his vision and playmaking, and he’s capable of logging 22 minutes a night. He won’t— and now doesn’t— come cheap, but he’s a certified top-four defenseman. That’s what the Golden Knights were missing, and now we know what they are willing to pay in order to keep it.
Jul 1, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Camilo Doval (75) reacts after walking Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) with the baes loaded to drive in the game winning run during the eleventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
After a pair of home-run-saturated wins to start a three-game series in the Bronx, the Tigers looked to complete the sweep on a swelteringly-hot Wednesday afternoon. It took a couple of extra innings, and the drama was a little too much to bear at times, but the Tigers managed to pull off the sweep, winning 6-2 in 11 innings.
Troy Melton made his seventh start of the year for the Tigers. His previous two outings went six innings and saw him give up a single run each time. His previous start, at home against the Astros, saw him retire the first sixteen batters in a row before eight-hole hitter Taylor Trammell hit a solo home run. The one before that, against the White Sox, was almost as good: he surrendered a solo home run to the first batter he saw, and gave up no more hits (although he did walk three).
Facing the Tigers was righty Will Warren, who was making his seventeenth start of the year. He’s been good overall, in his second full season in the major leagues; he led the American League last year in games started with 33, and finshed eighth in Rookie of the Year voting. He got roughed-up in his last start in Fenway Park, though, and quite a few of his recent starts have seen him exit before the fifth inning. He definitely walks more batters than Yankee fans would like to see, and that’ll help shorten an outing.
Dillon Dingler, naturally, got on base with a double with one out in the top of the first. He advanced to third on a Kerry Carpenter groundout, but Riley Greene struck out to end the inning. Similarly, Melton gave up a leadoff single to Ben Rice, but he was stranded on first as the third out was made.
In the top of the third, Kevin McGonigle found a fastball he liked, and smacked it a long way over the bullpen in right-centrefield for a 1-0 Tiger lead.
Meanwhile, Melton kept rolling: he gave up a two-out double to Jazz Chisolm Jr. in the fourth, then struck out the next three batters he faced.
The Tigers added to their lead in the sixth: Dingler led off with a single, then took third on a Carpenter single, who himself skooched up to second when the outfielder’s throw sailed over the cutoff man. Greene hit a sacrifice fly to the wall in left field, scoring Dingler to make it 2-0.
Carpenter smartly advanced to third, seeing that Cody Bellinger in left field had caught the ball rather flat-footed and wouldn’t be able to get a good throw to third base. After Colt Keith struck out, Spencer Torkelson walked, but Zach McKinstry hit a sharp comebacker to the mound and the third out was recorded at first base.
After two quick outs in the bottom of the sixth, Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter paid Melton a visit on the mound to discuss how to pitch to Bellinger. Whatever they talked about seemed to work, as Bellinger struck out on a 1-2 cutter, and that officially made three straight starts that Melton had made it through six innings with two or fewer hits, and one or no runs surrendered. Seeing as how he was cruising, and his pitch count was at a comfortable 81 he didn’t get the ol’ handshake, meaning he’d come out to start the seventh.
After Melton got one out in the seventh, he was told his job was done for the day, and Drew Sommers was brought in to face the lefty Chisolm, and he struck him out on a drop-down sidearm slider. (Remember years ago when pitchers would occasionally drop down sidearm to give a different look? They don’t seem to do that much anymore.) Anyway, Melton’s final line was 6 1/3 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, and holy moly, that is lovely. Sommers coaxed a grounder to short for the final out of the seventh, and the Tigers were six outs away from a sweep… theoretically.
Drew “The Other One” Anderson came on for the eighth and he got into, and out of, a jam. A pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt (more on this in a minute) put runners on second and third with one out. But Anderson got Rice to strike out on three pitches — the final one swinging a 99-mph heater right down the middle — and then Jasson Dominguez followed with a screaming line drive to centre… which was caught by James “The Third” Outman.
Now, about bunts… some people love ‘em. Some people hate ‘em. My opinion is that their use should be extremely limited: by a home team in extra innings in a tie game with a runner on second (more on this in a minute), and maybe in a first-and-second, no-out situation. But that’s it, other than trying to bunt for a base hit. The revised Run Expectancy Matrix suggests that the latter case, on average, decreases expected run scoring — but you also have to take into account who’s at bat, who’s behind him, the game situation, and so on.
