ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 27: A general view of the field during Game Four of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker Freedman/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The 2026 MLB Playoffs continue Wednesday night with Game 5 of the World Series between the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, who hold a 3-1 series lead, and the Tampa Bay Rays, who managed to not get swept and hope to stay alive for another game.
The game starts at 5:00 p.m. PT, airing on Fox/Fox One, with national radio coverage available on ESPN Radio.
As of the time this is being written, the Rays have not yet announced a starting pitcher for tonight’s game. Whoever it ends up being will face off against Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who finished the regular season with a 1.80 ERA, 2.17 FIP, with 252 strikeouts to 44 walks in 174.2 innings pitched. His last postseason start was in Game 1 of this series, in which he allowed one run on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk in five innings.
Personally, I’m rooting for a full seven-game series, as unlikely as that might end up being. So I have to root for the Rays tonight. Because more baseball is better than less baseball.
In a career that almost never happened after a car accident in his youth nearly cost him his leg, Joe Page’s left arm eventually guided him to the Bronx and championship glory. The journey to get there started in Pennsylvania coal country and would eventually return to the area.
Joseph Francis Page Born: October 28, 1917 (Cherry Valley, PA) Died: April 21, 1980 (Latrobe, PA) Yankees Tenure: 1944-1950
Page grew up in Springdale, outside of Pittsburgh. The eldest of seven siblings, he spent his youth working as a breaker boy sorting coal at the mine where his father worked. With his primary focus elsewhere, Page was not much of a prospect on the diamond during his school years. Then, in 1936, a car accident left him with a compound fracture in his leg and out of sports for a couple of years.
Bulking up while working in the mines during this hiatus helped the lefty add a few extra ticks to his fastball and develop a desire to get away from the coal mines. Seeing his left arm as a ticket out, Page started playing amateur baseball in Pittsburgh. He played for several years before finally impressing Yankees scouts enough to sign with the organization in 1940.
Page then worked his way through the farm system. He started with the Butler Yankees in the Pennsylvania State Association. The following year, he was assigned to the Augusta Tigers in Georgia. In 1942, Page found himself on the doorstep of the big leagues with the Newark Bears, the Yankees’ top farm team. He remained in Newark for the 1943 season, posting a 14-5 record across 28 appearances.
The leg injury that almost cost him his career before it started might very well have been what saved it and got him his big break. Due to the injury, Page was classified as 4-F and was ineligible for the military draft during World War II. In April 1944, the Yankees called him up to the big leagues.
Making an immediate impact, Page won five of his first six decisions. The rookie was selected to the All-Star team, but he came back down to earth as the Yankees faded late in the season. Page ended the year back in Newark, finishing his major league debut with a 5-7 record and a 4.56 ERA across 16 starts and three relief appearances.
The Yankees were without Page to start the 1945 season as he dealt with a sore arm. Returning from the injury, the lefty was mainly utilized out of the bullpen before moving back into the rotation in September. In 20 games, Page went 6-3 with a 2.82 ERA. Manager Joe McCarthy continued to clash with Page over his lack of focus and partying, which had been concerns since his rookie season.
McCarthy and Page kept locking horns until the manager’s exit early in the 1946 season. Page continued to bounce between the rotation and the bullpen, starting 17 games and pitching in 14 more in relief. Across 136 innings, he posted a 3.57 ERA while finishing with a 9-8 record.
Page was moved to the bullpen ahead of the 1947 season. Manager Bucky Harris called on him 56 times, and Page responded with a 14-8 record and a 2.48 ERA. Retroactively, he would be credited with 17 saves while tossing 141.1 innings and setting a then-American League record with 14 wins in relief. Becoming a true relief ace, Page was dubbed the Fireman because he often came into games to put out the other team’s rally. Making his second All-Star team was a bonus, as was helping the Yankees reach the World Series. Page pitched 13 innings across four games on the biggest stage, including the final four innings of Game 7, helping the Yankees take down the Brooklyn Dodgers in that decisive seventh game.
The Fireman kept things rolling to start the 1948 season, leading the league with 55 appearances and making his third All-Star team. However, both Page and the Yankees struggled after the break, and the club missed out on a chance to repeat as World Series champions. Page finished the year with a 7-8 record and a 4.26 ERA.
New skipper Casey Stengel was able to right the ship in 1949. Page posted a 13-8 record and a 2.59 ERA to go along with 27 saves. That was 17 more saves than the next closest individual reliever in the American League and at least eight more than any other AL team. His outstanding season earned him third place in the MVP voting. For a reliever in that era, that kind of recognition was rare. The Yankees took down the Dodgers again in the World Series, this time in five games. Page earned the inaugural Babe Ruth Award as the World Series MVP after winning a game and recording another stellar appearance that would have been a save in the Fall Classic.
Page received the biggest salary ever given to a reliever ahead of the 1950 season, but this marked the beginning of the end. After hurting his hip in May, he struggled all season, posting a 5.04 ERA across 37 appearances. The club opted to leave the veteran off the roster as the Yankees faced the Phillies in the World Series. The guys were able to get it done without him, sweeping their way to another championship.
Before the 1951 season, Page injured his arm. He started the year in the minors trying to work his way back to the big leagues, but the Yankees released him on May 16th. Page kept grinding, and several years later, he briefly made it back to the majors with the Pirates in 1954.
After retiring from baseball, Page managed a couple of bars in Pennsylvania and became a regular at Old-Timers’ Day. Known for his cheerfulness, partying, and close friendship with Joe DiMaggio, Page remained a fan favorite. His final career line included a 57-49 record, 3.53 ERA, 790 innings pitched, 76 saves, and a 7.3 WAR.
