Solovyov, 26, has appeared in only three games this season, with the last appearance on Oct. 24 in a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. According to head coach Dan Muse, this decision was more so about getting Solovyov consistent playing time, as was the case the first time he was optioned to WBS this season.
"It's been awhile now. Hasn't played in a bit," Muse said. "So, it's an opportunity to play."
Of note, Solovyov did not have to pass through waivers again because he had not been back with the NHL club for either 30 days or 10 games. He was recalled on Oct. 18 after his initial placement on waivers Oct. 9.
The move shouldn't come as much of a surprise, especially since veteran defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk is back practicing with the team. He played the first five games of the season before going down with a lower-body injury in mid-October, and he's been out ever since. He has not appeared in a game for the Penguins since Oct. 9, the same day Solovyov was waived.
Although van Riemsdyk, 35, has not officially been activated from injured reserve, the Penguins do expect him back soon. But Muse wants to see him ease back into things.
"We're going to get some more practices [is the] plan," Muse said. "Being out there with the team skate, a couple team skates now, some more practice time. So, that's the current plan."
MONTREAL (AP) — The Colorado Avalanche will be without forward Nathan MacKinnon for at least a month and defenseman Cale Makar for around two weeks, coach Jared Bednar told reporters Saturday before a game against Montreal.
Both star players are sidelined with lower-body injuries. It's a blow to a team that's among the Stanley Cup favorites.
MacKinnon and Makar left in the second period of the Avalanche's 4-3 overtime loss in Ottawa on Thursday night.
MacKinnon went down to his knees holding his right hip after being shoved by Senators defenseman Artem Zub while trying to win the puck. Makar left favoring his right leg in what appeared to be a non-contact injury.
Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenseman, has five goals and 18 assists this season. MacKinnon has 10 goals and 20 assists.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 17: Travis Bazzana #37 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts after hitting a solo Home Run during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game four of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 17, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After making his MLB debut on April 28th, Travis Bazzana played in 124 games for the Guardians in the 2026 regular season. Despite having his share of ups and downs throughout the season, it was ultimately a successful debut for the young rookie.
In those 124 games, Bazzana got 517 plate appearances. He hit 15 home runs, 22 doubles, 3 triples, stole 19 bases, drew 56 BBs, scored 56 runs, and drove in 57 runs. He ended the season slashing .245/.335/.408. That comes out to a .742 OPS, a 110 OPS+, and a 110 wRC+. This effectively means Bazzana as a hitter was 10% above league average. He was also named an All-Star and finished 9th in the Rookie of the year voting. His 2.8 fWAR was tied for 7th best among AL rookie position players, and all the rookies with more fWAR played more games than Bazzana in 2026 (most played significantly more games).
For a player drafted 1.1, it’s easy to set expectations a bit higher than usual, but it’s important to also recognize how difficult it is to adjust to playing at the MLB level. It’s especially difficult as a young player to do all this while in the heat of a playoff chase that lasted until the second to last game of the season. In general, most experts consider around 2.0 fWAR over a full season the level a “solid everyday MLB starting player” would attain. In his first full season, while missing nearly 40 games, he was almost 50% better than that benchmark.
When you watch Bazzana play, you can see he has the fire of a real competitor. He also showed this season that he’s not afraid of the big moment, hitting two different walk off hits for the Guards.
Bazzana’s speed made him a threat on the bases – not only to steal, but to get extra bases by going 1st to 3rd on singles, and being able to stretch singles into doubles. On Baseball Savant, his Baserunning Run Value was 91st percentile (better than 91% of qualified MLB baserunners). His defense was rocky when he first came up to the majors, but he really cleaned it up in the second half of the season and ended up with a Fielding Run Value right around league average.
As he learns more from the Guardians’ resident expert baserunner, he should be able to cause more mayhem on the bases, and his work ethic makes me confident his defense will continue to improve as well.
With more MLB experience typically comes consistency, and Travis Bazzana looks to be a cornerstone of this offense for at least the next 4-5 seasons (hopefully longer). As he adjusts and gets more used to the pitching across the league, he’ll only get better offensively as well. The future looks bright for this budding star at second base for the Guards.
The Winnipeg Jets have been surging behind red-hot forwards like Mark Scheifele and Dawson Mercer among others, but one of the top players for their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, is making a case to be considered if the offense slows down again.
Dima Zhilkin, Winnipeg's third-round pick in 2022, has not broken out at the NHL level yet, but he has steadily grown during his time with the Moose. He recorded 24 points in 62 games last season and is already six points shy of matching that total.
