LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 31: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talk before the game on March 31, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
CLEVELAND — Telling someone back in 2015 that a Cleveland Cavaliers head coach would compare his point guard, James Harden, to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James would probably break their brain. We live in a weird world.
The Cavs have been rolling offensively since adding Harden in February. The speed at which he processes the game, combined with his skill, has done that. This is most seen with his passing, which is on a level that Atkinson could only compare to one other superstar in the league.
“There might be another player like him, but him and LeBron are the only guys that I’ve seen in that category where the accuracy and the speed of the pass is just a whole other level,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said before Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors. “I think that speaks to their skill level, IQ, but also the strength part. You got to be really strong to throw some of the passes they throw through traffic.”
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Donovan Mitchell and James Harden NBA Jam shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
Harden displayed this during their Game 1 win on Saturday. He racked up 10 assists, with two of those leading to Max Strus triples. Both were delivered on time and on target.
“It obviously makes a difference,” Strus said when asked about how a good pass helps the ensuing shot. “He’s been doing this for a very long time. He knows how to help guys be great, and I’ve experienced it. He’s a phenomenal basketball player, one of the best players in the world ever, for a reason. And we’re lucky to have him. He just makes the game easier for everyone else.”
There’s more to just passing than accuracy and velocity of passes. Harden is good at both of those things, but his ability to read the defense, manipulate where he wants the defenders to go, and then deliver the pass is what separates excellent passers from some of the greatest all-time.
“He’s just got a great, great feel,” Atkinson said. “Like I’ve said all year, since we’ve gotten him, he’s just a way better passer than I thought he was.”
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 19: Joey Wiemer #21 of the Washington Nationals slides in to second base against the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park on April 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a couple of lackluster years by their standards, it sure seems like the big bad Braves are back. They are 15-7 and have a 5 game lead in the division already. The Nats will have to battle with this team for four games. It will be a tough test for the exciting but flawed Nats.
With a righty on the mound, there will be a couple changes in the lineup. Daylen Lile will be back in there in left field. The red hot Jose Tena will be back in the DH spot, while Luis Garcia Jr. goes to first base. Drew Millas will be behind the plate. Jake Irvin has had success against the Braves over the years, but this lineup has been firing on all cylinders so far.
Six of the Braves nine starters have an OPS of at least .799 and two of the players below that are Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley, who is heating up after a slow start. Old friend Dominic Smith has been a revelation for the Braves, hitting over .350 with a number of big moments. Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson are red hot, while Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies look re-energized. This lineup is looking scary. Bryce Elder has also gotten off to an insane start and will be on the mound tonight.
While it was nice to avoid the sweep, dropping that second game of the Giants series still looms large. The Nats could have been entering this series at .500. Facing the red hot Braves for four games is an uphill battle, but hopefully the Nats can come away with a split like they did against the Pirates. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
May 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Duke University’s Kyle Filipowski at the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery at McCormick Place West. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
The Utah Jazz rejoice as a coin flip for the 4th-best lottery odds fell in their favor, securing the first-round pick away from Oklahoma City’s greedy clutches. At the fifth odds, there was a chance of slipping to the ninth pick and falling out of the top-8 protection bubble. At four, those odds are erased — the Jazz won’t slip below 8 on lottery night.
Have you ever felt so much dread over a 50/50 chance?
I’ve never been so confident that a coin flip was going to turn out one way. If the NBA truly were unfair, corrupt, or manipulated, it would be on full display with the tiebreaker between the Utah Jazz and the Sacramento Kings for the 4th and 5th positions in the lottery standings.
Win the 50/50 split, and Utah retains its first-round pick no matter what. Lose, however, and the chances of the pick dropping to 9th were almost zero. But almost zero and actually zero are fundamentally different, and Murphy’s Law can get off its couch and wrangle control if Utah’s .6% chance
I could envision the glint on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s glasses. The snyde smirk flashing across the left side of his face as a quarter rolls over his knuckles. Winding up and tossing the coin into the sky, we watch as the odds flip Jazz, Kings, Jazz, Kings, Jazz, Kings over and over and over as the decider of fate falls to the earth.
The Utah Jazz have been Adam Silver’s scapegoat all season long. They are the flagbearers of the tanking movement. The most heinous and blatant example of basketball’s great shame. The league has fined Utah half a million dollars for their perceived crime — a number unmatched to any degree by any of basketball’s other 10 or so active tankers. It seemed inevitable; if Utah could be forced to part with their first-round pick, Utah would be stripped of their drafting rights. Murphy’s Law in motion, with a little help from the decision-makers atop the National Basketball Association.
Maybe I’m just cynical. Maybe I’m jaded. Maybe I believe that the Utah Jazz just aren’t afforded the same joys as other, more notable organizations in the NBA. I sincerely believed the basketball governing powers intended to make an example of the lowly Jazz — one final kick before the team is ready to compete for the playoffs next season.
The chances of Utah losing the coin flip andthen slipping all the way to ninth were infinitesimal — I know that —but the relief of that number turning to zero is cause for celebration.
With the lottery order officially set, here’s how Utah’s odds stand.
*Players are listed as they appear on our Big Board, for reference.
Utah breathes a sigh of relief. Though Sacramento (the coin flip’s loser) may well jump Utah in the order on lottery night, the Jazz had one goal. That was to keep their pick out of OKC’s hands. Mission accomplished.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 08: Aaron Nola #27 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants on April 8, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Game one of a new series on deck. Here are the lineups, let’s discuss.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 19: Brayan Rocchio #4 of the Cleveland Guardians talks to the media after the Guardians defeated the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on Sunday, April 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 12, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s a three-city week for the Dodgers, who finish up their four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday in Denver, then head to San Francisco to take on the Giants at Oracle Park for a three-game series beginning Tuesday night.
The Dodgers have their best three starting pitchers going in their first salvo against their longtime division rivals, beginning with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Tuesday night. Yamamoto is coming off 7 2/3 innings against the Mets, and will be on six days rest in the series opener in San Francisco. He has a 2.10 ERA with 21 strikeouts and three walks in 25 2/3 innings in his four starts this season.
Right-hander Landen Roupp, 24 days younger than Yamamoto, starts the opener for the Giants. The right-hander has yet to allow a home run this season, posting a 2.38 ERA in four starts with 24 strikeouts and seven walks in 22 2/3 innings.
PITTSBURGH — Rick Tocchet talked about the importance of the Flyers not feeling too comfortable with a series lead.
The head coach had liked his team’s businesslike approach after its Game 1 win. That sure seemed to pay off Monday night.
The Flyers blanked the Penguins, 3-0, at PPG Paints Arena to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round matchup. Tocchet’s club stunned a lot of people by winning the first two games on the road.
“Coming in here, in a building like this and taking the first two games, it’s huge,” Owen Tippett said. “We’re really excited to get home, but we’re staying even-keeled.”
Dan Vladar was terrific again, providing his first shutout with the Flyers.
Porter Martone delivered another goal, giving him two in two career playoff games. He’s just 19 years old and not even a month out of college.
