LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 4: Jackson Kent #25 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 4, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The hits keep on coming for the Nationals, dropping 3 close contests to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a series sweep. They’ve fallen to 11 games under .500, and desperately need to get things going again to have any sort of momentum heading into 2027. The bullpen continues its historically rough season, the offense has dissipated, and the starting pitching keeps revealing its flaws. There are a plethora of younger players on the roster, and much of the next 3 weeks will be spent evaluating the Nats’ internal options at the MLB level before any decisions are made for the future.
The schedule doesn’t get much easier after the Dodgers, with the West Coast trip continuing into San Diego for 3 games against the Padres. San Diego hasn’t been lighting the world on fire recently, but they sit 7.0 games above .500 and are right in the thick of the Wild Card race at just 0.5 games back. The Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks have been going back and forth for months, and the Nats have to face them when their games mean the most.
Irvin has been consistent for Washington, just not consistently very good. He’s looking to avoid getting closer to a 10-loss season and push his ERA below 5.50. Pivetta will be making his first start since April 12th, and he’s being thrown into the fire at the most important time of the year.
Game Two – Tuesday, 9:40 PM ET
WSH: TBA SD: TBA
The middle game of the series is set up to be a full-blown bullpen game with no listed starter for either team at the moment. With how difficult things have been going for the Washington bullpen, this one could get ugly if the offense continues to stay dormant.
Game Three – Wednesday, 4:10 PM ET
WSH: LHP Jackson Kent (1-3, 5.55 ERA) SD: TBA
The Padres are going with another undecided pitching decision, and the Nats have the young southpaw Jackson Kent on the mound for the finale. He showed flashes but was overall unimpressive in his last outing against the Dodgers, something the Nats hope to improve moving forward.
If there was any doubt about Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck's intentions heading into next season, the Hart and Vezina Trophy winner made it clear when he confirmed through his agent that he has requested a trade. The 33-year-old had knee surgery, and a career-worst .895 save % with the Jets last season, but still played 57 games (23-23-11) and was the key to Team USA’s gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
The Buffalo Sabres were connected to Hellebuyck around the NHL Draft in late June, but Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could not find common ground on a deal. The conventional wisdom is that now that Hellebuyck has made his trade request public, that Cheveldayoff is not in as strong a negotiating position to get the best deal for the netminder, but he reportedly is open to going to a wide swath of teams.
Unless Hellebuyck is prepared to hold out, Winnipeg could wait into the season for the right return for such a valuable commodity.
The Sabres could be in the mix for Hellebuyck, but deals that had previously been offered that included goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen might be off the table, since he has a five-team no-trade clause that could block a trade to Winnipeg. It is expected that any deal involving Buffalo would include one of their young centers (Noah Ostlund or Konsta Helenius), one of their top prospect defenseman (Daxon Rudolph or Radim Mrtka) and/or an established NHL forward (Jack Quinn or Ryan McLeod).
Other teams could be in the mix for the veteran netminder, either to get them into the playoff mix, or to elevate them from a consistent postseason entrant to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
Florida Panthers
Team Status: The Panthers fell victim to numerous injuries and the hangover of three consecutive deep runs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, losing in the 2023 Final to the Vegas Golden Knights and defeating Edmonton to win consecutive Cups in 2024 and 2025. The loss of team captain Aleksander Barkov in training camp was a fatal wound, but a myriad of other injuries weighed down Florida to the point that making the playoffs became an impossibility. GM Bill Zito pulled off potentially the coup of the summer, obtaining winger Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa for a package of high draft picks, as well as adding veteran support players like Garnet Hathaway, and Radko Gudas.
Current Goalie Situation: Zirto appears to have charted his course for the immediate future between the pipes, opting not to bring back two-time Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky, obtaining Akira Schmid for a draft pick from Vegas, and dealing with New Jersey for veteran Jacob Markstrom. Markstrom had a subpar year with the Devils, while Schmid made the bulk of the starts (34) for Vegas.
Assets To Trade: Cap space and assets are what make a Hellebuyck deal to Florida unlikely, but Zito seems to defy the odds because of how attractive playing in no-state-tax Florida is. Schmid at 26, without any trade protection, would likely be part of any deal, since Markstrom has a 20-team no-trade list, but the Panthers are right up against the cap and would likely need to clear Markstrom’s $6 million cap hit.
Cheveldayoff would undoubtedly ask for young center Anton Lundell as part of any trade, but that seems to be where Zito hangs up the phone, since the 24-year-old is under contract for three years after next season at a $5 million AAV. 28-year-old Eetu Luostarinen has a no-movement clause that kicks in next July and just signed an eight-year, $40 million extension.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Joe Ryan #41 of the Minnesota Twins and Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox shake hands during the fourth inning of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):2:10 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe:Bless You Boys
The playoff hunt isn’t over quite yet, but we’re just about there. For the sixth time in the past five seasons, the Minnesota Twins went into the trade deadline with a decent shot to make the postseason, and then fell apart in the second half.
