Skubal, who won back-to-back Cy Young awards with the Detroit Tigers, is a free agent at the end of the season and joined Los Angeles in a blockbuster deal that further solidifies the club as World Series favorite again.
"They’ve been a pretty good baseball team without me," Skubal told reporters. "So I’m going to show up and kind of be a chameleon in a sense and fit right in with these guys and just gel with them.
"They’ve got the winning recipe. They know what it takes to win. I don’t. I’m going to lean on these guys, let them guide me and lead me."
Follow for the latest updates from Skubal's Dodgers debut on Tuesday:
How to watch Dodgers vs Cubs game
Date: Tuesday, Aug. 4
Where: Wrigley Field
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
TV: TBS, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), Marquee Sports Network (Chicago)
What time does Tarik Skubal pitch?
Tarik Skubal makes his Dodgers debut Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 8:05 p.m. ET (5:05 p.m. PT).
2021: 8–12, 4.34 ERA, 31 G (29 GS), 149⅓ IP, 164 SO, 1.26 WHIP
2020: 1–4, 5.63 ERA, 8 G (7 GS), 32 IP, 37 SO, 1.22 WHIP
When is Tarik Skubal a free agent?
Skubal is eligible for free agency at the conclusion of the 2026 season and will be one the most sought-after player on the market. Turning 30 this offseason, Skubal is likely to break Yoshinobu Yamamoto's $325 million record contract for a pitcher.
Tarik Skubal draft and college
Tarik Skubal played college baseball for the Seattle University Redhawks, earning Freshman All-American honors in 2015 before undergoing Tommy John surgery during his sophomore year in 2016.
Despite missing the 2017 season while recovering, he was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 29th round of the 2017 MLB Draft but chose to return to school. He was ultimately selected by the Detroit Tigers in the ninth round (255th overall) of the 2018 MLB draft and signed for a $350,000 bonus.
Tarik Skubal age
Tarik Skubal is 29 years old and turns 30 on November 20.
LAS VEGAS – Just like how waiting on LeBron James’ latest and presumably last decision in free agency affected the upcoming NBA schedule, so does the draft for the summer’s biggest showcase.
Summer league schedules for Las Vegas aren’t made until after the NBA draft to ensure the biggest matchups can face off for our first peek into the future. Look at the first day of summer league this year as an example.
AJ Dybantsa vs. Darryn Peterson. Darius Acuff Jr. vs. Keaton Wagler. Labaron Philon Jr. vs. Ebuka Okorie. Yaxel Lendeborg vs. Morez Johnson Jr. It was all there on Day 1.
On Day 2, Cameron Boozer vs. Caleb Wilson was the main attraction.
It also was the first game Warriors coach Steve Kerr attended this summer. Kerr, sitting next to Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and new associate head coach Frank Vogel, was engaged all game watching new and familiar faces. His eyes were all over Lendeborg cranking the volume on competitiveness and taking his battle against Boozer personally.
But the most animated Kerr got was for someone on a two-way contract, not the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Malevy Leons earned a fist pump, some happy claps and verbal praise for two very similar plays during the second quarter of an eventual blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Leons took one shot in the first quarter, missing a three. He took three shots in the second quarter, again missing a three. His two makes, however, both came off non-stop motion that finished with a cut to the basket and converting a tough layup, with the second coming on Boozer. Those are the types of plays that translate to Golden State for Leons, and bring happiness to his NBA coach.
“I love Malevy’s cutting and his crashing,” Warriors summer league coach Khalid Robinson said after the loss. “Last game, I think he had like five or six offensive rebounds. That is who he has to be in this league: An elite crasher and cutter, and then if he has an open shot, take it and make it.”
The number of offensive rebounds that Leons engulfed the previous game was six, to be precise.
That game was supposed to be all about Lendeborg facing another former Michigan teammate in Oklahoma City Thunder center Aday Mara, who was taken one pick after him in the draft. And it mostly was in ugly game where the Warriors won by 25 points. Lendeborg scored a game-high 14 points, and Mara had 10.
They combined for the same amount of rebounds as Leons (11). He didn’t stop moving, and his nose for the ball sniffed out rebounds every which way. Leons grabbed five rebounds on the defensive glass and six on offense, which was one fewer than the Thunder had as a team.
“It’s very contagious,” LJ Cryer of Leons’ rebounding after the win. “Offensive rebounds in the game are backbreakers, especially in a game where we didn’t really have it going for a little while. When the game is slow and ugly like that, it can kind of break the other team’s spirit. He’s big for us.”
Leons’ six offensive rebounds led to an extra six points for the Warriors against the Thunder, and a much bigger number of extra chances.
Tenacity is a word Leons has to live by on the court. The possession battle is top of the pyramid in basketball, making Leons’ play style important for a variety of reasons.
“It’s really important, because crashing is a big role in the NBA right now, and if you can do that consistently with a lot of energy it helps you when you’re trying to get a spot in the league,” Robinson said.
The Warriors signed Leons from the Thunder’s G League system in December. He had played six NBA games previously and played 25 for the Warriors while spending 19 in Santa Cruz. The Warriors would love for Leons to at least be a threat to make wide-open 3-pointers after going 4 of 16 last season (25 percent) and 5 of 19 (26.3 percent) over the summer, but that would be getting greedy for what Golden State is going to ask of him.
Leons can be a Minutes Eater. For the Warriors, that can be called a Star Saver. Or maybe even a Volunteer for Vets. Call it what you want, the description is the same: Provide energy and activity whenever you’re on the floor, be reliable when the vets need a rest and be trusted upon over an 82-game season to have those games saved equal meaningful basketball at the end of the season.
At 27 years old before the regular season begins, and at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and a never-ending battery, Leons fits the bill of what the Warriors need from the end of the bench on certain nights. His role doesn’t have to expand past its purpose, he just has to execute it.
There has been a rather interesting development regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs and a former prospect of the franchise, who has spent the past three years playing in the KHL.
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, drafted by Toronto 76th overall in the 2018 NHL draft, has expressed interest in rejoining the Maple Leafs and playing in the NHL.
The latest on Der-Arguchintsev is that he was traded in the KHL from Dynamo Moscow to Vladivostok, but doesn't plan on playing for the team that has acquired him, according to his agent, Shumi Babaev, who spoke to RB Sport. This highlights Der-Arguchintsev's intentions to return to North America.
Der-Arguchintsev's trade and his decision to decline to play for Vladivostok came after his representative's initial comments to R.org on April 28. In this instance, before Toronto hired John Chayka as the GM, Babaev revealed that he had been in contact with former Leafs GM Brad Treliving.
"Semyon is considering the option of returning to Toronto," Babaev told R.org. "We contacted former general manager Brad Treliving and expressed our desire to return to the club’s system. Now we are waiting for the appointment of a new general manager and to understand his position," Babaev said.
