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The Cardinals’ 2026 Roster and the Cost of Choosing Too Slowly

With the Nolan Arenado trade in the books, the Cardinals roster is coming into focus. While we are likely to see a few more transactions before the buses roll into Jupiter, this feels like a good time to give a zoomed-out look at the 40-man roster and the upper-minors depth. Regardless of what happens with Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero before spring training, 2026 will be a year with a significant amount of roster churn as Chaim Bloom and the front office sort through a roster full of unproven players and a top farm system with a number of significant players set to graduate. 

I think the term “runway” has been retired by the Cardinals marketing team, but it may actually be more relevant now than at any point in 2025. I don’t think there was anything wrong with the concept last season, but the fun of it for the fans was quickly subverted by watching Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker struggle. To add insult to injury, the roster still felt clogged with veterans Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado, gobbling up significant innings and plate appearances (sometimes deservedly so). That dynamic will not be a problem this season as the roster has been trimmed of any player who does not fit Bloom’s long-term vision of a roster built on young and/or internally developed talent. 

2026 will be a high-stakes game of Red Light, Green Light, with 60 players within the organization fighting for 40 roster spots when the dust settles on the 2026 season and rosters reset in mid-November. Bloom’s job for the next ten months is to make sure that the right players get opportunities and the right players get shipped out for more prospect capital. For this exercise, I am setting aside prospects that are unlikely to impact the team or roster in 2026. The 60 players in question (actually 62, counting those on expiring contracts) are grouped into four categories:

  • 40-man roster (years of control in parentheses) 
  • Players who will need to be added by season’s end to avoid exposure to the Rule 5 draft
  • Players who might debut ahead of schedule regardless of 40-man or team-control restrictions
  • Players/prospects on the Triple-A roster who could force their way back into the discussion 

40-Man Roster

This roster is relatively deep, if lacking top-end talent, with only a handful of players who wouldn’t be rostered by the majority of teams. The other thing that jumps out is the amount of team control across nearly the entire roster.  With the exception of May and Romero, every player is under control through at least 2027. Once the season starts, players can be moved to the 60-day Injured List to free up roster space, so there is flexibility here, with Roby and Hjerpe most likely to start on the 60-day IL. One thing I will be following this season is how the team approaches freeing up additional roster spaces as needed. Will they trim the weaker part of the back of the 40-man? Or will they be proactive at trading from the top of the 40-man if the opportunity presents itself? 

Prospects Needing Protection 

This group is made up of players who are roughly top 50 prospects in the organization and will require a 40-man roster spot to avoid Rule 5 draft exposure. It is important from a roster-management perspective, but it also impacts how quickly we could see these players during the 2026 season. If the Cardinals plan to protect them and they have progressed enough to benefit from MLB playing time, they are likely to be added to the 26-man roster at some point during the season. This is the pattern we have seen with top prospects Masyn Winn, Thomas Saggese, and Jimmy Crooks. This dynamic is not limited to top prospects as more depth pieces like Nick Raquet and Cesar Prieto were added during the 2025 season. From this group, only Leonel Sequera, Travis Honeyman, and Jesus Baez have not appeared in Double-A or higher. Any of the rest are within punching distance of a major-league debut.

Prospect that May Debut Early

Wetherholt will obviously be up for most of the year barring some unforeseen catastrophe. Doyle is more of a long shot. Two of the four college pitchers drafted in the top 20 picks of the 2024 draft made major league debuts in 2025 (Chase Burns and Trey Yesavage). For Doyle to debut, he will need to hope the Cardinals are in playoff contention, or make an absolute mockery of the minor leagues. 

Forgotten Prospects 

None of these players on their own is particularly likely to be impactful, but the Cardinals have spent years trying to get Thompson, Santos, and Naughton healthy. Koperniak and Rajcic are both former decent prospects that had tough 2025 seasons. 

