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Lakers push all their chips into middle with Walker Kessler trade, Reaves, free agent moves

Sometimes, we build something up in our mind for weeks or months or years, and then the moment comes, and it's over in a flash. The Lakers' summer of 2026 felt like that.

Before Luka Doncic fell into their laps and gave a direction to a roster retooling, the Lakers were pointing to the summer of 2026. That was when their books would be clean, they would have some draft picks to trade and they could take a big swing. The summer of 2026 was when the Lakers would reshape the roster for the future.

Then everything happened in a span of an hour on Wednesday — a blockbuster trade, a rapid succession of free agent signings — and with that, the Lakers have pushed all their chips into the middle of the table, going all-in on what happened in that hour. This is their core.

The foundation for that magical hour was laid in two steps. First, the Lakers re-signed secondary shot creator, fan favorite and Doncic's friend Austin Reaves to a four-year, $184.8 million extension. That was more than the Lakers had hoped to spend, but Detroit was lurking with a max offer, so to keep Reaves that was the price.

The second step was finalized Tuesday when LeBron James made official something that had felt like it was coming since before Christmas — he would not be returning to the Lakers. The exit of someone who brought the Lakers back to relevance and earned them banner No. 17is underappreciated by too many of the team's fans, but it also was time — and the Lakers needed the cap space his exit created.

Then, in the span of 45 minutes, the Lakers changed everything.

Walker Kessler

First, the Lakers traded for Walker Kessler, the 24-year-old, 7'2" center that everyone around the league expected the Jazz would hold on to long-term. However, the lure of essentially four first-round picks — two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033) and two first-round pick swaps (2028 and 2030) — was too much for Utah to pass up.

Kessler is exactly the kind of force at the rim that the Lakers need on both ends of the court. Most importantly, Kessler is a high-level shot blocker — and the Lakers are going to need that with Doncic and Reaves out on the perimeter. Kessler has averaged 2.4 blocked shots per game over his career, and he is one of the few centers who will block shots with either hand.

He is also a big body who sets a good pick, rolls hard to the rim, and knows how to finish. Consider how good Luka Doncic has made players like Daniel Gafford and Deandre Ayton look at points, and now imagine how that looks for a high-level finisher like Kessler.

Kessler is someone the Lakers fans can truly rally around after spending years trying to talk themselves into Deandre Ayton or Christian Wood or whoever the Lakers rolled out at the five.

Mamukelashvili, Grimes, Sexton

While the basketball world was still reeling from the Kessler trade, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka sprang into action and signed three free agents: Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton.

• Mamukelashvili is a 6'9" power forward who shot 38.9% from 3-point range last season. He spaces the floor and is coming off a quality season in Toronto, where he earned Sixth Man of the Year votes. (It wouldn't be surprising if he ends up a starter.)

• Quentin Grimes brings the kind of two-way, defense on the perimeter play — and grit — the Lakers need. And he is ready to come to Los Angeles.

• Collin Sexton is a bucket getter, and that matters. The Lakers were 29th in the NBA in bench scoring last season, 29.3 points per game, and Sexton will step that up.

Lakers all in

This is the Lakers' core.

The Lakers emptied the treasure chest to buy this team — they have nothing left. The only draft picks they can trade are a 2032 first-round swap and a 2033 second-rounder. That's it.

They are about to get expensive, too. There won't be a ton of flexibility.

Doncic has proven he can lead a team to the NBA Finals. Reaves and Kessler are now part of the core but have yet to truly be tested in the playoffs. This is a nice group of role players, but can JJ Redick bring them all together?

There are a lot of questions, but the Lakers have done what they promised in 2026 — they have taken a home run swing. Now we'll see if they connect.

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The Rays Keep Rolling: Rays 4, Royals 0

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 01: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates his two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s the middle game of a three-game series in Kansas City, with the Rays looking to secure the series win after last night’s 10-4 win over the Royals. Shane McClanahan takes the mound tonight against Seth Lugo, who allowed seven runs to the Rays last week inside of Tropicana Field.

Jonathan Aranda singled with one out in the top of the first to put a runner on for the scorching hot Junior Caminero, who is on a five-game home run streak coming into tonight’s game. On the first pitch he saw, he extended that streak to six games, sending a ball 425 feet over the left field wall and giving the Rays an early 2-0 lead.

McClanahan took the mound in the bottom of the first and struck out leadoff hitter Lane Thomas to start the inning. He worked a scoreless first, and did so again in the second, allowing a leadoff single but striking out Carter Jensen and getting a double play to end the inning.