Happy birthday, Joe!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during the tenth inning against the Atlanta Braves in game two of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a strange year for Alec Bohm. He went into his walk year with the full knowledge that the Phillies had tried to replace him with Bo Bichette over the winter and almost did until an eleventh hour offer from the Mets lured Bichette away. It was at least the second straight offseason where the Phillies’ desire to trade or otherwise replace Bohm was an open secret.
Things only got more unusual once the season actually started. Minutes before first pitch on Opening Day, it was reported that Bohm was suing his parents, alleging that the pair mismanaged his finances. The two parties eventually settled the case out of court in September, but that was after months of reports regarding the intimate details of the case.
On the field, Bohm struggled mightily in the first half of the season, resulting in his being dropped to eighth in the batting order on occasion. However, Bohm turned it around in the second half, emerging as one of the Phillies’ best hitters in the latter half of the season. But the second half surge still wasn’t enough to salvage his full season numbers from being one of the worst years of his career.
Again, Bohm’s second half is the only thing that prevented his season from being the definitive worst of his seven-year career. The 30-year-old hit .298 with a .794 OPS after the All-Star break and cut his strikeout rate from 15% to 12.5% while raising his walk rate from 6.7% to 9%. August was by far Bohm’s best month, as he hit .327 with an .830 OPS while being displaced defensively in the wake of the Luis Arraez trade that moved Bohm to first and Bryson Stott to third.
Bohm also continued to be one of the Phillies’ best hitters with runners in scoring position, even with his poor first half. His .958 OPS with RISP was the second best on the Phillies and 19th best among all qualified hitters across baseball while his .347 batting average was good for 13th best in MLB.
The highlight of Bohm’s year came in Game 2 of the Wild Card series against the Braves, as his opposite field solo home run in the tenth inning proved the difference in the Phillies lone win of the postseason.
It’s hard to overstate just how bad Bohm was in April. He hit .151 with a .426 OPS in the season’s inaugural month, with his 16 wRC+ being the third worst of any qualified hitter. He rebounded a bit in May and June, but even then, Bohm was only hitting .215 with a .632 OPS by the time of the All-Star break in mid-July. His dreadful April set the tone for his season, as Bohm was often made the whipping boy for the fanbase’s frustrations with the Phillies offense.
Even when Bohm did finally turn a corner, he didn’t do anything to make one believe that he finally took a real, meaningful step forward as a hitter in his last season of team control. He still doesn’t hit for much power despite his big frame, as Bohm’s rate of balls pulled in the air of 9.1% was still well below league average despite being an uptick from 2025’s 7.7%. Since entering the league in 2020, Bohm’s .412 slugging percentage ranks 52nd out of 63 players who have appeared in at least 800 games over that span.
Final Grade: D–
Bohm’s second half is the only thing that prevented this grade from being an F. Despite that performance, he still finished as one of the worst everyday hitters in the majors. If you take a step back and look at the big picture, Bohm is now seven years into his career, meaning he is as close to a finished product as can be reasonably expected. The mountains of evidence compiled in his career to this point paint a pretty clear picture of Bohm as an average at best hitter with below average power who plays below average at best defense on the infield corners. That is a player that can help some teams, but it is not someone who you want consistently hitting in the upper half of your order.
What exactly is that type of player worth? That will be an interesting question to follow this winter as Bohm enters an offseason of uncertainty. It is widely assumed that the Phillies will not bring him back as Bohm enters free agency, but the back injury to top prospect Aidan Miller has made the transition appear much less seamless. Add in the fact that utility infielder and backup third baseman Edmundo Sosa is also a free agent, and the Phillies’ depth at the hot corner suddenly looks lacking. The safe bet is that Bohm is playing elsewhere in 2027, but until the Phillies either commit to Miller at the start of the season or find some other stopgap until he is deemed ready, a reunion with Bohm cannot be definitively ruled out despite the team’s apparent attitudes toward him in recent offseasons.
Colin Rea is exactly the sort of pitcher every team needs.
Colin Rea is exactly the sort of pitcher every team doesn’t really want to use too much.
He’s a perfect guy to be a fifth starter — if you don’t overextend him. “Sixth starter” is probably a better description. Someone like this can go back and forth between bullpen and rotation and be effective in both places. These guys used to be called “swingmen” and they did both jobs throughout a season. Many of you might remember a lefty named Terry Mulholland, who did this very thing quite well for the Cubs in their 1998 Wild Card season.
As is the case with many guys like this, that sort of pitching goes up and down. Both last year and this year, Rea had some very good starts. He also had some outings that made us all cringe.
Overall, he is who he is — a guy who’s in the low 4’s in ERA, can eat up some innings, post a bit less than 1 WAR, and be a good teammate.
Rea was signed to a $4.25 million deal for 2025 with a $6 million option for 2026 (or a $750,000 buyout). Last offseason the option was restructured to a $6.5 million deal for 2026 with a $7.5 million team option or a $1 million buyout.
Rea turned 36 in July. He was barely used after Edward Cabrera left the rotation and David Peterson was returned to it; Rea appeared in just eight of the Cubs’ last 33 games, throwing only 12.1 innings over that span, odd for a guy supposedly available for long relief.
I think his time with the Cubs is done. They can probably find someone on the waiver wire or from non-tenders who can do this sort of thing for less money.