Starting Pitching 

The starting rotation is what got me thinking about this whole depth question in the first place. While we are still waiting on the ZiPS projections to be released for the Cardinals, I would expect them to have a bottom 10 or possibly bottom five projected rotation. After their trades with Boston and the Dustin May signing, they do have a surprisingly deep rotation. Andre Pallante might start the season as the seventh starter or in the bullpen. While Pallante might never establish himself as the mid-rotation arm he has flashed promise of, he is the exact kind of guy that a team like the Cardinals with no immediate plans to contend, should be giving starts to.  The problem is, you could make the same argument for every pitcher in the rotation. Along with Pallante, Liberatore, McGreevey, Dobbins, Fitts, and Leahy all project as fourth or fifth starter types. It will be critical for the Cardinals to sort through this group of pitchers and hang on to the right ones for the next contention window. Every team needs at least seven starters to get through a season, but we haven’t even touched on the minor leaguers at the upper levels vying for big-league starts. 

The injured trio of Hence, Hjerpe, and Roby is taking up a lot of space. Roby will miss all or most of the season, so he is pretty much a lock to take up a roster spot going into next offseason. Hence and Hjerpe need to be pushed aggressively, if healthy, even if that means moving them to the bullpen. In a perfect world, they could get 70 innings starting in the minors and then finish out the year in the St. Louis bullpen. 

In an ideal world, multiple pitchers from the Mathews, Henderson, Mautz, and Doyle group shove their way into the picture by midseason. At this point, the Cardinals should have some answers on the top seven. If May and/or Pallante are pitching well, they could be traded to open up some starts. 

Mathews, Lin, and Henderson are all on track to be added to the 40-man roster at season’s end. The rest have some work to do, but even adding three more pitchers with only May leaving via free agency will necessitate additional moves. 

Relief Pitching

I won’t say much about relief pitching. Reliever volatility is too high to try to predict even a year in advance. It will likely be impacted substantially depending on which starters are redirected to the bullpen. On the prospect front, Gastelum rode an incredible changeup to a 35.4% strikeout rate. He could be up sooner rather than later. Austin Love shook off a two-year injury sabbatical and had a solid season in Springfield. After struggling with command in the first half, he put up a 26/4 K/BB ratio in August and September across 19 IP. He is my sleeper pick for a Matt Svanson type rise in 2026. 

Catcher

I won’t spend much time on the catcher position as this has been discussed ad nauseum over the last 12 months. My desired outcome would be that Ivan sticks at catcher and Pages is flipped for a prospect to open up time for Crooks. I understand why they are waiting, but this is another area where a decision will need to be made at some point. 

Infield

The infield picture is the one that surprised me the most compared to my preconceived notions. The starting infield looks great (even assuming Wetherholt replaces Donovan), and Fermin/Saggese/Gorman are a reasonable group to fight it out for at-bats, but Blaze Jordan and Wetherholt stand alone as the only-upper minors options not already on the 40-man. This is not necessarily a problem given the objectives of 2026, but it explains why the Cardinals chose to hang on to Cesar Prieto and Bryan Torres. There just aren’t that many eligible players if Donovan follows Arenado out of town.

Outfield 

Cardinals’ outfielders ranked 26th in baseball last season putting up a combined 1.4 fWAR. So, the good news is there is nowhere to go but up… Nootbaar, Scott, Church, and Walker are in line to get the first crack at rectifying the outfield play we were subjected to in 2025. Looking at this group of 40-man players and prospects on the way, you can see why Chaim Bloom has signaled adding an outfield bat via free agency. Outside of Joshua Baez, there are no projected starting-caliber players in the upper minors. With only two years of control left, a strong first half will likely put Nootbaar back on the trade block. Davis, Levenson, and Honeyman would all need a substantial breakout to factor into the long-term plans in a meaningful way. If no outside help is brought in, Fermin, Saggese and Torres could be given a crack at an outfield spot as well. 

What I would like to see in 2026

We have to wait for spring training to start making our bold predictions, so consider this more of a wish list. Here are the eight things I would like to see happen to shape the roster over the next ten months. 

  1. Brendan Donovan traded before spring training
  2. JJ Wetherholt given the Opening Day start
  3. Pitching prospects called up aggressively to replace faltering rotation or bullpen pieces
  4. Church, Saggase, Fermin, and Torres given opportunities rather than signing a free-agent stopgap
  5. Dustin May, Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Gorman, and  Andre Pallante shopped at the trade deadline, if performing well 
  6. JoJo Romero traded before spring training
  7. Hjerpe and Hence given major league opportunities as early as possible
  8. Luis Gastelum, Austin Love, and Skylar Hales given early opportunities in bullpen

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Islanders vs. Flames Matinee News: In praise of Ilya; Bo still home

I am still reeling from that Ilya Sorokin performance on Thursday in Edmonton. Ye gods, that was a masterpiece.