That’s largely represented by their best players. Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, and Carlos Correa have all had issues staying healthy and have missed large chunks of time late in the season and been ineffective when healthy. Pablo Lopez missed all of 2026 and most of 2025. Royce Lewis has missed plenty of time and simply hasn’t been a good enough hitter the past two seasons.
Now, we should add some caveats here. In most of those seasons, the past two in particular, the Twins came in projected to go about .500 and miss the postseason. They likely would have ended about in the same spot as they will this year if they hadn’t sold off every good reliever in their bullpen. Also, this season has come with quite a few positive signs that haven given Twins fans a glimpse at an exciting future.
Kaelen Culpepper looks like he can hold down shortstop for the foreseeable future and is plenty athletic enough to contribute in other places if he eventually has to move off of it. Luke Keaschall has been one of the 10 best hitters in baseball since his awful April. Brooks Lee still has plenty of questions about his sustainability on offense, but looks excellent defensively at third and has 23 homers despite his approach. Walker Jenkins hasn’t lit it up, but the at-bats look better than the results and is still only 21 years old. Zebby Matthews and Connor Prielipp have flashed great stuff throughout the season and would likely be talked about much better with a better defense behind them. Plus, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Alan Roden might be the two best hitters at AAA while 2026 draftees Vahn Lackey and Carson Tinney have been among the best players in the minors since debuting last month.
It’s hard to not be disappointed as the season winds down, but unlike the end of last season, this one has left me feeling very optimistic about the future of the Minnesota Twins. If Tom Pohlad sticks to his word and significantly increases the payroll, this team should be the AL Central favorites in 2027.
Today, we’ll get to see the Joe Ryan Experience make his grand return to the pitcher-friendly Comerica Park, a nice soft landing for the Twins’ ace. The bats will be facing Troy Melton, who may be the Tigers’ next ace, but the Twins have shown the ability to hit him the two times they’ve seen Melton earlier this season. Let’s see if they can do it again!
Former members of the Vancouver Canucks will take the spotlight in this off-season article series. From those skating with new NHL teams heading into the 2026–27 season to those who are now playing for international clubs, these featured players have skated in at least one game at the NHL level as a member of the Canucks.
Today’s segment will take a look at the former Canucks that are expected to play in the KHL during the 2026–27 season.
*Vitali Kravtsov, Traktor Chelyabinsk: First acquired by Vancouver in 2023, played in 16 games, and went to the KHL that off-season. Spent two seasons with Traktor Chelyabinsk before making his return to North America in 2025–26, where he played in 10 games with the Abbotsford Canucks. Terminated NHL contract to return to the KHL for 2025–26. Currently listed as injured heading into the 2026–27 season.
Sheldon Rempal, Salavat Yulaev Ufa: Played in one game for the Canucks in 2021–22 after signing with the team in free-agency in 2021. Scored 33 goals and 36 assists in 55 games with Abbotsford during that season. Signed with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022 before heading to the KHL in 2024–25. Signed with the Washington Capitals in 2025–26 but returned to the KHL during the year.
*Tyler Graovac, HC Lada Togliatti: Played for the Canucks from 2019–20 to 2020–21, skating in a total of 22 games. Went to the KHL in 2021 and has since played for Dinamo Minsk (2021–22), Vityaz Moscow Region (2022–23), Admiral Vladivostok (2023–24), Kunlun Red Star (2023–24 to 2024–25), and Lada Togliatti. Has yet to sign a contract for the 2026–27 season.
Josh Leivo, Avangard Omsk: Traded to Vancouver in December of 2018. Put together a career-high season with the Canucks in 2019–20, scoring seven goals and 12 assists in 36 games. Played for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues before heading to the KHL.
Nikolay Goldobin, SKA St. Petersburg: Sent to Vancouver in exchange for Jannik Hansen in March of 2017. Played in 114 games with the Canucks, putting up a career-high of seven goals and 20 assists in 63 games in 2018–19, before returning to the KHL in 2020–21.
Sep 16, 2019; Victoria, British Columbia, CAN; Calgary Flames goaltender Tyler Parsons (82) blocks a shot by Vancouver Canucks forward Nikolay Goldobin (77) during the third period at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Bailey, Barys Astana: Spent 19 games with the Canucks throughout the 2019–20 to 2021–22 seasons, predominantly playing for then Vancouver AHL-affiliate the Utica Comets. Skated with the Bakersfield Condors, San Jose Sharks and Barracuda, and San Diego Gulls after. Signed with Barys Astana during the 2026 off-season.