SEATTLE, WA - AUGUST 22: Right fielder Shawn O'Malley #36 of the Seattle Mariners emerges from the stands after diving to catch a fly ball off the bat of Tyler Austin of the New York Yankees in the seventh inning at Safeco Field on August 22, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Back with the series literally no one has asked for, no one apparently wants, and yet I am compelled to do. If you missed the first installment, you can catch up with the method behind the madness here, as well as the first batch of coaching staff candidates from the AL Central.
Today we’ll cover the NL East, since teams from the AL East and NL Central are currently in the World Series, and I’m putting off the Western divisions (mostly because that will be one giant article since I’m skipping essentially the whole AL West).
Again, if you haven’t already read the first installment in this series and yet are the kind of Sicko to read this one, I really suggest reading that first. Commenter rumdoodle described this series as “here’s what you could have won!” and that is…not an incorrect assessment of this enterprise, but also a) it’s good context to understand the broader coaching landscape the Mariners are hiring out of, for a variety of roles; b) some of these people might become Main Characters in baseball somewhere down the road, and won’t you feel so clever already knowing who Nic Wilson is (that’s what we call A Tease in the biz).
Anthony Contreras (Phillies)
Current role: Third base coach (MLB) – technically
Age: 43
Bonus points: West coast ties (from Los Gatos; attended San Jose State)
Contreras has been managing for almost a decade, jumping from the Padres organization to the Phillies, who gave him an opportunity to manage at the Triple-A level in 2022, a job he held before being promoted to the big-league staff in 2026. Contreras, the winningest manager of the IronPigs of all time, is well-respected by the players he’s managed, but his current role is somewhat up in the air after the Phillies hired Carlos Mendoza, a name once linked to the Mariners coaching search, to be their third-base coach. Come to us, AC! West coast, best coast!
Relevant quote: “What he brings to the table, how of a person he is on and off the field, he’s one of the best. Of the coaches I’ve been with, he’s one of one.” – Orion Kerkering on Contreras
Tucker Frawley (Mets)
Current role: “Director of defense, baserunning, and gameplay” for the Mets
Age: 37
Bonus points: Chatterbox
Remember how I said at the outset of this whole thing that I heavily weighted being involved with ABCA and being actively involved in the art of coaching and professional development and sharing knowledge and whatnot? Crawley, a longtime Yale assistant coach, is all about that life. This man has IDEAS, specifically about infield defense, and he is not afraid to tell you about them.
Relevant quote: “From an infield standpoint, I want us to chase aesthetics less, and efficiency more, and I often equate things to hitting, where there are just some hitters who have a knack of consistently finding the barrel and hitting the ball hard, and when they’re able to do that, there’s usually some freedom that the hitting coaches give them.”
Matt Tuiasosopo (formerly of the Braves)
Current role: free agent; former minor league infield coordinator
Age: 40
Bonus points: Born in Bellevue; deep roots in PNW sports culture; drafted by Mariners and played at both minor and major-league levels
Okay I’m technically cheating on this one, but hear me out. The Tuiasosopo name is a well-known one in PNW sports, but for whatever reason, the Mariners didn’t bring him home as a coach after his playing career officially ended in 2018; instead, Tuiasosopo immediately transitioned to coaching in the Braves system, the last MLB organization he’d been with, in 2019. By 2024, he had worked his way up to third base coach, replacing the legendary Ron Washington, but was demoted from that position by June of 2025 and reassigned to minor-league infield coordinator; his LinkedIn indicates he’s now working for an energy tech company in Atlanta.
Relevant quote: “I think if you’re a coach, you’re a servant. It’s all about the players. You have a servant attitude. It’s not about us as coaches anymore, it’s about giving these players love and instruction. Sometimes you gotta be hard on ‘em, sometimes you gotta lift ‘em up and build ‘em up. I always believe that you build up and not tear down. And I think that if you serve these guys and love on ‘em and build that trust, build that relationship, you can do a lot of great things. It’s something that I believe in, just in life in general and not just here at the field – serving people around you and thinking about others and not yourself, and I just try to live that.”
Nelson Prada (Marlins)
Current role: Manager, Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Age: 50
Bonus points: bilingual
Prada has a long history of managing, both stateside (where he’s been a long-tenured manager in the Marlins system) and globally (he’s worked with the Cardenales de Lara, who are like the Venezuelan baseball equivalent of the Yankees, and has served as Team Spain’s WBC coach); he’s also coached in the AFL and is Driveline certified for hitting. He’s currently the reigning Southern League Manager of the Year after leading Pensacola to a league-best 79-58 record that was also the third-best winning percentage in franchise history. Prada, whose bright playing career was cut short by a freak eye injury that blocks his vision to this day, has a unique perspective on the adversities players can face and how to be their advocate.
Relevant quote: “If you care about players, you have a group that is going to fight for you. I want the players to know that I care about them, and I really do care. I’m not being two-faced. Everywhere I go, I want players to feel like everybody’s a part of the team.”
Shawn O’Malley (Nationals)
Current role: Assistant hitting coach
Age: 38
Bonus points: IT’S SHAWN O’MALLEY
In case the name Shawn O’Malley doesn’t spark the same joy for you as it does for Mariners fans of a certain age, or the lead image for this story didn’t trigger something for you, O’Malley was part of the cursed Dipoto-transition-era Mariners but became a fan favorite because of his local ties, gritty play, and role in big moments like this catch in the stands or his role in the biggest comeback in club history against the Padres in the 2016 season. O’Malley went on to coach in the Mariners organization for a while at the minor-league level before going to join Blake Butera in a revamped Nationals staff. Real talk, I don’t really think any of the newly-hired Nats coaching staff is going anywhere after outperforming expectations in 2026 and was going to leave them off entirely; I just wanted to give O’Malley some shine.