Most recently, last documented on Sunday, Babaev commented to RB Sport that there has been a certain process that has been underway with the Maple Leafs.
"I can't comment on it," Der-Arguchintsev's agent said.
It's clear, based on what Babaev has been revealing, that Der-Arguchintsev wants to return to playing hockey in North America, and preferably for the Maple Leafs. But just how realistic is that?
Babaev truly sees an NHL future for Der-Arguchintsev, but knows the path won't be linear.
"I believe Semyon is ready for the NHL," he said. "Of course, he has to be ready for the possibility of playing in the AHL, but there is no point in going there just for that. We are talking about a one-way contract with a salary closer to the league minimum."
Even on a flexible contract like the one-year, league-minimum deal that he suggested, it would be fairly challenging for Der-Arguchintsev to crack the Maple Leafs' NHL roster.
The right-handed center hasn't played in North America since the 2022-23 campaign. He featured in 50 contests with the AHL's Toronto Marlies and scored a solid 12 goals and 40 points. He also made one appearance for the Maple Leafs on Dec. 6 against the Dallas Stars.
In a perfect world, for the player and the team, Der-Arguchintsev would get a look in the bottom six with Toronto. That would allow management and the coaching staff to truly evaluate him at the NHL level and decipher if he could contribute as a roster player.
The issue with that scenario is that there already isn't much space on the NHL roster. On July 1, Chayka added forwards Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime, most of whom could have a role in the bottom six.
If the Maple Leafs and Der-Arguchintsev agreed on some sort of contract and plan, it would likely involve him seeing a lot of time in the AHL. That would allow Toronto to have frequent tabs on him and call him up at any point, including the purpose of filling in for injuries.
However, despite Babaev understanding that AHL time for Der-Arguchintsev is very likely and expected, he's not interested in his client spending an extended period of his stint in the minors.
At the end of the day, there is value in bringing Der-Arguchintsev aboard. After all, he'll still be 26 years old going into this coming season and is a talented offensive player known for his playmaking.
This past season, in 59 regular-season games split between Dynamo Moscow and Vladivostok, Der-Arguchintsev scored six goals and 36 points.
His best season in the KHL was in 2023-24 when he recorded 17 goals and 34 points in 57 regular-season contests, as well as 10 points in 13 playoff games.
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Toronto, ON - JULY 25 - The actual baseball that Dave Winfield threw that killed a seagull on a reproduction of the front page of the Toronto Star, showing Winfield's reaction and ball boy Jeff Pinchuk retrieving the bird with a towel. Thirty years ago on August 4, 1983, Dave Winfield threw a baseball that killed a seagull at Exhibition Stadium. He was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals by police officer Wayne Hartery who personally believes it was intentional act. (Chris So/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
43 Years Ago Today
On this day at Exhibition Stadium, Dave Winfield accidentally threw a ball that struck and killed a seagull during a game.
At first glance, it sounds like the setup for a joke.
During the bottom of the fifth inning, Winfield tossed his warm-up ball toward the dugout, inadvertently hitting a seagull and killing it.
Anyone who remembers Exhibition Stadium knows how much seagulls flocked to the place.
Debate swirled over whether Winfield acted intentionally. I once thought he might have aimed at the bird, but surely he assumed it would fly away. Hitting it from 80 feet required remarkable—if accidental—precision.
His manager, Billy Martin, quipped, “That’s the first time Winfield’s hit the cutoff man all year.”
Strangely, after the game, Winfield was arrested for causing “unnecessary suffering of an animal.” It’s unclear what the police were thinking—perhaps they disliked the Yankees as much as I do, but I wouldn’t have arrested him. Winfield was taken to the police station, and Pat Gullick paid his $500 bail for his release.
The following day, the charges were dropped. The crown attorney explained, “It is always a key issue to find criminal intent, and I am satisfied there was none here.”
Before the police arrived, Winfield’s teammates teased him about the incident. Afterward, however, the mood changed. As Billy Martin put it:
“I’ll tell you one thing. We will get their four starting pitchers arrested when Toronto comes down to New York next week. We will have somebody call the police and say they were molested in the hotel.”
That comment tells you everything you need to know about Billy Martin.
Paul Godfrey even traveled to New York to apologize to Winfield in person.
An autopsy revealed the seagull was already unwell before being struck, explaining why it didn’t avoid the ball. It was expected to die within the next couple of weeks regardless.
The following winter, Winfield visited Toronto with a painting depicting seagulls flying and a red maple tree, which he auctioned to raise $32,000 for Easter Seals.
The Yankees won 3-1. Dave Stieb went the distance for Toronto, allowing six hits, three runs, three walks, and five strikeouts. Shane Rawley earned the win for New York, also pitching a complete game.
Winfield finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
37 Years Ago Today
Dave Stieb lost a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning. The previous season, he had lost no-hitters in back-to-back starts, each with two outs in the ninth.
The Jays came out on top, winning 2-1 over the Yankees.
The Yankees weren’t yet the powerhouse they’d become a few years later, but their lineup featured some strong hitters.
Here was their starting lineup:
Steve Sax
Luis Polonia
Don Mattingly
Jesse Barfield
Mel Hall
Rob Geren
Randy Velarde
Alvaro Espinoza
Roberto Kelly.
In the ninth, Hal Morris pinch-hit for Velarde, and Ken Phelps—of Seinfeld fame—pinch-hit for Espinoza. But it was Kelly, the ninth hitter, who doubled to break up the perfect game. Sax then singled to end the shutout, but Stieb retired Polonia to close out the win.
The Jays managed just five hits. George Bell had two, while Ernie Whitt and Mookie Wilson each drove in a run.
Stieb finished with a two-hit complete game, striking out 11 and throwing 90 pitches (65 for strikes). The win improved his record to 11-6 with a 3.90 ERA. He’d end the season 17-8 with a 3.35 ERA over 33 starts and 206.2 innings—a low total for him, considering he threw 288.1 innings in 1982—with just three complete games.
As August begins, over three-quarters of MLB teams are still well alive in the playoff race.
Such a competitive field is unusual this late in the MLB season.
USA TODAY compiled the number of teams within different games back brackets for each season through August 3 going back to 2012 and compared this year to the historical average and peak.
With seven teams within one to three games of a playoff spot, 2026 is tied for the most in the dataset, and 24 teams are either in playoff position or within six games — the highest total on record.
The median between 2012 and 2025 was five teams being within one to three games, and 18 total in a playoff spot or within six games.
Of course, it’s worth noting that 12 teams will make the playoffs in 2026, two more than the field size from 2012 to 2021. However, this season is unique, even among recent years.