Nikita Tryamkin, Avtomobilist Yekaterinberg: Played in his lone two NHL seasons with the Canucks in 2015–16 and 2016–17. Skated in a total of 79 games during that span of time. Now heading into his 10th-consecutive season with Avtomobilist Yekaterinberg and the 14th of his career.
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Feb 20, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop Michael Arroyo (96) hits a two run home run in the second inning against the San Diego Padres during a Spring Training game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Remember the Midshipman’s Log? Good times, everybody.
There is something so satisfying about following the minor league teams and prospects. It makes a Brock Rodden debut more exciting and rewarding than it probably should (if Spencer Packard ever debuts, I can’t wait to reminisce about how he raked for Everett back in 2022), and in a season like this, we’re going to take every piece of succor we can.
Once again, Max is gone celebrating his graduation from graduate school (congrats Max!), so you’re going to have put up with a sub-Max quality write-up for one more week.
Tacoma Rainiers (66-72), 3rd in PCL West
The Rainiers won the first three of the series against the Albuquerque Isotopes, their fifth, sixth and seventh consecutive wins. Wednesday was an exciting win, as a wild pitch in the ninth inning scored Stuart Fairchild to tie the game up before Tacoma put up a 3-spot in the top of the 10th inning. They also won the fifth game of the series to claim a series win over Albuquerque in dramatic fashion – even deprived of Little Laz, they powered their way to victory as Victor Labrada, Ryan Bliss, Andy Ibañez and Nolan Jones all hit home runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
It was a great send-off series for Michael Arroyo, who has since been promoted to the big-league club in the latest jangling-key-maneuver from Seattle’s front office. Arroyo had six RBIs on seven hits with a pair of walks. His final line for the MILB season: .283/.359/.471, 18 HR, 17 SB. So close to a minor-league 20-20!
Top prospect updates:
Who’s even left? Well:
Ryan Bliss update:
Not to be outdone by his old middle-infield partner, Bliss also put up six RBIs on seven hits this series, with a TRIO of walks. As mentioned, he also got involved in the big comeback home run derby on Saturday night. Oh, how I wish Bliss wasn’t a Quad-A player.
A little more Jekyll and Hyde for Tacoma’s staff – on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, they gave up a combined seven runs. On Thursday, Friday and Sunday, they gave up a combined 29 runs. Nothing new from the depleted Tacoma pitching team.
Arkansas Travelers (69-63), 3rd in the Texas League North
The Travs earned a split for their last home series of the season, though it was marred by a brutal 24-4 loss in the series finale to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. They walked-off the series opener with a three-run ninth, as Jonny Farmelo drove in the first run with a double, before scoring the go-ahead run himself on a Charlie Pagliarini double. Friday’s night game saw an offensive explosion for the Travs, a 13-5 win, with every batter reaching base at least twice except for Josh Hood.
The Travs have one more series left in their season on the road against Springfield.
Top prospect update:
Felnin Celesten: Felnin’s season came to an end on August 27, as he caught the groin bug that has plagued the big-league club this season. It’s unfortunate timing, as the promotion to Double-A was hard-earned and he surely would have loved a chance to excel at the challenge. However, the 20-year old top prospect re-established himself after being dropped from most top-100 lists this offseason, slashing .273/.363/.458 with 16 home runs and 25 stolen bases in almost 500 PAs between Everett and Arkansas.
Jonny Farmelo: 9 hits (including a pair of doubles) and 5 walks against just 3 strikeouts. Is that good? Yes, Farmelo had a good week after struggling since his promotion to Double-A, hitting sub-.200 for Arkansas in 34 games before this week. An encouraging step for him! He also continues to be electric in center field.
Boston Smith: Oh man, I am all the way in on Boston Smith. So, am I pretending I do not see this week where he went 1-for-20 with nine strikeouts.
Ryan Sloan: After an uneven August, Sloan had a forgettable start this week, lasting just 4.2 innings and giving up 4 runs.
Obligatory Teddy McGraw check-in: McGraw made two appearances over this series, going an inning each and giving up just one hit and striking out 3.
Everett AquaSox (67-65, second in Northwest League)
The AquaSox finished their season with a 4-2 series win over Spokane. They fell victim to the inane first-half/second-half playoff structure of the Northwest League, and failed to qualify for the playoffs despite finishing second in the overall standings.
Top prospect update:
Korbyn Dickerson was placed on the inactive list after the series opener.
Luke Stevenson has continued to be a real hot-and-cold hitter, and this was a hot week: 8 hits, 2 home runs, and 5 walks saw him power his team to their series win. A leadoff-hitting catcher? You just gotta love it.
Inland Empire 66ers (59-72, 7th in Cal League [out of 8, ouch]
The 66ers lost 4 of their last 5 games, as the season finale in Lake Elsinore was cancelled amidst a rainstorm that left the field unplayable.
