NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 03: Nic Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets handles the ball as Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks defends in the second half at Barclays Center on April 03, 2026 in New York City. 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 Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not long after the Brooklyn Nets lost once again Friday night, this time by 40 ignominious points to the red-hot Atlanta Hawks at Barclays, word arrived from the west coast that the Sacramento Kings had won their game with the New Orleans Pelicans in a tight one that came down to the final seconds!! Huzzah!!
It was big news in Brooklyn and here’s why from Tankathon…
The Nets who reportedly had set a goal of getting a top three pick — with a 52.1% chance at at top four pick and a 14.0% chance at the overall No. 1 — are close to achieving it. Although nothing is mathematically certain, for the Nets to drop into fourth and lesser odds would require them to win three of their last five and have both the Wizards and Pacers lose out. While the latter may be likely, it’s hard to imagine the Nets, winners of five games in the last two-plus months, will add another three to the win column before closing time, no matter the competition.
The focus on the top three was based on the assessment that the three top picks in the NBA Draft — Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson and A.J. Dybanta — were all “franchise changers,” the equivalent of having three Cooper Flaggs in one draft! That’s changed a bit with Peterson’s maturity being a question and other prospects like Caleb Wilson and Darius Acuff rising in draftnik analyses.
Getting the first overall pick will be tough with the Nets playing four games vs. three other tanking teams — the Wizards on Sunday, the Bucks two days later, Pacers next Thursday and a return trip to Milwaukee the next night — before finishing off with the Raptors on April 12. Still, Brooklyn has a shot. They are arguably the worst team in the NBA right now and have gotten worse of late.
There are other variables of course even if the Nets finish last in the standings. They’ll have to deal with a history that is not favorable. Playing the probabilities is one thing, good fortune with the aerodynamics of small plastic balls is quite another.
The last three teams to go into the lottery with the worst record in regular season and the best odds came out of it with the fifth pick. Indeed, there’s a 47.9% of that. Moreover, no team with the worst record has won the overall No. 1 since the NBA instituted its new draft rules in 2019. And the last two lotteries were won by the Mavericks and Hawks who had 1.8% chances at the top spot. Of course, falling a bit in a generational as well as deep draft is better than winning the overall No. 1 in a bad draft.
All that said, Brian Lewis argued before the Atlanta game, that the Nets are the neediest of the tanking legion and deserve some of that good fortune. But in that argument, he pointed to some troublesome facts.
[N]one of the 10 or so teams playing the percentages need a young star more than talent-starved Brooklyn, including the Pacers and Wizards, who they’re chasing.
They infamously haven’t produced a single homegrown All-Star since Brook Lopez in 2013, over a decade ago…
Between the beating the Nets just took from Charlotte and the matchups they still have looming, it just drives home that every single one of these tanking rivals has either veteran All-Stars or young franchise players, or both.
For all their future draft capital, right now Brooklyn has neither.
No Tyrese Haliburton or Ivica Zubac like Indiana. No Trae Young or Anthony Davis like Washington. No Donatas Sabonis or DeMar DeRozan like Sacramento. Etc. etc.
So, something else to think about as the last week of the season approaches and the lottery is now a little more than a month away. Also, things no doubt will change on Draft Night. As we’ve noted ad infinitum, Marks does his best work within 48 hours of the NBA Draft.
In the meantime, it’s Zanax and Zantac in equal portions as we watch the Nets and the scoreboard.
DETROIT — Justin Verlander’s long-awaited return to Comerica Park as a member of the Detroit Tigers was put on hold Saturday.
Verlander, the major league’s oldest active player at 43, was placed on the 15-day injured list with left hip inflammation. On Sunday night, Verlander was scheduled to make his first start in a Tigers uniform at Detroit’s home park since Aug. 20, 2017.
Verlander was dealt to Houston at the trade deadline that season. He re-signed with Detroit on a one-year, $13 million contract in February after spending last season with San Francisco.
Verlander made 380 starts for Detroit from 2005-17. In his first start this season, Verlander gave up five runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings against Arizona on Monday and took the loss.
RHP Keider Montero was recalled from Triple-A Toledo and is expected to start the finale of a three-game series against St. Louis.
Scott Wedgewood delivered one of his steadiest outings of the season Saturday night, turning aside all 18 shots he faced for his third shutout of the year — and the 11th of his career — as the Colorado Avalanche blanked the Dallas Stars 2-0 at American Airlines Center.
The win was powered by elite production up front. Nathan MacKinnon scored his 51st goal of the season, matching a career high, while Martin Nečas added another to provide all the offense Colorado would need. The night also carried milestone significance, with Brent Burns skating in his 1,000th consecutive NHL game — just the second player in league history to reach that mark — and Devon Toews recording the 300th point of his career.
With the victory, the Avalanche became the first team in the NHL to reach 50 wins, improving to 50–15–10 and continuing to build momentum as the postseason approaches. Additionally, of the four meetings between these teams this season, this was the first that did not end in a shootout.
First Period
As expected, both teams came out with pace, trading early odd-man rushes that were turned aside at both ends. Wedgewood and Casey DeSmith looked sharp from the outset, with DeSmith getting the nod as part of a planned rotation while Jake Oettinger was given the night off.
At the 10:17 mark, Jamie Benn was called for tripping Valeri Nichushkin along the boards, sending Colorado to its first power play of the afternoon. The Avs couldn’t capitalize, and moments after the penalty expired, Lian Bichsel leveled Nichushkin in the corner while battling for a loose puck — a clean, hard hit that drew no whistle.