“It’s pretty impressive,” Travis Konecny said. “There are not a lot of guys that can come in and make the impact that he has. Especially in the games leading up to making the playoffs, how important those were, and for him to be able to jump in, I think it just speaks to not his hockey ability, but how he wants to learn.”
After Martone handed the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the second period, Garnet Hathaway struck a little over four minutes later at shorthanded. Tippett made a determined and skillful play to find Hathaway for the 2-0 lead.
The Flyers fended off Pittsburgh in the third period. Luke Glendening’s empty-net goal sent fans to the exits.
Tocchet’s club now comes home to what should be a raucous Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Flyers won the opening two games of a playoff series for the first time since 2012. Ironically, they did it against the Penguins then, too. The Flyers won that first-round series in six games.
Going back to Feb. 26 of the regular season and including the start to these playoffs, the Flyers have won 20 of their last 27 games. In that span, they’ve allowed just 2.26 goals per game.
“It’s a series and it’s a war,” Noah Cates said before the game. “A little crack can go a long way, whether you see it on a team or kind of your body language and stuff like that. So you’ve just got to be strong mentally and physically, do all the right things and do it over and over to break them down little by little.”
The 28-year-old really closed the door in the third period when Pittsburgh made a concerted push. Vladar had a message for his team during a break in the period.
“They were coming in waves at us and he said, ‘We’re OK, guys don’t worry about it, relax,'” Tocchet said. “He says that, he’s the goalie, he’s getting peppered a little bit, it means a lot.”
With under seven and a half minutes to go, Vladar stopped a redirection by Evgeni Malkin when the Flyers lost the winger backdoor.
He had a massive save on Samuel Girard early in the third period.
“He has been like that all year for us,” Tocchet said. “Guys enjoy playing for him. He comes by the bench, he’s talking to the players. A lot of guys aren’t used to goalies talking that much, but that’s the way Vladdy is; I love his personality. He’s a fun guy to coach, I’ll tell you that.”
The Flyers played with fire a bit in the first period when they put the Penguins on the power play three times. They weren’t hurt, though, keeping the game scoreless going into intermission.
Travis Sanheim did a nice job to negate one of the power plays when he put pressure on Pittsburgh up ice and drew a tripping penalty on Erik Karlsson.
The Flyers’ penalty kill went a perfect 5 for 5.
“It was a goofy game for us, there were a lot of penalties, they had three or four power plays early, guys get out of the game,” Tocchet said. “Sometimes in the playoffs, you’ve got to win those ugly games. It was an ugly game for us.”
Penguins netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 20 of 22 shots.
He denied Tippett on a penalty shot in the third period, but the Flyers got their insurance with Glendening’s empty-netter.
“He fit in right away, he’s a confident kid,” Christian Dvorak said. “He has been huge for us. To show that confidence straight from college is very impressive.”
For Martone to be making this much of an impact already is super promising for the Flyers. Konecny and Dvorak made strong plays to assist his game-opening goal.
Tippett and Hathaway then took the air totally out of the building when they connected.
Hathaway’s style of play is built for the playoffs. The veteran winger finished with two points.
“We talk about it a lot as a group — how can you bring it each shift to help this team,” Hathaway said. “I love it. If you’re not jacked up out there, you’ve got to check your pulse or something.”
• After holding Sidney Crosby scoreless in Game 1, the Flyers pulled it off again.
They’ve quieted No. 87 so far.
Crosby, of course, has been the ultimate Flyers killer. He owns 139 points (60 goals, 79 assists) in 93 career regular-season games against the Flyers. In the playoffs, he has put up 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 25 career meetings with the Flyers.
• Noah Juulsen entered the lineup for Emil Andrae, who missed the game because of an upper-body.
Andrae didn’t practice Sunday. He has been considered day to day.
• The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
It’ll mark the Flyers’ first playoff action on home ice since 2018; the 2020 postseason was forced into the bubble because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dribbles with the ball around Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Lakers will have the 25th pick in the 2026 NBA draft, the league announced on Monday after ties among teams with identical regular-season records were broken through random drawings to determine the order selection.
The Lakers and Knicks finished the 2025-26 season with 53-29 records, resulting in the drawing taking place to determine which team would get the higher pick.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dribbles with the ball around Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Knicks won, and will have the No. 24 pick in the draft, which will take place in June.
The 2026 NBA draft will once again be split up across two days, with the first round taking being on June 23 and the second round taking place on June 24.
The Lakers traded their 2026 second-round pick in November 2020 when they sent JaVale McGee, along with the second-rounder, to the Cavaliers for Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie, so they could have room to sign Marc Gasol.
There were five other tiebreakers that were determined on Monday as a result the drawings:
The Jazz (22-60) won a tiebreaker with the Kings;
The Pelicans (26-56) won a tiebreaker with the Mavericks;
The Suns (45-37) won a tiebreaker with the Magic and the 76ers. Second and third place in the tiebreaker drawings went to the 76ers and the Magic, respectively;
The Raptors (46-36) won a tiebreaker with the Hawks;
The Rockets (52-30) won a tiebreaker with the Cavaliers.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers smile during the game against the Chicago Bulls on March 12, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz pitches against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on March 31. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers announced Monday that Edwin Díaz will undergo surgery to remove “loose bodies” in his right elbow and the closer isn't expected to return until some point in the second half of the season.
Díaz, 32, has a 10.50 ERA in seven appearances this season for the Dodgers, who made a splash signing the high-profile free agent to a three-year $69-million deal, a record for a reliever.
The Dodgers recalled 27-year-old left-handed long reliever Jake Eder to replace Díaz on the roster.
Díaz gave up three runs and failed to get an out in the Dodgers’ 9-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies in a non-save situation Sunday, in what was his first appearance in nine days.
He entered the game and gave up a walk and three base hits, including a two-RBI single to Edouard Julien. Afterward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed concern about Díaz’s performance: “I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”
Before the Dodgers played their final game of the four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, Roberts said that the diagnosis provides some clarity, and that Díaz only began feeling discomfort in his elbow Sunday.
Before that Roberts said the plan was to “tread lightly” with the pitcher’s workload, unsure why the velocity of his pitches was down.
“Obviously, we all saw the stuff [Sunday], and it sent up red flags,” Roberts said. “And so, after the game, he had a conversation with our training staff, and felt that he had some elbow discomfort. So we just wanted to be proactive, and felt that it was smart to get an MRI, get imaging, which we did do, and it showed loose bodies.”
Having experienced the same thing as a player, Roberts explained, “you have loose bodies and they're asymptomatic until they're not.”
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz jogs to the mound during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on March 31. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
A 10-year veteran, Díaz is a three-time All-Star. For his career, he has 257 saves in 300 opportunities with 849 strikeouts.
General manager Brandon Gomes said the Dodgers are “as confident as we can be” that Díaz will return to top form.
"Our understanding is that it's a pretty straightforward procedure,” Gomes said. “We're going to take our time with getting him back and being mindful of the buildup, and make sure he's in a really good position to come out and compete at the highest level of what we expect.
