DENVER — Cole Carrigg’s helmet flew off as he kicked it into high gear around the bases. He slid headfirst into third base and looked toward the Colorado Rockies dugout before breaking into a little dance.
The first hit in his major league debut goes down as a triple.
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Carrigg said after the Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 7-3. “I love pushing it and going for three. Oh man, it was really awesome. It was the best feeling in the world.”
Carrigg brings speed to the diamond and an aura of fearlessness to go with it.
No way he’s dialing it back, either. Nor do the Rockies want him to. The outfielder who now wears No. 16 — it was assigned to him — finished his debut 1 for 3 with a walk. Carrigg became the second Rockies player to have a triple as their first big league hit, joining Ryan Ritter, who accomplished the feat last season.
“As soon as it got by the first baseman, I’m thinking three for sure,” Carrigg said of his fifth-inning grounder down the line in right field.
This prospect doesn’t hold back.
“He plays with his hair on fire,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “We just want that to continue up here. Anytime he’s on the baseball field, anything can happen. Just want him to play without fear, have fun, play free, and just let his skills shine.”
Carrigg was the fifth Rockies player to make their big league debut this season. He had a handful of family members, including mom and dad, along with friends and coaches in the stands to cheer.
He treated them to quite a show, too. He was doused with the contents of a Powerade bucket after the game.
“The nerves were running pretty high,” Carrigg said. “This is what I’ve worked for my whole entire life. If you’re not nervous for that moment, you’re not human.”
He got a glimpse of this level during the World Baseball Classic while playing shortstop for Team Israel. He said facing Venezuela and Ronald Acuña Jr. in front of more than 20,000 fans certainly was an eye-opening experience.
“As loud as I could have ever imagined,” said Carrigg, who was selected in the second round of the 2023 amateur draft from San Diego State. “It definitely got me prepared, for sure.”
The 24-year-old was in the midst of quite a season for Triple-A Albuquerque, hitting .338 with 15 doubles, five triples, six homers, 42 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. He played outfield and mixed in some shortstop, too.
This after after a spring training in which he hit .387 and made a compelling case to possibly be on the Rockies roster. He just went to work.
“I think when you feel like you have a chance to be up here and a chance to help the team, and you know you’re kind of playing well, it’s hard not to look up here,” Carrigg said. “It’s hard to stay where your feet are. But I think that’s the best thing you can do is just keep using those opportunities in Triple-A to make sure that you’re ready for when you get here.”
He officially found out about his promotion over the weekend in front of his Isotopes teammates. Then again, he had an inkling the moment was about to arrive. Or, his teammate, Adael Amador, did anyway.
“Adael came up to me in the fifth inning of the game and he’s like, `I think you’re getting called up, bro,’” Carrigg said. “I’m like, `What do you mean?’ He’s like, ‘I got a feeling.’ He had a feeling.”
About No. 16: Turns out one of his father’s favorite players, Bo Jackson, donned that number while with the Kansas City Royals.
“That’s the first thing he said and I’m like, ‘That’s a pretty good number to have,’” Carrigg recounted.
Schaeffer was eager to see how Carrigg’s skills translate in the big leagues.
“I mean, listen, he can run, he can hit from both sides and he can play instinctual center field, plays good shortstop, he steals bases,” said Schaeffer, who plans to use Carrigg as an outfielder. “A lot of people do that, but there’s not a lot of people that do that without fear. That’s part of his game.
“It’s one thing to have the tools, it’s another thing to use them, and he’s a guy that uses them.”
Apr 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (15) greets second baseman Brandon Lowe (left) crossing home plate on a three run home run against the Washington Nationals during the sixth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Pirates fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
There’s a little over a third of the season in the books, with the Pittsburgh Pirates sitting at 34-33. They’ve been wobbling back and forth between .500 and a few games over all season. However, it’s better baseball overall than we’ve seen in a while, minus some hiccups.
What we want to know is, who do you consider to be the Bucs MVP with a third of the season in the books?
There’s some newcomers, a stud pitcher, a guy finally coming into his own at the plate. You decide.
We’ll be back soon with the results. Thanks for voting!
PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 09: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after recording his 2,500th hit in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on June 9, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“It does mean a lot,” Freeman told reporters in Pittsburgh after his 2,500th hit, as shown on SportsNet LA. “There’s always another [milestone] to get to, but to step back and realize how long you have to play, the consistency over the course of that, to play at a high level for many, many years to get there, it does mean a lot.”
Freeman is the first new member of the 2,500-hit club since Robinson Canó on May 7, 2019 while with the New York Mets. The 2010s were a fruitful decade in gaining new members to this exclusive club, with 11 players getting their 2,500th hit between 2010-19.