Through 16 games this season, Zhilkin has eight goals and ten assists for 18 points. He has at least a point in 11 of those 16 games and is riding a five-game point streak. That puts him on pace to be a potential point-per-game player.
With the Jets looking for offense wherever they can find it, Zhilkin could get a look if the team cools off. Through their first 12 games, Winnipeg's offense was one of the league's worst at 2.33 goals per game. Since then, that number has jumped to 4.13 over the last eight games.
If the offense starts to regress toward its early-season form, the Jets could turn to another young player, as they did with Brayden Yager. After the slow start, Winnipeg called up the former first-round pick after he recorded 12 points in ten AHL games. Yager has been decent so far, with a goal and an assist through five games.
Zhilkin could be a similar option with the 22-year-old having played six games with the Jets last season, so this would be his second stint at the NHL level. After making adjustments in the offseason and looking like a different player this year, he may be worth another look, and he could finally be mature enough to stay in the NHL and become a difference-maker for Winnipeg.
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JULY 26: Luis Morales #19 of the Athletics pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the sixth inning of the game at Target Field on July 26, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Anne Sullivan then moved Helen Keller’s hand to feel the running water from the stream. “Waa—ter!!!” Helen exclaimed intensely. “Also the ghost runner is stooopid!!!!” “That’s enough for today,” Anne replied. “And yes, you’re right, it’s really dumb.”
Anne Sullivan was an incredible trailblazer for what’s possible in an impossible situation, somehow teaching someone who was blind and deaf how to recognize and pronounce words. This was a task only slightly easier than getting A’s pitchers to keep the ball in park while not walking everyone.
Enter Taylor Smith, who did not write “Cruel Summer” and is trying to avoid another one, and Cam Castro, who will try to do his job with Fidel-ity. They are charged with taking the A’s to the next level, a task that will involve turning the pitching staff from one of the worst in the business to one that performs at a level better than their home ballpark.
Be plenty optimistic that these two imports know a ton about pitching, about developing talent, about bringing out the best in players. But also be realistic that they are not about to replace Anne Sullivan on the “Top 10 ‘Believe it or Not’” lists.
One easy proclamation to make is that “Phew, finally we can expect Luis Morales and Jack Perkins to harness their stuff and pitch like Logan Henderson and Freddy Peralta!” But fixes are not simple matters when you are dealing with what is (or isn’t) between a pitcher’s ears, mechanics their body has internalized that you are trying to “unlearn,” pitchers who may or may not be fully receptive to your preaching, and the reality that “stuff” and “how well you can pitch” just don’t always correlate.
If the premise is “nowhere to go but up,” that the previous regime left every young pitcher stalled and hopeless, Luis Medina and JT Ginn offer a couple quick counterarguments. Similarly, the Brewers and Rays and Red Sox all have failed prospects in their histories whose performance just never played up to their stuff. It’s just the nature of the beast. In other words, even the Rays couldn’t fix Joe Boyle’s control so don’t put all your bullpen hopes in Luke Little’s left arm.
Another hope is to go outside the organization for an infusion of pitching talent, be it proven, “MLB ready,” local or international. As inspiring as it might be to hear that the A’s “plan to be aggressive” starting at some unnamed point that could be now, obstacles abound.
In luring free agents, the A’s will face one more season in a AAA park and are coming off of 98 losses no matter how they came by it. Payroll may be increasing but is not going to rival the top 10 spenders. The bigger free agent deals are known to generally be unwise investments and this off-season most everyone is seeking starting pitching creating a “player’s market”.
So to land someone worth getting excited about, you probably have to accept a player-friendly deal that wipes out much of your existing payroll flexibility for a contract you will later regret. It’s basically “a more expensive Luis Severino”.
In terms of trade, in order to add meaningful starting pitching the A’s would almost certainly have to part with a current key position player, e.g., Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom, Zack Gelof, or a coveted minor leaguer expected to contribute mightily to the team as soon as 2028, e.g., Leo De Vries, Jamie Arnold, Drew Burress.
Perhaps the best bet is an MLB-ready SP not yet proven, the next Dan Haren — who could also be the next Dan Meyer, an equally touted pitcher only he got hurt and was never the same. The type of pitcher the A’s may well have targeted when they were at AAA would be, I don’t know, Luis Morales and Jack Perkins?
Long term, Smith and Castro figure to greatly improve the A’s pitching through enhancement of the very way they draft, develop, and train pitchers from the ground up. But whether they can spin their magic to turn the current group into gems, whether they can bring in enough talent move the needle in the coming year — you might need Anne Sullivan for that and she’s been, er, retired for 90 years.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 07: Jack O'Dowd #18 of the Salt River Rafters prepares to bat during the 2026 Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday, November 7, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
This morning, Jack O’Dowd (HM PuRP) was named the Arizona Fall League’s Breakout Player of the Year.