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 25: Cincinnati Reds Infielder Sal Stewart (27) smiles during the MLB regular season game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Toronto Blue Jays on September 25, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is going to be front and center in the news all offseason given the December 1st expiration date of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between it and Major League Baseball itself. The MLBPA, repping the players themselves, is a labor union that wields a lot of power in brokering the future of the game on behalf of those that get on the field and play it, but there’s a whole lot more to it than just signing documents.
It’s a participatory organization. The players from all 30 franchises – both major and minor league – are a very, very active part of said group. Part of that includes putting their voices together to determine their Players Choice Awards at the end of every regular season, something they’ve done every year since 1992.
They announced their award winners on Wednesday morning, and Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart was tabbed the ‘Outstanding Rookie’ for the National League on the back of his 32 homer, 111 RBI breakout campaign in 2026.
Since 1992, the Players Choice Awards have celebrated excellence across Major League Baseball, recognizing performance, leadership, perseverance, and impact on and off the field. The awards are especially meaningful to players, because they’re determined through a vote of their… pic.twitter.com/J3PjBkP9AP
It’s the second significant RoY award taken home by Sal, who was also named the 2026 Sporting News National League Rookie of the Year last week. This one, though, holds a little bit more prestige and personality given that it was voted on by the players themselves. Nothing like being celebrated by a jury of one’s peers!
This award, though, doesn’t come with any tangible compensation. That’s reserved for the BBWAA Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award, and that will be announced on November 9th. Keep in mind that if Sal takes home that one, the Reds will be comped with an extra draft pick at the end of the 1st round in next summer’s draft (as well as the overall draft bonus pool bonus money bump that comes with it).
Either way, congrats to Sal who is stacking up a pretty impressive amount of hardware after his first full season in the big leagues.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Just three outs from winning the first World Series title in franchise history, the Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen finally faltered.
Left-hander Aaron Ashby retired all seven batters he faced in Game 4 against Tampa Bay and broke Andrew Miller’s record for scoreless innings by a reliever in one postseason. But manager Pat Murphy pulled Ashby with one out in the 11th.
Murphy had used six pitchers already and turned to Antonio Senzatela, who got two outs to finish that inning. The right-hander began the 12th with a one-run lead after rookie Cooper Pratt put the Brewers ahead 3-2 with a solo homer.
However, third baseman Joey Ortiz made a throwing error on Junior Caminero’s leadoff grounder, and that proved costly.
“I’m human. I knew what I was walking into. I just didn’t do the job there,” said Drohan, who hadn’t pitched since Oct. 15 against the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
Drohan made 19 starts in 33 appearances and posted a 4.19 ERA during the regular season.
“We thought Drohan could come in and face the lefties there,” Murphy said. “It seems like the ball was up a little bit. It was a little flat, but we learned from it. ... If the first guy hits a groundball, double play, we’re not even talking about it. He threw strikes. Give him some credit, it was a tough situation. But we’re in the 12th inning and we’re drained a little bit.”
Ortiz, one of the team’s best fielders, took the blame for his error after entering the game as a substitution because Murphy removed David Hamilton for a pinch hitter.
“I’ve got to make that play. Just no excuse about it, no matter what anyone says,” Ortiz said.
At least the Brewers can turn to ace Jacob Misiorowski in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Their relievers have allowed nine earned runs over 61 2/3 postseason innings.
Ashby passed Miller with a 1-2-3 ninth, followed with a perfect 10th, retired the first batter in the bottom of the 11th and left the game not having allowed a run in 18 innings over nine postseason appearances.
“One of those cool things, I guess, but more so that loss stings,” Ashby said. “It’s part of our story and I think the boys are fired up to get back in here tomorrow.”
Said Brewers captain Christian Yelich: “He’s been awesome for us. He loves the ball. I’m sure he would’ve kept pitching.”
Ashby pitched the final three innings to close out an NLCS sweep of the Dodgers on Oct. 15, and got five outs in both Games 1 and 2 against the Rays.
“He was disappointed he was coming out but I said, ‘We’ve got to be mindful of your health, and we’ve got to be mindful of winning the whole thing,’” Murphy said. “`If you’re going to win the whole thing, you have to understand that we can’t drain you today or risk injury today.’ He’s thrown a lot. Luckily, we got out of that situation, and it didn’t hurt us.”
Ashby, who was 13-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 71 relief appearances during the season, has been untouchable in October. He’s allowed five hits, walked three and has 20 strikeouts.
Miller had the longest streak of consecutive scoreless relief innings within one postseason with 16 in 2016 for Cleveland. Including the regular season, Ashby has thrown a career-best 22 2/3 straight scoreless innings.
Ashby had struggled in the postseason before this one. He allowed nine runs — eight earned — in 9 1/3 playoff innings over 10 appearances in 2021, 2024 and 2025.
Ashby’s fastball reached 99 mph but his velocity went down as he accumulated 31 pitches.
“The velo was down quite a bit,” Murphy said. “We can tell when Ashby’s ball doesn’t have the same movement and the same finish. So it was time (to take him out).”
Ashby understood the decision.
“I think I had an idea of why he was coming out,” Ashby said, referring to his velocity. “I feel good, but probably a part of throwing a lot of innings. Felt good to keep going but we have more games now, try and recover as well as I can tonight and be ready to go as soon as possible.”