Colorado came close to breaking through when Artturi Lehkonen crashed the crease and nearly buried a rebound off an initial shot from Brock Nelson, but the puck slid just wide. Dallas answered with a dangerous scramble of its own, forcing Wedgewood into a desperation stop in tight to keep things scoreless.
Second Period
Brett Kulak was sent off for tripping Colin Blackwell just 1:57 into the period, giving Dallas an early opportunity. As the penalty expired, tensions flared in front of the net after Mavrik Bourque took a few extra jabs at Wedgewood. Jack Drury immediately stepped in, and the situation escalated into a brief scrum. Both players were assessed roughing minors, keeping things even at five-on-five.
Third Period
The game remained tightly structured into the third, with neither side giving much away. Five minutes into the frame — and 45 into the night — the shot count sat at just 17–12 in favor of Colorado, reflecting a disciplined, defense-first battle. It had the feel of a chess match, where one mistake or one moment of skill would decide it.
At 6:12, Nelson was whistled for hooking Jason Robertson, who went down easily and drew the call. That didn’t sit well with Gabriel Landeskog, who made his frustration clear as the teams lined up for the ensuing power play.
Colorado killed it off, but not without a scare. Former Av Matt Duchene found space at the top of the crease and slipped a shot through Wedgewood, only for a hand pass to halt play before any damage was done.
The breakthrough finally came off a quick, instinctive play. Nečas drove into the middle of the ice, and Lehkonen tracked down a loose puck near the top of the left circle before sliding it to the doorstep, where Nečas tapped it home to make it 1-0.
Dallas pulled DeSmith with 2:41 remaining, pressing for the equalizer. During the frantic sequence that followed, Drury and Joel Kiviranta repeatedly threw themselves in front of shots, with one final deflection sailing into the netting to force a stoppage.
The Colorado Avalanche defeat the Dallas Stars 2-0.
MacKinnon gets his 51st.
Scott Wedgewood gets his career-high third shutout of the season, the 11th of his career, and his first against his former team.#goavsgo@thehockeynews#texashockey
Moments later, MacKinnon iced it, burying an empty-netter for his 51st of the season to tie his career high. That sealed a 2-0 win for Colorado, one that all but locks up the Central Division as the regular season winds down.
Next Game
It's a quick turnaround for the Avalanche (50-15-10). They fly back to Denver this evening to prepare to square off against Jordan Binnington and the St. Louis Blues (32-31-12) tomorrow night at Ball Arena. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. local time.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 03: Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates a 2-0 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 03, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Diamondbacks News
Diamondbacks Waste a Second E-Rod Gem Eduardo Rodriguez gave the Diamondbacks as good an opportunity to win on Friday as anyone could ask for, throwing seven scoreless innings. Unfortunately, Arizona’s offense was held even quieter.
Offense, Sewald Spoil E-Rod Gem Arizona did not even register their first hit until the sixth inning and never had a runner reach third base. On top of that, Paul Sewald was brought in to pitch the ninth inning, only to watch the first to batter each launch solo-shots to carry to the Braves to a shutout victory.
Arizona’s Outfield Options Growing Thin Once, not so long ago, considered an area of depth for the Diamondbacks, the organization is now perilously thin on reliable starting options for the outfield at the MLB level. The injury to Jordan Lawlar is going to test the mettle of the remaining players and may even create a need to reach down for one of the untested prospect bats, such as Kristian Robinson.
Spencer Giesting Suffers Oblique Injury Arizona’s left-handed pitching depth just took another significant hit. The Reno Aces’ Giesting has been placed on the 7-day IL but is expected to miss more than a month of time.
Yes, Pennants Can Be Lost in April The season is just a week old, but there are already sizable impacts in playoff probabilities around the league.
Brewers Finalize 8-year Extension with Top Prospect Cooper Pratt Cooper Pratt joins the ranks of top prospects getting early extensions. Pratt has now signed an 8-yr/$50.75MM extension that will keep him in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future. Because Pratt signed the deal before making his debut, he will not be eligible to earn a PPI pick should he eventually win Rookie of the Year when he does finally debut. As Pratt has only made his AAA debut a few days ago, it could still be a while for the young shortstop.
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 06: Scott Wedgewood #41 of the Colorado Avalanche saves a shot by Jason Robertson #21 of the Dallas Stars during a shootout at American Airlines Center on March 06, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The biggest date remaining on the regular season schedule has arrived for the Colorado Avalanche, who have long been the most dominant team in the NHL all year long.
The Dallas Stars, however, won’t stop at nothing to overtake them.
Today, both teams will face each other one last time at American Airlines Center to close out their regular season series, with the winner potentially laying claim to a first place finish in the West.
Colorado Avalanche (49-15-10)
The Opponent: Dallas Stars (45-19-12)
Time: 1:00 P.M. MDT/3:00 P.M. EDT
Watch: ABC, ESPN (US National Broadcast), SNP, SNW, SN+ (Canadian National Broadcast)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche wrapped up their final extended home stand on Wednesday night with an underwhelming 8-6 loss to the last-place Vancouver Canucks. The loss was the second during Colorado’s three game home stand, and while the 4-2 loss to Winnipeg a week ago was disappointing, this most recent defeat was exceptionally glaring: a host of defensive miscues and poor puck management opened the door for Vancouver to run up the score early and often. Mackenzie Blackwood, who gave up six goals on nineteen shots, was pulled with 4:39 remaining in second period in favor of Scott Wedgewood. The Avs then rallied from a 6-2 deficit to tie the game late in the third on Sam Malinski’s second goal of the evening, but Vancouver would reclaim the lead twenty-three seconds later, and iced the game with an empty net tally after Wedgewood was pulled for the extra skater.