There have been double-digit players reaching 2,500 career hits every decade dating back to the 1970s, topping out at 14 players between 2000-09.
Decade
No.
Players
1890s
2
Cap Anson, Jim O’Rourke
1900s
8
Jake Beckley, Jesse Burkett, Lave Cross, George Davis, Ed Delahanty, Willie Keeler, Jimmy Ryan, George Van Haltren
1910s
5
Fred Clarke, Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, Nap Lajoie, Honus Wagner
1920s
6
Max Carey, Eddie Collins, Rogers Hornsby, George Sisler, Tris Speaker, Zack Wheat
1930s
11
Frankie Frisch, Lou Gehrig, Charlie Gehringer, Goose Goslin, Harry Heilmann, Heinie Manush, Rabbit Maranville, Sam Rice, Babe Ruth, Al Simmons, Paul Waner
Luis Aparicio, Lou Brock, Willie Davis, Al Kaline, Vada Pinson, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Pete Rose, Billy Williams, Carl Yastzemski
1980s
11
Buddy Bell, George Brett, Bill Buckner, Rod Carew, Steve Garvey, Reggie Jackson, Joe Morgan, Al Oliver, Tony Pérez, Rusty Staub, Robin Yount
1990s
11
Harold Baines, Wade Boggs, Andre Dawson, Tony Gwynn, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Cal Ripken Jr., Dave Winfield
2000s
14
Roberto Alomar, Garret Anderson, Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Steve Finley, Julio Franco, Luis Gonzalez, Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodríguez Iván Rodríguez, Gary Sheffield, Omar Vizquel
2010s
11
Carlos Beltrán, Adrian Beltré, Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Canó, Johnny Damon, Vladimir Guerrero, Todd Helton, Chipper Jones, Albert Pujols, Manny Ramírez, Ichiro Suzuki
2020s
1
Freddie Freeman
Freeman is the first player to reach 2,500 hits in the 2020s, and we’re already in our seventh season of this 10-year stretch.
Jose Altuve is next in line on the active career leaderboard, with 2,430 hits. The Houston Astros second baseman will likely reach 2,500 hits at some point later this season. But the rest of the active hit leaderboard quickly runs out of steam when it comes to potential players reaching 2,500 hits by the end of 2029.
MLB active hit leaders
Freddie Freeman 2,500 hits
Jose Altuve 2,430 hits
Andrew McCutchen 2,280 hits (39 years old, released by Rangers on May 28)
Paul Goldschmidt 2,229 hits (turns 39 in Septmber)
Manny Machado 2,109 hits (turns 34 in July)
Nolan Arenado 1,973 hits (age 35, had 453 hits since start of 2023, ~3.5 years)
Carlos Santana 1,882 hits (age 40)
Xander Bogaerts 1,874 hits (age 33, last had 170 hits in a season in 2023)
Of that group, Altuve and Machado look likely to reach 2,500 hits in the next three-plus seasons, and maybe Arenado depending on how he finishes out this year. Bogaerts and Harper still very well could reach 2,500 hits, but perhaps not until 2030 or later.
The 2020s might end up being the decade that sees the fewest new entrants to the 2,500-hit club since the 1950s, when only two players did so. They were upper-echelon Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Ted Williams, so maybe it’s not all bad to be in such select company.
LAS VEGAS — Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal chose the simple approach to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final with Carolina trailing in the best-of-seven series.
But, the 20-year veteran’s winning goal was anything but simple. Then again, considering how he has played against the Vegas Golden Knights in this series, perhaps it was.
With the game tied at 3 in the third period, Staal’s sprawling backhand shot while in the air with 13:29 left beat Vegas’ Carter Hart and found the back of the net for his second score of the game, and it held up as the winner in the 5-3 victory.
“For a second, I wasn’t sure if it exactly went in, and I heard everyone go quiet,” said Staal, who lay face down on the ice after his acrobatic goal. “I heard some guys yelling. I was in my own world. It was an incredible moment, obviously, and just let a big yell go and then celebrated with the guys.”
It was yet another big moment that Staal found a way to spark his team when it needed it most.
The 37-year-old, who has five goals in the series, said as long as the wild and zany series that has been defined by “no lead is safe,” the Hurricanes have to pounce on every opportunity.
“There are fine lines of making plays, and we have to make big plays, there’s no question,” Staal said. “But it’s a simple game that we can run, and when you know when they maybe call uncle, and you jump on it. And that’s what they’ve done to us very well, as well. It’s just kind of a back-and-forth kind of stress game, and who can do it better.”
In Game 4, that was Carolina.
