SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 26: Lake Bachar #71 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on from the dugout before the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on August 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals, August 29, 2026, 2:15 p.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates are hoping to bounce back after dropping the opener in their three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
The Pirates are turning to the bullpen for this game, as Lake Bachar (1-3, 3.70 ERA) opens the matchup. He last pitched on August 26 against the San Diego Padres, going 1.1 innings and giving up no hits and no runs. He was an opener twice before with the Pirates, on August 16 and August 23, but he never went longer than three innings. The Pirates will have to dig into their depth today, but with Braxton Ashcraft going on Sunday, they have the opportunity to do so.
The Cardinals are handing the ball to Kyle Leahy (10-4, 3.13 ERA), who is enjoying the best year of his career. Leahy is making his 26th start of the season, and he hopes to get his fourth win in the month of August.
He went four innings, giving up two hits but did not give up a run in the team’s 6-4 loss at Citizens Bank Park in his last start. Leahy pitched against the Pirates back on April 28 at PNC Park, going 5.1 innings, giving up nine hits in an 11-7 victory.
Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Lake Bachar (1-3, 3.70 ERA) vs. Kyle Leahy (10-4, 3.13 ERA)
BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Chime off in the comments section below.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani during Friday night's game against the Detroit Tigers. (Paul Sancya / Associated Press)
Shohei Ohtani is not feeling “100%,” manager Dave Roberts revealed before the Dodgers game against the Tigers on Saturday. And that will be at the center of the team’s conversation about whether to start him Sunday.
It would be Ohtani’s first pitching start since July 3. He’s been just serving as the designated hitter in the meantime, while managing lingering inflammation and soreness in his left knee, primarily aggravated by pitching. But it’s not just his knee that’s ailing him, Roberts said after talking to the Dodgers training staff. His biceps issue from earlier in the year is part of the concern as well.
Ohtani threw a 20-pitch bullpen — shorter than his customary between-starts session — on Friday to tentatively set him up to throw the first inning Sunday.
“The knee, the body, just throwing, pitching, not 100%,” Roberts said. “What percent it is, I don’t know the answer.”
Roberts said he wanted to have clarity after the game Saturday, so he could notify Tigers manager A.J. Hinch and right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who is set to pitch Sunday either way. If Ohtani pitches Sunday, it would be opening for Glasnow.
“I’m not going to ambush those guys, and I’m not going to ambush Glas,” Roberts said. “So I think I would say that after the game, we’ll know definitively.”
If Ohtani doesn’t pitch Sunday, Tuesday, likely before left-hander Eric Lauer, could in theory be an option. But if Ohtani doesn’t feel good enough to start Sunday, two extra days of rest probably aren’t to resolve the issue, making a longer leadup more likely.
“We’re still thinking about potentially the buildup and what that would mean, which is fair,” Roberts said. “But at the end of the day, it’s what’s best for Shohei, what’s best for us, what makes the most sense. That’s kind of where we’re at.”
The longer it takes for Ohtani to return to the mound, the fewer starts he’ll have to build up before the postseason.
“I wouldn’t bet against Shohei,” Roberts said. “But I still think that five innings to the end of the season is aggressive for anyone.”
Though Roberts said the question is more “when,” rather than “if,” Ohtani will return to the mound, the fact that Ohtani’s knee issue (and apparently biceps as well) has not yet resolved calls into question whether it makes sense for him to resume two-way duties this late in the year.
“To be quite frank, I just don’t see everything getting to 100% by the end of the season,” Roberts said. “But there’s a lot of pitchers that are not 100% and still viable. So again, it’s just not an exact science.”
If that holds true, the concern is twofold: both how Ohtani’s health could affect his performance on the mound and at the plate.
“Obviously, where we’re at right now with the pitching, the starting pitching certainly being a strength, his value offensively is hugely important, and so we can’t compromise that in any fashion,” Roberts said. “So, if throwing potentially cuts into that, that’s not worth the squeeze. So that’s something, for me, I’m very bullish on making sure we don’t compromise the hitting.”
Ohtani entered Saturday with a .218 batting average since Aug. 8, when he resumed playing catch. But Roberts pushed back on the impulse to draw a line between Ohtani’s recent offensive dip and his side work on the pitching side.
“It just hasn’t been a whole body of work on the throwing side,” Roberts said. “Honestly, for me, I think the pitch selection hasn’t been good.”
Regardless of Ohtani’s status for Sunday, the superstar’s feedback will continue to play a large role in the Dodgers’ decision-making.
“I think that as the competitor, he wants to do both, and I respect it,” Roberts said. “But nothing I’m saying changes his identity as a two-way player.
“I think in the moment, he still feels that there’s still an opportunity, and I’m not trying to say there isn’t. But I do think that at the end of the day, he’s very aware of our roster, strengths, weaknesses, and his value to the ball club, and whatever that means.”
ST. PAUL, MN - AUGUST 2026: St. Paul Saints outfielder Walker Jenkins (23) heads to first base after a walk in the first inning at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. (Photo by Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
First Pitch: 1:10 pm CDT TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy
In the hugely anticipated sequel to last night’s game, the Twins will be facing the Chicago White Sox again this afternoon. That’s right — the Minnesota faithful were left begging for more, and you know what? The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Here we go again.