Congratulations to @Rockies Jack O’Dowd on being named Breakout Player of the Year!
An undrafted free agent who played a season in the independent MLB Official Partner Frontier League, Jack O’Dowd led the league with eight doubles, six home runs, and 14 extra-base hits. O’Dowd… pic.twitter.com/NRezuh5lML
The award as well deserved as the Rockies catching prospect led the league with eight doubles, six home runs, and 14 extra-base hits. O’Dowd also ranked third in the AFL in total bases (50) and RBI (21), fourth in slugging (.641), and eighth in hits (24).
Adding to his postseason accolades, the Rockies prospect won the Week 3 NFP Hitter of the Week Award after mashing three home runs and leading the league in total bases, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage.
O’Dowd was named to the National League Fall Stars roster and participated in the AFL Home Run Derby, where he hit 15 home runs and advanced to the semifinal round.
“The Home Run Derby was a ton of fun,” he said. “It was a great experience. I’m very grateful I got to do that, and just the whole All-Star experience, too. They make it really cool for us. And getting to meet so many different guys is one of the best parts, for sure.”
As a reminder, O’Dowd was an undrafted free agent who played the 2025 season with the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer Independent League. He finished the season with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats.
The face-to-face meeting lasted more than three hours, according to Japanese news reports, which pointed out that Oda’s talks with representatives of other major-league organizations were in the one- to two-hour range.
Representing the Dodgers were vice president of player personnel Galen Carr, adviser Yogo Suzuki and scout Toru Sugiura. Oda was accompanied by his mother and Yokohama High baseball coach Hiroaki Murata.
Shoki Oda of Team Japan throws in the second inning during a game against Chinese Taipei in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. Getty Images
Carr later told reporters that he considered Oda to not only be the best 18-year-old pitcher in the world but also the most talented pitcher to come out of Japan since Roki Sasaki.
Oda is known to have previously met with the Yankees, Rangers, Blue Jays, Phillies, Mets, Cardinals and Tigers. He is expected to meet with 12 MLB teams.
Carr said he told Oda if he signs with the Dodgers, the organization would come up with a development plan that is specifically designed for him.
Shoki Oda, left, of Japan interacts with teammate Ritora Yamada after the third inning against Chinese Taipei in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. Getty Images
Oda has said he is focused on a move to the United States even after his first-round selection by the Tokyo Giants in the recent Nippon Professional Baseball draft.
The Dodgers are industry-wide favorites to sign Oda, who is represented by the same management company that facilitated Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s and Sasaki’s move to the major leagues. Oda has said Yamamoto is his favorite baseball player.
MLB’s upcoming work stoppage could be an obstacle for the Dodgers.
Shoki Oda of Japan throws in the first inning against Chinese Taipei at Taipei Dome in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. Getty Images
The international player acquisition system is collectively bargained, and baseball’s current collective-bargaining agreement will expire on Dec. 1, at which point franchise owners will lock out the players.
Oda would not be able to sign until a new CBA is ratified.
CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 27: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 27, 2024 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cavs have not had an easy last 24 hours. They weren’t able to leave Miami last night after their loss to the Heat as they wanted to, due to the issues that were grounding planes yesterday. They instead had to fly back home this morning, which is less than ideal.
The Mavs aren’t an easy matchup. They’re playing better basketball this season with their imposing front line and the emergence of Cooper Flagg as one of the best young players in the league. This would be a tough test for the Cavs even if it wasn’t the second night of a back-to-back.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the 2016 championship shirt HERE.
Cavs injury report: Donovan Mitchell – OUT (knee), James Harden – OUT (calf), Jarrett Allen – OUT (knee), Peyton Watson – OUT (hamstring), Evan Mobley – OUT (toe), Sam Merrill – OUT (elbow), Nae’Qwan Tomlin – OUT (back), Khalifa Diop – OUT (G League), Ernest Udeh, Jr. – OUT (G League)
Mavs injury report: Dereck Lively – OUT (foot), Max Christie – DOUBTFUL (ankle), Tarik Biberovic – OUT (heel), Sergio de Larrea – OUT (knee), Morez Johnson Jr. – PROBABLE (shin)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: Meleek Thomas, Tyrese Proctor, Jaylon Tyson, Mario Hezonja, Thomas Bryant
Mavs expected starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, Caleb Martin, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford
The Senators haven't exactly followed the traditional development manual with their prized young defenceman Carter Yakemchuk.