The game was fairly quiet through the middle frames, with McClanahan not allowing a run through five innings, and Lugo, despite allowing seven hits, recovering to keep the Rays off the board after the Caminero home run. In the top of the sixth however, Cedric Mullins got the eighth hit off Lugo, launching a solo home run over the right field wall to extend the lead to 3-0.

McClanahan worked a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth, throwing only his 69th pitch of the game after six frames. Matt Strahm was brought in for the Royals to replace Lugo, who allowed three runs on nine hits over six innings of work.

Shane’s day was also done after six innings of work, with Cole Sulser being brought in to replace the lefty. McClanahan allowed only three hits and struck out four, bouncing back in a big way from a loss against the Royals last week. Sulser allowed a leadoff single, but kept the score at zero with a groundout and two strikeouts to end the seventh.

Garrett Cleavinger entered in the bottom of the eighth, and was a little shaky, allowing a walk and a single, so Kevin Kelly was brought in to get out of the inning and did just that.

In the bottom of the ninth, Kelly stayed in, and he allowed a leadoff single to Jac Caglianone, but worked a double play and flyout to end this one for the Rays.

Two home runs provided the four runs on the board, and the Rays take the series in Kansas City with a sweep opportunity tomorrow. Stephen Kolek will get the start for the Royals against a Rays pitcher to be determined, first pitch set for 7:40 pm.

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Peachy Skenes: Phillies 10, Pirates 6

What were you expecting? I was expecting a pitchers’ duel, and so were you, probably. Paul Skenes vs. Zack Wheeler, a heavyweight bout. I had a whole plan for this recap: take each inning like a round of a prize fight, load it up with boxing references. You can see the beginnings of that below. But I had to abandon the idea quickly because Skenes got TKO’d in the second. So it goes.

In round one, Wheeler and Skenes were evenly matched, each getting one strikeout, and each allowing one base runner via walk and no other damage. It almost wasn’t so: Brandon Marsh took a pitch deep to center, but Bucco centerfielder Jake Mangum, befitting his team’s nickname, robbed him.

Wheeler blinked first, with Nick Gonzalez sending a grounder through the right side of the infield for the game’s first hit. But he nimbly dealt with the rest of the Pittsburghs, and Gonzalez stayed where he was until it was time to trudge back to the dugout for his glove. Skenes plunked Alec Bohm, then allowed a single to Bryson Stott. Round two thus went to Wheeler, and before Skenes even recorded an out. Adding insult to injury, J.T. Realmuto proceeded to force Skenes to throw 10 pitches in his at bat before striking out on a low changeup. Skenes loaded the bases on a walk of Gabriel Rincones Jr. aided by a missed call in the upper outside corner that should’ve been strike three. Justin Crawford chopped one to third base, and Gonzalez tossed it home for what ought to have been an easy out. But his errant throw struck Bohm on the hand and scooted away, scoring two. Rattled, perhaps, Skenes tossed a sweeper that Trea Turner was able to get all of. It sailed into left field; fireworks before it even got dark. 5-0, a joy to Phillies fans, and a disappointment to anyone hoping for a proper pitchers’ duel .

Had that bottom of the second not happened, Wheeler’s surrendering of a solo shot to nine-hole hitter Henry Davis would’ve been a disappointment, and Turner’s bobbling of a grounder as he charged for it would’ve been heartburn-inducing, even more so after said bobbled grounder became Pittsburgh number two. But in light of that triumphant five-spot, they seemed less bothersome than usual.

And even less so after Brandon Marsh, on a heater that made the temperatures in Philadelphia look positively arctic, knocked a pitch into the right field seats in the bottom third. And it would get worse for young Skenes. In the fourth he allowed a pair of base hits to Rincones Jr. and Turner, and then with two outs induced an opposite-field line drive ball from Harper. A few inches more and it would’ve been the end of the inning. Instead, it slipped right under the glove of Tyler Callahan and scooted away as two more Phillies scooted home and scored.

The Pirates plated another with a a trio of consecutive two-out singles in the fifth; Wheeler’s night ended. It wasn’t his best night, but the fact that one can say that about a night where tossed 10 Ks says a great deal about him. Kyle Backhus came in to get the final out of the frame. Two consecutive HBP loaded the bases and scored one, respectively; the inning came to an end with a backwards K of the next batter.

Skenes’ day was over after the fifth, and thus both teams were into their bullpens. There was some traffic on the base paths for both clubs in the sixth, but no more runs.