The Hurricanes came out with a sense of urgency by taking a 2-0 lead early to set the tone, and dominated the shots on goal, 23-12 after two periods, and then withstood Vegas’ late surge before Staal’s heroics.
The series is tied at 2 and returns to Carolina for Game 5.
That’s how long the Golden Knights have to figure out how to stop Staal from adding to his scoring tally.
“He’s killing us in front of the net, Staal,” Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said. “So, we have got to do a better job around the blue.”
Staal became the first player since Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders in 1982 to score a goal in each of the first four games of the final.
Staal also tied the second-longest playoff goal streak in franchise history, behind teammate Logan Stankoven, who set the record at five earlier this postseason.
He said he isn’t concerned with milestones, though, or the fact that he has 11 points in these playoffs, including seven goals.
“I don’t think big picture right now, it’s too hard to think like that,” Staal said. “It’s just like, my goodness, it’s the next shift, next play, next game, next everything. And that’s all that’s running through my brain, is how do we get two more wins.
CLEVELAND — Jazz Chisholm Jr. once again showed why he relishes being the opposing player fans love to hate.
The flashy second baseman quieted chants of “overrated” in Cleveland with a home run in the eighth inning that sent the New York Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Guardians.
“I love it. Kind of. I feel like that was the loudest chants all day we heard, so I think it was great,” Chisholm said.
Chisholm admitted the chants got him a little too riled up in the fifth, when he overswung at a couple of pitches and struck out.
He fell behind 0-2 against reliever Tim Herrin leading off the eighth before laying off a couple of pitches and working a full count. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Chisholm got a slider in the upper corner of the strike zone and drove it 360 feet into the right-field stands to put the Yankees back on top.
It was Chisholm’s fourth career go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later and his first since 2022 with the Miami Marlins.
“I swung at the first pitch and realized that it was going to be tough to hit the slider on the outside corner. So I was just waiting on a ball to start right at me. I got one and handled it,” Chisholm said. “He’s a good pitcher and doesn’t really miss the spot. So for him to miss in that situation right there in that spot, it’s just like a huge sigh of relief.”
Chisholm waited until the towering drive landed in the seats before leaving the batter’s box and beginning his trot around the bases. He celebrated rounding third near the Guardians’ dugout as he heard mostly boos from Cleveland’s supporters but some cheers from Yankees fans in attendance.
“You’re still in that mode of getting after it, so that’s what was going through my head at the time,” Chisholm said.
It also was the second consecutive home run Chisholm has hit with one of Aaron Judge’s bats, which is slightly longer and weighs an ounce more than the bats he normally uses.
Chisholm said he went back to Judge’s timber due to overswinging during his three earlier at-bats.
Chisholm is only 4 for 24 in June, but three of his hits have been home runs. The three homers in the last six games have also come after Cleveland radio play-by-play announcer Tom Hamilton made a quip about Chisholm’s appearance on “The Tonight Show” despite struggling at the plate that generated some traction on social media.
“Pretty amazing he got on the Jimmy Fallon Show batting .239,” Hamilton said about Chisholm on June 2 when the Guardians were in New York.
It was one of Hamilton’s classic one-liners that has made him a Hall of Fame announcer, but whenever the comment involves someone from New York, especially when they are wearing pinstripes, it tends to resonate.
That might also be why Yankees manager Aaron Boone might have had extra appreciation for Chisholm enjoying his trot around the bases.
“I love them, I really do. Those I like,” Boone said.
By all accounts, the San Diego Padres should have won Tuesday night’s game. With the bases loaded in the sixth inning, the Friars grounded into an inning-ending double play. With runners on first and second in the eighth, the Cincinnati Reds struck out Samad Taylor before inducing a flyout from Jase Bowen to end the inning.
But the biggest situation came in the bottom of the ninth, where three consecutive singles loaded the bases with one out for the Padres. Manny Machado struck out to bring up Gavin Sheets. Sheets promptly struck out as well to send the game to bonus baseball.
San Diego quickly tied the game in the 10th on an RBI-single from Taylor. But they wouldn’t get any more than that, setting up a dramatic 11th inning. The Reds’ Sal Stewart slugged a two-run shot against Yuki Matsui that would be the difference maker.
That said, this was a productive game for the Friars. The superstars showed up tonight, with Fernando Tatis Jr., Machado and Jackson Merrill going 8-for-17 at the plate. Unfortunately, that production didn’t translate into a win for San Diego. They’ll now face off against Cincinnati in the rubber match today.
Taking the mound
Brady Singer (CIN) v. Michael King (SD)
Singer spent the 2025 season as a productive back-end starter for the Reds but has not been the same in ‘26. Through 55 innings, Singer owns a 5.89 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and an incredibly high .316 opponent batting average.