In the top of the ninth the Tigers went 1-2-3 against two different pitchers, so we’d go to the end with a two-run lead, a narrow margin in the Bronx Bandbox. Too narrow, as we shall see.
Anderson carried on into the ninth and gave up a one-out solo home run to Amed Rosario to make it a 2-1 game. Chisolm reached first on a ground ball that clanked off Torkelson’s glove, and he stole second on the first pitch. He stole third on the next pitch — pay attention, Drew! — and the infield drew in tight. Anderson yanked a changeup into the dirt, the wild pitch scored Chisolm, and the score was tied. Anthony Volpe hit a comebacker that Anderson couldn’t handle for an infield single, and he tried to steal second but came off the bag and McKinstry kept the glove on him. A popup to third base was the final out of the inning, and we’d go to extras.
With one out in the top of the tenth, McKinstry — who was on second — took third on a very wild pitch. Jake Rogers struck out for the second out, bringing up McGonigle… who flew out to right.
Keider Montero came in for the bottom of the tenth as he begins a stint in the bullpen, and Spencer Jones started the inning on second base. The Yankees came a-buntin’, and Jones advanced to third with one out. That pulled the outfielders in comically shallow, and Oswaldo Cabrera struck out for the second out. Rice was up next and he was intentionally walked so Montero could face Ali Sanchez, who he struck out to send the game into the eleventh.
Camilo Duval, armed with a 103-mph fastball, was brought in to pitch the bottom of the eleventh. McGonigle started the inning on second, and he moved up to third on a Dingler groundout to second. Matt Vierling followed with a grounder to a drawn-in shortstop for the second out, and Greene was intentionally walked to bring up Hao-Yu Lee with runners on the corners. Greene moved up to second uncontested, and Lee walked on a wild slider to load the bases for Torkelson. The count went full, and Torkelson held off on a low sinker for the bases-loaded walk and a 3-2 lead. McKinstry was up next, and he poked a single into right; Greene and Lee scored, and after a wild throw by the Yankee catcher to second to try to nab McKinstry at second, Torkelson scored as well for a 6-2 lead.
Montero carried on into the bottom of the eleventh and slammed the door with a 1-2-3 inning, and that completed the sweep. Huge performance from Keider Montero. That was nice, wasn’t it?
In case you missed it, Will Vest was placed on the Injured List with the dreaded “elbow inflammation.” Could this be the explanation behind his shaky performance so far this season, and especially lately? The Tigers are confident that it’s not a ligament issue, though, which is good news.
Jake Rogers hit 21 home runs in 2023. That isn’t news, of course, but given his struggles at the plate in recent years, that just seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it?
When looking up information about Will Warren, I saw there was a pitcher in the Negro National League from 1945-47 named Warren Peace. No word on whether or not he was into extremely long books.
Happy Canada Day, everyone! On this day in 1867, after some people here asked the UK politely if they could run things themselves, the UK said, “Sure, why not? But we want you to keep the current king or queen on your coins. Could you do that for us?” We agreed to that, and a country was born.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Keyner Martinez #48 of the San Francisco Giants throws a pitch during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Cincinnati Reds at Scottsdale Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
All seven of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action on Tuesday, with the A-ball teams all beginning a new series. So let’s jump straight into the excitement!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
The only news on the farm is that High-A Eugene teammates Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) and Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) were named to the All-Star Futures Game roster. Congrats to both!
AAA Sacramento (44-35)
Sacramento River Cats beat the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres) 10-5 Box score
A great day of offense for the River Cats, who saw 8 of their 14 hits go for extra bases. There were tons of strong performances, but the best ones belonged to catcher Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) and left fielder Scott Bandura.
June was a rough month for Rodríguez, though he certainly ended it in style. He opened the month by getting optioned on June 1, ending his debut MLB stint. From there, he really struggled, not just with the bat (which was uncharacteristic), but also behind the dish (a bit more expected). The recently-turned 24-year old surely took notice when the Giants had a hole at catcher and decided to roster Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL), rather than bring Rodríguez back up.