The same was not true of the seventh. Seth Johnson walked two and allowed a double to Jared Triolo, bringing the Phillies’ once mighty lead down to two. Orion Kerkering was tasked with cleaning things up, and did. He was aided in that mission by Bohm, who got the final out of the inning on a beautiful diving catch.

But he was not content to merely assist in keeping the lead. Instead, he chose to expand it, sending a ball into the verdant batter’s eye in the eighth to give the Phillies their ninth and tenth runs. And it was thus that Jhoan Duran came in with a four-run lead to defend. He did. What were you expecting?

The Phillies are 49-38. They’ll conclude the series against the Pirates tomorrow at 12:35.

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Royals get blanked by Rays

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 01: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates his two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Junior Caminero is really good at hitting home runs. At the moment he does it every night. Seth Lugo got a strikeout to start the game before Jonathan Aranda singled in front of Caminero. Junior then smashed the first pitch deep to left and gone to get Tampa Bay an immediate two run lead. That is his sixth game in a row with a home run and he is the youngest to reach such a streak passing another Jr. of the Griffey variety. Caminero turns 23 on Sunday and already has 76 career homers.

Lugo settled in after that tough first inning and looked pretty sharp. That 2-0 lead for the Rays stayed for much of the game as Shane McClanahan was also dealing. He also got out of a couple of innings where the Royals got something started and then hit into double plays. The Rays did nearly score a run in the 4th when Chandler Simpson led off the inning with a single. He then tried to swipe second base with Taylor Walls up and one out. Carter Jensen was having none of that and gunned him down for his second caught stealing of the night. He has now thrown out more than 40% of runners at 15 for 36 and is only one caught stealing behind the MLB leaders at 16 William Contreras and Shea Langeliers. Walls hit a double that would have scored him if Jensen had not thrown him out.

Seth did get the quality start for the Royals but also gave up one more run in the 6th before he exited. Cedric Mullins came up with two outs in the sixth and hit a flyball to right that seemed to have a balloon-like ability to float forever. He got enough backspin on it and then let the hot air do the rest. It was 98 mph off the bat. So, Lugo out with a line of 6IP, 9H, 0BB, 6K, and 3ER. He was going to need the offense to get going to avoid taking the loss. McClanahan also went six with 3 hits and no walks. The Royals bats hit a couple of loud flyouts to the track, but he was mostly in control the whole game. They are limiting his throwing lately and pulled him after just 69 pitches.

One nice thing from this game was another good outing for Matt Strahm. That’s five outings in a row without giving up a run and he has only had one hit and two walks in those five innings. Newly arrived Jose Cuas took the 8th and did not have as clean an inning. He did look okay but gave up an RBI single to Mullins to push the lead to 4-0. Cuas did come back out for ninth and that inning went smoothly.

Kansas City finally got a threat going in the 8th against Lawrence, Kansas native Garrett Cleavinger. Nick Loftin walked to start things off. Then Tyler Tolbert popped out on a bunt to first base. Why is he bunting when the team is down 4? Michael Massey got a bloop to drop and move Loftin into scoring position. Now with two on and one out, Lane Thomas got frustrated getting rung up on what he thought was a check swing ball four. Instead, it was a strikeout and the end of the day for Cleavinger as the Rays brought in Kevin Kelly to face Bobby Witt Jr. It looked like the bases might be loaded again when Bobby hit a weak grounder to the left side. With his speed that is often an infield single. Kelly got to it quickly and threw a strike to barely beat him and end the inning.

The Royals final chance started well with Jac Caglianone getting a lead-off single. Kameron Misner pinch hit for Starling Marte and hit what looked like a nice easy fielder’s choice, however, Richie Palacios at second base made an error to make it first and second with no one out. Salvador Perez promptly grounded into a double play, the third of those on the night, and Jensen lined out to center to end the game and his hitting streak.

Now with the worst record in the American League, the Royals are starting to make a run at Colorado for the worst in all of baseball. The dog days of summer indeed.

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Nashville Predators Reload Middle 6, But Chris MacFarland Hints At More Moves

Chris MacFarland has made clear his plan for the future of the Nashville Predators following the start of NHL free agency. 

On Wednesday, he traded for Dallas forward Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and signed Utah center Alex Kerfoot, Colorado defenseman Jack Ahcan and St. Louis defenseman Hunter Skinner. 

That's also on top of signing center Jack Drury to a five-year, $22.5 million contract after trading for him on June 24, sending Zach L'Heureux and Fedor Svechkov. 