“It's the benefit of having a deeper staff and a talented team that it's never easy to lose somebody like Edwin, but we'll get through it and it'll be a collective effort to keep winning baseball games."
Roberts said he doesn’t plan to name a substitute closer in Díaz’s place, and the manager acknowledged that the news will significantly alter how he’ll use the bullpen.
“It does change it. In a big way,” Roberts said. “I do think being able to deploy guys in their right lanes or pockets has been helpful. But with that, I do think that Alex [Vesia] has been throwing the baseball really well. Tanner [Scott has] been throwing the baseball really well, and outside of last night, Blake [Treinen] was throwing the baseball really well.
“But it does kind of not allow us to work from the back end, which is certainly a luxury."
The Dodgers have had unfortunate luck signing big-name relievers. In 2025 they signed left-hander Scott to a four-year $72-million deal. He then led the league with 10 blown saves last season and the Dodgers removed him from their postseason roster, replacing him with left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who was set to start Monday as the team played for a series split at Coors Field.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 19: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs drives against the Portland Trailblazers in the first half of Game One of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on April 19, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For all the talk of a young team with little experience, the San Antonio Spurs did exactly what contenders should do in the first round of the playoffs: handle a lower seed in front of their home crowd. The Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers in Game One, 111-98.
The Spurs were led by their superstar big man, Victor Wembanyama, who scored a franchise-high 35 points in his playoff debut. The Blazers didn’t have an answer for the MVP candidate while raining threes from deep and dominating inside. He didn’t do it alone. The Spurs’ supporting cast showed up when it was needed. When Portland staged a comeback in the third quarter, Devin Vassell got hot and rebuilt the Spurs’ lead.
Vassell and Wembanyama will lead the player grades for Game One. As a quick reminder, these grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
Cold take here: Wembanyama is pretty good! The narrative that Portland’s bigs could slow him down was obviously overblown. Wembanyama creates an insane mismatch for the Spurs in this series. Not only does he neutralize most of their paint attack, but he has proven he can score against slower bigs like Donovan Clingan or over the top of smaller defenders like Toumani Camara. Oh, and he can casually go coast-to-coast for dunks and drain fadeaway corner threes.
It’s only Game One, but if Wembanyama plays like this in every game, San Antonio is going to be hard to beat. The Spurs are a -700 favorite to win Game Two on FanDuel.
The Blazers struggled to stay in front of Fox in Game One. He had Portland defenders sliding as he pulled up for threes or got to the basket for twos. Most importantly, he was a steadying force with the ball in his hands. If inexperience is this team’s sickness, Fox is the cure. He had 8 assists and 0 turnovers in Game One. These are exactly the type of games the Spurs need from their veteran point guard.
Despite his inefficient shooting, Castle still made an impact on the game. He was relentlessly attacking the basket, and then went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line when he got into the paint. The first interesting strategic move of the series was Portland’s decision to guard Castle with a big man and force him to shoot from deep. He hit one three-ball, but missed a few wide-open ones off the dribble. Castle is going to be forced to hit a few deep shots in this series. We’ve seen him knock down open catch-and-shoot shots this season. It’ll be interesting to see how San Antonio attacks this matchup moving forward.
Champagnie did exactly what great role players should: take advantage of the opportunities that come to you and play strong defense. Champagnie only took three shots, but he hit two of them when he was wide open. He played strong defense on the wing, grabbing three steals and snatching 5 rebounds. The playoffs are all about being exceptional at your role. Champagnie’s is to hit open threes and play solid defense. He did both on Sunday night.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Vassell won the game for the Spurs. When Portland cut a ten-point lead to just two points, it was Vassell who got San Antonio going again. He hit big-time threes in transition, made an impactful block on defense, and secured a tough long defensive rebound that led to a runout score.
Vassell is a real X-factor in this series. When he’s hitting shots and creating turnovers on defense, the Spurs go up another level. That third-quarter run was the perfect example of the value he brings to the team.
Harper was on the floor when the Spurs were at their best, but he wasn’t as impactful as he typically is. Harper was sound defensively and didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes on the offensive end. He just didn’t pop like he typically does offensively. He had a nice stretch in the fourth quarter to help the Spurs build a 20-point lead. Perhaps that stretch will build some confidence for the rookie heading into the rest of the series.
Kornet’s stellar play against Portland this season continued in the postseason. He thrived as a lob catcher and rim protector once again. The drop off from Wembanyama to Kornet, defensively at least, wasn’t all that noticeable. On the other end, it felt like he caught every lob that came his way, including a sick one-hander off a lob. Kornet’s best play was a tough offensive rebound and put-back in the second quarter. It’s the kind of winning play that swings playoff series.
Barnes didn’t make much of an impact in his limited minutes. He grabbed one offensive rebound and went 2-2 from the free-throw line, but otherwise was held in check. As the rotation shrinks, Barnes’ minutes will likely decrease. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him have a big game at some point in the playoffs, especially if he’s hot from three.
Johnson’s one made shot on Sunday was a big one. He hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in the first quarter to give the Spurs a 9-point lead. He didn’t score the rest of the game. KJ lacked the aggression we typically see from him in big games. He was still able to power his way into the paint when he chose to, but couldn’t convert at the rim.
Grade: C+
Carter Bryant
4 minutes, 2 rebounds, 3 fouls, +1
Bryant got limited minutes on Sunday. He was super aggressive while he was on the floor, picking up three fouls in his four minutes.
Grade: Incomplete
Bismack Biyombo
1 minute, no stats
Good for Biyombo for logging a playoff minute in his fourteenth NBA season.
Grade: Incomplete
Kelly Olynyk
1 minute, no stats
Do we think Olynyk was expecting to play on Sunday? He was wearing ankle socks for the game. The broadcast team even called it out. He did buy the team black suits for Game One, so he would get an A+ for that if he had played enough minutes.
Grade: Incomplete
Lindy Waters III
1 minute, no stats
Waters got into the game but logged no stats, just like the rest of the Spurs’ depth players.
Grade: Incomplete
Inactives: Harrison Ingram, David Jones-Garcia, Emanuel Miller
DENVER — Turns out, new Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz did have an injury.
It just wasn’t to his knee.
The Dodgers announced Monday that Díaz, their $69 million offseason signing, had been placed on the injured list with loose bodies in his right elbow. He will undergo surgery on Wednesday to address the issue, and is expected to return during the second half of the season.
“Our understanding is that it’s a pretty straightforward procedure,” general manager Brandon Gomes said. “So we’re going to take our time with getting him back, and be mindful of the buildup. Make sure he’s in a really good position to come out and compete at the highest level of what we expect.”
Edwin Díaz of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after an RBI singe from Ezequiel Duran of the Texas Rangers to score Sam Haggerty, to tie the game 7-7, during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images
The news comes a day after Díaz struggled in his return to the mound — following a nine-day layoff amid concerns over his early-season velocity.
He faced four batters in Sunday’s loss to the Colorado Rockies and didn’t retire any of them, allowing three runs.
Most concerning: His fastball velocity remained down, averaging just over 95 mph and bottoming out with a 92.8 mph heater — one of the 10 slowest of his career.