But anyway, on to the next one. The Islanders are in Calgary for an afternoon meeting, and David Rittich will start against his former team (though as he noted, there aren’t a lot of former teammates in the other room).

The Flames are a couple steps above the Western basement and seven points below the final wild card spot. They’ve been better-ish of late (5-5 in their last 10) but are still expected to basically tread water for the lottery.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News

  • With no Bo Horvat, the Isles are getting by on great goaltending. [Newsday]
  • Some timely improvement from Anthony Duclair has also helped. [Post]
  • Takeaways, Barzal on Sorokin: “There’s not enough words to describe how good that guy is.” [Isles]
  • More discussion of Sorokin on the Tri-State podcast with Arthur Staple. [YouTube]
  • Confirmed now, Horvat will not be joining them on this trip. [Post]

Here’s a selection of practice media availabilities from yesterday, including Tony DeAngelo noting that Adam Pelech “may look like a stay-at-home defenseman, but he breaks out like an offensive defenseman,” and Andrew Gross asking Czech David Rittich if he’s “a sentimental guy” as he returns to Calgary:

Today’s opponent: Presented without comment, other than to be rude earworm for your afternoon:

Elsewhere

Last night’s scores included Carolina thumping Florida NINE to one and Tampa Bay finally losing, but still getting a regulation point.

  • Another letter! Chris Drury signed a letter to fans about the Smurfs disaster, and I believe he actually wrote it because it was worded weirdly and included em dashes and en dashes within the same sentence. It’s weird how J.T. Miller did not save them. [NHL]
  • Dean Evason was blindsided by his firing in Columbus. [Sportsnet]
  • Supposedly trade talks are heating up for Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson. [TSN]
  • This is an old story resurrected, but: How Moncton got Ted Nolan back into coaching, and eventually a call from the Isles. [Sportsnet]
  • The Sabres are feeling the magic. [AP]
  • Bourne: Why the Leafs have trouble holding leads. [Sportsnet]
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MLB free agent gems remain beyond Cody Bellinger. Where will future Hall of Famers land?

The big boys are off the board. The quick pivots have been exhausted. Now, Major League Baseball teams must make do with whatever's left on the free agent market a little more than three weeks before spring training camps open.

There have been some notable salvage jobs in the past week, with the Boston Red Sox losing out on Alex Bregman, only to pivot to run prevention and snag lefty Ranger Suárez. Or the Kyle Tucker-to-L.A. stunner prompting the Mets to ambush Bo Bichette with a $42 million annual salary.

Now, the wriggle room is less, the surefire talents all but gone from our list of available players. There are still avenues to improve, but they are narrower. Let's explore them:

Cody Bellinger: Last big bat standing

Cody Bellinger spent 2025 with the New York Yankees.

And that's no exaggeration. With Tucker, Bichette and Bregman spoken for, Bellinger represents the lowest-hanging fruit on a board that counts 34-year-old third baseman Eugenio Suárez as the next-best available positon player.

Two questions: How badly do the Yankees want Bellinger back - and do the spurned Mets and Blue Jays loom as legitimate threats?

In one sense, Bellinger was dealt a losing hand with the Tucker-Bichette shuffle, with Citi Field and Dodger Stadium both potential destinations. Tucker closes the door on L.A., but the Mets still have a massive hole in left field. The Blue Jays missed out on Tucker, couldn't renew vows with Bichette and now it's unknown if they're so desirous of an outfield upgrade that they'd be willing to spend the cash on a nine-figure deal for Bellinger, 30, after the 28-year-old Tucker spurned them.

The Yankees, meanwhile, still exist.

Other than welcoming back Trent Grisham once the center fielder accepted the $22 million qualifying offer, and trading for lefty Ryan Weathers to hold down the fort until a group of starting pitchers get healthy, it's been a virtually silent winter. Sure, their payroll will be north of $250 million, and creeps toward $300 million for tax purposes at the moment.