But whether his future is as a catcher or a utility player, no one can deny the talent that remains in Rodríguez’s bat, and he showed it off on Tuesday when he hit 3-5 with a solo home run, a double, 3 runs batted in, and a strikeout. Luis Arráez wasn’t the only person in the organization to finish just shy of the cycle yesterday!
Hopefully that can jump-start the righty, as, even with that strong day, he posted just a .691 OPS in June, bringing him down to a .779 OPS and a 106 wRC+ on the year.
As for Bandura, it’s been a slow adjustment to AAA following a fairly early promotion this year. But, like Rodríguez, he has so much potential with his bat, and showed that off in this game, hitting 2-3 with a 2-run home run, a walk, a sacrifice fly, a stolen base, and a strikeout. A little bit of everything!
The lefty has been swinging the bat better lately, and in the final 5 games of June hit 6-17 with 4 extra-base hits, 3 walks, and just 2 strikeouts. He only has a .682 OPS and a 77 wRC+ through 35 games at the level, but there’s plenty to be excited about, including a very nice 19.5% strikeout rate, and some quality defense across the grass.
Recently-outrighted right fielder Will Brennan hit 2-4 with a double and a walk, while first baseman Jake Holton hit 2-5 with a pair of doubles, and do-everything third baseman Thomas Gavello went 2-3 with a triple, a hit by pitch, and a stolen base.
On the mound, LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) made his 5th AAA start since getting promoted, and was solid if certainly not spectacular. Whitman went 6 innings and gave up 6 hits (including a home run to rehabbing Major Leaguer Luis Campusano), 2 walks, and 3 runs, though he only struck out 3 batters. Whitman certainly wasn’t at his sharpest, as evidenced by throwing just 56 of 94 pitches for strikes, but the Giants have to love his ability to get deep into games. He’s pitched into the 6th inning in 4 of his 5 starts with Sacramento, and has finished it twice. That’s been something they’ve been lacking at the AAA level. On the whole, the 24-year old has a 4.23 ERA and a 5.40 FIP since his promotion, with just 6 walks allowed in 27.2 innings.
A rough outing for rehabbing RHP Jason Foley, who gave up 2 hits, 1 walk, and 2 earned runs, while only recording 1 out. Foley has been struggling during his rehab, which certainly puts the Giants in a little bit of a predicament. We’ll have to wait to see what they do there.
Veteran RHP Michael Fulmer pitched a perfect 9th inning with 2 strikeouts, and needed just 9 pitches to do it. His stuff isn’t particularly exciting, but he has a 3.38 ERA, a 3.33 FIP, and 12.7 strikeouts per 9 innings; that’s valuable depth in AAA.
A really nice day on the mound for RHP Trystan Vrieling, who has had an up-and-down season. The 2022 3rd-rounder, who came to the Giants in the Camilo Doval trade a year ago, cruised through 6 innings, giving up just 2 hits and 1 run, though he did walk 3 and commit an error, while only striking out 3 batters. Still: that’s a great start!
Vrieling, a 25-year old who didn’t debut until 2024, is back in AA after spending virtually the entire 2025 season there, and so far the results haven’t been encouraging. While the ERA is down ever so slightly (from 4.74 to 4.45), the FIP is up dramatically (4.37 to 5.81), and the strikeouts are down a tad (8.6 per 9 to 8.5). Most concerningly, the walks have spiked, from 3.4 per 9 innings to 6.7. There’s a lot of work to be done there, though Tuesday was a reminder as to why he was a high draft pick in the first place.
Another great showing from RHP Christian Alvarado, as the 31-year old settles back into affiliated ball for the first time since 2019, when he topped out in AA with the Orioles. He struck out a pair of batters while picking up the save, and issuing just 1 baserunner on a walk. Since signing with the Giants, Alvarado has allowed just 3 baserunners in 4 shutout innings, with 8 strikeouts. My guess is we see him in AAA at some point in the second half of the season.
In the batter’s box, third baseman Charlie Szykowny had a very nice 26th birthday, hitting 2-4 with a 2-run home run and a strikeout. The dinger was his 11th of the year, which moved him into a tie for 3rd place on the farm, behind only sluggers Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) and Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL).