Brewers closer Trevor Megill struck out the only batter he faced to end the eighth. He should be available in Game 5.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 5: Ariel Hukporti #55 of the Philadelphia 76ers is helped off the court after an injury against the New York Knicks during a preseason game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Knicks 120-97. 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. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Sixers’ backup big man plans went up in smoke when Ariel Hukporti suffered a torn Achilles tendon in their preseason opener. They’re only $1.8 million below their first-apron hard cap, which means they can’t even sign anyone to a minimum contract other than an undrafted free agent for now. That has them stuck in a holding pattern until December at the earliest.
Sixers president Mike Gansey isn’t just sitting on his hands until then, though. On Tuesday, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported that the Sixers have applied for a Disabled Player Exception for Hukporti.
Amid the NBA’s string of early-season injuries, the Philadelphia 76ers have applied for a disabled player exception, per source, in respect of Ariel Hukporti’s torn Achilles.
If/when that gets granted, the DPE will be for $1.7 million (50 percent of his salary this year). That might sound relatively inconsequential—and it is for the time being—but it could be sneaky useful to the Sixers later in the year.
Once the regular season begins, rest-of-season veteran-minimum contracts begin to prorate downward on a daily basis. They’re dropping by roughly $14,000 per day this season, which is why the Sixers will have enough space under the hard cap to sign someone to a vet-min deal by early December.
But if Gansey’s front office works like that of his predecessor, Daryl Morey, the Sixers may aim to preserve their optionality through the trade deadline. By that point, rest-of-season vet-min deals will be less than $1 million.
As long as their main stars stay ambulatory until then, the Sixers should be in prime position to scoop up ring-chasers either at the trade deadline or on the free-agent/buyout markets. They’ll be vying with other title hopefuls for those players’ services, though, which means they may need to differentiate themselves somehow.
If the Sixers aim to fill their final open roster spot with a big man, they can use the allure of playing time to their advantage. After all, Joel Embiid is unlikely to suit up for a single back-to-back this year, and the Sixers have four of them in March alone. However, that alone might not be enough to outbid other teams, some of whom still have portions of their respective mid-level exceptions available.
That’s where the Hukporti DPE could come in handy. The Sixers have just enough space under the first apron to use the full DPE and stay under the hard cap, provided they don’t make any other roster changes. That would allow them to offer someone up to $1.7 million on a rest-of-season deal instead of less than $1 million.
That might not sound like a huge difference, but if a player is choosing between multiple minimum contracts, every little bit could help. And since LeBron James already called dibs on the Fanatics helicopter, the Sixers will have to find other ways to entice potential signees later in the season.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) appears to be frustrated as walks up the court during a loss to the Trail Blazers on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Teammates admit to sometimes getting lulled into ball-watching when Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are at the controls of the Lakers’ offense. The highest scoring duo in the NBA is just that dynamic. But during a 136-129 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday reinforced that even one of the best offensive backcourts in the league can‘t totally compensate for a championship-winning defense.
“We’ve been relying on our offense a lot,” center Walker Kessler said after the Lakers lost their first game of the season. “And we have a very, very good offense and a lot of great scorers. But that’s not gonna be the only thing that gets us to win a championship here.”
The Lakers (3-1) entered Tuesday’s game with the top scoring offense in the NBA. After Tuesday’s game featuring a matchup of the NBA’s two best offenses, they dropped to 22nd in defensive rating.
Portland guard Damian Lillard shook off uncharacteristically poor free-throw shooting to finish with 21 points and a dagger three-pointer to put the Trail Blazers up by six with 43 seconds left. Portland (3-0) had four players score at least 21 points, led by 23 each from Deni Avdija and Ja Morant. Doncic poured in 41 points with nine assists and Reaves had 26 points with seven assists, four rebounds and no turnovers.
Lakers coach JJ Redick, still mindful that the season is less than a week old, considered the defensive struggles a learning lesson for coaches and players. He noted breakdowns that could be solved with better adherence to the game plan and understanding of the opposing team’s personnel.
“I don’t think there was any adjustment thing that was to be made,” Reaves said. “I think it was more so us not doing what we were supposed to. Game plan discipline wasn’t great. We got to talk more on the defensive end and just be sharper in our base coverages.”
Rebounding problems have been a nagging issue since preseason. Redick had the team do three different box-out drills during a training camp after the Lakers were outrebounded by 21 during the first four preseason games.
The Lakers almost kept pace on the boards Tuesday — only getting outrebounded 38-31 — and gave up seven offensive rebounds compared to the 15.3 offensive rebounds the Lakers gave up during the first three games. But the boards were still costly. The Trail Blazers had four offensive rebounds during the fourth quarter, which led to five of their 10 second-chance points for the game.
Plan B at center
Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili celebrates after scoring against the Portland Trail Blazers in the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Kevon Looney, the only full-time center on the Lakers’ roster behind Kessler, played only five minutes and one second Tuesday. He committed two fouls during the cameo appearance and the Lakers’ six-point lead at the end of the first quarter turned into a two-point deficit by the time Looney subbed out.
The brief shift was still the most Looney has played since 14 minutes and 38 seconds in the season opener when he had six points and five rebounds in a rout of the Golden State Warriors. The 30-year-old Looney doesn’t offer close to the same rim protection and lob threat the Lakers covet in Kessler, but they were hoping the three-time NBA champion could rely on his experience to hold down the position.