For now that's well shy of the Dodgers, Mets and Phillies and even trails the Blue Jays. In a relative sense, they've got money to burn. Yet they've made it clear so far that Bellinger doesn't fall into their "spare no expense" bucket. We'll see if they find a mutually happy zone.

Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen: Last aces* standing

And we say that with the understanding that both fellows have fulfilled that role – the Houston Astros winning all four of Valdez's postseason starts in their 2022 World Series title run, Gallen earning the starting nod for the NL in the 2023 All-Star Game - yet may not hit the market as such.

Valdez is still plenty good - his 3.66 ERA in 2025 was his worst as a full-time starter, yet still 14% better than league average. At 32, he's experiencing slippage in almost every peripheral, though he remains a groundball machine. His pitch-mixup kerfuffle wasn't great, and he may not inspire fans to flock through the turnstiles, but Valdez figures to remain a rotation rock through the term of any contract of reasonable length.

Gallen's arc is a little more acute. His ERA soared to 4.83 in 2025 as he gave up 31 home runs, and his WHIP settled in at 1.26 each of the past two seasons. Gallen's pullside flyball and barrel rates were both career wosts, even as his surface-level stuff has remained the same. In short, a little bit of diagnostic work for a signing team to attack.

Still, at 30 and 32, respectively, Gallen and Valdez have far less tread on their arms than the alternatives. Valdez can certainly credibly front a rotation, or at least lend quality innings to someone that needs it; Baltimore and the New York Mets both harbor playoff dreams, though the Mets may not be willing to provide the contract length Valdez prefers.

Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander: Old guys rule?

Come Opening Day, they'll be 37, 41 and 43 years old, respectively, the latter two bound for the Hall of Fame. And for those averse to long-term entanglements with arms they don't love, these dudes certainly fold neatly into almost any team's plans.

Bassitt is coming off a three-year, $63 million deal with the Blue Jays, one that finished with him performing gallantly out of the playoff bullpen, giving up one run in seven appearances. Over 162 games, he's showing no signs of slowing down, hitting 200 innings in 2023 while throwing 181, 171 and 170 in '22, '24 and '25. Reliable.

Scherzer and Verlander, meanwhile, will seemingly never stop pitching. Verlander posted a 3.85 ERA in his lone season in San Francisco, but a typically defanged Giants attack held him to a 4-11 record - and stuck on 266 wins for his career.

Scherzer, meanwhile, started Game 7 of the World Series for the second time in his career. He pitched capably in the postseason, but crazy stuff tended to follow Mad Max around, as it tends to do: Toronto lost his first Series start in 18 innings, then suffered the 11-inning gut punch that ended their season. Still, Scherzer gritted through an early-season thumb problem to make 17 starts, completing at least six innings in six of them.

That's what you'll get with these guys: No promise of ideal health or consistent length, but the occasional magic that comes with a generational talent, for around $15 million a year.

The rest: Buddy, can you spare a reliever?

Do hope that your favorite team got in on the early rush of relievers. Erstwhile Blue Jay Seranthony Dominguez remains the last remaining arm that can be charitably termed high-leverage. A gaggle of itinerant lefties - Danny Coulombe, Brent Suter and Justin Wilson - are available.

And there's a decent pocket of starters who tuck between the bigger-ticket items and the old dudes, led by Lucas Giolito, who had five starts of seven or more innings and one or no earned runs given up last season; his track record does come with injury concerns.

Zack Littell and Nick Martinez also provide versatile, proven arms that can pad the back of a rotation or a proverbial sixth starter spot.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB free agent rumors and news surround Cody Bellinger, Framber Valdez

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Roger Federer steals the show at Australian Open's first formal opening ceremony

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian Open's first formal opening ceremony became the Roger Federer show on the eve of the season-opening major.

There was Crowded House, the band, playing a set of four hits. There was a full house — a capacity crowd in the 15,000-seat stadium.

Rod Laver, the great Australian player of Grand Slam fame, was in the house. The 87-year-old Aussie was sitting courtside in Rod Laver Arena, the center court at Melbourne Park named in his honor.

Federer, the six-time Australian Open winner and 20-time Grand Slam champion, partnered past champions Andre Agassi and then Ash Barty in an exhibition doubles match against Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt as the main feature of the program.