Most of the Friars haven’t faced the righty, so Cincinnati will be hoping that it takes some time to figure him out. San Diego will need to put up runs quick to take the rubber match and win their first series of June.
On the other side, King has been San Diego’s ace through this season. Despite a recent rough stretch, the righty has posted a 3.41 ERA through 74 innings. His last three starts have been tough, giving up 13 runs in just 15 2/3 innings.
Unlike Singer, King has faced a majority of the Cincinnati lineup. He’s had success against most of them, but catcher Tyler Stephenson boasts a .286 batting average and a team-high seven at-bats against the righty.
Batter up!
Samad Taylor has looked fantastic in his first week with San Diego. Across 11 at-bats, the speedster boasts a .364 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage. It’s a small sample, but he’s been a veritable spark for a Padres’ offense that had gone dark.
Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Gavin Sheets, DH
Ty France, 1B
Samad Taylor, LF
Jase Bowen, RF
Sung-Mun Song, SS
Rodolfo Durán, C
The stars showed up last night, but the rest of the lineup didn’t do much to help. The Padres went a blistering 3-for-20 with RISP, cutting short any hope of scoring opportunities. They’ll need to do much better tonight to win the series.
Relief corps
With the game going into extras (and Lucas Giolito going just four innings), the Friars’ bullpen looks pretty depleted after last night. David Morgan, Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam, Mason Miller, Bradgley Rodriguez and Matsui covered a total of seven innings to finish out the game.
That leaves just Ron Marinaccio and Wandy Peralta in the ‘pen for the Friars. Thankfully, King has a track record of working deeper into games than most of the San Diego rotation. The Padres hope he’ll be able to do so against a middling Cincinnati lineup.
Here’s my trio of top MLB same-game parlay predictions for three night games Wednesday, June 10.
The MLB picks begin with the Arizona Diamondbacks taking down the Miami Marlins and wrap up with the nightcap between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels tonight.
Arizona star Corbin Carroll has hit the Over in this market in 19 of his past 26 games, and he’s also posted a monster .375 wOBA against righties since the beginning of 2025.
Turning to Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson, he’s dipped to a 16.8 K% across his past seven starts while throwing fewer fastballs and adding a sinker to his pitch mix. It’s a clear recipe for success with his solid 2.89 ERA and 0.99 WHIP during the stretch, too.
The final leg is uncorrelated to boost the odds, and Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sports an elite .318 batting average against southpaws since the beginning of the 2024 campaign.
Neto and Peraza both hit in the top half of the Los Angeles lineup and check in with respective .372 and .375 wOBAs against right-handed arms this season.
While Angels starter Reid Detmers sports an impressive 28.5 K% this season, I’m anticipating him having a tougher time racking up punchouts with the Houston Astros ranking sixth in wOBA while striking out at the fourth-lowest clip against southpaws.
This SGP is in play to +425.
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ABTV, SCHN
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
SGP picks: 5-13, +5.2 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes was bored and driving through the northern Pittsburgh suburbs — a rare in-season off day — when the Pirates ace caught the familiar lights of a baseball field out of the corner of his eye.
The next thing the reigning NL Cy Young winner knew, he was circling the parking lot, searching for a spot. Not long after, one of the brightest stars in the game was watching various Ingomar Little League teams practice.
The 24-year-old star tried to stay “incognito,” which is kind of hard to do in general when you’re 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds and one of the brightest young stars in your sport. Soon enough, Skenes found his way onto the field in sandals, a T-shirt, and a pair of shorts, a sure sign that the typically well put-together Skenes hadn’t planned on stopping in the first place.
Over the next two hours, he played catch, signed autographs, and remembered a time in his life when his relationship with the game was far simpler.
The impromptu practice went viral, as things tend to do when Skenes is involved. His girlfriend, former gymnast turned influencer and actress Livvy Dunne, shared it on TikTok. A popular Pittsburgh DJ did the same on Instagram.
Skenes has learned to accept that attention comes with the territory, even when he’s trying to avoid it.
“Should’ve worn some sunglasses and a fake moustache,” he joked.
Yes, Skenes is well aware of the core memory he created for the players at Ingomar Little League, about 20ish minutes north of PNC Park. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Garrett Anderson did the same for Skenes when the two briefly connected while Skenes was growing up in Southern California.
Yet just as importantly, with the Pirates in the midst of a losing streak that stretched to four after they were drilled 12-2 loss by Los Angeles — when the Dodgers exploded for 10 runs in the seventh immediately after Skenes departed — it offered Skenes a reminder of why he does what he does for a living.