Coach Jared Bednar, in what was indisputably his shortest press conference of the season, didn’t hold back. “The reality of it is, is if you want to win in this League, you have to play [the way we played in the third period] for sixty minutes, and we weren’t even close. [It] wasn’t a great first and it got worse in the second and […] if you want to hand out badges for good effort and stuff like that, I think we’re beyond that this time of year, you know? Effort for twenty minutes and doing the right things for twenty minutes isn’t good enough.” He went a step further, saying that there were no positives to be found in their effort.
“There’s no excuse,” he continued, “If we’re making excuses for that performance, it’s going to be a short [playoff] run.”
The loss prevented the Avalanche from increasing their points lead over Dallas, and as a result, today’s game still carries weight for both clubs. For the Avs, it’s the start of a back-to-back weekend that sees them returning home for an Easter evening matchup against the St. Louis Blues. With four massive points hanging in the balance for the Avs this weekend, here’s where today’s game matters from their perspective:
The Avs come into Dallas as the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings with a total of 108 points. They have eight (8) games remaining on their schedule—two in hand on Dallas—and have forty-six (46) regulation wins on the season. A regulation win for the Avs wouldn’t completely drive the final nail into the coffin for Dallas to catch them, but it would put their chances on life support. A regulation win for the Avs, coupled with a victory on home ice tomorrow, should put first place out of Dallas’ reach.
This is all predicated on the Avs taking care of their own affairs. They control their own destiny, and while they have the tiebreaker advantages over Dallas right now (points and regulation wins), things can flip on a dime, and the last thing they need is giving Dallas any extra motivation with the end of the season in sight.
While this is certainly a huge weekend for the Avs, today’s game also sets a monumental milestone for Brent Burns, as he is slated to skate in his thousandth consecutive game. The forty year old defenseman, who made his NHL debut for the Minnesota Wild after being selected with the twentieth overall pick in the 2003 NHL Draft, played his first seven seasons with Minnesota before being traded to San Jose prior to the 2011-2012 season. He spent would spend the next eleven seasons in San Jose, where many of his career milestones would take place. The 2014-2015 season saw the first of eleven consecutive seasons of Burns skating in every every regular season game. He made his Stanley Cup Final debut in 2016, set a career high in goals (27) in a Norris trophy-winning campaign in 2017, and set career highs in assists (67) and points (83) in 2019.
Burns was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes prior to the start of the 2022-2023 season, where he spent three seasons before signing with the Avs prior to the start of this season. After surpassing former NHL defenseman Keith Yandle’s mark of 989 consecutive games on March 14, Burns became the all-time leader in consecutive games played among defensemen. Coming into today’s game, he trails only Phil Kessel, who holds the all-time record of 1064 consecutive games among all NHL skaters.
Nathan MacKinnon is the first player in the NHL to reach 50 goals, having broken the mark this past Wednesday. Despite being the NHL’s goal scoring leader, his 121 points total is three points behind both Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov (124) and five points Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (126). Martin Nečas (35) and Brock Nelson (33) rank second and third in team goal scoring, respectively. Cale Makar, who left Wednesday’s game with injury, did not accompany the team to Dallas, and will be re-evaluated next week. Nicolas Roy also did not travel with the team to Dallas, and his status will be re-evaluated next week as well.
While Bednar did not indicate who would start in today’s game, look for Wedgewood to get the nod today.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Gabriel Landeskog – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Artturi Lehkonen – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Parker Kelly – Nazem Kadri – Logan O’Connor Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Joel Kiviranta
Defense: Devon Toews – Sam Malinski Josh Manson – Brent Burns Brett Kulak – Nick Blankenburg
Between the Pipes: Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood
Dallas Stars
The run that Dallas has been on has made them a darling of hockey circles everywhere. In any other season, Dallas’s 102 points would tie them with Carolina in a race for first place in the League, and with both teams splitting their two game season series, it would come down to the thinnest of margins to decide who would emerge ahead of the other. Add in Eastern Conference mainstay Tampa Bay Lightning and the come-out-of-nowhere Buffalo Sabres, both of whom boast 100 point seasons of their own, and there would be no shortages of storylines heading into the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Dallas featured prominently among them.
A ten game winning streak? Done. A gold medal winning goaltender? Check. A top-rated power play threat? Yep. A stellar record at home and away? You bet. If you’re the Dallas Stars, you rightly believe that success is yours for the taking as the Stanley Cup Playoffs grow closer.
In any other season, but not this season.
For all their success to this point, Dallas is, and still remains, second best. Coming into today’s regular season finale against Colorado, Dallas is still looking up at their division rival. That ten game winning streak? Colorado’s done that twice. Home and away records? Colorado remains the only team in the NHL that has yet to lose more than ten games on home ice (24-8-5) compared to everyone else (Dallas is 23-10-4 at home). As good as Dallas has been on the road (22-9-8), Colorado’s 25-7-5 record is still better than everyone else.