It went to script, with Federer winning the first point despite framing a forehand and then emphatically finishing off the victory with a leaping overhead winner.

Novak Djokovic, who has won 10 Australian titles among his record 24 major championships, was there to watch.

The Australian Open main draw singles competitions start Sunday. Djokovic plays his opening match on Monday.

Australian Open organizers turned the 2026 edition into a three-week festival of tennis, with 217,999 fans attending across six days to watch exhibitions, qualifying and the 1 Point Slam before the main draw started.

Federer was back in Australia for the first time since 2021, making the trip now because he retired from competitive tennis before he could do a farewell season tour.

“It really truly means so much to me when people like Rocket (Laver) show up,” Federer said. “It’s super important to be grateful” to earlier generations of stars.

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More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

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San Francisco Giants retiring Jeff Kent's No. 21

Summer 2026 belongs to Jeff Kent.

The San Francisco Giants legend will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, on July 26. However, his ceremonious affairs won't stop there.

The Giants plan to have a Hall of Fame celebration for Kent on Aug. 29 at Oracle Park when they play the Arizona Diamondbacks. To honor Kent, San Francisco will also retire his No. 21 jersey before the game.

Kent, who spent six seasons in San Francisco, became a member of the Giants Wall of Fame in 2009. His bronze plaque is located along King Street.

The Giants Wall of Fame pays tribute to the organization’s greatest players who have, either, played a minimum of nine seasons for the Giants or played five seasons with at least one All-Star appearance or championship win in San Francisco, according to MLB.com.

More MLB: Giants, Athletics add international prospects on MLB signing day

Kent had the best years of his 17-year MLB career with the Giants. He was a five-time All-Star, three of his nods coming as a member of the Giants from 1999 to 2001. He was named the 2000 NL MVP.

Kent was a four-time Silver Slugger Award-winner, having won the hitting title with the Giants from 2000 to 2002.

Kent becomes the 14th player to have his number retired by the organization. He joins Christy Mathewson, John McGraw, Bill Terry (3), Mel Ott (4), Carl Hubbell (11), Monte Irvin (20), Will Clark (22), Willie Mays (24), Barry Bonds (25), Juan Marichal (27), Orlando Cepeda (30), Gaylord Perry (36) and Willie McCovey (44).

San Francisco, along with every MLB team, retired the No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson on April 15, 1997.

Jeff Kent's best Giants moments

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeff Kent jersey retirement: Giants retiring his No. 21

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Today on Pinstripe Alley – 1/17/26

It was a heck of a hot stove week, with two pairs of transactions seemingly moving in unison. The Cubs swiped Alex Bregman from the Red Sox, which prompted Boston to pivot to a five-year deal with Ranger Suarez. A couple nights later, the Dodgers did what they do and signed Kyle Tucker, which appeared to spur the Mets into inking their own opt-out-laden deal with Bo Bichette. Will the dominoes keep falling? This flurry of activity leaves Cody Bellinger as the last big bat on the market, and the Yankees, for now, still seem to have the best offer on the table. Will the saga, finally, come to a conclusion? Perhaps we’ll know this weekend. On the site today, it’ll be a quieter one, with Jeff profiling Chili Davis as part of our Yankees Birthday series.

Questions/Prompts:

1. Do you expect the Mets’ signing of Bo Bichette to take them out of the running in the Cody Bellinger sweepstakes? Or will they still compete with the Yankees for the outfielder’s services?

2. Who will emerge from this weekend of the NFL playoffs as the Super Bowl favorite?

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Recap: Wizards drops fifth straight to Kings, 128-115

The Washington Wizards lost to the Sacramento Kings 128-115 on Friday in a battle between bottom feeders at Golden 1 Center.

The Wizards had to fight their way out of a huge hole they dug themselves in during the opening period. A three-pointer from Bub Carrington gave the Wizards a 7-6 advantage at the 9:33 mark of the first quarter. Washington held that lead for all of 17 seconds before Sacramento took it back for good. The Kings went on a 19-0 run to close out the first quarter, as the Wizards went scoreless for nearly five minutes.

Washington battled back in the second quarter. Alex Sarr led the way with his 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the first half. One of his buckets came off a sweet dime from Tre Johnson.