The seventh overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft played in the club's first 13 games this season, but as the Senators have gradually returned to full health on the blue line, the 21-year-old has become the odd man out.
Yakemchuk has been a healthy scratch for six of the Senators' last seven games, spending way more time in the press box than on the ice.
Kelsey Surmacz of The Hockey News provides the Pittsburgh preview as the Penguins prepare to host the Senators on Saturday night.
He'll finally get back in there on Saturday night when the Senators visit the Pittsburgh Penguins. He replaces Nikolas Matinpalo on the third defensive pairing alongside Tyler Kleven. That's almost certainly not an indictment of Matinpalo, who's played very well of late. The kid just needs to play.
"We're fortunate we've got 7D that we really like," head coach Travis Green told the Senators social media team. "Yak's just been out of the lineup lately. We felt like it was important to get him back in.
"It's not a slight against (Matinpalo) at all. He's been playing great this year, but we just want to make sure that we're keeping everyone sharp, and Yak's more than capable. We're expecting a big game out of him as well."
Meanwhile, it's fair to wonder whether this is the ideal development model for a blue-chip prospect.
There's certainly value in having Yakemchuk practice with NHL players, learn from experienced teammates, and get a firsthand look at what it takes to succeed at this level.
But there's also a strong argument that he'd be better served playing big minutes in Belleville, where he'd be the big man on campus, quarterback the power play, and continue working on the quicker feet and defensive details that will determine his NHL future.
Saturday's opportunity will give him another chance to show he belongs.
Senators Projected Lineup
The Senators have announced their line combinations for Saturday's game, and they'll look almost identical to the setup that helped them defeat Colorado 4-3 in overtime on Thursday night.
The only change is Yakemchuk replacing Matinpalo.
Forwards
Fabian Zetterlund – Tim Stützle – Dylan Cozens Phil Tomasino – Shane Pinto – Drake Batherson Michael Amadio – Ridly Greig – Claude Giroux Sammy Blais – Stephen Halliday – Hayden Hodgson
Defence
Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub Thomas Chabot – Jordan Spence Tyler Kleven – Carter Yakemchuk
Starting Goaltender
Linus Ullmark
Ullmark will make his second consecutive start after returning from a lower-body injury that had kept him out since October 21.
As strategy goes, given Ullmark's constant battle with injuries and the grind of the long season, it may be worth considering a move to a true platoon situation at some point.
Pittsburgh Penguins Projected Lineup
The Penguins are expected to counter with the following combinations, with 22-year-old rookie goalie Sergei Murashov starting in goal.
Forwards
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Evgeni Malkin Tommy Novak – Ben Kindel – Egor Chinakhov Nicholas Robertson – Hendrix Lapierre – Justin Brazeau Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Rutger McGroarty
Defence
Spencer Stastney – Erik Karlsson Samuel Girard – Kaedan Korczak Declan Carlile – Kris Letang
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 12: Tre Johnson #12 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons on November 12, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Before Thursday night’s barnburner of a loss to the Pistons in double overtime, the vibes around the Wizards, and their offense in particular, were nearing a free fall. The Wiz have the league’s 26th-ranked offense, even after the onslaught against Detroit.
There were, to be sure, positive signals to glean. Alex Sarr played by far his best game of the season, knocking down four threes. Trae Young showed more scoring juice, shooting 17 free throws and hitting a buzzer-beater to force OT. Sarr and Anthony Davis connected on a rare lob in overtime.
But the underlying issues behind the bricktastic 4-9 start will take longer to solve. The Wizards barely shoot any threes, and miss most of the ones they do try. Only the Bulls have shot a worse percentage from deep so far. With poor spacing and clumsy jumbo lineups, the offense has tilted concerningly toward true Trae Young heliocentrism; Young leads the league in seconds per touch.
The Wizards use core actions that make a fair amount of sense for their personnel. They rely on side-to-side movement, hoping to launch Young downhill and create better angles for the pick and roll. Consider this frequent action, with Kyshawn George maneuvering to the wing (pending the much-awaited return of NBA.com’s video clips, I’m using screenshots for now):
That’s an Iverson cut, intended to distract the defense and free up a Young-AD pick and roll. When Young starts going downhill, Tre Johnson flies up in tandem from the opposite corner. But the Pacers easily box Young toward the wing and funnel the ball away from the middle:
Young makes the pass to AJ Dybantsa, but Pascal Siakam closes him down, and Dybantsa, with no advantage, throws the ball away. This is not an uncommon sight for the Wizards — a Young pick and roll in tight confines near the sideline, putting minimal pressure on the opposing center.