"We want to surround our young NHL players with character builders, guys that have seen winning, have touched winning, that know what it looks like," MacFarland said. "They can teach these young guys what goes into that on and off the ice.

"Some of the players that we've added, like Jack Drury, Maverick Bourque and  Ross Colton, they've seen what winning looks like, and they can certainly impart some things to our young guys." 

Bourque's acquisition was MacFarland's biggest win of the day. The Stars center logged 41 points in 82 games last season from their third line. His addition gives the Predators a massive boost from the middle of the lineup. 

MacFarland said that they are still hammering out the details on Bourque's contract. He was previously signed to a one-year, $950,000 contract. 

He's an attractive, aged player who's proven in this league at 24 years old," MacFarland said on Bourque. "We believe he can play and be a good player in the middle of the ice. And I think that was probably the biggest draw for us...

"He's a smart, heady hockey player. He's a good two-way guy that we think the arrow is still pointing up for. We intend to give him every shot at playing in the middle." 

MacFarland also hinted at that the Predators are not done making roster moves.

So far, Nashville has 15 forwards under contract and seven, possibly eight, defensemen. The Predators are likely looking to shrink some of those numbers and add more depth on the backend. 

Ahcan and Skinner will likely play in Milwaukee. Lyubushkin is the only defensive acquisition that will likely earn a roster spot. 

Nashville Predators Acquire Mavrick Bourque, Ilya Lyubushkin In Trade With Dallas StarsNashville Predators Acquire Mavrick Bourque, Ilya Lyubushkin In Trade With Dallas StarsNashville bolsters its lineup by landing a prolific young scorer and a battle-tested veteran, sacrificing future draft capital to sharpen their competitive edge for the coming seasons.

"The back end is something that we want to find a little bit more puck skill and a little more transition as part of our game," MacFarland said. "It's not easy to do, right? As you can see by free agency, there weren't a lot of those defensemen available. 
There's a reason for that. Those are the hard-to-get assets." 

What the Predators have gone out and done so far is build more stability in their bottom six. 

Moving players like Erik Haula, who signed with the Kings, L'Heureux and Svechkov out made room for the Predators to trade for and sign veteran players who can give Nashville that spark from the third line. 

Early projections have Drury centering Colton and Matthew Wood and Bourque centering the second line of Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault. On the fourth line, Kerfoot would be centering the newly acquired from the Vancouver Canucks Nils Hoglander and Joakim Kemell. 

"You're gonna need depth, right? This is a really hard league and injuries happen," MacFarland said.
"You're gonna need a lot of players to get through a National Hockey League season. From (Jason) Blakey to Jamie Langenbrunner in the front office, competition is really, really important. It's healthy. It raises the bar for everyone.

"The players are gonna tell us in training camp (who will make the roster), and then players are gonna have to tell us, again, in October and November, by their play." 

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Colorado signs Jaden Schwartz and Noah Juulsen in free agency

DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 30: Jaden Schwartz #17 of the Seattle Kraken is congratulated by Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche after their 2-1 loss in Game Seven of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 30, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It wasn’t expected to be a big free agency day for the Colorado Avalanche as the calendar flipped to July 1st and the beginning of the 2026-27 league year but GM Joe Sakic was able to get a couple cheaper contracts inked before closing shop for the summer.

Enter Jaden Schwartz , a 34-year-old left wing most recently of the Seattle Kraken but was part of the St. Louis Blues 2019 Stanley Cup team. Colorado inked him to a three-year deal at a $3.25 million cap hit per year. He scored 26 points and 11 goals in 50 games last season as he was limited with injury. Sakic mentioned Schwartz as having a top nine role and will likely be utilized all over the lineup.

There was just enough money left over to make one more addition to the Avalanche roster and that is in right shot defenseman Noah Juulsen who is most recently of the Philadelphia Flyers where he played 52 games and scored 10 points last season. He signs for two-years at $1.1 million in each year. This feels like a classic seventh defenseman addition and gives Colorado a depth option with size. They have a plethora of right handed defensemen again but are used to working with that type of personnel.

Joe Sakic met with the media and reiterated the plan is to mostly start with this group and then accrue cap space for the trade deadline. Barring something they can’t pass up, the organization seems comfortable with the moves made this offseason. More minor league signings will follow and new acquisition Fabian Lysell needs a contract extension but until the Cale Makar contract is (hopefully) executed, this feels like a quiet summer ahead.