Jamir Watkins also flashed more of his defensive potential on a strip and slam off DeMar DeRozan. He helped the Wizards trim the halftime deficit to 67-61.

The Wizards got the game to within three in the opening minutes of the second half. But the Kings once again closed the quarter strong, thanks to our old friend Russell Westbrook. The lead ballooned to 17 heading into the final period.

A Carrington triple and a pair of Tre Johnson treys to open the fourth quarter helped get the Wizards within single digits. The Kings managed to stifle any moment for a run, holding on for a 13-point win.

Johnson finished with 18 points and 4 assists, while Sarr’s quiet second half left him at 19 points. Justin Champagnie and Kyshawn George each tacked on 15.

While Washington lost the battle, it won the tank war as the Kings went a full game ahead of the Wizards in the standings. The Wizards close out their road trip against the Nuggets in Denver.

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‘I’m back’: Damien Martyn out of hospital after surviving meningitis

  • Former Australia batter given a ‘50/50 chance of surviving’

  • Spent eight days in induced coma

Damien Martyn has said he is back after overcoming a meningitis scare, which he said took his life out of his hands.

In a heartfelt post on his social media accounts, the former Australia batter said he was given a 50% chance to live after battling the disease, which causes an infection and swelling of fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord. The 54-year-old was put into an induced coma on 27 December and was fighting for his life in a Gold Coast intensive care unit until he woke eight days later.

Continue reading...
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Golden Knights host the Predators after Dorofeyev's 2-goal game

Nashville Predators (23-20-4, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (23-11-12, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Saturday, 10 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Golden Knights -267, Predators +216; over/under is 6

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Nashville Predators after Pavel Dorofeyev's two-goal game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Golden Knights' 6-5 overtime win.

Vegas has an 11-6-6 record at home and a 23-11-12 record overall. The Golden Knights have allowed 138 goals while scoring 152 for a +14 scoring differential.

Nashville has a 10-10-2 record in road games and a 23-20-4 record overall. The Predators are 11-3-4 in games decided by one goal.

The matchup Saturday is the second time these teams meet this season. The Predators won 4-2 in the last meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has 17 goals and 38 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has nine goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.

Steven Stamkos has 21 goals and 12 assists for the Predators. Ryan O'Reilly has five goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 6-3-1, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.5 assists, 2.5 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

Predators: 7-3-0, averaging three goals, five assists, 3.8 penalties and 9.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.

Predators: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Florida visits Washington in Eastern Conference action

Florida Panthers (24-19-3, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Washington Capitals (24-18-6, in the Metropolitan Division)

Washington; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Capitals -141, Panthers +118; over/under is 5.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers hit the ice in Eastern Conference play.

Washington has gone 14-9-3 in home games and 24-18-6 overall. The Capitals have a 10-11-6 record in games their opponents serve fewer penalty minutes.

Florida has gone 10-10-0 in road games and 24-19-3 overall. The Panthers have a -15 scoring differential, with 138 total goals scored and 153 given up.

The teams play Saturday for the third time this season. The Panthers won the last meeting 5-3. Sam Reinhart scored two goals in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Dylan Strome has 11 goals and 25 assists for the Capitals. Justin Sourdif has six goals and four assists over the last 10 games.

Reinhart has 24 goals and 21 assists for the Panthers. Sam Bennett has three goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Capitals: 4-5-1, averaging 3.4 goals, 6.1 assists, 4.5 penalties and 11.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

Panthers: 4-5-1, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.5 assists, 6.3 penalties and 16.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals per game.

INJURIES: Capitals: None listed.

Panthers: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Sometimes it just takes one statement victory to get things back on track. The San Antonio Spurs burst out of a rough 10-game stretch after Christmas with a blowout victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night. All of a sudden, it feels like the team can once again conquer the Western Conference. But one game overreactions are a fool’s errand. Saturday night’s contest is a chance to prove the team is back on track against a team that is biting at their heels in the standings.

The Spurs will host the Minnesota Timberwolves after losing a heartbreaker to them in Minneapolis last Sunday. San Antonio will have the rest advantage, as the Wolves are coming off a late-night 110-105 loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday night. Minnesota has been without its superstar, Anthony Edwards, for two straight games due to a foot injury, but his status for Saturday’s game is unknown.