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) June 30, 2026
Szykowny ended the month in style, as it was his second straight game with 2 hits and a home run. That’s got to feel good considering the slump he was in before that pair of games: in his prior 9 games, he was 2-34 with 0 home runs and 18 strikeouts. With that, the lefty is down to a .793 OPS and a 106 wRC+, but hopefully he can build on these games.
Left fielder Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 2-4 with a double. He didn’t have a very strong June, but ends it with a 4-game hitting streak, and still has a very nice .860 OPS and 130 wRC+ on the year. Like his teammate Davidson, Harber has excellent numbers but the Giants likely want to see contact and swing decision improvements before moving him up to AAA. But then again, the Giants don’t really do anything developmentally the way I expect, so maybe that pair will be headed to Sacramento imminently!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) June 30, 2026
Shortstop Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL) capped a brutal June by going 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. The lefty finished the month just 10-74 with 37 strikeouts … Richmond was an aggressive assignment for the 2023 4th-rounder out of Tennessee, and while it was going well for a while, it’s come crashing down now. He has a .640 OPS and a 74 wRC+ on the season.
High-A Eugene (46-30)
Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 6-5 Box score
A rough loss for the Emeralds, who carried a lead into the bottom of the 9th inning. RHP Liam Simon, who has been regressing lately, entered in the 9th with 2 outs and the tying run on 3rd base. He proceeded to walk the bases loaded, and then gave up a game-winning 2-run single.
Simon has some of the nastiest stuff in the system, but just has not been able to control his pitches following a strong of severe injuries. While he’s struck out a staggering 41 batters in 23.1 innings this year, he’s also walked 24 … while also hitting 4 batters, and allowing 28 hits. An odd season, but if he’s able to get his control back at some point, he could take off, a la Spencer Miles.
That (along with a tough outing from RHP Cole Hillier), ruined a nice start by LHP Tyler Switalski, who went 5.2 innings while giving up just 3 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run, and striking out 6. It’s been an up-and-down season for the just-turned 23-year old, but in his last 3 starts he’s allowed only 4 runs in 16.2 innings, with 20 strikeouts.
While the overall numbers are middle of the road (3.91 ERA, 4.26 FIP), Switalski’s improvements this year are remarkable. In his debut season last year, the 2024 16th-rounder struck out just 7.9 batters per 9 innings in Low-A, and then a mere 6.7 in High-A. This year? 11.5! From awful to excellent! And just as remarkably, he’s made those strikeout gains while lowering his walk rate, from 3.7 per 9 across the pair of levels, to 3.2 this year.
There has really only been one downside to Switalski’s season: after ceding just 3 homers in 96.2 innings a year ago, he’s allowed a whopping 11 big flies in just 71.1 innings this year. Still, some awesome improvements.
A trio of nice days in the batter’s box, led by center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL), who only hit 1-4 with a strikeout, but crushed a mammoth 2-run home run, which was his 12th of the year, moving him into solo second place in the system behind only Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL).
Jordan’s strikeout issues remain severe — he has a 29.5% strikeout rate and a 16.7% swinging strike rate — but my goodness does he make loud contact. He has a .798 OPS and a 110 wRC+ on the season, and hopefully can boost those numbers in July.
The other nice days flanked him in the outfield grass: right fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) hit 1-3 with 2 walks and was caught stealing, giving him an .823 OPS and a 125 wRC+, while left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL) went 2-3 with a walk and 2 stolen bases, bumping his OPS to .789 and his wRC+ to 113, with 18 stolen bases in 19 attempts.
Low-A San Jose (44-32)
San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) 2-1 (11 innings) Box score
This was a dramatic game! It was scoreless going into the 8th inning, when the Baby Giants took the lead on a solo home run from designated hitter Yosneiker Rivas, who was playing in just his 2nd game since getting promoted from the Complex League.
WELCOME TO SAN JOSE YOSNEIKER RIVAS! His first home run in a Giants uniform breaks a scoreless game in the 8th. pic.twitter.com/1bZqZpb9RJ
They then gave up the lead in the 9th inning, but kept Rancho Cucamonga off the board in the 10th and 11th, before walking it off in the bottom half of the inning on a fielder’s choice with an error.
The drama may have been how it ended, but the story was how it started: with RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) having an utterly sensational showing. Martinez was completely dominant through 6 shutout innings, holding the Quakes to just 2 singles and 2 walks, while striking out 11 of the 21 batters he faced. My goodness!