The Wizards have to find a way to make plays like this impact the defense more. They’re simply not getting enough out of their secondary actions. Above, for example, Johnson sprinting up from the corner is a good idea in theory. But nobody is screening for Johnson here. What if AD had turned at speed and set a pindown for him, just as the defense expects a screen for Young?
The best offenses pivot into second and third actions. These are built-in counters, depending on how the defense guards the initial one. Consider Sarr in this position, after running a pick and pop:
Bilal Coulibaly’s cut through the paint is a scripted thing many teams with shooting bigs do. It’s meant to drag away the help defender closest to Sarr — the guy whose job it would be to stunt toward Sarr and contest a three-pointer. But here, Sarr set the screen near half-court and barely made contact. Larry Nance Jr. recovered easily; no rotation needed.
This first action didn’t yield much, which is normal. The next step for the Wiz is moving quickly and effectively into something else, and making the right reads from there. This is where the above play ended up:
Sarr dribbles into a hand-off with Johnson, who has sprinted into the space that Coulibaly vacated. This looks promising; George is spaced one pass away, and Johnson has his defender on his back. But Johnson doesn’t see the pass to George in time, and Jalen Slawson blows up his dribble for a dunk the other way.
They have the right idea here. They’re trying to use Sarr and Johnson in their optimal roles. But defenses see these kinds of actions every game. Without a higher level of precision — physical, well-timed screens, and snappy passing — these plays look ordinary and even aimless.
There are ways to loosen this up. Step one, of course, is to make some shots. (Even Thursday was a mixed bag in this regard, with Johnson shooting 1-of-9 from three.) Getting more consistent offense from wings other than George, who is leveling up before our eyes, would be a godsend. Most of all, the Wizards need Young to find more success probing around and behind bigs, rather than ending up in these situations:
The Wizards have been focused on running these “angle” pick and rolls near the sideline. They are useful for generating pocket passes to the bigs, while spacing guys on the other side. But too often, with Young struggling to separate off the dribble, opposing teams are using aggressive coverages and pinning Young to the sideline.
Tough games are looming against feisty, athletic Western Conference teams in Houston and Memphis. With a 4-9 record, they’ll need to find a way to create more advantages in short order.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 10: Dax Kilby #11 of the River Rafters looks on prior to the game between the Javelinas and the River Rafters at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
This year’s Arizona Fall League has come and gone, as the Salt River Rafters’ quest for an unlikely AFL title ended with a semifinal loss on Friday night. It was an up-and-down autumn for them and the Yankees’ contingent, who had some definite high points, but also some deep struggles. Starting with Sunday’s Fall Stars Game, here’s how it went down in the final week of the AFL. As a reminder, if you want a quick rundown on who was in the desert this month, check here.
November 8 (AFL Fall Stars Game): Three Yankees participated in the Fall Stars Game on Sunday, which the NL won 7-4. Dax Kilby went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts, and Kyle West did the same. At least Chris Veach did his job, getting the last out of the fourth inning.
November 10 (Rafters 6, Javelinas 14): Returning from the pseudo-All-Star Break, Salt River got blasted by the team they’d eventually go on to play in the postseason. Kilby was removed in the fourth in what I can only describe as load management, given it happened to him again the following night and he’s DHing all week. Core Jackson went 1-for-4 with two RBIs, and West went 0-for-2 with two walks and two strikeouts. Eleven of the 14 runs were allowed by Mack Estrada and JT Etheridge, who both struggled, but converted catcher Antonio Gomez threw a scoreless inning.
November 11 (Rafters 12, Solar Sox 4): In their regular-season finale, the Rafters rallied from a fifth-inning deficit to blast the Solar Sox in a seven-inning game to finish the regular season at 14-15. Kilby again left early after a hitless day with a walk and two stolen bases. Jackson had one of his better games of the entire fall, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, two walks, two stolen bases, and three runs scored.
November 12 (AFL Quarterfinals, Rafters 5, Solar Sox 2): Thursday night marked the start of a three-day postseason, where Salt River defeated Mesa for the second consecutive day in the quarterfinals. Kilby went 1-for-3 with a walk, and West went 0-for-1 with three walks and two runs scored.
November 13 (AFL Semifinals, Rafters 5, Javelinas 6): That’s the end of the line, folks. The Rafters fell short in a back-and-forth affair and saw their season end on Friday night. Kilby took it on the chin, 0-for-5 with a pair of K’s, West went 0-for-4 with an RBI forceout, Jackson went 2-for-4 with a pair of hard-hit RBI singles, and Chris Veach tossed 2.1 shutout innings.