Let’s not stop there: A +49 goal differential for Dallas? Colorado’s +90 is tops in the League. Colorado’s allowed the fewest number of goals (193) compared to Dallas (209), and Scott Wedgewood’s 2.19 goals against average and .916 save percentage leads all active goaltenders. By comparison, goaltender Casey DeSmith’s 2.38 goals against average ranks third among active goaltenders, while Jake Oettinger’s 2.61 ranks fifteenth. DeSmith’s .909 save percentage ranks fourteenth among active goaltenders, while Oettinger’s .900 ranks twenty-third.
There are a couple of bright spots for Dallas. Dallas can hang their ten-gallon hats on a second-ranked power play percentage (29.1%), while Colorado’s 17.9% ranks twenty-fifth. Oettinger also ranks third in wins among goaltenders (31), four more than Wedgewood (27), and ten more than Mackenzie Blackwood (21).
Dallas also leads the regular season series 2-0-1, their most recent victory being a 2-1 shootout decision back on March 18 at Ball Arena. To this point in the season, every game against Colorado has ended in a shootout. In their last meeting at America Airlines Center on March 06, Dallas captain Jamie Benn botched an opportunity to ice the game with Wedgewood on the bench for an extra skater, but his shot attempt banked off the side of the net. Valeri Nichushkin would score the game-tying goal moments later, and provided the shootout heroics alongside Martin Nečas to best Oettinger en route to a 5-4 decision for Colorado. That game would also see the departure of Roope Hintz to injury after getting tangled up with Nathan MacKinnon in the second period.
Since then, Dallas has regained the services of former Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen. He returned to action on March 28 in a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rantanen, who sustained injury during his play for Team Finland during the Olympics in Italy, had not made a regular season appearance for Dallas since a 5-4 victory over St. Louis on February 04, prior to the Olympic break.
In order to have a shot at first place in the West, Dallas is banking on a repeat performance from Oettinger, who blanked the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 3-0 this past Thursday. The victory was only Dallas’ third in their past ten games. A regulation win over Colorado would pull Dallas within four points of first place, and with four games remaining in the regular season, today’s head-to-head matchup is Dallas’ last, best chance to prevent Colorado from widening the gap between them. Even with a win over Colorado, Dallas would still have to play nearly flawless hockey down the stretch and hope they get some help from Colorado’s remaining opponents.
Wyatt Johnston leads all Dallas skaters in goals (41) and power play goals (25). Jason Robertson ranks second in goals (40), and leads the team in points (89). Miro Heiskanen leads all Dallas skaters in assists (53), while Rantanen is a close second (52). Rantanen also leads all Dallas skaters in penalty minutes (89).
Today marks the second of a five game home stand for Dallas, their final prolonged stretch of games on home ice. Oettinger will likely start in goal to close out the season series against Colorado.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Jason Robertson – Wyatt Johnston – Mikko Rantanen Jamie Benn – Matt Duchene – Colin Blackwell Oskar Bäck – Justin Hryckowian – Mavrik Bourque Adam Erne – Arttu Hyry
Defense: Esa Lindell – Miro Heiskanen Thomas Harley – Nils Lundkvist Lian Bischel – Ilya Lyubushkin Kyle Capobianco
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 30: Starting pitcher Michael Soroka #34 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after pitching an immaculate fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers of the home opener at Chase Field on March 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Is there a more beloved former Brave than Michael Soroka? (Maybe Freddie Freeman?) Perhaps because the phrase, “What could have been?” peals more sharply with regard to Soroka than anyone else, the fondness for the Canadian giraffe-necked right-hander from this corner, at least, is at its max. But, on Saturday night, the Braves will face off against our beloved in search of a fourth win in a row.
Soroka’s injury travails as a Brave after his 2019 4.0 fWAR campaign have been well-documented and are a bit too depressing to recap at this point, so we’ll focus on what happened afterwards. Sent to Chicago’s South Side in the Aaron Bummer deal after the 2023 season, Soroka was a blah swingman out there for a year, and then had a nice time as a starter for the Nationals in 2025 before a midseason trade sent him to Chicago’s North Side, where he barely pitched and didn’t distinguish himself. His contract with the Nats was for $9 million; this past offseason, he signed with the Diamondbacks for a lower, $7.5 million salary, made some starts in the World Baseball Classic, and made it to Opening Day as a member of Arizona’s beleaguered starting staff.
But, things went swimmingly for him in his first start of 2026: he absolutely dominated the Tigers for five innings, with an insane 10/1 K/BB ratio that included an immaculate inning in his final frame of work. He had a 5-0 lead before departing, and the Diamondbacks added even more in the bottom of the fifth. The only real blemish to that outing was that the Tigers made some hard contact off him when they weren’t striking out (three barrels, though only one went for a hit), but that doesn’t really portend anything for him considering the excellent K/BB ratio. Whatever happens while Soroka pitches against the Braves today, it’ll be bittersweet in one direction or another, but maybe it’ll be another game like last night, where the thunder in the Braves’ favor comes exclusively late.