Notably, no year between 2022 and 2025 had 24 teams either in playoff position or within six games. The closest was 2024, which had 22 such teams.
Plus, seasons prior to 2022 had levels of competitiveness that rivaled the highs of the seasons with bigger playoff fields. The 2015 season had seven teams within one to three games, while 2014 and 2016 had six. And 22 teams in 2015 were in playoff position or within six games.
All this despite a growing narrative surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers' dominance amid back-to-back World Series wins and a trade for superstar Tarik Skubal. And sure, the Dodgers may be the best of the bunch — but the extreme parity in the 2026 MLB standings cannot be denied.
So as MLB enters its dog days, the playoff race is heating up alongside the weather — and maybe even to historical heights.
Methodology: USA TODAY compiled MLB standings through August 3 for each season dating back to 2012 and counted how many teams were in playoff position or within 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10+ games of a postseason berth. The COVID-shortened 2020 season was excluded from the 2012-25 dataset. Data was sourced from the MLB Stats API.
AUSTIN, TX - JUNE 07: Texas Longhorns infielder Adrian Rodriguez (24) reacts after hitting an RBI double during the NCAA Super Regional college baseball game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oregon Ducks on June 7, 2026 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, TX.(Photo by Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The position-by-position look at the 2027 Texas Longhorns team starts with an infield led by star shortstop Adrian Rodriguez.
Catcher
Departures: Carson Tinney (draft), Andrew Ermis (transfer), Presley Courville (transfer)
Additions: Ian Armstrong (transfer), Brady Murrietta (signee), Jax Robinson (signee)
Returning: None
For a second straight year, Texas turned to the portal to land a high-level catcher, missing on Clemson transfer Nate Savoie before landing a commitment from Saint Mary’s transfer Ian Armstrong, who at the time of his pledge was ranked as the No. 22 overall player in the portal and the No. 30 prospect in the 2027 MLB Draft by Over Slot. Baseball America ranks
After slashing .364/.402/.576 with 55 hits, 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs, and 40 RBI in 2024, Armstrong was even better as a sophomore, leading the WCC with 16 home runs and batting .351 with a .416 on-base percentage, a .654 slugging percentage, and a 1.070 OPS. The first-team All-WCC selection notched 80 hits with 17 doubles, two triples, 51 RBI, and 53 runs scored.
For Schlossnagle, high-level play behind the plate is a prerequisite for the position and Armstrong fits that mold with refined receiving ability, lateral quickness, clean footwork, and a plus arm.
Armstrong’s burgeoning power combined with an all-fields approach to hitting has turned him into a strong all-around batter as he heads to the Forty Acres with high expectations. Good bat speed allows Armstrong to produce an excellent contact rate on pitches in the strike zone, especially fastballs, and driving a breaking ball away out to center against UCLA in the Los Angeles Regional flashed his ability to handle offspeed pitches.
B3 SMC 2-3 UCLA
Gaels chipping away! 1️⃣6️⃣th home run of the season by Ian Armstrong! 🤯🔥
— Saint Mary's Baseball (@SMC_Baseball) May 31, 2026
Signees Brady Murrietta and Jax Robinson will battle for the backup job. Perfect Game considers the two players prospects of similar quality, although Murrietta is perhaps ahead of Robinson defensively.
After splitting time between third base and first base in 2026, senior Casey Borba returns for his senior season as the projected starter at first base. Because Ashton Larson entered the NCAA transfer portal, the prime competition for Borba at first base will come from Kent State transfer Sawyer Solitaria, who also plays in the outfield and could be the designated hitter for the Longhorns in 2027, and signee Easton Autrey.
Last offseason, Borba opted against playing summer baseball to focus on improving his functional mobility in the field, improving as a third baseman in 2026 while also spending time at first base, but even as his power kept improving — up to 18 home runs — his struggles using the whole field to hit continued to limit his batting average as late-season struggles dropped it to .266 as his walk rate also decreased and his strikeout rate ballooned to 36.5 percent.
So Borba continues to have plenty to work on as a hitter. The swing and miss in his game combined with his reliance on his pull-side power limits his upside and could put his starting job in jeopardy next season.
One possibility is a platoon with Autrey to get the Coricana product’s left-handed bat in the lineup. A 6’4, 233-pounder with better physicality than the 6’1, 210-pound Borba, Autrey possesses prodigious power with elite exit velocities even using a wood bat at the draft combine. Autrey’s power is so elite that it was fully present two years ago, when he was capable of a 544-foot blast in a showcase.
Texas Longhorns commit Easton Autrey hit a 544-foot bomb at the Power Showcase World Classic 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Fd9h3EJ6LD
Some projections put Autrey’s future in the outfield, so with Borba’s quality play defensively at first base, Autrey’s best path to playing time in 2027 may be at designated hitter.
Solitaria, a Kent State transfer who hit 16 home runs in 2025, is the projected starter at designated hitter with the portal additions crowding the outfield competitions, but could also be a factor at first base if Borba struggles.
The Horns also boast a returning starter at second base following July’s announcement from senior Ethen Mendoza that he’ll be back for a third season on the Forty Acres. Initially considered a draftable prospect during the season, Mendoza went undrafted after struggling with a shoulder injury for the second consecutive year and opted against signing as a free agent.
Mendoza had spent the offseason bulking up to further improve his power, which helped him hit 10 home runs in 2026, but his batting average dropped to .278 and the increased weight contributed to Mendoza only stealing 11 bases.
According to Schlossnagle, Mendoza will miss fall practice while recovering from his shoulder injury. Texas Tech transfer Linkin Garcia is the projected third baseman for Texas next season, but could play second if Mendoza isn’t available early in the season, although the Texas head coach does expect his starting second baseman to be healthy when the season begins. Long Beach State transfer Trevor Goldenetz also played some second base in high school before playing center field for the Dirtbags as a freshman.
For middle infield depth, the Longhorns also signed Lawson Behan and Reiston Durham, but the rankings for both players suggest they will need some time to develop.
Shortstop
Departures: None
Additions: Behan, Durham
Returning: Adrian Rodriguez
In Adrian Rodriguez, Schlossnagle has one of the nation’s best returning shortstops. After playing second base, third base, and left field in 2025 as a freshman, Rodriguez worked to improve his range at shortstop for his sophomore season, which paid off in an impressive campaign with a .964 fielding campaign.
Forced to undergo a second, midseason surgery on his left hand to remove a staple that was causing an allergic reaction, Rodriguez suffered the consequences as the persistent issue forced him to hit exclusively from the left side and continued to sap his power. Even so, Rodriguez still slashed .327/.417/.514 with 18 doubles, five home runs, 47 RBI, and 14 stolen bases, finishing the season red hot and proving his postseason capabilities.