Ace Reese absolutely rakes. Nine hits in four games this series, with as many home runs as strikeouts. Look at that swing! He is going to terrorize the Northwest League next year. He ends his first stint in professional baseball with a line of .440/.530/.667.
Nick Becker has not raked, and will probably need another pass in the Cal League, as he went 2-for-18 this series. There is still plenty of talent and tools in the tank here, and I am still in on Becker.
Man Swinging Sledge Hammer (Photo by Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images) | Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
ROYALS
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Carter Jensen – C
Ketel Marte – 2B
Bobby Witt – SS
Gabriel Moreno – C
Vinnie Pasquantino – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Salvador Perez – DH
Lourdes Gurriel – DH
Michael Massey – 2B
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Nick Loftin – 3B
Tim Tawa – RF
John Rave – RF
Jordan Lawlar – CF
Matthew Lugo – LF
Ryan Waldschmidt – LF
Kyle Isbel – CF
Jose Cabrera – RHP
Noah Cameron – LHP
An 11:10 am first pitch on a Monday? What fresh hell is this? I know it’s Labor Day and all, but Monday is one of my days off anyway, so it makes no difference to me. I’m used to relaxing, watching a couple of movies, then sauntering towards a Gameday Thread in the late afternoon. Today though? No such luck. Even though it is one of the holidays “observed” by baseball, with an afternoon start time an option, it has been a long while since we’ve had one start this early in Arizona. Usually, we’re at home, or playing close to it. From what I’ve found, it’s the earliest Labor Day in SnakePit history. The last morning game was 2000, when Atlanta meant a 10:05 am start here.
So I’ll keep this brief. All told, it hasn’t been a happy holiday for Arizona. They are only 9-18 on Labor Day over the years (they had no game in 2001), and have just one win in six attempts this decade. They’ll be hoping for better today. It’s another bullpen game, so maybe it’ll be as successful as the last one. Though the line-up above shows Cabrera as the starter, he’s going to be the “bulk” pitcher, with Derek Law the opener. Plenty of options in the ‘pen, with five players who haven’t pitched in five days or more, and two more on three days rest. No Corbin Carroll, who is simply getting a day off, but good to see Geraldo Perdomo bounce back after the friendly fire incident yesterday.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 06: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets ready to bat in the dugout during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on September 6, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Never has a four-game streak felt so flat as one with the heavy cloud of Shohei Ohtani’s absence looming over the Dodgers, but those scary days seem to be over, and not a moment too soon. According to Dave Roberts, his star player is ready to return tonight against the Reds as the Dodgers get set for a far more daunting challenge than they had in any of the four games without the MVP. While the Reds as a team have tailed off after an encouraging start to the season, currently sitting in last place of the NL Central, Chase Burns has been at the top of his game—if not for Jacob Misiorowski’s ridiculous season in Milwaukee, the Reds’ ace would be in the running for the NL Cy Young.
When Burns faced the Dodgers early in his first year last season, he wasn’t as polished, but there were already clear signs of the dominant pitcher he could be—hosting the reigning champs in late July of 2025, he reached double-digit strikeouts for his third straight start in a 5-2 loss. Assessing this game’s outlook in particular, for as great as Burns has been with his 2.79 ERA in nearly 150 innings, so has the run support he has received, the fourth-best in the sport at 5.88—the ideal recipe for a dominant 15-3 record.
All of this certainty on the Reds’ side is contrasted by the direct opposite on the Dodgers’ pitching plans for this matchup. An odd man out amidst the return of multiple key starters, Emmert Sheehan was sent down at the beginning of August after a blowup start against the Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball—the Dodgers were coming off five straight losses in his starts. Since then, the work in Triple-A has been promising, with Sheehan allowing just one run in 17.1 innings.
Even in great teams, individual pitchers are susceptible to an underwhelming record for any number of reasons, but the comparisons of this specific matchup are too unique to ignore. The last-place Reds will send out a starter who has won 15 of his 18 decisions across 26 starts this year, while the first-place Dodgers will go with a starter who has lost two-thirds of his decisions with a 4-8 record in 20 appearances. When will we see something like this so late in the season from two players who have been with their respective clubs right from the start? It might be a while.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
The Buffalo Sabres once again had a top 10 pick at the 2025 NHL Draft, and after lengthy speculation that they might trade the pick for immediate help with former GM Kevyn Adams entering a do or die season, the Sabres kept the ninth overall pick and selected Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Radim Mrtka.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
Mrtka offers an intriguing physical package at 6’6”, 218 lb. with excellent skating ability. After getting limited playing time in various levels in Czechia last season and playing for his country in the Under-18s, the big right hander came to North America to play in the WHL and posted 35 points (3 goals, 32 assists) in 43 games with the Thunderbirds, where he was teammates with current Sabres prospect Scott Ratzlaff.