On the Atlanta side of the pitching equation, Bryce Elder will look to keep the good times rolling. After last night’s shutout, the Braves’ pitching staff is in a funny place: they’re seventh in MLB in fWAR, second in ERA-, sixth in FIP-, and 13th in xFIP-. Whereas 2025 was an exercise in “if it can wrong, it will go wrong,” the Braves are putting on a dazzling run prevention display thanks to some elite defensive play (they’re third in MLB in defensive value coming into this game), and a favorable HR/FB for once (they have the fourth-lowest HR/FB against their pitchers). Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes have now made four collective starts with a sub-3.00 ERA (Lopez’ is under 2.00) and an xFIP around 5.00, so hooray for baseball god boons rather than banes at this point.
Speaking of weird starts, that descriptor probably applies to Bryce Elder’s first start of the season, albeit for a different reason than it could be used for Lopez or Holmes thus far. Elder was legitimately good against the Athletics — nothing we haven’t seen before, albeit inconsistently — with a 5/1 K/BB ratio in six shutout innings. The reason why it was weird was that all the stuff that Elder and the team provided messaging about in the offseason, about his work with a biomechanics expert and the like, well… that wasn’t really on display. Elder didn’t appear to be throwing harder nor did he let loose more often with an ehanced four-seamer. Rather, he showed up with a much drop-ier (droopier sounds sad) slider with some added horizontal verve, which was enough to stymie the green-and-gold bats. Whether he can do so again against the Diamondbacks, well, that’s always the question, innit?
This will be Soroka’s second outing against his former team. He had an okay four innings against them in May of last year, with Drake Baldwin hitting a game-tying two-run shot against him in the fourth before Soroka departed. Elder, meanwhile, has made two starts against the Diamondbacks in his career — one in 2023 and one in 2024 — and they were both really rough. The one in 2023 was his shortest start of the year and one of his worst (2 2/3 IP, charged seven runs and gave up a homer despite a 4/1 K/BB ratio), and the one in 2024 featured a 1/2 K/BB ratio in five innings with three runs charged. Both of those games got absolutely insane late, with the Diamondbacks winning 16-13 in 2023 and the Braves prevailing 5-4 in 2024.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, April 4, 7:15 p.m. EDT
Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
TV: FOX
Streaming: MLB.tv, probably not blacked out on BravesVision/etc.
CHICAGO — The Toronto Blue Jays placed two-time All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a dislocated and fractured left thumb and recalled catcher Brandon Valenzuela from Triple-A Buffalo.
Kirk was injured in the 10th inning of a 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Friday when Austin Hays fouled a pitch off Kirk’s glove. He left the game immediately and went for X-rays.
The Blue Jays also assigned 36-year-old left-hander Patrick Corbin to Single-A Dunedin on Saturday, a day after signing him to a one-year contract.
Manager John Schneider didn’t have a timeline for Kirk’s return but said before Saturday’s game in Chicago that the 27-year-old would see Dr. Thomas Graham, a hand specialist in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Monday to determine the next steps.
“(The thumb) was dislocated,” Schneider said. “They put it back in last night, as well as a fracture. So tough news for us and I think for Kirky for sure.
“They’re going to see if they need to do any kind of surgical intervention or pin or something like that. We’ll know that on Monday, and then kind of determine the timeline after that.”
As an All-Star in 2025, Kirk batted .282 with 15 homers and 76 RBIs in 130 games for AL champion Toronto. He played in all 18 of the Blue Jays’ postseason games and hit .308 with two homers and six RBIs in seven World Series games against the Dodgers.
Kirk was batting .150 with one homer and two RBIs in five games this season.
The 25-year-old Valenzuela has yet to play in the majors, but he arrived in Chicago on Saturday and is expected to split time behind the plate with Tyler Heineman while Kirk is out.
In four games with Buffalo this season, he was batting .200 with one homer and four RBIs.
Corbin, a two-time All-Star in 13 major league seasons, was 7-11 with a 4.40 ERA for Texas last season. For his career, Corbin is 110-142 with a 4.51 ERA over 373 games including 354 starts.
Three Blue Jays starters — Shane Bieber, José Bérrios and Trey Yesavage — are currently on the injured list.
Schneider wasn’t sure how long it would take Corbin to ramp up and return to the majors.
“I think definitely we view him as a starter or definite length option,” Schneider said. “I think until the dominoes kind of start to fall back into place with Trey and Josey and Biebs ... you look for length and how we can use it.”
Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke will finish his 2025-26 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Brunicke was assigned to WBS on Saturday morning after his junior season with the WHL's Kamloops Blazers ended this week. Brunicke finished the year with two goals and 24 points in 24 games before compiling one point in four playoff games.
He started the year with the Penguins after making the team out of training camp. He scored his first NHL goal against the New York Islanders on Oct. 9 and played in nine games for the Penguins before he was sent back to Kamloops.
CHICAGO - APRIL 2: A general view of U.S. Cellular Field during the National Anthem before the Chicago White Sox take on the Cleveland Indians for the opening day game on April 2, 2007 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Indians defeated the White Sox 12-5. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After an rare Friday off-day, their first of the season, the Jays play game the second of a three game series with the White Sox.
And today, I’m actually not in Japan. If everything goes as planned we are in Busan, South Korea today. I often buy soccer jerseys when I’m traveling. I have many of them now and I use them when I play tennis or squash. Yesterday (yesterday from when I’m typing this), I wore a Newcastle United jersey. A fellow stopped me, telling my that Newcastle was his team (and, he didn’t have to tell me, he had a northerner accent).
I wore one last week from the Casablanca, Morocco club and another fellow stopped me, saying he was from Morocco. I told him how much we enjoyed our time there (until Covid became a thing and we had to find a way out of the country).