As one door closes, another door opens. It’s not lost on me in the last few weeks of the 2026 season that Bailey Ober’s high-wire, 88-mph act, while impressive, might prelude an offseason exit from the roster. We’ve been on Joe Ryan Watch for what feels like three seasons now, but I’m a little more keyed into Bailey’s starts than I might otherwise be if he was throwing, say, 92.
He gets the start today as highly-anticipated — and quite well-received — Walker Jenkins spends his first afternoon in the major leagues. He might not have the raw headcount to rival Chicago’s slew of rookies, but he’ll probably be okay.
Trading block legend Erick Fedde is on the bump for the White Sox. this is his second stint with the White Sox, after joining them in 2024 out of Korea, then spending time with three different clubs at the big-league level last year. I bet he has some stories. But today, we’re not gonna hear them. Instead, he’s gonna pitch.
Aug 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A young Detroit Tigers' fan tries to get autographs outside their dugout after their game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (62-72) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (81-54)
Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:True Blue LA Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Keider Montero (9-8, 3.30 ERA) vs. LHP Blake Snell (2-1, 2.57 ERA)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 28: Enrique Hernández #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates scoring a run in the sixth inning with Shohei Ohtani #17 while playing the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on August 28, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Blake Snell faces Keider Montero as the Dodgers look to make it two straight wins against the Detroit Tigers.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 23: Carlos Rodón #55 of the New York Yankees pitches during the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on August 23, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A 1-0 win is as nailbiting as it gets, but it’s still a win. The Yankees took the first round of this big four-game series last night, setting them up well for a good weekend. Hopefully they can do it in a less-stressful way, with two games against the Red Sox today and sending lefties to the hill in both of them.
Carlos Rodón does get the ball for the day half of today’s doubleheader, signaling a grumpy day for me. He’s on a three-win pace if he had been healthy all year, which is more than enough given he’s the fourth option in the rotation, but the aesthetic experience of him is far worse than the analytical. He’s only gone four innings his last two starts, despite allowing a single earned run in both, because his control has been rather spotty since coming off the IL (and he’s had a pitch count to consider). On a day where we’ll play two, let’s hope he figures out a bit of length and saves a bullpen that may be needed with Max Fried coming off the injured list himself. Rodón threw 76 pitches in his last outing, so that’s the baseline.
Before opening FanGraphs, I could have sworn Jake Bennett was an MLB: The Show create-a-player, but the 6-foot-6 lefty does seem to be a real person. Boston seems to run this pattern of large lefties who don’t strike many people out but somehow never give up home runs, and Bennett follows this archetype. I regret to inform Yankee fans we may see some repeats of last night given Bennett’s talents and the apparent inability of the Yankees to elevate contact against southpaws, but I also reserve the right to be surprised.
There are a couple changes to the lineup from last night, with Spencer Jones taking over in center field, Ali Sánchez behind the plate, and Amed Rosario starting at third and also batting third. I’m not sure any of those moves are necessarily upgrades from what the team had on Friday, but if they score more than one run it’s all gravy.
Rejoice for this game is back on normal channels.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY
First pitch: 1:05 pm ET
TV/Streaming: YES, NESN, MLB Network
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 – NYY | WEEI 93.7, WCCM 1490 AM (SP), WESX 1230 AM (SP) – BOS
If there was any doubt about Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck's intentions heading into next season, the Hart and Vezina Trophy winner made it clear late last week when he confirmed through his agent that he has requested a trade. The 33-year-old had knee surgery, and a career-worst .895 save % with the Jets last season, but still played 57 games (23-23-11) and was the key to Team USA’s gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
The Buffalo Sabres were connected to Hellebuyck around the NHL Draft in late June, but Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could not find common ground on a deal. The conventional wisdom is that now that Hellebuyck has made his trade request public, that Cheveldayoff is not in as strong a negotiating position to get the best deal for the netminder, but he reportedly is open to going to a wide swath of teams.
Unless Hellebuyck is prepared to hold out, Winnipeg could wait into the season for the right return for such a valuable commodity.
The Sabres could be in the mix for Hellebuyck, but deals that had previously been offered that included goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen might be off the table, since he has a five-team no-trade clause that could block a trade to Winnipeg. It is expected that any deal involving Buffalo would include one of their young centers (Noah Ostlund or Konsta Helenius), one of their top prospect defenseman (Daxon Rudolph or Radim Mrtka) and/or an established NHL forward (Jack Quinn or Ryan McLeod).
Other teams could be in the mix for the veteran netminder, either to get them into the playoff mix, or to elevate them from a consistent postseason entrant to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
New Jersey Devils
Team Status: The Devils let go of Lindy Ruff in 2024 in favor of Sheldon Keefe, and the former Leafs coach succeeded in making the postseason in 2025, but last season missed the playoffs again with a 42-37-3 record (87 points), due in part to center Jack Hughes missing over 20 games with a hand injury and getting subpar goaltending from veteran Jacob Markstrom.
