The Buffalo Sabres have announced that defenseman Jack Rathbone has been recalled from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
Rathbone joined the Sabres this past off-season on a one-year, two-way contract. Since then, the 25-year-old left-shot defenseman has appeared in 56 games with the Amerks, where he has five goals, 20 points, and a plus-6 rating. He has yet to make his Sabres regular-season debut, but that has the potential to change following this call-up.
Rathbone last played at the NHL level with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2022-23 season, where he had one goal and one assist in 11 games. In 28 career NHL games over three seasons, the Massachusetts native has posted two goals, three assists, five points, 21 hits, and a minus-5 rating.
The Warriors experienced a bit of déjà vu in the second quarter of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday at Frost Bank Center.
Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga went to the locker room after a hard fall near the basket — an injury that at first appeared very similar to the one star point guard Steph Curry sustained almost two weeks ago against the Toronto Raptors.
During halftime, the Warriors officially ruled Kuminga out with right ankle soreness.
While it wasn’t a pelvic contusion like the one Curry sustained, just like Steph, no foul was called on the Spurs after Kuminga was knocked down while driving to the rim. Kuminga appeared to mouth, “I’m OK” after the fall, but he walked gingerly to the locker room with Warriors director of medical services Drew Yoder.
Kuminga on Sunday was playing in his ninth game back after missing 31 games with a sprain on the same ankle. The 22-year-old is averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists during the 2024-25 NBA season, and 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in eight games since his March 13 return against the Sacramento Kings.
It’s unclear how badly Kuminga aggravated his previous ankle injury, but Dub Nation certainly hopes the young star is all right.
The Warriors experienced a bit of déjà vu in the second quarter of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday at Frost Bank Center.
Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga went to the locker room after a hard fall near the basket — an injury that at first appeared very similar to the one star point guard Steph Curry sustained almost two weeks ago against the Toronto Raptors.
During halftime, the Warriors officially ruled Kuminga out with right ankle soreness.
While it wasn’t a pelvic contusion like the one Curry sustained, just like Steph, no foul was called on the Spurs after Kuminga was knocked down while driving to the rim. Kuminga appeared to mouth, “I’m OK” after the fall, but he walked gingerly to the locker room with Warriors director of medical services Drew Yoder.
Kuminga on Sunday was playing in his ninth game back after missing 31 games with a sprain on the same ankle. The 22-year-old is averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists during the 2024-25 NBA season, and 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in eight games since his March 13 return against the Sacramento Kings.
It’s unclear how badly Kuminga aggravated his previous ankle injury, but Dub Nation certainly hopes the young star is all right.
Nobody expected Memphis to fire coach Taylor Jenkins with just a few weeks left in the regular season — the team had slipped in recent months but was still 15 games over .500 and tied for fourth in the West at the time. It put interim coach Tuomas Iisalo in a difficult position, with little time to make real changes and three tough games coming up against the Lakers (a Grizzlies loss), Celtics and Warriors. After the Lakers loss, Ja Morant was asked about the coaching change (quote via William Guillory of The Athletic).
“It’s tough for me. I’ve had Coach Taylor since I got here. Everything I’ve done in a Grizzlies jersey has pretty much been under him,” Morant said after the loss. “It’s my first time really experiencing a coach leaving since I’ve been hooping. It was a lot to process. With the timing, it’s just tough. We had to quickly turn the page.”
“That’s my dog. That will forever be my dog,” Jackson Jr. said. “It was surprising. It would have been surprising at any point. He had a great impact while he was here. He’s gonna be one of the more sought-after coaches in his journey elsewhere and deservedly so.”
Desmond Bane said the players held a meeting after the firing to help clear the air and process what happened, with quotes via The Athletic.
“I just wanted them to get out all their raw emotions. Don’t hold nothing back. Let it all out, and that way we can truly move forward,” Desmond Bane said. “I told them we have a really talented group and we can still do some special things. (Interim head coach) Tuomas (Iisalo) is a really smart guy, and we should buy into what he’s trying to do, and then see what we can do these last few games and beyond.”