It was the second time this year that the 21-year old reached double-digit strikeouts, and it gave him a staggering 41 punchouts in just 22.2 innings in June. There’s no denying that Martinez has some of the most electric stuff in the system, and I think you have to dip into the relief pools to find anyone who could even have a claim for matching his raw stuff. It’s simply overpowering, as evidenced by the 14.9 strikeouts per 98 innings … a mark that ranks 1st among the 449 Minor League pitchers with at least 50 innings thrown this year. The top of the top!
Keyner Martinez struck out 11 over six shutout innings, topping at 98mph, in Tuesday’s victory over Rancho Cucamonga. Following the victory, San Jose’s record improves to 44-32, best in the California League.
It’s not all perfect. You don’t have a 4.42 ERA and a 4.45 FIP without doing a few things wrong, and right now the main thing Martinez is struggling with is walking batters. After having just 1.9 walks per 9 innings in the Complex League last year, the young Venezuelan walked 4.5 batters per 9 following a midseason promotion to San Jose … and is walking 5.6 per 9 this year. His home runs per 9 innings has also spiked, from 0.19 in the Complex League to 0.82 in Low-A, both last year and this year, while his groundball rate has dropped about 10 percentage points.
Still and all. 91 strikeouts in 55 innings doesn’t grow on trees, especially with 21-year olds. Martinez may have a lot to work on, but his performance — combined with the performance of other pitchers in the system — has drawn a very firm line in the sand, in my eyes. Martinez is the organization’s top pitching prospect, and unless they draft Jackson Flora next weekend, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
RHP Fernando Vasquez also had a nice game, as the 24-year old tossed 2 no-hit innings with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Like Martinez, Vasquez has a huge walk issue: he’s given up 30 in just 28.2 innings, which has given him a 6.28 ERA and a 6.23 FIP. But he’s only allowed 14 hits, and struck out 32, so when he stays in the zone he’s virtually unhittable.
No one did anything on offense save for the aforementioned dinger from the 20-year old Rivas, who was promoted to A-ball after just 16 games in the Complex League (which followed 3 seasons in the DSL). Catcher Junior Barajas had a particularly rough game, striking out in all 4 of his at-bats. Last year’s 11th-round pick has been in a free fall following his brilliant start to his debut season: he had a .940 OPS in April, a .573 OPS in May, and a .540 OPS in June.
This game was all about rehabbing players. All of the offense came on one swing of the bat from shortstop Christian Koss, who went just 1-4 but smashed a 2-run home run. Koss had spent the day prior in Phoenix, on the taxi squad for a Giants team that was without a backup infielder due to Willy Adames having the “too injured to play, not injured enough to go on the IL” specialty. After a day on the taxi squad, the Giants decided they were fine and sent Koss back to his rehab and proceeded with their shorthanded infield.
The result? Matt Chapman trying to play through an injury, center fielder Jonah Cox playing second base, and Luis Arráez getting moved to third. But hey, at least it won them a rookie league game, right?!?
On the mound, the ACL Giants used 4 pitchers, and 3 of them were rehabbing. It began with AAA LHP Matt Wilkinson, who was as good as you would expect a AAA pitcher to be in rookie ball, as he threw 3 no-hit innings with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts. Wilkinson rehabbing in the ACL was a tiny bit surprising, since he didn’t spend much time on the IL … he last pitched on June 17, so he really only missed 1 start.
Then it was LHP Hayden Wynja, who made his 2nd rehab appearance after missing the entirety of the 2025 season. A very tall 27-year old UDFA who was in High-A when he last pitched, Wynja gave up 3 hits and a run in 2 innings, with 3 strikeouts.
Finishing off the rehab appearances was AA RHP Logan Martin, who struck out 2 batters in 2 shutout innings, with 0 hits and 1 walk. It was the 2nd rehab appearance for Martin, a 24-year old who came to the Giants in the Mason Black trade this offseason. He missed a month with injury, so we’ll see how many rehab appearances he makes before heading back to Richmond.