“I think his screening,” Redick said Sunday of what he liked about Looney’s minutes during the first two games of the season. “He’s played four-on-three basketball for most of his career, so he’ll end up helping us in the pocket, with his decision-making, his offensive rebounding. I think he’s doing a good job of running, he’s just got to clean up a few things up.”
The Lakers tried Sandro Mamukelashvili at center in some lineups without Kessler on Tuesday. The 6-foot-9 power forward who has experience playing the five during his career had 17 points, four rebounds and two assists against the Trail Blazers.
“I’m trying to help [us] win, first and foremost,” Mamukelashvili said of his objective while filling in at center. “Make sure I rebound, I box out, just be physical, help defensively. And offensively, stretch the floor.”
The Georgian forward made three of four three-point shots and six-of-nine from the floor.
Flip flops
Portland's Robert Williams III scores in front of Laker Ziaire Williams at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
One day after being retroactively fined for flopping on a play against Utah, forward Ziaire Williams was whistled for the violation again during the fourth quarter Tuesday.
Avdija drove on Williams with 3:38 remaining in the fourth quarter and bumped his left shoulder and arm into Williams’ body. Williams stumbled backward and circled both arms backward as Avdija kicked the ball out to Lillard for a three-pointer. Lillard nailed the shot from the wing and tacked on a technical free throw when play was stopped when Williams was called for flopping.
Williams’ violation was one of three called Tuesday by the crew led by Scott Foster. Portland’s Toumani Camara and Morant were also whistled for flops, and all of the calls came in the fourth quarter of a tight game that saw 52 personal fouls called resulting in 71 free throws.
NBA officials have placed a larger emphasis on flopping this season, along with limiting use of off-arm force against defenders, reckless closeouts and time wasting on free throws. Flops are characterized by “exaggerated and theatrical” movements in an attempt to get a call, according to the NBA. Redick said he didn’t believe Williams’ movements rose to that level against Utah.
With 4:44 left in the fourth quarter against Utah and the Lakers trailing by one, the Jazz’s Keyonte George switched onto Williams. George drove on Williams and was called for a push-off foul as Williams stumbled backward. It was only until the next day that Williams was fined $2,000 for a flop.
“That’s just the way his body naturally moves,” Redick said.
Williams said Tuesday he had not received feedback about the call he thought was a good defensive play on his part.
“I’ll pay my fine,” Williams said before Tuesday’s game, “and if I got to flop again to get a win, then that’s what I’ll do.”
The Lakers turned the ball over on the next possession, but pieced together an 8-1 run during the fourth quarter to pull away for a thrilling nine-point win after trailing by 18 during the second quarter.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 21: Kevin Durant #7 and Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets embrace during the second quarter of the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Toyota Center on October 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. 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. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Kevin Durant, then of the Golden State Warriors, ruptures his Achilles tendon.
Have you ever ruptured your Achilles tendon? I couldn’t identify my Achilles tendon without AI assistance, but that could be a me problem.
It was clear that something bad had happened. The rabid Toronto Raptors fans, with their focus on a first franchise NBA championship, cheered.
They cheered like Romans in the Colosseum watching a man wrestle a lion, or maybe ancient Greeks watching Achilles himself at the Stadium of Delphi (historical accuracy potentially sacrificed for continuity). Their insatiable appetite for victory superseded any shred of collective empathy. It was deeply uncomfortable:
And it was human.
It exposed an uncomfortable truth. At a guttural level, we care more about our favorite sports team than we do about a stranger’s Achilles tendon. Sure, we’d rather nobody’s Achilles was torn, but given the choice, you’d have to be pretty naïve to think there’s anything unique about Raptors fans outside of the country they live in.
As Houston Rockets fans, we should try (even in vain) to avoid the same pitfalls. Fans at a live game, digesting information in real time, don’t have the luxury of pausing for thought. Still, that 2019 crowd reaction surely says something about how we might feel, even deep inside, when an opponent is disadvantaged by injury.
Which, finally, brings us to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace.
Rockets’ championship window may have just opened
Side note: I don’t love the Spurs this season.
OK, fine – I don’t love the Spurs in any season. But this year, objectively, they appear to be in a weird spot.
They’re running a three-guard lineup. Theoretically, that’s supposed to mean sacrificing size for the benefits of speed and a spaced-out floor. The Spurs are getting the speed, but the space is hard to come by. Not one of Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, or De’Aaron Fox is a particularly feared three-point shooter.
They’re not even compensating at the four. Sure, Victor Wembanyama is, as the French say, grand, but Devin Vassell, the team’s starting four, is a three, and may be a two before he’s a four. The point?
The Rockets can beat this team.
They can beat a Thunder team without Williams and Wallace, both of whom could miss the entire season. Chet Holmgren is banged up too.
The Rockets may well be, with everyone at full strength, the third-best team in the NBA. They are at least in that conversation. So, if the Thunder (and, in a different way, the Spurs) are compromised, there is a window
The Spurs can fix their problems, but it won’t be easy. The obvious trade candidate is Fox, and his contract is dreadful. They erred in acquiring him in the first place, creating an unnecessary logjam (which, for the myriad of Rafael Stone haters, is a testament to how important patience can be in general management). If the trade deadline passes and they look largely the same, this could be the Rockets’ year:
But what does that mean?
Rockets must be smart on the trade market
Success is a convergence of ability and timing.
The Rockets may have a real chance here, but the trade market, at this moment, is best classified as dry.
This summer’s NBA offseason was firm evidence that we’re on a crash course towards the singularity. It was crazy. All the best players who were supposed to move, moved.
Who would the Rockets even pursue?