“I went to watch some baseball, but you got to remember it’s just a game,” Skenes said. “There’s a lot of things that make it a business. It’s work. It’s a job for us, for sure, on some days more than others, but you got to remember you love the game and why you started playing it in the first place.”
Particularly during the times when that love can feel elusive during a difficult stretch like the one Skenes is in at the moment.
Despite limiting the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers to two runs over six innings and retiring four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani all three times he faced him, Skenes remained winless over his last five starts after the bullpen imploded behind him.
Is Skenes in a slump? Only in comparison to the remarkably high bar he has set during his rapid ascent to one of the best pitchers in baseball. His ERA since May 17 is a pedestrian 4.50, more than double his career ERA up to that point.
Things were a little better, a little sharper against the Dodgers than they have been of late. He recorded seven strikeouts, and Los Angeles swung and missed at more than 15 of the 103 pitches he threw.
Skenes’ fastball largely went where he wanted, when he wanted, and if Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe can knock down a sharp grounder that instead deflected off his glove and into the outfield with two outs in the sixth that allowed Freddie Freeman to score and tie the game, Skenes might have exited with the lead.
Not that it mattered in the end. The 10-spot the Dodgers put up in the seventh made sure of that.
Still, Skenes is trying to keep things in perspective. The season is long. Every team struggles at some point. He is trying his best to remain focused on the process.
Asked why his fastball — which now sits more in the 97 mph range after frequently topping 100 as a rookie two years ago — looked better than it has in a while, he shrugged.
“Just a good day, I think,” he said. “Kinda comes and goes as the season goes. Just a good day with that.”
The lobs he threw to the Little Leaguers didn’t have nearly that kind of velocity. They might have as much meaning, however, over the arc of a season that can sometimes feel more like a slog than a dream come true.
“We’ve all played those sandlot fields when we were nine,” he said, later adding, “The game looks different when it’s 200-foot fences and there are no ads out there, no fans out there, just playing for the love of the game.”
Can the Spurs continue the trend of the visiting team winning every game in this year's Finals? Or will the Knicks bounce back and put aside any outside distractions to take a commanding 3-1 series lead?
The Vancouver Canucks have parted ways with Senior Advisor and Pro Scout Dale Tallon, according to Rob Williams of DailyHive.
On Monday, some noticed that Tallon’s name had been taken off the Canucks’ team staff page. Later, the Canucks confirmed to DailyHive that the former Canuck’s contract ends this season and that they would be opting not to renew it.
Tallon’s first stint in the NHL was with the Canucks, with the former defenceman playing for Vancouver for three years including their inaugural season in 1970. He then joined the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1973–74 season, also playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1978 to 1980 to round out his playing career.
Vancouver brought Tallon on as a Senior Advisor and Scout in the 2022–23 season, occupying the role up until the end of this year. Previously, he spent time as Director of Player Personnel (1998 to 2003), Assistant General Manager (2002 to 2005), General Manager (2005 to 2009), and Senior Advisor (2009–10) for the Blackhawks. Later, he moved on to the Florida Panthers organization, where he acted as Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations (2010 to 2016), President of Hockey Operations (2016 to 2019), and General Manager (2010 to 2020).
March 7, 2008; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks former players Eddie Olczyk (left) Doug Wilson (24) and Dale Tallon (19) stand with Kevin Magnuson (3) during a ceremony honoring the careers of legends Bobby Hull (not pictured) and Stan Mikita (not pictured) before a game against the San Jose Sharks at the United Center. The Sharks beat the Blackhawks 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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CHICAGO — Atlanta star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. left a 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox with tightness in his left hamstring.
Acuña pulled up and was limping after trying to beat out a grounder to Chicago third baseman Miguel Vargas in the fourth inning.
Eli White replaced Acuña. The Braves announced the initial diagnosis of the hamstring tightness.
It is Acuña’s second left hamstring injury of the season. He was on the 10-day injured list from May 3-18 with a strained left hamstring also suffered when attempting to run out a grounder.
Braves manager Walt Weiss said this injury does not appear to be as serious as the strained hamstring in May.
“It doesn’t seem as bad as the last one,” Weiss said, adding the team considers Acuña’s status to be day to day.
“We’ve got our fingers crossed, hoping this one is not too bad,” Weiss said.
Weiss said Acuña will have an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.
“It’s certainly not as bad as the the last one,” Weiss said. “It’s the same leg, but we’re gonna hold off and see how he feels tomorrow.”
Acuña told reporters after the game the injury did not feel as serious.
“This one ... I don’t really feel any pain, I just feel a little bit tight, so we’ll see what happens with the MRI tomorrow,” he said.