"Mrtka (offers a) very unique package to be able to move the way he does at 6'6", (is) almost more agile with the puck, if that's possible," Sabres Asst GM Jerry Forton said before the draft in June 2025. "A smart player at both ends. I was over in Czechia early in the year when he wasn't getting a lot of playing time in the men's league over there to see what he was willing to do to move to North America. He comes from a background where he has very little in the way of resources for hockey or anything outside hockey. He uprooted, high character kid, a huge ceiling."
The 19-year-old played five games for Czechia at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships, and played a four-game stint with AHL Rochester after Sabres training camp before being sent back to the WHL. His production was virtually the same last season with the Thunderbirds (1 goal, 33 assists) in 43 games, and after their year was over, Mrtka finished the season with the Amerks and played all three playoff games against the Toronto Marlies.
It is expected that Mrtka will play full time with Rochester, and based on how the Sabres blueline fares and how the youngster plays in the AHL, a call up to the NHL is not out of the question.
Sep 2, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron (65) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Here on Labor Day, in the midst of a heat wave, the Arizona Diamondbacks come to a cooler environment than Phoenix for a series. The 76-68 D-Backs are hanging on to the third Wild Card slot in the NL, with a half-game lead over the San Diego Padres. The Royals can play spoiler a little bit, if they like.
The D-Backs will start Derek Law on the hill in today’s game. He will turn 36 in a week, and he’s purely a reliever. He’s one of those guys who has bounced around over the years; he’s on his 7th team since breaking through with the San Francisco Giants 10 years ago. He’s thrown only four innings this year after having missed all of 2025 due to right forearm inflammation. He was last seen as a reliever for the Nationals in 2024 and put together a solid season for them.
In short, it’ll be a bullpen game from the D-Backs.
The Royals will put new staff ace Noah Cameron on the mound. His last start was against Miami, and he gave up four runs in five innings but had excellent K/BB numbers. He gives the Royals as good a chance as any pitcher they have for a win. Unfortunately, Jac Caglianone remains out of the lineup. With John Rave in right field, Matthew Lugo gets the start in left field. The 25-year-old was hitting .271/.320/.531 in Omaha prior to his callup.
The game starts at 1:10pm US Central at Kauffman Stadium. You can watch on Royals.TV OR locally on KCTV5. You can listen on 96.5 The Fan or the Royals Radio Network.
The Portland Trail Blazers are signing Hyunjung Lee to an Exhibit 10 training camp contract, according to multiple reports out of Korea, and confirmed by Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. That means he is almost certain to spend much of the coming season with the Trail Blazers' G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix.
Nicknamed the "Ace of South Korea," the 6'7" forward played for Portland at Summer League in 2024, spent last season playing in Japan's B League. With a smooth jump shot, 3-point range and just playing hard when he got the chance, Lee made an impression at Summer League this year with San Antonio, averaging 8.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in eight games (across the California Classic and Las Vegas). He started slow but near the end of Summer League, he dropped 22 on Utah.
Lee wants to play in the NBA and is taking his shot through the G League. It feels appropriate that the team that drafted and is trying to develop Yang Hansen is taking a shot on him.
Sexton talks Lakers
He'll be coming off the bench, but Collin Sexton chose to come to the Lakers as a free agent because of the opportunity. He is going to have a big role, sparking offense with the second unit on a team that's going to play fast and be critical to their success. Sexton appeared on ESPN LA Radio and talked about what drew him to Los Angeles as a free agent (hat tip Real GM).
"I would say just opportunity to win, being on a big stage and being in the situation where I can try to come in and impact winning. I feel like I've been on different teams where it's just been a lot tougher. Of course, the want to win, it's always been there."
He also talked about most of the team heading to Slovenia on Luka Doncic's dime to work out this summer.
"I would say it was one of those trips where it was more like team building for us. It was for us to gel and work out, not just in the States, but away. And also, just the culture, for Luka to do that, it just shows a true leader, and that's the role that he wants to fall into this season and be the one to lead us."
Madison Square Garden tops Ant’s favorites list
Anthony Edwards and young F1 star Kimi Antonelli filmed a commercial together and did a behind-the-scenes video for YouTube, one where Antonelli asked Ant his favorite buildings to play in (hat tip Hoopshype).
"Well, of course home or Madison Square. Madison Square, TD Garden, New York, Boston, Philly, and Atlanta at home. But it's hard to play in Madison Square Garden too. Great place. It's hard to play there. You got to be ready for that. Boston is the same way New York is."
Barkley says he’s retiring
We've seen this movie before, but maybe this time he means it.