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Report: 76ers interested in adding LeBron James

The Philadelphia 76ers just pulled off a massive trade, shipping Paul George and two first-round picks to the Celtics for Jaylen Brown. However, it appears they're not done trying to revamp their starting lineup. Tony Jones, who covers the 76ers for The Athletic, reported shortly after the Jaylen Brown trade that the 76ers were interested in signing free agent LeBron James.

How Would LeBron James Fit With the 76ers?

After the trade for Jaylen Brown, the 76ers' starting lineup would be:

PG: Tyrese Maxey
SG: VJ Edgecombe
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Dean Wade
C: Joel Embiid

Dean Wade is a solid floor spacer who's shot 36.7% from beyond the arc during his seven-year NBA career, but he's not a strong rebounder and has averaged 5.3 points in 20 minutes per game in his career. He is a strong defender, which is an area of need for the 76ers, but he fits best as a rotation piece and not a starter on a potential title team. Of course, with Maxey and Edgecombe leading the way, the 76ers don't need another primary scorer in their starting lineup.

This presents an interesting question for LeBron James. At 41 years old, James will certainly welcome not having to shoulder a huge burden. He played in just 60 games this season, his fewest since 2022-23, and he attempted just 15.3 field goals per game, his lowest total ever. Obviously, playing next to Luka Doncic meant that James wasn't needed to initiate offense as much, but that would likely be the same situation while playing alongside Maxey, Brown, and Edgecombe. LeBron remains a strong facilitator, who had 7.2 assists per game last season while turning the ball over just 3.0 times per game, his fewest since 2012-2013. LeBron would have to be OK filling even more of a facilitator role among a group of younger scorers who are going to push the pace in a way that James may be unable to keep up.

Moving Wade to the bench would also deepen a bench unit that is a major weakness right now, with just Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti, Dominick Barlow, and Labaron Philon as likely contributors.

What Other Teams are Interested in LeBron James?

The Warriors still remain at the forefront of the James sweepstakes, along with teams like the Heat, Cavaliers, and Nuggets. The Spurs seem to be out of the running after signing Tobias Harris, but all cards are on the table when it comes to LeBron James. We should have some resolution in the next few days.

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Paul Skenes rocked in career-worst outing as Phillies extend his skid

It just keeps getting worse for Paul Skenes. Not only has he not won a game in nine starts, but on Wednesday, July 1, the Phillies made it sting. Philadelphia battered the Pirates' ace for a career-high seven earned runs, and eight total, in an outing that lasted just four innings.

Trea Turner put a three-run homer in the seats, Brandon Marsh tacked on a solo shot and the Phillies had an 8-4 lead before most fans had finished their first hot dog and beer.

Skenes hasn't picked up a win in a start since May 12 and Pittsburgh hasn't won a game he has started since then, either. That last win was against the Rockies and five days later, the Phillies started his spiral. They tagged him with five runs in five innings on May 17.

More: Paul Skenes, a Sharpie and the most famous forehead in Pittsburgh

During this slide, Skenes has allowed 28 earned runs and seven homers in 47 innings, good for a 5.36 ERA. In his first two seasons, Skenes never finished with an ERA over 1.97.

It's a jarring stretch for a pitcher with Skenes' talent and resume.

He won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2024 and then followed that up with a Cy Young Award in 2025. Lately, however, his numbers just haven't looked as dominant.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paul Skenes rocked in career-worst outing as Phillies extend his skid

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St. Louis Cardinals Bats Go Quiet in Dixie as Braves Win Wednesday Night

Jul 1, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) reacts after hitting a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves have been one of the best teams in the National League for the first half of the 2026 season, but the St. Louis Cardinals have shown they can compete and Tuesday night was no exception at Truist Park at least for the first 7 innings. Michael McGreevy kept the Cardinals close through the first half of the game. However, the Cardinals bats were deadly silent and the bullpen let the game escape in the late innings.

The St. Louis Cardinals grabbed an early lead starting in the top of the 1st inning. After JJ Wetherholt flied out to deep center, Iván Herrera turned a 95 mph four-seam fastball into a ground rule double. Two batters later, Jordan Walker hammered a sharp single to right scoring Herrera who made a great slide into home getting his hand over the base just before the tag making it 1-0 Cardinals. Spoiler Alert: St. Louis could just not spark any kind of real rally against Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez. Would you believe these would represent the only Cardinals hits of the game?