“Obviously, we all saw the stuff last night, and it sent up red flags,” manager Dave Roberts said.
The alarms grew louder when, after the game, Díaz reported elbow discomfort to the club’s training staff, according to Roberts. That prompted the team to send the 32-year-old for an MRI. The imaging found the loose bodies, but no other ligament damage.
“Given you’re losing your (closer) to a surgery,” Roberts said, trying to be optimistic, “this is, I would say, the best-case scenario.”
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
After all, at least the team now has an explanation for the decline in Díaz’s stuff, after he had previously insisted he felt fine physically –– outside of some discomfort in his surgically-repaired knee following a blown save on April 10.
Still, losing the three-time All-Star for such a prolonged stretch represents a major blow to the bullpen, which will now go closer-by-committee in Díaz’s absence.
“I do feel comfortable with a handful of guys, really, that I feel that can close out games for us,” Roberts said. “So right now, I’m not gonna name a closer.”
Before Monday’s news, Díaz’s decline in stuff had mystified the team. His knee checked out fine following that April 10 outing, when he blew a three-run lead and suffered a drop in fastball velocity. He had thrown a bullpen and multiple flat-ground sessions during his nine-day layoff after that, all of them without experiencing (or, at least, reporting to the team) any pain.
But Sunday renewed concerns over Díaz’s health again.
“That was the first time he felt anything, or there was any signs of (an elbow problem),” Roberts said, with Díaz having already left Denver to return to Los Angeles for this week’s procedure.
“I was hoping more of a dead arm situation,” the manager added.
Gomes echoed those sentiments.
“The elbow popping up was definitely surprising,” he said. “But when the performance had been fluctuating the way we were seeing, it makes sense that there was stuff going on.”
Gomes expressed confidence that, once Díaz returns, his performance won’t be impacted.
When the Dodgers signed the right-hander this offseason, he was considered one of the best closers in baseball, with more than 250 career saves and a 1.63 ERA in 2025.
“This shouldn’t change anything going towards the end of the season and into October,” Gomes said, “when we’ll need him and he’ll be fresh.”
Of the Dodgers’ potential closing options in the meantime, a few of the more logical candidates include right-hander Blake Treinen (who has 82 career saves and hadn’t allowed a run this season before a three-run clunker at Coors Field an inning before Díaz on Sunday), left-hander Tanner Scott (the $72 million signing who was just 23-of-33 in save opportunities during a disappoting debut campaign last year, but has a 1.04 ERA in 10 outings this season) and left-hander Alex Vesia (who has yet to allow a run this year, and collected two saves while Díaz was down last week).
“I think we have a lot of guys capable of pitching in the ninth inning,” Gomes said. “It is a different three outs, but we also have multiple guys that have done it at a high level in the past.”
The Dodgers are hoping to get other bullpen reinforcements in the coming weeks and months, too. Right-hander Brock Stewart is currently on a rehab assignment. Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol are also making progress in their recoveries (though probably won’t be options until closer to the second half of the season, too).
One potential option for the bullpen that Gomes ruled out definitively: Roki Sasaki, who will remain in the rotation despite his 6.11 ERA.
The biggest impact of Díaz’s injury could be how the club handles its bullpen leading up to the ninth inning.
Before, they could optimize match-ups for each of their middle relief arms, knowing they had Díaz waiting in the ninth.
But now, that luxury is suddenly gone, leaving the bullpen unsettled until Díaz returns.
Fort Myers, FL - February 21: Northeastern outfielder Cam Maldonado catches a fly ball for an out. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
It’s time again for the mega Monday San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball roundup. The Giants have an off day today, so why not spend it reading about what happened to their A-ball affiliates on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday?
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
No transactions over the last few days, but one fun bit of news: Low-A San Jose outfielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) was named Player of the Week in the California League. Read on to find out why (spoiler: it’s because he did some absurd things with the bat).
AAA Sacramento (11-8)
Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Tacoma Rainiers 7-6 [box score] Saturday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Tacoma Rainiers 6-4 [box score] Sunday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Tacoma Rainiers 1-0 [box score]
Quite an uninteresting weekend for the River Cats. The offense was fairly uninteresting — they had just 6 extra-base hits in the 3 games, and in their highest-scoring game they still struck out 15 times. The pitching was also fairly uninteresting, in part because their impressive Sunday shutout was a bullpen game, rather than the result of a star showing from a starter.
The biggest swing of the bat over the weekend came at the start, in the 1st inning of Friday’s game, when Eric Haase launched a 3-run home run, his 2nd big fly of the year.
While the home run was the best thing Haase did, it might not have been the most impressive. With Drew Gilbert and Will Brennan called up to San Francisco, the River Cats are shy on outfielders, and Haase — normally a catcher — was called into left field duty on Friday, which isn’t a position he’s entirely unfamiliar with (he even played a little there during Spring Training). And he showed off that catcher arm from the grass, recording an outfield assist!
Unfortunately, other than that home run, Haase did the same thing as his teammates: struggled, as he finished the weekend hitting 2-8 with 3 strikeouts.
Like Haase, Sacramento’s highest-profile hitters also had strong Fridays and rough weekends. First baseman/designated hitter Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL) hit 2-5 with a double and 2 strikeouts in Friday’s loss, but went 0-8 with 4 strikeouts in the other games. Eldridge’s numbers have fallen from gaudy to still really good (.905 OPS, 147 wRC+), but I think it’s very safe to say he’s not forcing the issue right now given the swing-and-miss issues, and the holes in his zone. The update there: 21st percentile in strikeout rate, 19th percentile in whiff rate, 36th percentile in in-zone contact rate, and 34th percentile in swinging strike rate.
Catcher/left fielder Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) went 3-4 with a walk on Friday, but over the next pair of games hit just 0-6 with 2 walks and a strikeout. Rodríguez has a .900 OPS and a 142 wRC+, but what probably is really enticing to the Giants is his .344 batting average and his 8.5% strikeout rate. Among the 88 Pacific Coast League hitters with at least 50 plate appearances this season, those numbers rank 9th and 4th, respectively. It certainly feels like the soon-to-turn 24-year old is also soon-to-turn into a Major Leaguer.
A really tough weekend for first baseman/designated hitter Jake Holton, who hit 0-7 with 6 strikeouts. After 3 years of really good results in AA for the Tigers’ affiliate, Holton is getting his first taste of AAA and it’s been an up-and-down experience, as he has a .703 OPS but a 115 wRC+, with sky-high strikeout (31.9%) and walk (23.4%) rates.
It was an uninteresting weekend for starting pitchers, and a great weekend for relievers.