Appearing on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" last week, Barkley said this coming season of "Inside the NBA" would be the last one for both him and host Ernie Johnson. Barkley said when the iconic NBA pre/postgame show jumped from TNT to ESPN last year, Johnson asked Barkley to stay on for two more years.
"I said: 'I love you, man. You're the best. I'll stay.' So right now, unless Ernie changes his mind, next year is my last year, 100%."
Take it all with a grain of salt, we've heard this a couple of times now from Barkley. But one of these times it's going to be real.
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 04: Cleveland Guardians left fielder Jo Adell (7) drives in a run with a sacrifice fly during the first inning of game 1 of the Major League Baseball doubleheader between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians on September 4, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 06: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a home run in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Petco Park on September 06, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres seem to have started to find their groove. The Friars made franchise history on Sunday afternoon, hitting back-to-back-to-back home runs for the fourth time in club history. It was just the second time of those four that the three homers were to lead off a game. That last happened in 1987, when Marvell Wynne, Tony Gwynn and John Kruk led off with three long balls.
Instead, it was Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado. Tatis and Cronenworth hit theirs to the opposite field, with that being Cronenworth’s first opposite-field home run of his MLB career. Machado went to dead center field. That, along with Luis Campusano’s solo shot in the seventh inning, was the difference maker after the New York Yankees scratched three runs across in the eighth inning.
Thankfully, closer Mason Miller slammed the door on the Yanks, striking out the side. That gave the Friars their first series win in two weeks, since they swept the Minnesota Twins. They’ll now face the Washington Nationals at Petco Park before going on their penultimate road trip of the 2026 regular season.
Taking the mound
Jake Irvin (WAS) v. Nick Pivetta (SD)
The Nationals right-hander has had a tough go of it this season. Irvin has pitched to a 5.57 ERA through 18 starts (85.1 IP) with an abnormally high 1.40 WHIP. He’s yet to put it all together at the big-league level after four seasons with Washington. That said, he’s surrendered just three runs in his last 8 1/3 innings.
Irvin’s only positive is that he hasn’t faced the Padres much in the past. San Diego batters have a combined eight at-bats against him. In that time, they’ve batted a collective .250, with Ty France having two hits against the righty. Hopefully, it won’t take long for the Friars to solve Irvin in the series opener.
He’s back! After missing the last five months, Nick Pivetta is finally returning to the Padres. He’ll start a major-league game for the first time since April 12 against the Colorado Rockies. It wouldn’t be surprising to only see Pivetta in for the first four innings, or until he reaches a certain number of pitches. The Friars don’t want to jeopardize his arm.
Still, Pivetta coming back is a huge improvement for the San Diego starting rotation. His return boosts the pitching staff in a big way, and takes pressure off of the rest of the group. If Pivetta can look anything close to his 2025 self, it’ll be a massive add for the Friars.
Batter up!
Apart from the first inning, the lineup didn’t do a whole lot in the series finale on Sunday. That said, Campusano has been a force to be reckoned with lately. During the Yankees series, the backstop went 4-for-10 with a walk, two home runs and three RBIs. If that production continues, it would be a major improvement behind the dish.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Luis Campusano, DH
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Dustin Harris, LF
Freddy Fermin, C
Harris has swung a hot bat in just about every opportunity he’s had with San Diego. The left fielder is now hitting .292 on the season with a .719 OPS. Since joining the Padres, Harris owns a monstrous .409/.435/.455 slash line. That likely won’t continue, but the production they’re getting from him is phenomenal.
Relief corps
Michael King pitched another gem, as always, straining seven Yankees (4 H, 3 BB) across six scoreless innings of work. That saved the bullpen after Robbie Ray’s disastrous start on Saturday. Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon and Miller covered the final three frames. Morejon struggled a bit, giving up three runs, though one was due to a throwing error.
With Pivetta’s return today, manager Craig Stammen reported that Randy Vásquez will be working out of the ‘pen. It seems likely that Pivetta pitches about four innings before Vásquez enters in relief. Behind those two, Jhony Brito, Griffin Canning, Kyle Hart, Yuki Matsui, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta are all available for San Diego to call upon.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 2: Starting pitcher Trevor Rogers #28 of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 2, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Labor Day, Camden Chat! I hope the Orioles don’t give you a back-breaking loss that seals their season. I’d understand if you didn’t feel great about their chances: the O’s are 0-6 in September, four games back of the Guardians, and couldn’t even achieve a series win against the Colorado Rockies!! For Pete’s sake.
Well, hope springs eternal. Today, it’s a battle of two lefties—Cleveland’s Joey Cantillo (9-8, 3.91) vs. our own Trevor Rogers (9-9, 4.30)—as these two teams attempt to elbow their way into the postseason.