As with Mendoza, the offseason priority is to finally get his hand healthy and gain as much strength as possible while maintaining his range defensively, a balance that leaned towards getting as lean as possible last year.
Early rankings from Baseball America have Rodriguez slotted as the No. 50 prospect in next year’s draft class.
Third base
Departures: Temo Becerra (graduation)
Additions: Linkin Garcia (portal)
Returning: Borba
Unable to land an elite infielder from the portal last year, Texas settled for Stanford transfer Temo Becerra, who brought a professional approach to the plate in hitting .301, but wasn’t able to sustain his early-season power surge. The Longhorns didn’t settle this offseason, landing Garcia from the Red Raiders.
A top-25 prospect in the portal when he quickly committed to Texas, the 6’5, 218-pounder has immense physical upside that makes him a potential first-round pick next July as a draft-eligible sophomore. Baseball American ranked Garcia as the No. 17 player in the portal.
In Garcia’s single season in Lubbock, he started all 55 games for Texas Tech, including 30 games at shortstop and 25 games at third base, batting .338 with four home runs and 59 RBI while tying for the Big 12 lead with 21 doubles, earning a spot on the All-Big 12 Freshman team. A contact hitter in his first collegiate season, Garcia had low strikeout and walk rates.
Given Garcia’s physicality and gap-to-gap power as a freshman, expect a big power surge for the California product in burnt orange and white similar to the improvement by Aiden Robbins, who went from six home runs for Seton Hall in 2025 to 24 for Texas in 2026. Working deeper into counts is part of the equation, as Garcia’s barrel rate and exit velocities are similar to Robbins.
If Linkin Garcia can learn to lift the ball under Troy Tulowitzki, he may be able to provide more HR power than Aiden Robbins
“A guy like Linkin Garcia contacts the ball, doesn’t walk much, doesn’t strike out much, hits the ball on the ground a little bit too much, right? So, is that something that we can impact? We believe we can,” Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said last week.
Detroit Tigers chairman and CEO Chris Ilitch, right, president of baseball operations Scott Harris, left, and general manager Jeff Greenberg watch batting practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Well at least it’s over. If you like a storm of rumors and a trading frenzy that last a whole weekend, the MLB trade deadline is right up your alley. But for fans of a team that had high hopes, failed, and sold off, you really just want to rip the band-aid off and move on. The Detroit Tigers farm system is now seriously upgraded, but their major league roster, more specifically their starting rotation, is in sketchy shape with the departure of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. Let’s consider where the organization stands after a pretty momentous week in Tigers baseball.
As much as it hurts the starting rotation to lose Skubal and Mize, the immediate impact to the team won’t be too terrible. They still have Troy Melton, Framber Valdez, and Keider Montero and plenty of spot starting options. Over the rest of the month, Jack Flaherty, Jackson Jobe, and River Ryan are all slated to return to action off the injured list. The team has no excuses if they just crumble into dust here. Ty Madden, Enmanuel de Jesus, and veteran lefty acquisition Jackson Wolf, who would need a 40-man spot, can help bridge the gap until those starting pitchers are worked into the fold. The Tigers coaching staff has tended to be at their best when confronted with adversity in the rotation, and Melton and Montero’s usual efficiency could moderate the added demands on the bullpen.
The impact of regular season Skubal is in big part his ability to give the Tigers consistent starts and help keep the bullpen in order while putting up really good outings. The other big impact an ace has is in the postseason when pitching staffs get more concentrated by the schedule and teams can get a higher percentage of innings in a playoff series from their top arms against the best competition. Neither of these is a major concern for the Tigers at the moment.
On the plus side, the Tigers position player group has improved markedly in recent weeks. Whatever Max Clark does over the final eight weeks of the season, he’s an upgrade over James Outman’s work and is giving the Tigers a good look at a pretty exciting and evolving core positional group. Eduardo Valencia remains a nice boost to an offense that spent three months trying to squeeze something out of Jahmai Jones. Hao-Yu Lee has been a nice contributor as well, while Ben Malgeri has given the Tigers a decently productive right-handed hitting outfielder with solid defensive chops, exactly what Matt Vierling struggled to provide for most of this season. At the same time, the return of Javier Báez and Gleyber Torres give them some added stability and spark for the rest of the season.
The big problem is the same problem they’ve had for two seasons now, and that’s their struggle to build a good bullpen with a dominant late innings, high leverage reliever or two to put games away late. It’s a lot harder to find any solace on that front, and while the Tigers can hope for another late run to the postseason, their inability to close out games continues to undermine any hopes that there’s some magic left in this season.
The Tigers did the right things at the deadline under the circumstances. They pulled off two good trades that restocked the farm system and the overall pitching staff. They have a talented group of position players under team control for a long time to come, and it wouldn’t be a big surprise if they now turn their attention to locking up Clark on a long-term extension. The Tigers will have Zyhir Hope, Josue Briceño, and Thayron Liranzo all in Triple-A next year, alongside solid secondary prospects like Brett Callahan and John Peck. They’ll also have a lot of payroll space to work with in what will probably be another compressed signing frenzy whenever the next collective bargaining agreement is arranged. Fears will continue that the league may lose part or all of next season, but those fears accompany every CBA and rarely is the game of chicken allowed to impact anyone’s bottom line in the end by costing the league games.
So, there are a lot of good reasons to just sit back and enjoy the Detroit Tigers without expectations for the rest of this season. Maybe they’ll still sneak into the postseason or at least make a run at it that gives the younger players some valuable experience. Others will be too frustrated with the way this season has gone and with the front office to be real keen on spending time and money on the club the rest of the way. The 2026 Tigers have been an exhausting, often entertaining, but ultimately frustrating team to root for, and it’s not a bad time at mid-summer to take a breather.
Scott Harris gave a lengthy question and answer session with the local media on Monday evening. He did a much better job acknowledging his own mistakes and failings and how they contributed to their failure than he did last year. That’s perhaps a sign of growth, but it’s also a sign that he’s getting too much practice at explaining why things didn’t go the Tigers way so far this season.
The fundamental issue in this front office remains the same. The pro scouting side of the front office, both scouts and analysts, have really struggled to identify pitching to acquire. Instead of catching undervalued names on the upswing, both starters and relievers, and targeting them for signings and trades, they’ve again and again signed or otherwise acquired pitchers who gave them very little or nothing at all, while wasting a lot of capital in the process.