MacKinnon will miss one month and Makar will miss about two weeks.
Bednar said Makar had been dealing with a soft-tissue injury and "it just kind of started gradually getting worse."
The two were dealing with injuries last season in the Western Conference finals, one of the reasons that the Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Avalanche play six games from Saturday night, when they face the Montreal Canadiens, until Nov. 28. That would cover the two weeks without Makar. The team has off from Nov. 20-24.
Colorado plays 13 games during the next month, the time that MacKinnon is expected to miss.
Recent callups forward Gavin Brindley and defenseman Alex Gagne will play in Montreal. Gagne will make his NHL debut and play alongside Brent Burns, who's making his 1,600th appearance.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres pitches in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on October 06, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026-27 edition ofSmash or Pass, in which we examine potential free agent and trade targets to determine whether the Red Sox should pursue them and what it would take to land them. Today, we continue the series with the prospect of bringing Michael King back to his home region.
Who is he, and where does he come from?
He’s Michael King and he’s local! The right-handed pitcher went to high school at Bishop Hendricken in Rhode Island and played his college ball at Chestnut Hill for the Boston College Eagles. The Marlins drafted him in 2016 before a trade to the Yankees where he spent his first five MLB seasons. The Padres acquired him in the monster return for Juan Soto. He excelled in San Diego with Cy Young votes in 2024 and a 3.15 ERA in three seasons for the Padres.
Still only entering his age-32 season with a career 3.23 ERA (1.86 ERA in 29 postseason innings), King has plenty left to give on the mound and will get a multi-year, high-AAV deal on the open market.
Is he any good?
He’s not an ace but he’s a No. 2 nearly every team in baseball would feel great about. King continues to improve in stuff and durability – he logged a career-best 185 innings in 2026 in his age-31 season. His strikeout numbers took a step back last season (7.7 K/9), though his Baseball Savant page is still a thing of beauty – especially when it comes to limiting hard contact.
TLDR, just give me his 2026 stats
King went 12-10 in 32 starts with a 3.21 ERA for the Padres. He pitched 185 innings with a 1.178 WHIP and 159 strikeouts.
Would he be a good fit for the Red Sox?
He’d be a great Sonny Gray replacement to slot in behind Garrett Crochet and take pressure off of Payton Tolle to be the Scottie Pippen of the rotation at this point – even after a Rookie of the Year-caliber campaign for the lefty in 2026.
Crochet-King-Tolle-Suárez-Bello? Works for me.
Why wouldn’t he be a good fit for the Red Sox?
Is he really a necessity for the 2027 Red Sox? Not really.
The Red Sox clearly had offensive deficiencies last postseason (and honestly in 2025 too). Even with the Jake Bauers news (announced while writing this!), the lineup is clearly the priority of the winter. That’s obvious given how good the rotation was even without Crochet last year. Sonny Gray departs, but the group is certainly still a strength. King would make them better, but he probably shouldn’t be the priority for Boston’s resources.
What would it take to get him?
Keith Law of The Athletic speculated a multi-year deal in the ballpark of $30 million AAV. Gray is not returning on a $30 million option, so would the Red Sox really turn around and give that out on a multi-year deal for a 32-year-old pitcher? Seems unlikely.
Show me a cool highlight.
King has been a postseason demon – most recently flirting with a postseason no-hitter against the Cubs in the Wild Card round this year.
He also dominated the Braves with 12 strikeouts in the 2024 Wild Card round as well.
Smash or pass?
If the Red Sox still believe they have room to improve the offense in addition to adding King, then smash. Otherwise, the sacrifice to sign King is not worth the attention turn from the clear priority of making sure this lineup is finally October.
MEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 11: Ty Jerome #2 of the Memphis Grizzlies drives to the basket during the game against the Denver Nuggets on November 11, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets saw what “worse” looked like on Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. Brooklyn certainly has its issues, but they pale in comparison to the nightmare New Orleans fans have to sit through right now. The Nets cruised to a 145-111 blowout victory. Yeesh.
Tonight’s opponent, however, has been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2026-27 NBA season. The Memphis Grizzlies enter Saturday at 8-4 and in great shape — though, much like Brooklyn, they just beat the stuffing out of those same Pelicans, rolling to a 142-111 win last night. My goodness.