If the Grizzlies are going to do special things, they need to get their defense right, something Iisalo owned after the Lakers loss. He added that he wants the team to play faster, and he wanted more Morant pick-and-rolls in the half court. Memphis needs all of that to come together fast and lead to wins, or the current No. 5 seed could slide back into the play-in.
Mar 29, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dunks during the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
New coach in place, Ja Morant back from injury… same result for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Behind their offensive trio of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — who combined for 85 points and 25 assists — the Lakers dominated the final six minutes of Saturday's game and with that took control of the No. 4 seed in the West with a 134-127 win.
That victory puts the Lakers alone as the No. 4 seed in the West, 1.5 games behind the Nuggets for the No. 3 seed. The Grizzlies are the No. 5 seed but just 1.5 games up on the Warriors and Clippers, who are tied for 6/7, and the No. 8 Timberwolves are just two games back of Memphis. Just 4.5 games separate third and eighth in a very tight West.
Which is why this Lakers win mattered so much. Knowing it was a critical game, Lakers coach J.J. Redick said he gathered LeBron, Doncic and Reaves together earlier in the day.
"We challenged all three of them, when we get to their three-man actions, to play with a little more force and a little more thrust and a little more creativity. We were able to get some great stuff in the fourth quarter off that…" Redick said.
"We played as well as we've played so far, offensively."
Memphis has lost 5-of-6 and things don't get easier with the Celtics and Warriors as the next two teams coming to town. It was unfair timing for interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, who was thrust into the head coaching job on Friday after the surprise firing of Taylor Jenkins. Fair or not, he and a healthy lineup need to get some wins soon or they risk falling back into the play-in.
Week 22 is Championship Week in Yahoo! public leagues and Yahoo! leagues that use the default settings. By now, fantasy managers have dealt with many availability issues due to actual injuries or players receiving a night off for rest reasons. Sometimes, it has been easy to figure out when players will sit, but there have been some surprises. Week 22 is busy, as 22 teams will play four games, and a few have multiple back-to-backs to navigate. Let's look at the Week 22 schedule breakdown.
- San Antonio, Toronto, Utah and Washington are among the teams that will play four games during Week 22.
The Spurs, Raptors, Jazz and Wizards are all headed to the draft lottery, and each has a full schedule for the week. That's good news for fantasy managers who need to prioritize availability with league championships on the line. The Spurs have continued to play their veterans, but there has also been room for Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan to flourish in their respective roles. The Raptors, Jazz and Wizards have gone the route of resting veteran players, which means names like Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski (Utah), Bub Carrington and AJ Johnson (Washington), and Ja'Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead (Toronto) have been worth a look to varying degrees. San Antonio and Toronto will have a back-to-back to navigate during their respective Week 22 scheduled, but that is not the case for Utah or Washington.
- Will the Mavericks' frontcourt return to full strength during Week 22?
Anthony Davis returned from a groin injury last week, but Dallas remained without centers Daniel Gafford (knee) and Dereck Lively II (foot). However, they were considered doubtful for Saturday's game against the Bulls before being ruled out, and there's hope that Gafford and Lively will be able to play at some point in the next week. In the hotly-contested race for a play-in spot in the West, the Mavericks play four games during Week 22, ending with a Friday/Saturday road back-to-back against the Clippers. The availability of Gafford and Lively also impacts Kai Jones, who has been worth rostering in deep leagues as the Mavericks' starting center. Managers who have Jones should hold onto him, as we don't know when (or if) Gafford and Lively will return, nor do we know what their workloads will look like.
- The Hawks, Clippers and Knicks will have two back-to-backs to navigate.
Beginning with the final day of Week 21, these three teams will have two back-to-backs to deal with over the next week. While Atlanta and New York have Tuesday/Wednesday and Saturday/Sunday back-to-backs, the Clippers have Sunday/Monday and Friday/Saturday. The Knicks are interesting on two fronts. First, Mitchell Robinson will likely be limited to two games during Week 22, as the ultimate goal is for him to be 100 percent for the playoffs. Second, the current state of the team's point guard rotation.