While the rehabbing pitchers got the attention, the best pitching performance belonged to the one arm who wasn’t rehabbing: RHP Samir Chires, who struck out 5 batters in 2 scoreless innings, while allowing a hit and a walk. The 22-year old Venezuelan is in his 4th year in the ACL, so it’s go time for him … and so far he’s going, as he has a 2.25 ERA, a 4.00 FIP, and 38 strikeouts against just 9 walks in 24 innings.
Dominican Summer League Black (12-10)
DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Mets Blue 4-2 (7 innings) Box score
A pair of really nice pitching performances, courtesy of LHPs Santiago Guerrero and Hector Dos Santos. Guerrero struggled with command a bit, as he walked 3 batters and hit another, but he threw 4 no-hit innings in the start, while striking out 3. The 18-year old from Mexico, who is in his debut season, has been quite unhittable this year, allowing just 7 hits in 17.2 innings. The strikeout-to-walk numbers (18-to-11) aren’t great, but it’s still been a very encouraging debut, and has led to a 2.04 ERA (albeit with a 5.40 FIP). Dos Santos, a 20-year old in his 2nd season, had a similar performance, as he tossed 2 no-hit innings, but walked 2 while striking out 3. Like Guerrero, Dos Santos doesn’t have a great strikeout-to-walk ratio (12-to-7), but has only allowed 4 hits in 9.2 innings, leading to a 2.79 ERA and a 5.84 FIP.
On offense, left fielder Franco Willias did what he does best: get on base and do stuff once there. The recently-turned 21-year old went 0-1, but he drew 2 walks, was hit by a pitch, and stole a base. He has a .408 on-base percentage, with 11 stolen bases in 22 games (and has been caught stealing just once). Overall, it’s a .915 OPS and a 118 wRC+ in his 3rd season.
Dominican Summer League Orange (13-9)
DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Mariners 7-4 Box score
Might as well keep with the pitching theme from the other DSL game, as RHP Omar Calcurian pitched 2 no-hit innings but walked 2, while striking out 3. We’ve seen that line before! And hey, in keeping with that theme, Calcurian isn’t allowing hits, but doesn’t have great strikeout and walk numbers, either: the 21-year old has thrown 16.2 innings, and has allowed just 5 hits … but has walked 9 with 16 strikeouts. It’s a 1.62 ERA and a 5.51 FIP for the Venezuelan.
Also a good game for RHP Jose Trevizo, who allowed 2 hits, 1 hit batter, and 1 run in 3 innings, while striking out 5. Unlike the other pitchers we’ve mentioned, the 19-year old has a beautiful 20 strikeouts against 3 walks in 16 innings this year, his 2nd in the DSL. He has just a 5.06 ERA, but a 3.12 FIP.
Nice days in the box for second baseman Yoxander Benitez, left fielder Ricardo Crespo, and designated hitter Jesus Hernandez. Benitez, a 19-year old from Aruba in his 3rd season, hit 3-5 with a double and a strikeout, raising his OPS to .744 and his wRC+ to 96; Crespo, a 19-year fold from Venezuela in his 3rd season, went 1-3 with a double, 2 walks, and a strikeout, and now has an .841 OPS and a 154 wRC+; and Hernandez, a 17-year old from Venezuela playing in just his 7th game, went 1-3 with a double, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. The double was his 2nd career hit, after homering over the weekend.
Home run tracker
12 — Dakota Jordan — [High-A] 11 — Charlie Szykowny — [AA] 6 — Jesús Rodríguez — [2 in MLB; 4 in AAA] 5 — Scott Bandura — [2 in AAA; 3 in AA] 2 — Christian Koss — [1 in AAA; 1 in ACL] 1 — Yosneiker Rivas — [Low-A]
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: 5:35 p.m. PT at El Paso (SP: TBD) Richmond: 3:30 p.m. PT at Harrisburg (SP: Yunior Marte) Eugene: 7:05 p.m. PT at Vancouver (SP: Luis De La Torre) San Jose: 6:30 p.m. PT vs. Rancho Cucamonga (SP: Jordan Gottesman)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 01: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Fenway Park on July 01, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox are fully back down to earth after the thrill of sweeping the Yankees. Boston fell to Washington 10-2 on Wednesday and dropped the series to the Nationals. The Red Sox ran out of momentum after they won the series opener.
The starter didn’t have it in the finale and the bats resembled their usual underwhelming selves.