Current Goalie Situation: Markstrom was traded to Florida in June, leaving the Devils with a three-headed monster between the pipes (similar to the Sabres) of veterans Jake Allen, David Rittich, and youngster Nico Daws, who had subpar numbers with AHL Utica the last three seasons.
Assets To Trade: Reportedly, Cheveldayoff is looking for a young goaltender as part of any trade, but the main focus would be getting help up the middle. GM Sunny Mehta could put Daws as part of a Hellebuyck trade, and 24-year-old pivot Dawson Mercer would be an attractive get, but there is some indicators that Mehta is keeping his powder dry in case Quinn Hughes does not agree to an extension with Minnesota.
If the Hughes contract situation is resolved with a deal with the Wild, the possibility of the Devils engaging on Hellebuyck increases exponentially.
STREAKING THE WRONG WAY: The Cubs have lost three straight games for just the third time since their 42-25 surge began on June 11. The first time was Aug. 19-22. In both three-game skids, the losses were by a total of five runs: three, one and one in the first span; one, two and two in the current one. The Cubs have not dropped four in a row since the final four of their 10-game losing streak, May 23-26. They have played 80 games since then. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
SATURDAY IN THE PARK: The Cubs are 11-11 on Saturdays. They finished last season 20-7. They are 6-6 on Saturdays at home. They were 9-5 a year ago. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
NOT DIGGING THESE LONG BALLS: The four home runs surrendered by Cubs pitchers yesterday raised their season total to 202. At their current pace, they will end the season with 242, seven more than their team record of 235, set in 2021. There have been 14 seasons in which other teams served up 242, with a high of 305, by the Orioles in 2019. The second most were 270, by the Rockies the same year. Seven of the 14 highest totals came in 2019. The Orioles and White Sox gave up 242, both in 2017. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs trail the Pirates 6-3 going to the bottom of the eighth. Willson Contreras hits a two-run homer in that inning and Jorge Soler homers in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extras tied 6-6. The Pirates push a run across the plate in the top of the 13th, but RBI singles by Anthony Rizzo and Miguel Montero give the Cubs an 8-7 win. It happened 10 years ago today, Monday, Aug. 29, 2016.
Kevin Gausman had an outstanding start in his last outing, Monday vs. the Diamondbacks. He was flipped with Shōta Imanaga in the rotation to give Imanaga an extra rest day, so Gausman is going on normal four days’ rest.
He has not faced the Reds since 2024 so most current Reds have a pretty small sample size against him. The exception is Eugenio Suárez, who as you know just kills Cubs pitching. Against Gausman, Suárez is 8-for-26 (.308) with two home runs. Suárez also homered off Gausman in Game 5 of last year’s ALCS.
Be careful here, Kevin.
Coming off a 2025 when he was an All-Star and finished eighth in Cy Young voting, hopes were high for Andrew Abbott’s 2026 season.
He has not been as good. Five starts in August: 5.40 ERA, 1.482 WHIP. He did throw 5.2 shutout innings against the Cubs May 5 at Wrigley Field, but the Cubs got to him for four runs in four innings July 12 in Cincinnati.
Please visit our SB Nation Reds site Red Reporter. If you do go there to interact with Reds fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Los Angeles, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 - Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shares a laugh with referee Tre Maddox (23) during a break in the action against the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
It’s no question that the Lakers made a big gamble this summer.
Gone is not just LeBron James, but the entire starting five for most of the team’s series against the Rockets, which they won in six games. In are not just a lot of fresh faces, but a lot of unexpected names.
The Lakers identified players who can fit around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves and within head coach JJ Redick’s system. The Lakers have a high floor because of their superstar, but it’s still a risky proposition.
But so risky that they’re set up to be the most disappointing team in the league?
That’s where ESPN has them in their preseason predictions. As part of their preseason predictions, ESPN’s NBA reporters voted on various superlatives, including one titled “Disappointing teams: Which team will take a tumble this season?” The Lakers topped those standings.
Los Angeles Lakers: 32 points
Detroit Pistons: 27 points
Golden State Warriors: 26 points
Miami Heat: 22 points
Boston Celtics: 17 points
This really just feels like a clickbait category, and I guess they got their clicks here. But the question is what are we really ranking here? Because if it’s simply who is going to take a tumble, not mentioning either the Hornets or Clippers, two teams who traded away their superstars after being in the play-in last year, is crazy work.
Given the teams listed, though, it feels more like a vote on who will be disappointing, which feels both silly and apropo with ESPN’s other predictions this summer, too. Earlier in the week, they projected the Lakers to finish with a 45-37 record this year, an eight-win drop from last season. Perhaps they’re just doubling down on their prediction.
You can point all around at who else should be considered a team to take a tumble, but really, the Lakers are the team everyone loves to predict to be worse than they will be, particularly in the last few years. Summers have been full of hearing how they won’t even be the best team in LA only for everyone to begrudgingly acknowledge that the Lakers are good but not that good.