The Wolves present a tough matchup for the Spurs, with their size, strength, athleticism, and shooting ability. San Antonio has collapsed late in both losses to Minnesota this season. A strong performance on both the offensive and defensive ends, as they had against Milwaukee, would help them earn their first win against the Wolves this season and create some separation in the standings.

San Antonio Spurs (28-13) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (27-15)

January 17, 2025 | 7 PM CT

Watch: Fan Duel | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Stephon Castle – Questionable (illness), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), Stanley Umude – Out (G League), David Jones-Garcia – Out (G League), Devin Vassell – Out (adductor)

Timberwolves Injuries: Not posted until 1 pm CT

What to watch for:

Julius Randle on Victor Wembanyama

Wembanyama experienced offensive success against a fellow Frenchman, Rudy Gobert, in San Antonio’s last game against the Wolves. That success stopped when Randle became his primary defender. Randle was able to play physical and get underneath Wembanyama, forcing him off of his spot and making it nearly impossible for him to make a move toward the rim. If the Wolves decide to give Randle the Wemby assignment again, and they probably should, San Antonio will have to find a way to get Wembanyama open for good looks. Watch for the Spurs to use flex screens or even fade screens on the perimeter to open up some space for Wembanyama against a physical defense.

Three-point defense

The Spurs found out the Wolves can get hot in a hurry in both of their losses to Minnesota this year. The Wolves do a great job of spreading the ball out with their bigs, as Randle and Naz Reid are both threats from deep. Donte DiVincenzo is a flamethrower, and if role players like Bones Hyland and Jaden McDaniels get hot, the game can get out of hand quickly. San Antonio will need to close out to shooters and force tough shots to keep the Wolves down and out of the game.

Guard play

San Antonio’s guards looked great against the Bucks on Thursday. Stephon Castle was efficient, De’Aaron Fox looked comfortable with the ball in his hands, and Dylan Harper provided a spark off the bench. The Spurs have a ball-handling advantage if the trio plays up to its usual standards. Minnesota has long, tough perimeter defenders capable of making their lives difficult. San Antonio will need the most from their guard trio to secure a victory on Saturday.

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Orlando faces Memphis for non-conference matchup

Orlando Magic (23-18, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (17-23, 11th in the Western Conference)

London; Sunday, 12 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Magic -5.5; over/under is 227.5

BOTTOM LINE: Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Memphis Grizzlies host Desmond Bane and the Orlando Magic in out-of-conference play.

The Grizzlies are 9-11 in home games. Memphis gives up 116.2 points and has been outscored by 1.4 points per game.

The Magic have gone 9-11 away from home. Orlando is 11-11 against opponents with a winning record.

The Grizzlies are shooting 45.3% from the field this season, 2.2 percentage points lower than the 47.5% the Magic allow to opponents. The Magic are shooting 46.7% from the field, 0.4% higher than the 46.3% the Grizzlies' opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Magic won 118-111 in the last matchup on Jan. 15. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 26 points, and Jackson led the Grizzlies with 30 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cedric Coward is scoring 14.0 points per game and averaging 6.6 rebounds for the Grizzlies. Jackson is averaging 21.6 points and 6.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Bane is averaging 19 points and 4.5 assists for the Magic. Anthony Black is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Grizzlies: 3-7, averaging 114.2 points, 46.8 rebounds, 28.4 assists, 7.5 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.2 points per game.

Magic: 6-4, averaging 114.7 points, 44.6 rebounds, 27.9 assists, 8.2 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.6 points.

INJURIES: Grizzlies: Ja Morant: day to day (calf), Scotty Pippen Jr.: out (toe), Zach Edey: out (ankle), Ty Jerome: out (calf), Brandon Clarke: out (calf).

Magic: Jalen Suggs: day to day (knee), Jett Howard: day to day (illness), Colin Castleton: out (thumb).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Brooklyn visits Chicago on 4-game road slide

Brooklyn Nets (12-27, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (19-22, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Chicago; Sunday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Brooklyn hits the road against Chicago looking to break its four-game road slide.

The Bulls have gone 13-15 against Eastern Conference teams. Chicago ranks second in the league with 35.0 defensive rebounds per game led by Josh Giddey averaging 7.8.