Here’s three takeaways from Wednesday’s loss.
PROBLEMS FOR PAYTON Payton Tolle put together a sensational outing through an illness Friday when he allowed just one hit in seven shutout innings against the Yankees. His start Wednesday afternoon took a complete 180.
The young left-hander struggled to begin the fourth inning and surrendered six earned runs on seven hits in just 3.0-plus innings of work. Tolle struck out five but walked three in a step back on the mound as the rotation comes off of the significant run of quality starts.
BATS FALL SHORT AGAIN The Red Sox put together solid at-bats even into Monday’s win before a rapid falloff. Boston mustered just a run and four hits on Tuesday. Wednesday wasn’t much better with four hits for most of the afternoon before the lineup mustered a pair of runs in the eighth inning.
The New York series offered a flash in the pan, but the lineup doesn’t have enough to make that run consistent.
COAST TO COAST
The Red Sox will not play another game at Fenway Park until after the All-Star break on July 17 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Boston hits the road for nine games and will travel coast to coast to do so.
Boston heads to Anaheim for three games with the Angels, including another Sunday night game. After an off-day, the Red Sox continue with three games against the surprisingly solid Chicago White Sox and finish the first half with a three-game set at Citi Field against the also-underwhelming New York Mets.
The Yankees rallied for a couple of runs in the ninth, but fell to the Detroit Tigers in 11 innings by a score of 6-2.
The Tigers completed the sweep, as the Yankees have now lost seven games in a row.
Here are the takeaways…
-- It was a pretty abysmal day for the Yankees’ bats, for most of the game anyway. The Bombers had just four hits through the first eight innings, but found a way to rally in the ninth.
After an Amed Rosario home run cut the lead to one run, Jazz Chisholm Jr. made a run happen almost entirely on his own. After a single off of first baseman Hao-Yu Lee's glove, Jazz stole second and third, then came in to score the tying run on a wild pitch by Tigers righty Drew Anderson.
Making his return to the lineup following being in the concussion protocol, Chisholm made an impact with a pair of hits and a pair of stolen bases.
-- In the 11th, with a runner on third and one out, the Yankees elected to intentionally walk Riley Greene, but the move backfired as Camilo Doval walked the next two hitters to force in the go-ahead run. Zach McKinstry then singled to right, and a comedy of errors ensued as Jose Caballero missed the cutoff man and Ali Sanchez's throw to second sailed into center field, making it a 6-2 lead.
Caballero, a shortstop by trade, missed the cutoff man multiple times in the loss, showing his inexperience in the outfield.
-- Troy Melton, a 25-year-old pitching in his second season, was excellent, going 6.1 innings while allowing just two hits, striking out seven, and walking one.
-- Will Warren didn’t pitch poorly, but he didn’t get any run support. The righty allowed a solo home run to Kevin McGonigle in the top of the third inning, hanging a breaking ball that McGonigle hit into the bleachers in right-center, and allowed another run in the top of the sixth on a Greene sac fly before being pulled.
Warren went 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. His season ERA is now 3.73.
-- Spencer Jones was not in the starting lineup as he was one of a handful of Yankees dealing with food poisoning. But he came up with a pinch-hit single to lead off the eighth inning.Caballerofollowed up with a single, and both moved into scoring position with one out. But Ben Rice went down swinging, and Jasson Dominguez lined out to center to leave the tying runs stranded on base.
--Austin Wells went 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts before being lifted for a pinch-hitter. He's hitting just .153 on the season.
Game MVP
Melton, who completely shut the Yankees down for 6.1 innings.
Mychal Thompson, a member of two of the Los Angeles Lakers' championship teams from the Showtime era, sounds mystified by a simmering debate, in the wake of LeBron James' decision to leave the Lakers.
Does LeBron James deserve a statue outside Crypto.com Arena, home of the Lakers?
“A statue? He deserves three statues, buddy,’’ Thompson told USA TODAY Sports. “Miami, Cleveland and L.A. That's how great he is.
"He's arguably the greatest player to ever play, along with Kareem and Michael Jordan. …He's delivered championships in three different places that he's played in. He deserves it. ...No doubt about it.’’
In addition to leading the Lakers to the title in 2020, James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first title in franchise history and won two titles with the Miami Heat.