The only difference this year is no one is pretending the Clippers will be good. Outside of that, we’ll see the same pattern and can revisit this in February or March to point and laugh.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 26: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) looks on from the dugout during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves on August 26, 2026 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Dodgers finish off the road trip with one more game against the Tigers on Sunday morning at Comerica Park in Detroit.
Tyler Glasnow is back on the mound on four days rest after throwing five innings on Tuesday in Atlanta in his return from the injured list. He allowed three runs in the first inning but struck out seven and didn’t allow anything else the rest of the way.
Glasnow is either going to start on Sunday or will follow Shohei Ohtani after one inning. On Saturday morning in Detroit, manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani is not 100 percent and the decision on whether Ohtani will pitch on Sunday will come after Saturday’s game.
Shohei Ohtani isn’t feeling 100% overall (not just the knee), Dave Roberts said. The team is still talking over whether it makes sense to start him Sunday for 1 inning. Roberts would like to finalize that decision in time to tell the Tigers, Tyler Glasnow know after today’s game.
“Good to get him back in the lineup,” interim manager Andy Green said Saturday. “He’s worked incredibly hard over the last few weeks; he’s done a lot of it behind the scenes… he’s pushed himself in a way you don’t, frankly, see a lot of veterans push themselves when your team is in this type of situation we’re in.
“I think that speaks volumes to his desire to be on the field, to his desire to play.”
Soto has been on the shelf since late July when he sustained a left calf strain, the second time a calf ailment has sent him to the sidelines this year. He will make his return from the IL without making any rehab appearances and go right into the lineup Saturday as the DH and batting second.
As far as Soto’s workload, Green said there is an element that remains day-to-day, which he said explains the club being “cryptic” around a return date.
“We’ll check him daily; that will be part of the process,” the skipper said. “If he needs a day, he will get a day. There will be some days [off] scheduled at the outset that we do have… It’s just day-by-day, and if he’s feeling great and things look good, then there’s no manager in the world that doesn’t want to pencil him into the two-hole every day.”
Adding later: “Excited to get your best players back on the field.”
And that was a real shame for Soto and the Mets, as the slugger was in the middle of a fantastic year in the batter's box. In 84 games, Soto had 21 home runs and 52 RBI with a .283/.408/.539 slash line for a .947 OPS (164 OPS+ and 158 wRC+) and was named an NL All-Star starter.
Soto missed a bit over two weeks in early April (that time in the right calf) before he sustained a Grade 2 strain in the left calf during a game with the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 24.
In a corresponding move, infielder Eric Wagaman has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - AUGUST 28: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres reacts after hitting a single in the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on August 28, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This was a tough one to watch. The San Diego Padres gave up nine runs in their series opener versus the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s a crucial stretch for the Friars, where every win matters as the Arizona Diamondbacks attempt to claw their way into the postseason. The Padres own the final Wild Card spot for the time being, but several teams are knocking on the door.
San Diego will need to, at bare minimum, force the rubber match in today’s game if they hope to stay a step ahead of the remaining National League contenders. The Friars knew that Tampa Bay would be a tough opponent, but last night’s series opener was an indication of just how difficult the Rays are to beat.
Taking the mound
Nick Martinez (TB) v. Walker Buehler (SD)
The former Padre has been putting up ridiculous numbers this season. Through 25 games, Martinez has a 13-4 record and a 2.93 ERA. That has been an unprecedented level of success for the veteran pitcher. Martinez went to Tampa Bay on a throwaway, one-year contract. That has turned out quite well for the Rays.
Martinez spent two seasons in San Diego (2022-23). At the time, they were the two best seasons in his career with a combined 3.30 ERA. Martinez left the Friars for the Cincinnati Reds before turning in one of the best seasons of his career in Tampa Bay this year.
On the other side of the mound, Buehler has been one of the most valuable pitchers in baseball for San Diego. That’s not inherently due to an otherworldly performance, but his availability with the Friars has been an anchor in their injury-plagued rotation.
That being said, the numbers aren’t awful. Buehler owns a 4.63 ERA through 126 1/3 innings pitched. Those are incredibly modest numbers for the valuable season that Buehler has had. Earlier this year, Buehler gave up a whopping 20 runs across just 11 innings. Without that blip, his ERA goes down to a much more respectable 3.51 mark.
Batter up!
The lineup was surprisingly potent, scoring four runs against Tampa Bay’s pitching staff. All of those runs came in the fifth and sixth innings, with the Friars scoring in a bases-loaded opportunity alongside of a Jackson Merrill home run. The San Diego pitching staff was the reason for this loss, though four runs isn’t exactly something to write home about either.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Luis Campusano, C
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gavin Sheets, DH
Luis Rengifo, LF
Merrill continued his torrid streak in the second half, hitting his 22nd home run of the season in last night’s contest. It’s been a bit of a two-faced performance from the center fielder, but he’s been better as of late, going 4-for-6 in his last two games.
Relief corps
Casey Mize, despite struggling to pitch through five innings, performed better than it seems. Yes, Mize gave up seven runs, but only two of them were earned. The Padres were throwing the ball all over the field for the entirety of the Rays’ five-run fourth inning. That forced Mize to work around the errors (though he himself was the cause of one).