With all due respect to LHPs Seth Lonsway and John Michael Bertrand, the River Cats didn’t use any of their high-profile starters over the weekend. Lonsway pitched on Friday, and couldn’t really fool anyone: he only struck out 1 batter in 4 innings, while allowing 7 hits, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and 5 runs. He has a 5.73 ERA and a 5.97 FIP through 3 starts and, if you can believe it, has only struck out 2 of the 49 batters he’s faced in 11 innings. Bertrand handled Saturday’s outing, and he was hit very hard, giving up 6 hits (which included 2 home runs and 2 doubles) in 4 innings, while walking 2, striking out 3, and ceding 4 earned runs. That pushed his ERA to 6.32 and his FIP to 7.55, as he’s really struggling with both his strikeout and walk rates but, more critically, has allowed 21 hits (and 4 dingers) in 15.2 innings.
The bullpen was a different story, and the exciting news is that all of the players who could figure into the Major League plans soon pitched well, as the only runs the ‘pen allowed came from prospects who are still a ways off (RHP Braxton Roxby and LHP Nick Zwack). Most notably, Major League LHP Sam Hengtes opened Sunday’s game and tossed a perfect inning with a strikeout. Hentges is now 3 games and 3 innings into his rehab assignment, which has spanned San Jose and Sacramento, and has yet to allow a baserunner. He’ll be a very welcome addition to the Major League club.
RHP Joel Peguero (No. 27 CPL) also had a nice rehab appearance, allowing just 1 walk in 1.1 shutout innings with a strikeout on Saturday, and needing just 13 pitches. Unlike Hentges, Peguero’s spot in the Majors isn’t guaranteed, as he has Minor League options, so he’ll need to pitch his way back onto the roster, and might stay in Sacramento after his rehab ends.
40-man RHPs Spencer Bivens, Tristan Beck, and Dylan Smith all pitched well, as did depth options LHP Juan Sánchez (No. 41 CPL), RHP Gregory Santos, and RHP Wilkin Ramos. Sánchez pitched a perfect inning on 8 pitches, which maintained his 0.00 ERA through 6 appearances, though he has walked too many batters this year.
The Squirrels, it seems, are allergic to losing streaks. They started the year with a loss, and then rattled off 10 straight wins. After seeing that streak come to an end on Thursday, Richmond responded with back-to-back wins on Friday and Saturday, before a storm took out Sunday’s contest. For many years, the Flying Squirrels struggled to put together wins, but that is emphatically not the case this year!
There were a lot of good performers, but there were a standout trio on offense: shortstop/designated hitter Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL), third baseman/first baseman Charlie Szykowny, and right fielder Jonah Cox.
Ahuna left the yard for the 1st time in his AA career … and liked it so much he did it a 2nd time. The 24-year old lefty hit 3-7 over the weekend, with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts, and bashed solo home runs in the 9th inning of both games.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 18, 2026
The Giants gave Ahuna, their 4th-round pick in 2023, an aggressive assignment this year, half because they’re high on the defensive ace, and half because of roster logistics with reigning 1st-round selection Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) playing the six in High-A. Ahuna entered this year with limited experience — he played just 11 games in High-A, after just 60 in Low-A — and also a sizable swing-and-miss issue. But there’s life and potential in his bat, and that’s been on display in Richmond, where he’s posted an .822 OPS and a 116 wRC+ through 13 games.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 19, 2026
Ahuna, who played for Tony Vitello at Tennessee, still has a big strikeout issue — his 29.1% K rate underscores the problem, if we’re being honest, given his 17.6% swinging strike rate — but he’s hitting for average, he’s hitting for power, and he’s drawing walks. Add some excellent shortstop defense, and it’s not hard to see why the Giants are so high on this kid!
As for Szykowny, he went 5-8 over the weekend while smashing a home run and a double, getting hit by a pitch twice, and striking out twice.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 18, 2026
The sweet-swinging lefty was one of the hardest prospects in the system for me to evaluate entering the season. His 2025 statistics had no red, or even pink flags. He hit for average (.276) and power (21 home runs, .202 isolated slugging), while suppressing strikeouts (18.6%), en route to a strong season (.816 OPS, 122 wRC+) in High-A. But it was also his age-25 season, which carried a pair of warning signs for the 2023 9th-round pick: he should have been beating up players he was 2.5 years older than, and it felt telling that the Giants kept him at the level all year long, despite his age and numbers.
Ultimately, however, results matter most, and Szykowny is putting on a show with the Squirrels: through 13 games in AA, he has a 1.019 OPS and a 166 wRC+, and has improved — dramatically, in most cases — his average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, isolated slugging percentage, strikeout rate, and walk rate year-over-year. He’ll probably have to keep hitting like this given that he profiles mostly as a first baseman, but it’s pretty exciting seeing such gaudy numbers.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 19, 2026
Speaking of gaudy numbers, that’s exactly what Cox has. The hair-on-fire outfielder hit a dazzling 6-8 over the weekend with both a home run and a double, while stealing 2 bases and striking out twice.
Like Szykowny, Cox spent the entirety of the 2025 season in High-A, though less because the Giants kept him there and more because his numbers mandated it, as he was distinctly average offensively (.731 OPS, 103 wRC+). But a new challenge has brought out the best in Cox, who has been beyond dynamic with the bat in his hands this year, posting a 1.119 OPS and a 195 wRC+, while stealing 9 bases in 10 attempts already. While the numbers will come down eventually — he won’t sport a .531 BABIP forever — the approach is very encouraging. Despite moving up a level, Cox has dropped his strikeout rate from 22.4% (already decent) to 18.0% (very good), the result of his swinging strike rate being cut from 12.0% to 9.9%. Those are very tangible improvements!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 18, 2026
Just like Ahuna, Cox is a player who can make the Majors on the back of his defense, which is excellent at all 3 outfield positions (and it helps that he’s a menace on the base paths … a Jared Oliva-type role could very well be in his future). And it’s always exciting to see defense-first players hit well. It certainly allows you to dream!
The actual starting pitching was poor, as RHPs Trystan Vrieling and Cesar Perdomo both got rocked (Vrieling gave up 10 baserunners and 2 runs in 3.2 innings, while Perdomo allowed 8 baserunners and 4 runs in 3.1 frames), but the piggy-backing starter in Saturday’s game was an absolute stud, as RHP Darien Smith continued his stellar season. Smith replaced Perdomo and proceeded to throw 5.2 shutout innings, while allowing just 3 hits (all singles) and no walks, with 3 strikeouts.
Smith, a 26-year old undrafted free agent in his 2nd season in the pros, has been utterly sensational this season. He’s given up just 5 hits and 4 walks through 14 innings, with 14 strikeouts. He’s been especially great over the last 2 games, allowing just 4 baserunners in 10 innings, with 12 strikeouts. He’s done an excellent job suppressing walks at every step of his career, and if he keeps that up, he could find himself in AAA at some point this season.
A pair of nice relief efforts on Friday: RHP Brad Deppermann, a 29-year old who signed as a Minor League free agent, made his organizational debut and struck out 2 batters in a perfect inning, while RHP Tyler Vogel threw a perfect 9th inning with a strikeout. Vogel has a 0.00 ERA through 6 appearances this year, with 4 hits, 4 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 6 innings.