Late in regulation Thursday - very late in regulation - against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Pittsburgh Penguins were awarded a power play opportunity despite trailing 6-2 with the game out of reach at that point.
For the most part, the Penguins' best players weren't out on the ice. At this juncture, almost everyone had already checked out and was clearly looking ahead to the next one.
Well, almost everyone.
On that power play and with just 0.8 seconds on the clock, forward Egor Chinakhov gathered the puck in the slot area and released an 82.9 mph wrister that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy top-shelf and allowed Pittsburgh to go home on with a better taste in their mouths. It also gave Chinakhov 20 goals for the first time in his NHL career - with 17 of those coming as a Penguin - and after casually, angrily, and effortlessly flinging that vulcanized piece of rubber into the net, he barely even flinched as he headed back to the bench and took a seat without a lick of celebration.
Can someone provide a logical reason as to why this guy isn’t on the first power-play unit?
Since 87 has come back and Chinakhov got bumped to PP2, the Pens have had 22 opportunities through eight games. They are 3/22 (one on a 5 on 3). 13.6%.
For Chinakhov, 82.9 mph is a pretty regular occurrence - and, according to NHL Edge data, it's actually below his average shot speed of 83.59 mph, which is 99th percentile in the league - but it's almost daily at this point that he shoots at least one puck 90 mph-plus. In fact, earlier in the period, Chinakhov released a 91.06 mph wrister, and this was after a first period in which he scored a beautiful goal on the backhand.
And that's nowhere close to his season-high, ridiculous 99.03 mph wrister that he shot as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 22, or two shots against the Dallas Stars on Mar. 28 that registered at 98.61 and 95.17.
At this point, everyone - fans, teammates, coaches, and media alike - is aware of how lethal a weapon Chinakhov possesses with his shot, which is quite literally one of the very best in the NHL. His teammates' eyes light up when you ask about it, and they usually crack a smile, too. That asset alone could make him a solid middle-six option on any team, barring that he scores at a relatively high rate.
But that's the thing with Chinakhov: It's not just the shot. He's also tapping more into his playmaking ability in minutes alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who are more than capable of finishing plays on their own. It's his smarts, as he never makes bad line changes, is always in the right position to make plays, and knows how to expose the danger areas to create chances for himself and his teammates.
It's also his defensive capabilities, as he's almost always the first forward on the backcheck, he's the first guy up to cover the point on a defensive pinch, and he's keen in using his stick detail and ability to read plays to disrupt. And, then, there's his speed, which is a huge asset to his overall game in all three zones. His forechecking isn't lacking, either, as he fairly consistently wins puck battles and forces the opposition into defensive zone mistakes.
The fact of the matter is that the Penguins didn't get their hands on a one-dimensional goal-scorer. Again, that alone would be enough to elevate him to near-star status if he would be able to maximize that skill. He has 17 goals and 30 points in 38 games since joining the Penguins, and that production is top-five on the team during his tenure.
Instead, they seem to have gotten their hands on an elite goal-scorer with the hockey IQ, puck skills, and speed to be an elite top-line option on the wing.
Of course, making proclamations about a 25-year-old former first-round pick (21st overall in 2020) who has never produced to this extent, has struggled to remain healthy, and needed a change of scenery after a very rough start with his former team (three goals and six points in 29 games) is, typically, doing a bit too much.
Usually, there is some underlying reason that these kinds of players fail to flourish in a sustained manner. They peak after their initial introduction to a new environment, and they revert back to the old, standard version of themselves.
But something feels different with Chinakhov. And it certainly has a lot to do with those aforementioned details in his game. But it's also easy to tell when a player has instant chemistry with certain players and fits into a team's system, and there is skill involved as far as the ability to play with elite playmakers in the NHL.
Jan 15, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Egor Chinakhov (59) celebrates his goal with Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) and center Tommy Novak (18) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Now, he is on a top line with Crosby, and he hasn't missed a beat, putting up three goals and four points in the three games he's been 87's flank. And he had a million chances to score in an 8-3 rout of the New York Islanders as well - when he was one of three players who failed to register a point - hitting iron a few times and having three additional dangerous shots on goal.
The Penguins have found a way to unlock a version of Chinakhov that was probably always there but just never quite broke through. Head coach Dan Muse and the rest of the Penguins' coaching staff is known for their individualized approach to coaching, and they don't try to force players into being something they're not. A prime example is Erik Karlsson, who struggled to adapt and play at optimal capacity for two seasons under a different coaching staff and who is thriving under a new one that unleashes him and allows to be the version of the player who has won three Norris Trophies.
In Pittsburgh, Chinakhov isn't buried in bottom-six minutes. He's not being asked to play in roles that don't suit him. He's thriving in a role that plays to his strengths and allows him to, simply, be himself.
And if the Penguins can re-sign the restricted free agent this summer continue to get this version of Chinakhov - the one who is scoring at a 37-goal, 65-point pace with, potentially, an even higher level to reach - they might just have a budding star on their hands.
The Bucks are in hot water for their handling of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s playing status.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday that the team is under investigation for potentially violating the league’s “player participation policy and potential inconsistent statements.”
The team won’t medically clear Antetokounmpo, who hyperextended his knee on Mar. 15, per Charania, although the two-time NBA MVP has vowed he’s healthy and ready to take the court.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Milwaukee. AP
“You know who you are dealing with,” Antetokounmpo told reporters Friday.