Mize making it through five allowed the Padres’ bullpen to be somewhat untarnished. Only recent returner David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Griffin Canning were used. Canning was the only one to pitch a scoreless outing of the trio. That will leave Kyle Hart, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Bradgley Rodriguez available for tonight’s game.
Welcome to Inside the Suns, a deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team in which the Fantable – a round table of Bright Siders – give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: ESPN recently predicted the Suns to finish 8th in the West this season. What’s your opinion/prediction?
zenzino: I’m not mad. As we learned from previous seasons: expectations are the killer of joy. I think they can certainly do better, though.
As I said in a previous comment, there is a crazy logjam in the middle of the Western Conference and the Suns should be at least in the middle of it this time. Let’s look at who was above the Suns and who was below last season.
The Thunder and Spurs are comfortable at the top and not part of the logjam. The Rockets got better with FVV returning and adding Marcus Smart. I expect them to be following closely behind the top two and out of the reach of the Suns.
The three other teams above the Suns:
Nuggets: Bad offseason. They gave up defense and depth. They are the most vulnerable. If Jokic doesn’t play at least 65-70 games, they could fall the hardest. Gordon’s declining durability is also a concern.
Lakers: Mixed bag. They won some and lost some. Luka finally has the center he wanted. This is a ‘wait-and-see’ team for me. It would be stupid to discount any team with Luka on it.
T-Wolves: Interesting offseason, to say the least. Adding Kuminga definitely helps them in the scoring department. If he and LaMelo can stay healthy (a big if), they will be an exciting team on the offensive side. Defense is iffy.
Threats from rising teams:
Naw. The Jazz are a year away from being a couple of years away. Who knows what the hell the Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Kings are doing. They’ll be fighting to just not be the worst.
That leaves just three more:
Dallas: Kyrie coming back paired with Flagg will make for some watchable highlights. As good as Flagg will be, he’s still a year or two from being able to carry a team, which is what he’d have to do for the Mavs to be in the playoff hunt.
Warriors: Pretty sure they’re the oldest team in the NBA. Still… Steph can carry a team when healthy. Jimmy Buckets coming back mid-season(ish) gives them a wildcard to be a threat in the play-in. Health is critical.
Blazers: More than a threat last season, they knocked the Suns off the 7th seed. This season, not so much. The Shaedon Sharpe injury hurts them. Their new owner also hurts them. I think even with Dame coming back and Ja in the mix, they take a step back this season (how many guards do they have?).
In conclusion, I think the Suns are a bigger threat to 3 of the teams than finished above them than any of the teams that finished below them are to the Suns.
If Bridges gels and they stay relatively healthy, I can definitely see the Suns finishing as the 4th or 5th seed. How awesome would that be?
Ashton: Ah, we finally get to a question that I wanted to predict a few weeks ago. Great leadoff question. Let’s start with this: if ESPN knew what the hell it was talking about in predictions, they would not have employed Stephen A. Smith. Seriously, I want to join a fantasy pool of CBB bracket pool with this guy to take his money. Which leads me to my next point: I decided to dust off my long dormant DraftKings account just to see what the Vegas side is saying these days. The sacrifices I make for you, the viewers, and no, I didn’t place a bet. I am just there for their numbers and the fact that I can’t seem to place my remaining .12-cent bet on ping pong.
Vegas states that the Suns have the third-highest odds to win the Pacific Division, but there is a local site poll on that. That is after the Lakers and GSW, with the Suns ringing in at third highest at +310. This is important. It is your perspective if the Lakers or GSW are being a little too overhyped.
Now for the Western Conference, Vegas (DK) has the Suns with the ninth best odds to win it all at +7000. Above Portland and Houston and certainly above the Lakers. My final analysis is that the preseason analysts do not know what they are talking about, and the same with Vegas analysts. I have always suspected that national analysts base their writings on Vegas odds to not appear that they have no spine, in which case, ESPN actually defied Vegas, barely. Still, a cooperation between the two suggests that AI is the source.
So, look, I am just a blog commentator, but BS (Sorry Johnny CYA’s son, have your Dad explain BS to you, and do not go bull or cow-tipping or with your friends as you get older).
The Suns will not finish eighth (or ninth) in the league with all the turbulence in Portland and LA ownership issues. I literally expect to turn on HGTV and see a show called “Franchise Flipping in LA and Portland hates their owner who may just move the franchise if he doesn’t get what he wants. Vegas anyone? Add in the Jazz infatuation with acquiring picks while not really developing talent, Sacramento’s. New Orleans and Memphis general ineptness, eighth in the Western is a bridge too far for me. Great, sad movie but not for the Suns. Let’s just say sixth in the West
Oh, yeah, take the over that the Suns win 40 games or more. Don’t bet the house on it and try not to overreach but this is a 40-win range team.
OldAz: Here was a time when ESPN was the undisputed “worldwide leader in sports” with anchors and personalities that actually loved, lived, and most importantly watched all the games. Now they are closer to the Sports world’s TMZ mixed with the advertising arm of whichever leagues and teams are paying the bills (sorry SEC football fans, you know it’s true).