Acuña, the 2023 NL MVP and a five-time All-Star, also has suffered two serious knee injuries in his career. He suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in May 2024. Acuña tore his right ACL midway through the 2021 season.
The 28-year-old Acuña is hitting .251 with seven homers and 22 RBIs.
We were traveling through southern Missouri last week. Interesting country. Super nice people. Loved the scenery.
On Highway 160, we drove past what appeared to be an old salvage yard, and on the chain-link fence was a sign that said:
Business closed
Do not enter
Dog will bite
I loved the simplicity of that sign. “Dog will bite” was a nice touch. I immediately thought about the 2026 Royals. If you think fans are not bought into their favorite team, think again.
What does that sign have to do with the current edition of the Royals?
For one, they are a bit of a salvage yard. Every offseason, the front office convinces itself that it can resurrect the careers of aging players on the downslope of the game. It rarely works out. I can think of a few in the past. Raul Ibanez worked out nicely. Same with Jeff Francoeur. They squeezed a few games out of Jose Lima. The problem is those guys last played here well over a decade ago. The Royals have a handful of those guys clogging up the roster.
Second, business does appear to be closed. This season has been a dumpster fire since Opening Day. Here we are, in the first week of June, and any playoff hopes we had before the season have long been vanquished. You’d think some heads would roll, but you’d be wrong about that. Ladies and gentlemen, this business appears to be closed.
Forget for a moment that they’re a terrible hitting team. Forget for another moment that their bullpen starts more fires than an arsonist. They run the bases worse than some of the 12-year-olds I’ve coached, and occasionally, they forget how to field the ball.
Say what you will, but they’re consistent.
The general manager who assembled this ill-fitting puzzle remains. So do the manager and coaches. And the scouting department. The hitting and pitching coaches seem to have lifetime employment. I’m exasperated. Are you exasperated?
I’m not sure if the team’s lack of performance will eventually affect attendance. Do not enter.
Will the dog bite? Doesn’t look like it. The Royals’ top dogs appear to be napping. GMJJ isn’t biting anyone. His comments to the media have taken on a surreal Baghdad Bob quality:
“I have a lot of confidence in our staff. There’s not a lot of strong data on changing coaching staffs midseason leading to what you need to do. It appeases the fan base because you’ve made a change, but we have to be logical in our thinking.”
Really? Are we even watching the same team? I write this when the Royals are mired in a brutal losing streak. Naturally, as the baseball Gods would have it, the story runs while the Royals are on a mini-heater.
Owner John Sherman could clean house, and perhaps he’s thinking about it. The losing has to be grating on him. He’s a Kansas City guy and a baseball fan. I can’t imagine that he’s happy with what he’s seen. So far, he’s not biting anyone yet, either.
I like Sherman. It’s fashionable right now to hate on wealthy people, but envy and jealousy are ugly emotions. Sherman and his wife are active in the metro community, and that’s admirable. I can remember a time after Ewing Kauffman’s death when we couldn’t find a local with enough money to buy the team. Sherman is a Kansas City guy, he has the wealth to own the team long term, and I don’t question his love for the Royals. We may disagree with his approach, but I’m glad we have him.
He takes some arrows for not spending enough on talent, but look at the Mets. Their owner has spent a pile, and where are they? As of this writing, the Mets are 29-36. Do you think their fans are happy?
If Sherman were to clean house, who would they hire as replacements? I have no idea. Even worse, do you trust the Royals’ decision-makers enough to believe they won’t screw it up worse?
Quick quiz: Who is the best GM the Royals have ever had? That would be Cedric Tallis, whose tenure ran from 1968 to 1974.
Who was their best manager? This is debatable. Many will say Ned Yost. He did win a World Series, but over his 16-year managerial career, he was just a .477 manager. My vote goes to Whitey Herzog, but Bob Lemon deserves some consideration.
Who was their worst manager? Take your pick; there are six or seven strong candidates.
Two years ago, I would have advocated for Terry Francona, but the Reds snapped him up. Prior to the season, I made a vow to myself that I wasn’t going to get emotionally involved with this team and was just going to enjoy the summer, win or lose. Easier said than done.
This road trip eventually led us to Kansas City. We went to the Arabia Steamboat Museum and loved every bit of it. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend making a stop. Kansas City has some terrific museums, and this one is as good as any in the metro area. The staff is top-notch.
On the drive to the museum, I got a chance to look over the future home of Royals Stadium. It’s hard to imagine all that concrete and metal somehow fitting into that space, but they’ll make it happen, and it’ll be terrific when it’s done.