High-A Eugene (11-4)
Friday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Everett AquaSox 7-4 [box score] Saturday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox 9-3 [box score] Sunday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Everett AquaSox 10-4 [box score]
The Emeralds lost the weekend, but they certainly showed you the varied attacks they can present. In Friday’s loss, for instance, Eugene hitters stole a tremendous 8 bases, without being caught. But in Saturday’s victory they stole no bases … but hit 4 home runs. Many ways to win (or fall short of winning, as the case may occasionally be).
There were a lot of stars, particularly on offense, as the Ems ended the weekend with 6 dingers. But the biggest weekend belonged to arguably the biggest prospect, both in status and stature: center fielder/designated hitter Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL). After a rough introduction to the level, Jordan has really settled into Northwest League life, and put on a show over the final 3 games of the series, hitting 6-12 with 2 home runs, 2 walks, 1 sacrifice fly, 2 stolen bases, and 3 strikeouts. And let me tell you: they are loud home runs that Jordan hits.
The 2024 4th-round selection had his strikeout issues firmly on display in the 1st week of the season, as he hit 3-17 with 1 home run, 2 doubles, 0 walks, and 11 strikeouts through 4 games. Since then? 15-40 with 2 home runs, 3 doubles, 6 walks, and just 8 strikeouts in 10 games. My goodness!
Those stellar games have brought Jordan’s season numbers to a .931 OPS and a 146 wRC+, and while the strikeout rate will take a while to recover (it’s at 29.2%), it is certainly headed in the correct direction. He also has 4 stolen bases now, without yet getting caught.
I’ve long felt that Jordan is arguably the most exciting prospect in the system. His combination of speed and power is intoxicating, and if he overcomes the swing-and-miss issues, it’s not unrealistic to think he could be a big time star in the Majors. But that’s a long way off. For now, let’s enjoy him catching fire in High-A.
Also catching fire over the weekend was right fielder/center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL), who has had an up-and-down start to his 1st full season. Last year’s 3rd-round pick was a menace in the box and on the bases this weekend, though, hitting 5-11 with a triple, a double, 4 walks, 4 stolen bases, and 2 strikeouts.
Cohen is such a fun player, with the bat-to-ball skills that we know the front office covets, the ability to play all 3 outfield spots well, and the disruption on the basepaths that we’ve all been wanting the Giants to have more of in recent years. His numbers aren’t great, given that this nice weekend ended a stretch where he’d gone 2-20 over 5 games, but still: a .725 OPS, a 110 wRC+, a higher walk rate (17.6%) than strikeout rate (14.7%), and 9 stolen bases, plus good defense, paint the picture of someone who is very adeptly handling an aggressive assignment.
He’s sharing that assignment with shortstop/designated hitter Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) who has really cooled off after a blistering introduction to the level. Kilen had a quiet weekend, hitting 2-14 with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts, which dropped his OPS to .822 and his wRC+ to 120. After hitting 10-20 with 2 homers, 3 doubles, 3 walks, and just 2 strikeouts in his 1st 5 games, Kilen has scuffled a bit in his next 9, hitting 7-40 with 0 homers, 3 doubles, 2 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Still an excellent 1st full season for last year’s 1st-round pick, but a reminder that red-hot starts usually don’t stay red hot!
Left fielder/designated hitter Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL) continues his inverse production of last season. After breaking out as a high-contact, low-power player in Low-A in 2025, Gutierrez added a whole lot of muscle (perhaps to help combat the injuries that have plagued him in his career), and to this point in the season, his profile has reversed. He played twice over the weekend and hit 3-9 with a home run and 3 strikeouts. Last year, Gutierrez had a .351 average, a 13.7% strikeout rate, and a .101 isolated slugging. But this year? Just a .209 average with an 18.0% strikeout rate, but a .233 isolated slugging. I would expect those numbers (which this year result in a .762 OPS and a 109 wRC+) to find a happy home in the middle of last year and this year, and that could be a pretty nice package for Gutierrez, who is a strong baserunner and defender.
Third baseman Walker Martin had a pretty good weekend, as he hit 4-11 with a home run, 1 walk, 3 stolen bases, and 2 strikeouts.
Martin, a recently-turned 22-year old who was taken in the 2nd round in 2023, has really shown some notable improvements with his contact. The lefty posted a terrifying 41.0% strikeout rate in his debut season in 2024 (which included a 46.3% K rate during his Low-A stint), but lowered that number to a still-very-bad-but-not-as-bad 28.4% clip in Low-A a year ago. So far after moving up a level, Walker has slashed the number further, to just 24.0%, all while posting a career-best .178 isolated slugging, en route to a .784 OPS and a 117 wRC+. Those are really encouraging signs.
The flip side is that part of what made Martin a high draft pick was his athleticism and ability to play the middle infield, but it quickly became apparent that he could not play shortstop at the professional level. He got moved to third base last year, and so far the results haven’t been very good there, either. He committed 2 errors this weekend, which gives him 6 already on the young season.
Also homering: left fielder/right fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) who went 2-13 with a solo shot and 3 strikeouts, and first baseman/second baseman Zander Darby, who hit 2-6 with a solo blast, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts, plus a stolen base. Diaz, a 20-year old righty, has a .525 OPS and a 39 wRC+ as he adjusts to a new level; Darby, a 23-year old lefty, has a .933 OPS and a 153 wRC+ as he is shining following a rough introduction to the level a year ago.
On the pitching front, it was another rough go of it for LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL), who continues to struggle to adapt to a new level following a breakout 2025. De La Torre took the mound on Sunday and simply could not find the strike zone, as he threw just 32 of 68 pitches for strikes, while walking 5 batters in only 3 innings of action, and only striking out 2. When he did find the zone, things were also bad, as LDLT ceded 4 hits — which included a home run — and got tagged for 4 earned runs, raising his ERA to 8.64 and his FIP to 7.49.
I’d stop well short of calling that worrisome, given that it’s only been 3 starts for someone who is not only getting their first taste of High-A, but who only had a very brief stay in Low-A, where he officially made just 8 appearances (though he also pitched twice in the playoffs). Still, while it’s far from entering concern territory, it is jarring to see: after having 13.2 strikeouts and 3.3 walks per 9 innings in the ACL and Low-A last season, De La Torre has just 7.6 strikeouts against 10.8 walks per 9 innings this year. Hopefully it’s just early season small sample shenanigans!
There were no such shenanigans for Friday’s starter, RHP Hunter Dryden, though he also struggled to find the zone a bit. The soon-to-turn 24-year old only threw 44 of 71 pitches for strikes, and walked 3 batters in 4 innings, but he also didn’t allow a single hit. We always like no-hit appearances here! And Dryden backed it up with 5 strikeouts, too. The 2024 17th-round pick has struggled with walks this year, as he has 7 of them in 10 innings through 3 starts, but he also allowed just 3 hits and 1 run, while striking out 14 batters, which gives him a 0.90 ERA and a 3.61 FIP. A really nice start to his 2nd season in the pros, even though the Giants will certainly be keeping a close eye on the strike-throwing abilities.