Kyrie Irving? Puh-shah. Hurrumph. He’s shooting 32.0% from deep so far. He’s averaging 3.7 assists and 2.7 turnovers per game. It’s early, but he’s functionally not Fred VanVleet, and VanVleet’s functionality is pivotal to the Rockets’ game plan. Pass.
Ty Jerome? Perhaps. As of this writing, he’s probably been the best player in the NBA in 2026-27. That won’t hold, but it’s possible that the Grizzlies will be looking for multiple firsts at the deadline. That’s a price worth paying if it’ll put the Rockets over the top. Still, it’s fair to say that chemistry has been a big part of their success, and adding any player of such significance has the potential to disrupt that chemistry.
It doesn’t have to be an all-in push. A more reliable backup big man could be a viable option. A combo big like Jalen Smith would add a new dynamic, or just a Steven Adams / Clint Capela upgrade (in terms of durability in Adams’ case) could work too. Yves Missi, anyone? Is Moussa Diabate too ambitious?
Alternatively, doing nothing might (once again) be the right decision. If the Rockets looked poised to make a title run at the deadline, why fix what isn’t broken?
There are other teams to consider, although the bulk of this piece was written before Anthony Edwards’ injury. The Timberwolves looked like, well, a team with one of the most talented backcourts assembled in league history before he went down.
It should be noted that the Portland Trail Blazers currently have the best Net Rating in the NBA (16.9). That feels like a small sample quirk, but who can say? In the East, the aforementioned Raptors looked strong before Kawhi Leonard’s injury (my God, the pattern). The Knicks will get back on track, and the Pistons are still good.
So, nothing is guaranteed, but the Thunder’s sudden influx of serious injuries meaningfully improves the Rockets’ 2026-27 NBA title window. We should wish Williams and Wallace all the best in their recovery process:
Even if, deep down, our feelings are a bit more complicated.
A.J. Greer has come a long way since his days with the Colorado Avalanche.
The former Avs forward scored twice Tuesday night, although it wasn’t enough to keep his team from falling 6-5 in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks. Still, it was another nice night for a guy who has turned himself into a much more productive NHL forward over the last couple of seasons.
It’s a pretty big change from what Avalanche fans saw in Denver.
Greer spent three seasons with Colorado but never really found his scoring touch, finishing his time there with just one goal and five assists. He was more of a physical depth forward, and the offensive production simply wasn’t there.
Things started to change after he moved on.
Greer bounced around a bit, spending time with the New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, and Calgary Flames before landing with the Florida Panthers. He joined Florida during the second half of its back-to-back Stanley Cup run and was part of the group that won it all in 2025.
His numbers weren’t eye-popping that first season with the Panthers. Greer put up six goals and 11 assists in 81 regular-season games during the 2024-25 campaign, then chipped in two goals and an assist during Florida’s playoff run.
But the following season was a different story.
Greer finished with 17 goals and 15 assists in 78 games, giving him 32 points and easily the best offensive season of his NHL career. For someone who had managed just six points across three seasons in Colorado, that was quite a jump.
Florida rewarded him with a four-year, $17 million contract, and he’s now continuing to show that his breakout wasn’t just a one-season thing.
Tuesday’s two-goal performance was the latest example. Even though his team came up short in overtime, Greer found the net twice and added another multi-goal game to his career totals.
He’s now done that four times in the NHL.
The first came on October 15, 2022, when Greer was playing for Boston. He recorded three points in a 6-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
He pulled off the three-point feat twice more during the 2025-26 season with Florida, recording three points in an 8-3 win over Nashville on November 24 and doing it again in a 4-3 victory over Buffalo in January.
It’s a pretty interesting career turn for a player who didn’t do much damage on the scoresheet in Colorado. Greer has always had the physical side of the game, but now he’s adding offense at a rate we didn’t really see during his time with the Avalanche.
Sometimes it takes a few stops before a player finds the right fit. Greer seems to have found his, and Tuesday’s performance was another reminder of how far he’s come.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 02: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks is defended by Jalen Smith #25 of the Chicago Bulls during the first half of the game at Madison Square Garden on November 02, 2025 in New York City. 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. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Knicks will not go 0-82. After a surprisingly ugly 0-3 start to the season, the defending champions came away with an emphatic 14-point win against a short-handed Pistons that gave them fits all last season. But less than 24 hours later, the Knicks have a chance to start their first win streak of the season. And they’ll attempt to do so in what should be the easiest game of the season.
Lost in the talk surrounding the Knicks’ slow start has been the fact that the start to their road to a repeat has been filled with some really tough tests. The new-look 76ers have four All-Star players, the revamped Celtics look dangerous once again, and the Magic, despite being without Paolo Banchero, have always put up good fights against the Knicks. But tonight, New York finally gets to go up against a team that doesn’t enter the season with aspirations of a deep postseason run.
The 1-3 Bulls enter Wednesday night with a league-worst minus-18.3 net rating. While they did beat the Bucks, another very bad team, two of their three losses have been by 35+ points. It’s been ugly. Rookie forward Caleb Wilson has given Chicago fans something to cheer for, though. He’s averaging 18.5PPG on 41.9% shooting from the field despite going just 5-for-28 from three so far. Other than that, though, it’s been rather bleak.
The offense is close to nonexistent. Normal Powell is the only other Bull to average more than 14PPG. They have multiple rotation players shooting under 40% from the field. And their defense is arguably worse, giving up over 130 points in three of their four games. They are a young team lacking any real star power outside of the aforementioned Wilson. They lack a real identity. And overall, they just look like a team that will remain one of the worst in the league for the entirety of the season, if not longer.