I will miss Royals/Kauffman Stadium. Most of us will. It’s a special place, a place where many of us attended our first games. We’ve had our share of heartbreak, and there have been some fun times. The stadium itself is still beautiful, one of the best in the game, but it is in its 54th year of service, which is longer than Municipal Stadium stood. It’s funny, the memories we carry with a stadium.
I love driving east on I-70 and coming around the hill and catching sight of the stadium. It always takes my breath away for a few seconds.
In my mind’s eye, I still see Amos Otis running down fly balls. I see George Brett lacing a ball into the right-center gap and hustling out a triple. I see Hal McRae stroking the longest home run I’ve ever seen. I still see a ragtag group of Royals in 2009 mounting a rally through a rainstorm and overcoming an early Red Sox lead while drenched KC fans went wild and their equally drenched Red Sox brethren sat quietly, absorbing the loss.
Many of our older fans feel the same about Municipal. Every time I’m in the city, I drive to 22nd and Brooklyn. I can see Cookie Rojas and Freddie Patek turning two. I see Otis Taylor slugging Ben Davidson. I see Garo Yepremian kicking that field goal.
Someday, we’ll drive to I-70 and Blue Ridge Cutoff and see the memories.
About the new ballpark, the thing that concerned me during my drive to the Arabia was this: How is the team planning to move 20,000 to 30,000 fans in and out of the area 81 times a year?
Midwesterners are well known for their love of automobiles and driving to every event, especially those of us from out of town. We’re spoiled by Kauffman. Relatively easy access off I-70 and 435 into a series of enormous parking lots. Short walk to the gate. Piece of cake.
Local political leaders and Royals brass are working overtime trying to convince us that the light rail is the answer. Uh-huh.
About that rail. I’ve ridden a few in my life. Boston. Chicago. Denver. San Diego. One thing those rail systems have in common is that the line runs with minimal interference from traffic, and vice versa.
Not so with the KC rail line.
Driving north on Main, traffic and rail share the same lane for long stretches. How is that going to work on game day, when the streets are plugged with cars and SUVs looking for a parking garage? I can see impatient rail riders stranded behind a long line of slow-moving vehicles.
The KC rail seemed to function like a metro bus, stopping every few blocks to pick up or disgorge riders. The rail systems in other cities move people, rolling at least half a mile between stops. When their train stops close to where you want to be, you get out and walk the remaining distance.
San Diego’s, which to me is the gold standard of rail, stops directly outside of Petco Park and will disgorge hundreds of riders at a time. The stops are short and efficient. Traffic continues to move on either side of the rail line.
We rode the train into downtown Denver for a game a few summers ago. Coming in was relatively easy. Leaving after the game was a nightmare. Too many riders, not enough train. After that fiasco, I vowed never again. Next time, I drove in, paid to park in a lot, and walked a few blocks to the stadium.
Every train I saw in Kansas City only had three cars. You’re not moving tens of thousands of people efficiently with three-car trains. Most of the trains in San Diego pull eight to ten cars. They arrive on track that is separated from street traffic. Where they do cross the street, a guardrail drops, blocking vehicle and pedestrian traffic so the train can speed away.
Maybe there are places in Kansas City that have this safety feature. I didn’t see any.
Rail approaching the new ballpark from the south appears to have a cleaner shot. From Crown Center north, whew. That’s some ugly city planning. I can see that, short of tearing down a lot of buildings, there wasn’t much space to work with. Maybe an elevated line like Chicago uses would have been a better choice?
Regardless, it appears that the city has a ton of infrastructure work in front of it before this thing opens. Who knows? Maybe it’ll work like a Swiss watch. I have some serious doubts.
As with anything, time will tell. There will certainly be things about the new ballpark that we will grow to love. There will also be things that we curse to high heaven. Putting together a team that wins consistently will cure most of those travel and parking concerns.
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Spurs Game 4 computer picks
Dylan Harper Under 6.5 rebounds (-120)
Projection: 4.49 rebounds
Our prop projections rank this as a five-star play, showing a 26.48% EV edge. Yes, Dylan Harper snared nine rebounds in Game 3, but the market has gone too far the other way.
Seven boards is a high number, and our model sees him grabbing four or five.
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De'Aaron Fox Over 14.5 points (+100)
Projection: 16.92 points
De'Aaron Fox's efficiency has taken a hit in this series, but he's still taking double-digit shots in each outing. Our projections expect a similar night to Game 2, where he dropped 20 points on 75% shooting.
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Julian Champagnie Over 2.5 threes (+145)
Projection: 2.58 threes
Julian Champagnie is an excellent 3-and-D player for the San Antonio Spurs, and he's not afraid to shoot the rock. The wing has cleared this line in two of three games vs. the New York Knicks, and we're getting juicy odds for him to do so again.