“For somebody to come and tell me to not play or not to compete it’s like a slap in my face. So, I don’t know where the relationship goes from there.”
“I’ve never seen a case of a player saying, my caliber of player, that’s like, I’m saying it publicly, I want to f–king play. You know what I’m saying?” Antetokounmpo added. “I don’t think I’ve seen this. So, if there needs to be an investigation, great. There should be. I don’t know. There should be. Until we figure something out.”
Charania added to the report on Saturday, saying that the Bucks told NBA investigators that Antetokounmpo declined the opportunity to play 3-on-3 scrimmages as part of the return protocol from his knee injury. The team’s franchise player told the league he is healthy enough to take the court.
Late last month, the National Basketball Players Association suggested that the Bucks, who are 30-47 and eliminated from playoff contention, were tanking and holding a healthy superstar out of the lineup.
“The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,” the union wrote in a statement.
The face-off marks yet another rift between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, who drafted him No. 15 overall in 2013 and won a championship with the Greece native in 2021.
GM Jon Horst of the Milwaukee Bucks speaks to the media about the dismissal of head coach Adrian Griffin prior to a game between the Bucks and the Cavaliers at Fiserv Forum on January 24, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Getty Images
Trade rumors swirled last offseason and during this season with various reports about Antetokounmpo’s desire to leave the only franchise he’s known.
Before the trade deadline, Milwaukee opted to hold on to Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 27.6 points with 9.8 rebounds in 36 games this season, despite rumors that he could be dealt.
In March, Bucks co-owner Wes Edens said he doesn’t want Antetokounmpo, who has one year plus a player option for the 2027-28 season left on the three-year, $186 million extension he signed in 2023, playing out the 2026-27 NBA season with the team without a new deal.
There are just three games in the Association today (apparently, some other basketball games are getting all the attention today), but I've still found some value in the NBA player props market.
My NBA picks for Saturday, April 4 cover all three of today's matchups — see why I'm targeting rebounds in what should be an absolute slopfest, Wemby to focus more on defense than offense, and Daniss Jenkins continuing to cash the Over on his threes.
Prop #1: Jaime Jaquez Jr. Over 5.5 rebounds (+110)
+110 at bet365
What can we expect with mediocre (or outright) bad teams playing? That's right: Bad offense! The Miami Heat sit 20th in the league in field goal percentage, with Washington 23rd, with plenty of missed shots up for grabs on both sides.
The big difference here is that the Wiz are also dead last in rebounding percentage, meaning we should look to Miami to clean the glass — and Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been doing just that, topping this number in three straight games.
His numbers took a dip during a four-game stretch a few weeks ago (where his minutes were limited due to a hip ailment), but looking at when he's had regular run (27+ minutes), he's cashed this prop in five of his last seven games — and our NBA player prop projections put him right at six boards today.
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MNMT, FDSN SU
Prop #2: Victor Wembanyama Under 28.5 points (-112)
-112 at bet365
Victor Wembanyama is coming off back-to-back 41-point outings, but those were against the depleted Warriors and hapless Bulls.
Neither team has a truly threatening interior presence, and today he's squaring off with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Wemby will have to spend more time and effort defending (and dealing with the physicality of the much thicker Jokic), and I'm anticipating it will come at the expense of his scoring production.
The Spurs star went Under this number in six of his previous seven games before his 40+ outbursts, and our NBA player prop projections have Wemby pegged for just 24.4 points today.
A number of other books have moved to 27.5 already (or have higher juice on u28.5), giving us a little bit of value on the number as well.
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Prime Video
Prop #3: Daniss Jenkins Over 1.5 threes (-120)
-120 at bet365
Daniss Jenkins has stepped up in a big way for the Pistons since Cade Cunningham has been sidelined with a collapsed lung, getting moved into the starting lineup and seeing his usage expand from around 20 per game to 36 minutes per night.
His scoring has also skyrocketed, averaging more than 19 points per game in that span, while hitting just over two threes per game (on almost five attempted) and cashing this prop in six of 10 games since becoming the starting PG.
Jenkins and Detroit will face Philadelphia tonight, which is giving up the most 3-point attempts since March 1 — and could have some tired legs on defense after grinding through a tough matchup with Minnesota last night.
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We've got a full slate of games today — which means a full slate of MLB player props to choose from — but I'm looking at some strikeout markets that are way too low, and an elite slugger continuing to produce.
Find out why Jesus Luzardo and Randy Vasquez should be getting a little more respect... and why we need to jump on Yordan Alvarez's RBI prop while it's still at plus money.
Here are my favorite MLB picks for Saturday, April 4.
Best MLB player props today
Player
Pick
Odds
Randy Vasquez
o3.5 strikeouts
-130
Yordan Alvarez
o0.5 RBI
+105
Jesus Luzardo
o6.5 strikeouts
-102
Randy Vasquez Over 3.5 strikeouts (-130)
Randy Vasquez has never been a high-volume strikeout candidate, but this is a low floor, and today’s conditions are conducive to him going deeper into the game.
The wind in Boston will be blowing in from RF between 18 and 36 mph for much of the game. That’s especially helpful for a pitcher sporting a career 0.72 groundout-to-airout ratio.
Vasquez looked good in his season debut, allowing just two hits and striking out eight Tigers in six innings, showing a noticeable uptick in his fastball, sinker, and slider velocity over last season — in addition to adding a good amount of spin to his cutter.