To paraphrase a quote from the great football movie “Varsity Blues”: That ESPN (Moxon) ain’t with the Charmin extra soft he wipes his butt with. That being said, this prediction could be perfectly accurate considering it’s right about where they finished last season and the separation between 4th and 10th stayed close all season.
This fits with ESPN’s level of analysis, which is to start where the teams ended last season and then adjust up or down based on how many clicks or views their hot take might get. Might as well search X for videos of the dog bouncing basketballs into labeled wastebaskets for your predictions if you ask me.
My prediction is that they will be better this season, but will still be fighting for the 5-8 seeds most of the season considering how competitive the West always seems to be. (Note: my opinion should not be used for betting purposes as it probably has the same value described in the above movie quote).
Rod: I’ve really gotten to the point where the only reason I go to ESPN’s site is for box scores and/or game schedules. Their opinions/predictions don’t mean much to me but, in this case, I’d say that they have the Suns at the lower end of my own personal projection range. After granting that OKC and San Antonio will be the top two teams in the West in 2026-27, I’d say that the Suns could wind up finishing the season anywhere between 2nd and 8th in the West.
I admit that 3rd-5th is a bit of a stretch, but a lot of the other teams I believe could fall into that range have question marks about them that might turn out badly and/or they could find themselves bitten by the injury bug that seemed to chew away at the Suns more last season. And if that bug stays mostly away from the Suns this year…well, that’s just another plus for Phoenix.
Right now, I’m cautiously predicting the Suns to end up 5th or 6th in the West.
Q2: Last season, for the 1st time since 2017-18, the Suns only had 2 starters averaging more than 30 minutes per game. This team finished with 24 more wins since that one. With their current depth, do you think limiting the starters’ minutes this season will be important?
zenzino: Yes. But not for the sake of limiting minutes.
In 21-23, more than 2 starters averaged over 30 minutes, and that worked out pretty well. That being said, starters playing fewer minutes means more gas in the tank come playoffs (see Knicks 24-25 vs 25-26).
Since ‘the trade’, more starters had to average more minutes because they were the only ones who could be relied on. That’s what happens when you fill your roster with NBA minimum players.
I don’t think Ott should ‘limit minutes’ as much as use the depth on the roster. The result will be the same, but it’s a different mindset. Mindset matters. If more starters average over 30 minutes, that means something has gone wrong with the roster or with the coaching. And I’m not worried about Ott at all. He’s a student of the game, and I expect him to have progressed as a HC as well.
This Suns team is deep. It would be a waste if they didn’t use that depth. I expect the starters to get more runtime for the first part the season to see what the fit is like with Bridges and Green with the rest of the starters. Then we’ll see more of the depth being used in the middle of the season. Then the rotation will tighten up at the end and into the playoffs. Like an upside-down bell curve.
Ashton: Oh, you betcha! I was so tired of the injury minutes or articles related to a player’s performance based on nagging injuries that they were going to play through. Or the BS reports on players’ health. Oh, such and such will be back in two weeks and the like. It was like reading a political script; do not trust it. To me, limiting starter minutes is the way to keep them healthy, and if it limits their chance of being an All-Star and receiving their accolades for further contract reimbursement or their trade value, then it is the right thing to do. Most players want to play past their expiration date, and the Suns should embrace limiting the minutes.
Do Suns fans get the screw on buying tickets to see their favorite player sit? Yup, absolutely. And Silver clearly does not like it with his anti-tanking rules, but hey, pare down the game schedule, and we wouldn’t be talking about rest management or if a player qualifies for an NBA award. This is a mess from the NBA commissioner, the CBA, ownership, and big money from the Networks. The reality is that players need time to recover.
OldAz: I loved that Ott limited the starters’ minutes last season and seemed to make that a concerted effort right up until the last month or so of the season. Comparing those teams’ records is more correlation than causation, however, because the 17-18 roster was built to earn the #1 pick after enduring years of McDoofus’ mismanaging the draft. Last season’s team had far more NBA-level talent, and Ott instilled a culture of effort and intensity to match.
The limiting of starters’ minutes, I believe, was strategic in saving the starters in case a late-season or even postseason run was possible. Unfortunately, I don’t think Ott went far enough because he should have limited Williams even more, or more precisely, made sure that another big was on the floor more often with Williams to keep him from being overextended and taking on too much on the defensive end. Hopefully this year’s roster is better constructed to provide for both of those issues by splitting the center minutes amongst 3 and having a little more length alongside whatever center is on the floor.
Rod: There undoubtedly will be games where many of the starters will have to play excessive minutes, but I do believe that they won’t need to do that often. The fact is that the Suns don’t actually have enough top-end talent in their starting 5 to make it a necessity to play them for a great deal of minutes, so wearing them out, which having so many quality players on the bench would be counterproductive.
The Suns will have a number of players on their bench that could be starting for other teams, so they should utilize that depth to its fullest…and not just to keep the starting 5 rested. With the depth they have, keeping the starters’ minutes down doesn’t have to be something Ott needs to be overly concerned with. His most pressing problem will be giving enough minutes to deserving players outside of the starters.