Cantillo is a swing man turned full-time starter this season. The Honolulu-born lefty has been just average this year—barring his poor control, as attested to by a league-leading 72 walks. He’s good at getting whiffs, particularly with his curveball and changeup. A lefty with offspeed stuff? Sounds like it could be trouble.
The Orioles are actually letting a few lefties hit off of Castillo: Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers. Also Rece Hinds was called up just yesterday, so you’ll be meeting him. Hope he’ll be a spark of something.
The O’s’ myriad frustrations this year don’t really fall at the feet of the starting rotation, which includes Trevor Rogers. The lefty’s season-long numbers aren’t wow, but they are mitigated by two things: a bad start he’s since transcended, and bad batted-ball luck/bad defense, suggested by a .301 BABIP for opposing hitters. His strikeout and walk numbers are mostly the same as his brilliant 2025. For me, at least, it’s always nice to see Trevor Rogers out on the mound. Last time we did, he racked up a career-high 11 strikeouts in Colorado (the O’s managed to lose that one, anyway, with a bullpen collapse). The future Hall of Famer José Ramírez loves to hit Rogers, though, so watch out for him.
Devon Toews is accustomed to making an impact on the ice.
On Sunday, the Colorado Avalanche defenseman traded his stick for a baseball and stepped onto the mound at Coors Field, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the Colorado Rockies took the field.
The Hockey News was in attendance for the game.
Toews’ appearance came as the Rockies welcomed fans to the ballpark, with the Avalanche defenseman taking part in the pregame festivities before settling in to watch the game from the stands.
The Rockies appeared to be juiced up at the beginning. They built a 5-1 lead until the bullpen faltered and allowed five runs in the sixth inning.
From there, the Rockies tried to play catchup, but subsequent runs allowed put them further behind, as they suffered a series 10-8 defeat to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.
For Toews, who is an avid baseball fan, the afternoon provided a chance to represent the Avalanche away from Ball Arena and connect with Colorado’s broader sports community.
The appearance also served as another reminder of the unique relationship between Colorado’s professional sports teams. Avalanche and Rockies fans have plenty of opportunities throughout the year to support both clubs, and Toews’ presence at the ballpark brought those worlds together.
And now with reports coming out in recent days regarding the Walton-Penner group and how it’s expected for the Broncos owners to acquire a larger portion of the team, Rockies fans, who have been tortured for years upon years of bad teams, may have something to smile about around the corner.
And before you know it, Rockies fans may experience what Avalanche fans have enjoyed for the latter part of a decade. Excellent teams, playoff appearances, and plenty of post-game fireworks.
On Sunday, the partnership was evident and together, we can support all Colorado sports teams for the greater good.
And for the Avalanche, training camp is right around the corner.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 04: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners rounds third base after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning against the Athletics at T-Mobile Park on September 04, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Cal Raleigh steps to the plate at T-Mobile Park for these final few weeks of the 2026 season, Mariners fans might be surprised to hear a different walkup song for their catcher. Raleigh has long favored Washington-born Zach Top’s “Bad Luck”, which he’d been using since last season, but also has a taste for the classics: he’s used Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight,” Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing,” and back in the minors, the original Beef Boy Ballad, “Drift Away.”
Classic heavy metal? Not so much.
Except sharp-eared fans might have recently heard Raleigh walking up to “The Trooper” by Iron Maiden, arguably the second-most famous piece of literary art about the Charge of the Light Brigade. Frustrated with his season and open to changing up anything, Raleigh has been trying out different walk-up songs over the past few months – the less said about the use of Martina McBride’s “Independence Day” over the July Fourth homestand, the better – eventually allowing the Mariners’ clubhouse managers and attendants to take a turn picking out songs for him. Clubhouse attendant Tim Kalal, a devout Iron Maiden fan, selected “The Trooper” prior to a game against the Phillies on August 24th. Cal went on to hit three homers in the game and hasn’t looked back since.
It’s a fitting tune for Raleigh, who has probably felt like he’s been in Tennyson’s Valley of Death during 2026. However, there are signs he’s been starting clambering off the gob pile that has been his season. Cal points to a mid-August series in Milwaukee where he instituted a mechanical change as a turnaround in his season. Small sample size ahoy, but since the beginning of that series, Raleigh has a wRC+ of 259 . He’s hit eight home runs over that span, which is one fewer than the number he hit from the beginning of the season to the fourth of July; more importantly, he’s walking much more (19%) and striking out much less (26%) than he’s been this season. He’s also squaring the ball up better, with a barrel rate of over 30% (MLB average is around 8%) and a hard-hit rate of 64.5% (MLB average is 22%).
Part of Raleigh’s adjustments have been getting his hands into better position; they’re a little higher and a little further back. Per Cal, this allows him to be better on-time to get off his good swing, which would contribute to the uptick in hard-hit numbers.