It was mostly a bad weekend for the bullpen, with all 3 relievers on Friday — and 3 of 4 relievers on Sunday — giving up runs. Saturday was excellent, though, as the extremely contrasting duo of LHP Esmerlin Vinicio and RHP Gerelmi Maldonado (No. 21 CPL) went back-to-back with excellent results. Vinicio, a recently-turned 23-year old who is built like a chopstick and has funk, gave up neither a hit nor a walk in 2.2 innings, with 1 strikeout, while throwing 21 of 31 pitches for strikes. That kept his ERA at 0.00 and brought his FIP to 2.92. Most importantly, after walking 7.8 batters per 9 innings in Eugene last year, the Dominican pitcher has walked just 1 batter in 7.1 innings. Maldonado who, on the other hand, is built like a tank and throws harder than anyone in the organization, struck out a pair of batters in a perfect inning, lowering his ERA to 4.50 and his FIP to 3.51. For better and for worse, only 4 of the 20 batters Maldonado has faced this year have put the ball in play: in 4 innings he’s issued 6 walks, but struck out 10 hitters.
Low-A San Jose (11-4)
Friday: San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6-2 [box score] Saturday: San Jose Giants lost to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 4-3 [box score] Sunday: San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 8-6 [box score]
We’re still in the small sample size theater portion of the season. I’m not sure when it ends. But I’d like to know so we can start counting down to it, and see if right fielder/center fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) is still doing this when we get there.
No one had a better weekend than Maldonado, and no one was particularly close. He got Friday off, but on Saturday hit 1-3 with a home run, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. What a good day!
But it was nothing compared to his Sunday, when the right-handed hitter, taken in the 7th round of July’s draft, went a mesmerizing 4-5 with not 1, but 2 home runs. Maldonado also threw in a double for good measure, knocked 5 runs home, and was caught stealing once.
You want to see the spitting image of a guy who has started to figure things out? Last year, after getting drafted, Maldonado played 17 games for San Jose and hit .237/.352/.339 with 0 home runs. Through 9 games this year, the 22-year old was hitting 6-34 with 0 extra-base hits.
And in the last 4 games? He’s 10-17 with 6 home runs and 2 doubles. And in case you missed the news portion of this article, he won Cal League Player of the Week. No duh.
With that absurd string of games, the Northeastern product is up to an 1.123 OPS and a 170 wRC+. It’s earlier than early, but the 2025 draft class is sure looking rosy for the Giants right now.
While Maldonado was the biggest star, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) remains the top prospect on the team, and while he didn’t have his most dynamic pair of games (he sat on Sunday), that’s only because he’s set the bar impossibly high. Because my goodness did he still have a phenomenal weekend, hitting 2-8 with a grand slam and 2 strikeouts.
Second career grand slam for Jhonny Level is a moonshot! 🌕
The just-turned 19-year old continues to look too good for a level that he is very young for. That doesn’t mean the Giants will be promoting him anytime soon, but if you’re a prospect the best thing you can do is dominate a level, and he is thoroughly and unquestionably doing exactly that. There are 68 Cal League hitters with at least 40 plate appearances, and Level is 1st in batting average (.412), 4th in on-base percentage (.455), 1st in slugging percentage (.804), 1st in isolated slugging (.392, tied with Maldonado), 1st in OPS (1.258), 1st in wRC+ (205, with the next-closest player being 179), and 19th in strikeout rate (20.0%). Just an absurd season thus far.
It was a star weekend for San Jose, as there weren’t a lot of notable performances, but there were a few absolute standout showings, namely from Maldonado, Level, and one pitcher: RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL).
Cayama, who had a breakout 2025 in the Complex League but ran into some standard troubles upon a late-season promotion to San Jose had a spectacular start on Friday, tossing 5 shutout innings with just 2 hits and 0 walks allowed, while striking out 4 batters. That’s the Cayama we’ve been waiting to see!
The 19-year old looks noticeably more physical this year, and the results are starting to reflect it. He got knocked around a bit in his season debut, but in the last 2 games has pitched 9 innings with 6 hits, 0 walks, 1 run, and 12 strikeouts. The 2025 breakout players on offense have done much better to start the year than the 2025 breakout players on the mound, so it’s nice to see Cayama holding it down for the arms. He could get a whole lot of attention this year if he keeps this up.
LHP Braydon Risley, last year’s 19th-round selection, started on Saturday and had some good and some bad. In the former category was the 6 strikeouts he had in 4 innings, against just 1 walk. In the latter category was the pair of home runs he allowed, though he only gave up 3 hits and 2 runs total. Risley has started his debut season with 13 strikeouts against just 3 walks in 9.1 innings.
One really nice relief appearance in each game: on Friday, RHP Alix Hernandez struck out a batter in a 9-pitch perfect inning, keeping his ERA at 0.00 with a 2.44 FIP, and giving him 9 strikeouts against 1 walk in 6.1 innings; on Saturday, RHP Mauricio Estrella tossed 3 perfect frames with 4 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 3.38 and his FIP to 1.81, while giving him 12 strikeouts in 8 innings … and 0 walks; and on Sunday, RHP Garrett Langrell needed just 10 pitches to retire all 4 batters he faced, dipping his ERA to 2.84 and his FIP to 3.71, with 8 strikeouts and 1 walk in 6.1 innings.
The window to enter the transfer portal closes on Tuesday, April 21, although numerous top-tier players remain uncommitted in men's college basketball.
The transfer portal opened at midnight on Tuesday, April 7, just a few hours after Michigan won the national championship game over UConn. Nearly 4,800 players have entered the transfer portal since, according to a USA TODAY Network source.
Former Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic is USA TODAY's No. 1-ranked player to have entered the transfer portal this offseason, although the sharpshooter could be off to the NBA draft. Momcilovic entered the 2026 NBA Draft while retaining his eligibility and entering the transfer portal simultaneously.
Players can still sign with their new school outside of the two-week transfer portal window, although only if they entered their name during the period. It could still be a few days before the top players are wrapped up.
Here's a look at our top uncommitted players in the men's college basketball transfer portal:
John Brice contributed to this story.
Transfer portal rankings: Top uncommitted players in men's college basketball
Rankings as of 4:46 p.m. ET on Monday, April 20
1. Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Iowa State forward Milan Momicilovic entered the transfer portal on April 12, and instantly became the top player available thanks to his length and 3-point shooting ability. The 6-foot-8 junior averaged 16.9 points per game last season while shooting an NCAA-leading 48.7% from distance, which was 1.6% better than Liberty's Brett Decker Jr., who had the second-best mark.
Momcilovic has 101 starts in 102 career games for the Cyclones, and led the No. 2-seeded team in scoring this season. He's also entering his name in the 2026 NBA Draft while in the portal.
2. Juke Harris, Wake Forest
Sophomore guard Juke Harris took a massive leap in 2025-26, going from 6.1 points per game off the bench as a true freshman to one of the ACC's top scorers at 21.4 points per game as a sophomore. The 6-foot-7 guard also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, and shot 33.2% from 3-point range on 7.5 attempts per game.
Harris offers elite length at guard and also top-tier scoring ability, making him one of the top available players. He has been linked to Michigan, having taken a visit to the national champions, but has yet to commit, at least publicly.