That lead would not last long unfortunately. The Atlanta Braves answered in the bottom of the 1st inning a single from Drake Baldwin who scored on a double by Ozzie Albies tying the game at 1-1.

The Braves took the lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning and it was Ozzie Albies fault again. He ripped a 92 mph four-seam fastball from Michael McGreevy into a 380 foot home run to right-center making it 2-1 Braves and that’s the way it would remain until the late innings.

Michael McGreevy overall had a solid outing as he gave the Cardinals 6 full innings allowing just 3 hits, 2 earned runs while striking out 3 and walking just 1. He simply had no run support from the Cardinals offense. Max Rajcic entered the game in the bottom of the 7th inning. He walked Mauricio Dubon to lead off the Braves 7th, but was then able to get Smith to ground out and he struck out the slumping Austin Riley. Dubon advanced to third on a wild pitch by Max before Rajcic walked Mike Yastremski to give Atlanta runners on first and third. Fortunately, Mateo would pop out to Blaze Jordan at third to end the scoring threat and keep the Cardinals within a run.

José Fermín would ALMOST tie the game in the top of the 8th inning off of Braves reliever Dylan Lee as he came within an eyelash of homering to left field, but left fielder Dubon made a leaping grab against the wall to deny him. Dang.

Justin Bruihl entered the game in the bottom of the 8th inning with the sole purpose of keeping Atlanta from adding an insurance run. He would not be successful. The defense behind him was not supportive of his cause either. After Bruihl walked Drake Baldwin, Blaze Jordan botched what looked like an easy groundball from Ozzie Albies that could have been a potential double play starter. Instead it was E5 with Matt Olson at the plate with runners on first and second with nobody out. Olson flew out to deep right which allowed Baldwin to advance to third, but Albies did not advance to second even though Jordan Walker’s throw went to third instead of second. Michael Harris II made Bruihl (and the Cardinals) pay for that leadoff walk as he singled into left-center scoring Baldwin and giving the Braves a 3-1 lead. That would cause manager Oli Marmol to remove Bruihl and bring in Gordon Graceffo to stop the bleeding. He sadly couldn’t. Dubon executed a sacrifice squeeze that Alec Burleson made a great effort on, but his throw was too late to home as Albies slid home safely making it 4-1 Braves. It nearly got worse when Smith singled to right, but Jordan Walker threw a laser beam to home and Pedro Pages made a great tag for the second out. It wasn’t enough to stop the Braves from continuing to pile on. Austin Riley would single to left on the first pitch he saw scoring Dubon and giving Atlanta a commanding 5-1 lead. That would be the score going into the top of the 9th.

The St. Louis Cardinals 9th inning would feature the top of the order starting with JJ Wetherholt. He would end the game 0-3 with a weak groundout off of Braves reliever Iglesias. Iván Herrera then struck out and then Alec Burleson ended the game with a weak flyball to left field representing one of the Cardinals poorer offensive efforts of the season so far.

The St. Louis Cardinals will wrap up their visit to Atlanta with a Thursday night game against the Braves. Dustin May will make the start for the Cardinals. Atlanta has not yet named their starter for Thursday’s game. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15pm central time with the game TV broadcast being handled by Cardinals.tv.

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Dodgers vs. A’s game chat

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 30: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers dives into third base safe against the Athletics in the top of the seventh inning of a major league baseball game at Sutter Health Park on June 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s a bullpen game for the Dodgers, as they look to sweep the Athletics on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY GAME INFO
  • Teams: Dodgers vs. Athletics
  • Stadium: Sutter Health Park, Sacramento
  • Time: 6:40 p.m. PT
  • TV: SportsNet LA
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)

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Toronto Maple Leafs land prized free agent, signing goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to 3-year, $21M deal

NHL: Florida Panthers at New York Rangers

Mar 29, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes a glove save against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

New general manager John Chayka’s transformation of the Toronto roster isn’t dependent on youth alone.

Days after selecting play-making 18-year-old forward Gavin McKenna with the first pick in the NHL draft, Chayka added veteran depth — with Stanley Cup Final experience — in a series of moves highlighted by the signing of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to a three-year, $21 million contract as free agency opened on Wednesday.

At nearly 38, Bobrovsky is a two-time Cup champion and leaves Florida to fill what’s been a long-unaddressed need in Toronto.

“Sergei’s a real game-changer for us in terms of the stability, the consistency, the durability,” Chayka said. “We think he’s really motivated to come into the largest hockey market in the world, and it’s important to him that he finish his career strong.”