The Nets are 9-16 against Eastern Conference opponents. Brooklyn is 8-19 in games decided by 10 or more points.

The Bulls score 117.3 points per game, 3.5 more points than the 113.8 the Nets allow. The Nets' 44.6% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.8 percentage points lower than the Bulls have given up to their opponents (47.4%).

The two teams play for the third time this season. The Nets defeated the Bulls 112-109 in their last matchup on Jan. 17. Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 26 points, and Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 19 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Matas Buzelis is averaging 14.8 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Bulls. Vucevic is averaging 20.3 points over the last 10 games.

Noah Clowney is shooting 38.9% and averaging 13.3 points for the Nets. Egor Demin is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 4-6, averaging 112.4 points, 44.7 rebounds, 29.2 assists, 6.5 steals and 6.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.7 points per game.

Nets: 2-8, averaging 106.5 points, 39.7 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 9.2 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 43.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.0 points.

INJURIES: Bulls: Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Josh Giddey: day to day (hamstring), Zach Collins: out (toe), Patrick Williams: day to day (ankle).

Nets: Haywood Highsmith: out (knee), Ziaire Williams: day to day (illness).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Minnesota heads to San Antonio for conference showdown

Minnesota Timberwolves (27-15, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (28-13, second in the Western Conference)

San Antonio; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Spurs -6.5; over/under is 228.5

BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio hosts Minnesota in a matchup of Western Conference teams.

The Spurs are 15-11 in conference games. San Antonio ranks eighth in the Western Conference with 49.9 points per game in the paint led by Victor Wembanyama averaging 10.4.

The Timberwolves are 14-11 against conference opponents. Minnesota ranks second in the Western Conference shooting 37.3% from 3-point range.

The Spurs score 117.6 points per game, 3.1 more points than the 114.5 the Timberwolves give up. The Timberwolves average 14.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.7 more makes per game than the Spurs give up.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Timberwolves won 104-103 in the last meeting on Jan. 12. Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 23 points, and Wembanyama led the Spurs with 29 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Wembanyama is shooting 51.6% and averaging 23.9 points for the Spurs. Julian Champagnie is averaging 3.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Julius Randle is averaging 22.6 points, seven rebounds and 5.6 assists for the Timberwolves. Naz Reid is averaging 18.6 points and 6.5 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 5-5, averaging 110.0 points, 49.1 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 7.1 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 43.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.9 points per game.

Timberwolves: 7-3, averaging 123.9 points, 47.0 rebounds, 28.1 assists, 8.5 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.8 points.

INJURIES: Spurs: Stephon Castle: day to day (illness), Devin Vassell: out (thigh).

Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr.: out (foot), Anthony Edwards: out (foot).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Houston faces New Orleans in conference matchup

New Orleans Pelicans (10-34, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (24-15, fifth in the Western Conference)

Houston; Sunday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Trey Murphy III and the New Orleans Pelicans visit Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in Western Conference play.

The Rockets have gone 2-4 against division opponents. Houston leads the league with 49.2 rebounds per game led by Alperen Sengun averaging 9.2.

The Pelicans have gone 4-24 against Western Conference opponents. New Orleans is seventh in the NBA with 12.4 offensive rebounds per game led by Yves Missi averaging 2.9.

The Rockets are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.8 percentage points lower than the 48.6% the Pelicans allow to opponents. The Pelicans are shooting 46.5% from the field, 0.3% higher than the 46.2% the Rockets' opponents have shot this season.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Pelicans won 133-128 in overtime in the last matchup on Dec. 19.

TOP PERFORMERS: Durant is scoring 26.3 points per game with 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Rockets. Amen Thompson is averaging 20.9 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 51.4% over the last 10 games.

Murphy is averaging 22.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals for the Pelicans. Zion Williamson is averaging 23.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 5-5, averaging 107.5 points, 50.6 rebounds, 21.7 assists, 7.5 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.6 points per game.

Pelicans: 2-8, averaging 113.3 points, 43.7 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 7.7 steals and 6.6 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.6 points.

INJURIES: Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Tari Eason: out (ankle).

Pelicans: Jose Alvarado: out (oblique), Dejounte Murray: out (leg), Herbert Jones: day to day (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.