Thompson won championship rings with the Lakers in 1987 and 1988. He played alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, two Laker legends who have bronze statues in Star Plaza.
Thompson, a radio color commentator for the Lakers, knows there’s a faction of fans who oppose James’ getting a statue.
“I just think that people are being narrow-minded and basically don't understand the game,’’ Thompson said. “That's what I think of when I hear people say he doesn't deserve a statue in front of Crypto.com. 'He isn't a Laker legend' (say the critics).
“Obviously, I don't think anybody will match Kareem and Magic and Kobe, those three and Jerry West. But LeBron is every bit as much as a legend as everybody else. A Laker legend.”
How LeBron James stacks up against statue honorees
Comparing Lakers who have been honored by statues helps establish the informal criteria.
Those greats didn’t just win titles; they played critical roles in leading the Lakers.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had six NBA championship rings, six NBA MVPs and two NBA Finals MVPs.
Magic Johnson had five NBA championships, three NBA MVPs and three NBA Finals MVPs.
Kobe Bryant had five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVPs and one NBA MVP.
Shaquille O’Neal had three NBA championships with the Lakers (and one with the Miami Heat), three NBA Finals MVPs with the Lakers.
James had one NBA championship with the Lakers and was voted NBA Finals MVP after Los Angeles beat the Heat four games to two.
Jerry West had only one as a player but six as the Lakers general manager.
Elgin Baylor did not win an NBA title during his 14-year NBA career, which he spent exclusively with the Lakers.
The non-players honored by statues are Pat Riley, who was the Lakers’ head coach during the Showtime era and helped guide the Lakers to four titles, and Chick Hearn, the late play-by-play announcer.
LeBron James impact beyond titles
James arrived with the task of restoring excellence to the foundering dynasty. The Lakers had failed to reach the playoffs for five straight seasons, and they missed them again during James’ first year with the team.
But over the next seven years, the Lakers made the playoffs six times and won the league title 2020 during the pandemic-shortened season. Los Angeles reached the Western Conference Finals once more during LeBron’s eight-year tenure.
While with the Lakers, James also surpassed Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and in 2024 he and his son Bronny became the first father and son to take the court together.
Those were memorable moments. Whether they’ll impact James’ chances to getting a statue with the Lakers remains to be seen.
Former Vancouver Canucks forward Curtis Douglas is joining the Seattle Kraken on a two-year deal worth $1.25M on average per year.
The 2025–26 season was Douglas’ first in the NHL, with the six-foot-nine forward making his league debut for the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 9 against the Ottawa Senators. He played in a total of 26 games for Tampa Bay, recording two assists, before being placed on waivers and claimed by Vancouver at the 2026 Trade Deadline.
Douglas established himself as a tough player to play against during his rookie season, which is something he continued through his time with the Canucks. His first fight as a Canuck came against six-foot-eight Calgary Flames forward Adam Klapka. He also scored his first NHL goal as a member of the Canucks, beating Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukáš Dostál on April 12, and tallied an assist in Vancouver’s final regular-season game against the Edmonton Oilers on April 16.
Prior to making the jump to the NHL, Douglas signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in free-agency in March of 2022. He spent one full season with the Toronto Marlies, scoring a career-high 13 goals and 21 assists in 67 games at the AHL-level, before being traded to the Arizona Coyotes the year after. He was claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay in October of 2025.
Mar 24, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Curtis Douglas (42) shoots against the Anaheim Ducks in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild has brought back a familiar face, signing forward Mason Shaw in free agency.
Shaw returns to the organization after spending the last two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets organization, where he appeared in games for the AHL's Manitoba Moose.
Shaw, 26, recorded 32 goals, 49 assists and 81 points in 143 games.
The 26-year-old was originally selected by the Wild in the fourth round (97th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft and has appeared in 82 NHL games with Minnesota, recording eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points while bringing an energetic, physical style of play.
A fan favorite during his previous stint with the Wild, Shaw has battled through multiple serious knee injuries throughout his career. He now returns to the organization looking to provide experienced depth and compete for NHL games during the 2026-27 season.
Shaw's deal is a one-year, two-way, $850,000 deal. $450,000 in Iowa.
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