Q3: If Jordan Ott runs a 10-man player rotation, who (other than the two-way contract players) do you think will start off on the bench, getting DNP-CDs, early in the season?
zenzino: Again, I’m tempted to reject the premise. This ties into the previous question of using the depth. I don’t see Ott running a 10-man rotation. Especially since MW is going to be on injury management and will probably only start 50ish games. Oso will start games MW is unavailable in the beginning, and maybe Man Man takes that over later in the season. They also may limit Mark’s minutes on a per-game basis, so both Oso and Man Man could share extended backup duties.
Starters: Book, Green, Brooks, Bridges, MW/Oso
1st off the bench: CG, Goodie, Sheer, Oso/Man Man, Kennard
That leaves Dunn, Peat, Highsmith, and Bouyea fighting for minutes. Peat is the only one I see that will get consistent DNPs. The rest of the guys will get popped in depending on situation. It might only be 3-5 minutes. Need quicker defense? Dunn gets a few minutes. Need reliable 3-and-D? Highsmith. Need some energy and quick scoring? Bouyea’s got it. Of course, injuries will jumble all of that up.
Yeah… I definitely don’t see a 10-man rotation happening.
Ashton: I still can’t help but laugh at the phrasing of this question. Rod hired a lawyer to write it.
Okay, we (Fantable) can’t answer the two-ways as starting off the bench. And we have no idea what the DNP-CDs will be, which means you read Question 2 and followed the flow of where this ends up.
The DNP-CD’ers are the main question as well as the “I “ word, injuries. I see that mainly in the center position, but with the guards highly circumspect to get the backup start.
I think this question is answered easily by Oso Ighadoro getting the start in favor of Mark Williams (rest management or injured) for the DNP-CD category.
OldAz: What a great question, except I think it might be based on a flawed premise. Through much of the year last season Ott was perfectly comfortable playing 12 or 13 or even 14 players in many games through much of the season. It was only very late in the season when he pulled it way back to an eight-man rotation and the massive shift in playing time philosophy became an obvious topic of discussion. However, for the sake of the column, let’s play out this hypothetical.
You have six “locks,” assuming everyone is healthy in Booker, Green, Brooks, Bridges, Williams, and Gillespie. This is already far more balanced than the top six players on last year’s roster, but it only leaves 4 spots to play with in this 10-man rotation. One of those four, and only one in my opinion if we are limiting it to a 10-man rotation, will be a center. That competition between Oso, whom Ott obviously loves and trusts, and Maluach, who could be better in every single way (except passing) by the end of training camp, will be fascinating. Personally, I would give the edge to Maluach, but this hypothetical still has Jordan Ott making the decision, so this one is a toss-up. Either way, there’s no room in a 10-minute rotation for three centers.
The next two spots go to Fleming and Goodwin based on Ott’s focus on defensive intensity, which leaves Highsmith and Kennard fighting it out for the final spot. Both are similar height and length, but Kennard brings shooting and no defense, while Highsmith is far more balanced. Personally, I would go with Highsmith. I just hope Ott doesn’t go with both Kennard and Highsmith in this scenario along with Oso, and bury the 2 sophomore players on the bench.
Ultimately, I think it is far more likely that Ott starts the season off playing a lot of players and limiting his starters’ minutes as discussed in question #2.
Rod: I really can’t see how Ott could get this roster down to a 10-man rotation. There are just too many players that could be useful off the bench (especially in certain circumstances) to do so and if he decides to actually keep the starters’ minutes low like last season, I believe he’ll have to go more than 10-deep to do it. Maybe a better question would be “which players are likely to be 11th through 15th on the Suns’ depth chart’ at the beginning of the season. That is a little bit easier to answer…but just a little bit.
Out of all the non-two-way contract players, the only two I can really consider as out of a 10-man rotation are Bouyea and Peat…and Peat is there simply because he’s a rookie. Then there’s Dunn and Highsmith. One of them would be out of that rotation, but it’s way too early to say for sure which one. I’d need to see them both play in preseason before making that decision. And Goodie complicates that decision as I don’t know what position he’s going to get his minutes at. If he’s getting most of them at SF, then both of them could be out of a 10-man rotation. If he’s getting most of his minutes at SG, where does Kennard get his minutes? As for the center rotation, Williams is the best bet to be starting, but without getting a look at Oso and Khaman in preseason game…you might as well just flip a coin.
I simply can’t see Ott even trying to play in just a 10-man rotation. I honestly think that the only situation in which a 10-man rotation would make sense would be if the Suns go into a game already down several players due to injuries.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Suns History/Trivia
On September 3, 1968, the Phoenix Suns opened their first-ever training camp, running mainly conditioning drills at Brophy Prep with camp at the high school lasting for one week. Phoenix also lost another coin flip with the Milwaukee Bucks on this day for the right to first to make a player claim off waivers.
On September 3, 1994, the Suns signed Danny Manning as an unrestricted free agent. A 2-time All-Star, Manning signed a 1-yr, $1 million contract with Phoenix (all their cap situation would allow afford at the time) after making $ 3.5 million the previous year and turning down a 5-year, $35 million contract from Atlanta.