Jalen Brunson (ankle) remains out, while Miles McBride (groin) and Cameron Payne (ankle) have also missed time recently. Delon Wright has assumed the starting point guard duties, much to the chagrin of those who wanted to see rookie Tyler Kolek promoted into the role. Playing starters' minutes gives Wright a shot at fantasy relevance, while Kolek has been elite in the assist-to-turnover department (29 assists and one turnover over his last four games). Regarding the Clippers, managers who have Kawhi Leonard rostered will want to plan for a two-game week from him, which is unfortunate since he's been on a roll recently.
- The Cavaliers, Pistons and Pelicans won't play their first game of Week 22 until Wednesday.
Cleveland, Detroit and New Orleans won't need to be on any fantasy managers' radars to begin Week 22, as they won't be active on Monday or Tuesday. The Cavaliers and Pelicans will play their three games on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, while the Pistons end their Week 22 with a Friday/Saturday back-to-back. Managers with Zion Williamson or CJ McCollum rostered have likely already adjusted their rosters, as those two don't appear likely to see much action down the stretch. Bruce Brown should be back on your radar, as extended minutes and an opportunity to start have raised his fantasy ceiling.
Detroit has been without Cade Cunningham recently, opening a place in the starting lineup for Dennis Schroder, while Marcus Sasser has entered the rotation off the bench. While he did struggle in Detroit's March 28 win over the Cavaliers, Sasser totaled 47 points in wins over the Pelicans and Spurs. If Cunningham remains out, Detroit's April 4 game against Toronto (the Pistons host Memphis the following night) could appeal to those willing to consider streaming Sasser.
- Orlando is the only team not playing a game after Thursday.
While Cleveland, Detroit and New Orleans won't be active to begin Week 22, the opposite is true for the Magic. Orlando will play its three games during the first four days of the Week, starting with the Clippers on Monday. That's followed by a game in San Antonio the next night, and the Magic end Week 22 in the nation's capital on Thursday. Orlando's point guard situation hasn't been the best, with Jalen Suggs (knee) out for the season and Cole Anthony (toe) out of the lineup. Cory Joseph has been the replacement in the starting lineup, but Anthony Black offers a higher ceiling. However, the second-year point guard also boasts a lower floor, making it difficult for fantasy managers to commit to Black or Joseph with Anthony out of the lineup.
Light Game Days
Saturday: 5 Games
NYK vs. ATL MEM vs. DET MIN vs. PHI MIL vs. MIA DAL vs. LAC
Milan midfielder hospitalised ahead of 2-1 loss to Napoli
Inter edge out Udinese 2-1; Barcelona defeat Girona 4-1
The Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has had successful appendectomy surgery after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis, the Serie A club said on Sunday. Local media reported that during Milan’s training camp in Napoli the England international experienced severe abdominal pain that necessitated hospitalisation for further investigation.
Tests confirmed the diagnosis, prompting the operation, which went well, the club said in a statement. Further details on Loftus-Cheek’s condition have not been provided.
Luka Dončić is a five-time NBA All-Star at the age of 26.Photograph: Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Seventy-three points. That was Luka Dončić’s total when he led the Dallas Mavericks to a victory over the Atlanta Hawks last season. He wasn’t the only NBA player to have an explosion on offense that season – think Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns. And the league subsequently decided to change officiating to favor more physical play that would presumably cut down on high offensive output.
That’s how Tim MacMahon sees it. The veteran ESPN writer has covered Dončić since the Slovenian’s arrival in Dallas as one of the most heralded European talents in NBA history. He saw Dončić live up to his billing, leading the Mavericks to the Western Conference finals in 2022 and the NBA finals last year. And he knew that even a change in rules wouldn’t stop Dončić’s stepback three.
“I mean, there’s just not a lot of ways you can guard him,” MacMahon says. “If he’s not the best passer in the league, he’s top two or three … He sees the floor as well as maybe anybody who played the game.”
In February, the Mavs traded their star – who, according to the book, they had previously invested countless time and effort trying to get to stay in Dallas. Dončić was off to the Los Angeles Lakers, while Anthony Davis went to the Mavs.
“Obviously, it was a major plot twist,” MacMahon says.
He and his publisher had to scramble. (Insert your comparisons to an NBA team adjusting on the fly to the fast break.) There were 8,000 copies of the book already at the printer. MacMahon did his part, adding a final chapter.