Santa Clara forward Allen Graves previously declared for the NBA draft before later entering the transfer portal April 10.
The 6-foot-9 true freshman averaged 11.8 points with 6.5 rebounds per game this season off the bench, but he established himself as one of the best mid-major players late in the year. He scored 17 points with seven rebounds and a block in Santa Clara's NCAA Tournament loss to Kentucky, even making a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds before Kentucky's Otega Oweh forced overtime.
Graves has three seasons of eligibility left and is already on the NBA draft radar, making him an enticing prospect.
4. Massamba Diop, Arizona State
Arizona State center Massamba Diop emerged as one of the top rim-protecting big men in the Big 12 this season despite being a true freshman, averaging 2.1 blocks per game. The 7-foot-1 former 3-star prospect from Senegal also averaged 13.6 points with 5.8 rebounds per game.
The market for top-tier big men is expensive, and Diop will be near the top.
5. Paulius Murauskus, Saint Mary's
Paulius Murauskus was one of the most productive-scoring big men in college basketball last season, averaging 18.4 points with 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a second-year starter for Saint Mary's. He also shot 33.3% from 3-point range.
The 6-foot-8 former Arizona transfer started 67 games across two seasons with the Gaels, helping lead the program to No. 7 seed selections in the NCAA Tournament in both years. His former Saint Mary's coach, Randy Bennett, is now at Arizona State, which could be an option for one of the top uncommitted players.
He's also reportedly an option for Louisville, who's looking to pair Murauskus with Flory Bidunga, the No. 1-ranked center to enter the portal this offseason.
6. John Blackwell, Wisconsin
Another productive scorer, former Wisconsin guard John Blackwell has a long list of suitors thanks to his offensive prowess.
The All-Big Ten third-team selection last season averaged 19.1 points with 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season, despite playing second fiddle to Nick Boyd, Wisconsin's leading scorer. The 6-foot-4 junior has one season of eligibility left, and scored 22 points in the Badgers' NCAA Tournament upset loss to High Point.
7. Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati
Former Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam has elite size and shot-blocking ability, making him one of the best bg men available. The 7-foot-2, 250-pound center averaged 12.8 points with 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game last season for the Bearcats after transferring from UCF.
Thiam has 65 career starts and still has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
8. Donnie Freeman, Syracuse
Former five-star recruit Donnie Freeman opted to not return to Syracuse after it fired Adrian Autry and hired former Orange legend Gerry McNamara as his replacement.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 16.5 points with 7.2 rebounds per game last season, and is one of the top power forward options in the transfer portal. He's been tied to numerous blue-blood programs, with St. John's reportedly making a push for him to help replace Bryce Hopkins and Zuby Ejiofor.
9. Terrence Brown, Utah
Terrence Brown showed he can score at the Power Four level last season at Utah, averaging 19.9 points per game in his first season after leaving Fairleigh Dickinson.
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 20.6 points per game at FDU as a sophomore, and brings one season of eligibility to his new team. He has been linked with numerous top-tier programs like North Carolina and others.
10. Paul McNeil, NC State
Paul McNeil is one of the best shooters in the transfer portal, as he shot 42.7% from distance last season on 7.2 attempts per game. The former NC State guard also averaged 13.6 points per game.
The 6-foot-5 sophomore scored a career-high 47 points in a nonconference game against Texas Southern in December, making 11 3-pointers while securing 10 rebounds. He'd be an elite shooting option next to an established point guard at his next school.
Former NC State coach Will Wade left the Wolfpack for LSU, and it'll be interesting to see if McNeil is an option for the Tigers.
While Brooklyn has won just 46 games across the last two seasons, coach Jordi Fernandez has impressed. He motivated players and got them to play hard, he ran clever sets to utilize the talent he did have, so much so that general manager Sean Marks had to keep trading away players so they wouldn't win so much. If Fernandez were made available, he would jump to the top of the list for almost every coaching search.
Which is why the Nets locked down Fernandez and his entire coaching staff with multyear extensions, the Nets announced Monday.
OUR COACH
The Brooklyn Nets have signed Head Coach Jordi Fernández and his entire coaching staff to multi-year contract extensions. pic.twitter.com/nyJiUsZM6d
"Jordi is a tremendous leader who, along with his coaching staff, put his stamp on this franchise from the moment he arrived in Brooklyn," Marks said in a statement announcing the extension. "Over his first two seasons, Jordi has built a strong foundation rooted in player development, a competitive spirit and honest communication, all of which have been embraced throughout our roster. The energy and passion the entire staff relentlessly pour into our players reverberates throughout the organization, and we are excited to have this group continue to lead our franchise into the future."
Fernandez, a native of Spain, got the Brooklyn job following 15 years working as an assistant coach in Cleveland, Denver and Sacramento.
Brooklyn's front office is looking to turn the ship around, which starts with this year's NBA draft. While it was a rough 20-62 season, Brooklyn ended it with the league's third-worst record, meaning it has a 14% chance of the No. 1 pick and a 52.1% chance of landing in the top four. The Nets used all five of their first-round picks a year ago, but the rookies' seasons were a bit disappointing, with the possible exception of Egor Demin, who showed promise. That said, the Nets need a foundational talent to build around and are counting on the draft to provide it.
SLAMMING THE DOOR: The Cubs allowed 13 runs at Philadelphia last Monday. Since then, they have allowed 13 more in five games. Yesterday was the first game of the season in which they have up one run. They have given up two in nine games and had one shutout, for a total of 11 games with two or fewer runs. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE MOISES FILES: In his 38 big league games, Moises Ballesteros has a batting average of .327, with 33 hits in 101 at bats. Only seven players who made their debuts as a Cub since 1898 have had a higher average through 38 games with at least 101 AB — just one of them in the last 78 years: .370: Bill Everitt, 1898; .358: Dwight Smith, 1989; .355: Bill Lange, 1898; .348: Ray Grimes, 1921; .344: Bobby Mattick, 1938-39; .333: Hal Jeffcoat, 1948, and Andy Pafko, 1943-44. Geovany Soto also batted .327 (37 for 113). (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
HEY, THIS GUY’S BEEN PRETTY GOOD: Hoby Milner, last seven games since March 31: 0.00 ERA, 0.818 WHIP, faced 25 batters and retired 20 of them.
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Sammy Sosa’s ninth-inning grand slam put the exclamation point on an 8-2 win over the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Jon Lieber threw eight scoreless innings. It happened 25 years ago today, Friday, April 20, 2001.
This is essentially a pitching rematch of last Tuesday in Philadelphia, although Colin Rea didn’t start that game, Riley Martin did as an opener.
After that, though, Rea threw six really good innings, his only mistake a home run ball to Edmundo Sosa. Rea didn’t walk anyone and struck out five. One more like that, please.
The Cubs hit Aaron Nola pretty well last week in Philadelphia, eight hits, two walks and three runs in five innings. I’d say another one like that, plus a good Rea outing, would equal another win.
Please visit our SB Nation Phillies site The Good Phight. If you do go there to interact with Phillies 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.