Among the other more active teams were the San Jose Sharks. They signed free agent defenseman Jacob Trouba and forward Mason Marchment, while also acquiring defenseman Darnell Nurse in a trade with Edmonton.

Utah, coming off its first playoff appearance, signed former Islanders captain Anders Lee to a three-year, $16.2 million contract and Vincent Trochek of the Rangers as the Mammoth muscled up their front line.

Aside from Lee, and with veteran forward Patrick Kane and defenseman John Carlson still available, Bobrovsky was considered among the most prized free agents on the market.

“A sincere thank you to Sergei Bobrovsky for all he did for this organization,” said Panthers general manager Bill Zito, who this past week had traded for goalies Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid. “Things happen where decisions get made and people move on. It’s part of our game. We have nothing but appreciation for Sergei.”

Though nearly a decade removed from winning the Vezina Trophy for a second time as the NHL’s top goalie with Columbus in 2017, Bobrovsky represents an upgrade for a Leafs team that’s gone through a carousel of netminders, including five alone last season. Toronto is attempting to retool on the fly with a new coach after finishing last in the Atlantic Division standings to snap a nine-year playoff run.

The Leafs also acquired veteran forward Nick Paul in a trade with Tampa Bay, while also signing center Teddy Blueger, who won a Cup in 2023 with Vegas, center Colton Sissons and center Jack Roslovic.

Rangers wheel and deal

The Rangers made four trades in a five-hour span, most notably sending Trocheck to Utah for defenseman Sean Durzi, prospect Cole Beaudoin and a third-round pick in the draft next year. They also acquired Marcus Pettersson from Vancouver for a conditional 2030 first-rounder, shipped fellow defenseman Will Borgon to Boston for picks and made an additional trade with the Bruins to get backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo.

New York also signed former Tampa Bay forward Oliver Bjorkstrand to a one-year, $4.5 million contract.

Sharks stock up

The fast-improving Sharks are suddenly a destination. They acquired Nurse in a deal that sent defensive prospects Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp to Edmonton. Trouba signed a four-year, $33 million deal and Marchment signed a five-year, $33.75 million contract.

After the Sharks enjoyed a 19-win jump in the standings and barely missed the playoffs, Trouba called being part of a team on the rise behind Macklin Celebrini one of the biggest reasons he signed in the Bay Area.

“You want a team that you feel like you can grow with and make an impact and help these young guys,” Trouba said on a video call with reporters. “It’s important to get into where everybody wants to be is on a contending team, and I think we have a good opportunity in San Jose to do that.”

Goalies on the move

The Oilers shuffled goalies by acquiring Buffalo’s minor league prospect Devon Levi in a trade and added veteran Frederik Andersen on a $2.8 million contract for next season. Andersen was Carolina’s goaltender on the way to the Cup final before getting injured and exiting the series.

Winnipeg signed Stuart Skinner to a two-year, $7.5 million contract with Winnipeg. The Jets’ goaltending depth could be in flux with the team listening to trade offers for three-time Vezina Trophy-winner Connor Hellebuyck. Minnesota signed Calvin Pickard, while Tampa Bay got Denis Hildeby from Toronto for forward Nick pPaul.

Free agent signings

— Washington, still waiting on Alex Ovechkin’s decision about whether to return for a 22nd NHL season, signed Columbus winger Boone Jenner ($23 million) and San Jose defenseman Vincent Desharnais ($16.8 million) to four-year contracts.

— The Los Angeles Kings signed Nashville forward Erik Haula to a two-year, $7.2 million contract. And Mats Zuccarello left Minnesota to sign with L.A..

— Chicago got veteran defenseman Ian Cole (Utah) for next season at $4.75 million.

— Colorado signed former Seattle winger Jaden Schwartz to a three-year, $9.75 million contract.

— Detroit signed Swedish winger Viktor Arvidsson (Boston) to a two-year contract worth $10 million.

Staying put

In the meantime, teams were also busy retaining players.

-- Florida signed rugged defenseman Radko Gudas, who just turned 36, to a six-year deal worth $1.5 million annually for a total of $9 million. The 36-year-old Gudas played in Florida for three seasons from 2020-23 and acquired in a trade with Anaheim on Monday.

— New Jersey locked up captain Nico Hischier by signing the Swiss center to a five-year extension worth $58.5 million with an annual cap hit of $11.7 million from 2027 through 2032.

— Montreal re-signed Ivan Demidov to an eight-year, $73 million contract after the 20-year-old Russian forward led all NHL rookies with 62 points (19 goals, 43 assists) last season.