At the same time, the Tigers have really struggled to develop the young pitchers acquired under Harris. Their player development process needs a real overhaul, at least in terms of how they condition their young pitchers to hold up to a professional workload. Part of the reason they haven’t been able to put together a good bullpen is simply due to a lack of internal options in the upper minors. As the large crop of pitching Harris inherited from Al Avila started to dry up, they had no answers. If they had a few starting pitching prospects closing in on the major leagues this year to convert to relief roles, or managed to trade and develop some high leverage arms, a lot less would have been required from an always sketchy crop of free agent relievers each season. Of course, another facet of having a good bullpen, is having a strong defensive group. They’ve made some strides with that recently, but this infield group has a ways to go on that front.
Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg presumably will not be fired, but they are going to have to explain themselves to Chris Ilitch, and make a convincing case that they can overhaul their approach and get the pitching side sorted out. The Tigers’ future in 2027 and beyond looks very bright in terms of the young talent in the organization. However, unless they can improve their processes in pitcher evaluation, acquisition, and development, they’re still going to have a hard time getting over the hump and becoming a real postseason threat. A new rotation group of Troy Melton, Framber Valdez, Jackson Jobe, River Ryan, Keider Montero, and potentially Reese Olson, looks pretty good on paper heading into 2027. They’ll have money to spend as well, but again their track record in free agency has been pretty grim so far. Unless they figure out how to consistently put together a good bullpen, and spend their payroll more effectively on the pitching side, it’s all for naught anyway.
Objectively, the Tigers organization is in a really good place. It just doesn’t feel like it because faith in the front office is crumbling after a fast start in 2023-2024. Were a new front office to take over the Tigers right now, they’d be thrilled with the assets they have to work with at every level of the organization. There are no excuses available. Everything is still set up for them to be consistent contenders who, with a few shrewd moves, should be a real threat in October for years to come. The problem is that this has been the situation for three years now, and Harris and Greenberg have been unable to get them over the hump.
The fanbase will have to decide individually how much they want to invest time, money, and emotional energy in this club the rest of the way, but there is no teardown or rebuild coming. At the same time, the Tigers have played very good baseball for two months now, and they aren’t even totally out of the playoff picture this year after several other fringe contenders got worse all around them. There are no more excuses. They should be expected to contend in 2027, and expectations and pressure on this front office should be very high. If the deals they made at the deadline trend badly, and they fail to figure out the bullpen issues, the hot seat should approach unsustainable levels next season for the front office. For many, we’re already there.
PLAYA VISTA, CA — Los Angeles will remain the place to be for NBA players during the summer moving forward.
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) unveiled a 24/7 Performance Center for the league’s players that will be made available during the season and offseason.
The NBPA stated that nearly 200 players spend part of their offseason in the area and the hub will help some of them come together during the practice and prepare for the upcoming season.
PLYRS UNTD, the commercial and fan-facing brand of the NBPA, will also attempt to coordinate runs twice a week during the offseason.
The player’s association has similar facilities like the one located at its New York headquarters and The Sanctuary, which serves as an offseason performance retreat for NBA players in Spain.
The new hub is the latest facility in one of the league’s biggest markets but is the only one strictly made available for NBA players.
Players such as Chet Holmgren, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving and NBPA president Fred VanVleet all provided feedback that helped bring the renovated space together.
“I’m excited to be a part of shaping the PLYRS UNTD Performance Center to meet the unique demands of the brotherhood,” said Holmgren, a forward/center for the Oklahoma City Thunder. “As professional athletes, there is so much work and preparation that goes on behind the scenes to perform at our best. Our new LA facility is equipped with the wellness, recovery, and training resources we need in the offseason and beyond.”
Holmgren has already made multiple visits to the facility and seen the benefits.
“It’s literally an NBA practice facility,” Holmgren said. “It has all the bells and whistles that pretty much any other NBA practice facility has. When I walk in here, I don't see anything in here that we don't have at OKC.”
Holmgren emphasized how he had to go to several different places across Los Angeles previously to get all that he needed to get done prior to the NBPA putting the new space together.
Michael Porter Jr. and Mo Bamba also were seen in the facility going through their offseason process. NBA players have even brought in some of their famous friends, including actor Timothée Chalamet and rapper 2 Chainz for workouts.
NBPA Los Angeles facility features
The center features two full-sized basketball courts built to official league specifications, along with a fully equipped athletic training room for treatment and rehabilitation. The facility also includes a weight room, recovery amenities and turf space for both indoor and outdoor training.
“The one thing that I added was a turf space and they added an indoor outdoor turf space to be able to do some more kind of dynamic workouts that aren't quite weightlifting,” Holmgren said. “There's that, and then, just small equipment things to make sure we have this recovery tool and make sure we have this in the weight room.”
While family takes priority for many NBA players during the offseason, the facility offers a family room and a conference room for family members to be while their loved one continues their training.
Can NBPA facility be used during NBA season?
The training facility also provides a space for visiting NBA teams during the season to practice when they are in town for multiple days to take on the Los Angeles Lakers and L.A Clippers.
“Similar to our New York facility during the season, we have two teams in New York, so any teams that come through, they come through for practices,” said David Kelly, the NBPA Executive Director and PLYRS UNTD CEO. “Guys can get shots up, have the same thing experience. Obviously, out here, you got two teams inside of the market, so you got a lot of ability for this to be used year round.
DENVER, CO - JUNE 07: A detail shot of a bat and a glove is seen prior to the game between the New York Mets and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday, June 7, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s been a rough season for the Rockies, but it’s much better than a year ago. With the MLB Draft, the All-Star Break, and the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, it’s time again to dream about the future. That means a new edition of the Purple Row Prospects (PuRPs) list — Purple Row’s community farm system Top 30 ranking — to rank the new additions to the system as well as the holdovers who have risen and fallen with their production during the 2026 season.
Since the last time we voted earlier this year (here’s the pre-season 2026 list), some prospects lost their eligibility, whether from exceeding their rookie status or leaving the organization. Meanwhile other players have been added via the draft or trades and need to be evaluated. Building a roster is a year-round business, so player churn will no doubt continue during and after voting, but this is a good time to take stock of Colorado’s prospects.
The Colorado Rockies’ farm system is looking up a bit compared to the beginning of the season due to a big draft bonus pool, selling at the deadline, and some steps forward by key players — there are plenty of future Rockies in the system and this is one of my favorite Purple Row threads each year.
Let’s get to it!
The polling rules are simple:
Your list must be at least 30 players long – partial ballots will not be counted. If you’re having trouble filling out your list, check out great resources like FanGraphs and Baseball Reference to find any stats you might need. Only the top 30 names will be counted on the ballot; if the same player is listed multiple times on the ballot, the player ranked 31st (if applicable) will be moved up to fill the list. The same will happen if one of the players on your ballot leaves the organization between your post and the end of polling. To reiterate: if there aren’t at least 30 distinct players on the list, the ballot will not be counted. For that reason, it is encouraged that you list more than 30 players in case of a duplicate listing or a player move.