Even before the trade, MacMahon says, “a lot of Mavericks fans are upset that the book is being written. It was not blessed by Luka … Certain parts of the book are critical of him.”
However, the author says, “One promise I made to Luka via his representatives was that I would not delve into his personal life.”
What’s present, by and large, is a portrayal that’s respectful, candid – and lyrical in describing Dončić’s many achievements on the court over five-plus seasons.
Dončić came to the Mavs having first drawn their attention while playing as a teenager for the elite Spanish team Real Madrid. He joined a Dallas organization that was as full of unhealthy machinations as Game of Thrones, to use MacMahon’s comparison. Rivalries simmered in the Texas heat between the then-owner, then-GM and then-coach – Mark Cuban, Donnie Nelson and Rick Carlisle, respectively. When the dust settled, only Cuban was left standing in Dallas, with Jason Kidd taking over as coach and Nico Harrison as GM. Eventually, even Cuban’s power waned after selling the team to a group headlined by a Las Vegas casino owner, Patrick Dumont. (The former owner retained a minority ownership stake.) During Dončić’s years in Dallas, the Mavs tried multiple times to find a supporting player who could do the difficult, ego-less job of complementing their star. First it was Kristaps Porziņģis, then Jalen Brunson. After those partnerships failed (for various reasons, discussed in the book), the Mavs added Kyrie Irving, who helped Dallas reach the finals last year.
Through it all, Dončić lived up to his promise and then some. The book chronicles those breathtaking moments: an 11-0 individual run in one game against the Houston Rockets that put the league on notice; second-year praise, unprintable but memorable, from LeBron James, after a neat generational moment: James and Dončić became the oldest and youngest NBA players, respectively, to post a 30-10-15 triple-double. All while playing in the shadow of another legendary European star, Dirk Nowitzki.
MacMahon calls Dončić “the most talented player in franchise history,” and acknowledges the competition for this honor: “Dirk is the sixth-leading scorer all-time.”
The book chronicles how Dončić’s individual game point plateau increased over time: first 50-point nights, then 60, and ultimately 73. Then there’s all the triple-doubles. And don’t get MacMahon started on the intangibles.
“Luka is a master at creating space,” the author says. “He’s such a rare blend of power and finesse … He’s impossible to cover for one man. He’s double-teamed so much. If you put another guy [on him], he’ll make the right pass.”
Last season, MacMahon says, “he had more minutes than anybody in the league, combined regular season and playoffs, the highest usage rate in the league.” Don’t forget he played more than the NBA season – this loyal son of Slovenia played for his national team in the World Championships before coming to Mavs training camp. (For the book, MacMahon visited Dončić’s basketball-crazy homeland.) In the regular season, he had to compensate when Irving was absent due to a foot injury, while in the playoffs Dončić averaged 30-plus minutes per game despite a knee injury suffered in the first round.
“The minutes and miles that are on him, it’s pretty extraordinary,” MacMahon says. “Also, he’s going to see the best defender on the other team … He gets in the paint, takes a lot of shots, initiates a lot of shots, rebounds … It takes a physical toll on his body.”
It is a toll, some might say, that has been compounded by conditioning issues. The book addresses this claim, along with another knock – his frequent interactions with referees.
“He has two major flaws,” MacMahon says. “Conditioning concerns, and … the occasional lack of focus. He allows his emotions to get the best of him.” Or, as the author puts it, “there are times he’s more focused on the three guys with the whistles than the five guys on the floor trying to stop him.”
MacMahon cites diet and conditioning as among the reasons Mavs GM Harrison parted ways with Dončić. The author says he has discussed the trade with 50 executives and scouts.
“Many said you cannot trade a generational talent at 25 years old unless the guy puts a gun to your head and wants his way out,” MacMahon says. “Luka was about to buy his forever house in Dallas.”
Instead, it was off to Los Angeles, where he became teammates with his now 40-year-old admirer James. Dončić was also reunited with one of his favorite teammates on the Mavs, Dorian Finney-Smith. (Mavs coach JJ Redick was also an ex-teammate.) Old friend Nowitzki showed up to watch his first game.