The year before, Manning had made the rare choice of accepting his qualifying offer rather than signing an extension with his previous team (the LA Clippers) and becoming an unrestricted free agent for the 1994/95 season. When questioned about Manning’s decision to sign with the Suns for much less money, his agent replied, “It is not about money. It never has been and never will be with Danny. It is about winning.”
Unfortunately, Manning would tear his ACL during a practice on Feb. 6 and miss the remainder of the season after averaging 17.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 32.8 minutes per night. Up to that point, the Suns were 36-10 and on top of the Western Conference. They were 29-13 for the rest of the season (59-23 overall) and lost 4-3 in the WC semi-finals to the Houston Rockets.
On September 3, 2013, after arranging a buyout, the Suns waived Michael Beasley only one year after signing him to a 3-year, $18 mil contract. This is probably the most underrated (or perhaps just forgotten) move that former GM Ryan McDonough made during his time with the Suns. Beasley was originally signed to his contract by McDonough’s predecessor, Lance Blanks.
Important Future Dates
Sept. 28 – Media Day Sept. 29 – Training Camp opens Oct. 5 – Suns @ Pistons (preseason) 4:00 PM Oct. 7 – Suns @ Bulls (preseason) 5:00 PM Oct. 10 – Suns vs. Spurs (preseason) 7:00 PM Oct. 14 – Suns @ Spurs (preseason) 5:00 PM Oct. 16 – Suns vs. Jazz (preseason) 7:00 PM Oct. 20 – 2026-27 NBA Season Begins Dec. 15 – Most players signed to new contracts can be traded Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season Jan. 15 – All players signed to new contracts can be traded Feb. 11 – Trade Deadline Feb. 19-21 – NBA All-Star 2027
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 26: Héctor Rodríguez #43 of the Cincinnati Reds round the bases after he hit a home run against the San Francisco Giants in the third inning at Oracle Park on August 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds smashed and bashed their way past the Chicago Cubs during Friday’s series opener in Wrigley, taking home an impressive 10-8 victory that may or may not have included them nearly giving the game away late.
Tyler Stephenson smashed a huge 3-run homer. Sal Stewart, Jose Trevino, and even TJ Friedl homered, too, and youngster Hector Rodriguez chipped in with another multi-hit game (with a walk).
Hector, in particular, was a player that stood out. After smashing a pair of homers in the series finale against the San Francisco Giants earlier in the week while batting leadoff, he was dropped to the #9 hole on Friday due to the start of a southpaw by the Cubs. Undeterred, he smashed an RBI-single off lefty David Peterson in the Top of the 4th and finished the game 2 for 3 with a walk, ribbie, and pair of runs scored.
Hector’s on a heater, and manager Terry Francona knows it.
The Reds rookie outfielder is back in the leadoff spot for Saturday’s matinee against the Cubs, playing RF behind starter Andrew Abbott as Cincinnati looks to take the series off their NL Central rivals.
First pitch is set for 2:20 PM ET once again, and here’s how the Reds will line up to start:
ZHANGJIAJIE, CHINA - JUNE 5: A view looking of sharp stalactites hanging from a textured ceiling above a field of multicolored illuminated stalagmites inside the world-famous Huanglong Cave (Yellow Dragon Cave) system in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China, on June 5, 2026. Huanglong Cave is a part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site located within the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, known as the "All-Around Champion Karst Cave in the World" because it contains almost every single type of karst formation known to science, including stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, stone curtains, underground rivers, and waterfalls, all packed into one massive system. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Hickory played a pair.
In Game One, Hickory starter Evan Siary allowed five runs in 5.1 IP, including a pair of home runs, walking one and striking out four.
Dewar Tovar was 4 for 4 with a double and a pair of homers. Kaden Carpenter was 2 for 3 with a double, a walk and a stolen base. Yolfran Castillo had a hit. Paulino Santana had a pair of walks and a stolen base.
In Game Two, Moises Morales struck out six and walked one in six innings, allowing one run. Michael Trausch threw a scoreless inning, striking out two and walking two.
Yolfran Castillo was 2 for 4 with a double and a homer. Paulino Santana homered and stole a base. Kaden Carpenter tripled and walked. Marco Argudin had a hit. Daniel Flames was 2 for 4 with a double. Noah Franklin had a double and a walk. Sebastian Baquera and Curley Martha each had a hit.
For Hub City, J’Briell Easley walked two and struck out one in two scoreless innings.
Paxton Kling had a hit, two walks and a stolen base. Maxton Martin was 2 for 4 with a double. Eduardo Mejia had a hit and a walk. Evan Morrison had a hit.
Bryan Magdaleno started for Frisco, going one inning, walking three, balking twice, hitting a batter, striking out one and allowing two runs. Wilian Bormie struck out one in a scoreless inning. Brock Porter allowed three runs, including a home run, in three innings, striking out five and walking two. Joey Danielson threw three shutout innings, striking out two.
Sebastian Walcott doubled and homered. Malcolm Moore doubled. Rafe Perich had a hit and a walk. Dylan Dreiling doubled.