Feel free to give a rationale about the placement of each prospect, but you aren’t required to do so.
Voting will be open from now until the end ofthis Saturday, August 8th. Once I tabulate the results, I will reveal the list five-at-a-time over the next couple weeks after voting ends.
Players are eligible for inclusion if they still retain their Rookie of the Year eligibility (fewer than 50 IP, 130 ABs, and/or fewer than 45 days on the active roster. IL service time is not included).
From the pre-season 2026 PuRPs list, prospects who are no longer eligible are Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP, MLB service time), Carson Palmquist (No. 19 PuRP, no longer in org), Blaine Crim (HM PuRP, no longer in org), Benny Montgomery (received votes, no longer in org), and Garrett Acton (received votes, no longer in org).
Players who have made their MLB debut and who are still eligible for this list include Sean Sullivan (No. 8 PuRP), Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP), Gabriel Hughes (No. 12 PuRP), Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP), Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP), McCade Brown (No. 18 PuRP), Evan Justice (no votes), Nick Frasso (wasn’t in org), Blas Castaño (wasn’t in org), Chad Stevens (no votes), Drew Avans (no votes), TJ Shook (no votes), Ryan Miller (no votes), Patrick Weigel (no votes), and Eiberson Castellano (no votes).
Roster churn is a year-round phenomenon. Any necessary changes will be made to the final version of the list to ensure it contains the top 30 players with the most votes still in the org at that time.
Scoring will be in done like the AP poll in college football. A first place vote gets a player 30 points, a second place vote 29, and so forth on down to one point for a 30th place vote. It’s important to note that until a player is named on at least 1⁄3 of all ballots cast that their vote totals will only receive partial credit (on a sliding scale which depends on the total number of ballots cast).
All ballots are weighted equally (as long as the players on them are named on enough ballots to qualify). The PuRPs list is a community ranking of Rockies prospects and we’re proud of the fact that it’s a really good one. As a result, we ask that you put some quality time into compiling your list.
Everyone has their own PuRPs ranking methodology. Please maintain civil discourse (in accordance with Purple Row’s Community Guidelines) when discussing the posted lists.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 01: Kevin McGonigle #7 of the Detroit Tigers is congratulated by teammates after he hit a lead-off home run against the Athletics in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on August 01, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Bobbing back from the trade deadline, mostly unscathed (positively and negatively), the Mariners take on the Tigers for a three-game, midweek set at home. Think of it as a buffer, a practice round, a get-right, momentum-builder before the Rays arrive.
The practice of declawing a cat has been deemed so cruel that in many countries it’s actually banned. Because cat’s claws develop from tissue in the bones of their toes, it’s not simply a removal of the claws themselves, but a surgical amputation of those end bones. It’s an intensive procedure with a high rate of post-operation complications and, depending on studies, can lead to disruptive behavioral changes likely linked to the corresponding psychological damage of the surgery. I’m not a Tigers fan, so I cannot speak to the pain of the trade deadline, but this was a team looking to contend at the start of the season and they arrive in Seattle distinctly less dangerous than any would have hoped.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Kevin McGonigle
3B
L
486
13.8%
14.4%
0.144
136
Gleyber Torres
2B
R
244
19.7%
16.0%
0.129
127
Dillon Dingler
C
R
433
22.2%
6.0%
0.244
135
Riley Greene
LF
L
464
26.3%
12.7%
0.178
129
Colt Keith
DH
L
316
19.0%
5.7%
0.150
103
Spencer Torkelson
1B
R
437
30.7%
10.5%
0.207
106
Max Clark (AAA)
CF
L
418
15.8%
12.0%
0.157
116
Javier Báez
SS
R
101
18.8%
2.0%
0.124
99
Zach McKinstry
RF
L
299
16.4%
9.4%
0.109
69
Thank goodness for Dillon Dingler, am I right, Detroit?? He and likely Rookie of the Year Kevin McGonigle are almost singlehandedly hoisting this offense into mediocrity. Riley Greene has been fighting his own sky-high K% in pursuit of adding additional value alongside Gleyber Torres who is somehow still not 30 years old, a fact that is actively making it difficult to move on to anything else.
But in my defense,there isn’t honestly much to move on to, when it comes to the Tigers’ offense. Am I still scared of Kerry Carpenter? Of course, some wounds take longer to heal than others. But is it logical? Decidedly not. Spencer Torkelson spent years hearing concerns about his strikeout rate and this season took a flying cannonball into the shallow end of a pool bellowing “Check THIS shit out!!”
After racing through the Tigers farm system, Troy Melton burst onto the scene last year, serving as a spot starter and fireman reliever for them during their playoff run. Elbow inflammation delayed his start to this season but he’s been one of Detroit’s best pitchers since being activated off the IL in late May. He’s allowed more than two runs in a start just once this season, though his peripherals don’t exactly support such gaudy run prevention. With an excellent fastball, a tight gyro slider, and a diving splitter forming a solid foundation for his pitch mix, the development of his cutter has helped him take a big step forward. He’s throwing that pitch a few ticks harder and it has a bit more horizontal break as well. That gives him a fourth above average pitch to deepen his repertoire.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Ty Madden
30
27.0%
9.8%
6.5%
39.5%
2.40
3.06
Bryan Woo
120.1
24.5%
5.2%
9.0%
38.6%
4.56
3.20
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
25.9%
43.0%
93.1
82
85
143
0.292
Sinker
23.9%
0.8%
92.1
82
Cutter
16.0%
18.3%
87.3
91
Splitter
9.5%
17.5%
84.9
89
Slider
24.7%
20.3%
83.6
91
99
97
0.177
This was supposed to be Tarik Skubal’s spot in the Tigers rotation but he was traded to the Dodgers on Saturday. Instead, Ty Madden will step into the rotation to make his second start of the season. He’s been used as a bulk reliever behind an opener for 10 of his 11 appearances this year so it’s possible Detroit will go with that strategy on Wednesday too. Madden has a deep, six-pitch repertoire that makes up for a pretty mediocre fastball. His slider, cutter, and splitter are all solid secondary offerings, which often means he’s pitching backwards, driving his walk rate up as he works to avoid allowing too much hard contact.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Framber Valdez
120.1
18.4%
8.1%
11.1%
53.5%
4.41
4.14
Bryce Miller
74
26.1%
4.6%
12.9%
36.6%
2.80
3.77
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
3.3%
0.2%
94.9
65
Sinker
41.6%
56.2%
93.9
97
78
95
0.372
Changeup
22.7%
5.7%
89.1
95
73
107
0.329
Curveball
31.1%
21.3%
78.5
115
102
85
0.263
Slider
1.3%
16.5%
85.9
123
From a previous series preview:
A familiar foe from his time in Houston, Framber Valdez signed a huge free agent contract with the Tigers this offseason. The idea was that he’d form a formidable one-two punch atop Detroit’s starting rotation with Skubal, though that hasn’t exactly played out as planned. Valdez has struggled a bit this year; his strikeout rate and his groundball rate are the lowest they’ve ever been. Those were his two calling cards during his time with the Astros. For whatever reason, he’s allowing a bunch more contact, and the majority of it is in the air.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Astros
58-56
0.509
—
-29
W-W-W-W-L
Rangers
55-58
0.487
2.5
-40
L-L-L-L-L
Mariners
55-58
0.487
2.5
+3
L-L-L-W-W
Athletics
45-67
0.402
12.0
-154
L-L-L-L-L
Angels
43-69
0.384
14.0
-74
L-L-L-L-W
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Yankees
63-50
0.558
+6.0
+81
L-W-L-W-L
Red Sox
60-51
0.541
+4.0
+60
W-W-W-W-W
Guardians
57-56
0.504
—
-16
L-W-L-L-W
Twins
56-57
0.496
1.0
-29
L-W-W-L-L
Rangers
55-58
0.487
2.0
-40
L-L-L-L-L
Mariners
55-58
0.487
2.0
+3
L-L-L-W-W
Honestly, who the heck knows. They’re 2.5 games back of the division, 2 back of a Wild Card spot and the former is definitely where they should be concentrating their energy. The Astros are battling the Blue Jays, the Rangers are scrapping with the Giants and the Guardians (their primary competition for Wild Card #3) are preparing to steamroll over the smoking, hulking whale carcass of the Mets, which sits on the proverbial beach ready to explode at a moment’s notice.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 03: Luis García Jr. #26 of the New York Yankees looks on before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium on August 3, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country.