Although Dončić’s star shone bright in the Lone Star State, maybe he’ll be better off in LA, playing on a team with a fellow brilliant star – James.
“I was just in LA to see him play,” MacMahon reports of Dončić. “He has the joy back, that smile, a bounce in his step. I don’t know if they’re going to be a championship team now. There’s a small chance.” But, he adds, “he’s got a pretty phenomenal chance to compete for championships long-term with the Lakers.”
As for the team that traded him?
“This is a really, really catastrophic experience for Mavericks fans,” MacMahon says. “The soul of this fanbase has been trampled on, to be blunt. There’s unbelievable, intense outrage.”
The author reflects on Dončić’s five and a half years in Dallas, from his interactions with then-coach Carlisle and then-teammate Porziņģis to Brunson leaving via free agency – and on how Dončić stayed through it all until management traded him.
“You go back through this,” MacMahon says. “It’s just amazing how much drama there was, how much dysfunction there was, how much, frankly, mismanagement there was – and how much success they had despite all of it. It goes back to the talent in this kid.”
On Friday night in California, the New York Rangers went head-to-head with former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba for the first time since they traded him to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6. And Trouba’s Ducks dealt the Blueshirts a serious blow to their Stanley Cup playoff aspirations by beating them 5-4 in overtime, underscoring a season-long issue for the Rangers: their defense.
Trouba isn’t an advanced analytics darling, but on a Ducks team that needs veteran experience, he’s averaging 20:49 of ice time per game, up slightly from the 20 he averaged for the Rangers in the 24 games he played for them before he accepted a deal to Anaheim. Yet, before and since the trade, the Rangers have largely been unable to stop opponents’ offense, averaging three goals-against per game – the 17th-best mark in the league in that category.
When the Rangers lose, they lose by a lot. Indeed, in 13 of their 28 losses since trading Trouba, the Rangers have allowed five goals or more. And they’ve gone 22-22-6 since the Trouba deal. For a team that has an elite goaltender in Igor Shesterkin – even if he has struggled at times this season – that’s simply unacceptable. And given that the Rangers are not locked to make the post-season this year, you can make the argument that their sub-par defense is the key reason for it.
Now, we’re not here to tell you that the Rangers would have been a strong shutdown squad if Trouba had stayed in Manhattan. But look at their defense corps today, and you’ll see a flawed group that can’t contain the opposition’s scorers.
Top blueliner Adam Fox has been decent with 56 points and a plus-8 plus-minus total, but K’Andre Miller is a minus-6, and Will Borgen – a decent pickup in the deal that sent Kaapo Kakko to Seattle – is only a plus-6. Plus-minus isn’t a perfect stat by any means, but it's still an indicator of a team’s all-around play, and the Rangers’ struggles in that metric says a lot about where they are in the standings today.
In making the Trouba trade, the Rangers obviously wanted to get out from under Trouba’s annual $8-million salary. But it's not as if they’ve used that cap space to improve defensively. Instead, it’s been more of the same, time and again, and Shesterkin hasn’t been able to steal games the way he has in previous seasons. And the Rangers’ offense – currently ranked 13th in the league at an average of 3.01 goals-for per-game – also hasn’t been able to bail out the defense.
You can point out that Trouba hasn’t been especially effective defensively since joining the Ducks, and that’s accurate, as Anaheim presently is 21st in the league with an average of 3.13 goals-against per game. But tellingly, the Ducks have been a better team than the Rangers since the Trouba trade, going 22-21-5 since Dec. 6. And Anaheim has allowed five goals or more in 10 of those 26 losses – again, not anything to write home about, but slightly better than the defensive efforts of the Blueshirts.
With their team’s struggles, Rangers fans are right to question the moves GM Chris Drury has made this season. Many Rangers fans were ready to part ways with Trouba well before the deal was consummated, but they can’t deny that trading their former captain hasn’t solved much of anything.
And if the Rangers do miss out on the playoffs this year, their suspect play in their own zone will be the chief culprit for their demise.
WASHINGTON — No Trea Turner, no J.T. Realmuto and no offense for the Phillies on Sunday at Nationals Park as they dropped their series finale, 5-1, after taking the first two games.