“It doesn’t take as long to get to my fire position,” said Raleigh, noting the new setup has helped him get to that position earlier. “So I don’t have to worry about getting back on time. There’s less room for error. So just being a little higher, a little more back, I’m a little more in that position where I fire from.”
Here he is in that “fire position” in his second home run against Wheeler on August 24th vs. where he was on May 12 (where he broke an 0-for-38 with a single) in Houston. His hands are higher, but really he’s more upright overall, with those classic high elbows that are an Edgar hallmark. His hips are also slightly more open.
Raleigh describes the change as a collective effort among the hitting group.
“You know, Edgar is a big proponent of it, he always has been. He’s big on getting your hands back and getting that separation beforehand so you don’t have to worry about maybe not getting back or not getting on time.”
Compare again to Raleigh in late June, where he’s much more closed at a similar point – you can see even more of his numbers than in the still from May – and his hands are closer to his body with a more perpendicular angle to his lead elbow. You can also see how much stronger Raleigh is to his back leg in August, with a more balanced weight distribution, as opposed to May-June, when he almost seems tipped forward some.
But the primary thing the new setup has given him is his timing back. While his attack angle hasn’t changed, you can see from Raleigh’s swing tracking data that in 2026, he’s often been later on the fastball, which has resulted in him getting under the pitch more, which has in turn resulted in a lot of flyballs that haven’t left the park. While it would be difficult for Raleigh to have repeated his 25% HR/FB ratio from last year ( at those rates, think Schwarber/Caminero/Alonso), this year that number has fallen to a career-low 14.5% (think Miguel Vargas, JJ Bleday, Zach Neto) – still high average, no longer elite.
“I don’t have to go searching or be on perfect timing every time,” said Raleigh. “I can have more room for error for being on time for the fastball and then a little more back on the off-speed.”
One thing that has been consistent for Raleigh all season is his ability to take a walk; even at his worst points, when he was expanding up or chasing out of the zone and striking out consistently, he still ran an above-average walk rate, managing to wring some value out of his plate appearances. But in this mid-August stretch until now, not only is he walking almost 20% of the time, but he’s getting himself into advantage counts and actually doing damage in those counts. Raleigh said he started to feel things shifting in his favor earlier; the mechanical adjustment just helped him unlock the ability to punish mistakes.
“I felt like I was seeing the ball better. I was laying off pitches, I was doing all that stuff. It was just about the execution of it. Now when I was getting the mistake, I was actually taking advantage of it. So I think that’s the difference. Beforehand, I was seeing the ball a lot better and doing a better job of recognizing and stuff like that, but still not getting the execution part through.”
So the two improvements have gone hand-in-hand: Raleigh is doing more damage on the pitches he’s seeing now thanks to the mechanical tweak, but he’s able to get those pitches to damage because of his improved plate discipline and ability to dictate the at-bat – something that can build throughout the game.
“You always want to be on the attack, and if it’s not [the pitch you want], you’re getting another pitch out of them. It might not show up in that first at-bat but maybe you saw that one pitch one extra time, or he had to use all four pitches on you instead of only two or three, and I think it shows up—maybe not in that at-bat, but it shows up in the next one. You recognize it and you get even more good counts, and you do that more often and you can square something up. So it’s that trickle-down effect, like if it’s not immediate, maybe it’s the next time through. It’s just much better when you’re in the driver’s seat. You have a little more freedom. You have a little more ability to be like, what’s my plan here, what am I going to try to do to get that swing off, instead of trying to play defense up there.”
Cal claims not to be an Iron Maiden fan, but the battle metaphor is appropriate for both baseball and the unnamed protagonist of “The Trooper,”
You’ll take my life, but I’ll take yours too You’ll fire your musket, but I’ll run you through So when you’re waiting for the next attack You’d better stand, there’s no turning back
“To me, a typical season is like, 10% of the time you’re hot, super hot, you can’t get out. 10% of the time, you’re awful. You can’t do anything. Then there’s that 80% where you’re fighting, battling. Maybe not good, maybe not bad. Right in the middle. And that’s when you’re trying to fine tune things a little bit and make sure you’re on top of everything.”
At this point it would take a Herculean effort to push Raleigh’s 2026 campaign even towards “right in the middle” – not that that’s stopping him from fighting, battling. The Light Brigade soldier goes into battle knowing he won’t live to fight another day; fighting anyway, plunging on into certain death. It’s too late to save Cal Raleigh’s 2026 season, just like it’s too late to save the Mariners’ 2026 season. But Raleigh’s determination to fight on and finish as strongly as he can, to make those adjustments, to find a way out of the valley is a testament to the kind of player and person he is: in every sense, a Trooper.