— Philadelphia got two extensions done, signing forward Tyson Foerster to an eight-year, $56.8 million contract and extending goalie Dan Vladar for five years at $27.5 million.

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Dodgers' Will Smith won't return before the All-Star break

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Will Smith remains on the IL because of a neck injury. (Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)

The first half of the season will conclude with Will Smith in the same place he has been for the last month: the injured list.

The Dodgers’ three-time All-Star catcher has been on the IL since June 8 because of what the Dodgers list as neck inflammation. Smith said he had been diagnosed with an inflamed disk.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he “just can’t see any world” in which Smith would return before the All-Star break, which concludes July 16.

“It’s certainly longer, I know, than all of us expected,” Roberts said. “But I don’t think it’s anything real, kind of affecting-the-season type thing.”

Read more:Dave Roberts gets his 1,000th win as manager in Dodgers' victory over Athletics

Roberts said Smith has not been able to accelerate his rehabilitation to the point of doing baseball activities.

Dalton Rushing, who has taken over as the Dodgers’ primary catcher in Smith’s absence, is batting .213 with one home run and 19 strikeouts in 18 games while Smith has been on the injured list. The Dodgers gave Rushing the day off Wednesday.

The Dodgers were 14-6 with Smith on the IL entering play Wednesday.

Also Wednesday, the team scratched shortstop Mookie Betts from the starting lineup because of a sore right wrist.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Rays’ Junior Caminero becomes youngest player since at least 1900 to homer in six straight games

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero has become the youngest player since at least 1900 to homer in six straight games.

Caminero hit a 425-foot shot to left off Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo in the first inning on Wednesday night for his 24th homer of the season. The Rays star will celebrate his 23rd birthday on Sunday.

The youngest player before Caminero to homer in six straight games was Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr., who did it at the age of 23 in 1993.

The only other players since 1900 to homer in as many as five consecutive games before their 23rd birthday were San Francisco’s Jack Clark in 1978, Atlanta’s Brian McCann in 2006 and Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2018.

Caminero becomes the first player to homer in six straight games since Rafael Devers did it for Boston in May 2024. Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber, Detroit’s Spencer Torkelson and the Chicago White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami had all homered in five straight games this season.

The only other Tampa Bay player ever to go deep in six straight games was Carlos Pena in June 2010, according to Sportradar.

Caminero has eight homers over his last six games. He began this stretch by going deep three times in a 13-2 victory over Kansas City on Thursday.

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How to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 17: A general view of Chase Field during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The San Francisco Giants conclude this three-game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Trevor McDonald, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.94 ERA, 4.01 FIP, with 45 strikeouts to 19 walks in 51 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Friday, in which he allowed three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

He’ll be facing off against Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen, who enters tonight’s game with a 6.15 ERA, 5.24 FIP, with 52 strikeouts to 27 walks in 86.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Diamondbacks’ 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, in which he allowed five runs on four hits with two walks in six and two thirds innings.

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Game #86

Who: San Francisco Giants (35-50) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (43-42)

Where: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona

When: 6:40 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

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The Sixers’ next reported target: LeBron James (seriously)

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 8: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 8, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2025 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Well, if you thought the news of the Sixers trading for Jaylen Brown was shocking, you might want to sit down for this one.

The Sixers are reportedly looking to talk to LeBron James … yes, you are reading that correctly.

Tony Jones is as plugged in as anyone across the NBA media landscape. While he doesn’t mention anything about how receptive LeBron would be to the idea of joining the Sixers, it does make a good bit of sense:

“Philadelphia makes sense from a basketball perspective. The 76ers have enough scoring, depth and ballhandling at the top of the roster to allow James to ease into a role. And with James — or even without him — Philadelphia projects as a championship contender. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also considered among the frontrunners for James’ services.”

There are connections with James and president of basketball operations Mike Gansey. The two crossed over for a few years in Cleveland. LeBron was leading the franchise to its first ever NBA title while Gansey served as the team’s director of development league operations before being promoted to assistant general manager.

But their connection goes back a bit further. As we all know, LeBron was born in Akron, Ohio. Gansey is from Olmsted Falls, Ohio. As Mike’s younger brother Steve reminded everyone, Mike and LeBron crossed paths as high-level high school players.


For all the jokes about LeBron getting Bronny enrolled at Malvern Prep or seeing him at the Wawa in Port Richmond a few years back, it would be something for this to happen now.

It feels like the ball is in the King’s court.