With Turner sidelined by a back spasm and Realmuto out with a foot contusion, the Phils’ lineup was two bats lighter than usual. Edmundo Sosa started for Turner and Rafael Marchan for Realmuto, with Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh all moving up in the order.
Sosa, too, appeared to suffer an injury in the bottom of the seventh Sunday when Jacob Young slid into his knee at second base. He was able to stay in the game after being visited by a trainer and looked healthy an inning later when he singled and sprinted to take second on an error.
Realmuto should be ready for Monday’s home opener, manager Rob Thomson said, but the Phillies may give Turner another day to recover. It would give Turner three in a row with Tuesday’s off-day.
The Phillies had chances early and late on Sunday, their best opportunity coming in the top of the ninth when they loaded the bases with no outs. A run scored on a Marchan groundout but Kyle Schwarber struck out and Bohm lined out to end the game.
The Phils also had two baserunners in each of the first three innings but were unable to cash in. Two different potential rallies were killed by 5-4-3 double plays. In the second, Marsh walked, Johan Rojas singled with one out and the Phils were just about to turn the lineup over before Marchan’s GIDP. Marsh and Marchan singled with one out in the seventh and Nats lefty reliever Jose Ferrer hit Schwarber to load the bases, but Bohm hit a grounder right to Paul DeJong.
All eight Phillies hits were singles.
Aaron Nola started and cruised until hitting Keibert Ruiz with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. The next batter, Nathaniel Lowe, singled, and Josh Bell followed with a three-run blast to center. Just like that, the strong beginning to Nola’s day was erased.
His start ended after another two-out homer in the sixth from Lowe. Nola allowed five runs over 5⅓ innings and has given up 21 runs in 19⅓ innings in his last four season debuts.
One big inning has plagued Nola for much of his big-league career. He has a deep mix of pitches that can miss bats and freeze hitters, he is almost always around the plate and rarely shies away from challenging someone. Those qualities have led to long-term success but it’s also why some starts can turn ugly in a hurry. Nola tends to limit walks and hits but struggles with the home run ball. That might never change.
Cristopher Sanchez is next up for the Phillies to start Monday’s 3:05 p.m. home opener against the Rockies. There has been rain in the forecast, but at the moment, it looks like it might stay away until late in the game or afterward.
Colorado could be a 100-game loser and always struggles on the road, so the Phillies have a good chance at another series win before the schedule stiffens with the Dodgers and Braves.
The Chicago Blackhawks just signed defenseman Sam Rinzel and forward Oliver Moore to entry-level contracts and they will see playing time until the end of the season in the NHL. While this burns a year off their entry-level deals, they both appear to be ready to show the Blackhawks what they have.
Both Rinzel and Moore are former first-round picks. Rinzel was drafted 25th overall in 2022 behind Kevin Korchinski and Frank Nazar while Moore was drafted one year later in 2023 at 19th overall behind Connor Bedard.
Both Rinzel and Moore just finished up their time at the University of Minnesota where they played great hockey. The 20-year-olds look to make an immediate impact and not only earn their place in the NHL every game until the end of the season, but showcase themselves for next season.
I believe the process of forming the roster in training camp isn't going to be the exact same as it was this season. While every young player isn't going to have to outperform veterans to make the team, Kyle Davidson is also unlikely to bring in as many veterans this time around and block the prospects right off the bat. Frank Nazar and Landon Slaggert, who had both joined the Blackhawks late last season after moving on from the NCAA, each had to fight to get to the NHL and didn't make the opening roster.
Rinzel is seen as a premier prospect that is a big part of the future in Chicago. Moore is no slouch either and is able to score and produce offensively.
It appears as though Rinzel is going to start out on the second pairing alongside Wyatt Kaiser while Moore is going to get third line minutes with Joe Veleno and Nick Foligno. These are good spots for both players. Anywhere lower and they risk playing very limited minutes and with some players who won't necessarily help either of them succeed right off the bat.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s no secret Tropicana Field is in a state of steep disrepair. But a long, slow walk Saturday morning around the perimeter of the 35-year-old stadium–now without a roof–revealed just how extensive those problems are.