Luckily, the same cannot be said about the Knicks. While their start left a lot to be desired, the Knicks have shown signs of turning the corner. Jalen Brunson has still struggled from the floor. Karl-Anthony Towns still has silly fouls. Miles McBride’s role and minutes seem to be in flux. And you never really know what you’ll get from the Andre Drummond minutes. But as we all know, there’s a really good basketball team in there somewhere. While they’ve yet to put together 48 full minutes of high-quality two-way basketball, the tide seems to be turning.
Towns has been an unstoppable force when on the court. Anunoby has found new ways to contribute offensively, including getting to the free-throw line more and being a bit more of a playmaker. Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet finally woke up last night. And when the Knicks get the good Drummond, he looks good, and sometimes even great.
The offense still looks a bit wonky at times, but they’ve for the most part just been missing shots they usually make. The quality of looks they are generating has been solid. And defensively, we’ve seen plenty of glimpses of the defense we saw from them last postseason.
Josh Hart has spent much of the early portions of the season very active on that end of the floor. Bridges played Cade Cunningham much more physically after the first quarter last night. And as a team, their activity level has been solid, albeit not being consistent.
The Knicks should win this game. And they should do so easily. It’s difficult to predict which version of the Knicks we’ll get. Will Brunson regain his touch? What kind of game will Bridges have? Can Towns continue to be the dominant force he’s been? Is Anunoby’s shot going to come back? Are the Knicks ready to fully turn the corner? We don’t know. And truthfully, with all due respect to the Knicks, it shouldn’t matter. The Knicks have way more talent and, even on their worst nights, should have enough to beat the Bulls on the second night of a back-to-back. Hopefully, though, they can not only come away with a win but do so in dominant fashion. Don’t play with your food, take care of business, get your guys back on track, and let the bench get extended minutes.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (1-3) at Chicago Bulls (1-3) Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2026 Time: 8 PM ET Place: United Center, Chicago, IL TV: MSG Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 10: Retired Yankee and Congressional candidate Mark Teixeira speaks with members of the Republican team ahead of the Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, United States, on June 10, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
Morning, all!
Defector has an article up about former Ranger Mark Teixiera, who is expected to be elected to Congress next month.
The Tampa Bay Rays somehow pulled off a walkoff to stave off a World Series sweep by the Brwers.
The Rays are only the fifth team in MLB history to force a game 5 after being down 0-3 in a World Series. None of the previous teams that have accomplished that feat have forced a game 6, much less won the title.
Rugby Football League set to ratify elevation imminently
Partnership with NRL not expected now till 2028
London Broncos have agreed to a condition from the existing 14 Super League clubs that they must relinquish any rights to around £1.3m in central distribution funding if they are to enter the competition in 2027, with the Rugby Football League expected to ratify their elevation imminently.
A partnership between Super League and Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL), which would mean the latter taking administrative control of the English game and injecting tens of millions of pounds of much-needed financial support, is now not expected to begin until 2028. Despite that, the expansion of Super League to 15 teams to include London has moved a step closer.
Zack Wheeler’s return to the mound was one of the Phillies’ biggest success stories of 2026. Now, he’s being recognized by the players who witnessed it firsthand.
The Major League Baseball Players Association announced Wednesday that Wheeler was voted the National League Comeback Player of the Year as part of its annual Players Choice Awards.
The 36-year-old right-hander received the honor after returning from venous thoracic outlet syndrome, which required surgery to remove a rib after doctors discovered a blood clot near his right shoulder in August 2025.
Wheeler made his season debut April 25 and returned to form, posting a 14-5 record with a 3.00 ERA and 193 strikeouts across 162 innings in 28 starts.
In a video released by the MLBPA announcing the award, several pitchers around the league praised Wheeler’s ability to overcome an injury that initially raised questions about his future.
Resilience is an understatement. 🙏 Congratulations Zack Wheeler on being recognized as the 2026 Players Choice Awards NL Comeback Player!@Philliespic.twitter.com/v3bAOPCUY6
“He’s a special player. He’s had a tremendous career,” Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler said. “You see the injuries can be, you know, a setback and then rehab can be a tough process. I was very impressed.”
Orioles pitcher Chris Bassitt recalled his initial reaction to Wheeler’s diagnosis, believing the injury could potentially bring his career to an abrupt end.
“What I thought at the time was like he doesn’t deserve to go out like this,” Bassitt said. “He deserves to have a path where he can choose when he’s done.”
Wheeler also offered a glimpse into the uncertainty of his recovery, detailing the multiple procedures required to restore proper blood flow.
“This is one of these surgeries that, you know, just isn’t really that common,” Wheeler said. “So a lot of uncertainty around it. At the same time, you got to keep a positive mindset.”
That mindset helped Wheeler return to the level of performance his peers had grown accustomed to seeing.
And for a pitcher who has spent more than a decade competing against some of baseball’s best, the recognition carried particular significance.
“I always thought when we vote on these every year that this would be one of the cool awards to win,” Wheeler said. “The ones that the players vote on is the guys that you’re competing against, playing with, guys who know what it takes to be good day in and day out.”
Wheeler could soon add another honor to his résumé.
He is also a leading candidate for MLB’s separate NL Comeback Player of the Year Award, which will be announced Nov. 11. Unlike the Players Choice Awards, which are voted on by major league players, MLB’s honor is determined by a vote of the 30 MLB.com club beat reporters.