The Yankees have secured a couple of assets that have the potential to be crucial factors in the AL pennant race.
Adding Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos to the lineup adds some fuel to the Yankees’ offense, noting García Jr.’s impressive home run in his Bronx debut, but raises concerns about the available relievers going forward. During the series opener against the Cardinals on Monday night, Angel Chivilli struggled in the eighth and gave up six earned runs to ultimately hand St. Louis the 13-7 win. He has been solid for the Yankees since coming up to the majors, but nights like this can leave a lasting impact on how the remainder of the season unfolds. Looking ahead, the Yankees must maintain a confident bullpen to tighten the race for the division.
When reviewing the Yankees’ acquisitions at the deadline, what grade would you give the front office? It seems likely that fans felt there was more to be desired, but we encourage you to share your thoughts!
A (Optimistic with the Yankees’ new additions and have a positive feeling about how they’ll impact the offense)
B (Hopeful that the acquisitions will give the Yankees offense an extra boost to fuel the playoff push)
C (Somewhat dissatisfied with what the Yankees failed to execute, including the addition of a new catcher)
D (Disappointment in how the Yankees approached the deadline, adding new additions to the offense instead of relievers)
F (Frustrated about the Yankees’ moves and skeptical of their impact for the remainder of the season)
Cast your votes in the Feed poll below (or on the homepage), and we’ll provide a deeper analysis of the results in a few days.
Arizona (60-53) won the series opener versus San Diego (58-55), 5-1. The Diamondbacks are now up 4-3 for the season series over the Padres and Arizona is now tied for the final spot in the NL Wild Card.
The Diamondbacks are 5-1 over the last six games and scored at least four runs in four of those six. In the past five games, Arizona has a 2.86 ERA (7th) and 1.14 WHIP (8th) as a pitching rotation, plus the 10th-most runs scored in that span (23). The Diamondbacks are 2.0 games up over the Padres in the standings entering today's game.
San Diego's 1-4 hitters went 0-for-15 with one walk in yesterday's loss to Arizona. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Padres. Over the last 10 games, San Diego is 8-2 and scored at least four runs in seven of those contests. The Padres are hitting .257 (8th) as a group in the last week and a 3.23 ERA (10th).
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Padres at Diamondbacks
Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Time: 9:40 PM EST
Site: Chase Field
City: Phoenix, AZ
Network/Streaming: MLB TV / ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Padres at the Diamondbacks
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
Moneyline: San Diego Padres (+102), Arizona Diamondbacks (-123)
The Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno is hitting .298 with 89 hits, 8 home runs and 47 RBI over 299 at-bats
The Diamondbacks’ Tim Tawa is hitting .224 with 32 hits and 35 strikeouts over 143 at-bats
The Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. is hitting .280 with 122 hits, 8 home runs, and 49 RBI over 435 at-bats
The Padres’ Jake Croneworth is hitting .210 with 42 hits and 51 strikeouts over 200 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Padres at Diamondbacks
San Diego is 61-52 ATS, ranking tied for sixth-best
Arizona is 61-52 ATS, ranking tied for sixth-best
San Diego is 61-51-1 to the Under, ranking eighth-best
Arizona is 60-47-6 to the Under, ranking second-best
San Diego is 30-24 ATS on the road, ranking fourth-best
Arizona is 29-23 ATS at home, ranking fourth-best
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Padres and the Diamondbacks
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Padres and the Diamondbacks:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Diamondbacks on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Diamondbacks at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 9.0
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There was a lot of talk about Achilles tears in the NBA a year ago after a season that saw a spike to seven of them, a few of them high-profile moments during the playoffs (most famously the Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, but also Boston's Jayson Tatum and Portland's Damian Lillard). There was a lot of speculation around what might have caused that spike (there were none the season before and just one last season, Donte DiVincenzo).
A study released last month in the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine, conducted by doctors with the University of California, San Francisco, concluded that there was a correlation between a spike in workloads for veteran players 10-15 days before they tore their Achilles (hat tip Mike Vorkunov at The Athletic). From the study:
"Significant workload spikes were found in the 10 to 15 games preceding Achilles ruptures for NBA players. Veteran players carried heavier cumulative workloads, whereas younger players ruptured tendons under lighter use."
It's interesting, not definitive, but interesting. While this is small-sample-size theater, it kind of tracks logically: Older players are more prone to injury after an increase in usage.
The NBA pushed back on this. Here is a statement given to NBC Sports from Dr. John DiFiori, the NBA's Director of Sports Medicine:
"Over the past year, we have worked to better understand Achilles tendon injuries through a tendon health working group and additional research. While we welcome continued learnings, we believe the recent paper on this topic has important methodological limitations. Our own extensive review of league data to date, conducted with independent epidemiologists and consultants, spanned the 2012-13 season to the present and found no relationship between Achilles tendon injuries and minutes played before injury. We remain committed to advancing research that informs player health, performance, and injury prevention."
This kind of echoes something NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said a year ago, after the season with the spike (again, hat tip to Vorkunov at The Athletic).