The San Diego Padres righty doesn’t need to recreate his first start either; he just needs four Ks vs. a Red Sox lineup striking out in 29.3% of plate appearances so far in 2026.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NESN, SDPA
Yordan Alvarez Over 0.5 RBI (+105)
Yordan Alvarez has had an incredibly hot start to 2026, hitting .400 with an MLB-leading .596 xwOBA, and driving in a run in five of his last seven games.
Alvarez is simply crushing the ball right now, sitting third in the bigs with an adjusted exit velo of 99.5, plus he’s cut down on his whiff rate against fastballs and breaking balls from last season.
He's in a hitter’s park today, with excellent weather conditions, against a pitcher in Luis Morales who gave up five runs in his opening start vs. Toronto, failing to finish five frames.
Yordan also has an ISO of .480, as he's launched three dingers so far as well, and considering Morales allowed a 10.9% barrel rate and had a 4.54 xFIP last year, he’s likely to get a few pitches he can hit hard — and sitting in the middle of the Houston order, there should be some traffic on or him to cash in.
I'd also sprinkle on his home run prop at +255 as well: Morales allowed 1.48 HR/9IP last year, including three bombs vs. the Jays.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSCA, SCHN
Jesus Luzardo Over 6.5 strikeouts (-102)
It wasn’t the ideal season debut for Jesus Luzardo: He was shelled for six runs on six hits vs. Texas, including two balls that left the yard, yet he still struck out seven hitters.
The lefty boasts a pitch arsenal that ranked him in the 86th percentile in K rate and 87th percentile in whiff rate in 2025, so I was shocked to see this strikeout total against Colorado.
I fully expected this to be at 7.5 with some juice on the Over, especially given the Rockies have struck out 32 times over the last two games.
Luzardo will be at a platoon disadvantage today, but the Rockies have also whiffed in 12 of their 25 ABs vs. LHP this season. I’m jumping on this and laddering Luzardo up to 10 Ks as well.
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: COLR, NBCSP+
Jason Ence's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 1-2, -1.02 units
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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 28: Chad Patrick #39 of the Milwaukee Brewers is taken out of game in the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field on March 28, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Thankfully, the weather in Kansas City today is cold, windy, yet — unlike last night — sunny. With last night’s series opener postponed due to inclement weather, today’s game was moved up to 1:10 p.m. to accommodate a doubleheader, with the makeup game now set for 6:10 p.m.
Chad Patrick, originally scheduled to start last night’s game, will be on the mound today. Patrick went 4.1 innings against the White Sox in his first start of the season, allowing a single earned run and five hits while striking out four. Starting for the Royals is Luinder Avila, Kansas City’s No. 9 prospect, who will be making his first career start. Avila made his major league debut last year, putting up a 1.29 ERA out of the bullpen over thirteen appearances.
Also of note: both teams are allowed to bring up a 27th player for today’s doubleheader, but the Brewers elected not to add anyone to their roster for Game 1. Tonight would be Brandon Sproat’s spot in the rotation, but Logan Henderson was reportedly seen in the Brewers’ clubhouse this morning. He pitched three innings on March 31st with Triple-A Nashville, which means he wouldn’t be working with a full five days of rest. Even so, it’s possible we could see him on the mound — maybe in relief — at some point during the nightcap.
Today’s lineup happens to be the exact same as the lineup that was released for last night’s game. As Paul mentioned, the Brewers are going lefty-heavy against the right-handed Avila. Brice Turang, one of the hottest hitters in baseball so far this season, leads off again tonight. Luis Rengifo is hitting second and playing third base, with catcher William Contreras and designated hitter Christian Yelich behind him.
Hitting fifth is center fielder Garrett Mitchell, who had a two-run double in the series finale against the Rays. Jake Bauers, Sal Frelick, Brandon Lockridge — getting the start over switch-hitter Blake Perkins — and David Hamilton round out tonight’s lineup. You’ll notice Joey Ortiz isn’t in the lineup tonight, with the left-handed hitting Hamilton replacing him at shortstop.
Today’s game will be broadcast on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620, and the Brewers Radio Network. As mentioned above, first pitch is slated for 1:10 p.m.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 30: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in action during a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on March 30, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
If you’ve scrolled Twitter lately, you might think the Cleveland Cavaliers are stuck in a doom spiral. Fans are upset about some of their recent performances. I share some of that sentiment. But the truth is, Cleveland has won eight of their last 11 games and continues to be one of the Eastern Conference’s strongest contenders.
Even the fans agree with that, despite some grumbles.
More than a third of fans said they believe the Cavs will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals this May. Another 26% predict the Cavs will make it to the NBA Finals, win or lose.
FanDuel tends to agree. The Boston Celtics are the only Eastern team with higher odds to win the title. Overall, Cleveland has the fifth-highest odds behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Celtics, and Denver Nuggets.
On the flip side, fewer than 10% of the fan base is worried about a first round loss. It seems no one is overly concerned about the Atlanta Hawks.
Hope is a good thing. It’s the reason why we root for these teams in the first place. The Cavs have done enough this season, largely behind a seismic change for James Harden, to make you feel like they have a fighting chance at doing something special. All that’s left now is to finish the regular season and get healthy.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Victor Wembanyama
Daniss Jenkins
Randy Vasquez
Yordan Alvarez
Jesus Luzardo