Game Info & Broadcast Details
Matchup: Brooklyn Nets (3-8) at Memphis Grizzlies (8-4)
QUESTIONABLE — Michael Porter Jr. (personal reasons)
OUT – Joshua Jefferson (G League Assignment)
OUT – Ben Saraf (G League Assignment)
OUT – Tyler Bilodeau (G League – Two-Way)
OUT – Grant Nelson (G League – Two-Way)
Memphis Grizzlies
OUT – Zach Edey (left ankle injury management)
OUT – Scotty Pippen Jr (lumbar disc herniation)
OUT – Quinten Post (concussion protocol)
OUT – Richie Saunders (right knee surgery)
The Game
This is night two of a back-to-back for the Grizzlies. However, nobody played over 30 minutes last night so theoretically everyone should be good to go. We’ll see.
Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo has this offense humming this season, and this breakdown by Adam Pike dives into some of his favorite actions. He’s earned complete buy-in from this young roster, and the early results have been promising so far.
Memphis’ most promising cornerstone is someone the franchise hopes carries them into the next generation. Rookie Cameron Boozer adjusted to the NBA seamlessly and somehow still has plenty of room to grow. He’s second among rookies in assists per game, a pretty impressive feat for a power forward, alongside 9.8 rebounds a night. And watching Boozer also makes me realize I watched his dad’s journey from college at Duke all the way to the pros and beyond. Time flies, man.
Boozer will draw plenty of Julius Randle. After Wednesday’s win, Randle praised the organization and structure of Brooklyn’s offense. It also helped that they only committed 15 turnovers as a team, their second lowest amount this season. When you actually get shots up at the rim, good things tend to happen.
Brooklyn will need a big night out of Day’ron Sharpe to steal a road win. Memphis is third in the NBA in rebounding (47.9 RPG) this season, and Sharpe is still Brooklyn’s best weapon on the glass. Sharpe has been steady this year and the Nets are going to need him to hold Boozer, Isaiah Stewart, and the rest of the Grizzlies’ frontcourt off the offensive boards.
Sounds like a tall task.
There are two schools of thought related to Egor Demin. One is to praise for maintaining good three-point percentages while taking a high volume of threes when he’s on the court. That success can carry him a long way and guarantee he’s always on the court. The other is to express worry that he hasn’t been getting to the rim at rates that make the defense worry about him inside the arc.
As of this writing, he’s averaging six drives to the rim per game and his frequency of shots at the rim is greater than what it was last year. However, it’s only seven shots at the rim so you can’t read that much into it.
Demin is going to have to add more to his game if he wants to reach that next level. And we’ll see if tonight’s the night Demin and Mikel Brown Jr get real minutes on the court tonight.
MBJ is listed as questionable, so we’ll see if he’s back out there. It’s been a frustrating experience for a lot of Nets fans, and it’s understandable. This team has to figure out what their future is and fast, and that comes with getting your youngsters real minutes together so you can properly evaluate what’s working and what’s not.
You gotta see what you actually got.
Player to Watch: Ty Jerome
It’s always fun watching a player’s steady ascent pay off. Ty Jerome has been an analytics-crowd favorite for the past couple of seasons, and this year he’s putting it all together. He’s averaging a career high 25.4 points and 5.3 assists per game and is outpacing other franchise cornerstones such as Cade Cunningham and Nikola Jokic.
Even as the Griz kids gain more experience, Jerome will be essential to their growth remains the engine making it work. From Maxwell Ogden at Beale Street Bears:
“As a proven sharpshooter and shot creator, Jerome can play with just about any combination of his teammates. He’s just as lethal when working off of scorers and playmakers as he is when he creates his own shots. Furthermore, his mere presence on the court means defenses have to relax the attention they give to the less experienced Grizzlies players.”
I’m a sucker for rewarding career role players with All-Star appearances when they’re having career years, so I’m hoping Jerome gets the nod this winter.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 12: The back of LaMelo Ball #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves jersey during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on November 12, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Just a few years ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves made a deal for an enigmatic, polarizing point guard using a first-round pick and a franchise legend (do not disrespect Andrew Wiggins, that’s my guy), just as they did in this offseason. The Wolves were universally lambasted for this move, with their trade partner being praised for selling high.
D’Angelo Russell is one of the most reviled Wolves of recent history. Despite a few decent years (or months), his turnovers, early shot-clock off-the-dribble threes, and miserable defense led to a benching in the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies for Jordan McLaughlin, and his reputation with the fanbase never really recovered. Maybe it’s partly that Russell was the outgoing piece on one of the best trades the Wolves franchise have ever pulled off that made him so infinitely laugh-at-able for fans.
Still, Russell’s first few months in a Wolves jersey ahead of the COVID lockdown were like lightning in a bottle. Those same fans who now laugh at him were celebrating what he brought to the team in a season that began with Treveon Graham in the starting lineup.