Even the sign high above the ground identifying the ballpark and its location is missing letters, “St. ——burg, Florida. Some of the framing is also gone, as well as the green shell over the letter “a” in Tropicana. Those 100-mph-plus winds from Hurricane Milton were devastating.
That isn’t the half of it, Rays manager Kevin Cash said on the other side of the bay Saturday where his club lost 2-1 to Colorado Rockies at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field, their interim home for at least this season.
Cash said he’s been inside the Trop multiple times since the storm and has noticed the deterioration. There’s a feeling of nothingness.
“At first, it looked odd without the roof on it,” Cash said during a pregame media session. “Over time it’s kind of gotten worse. They’ve done a lot of work inside. The clubhouse initially was OK. But with the weather and successive storms, more water has crept in there.”
The trademark sign is a symbol of the chaos and billions of dollars of damage Hurricane Milton wrought this past October in Pinellas County, home of the Trop.
Walking to the brink of an open loading dock, I was startled to see two things: the blue sky and sunlight flooding in what was left of the steel-skeletal beams that once held the Teflon roof, and no tarp across the blue seats of the upper deck. That used to be a mainstay to shrink capacity from the 45,369 when the Rays started playing there in 1998 to last season’s 25,025.
Even with that shrinkage, the Rays last season averaged 16,515 per game and a total of 1.33 million, third worst for Major League Baseball teams in both categories.
Two elderly female security guards dressed in bright yellow jackets barred any further access.
“Ask the Rays,” one said.
Cash is our eyes and ears.
“A lot of people were working very hard over there trying to fix it,” he said. “But now they’re just trying to maintain enough and see where we go.”
Much has been made about how the Rays are going to adjust to playing a season outdoors in the elements at Steinbrenner Field, but not enough focus has been placed on the emotional trauma of having to vacate your home of so many years to play and live elsewhere.
It’s a feeling shared by so many folks who lost their houses here in last year’s dual hurricanes and ensuing floods, not to mention the January Los Angeles fires and the ones recently plaguing the Carolinas. Tornados have also ravaged a lot of the South and Midwest.
The heart-wrenching question is whether to rebuild or move on. The St. Pete city council is facing that decision about the Trop right now and Thursday will have a pivotal vote on whether to fund the repairs. If they vote yes, the Rays will remain in a reconstituted Trop for at least three more years. If they vote no, the team can move on with approval of at least 75 percent of the other owners.
No question losing a professional sports franchise can have a devastating impact on a community. Just ask the baseball fans of Oakland and the hockey fans of Phoenix, who both lost their teams last year.
Right now, the pain of displacement for the Rays may be temporary, but it’s no less acute.
“It’s our home,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said in interview Saturday. “It’s a home we learned to love over the years. We’ve had a lot of special memories in that building. It’s a place that’s meant a lot to everybody. It’s just unfortunate.”
Neander, 41, has been with the Rays in some front office capacity since 2007 and has been through the eras of managers Joe Maddon and Cash, who took over for Maddon when he left for the Chicago Cubs in 2015. Neander was promoted to his current position in 2021.
Neander has seen it all from the rain-postponed, five-game World Series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 to the bubble 2020 World Series that because of COVID was played in Arlington’s Globe Life Field, a six-game loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Neither Neander nor Cash wants to yet face the fact the Rays may have already played their final game at the Trop, let alone St. Pete.
“There’s definitely sentiment about this for me and the players,” Cash said. “We enjoyed playing there. We’re certainly sensitive to the circumstances over there.”
Back at the Trop, the name Musial seems to have eroded off a plaque about the history of baseball in St. Pete that it says dates back to 1914. The team store is dark and bolted as are rusted chain fences, guardrails and gates surrounding the stadium to keep any stragglers out.
The only people in the vicinity Saturday morning were joggers, bicyclists and a few onlookers. There was no apparent restoration or construction work.
While 10,046 die-hard fans sold out the game in Tampa for the second consecutive day, the tarp was placed on the field afterward in anticipation of heavy Sunday rain and a possible first postponement of a Rays home game in club history.
Just 26 miles away at the Trop, a sign above a walkway intended for folks exiting toward the parking lot read, “THANK YOU RAYS FANS.”