"When we look back at the last 10 years, the majority of the Achilles injuries have happened before the All-Star break. So, it's not clear it's the number of games. And as you know, modern NBA players, even when they're not playing games sometimes in the summer they're working harder than they are during the season when they're playing three games a week."
The human mind seeks out simple, clear connections, even amongst what can be a complex web of reasons for something. This is a complex situation. There is no easy answer to how to reduce the number of Achilles injuries in the NBA and to avoid future spikes during the most visible time of the season. Any added information is good, not definitive.
But the NBA pushing back on this study, which had gained a little interest online but was not as hot a topic as where DeMar DeRozan might sign, felt like an overreaction.
After making a couple of outsideadditions at the trade deadline, the New York Yankees are now looking internally for what they hope will be another helping (farm) hand in their playoff push.
Infielder George Lombard Jr., the team's top minor league prospect, is getting the call to the majors for Tuesday night's home game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Yankees have gotten disappointing results this season from two former top prospects, outfielder Jasson Dominguez and shortstop Anthony Volpe, so much so that both are expected to be sent to the team's Class Triple-A affiliate in Scranton-Wilkes Barre (Pennsylvania) to open up a roster spot for Lombard and trade deadline acquisition Heliot Ramos.
After a 13-7 loss to the Cardinals on Monday, Aug. 3, the Yanks (63-50) sit 3½ games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East division.
Who is George Lombard Jr.?
Lombard, 21, is the son of former major league outfielder George Lombard, who played parts of six major league seasons (1998-2006) with the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals. He now serves as the Tigers' bench coach.
Unlike his father, Lombard Jr. is an infielder who has played primarily at shortstop in the minors, but who can also play second base or third base.
He was selected by the Yankees in the first round (26th overall) of the 2023 draft out of Gulliver Prep in Miami, and began his pro career later that season with the team's Rookie League affiliate.
Lombard was promoted to Triple-A earlier this season and has played 56 games at Scranton-Wilkes Barre, hitting .268 with a .405 on-base percentage and .440 slugging percentage. He's more of a line-drive hitter than a power guy, with six home runs and 10 stolen bases (in 15 attempts) for the RailRiders.
What will George Lombard Jr.'s role be in New York?
According to FanGraphs' scouting report, Lombard Jr. gets a raw power grade of 50 (on the 20-80 scale), but only 35 in game power. His strengths lie in his speed (55) and fielding (50) grades. A hit tool of 30 suggests he could be a bit overmatched in his first taste of the majors.
A right-handed hitter, Lombard figures to slot in as the starting shortstop for the Yankees (and likely bat ninth) Monday against Cardinals starting pitcher Hunter Dobbins.
His arrival could move Jose Caballero into more of a super-utility role, filling in at shortstop and the outfield.
After falling 13-7 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, in a game that saw 10 home runs, the New York Yankees look to regroup as -186 home favorites tonight.
My Cardinals vs. Yankees predictions and MLB picks think that's too steep a price to pay with Ryan Weathers toeing the rubber on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
UPDATE: Added Ivan Herrera home run pick.
Who will win Cardinals vs Yankees today: Cardinals moneyline (+152)
This is a bit of a lean, but the value on the St. Louis Cardinals is too good to pass up.
New York Yankees left-hander Ryan Weathers has been fine. His 3.99 ERA is certainly respectable, but his peripherals do not inspire much confidence, even against a Cardinals lineup that has looked fairly anemic aside from last night's explosion.
Weathers generates a fair amount of swing-and-miss (73rd-percentile strikeout rate), but he always seems to get squared up at some point by opposing offenses, as evidenced by his 25th-percentile barrel rate and 23rd-percentile hard-hit rate.
The Cardinals have been somewhat middling against left-handers, overall, but Jordan Walker and Ivan Herrera have thrived in the split. Even if Walker has cooled a bit lately, he owns a 153 wRC+ vs. lefties, which is not only the best on the team but a Top-15 mark across MLB (min. 100 plate appearances).
St. Louis starter Hunter Dobbins isn't a dominant hurler. However, he keeps the ball on the ground relatively well (45.5% ground-ball rate), and he can navigate a depleted Yankees lineup well enough to give the Cardinals a chance to win at significant plus money.
I'd play this down to +135.
COVERS INTEL: Walker is succeeding due to pure strength. Despite a 13th-percentile squared-up rate and a 50th-percentile sweet-spot launch angle average, he's still hit 22 home runs. He may only be a minor adjustment or two away from really taking off.
Cardinals vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-116)
For as many runs as crossed the plate on Monday night, the Yankees didn't burn closer David Bednar, lefty set-up man Brent Headrick, or long reliever Paul Blackburn. That trio has served as New York's most reliable relief arms this season, so if Weathers exits early, the Yankees are in good shape to stop the bleeding.
And despite the Cardinals' offensive outburst, including three home runs off the bat of Alec Burleson alone, the Cardinals are batting .214 with a 70 wRC+ over the last 30 days. Both are MLB lows over that time.
Weather conditions also favor a lower-scoring output, with wind blowing in toward home plate from right field. This is expected to suppress extra-base hit potential and limit scoring opportunities, per BallparkPal.
This isn't a case of "these teams scored all of their runs last night," but a situation that lends to a more conservative scoring total. I'd play the Under 8.5 to -130 and consider Under 7.5 if it's +130 or longer.
Cardinals vs Yankees Home Run pick: Ivan Herrera (+650)
Herrera is the second-best Cardinals slugger against left-handed pitching. He rarely strikes out in the matchup (13.4%) and has hit five of his 12 home runs off of southpaws.
The odds for him to clear the fences are among the highest on the board, with Burleson closer to +400 despite much worse numbers in the split.
Make it a half-unit wager because the weather conditions aren't ideal for power, but I like the number we're getting on one of the team's premier lefty-mashers.
Jason Wilson's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 6-2, +4.23 units
Over/Under bets: 5-3, +1.2 units
Cardinals vs Yankees weather
Sunny with 5-9 mph winds blowing in from right field, which could prevent Yankee Stadium from playing small, as it did last night.
Cardinals vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Cardinals +178 | Yankees -186
Run line: Cardinals +1.5 (-122) | Yankees -1.5 (+117)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+104) | Under 8.5 (-108)
Cardinals vs Yankees trend
The St. Louis Cardinals have hit the Moneyline in 27 of their last 50 away games (+8.80 Units / 17% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Yankees.
How to watch Cardinals vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
First pitch
7:05 p.m. ET
TV
YES, Cardinals.TV
Cardinals starting pitcher
Hunter Dobbins (2-1, 3.74 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Ryan Weathers (4-7, 3.99 ERA)
Cardinals vs Yankees latest injuries
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COVERS INTEL: Walker is