That feels a lot like Wolves fans clamoring for LaMelo Ball as a second star who brings joy instead of moodiness and moroseness.
LaMelo Ball has now amassed 223 points & 75 assists in his first 12 games w/the Wolves. He is just the 2nd player in @Timberwolves history to record 200+ points & 75+ assists in their first 12 games w/ the franchise (D'Angelo Russell: 260 points/79 assists; 2/10-3/10/2020). pic.twitter.com/ZcCIPIQgBW
But the question then becomes a sad one of whether caution is necessary at a time that is so full of joy. Despite the absence of Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves are on a five-game win streak on the shoulders of Ball. After multiple years of joyless, winning basketball, the Wolves have their heart back. So is that question even worth asking? Is this piece worth writing?
The obvious answer is no. The big difference in LaMelo Ball and D’Angelo Russell’s first 12 games for the Wolves is that Minnesota has gone 9-3 with Ball at the helm, an equal reflection of Russell’s 3-9.
And yes, the team around these players was far worse in the 2019-20 season than it is now, but still, Minnesota is winning with one young star point guard leading the charge, when his apparent predecessor couldn’t do so.
To add to it, the view of the trade is so vastly different already this season. The Golden State Warriors traded Russell, Omari Spellman, and Jacob Evans III for Andrew Wiggins and a top-3 protected first-round pick, which eventually landed at seventh overall and became Jonathan Kuminga (hey, look at that!). Even within that lightning stretch from Russell, Wiggins was playing incredibly well next to Steph Curry. When the draft lottery arrived a few months later, the Wolves landed Anthony Edwards at first-overall, the Warriors took James Wiseman (which was always a bad choice), and the Charlotte Hornets took Ball.
The Warriors would go on to win a title with Wiggins taking his play to another level as the clear second option on offense and an absolutely rabid rebounder, while Russell was quickly downgraded to the third option for a team that was still bottom-10 in the NBA. That certainly played a part.
But now, Naz Reid is miserable in Charlotte, the first rounder the Wolves sent the Hornets is seven years out and completely out of mind, and Ball is playing his way into an All-Star – dare I say an All-NBA – nod.
The perception is entirely opposite, which means that any step back will hurt so much more. Wolves fans have bought in, they’ve signed up, they’ve gone to war for this player and this team in a way they hadn’t, because the night-to-night performances are consistent and fun. I mean, honestly, we went so hard at an online NBA analyst that he went on a Wolves podcast, got succinctly disproven, and was successfully converted into a believer.
– How do we assess teams effectively this early in the season? – Looking "under the hood" at the Wolves' defense and offense – Running my Jonathan Kuminga-Aaron Gordon player comp by someone who watched Gordon's integration to Denver up close – Me… pic.twitter.com/DfFLhKfk3h
So why can’t I shake the feeling of deja vu, that feeling that maybe the Wolves’ new star point guard has what it takes to take the Wolves out of the plateau they’ve been at, one that was eventually only half paid off with Russell.
Ball has been more than a dream outcome so far this season. Reid, as beloved as he was, was always a low price to pay for the guy who was bringing Moussa Diabate into Amare Stoudemire conversations in the context of the Hornets playing to the statistical level of the Run-and-Gun Phoenix Suns. Minnesota got a 6’7 orchestrator and offensive maestro for pennies on the dollar, which is not what they gave up for Russell.
I guess the answer is the same one that I came to in 2020, when Minnesota finished with one of the worst records in the league. While stuck in lockdown, longing for some Wolves basketball, I would hang around and watch the same “Track the Pack” episode welcoming Russell to Minnesota, followed by highlight after highlight of the Malik Beasley, D’Angelo Russell, and Jarred Vanderbilt Wolves.
I chose to enjoy it then. I choose to enjoy this now.
Hopefully, this version of Ball is more real than those first 12 games of Russell were. Hopefully, Minnesota keeps winning behind their point guard of the future. Hopefully, Anthony Edwards returns to an offensive ecosystem that has survived without him, but reaches a new level with him.
Hopefully, this team can win it all.
But, in the meantime, let’s enjoy the team that exists, and remember that comparisons and contrasts do not always come from a place of sad disrespect. Let’s enjoy this, Wolves fans. Fun doesn’t always last, but it’s certainly better now than it has been in years.
Maybe, just maybe, the most fun since that 12-game stretch where Minnesota and fans were sure they had found their joy in D’Angelo Russell.
Pittsburgh Penguins' Gameday Preview: Pens Look To Continue Momentum Against Ottawa Senators In Hall Of Fame GameThe Penguins will attempt to put aside their recent struggles against the Senators Saturday. 