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Knicks Game 4 computer picks
Jalen Brunson Under 27.5 points (-120)
Projection: 24.75 points
Jalen Brunson cannot find any real consistency against the Spurs. It took him 25 shots to reach 32 points on Monday, and our model projects he'll come close to 25 points tonight. Even a 27-point effort still puts him Under the number.
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Josh Hart Under 1.5 threes (-112)
Projection: 1.17 threes
Josh Hart drilled four threes for New York in Game 3 after hitting zero in the first two outings. Hart is a capable shooter, but the Spurs will place greater emphasis on shutting him down on the perimeter now that he's proven to be a threat.
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Karl-Anthony Towns Over 3.5 assists (-112)
Projection: 4.84 assists
Karl-Anthony Towns has the ball in his hands a lot throughout the game, and he makes the best read more often than not. His kickouts often lead to buckets, and our model sees him getting at least four dimes tonight.
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How to watch Spurs vs Knicks Game 4
Location
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Tip-off
8:30 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN/ABC
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Kale Clague’s Manitoba hockey chapter has come to a close.
After returning to the province where he spent the majority of his junior hockey career, the former Brandon Wheat Kings standout and Manitoba Moose defenceman is heading overseas, signing a two-year contract with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of Russia's KHL.
The move ends Clague’s brief stint in the Winnipeg Jets organization after signing a one-year, two-way contract last summer. Despite bringing NHL experience and offensive upside to the club’s defensive depth chart, the Regina product spent the entire 2025-26 campaign with the Moose.
Photo by Steve Sasaki/Game On Magazine
Clague, 28, remained a steady contributor from the back end, finishing the season with nine goals and 27 points in 67 games with Manitoba.
Although he did not receive a call-up to Winnipeg, Clague’s return to Manitoba represented a familiar stop in his hockey journey.
Before beginning his professional career, Clague spent four seasons with the Wheat Kings, developing into one of the Western Hockey League’s premier offensive defencemen. He was part of Brandon’s 2015-16 WHL championship team and became a major piece of the organization’s blueline before making the jump to the professional ranks.
Originally selected by Los Angeles in the second round (51st overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft, Clague worked his way through the organization and eventually made his NHL debut with the Kings. He later spent time with the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, appearing in 94 career NHL games while recording two goals and 21 points.
While consistent NHL minutes proved difficult to secure, Clague became an established AHL defenceman.
Across stops with the Ontario Reign, Rochester Americans and Moose, Clague produced 39 goals and 165 points over 321 career AHL contests, consistently providing offence from the back-end.
His strongest offensive professional season came in 2024-25 with Rochester, where he recorded 10 goals and 39 points before signing with Winnipeg the following offseason.
The move to Avtomobilist provides Clague with a new opportunity and likely a larger role than the one available in North America. The KHL club officially added him from Manitoba on a two-year agreement, giving the puck-moving defender a chance to become an impact player overseas.
For Winnipeg, the departure removes one experienced option from the organization’s defensive depth chart. The Jets still have a number of younger blueliners pushing for bigger roles, but Clague represented a veteran presence capable of playing heavy minutes at the AHL level.
For Clague, the next step will come thousands of kilometres away from Manitoba - the province where he won a WHL title, developed into an NHL draft pick and most recently attempted to earn his way back to hockey’s highest level.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Houston Astros placed LaMonte Wade Jr. on the 10-day injured list because of a right hamstring strain, less than a week after the team signed the veteran utilityman to bolster its offensive production from the left side.
The 32-year-old Wade went 4 for 12 with one homer, two doubles and four RBIs in his first four games with the Astros after opting out of his deal with Triple-A Charlotte in the Chicago White Sox organization this month and signing with Houston.
Wade started in left field and hit an RBI double in the sixth inning of a 5-4, 10-inning win over the Los Angeles Angels, but hobbled into second base and was removed from the game.
“Wade is going to take a little bit longer,” Astros manager Joe Espada said before another game against the Angels. “His diagnosis is not encouraging, but we’re going to see how he progresses.”
Houston recalled outfielder Joey Loperfido from Triple-A Sugar Land to replace Wade on the roster.
Wade, who can play all three outfield positions and first base, is a .236 career hitter with 56 homers, 189 RBIs and a .734 OPS in eight major league seasons with the Twins, Giants, Angels and Astros.
“The quality of his at-bats, having that lefty bat off the bench … (it’s tough) to have that weapon taken away from us,” Espada said. “But we’ll get him treated and get him back in the lineup because I really liked what he was doing and the way he was going about it. It was a good piece.”
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