Juan Soto left the Mets’ series opener against the Cubs early last night, and the team announced that he was experiencing tightness in his lower left back. After he was removed from the game, SNY showed replays of his at-bats earlier in the evening, during which he appeared to be in discomfort after swinging the bat.
With Francisco Lindor returning as soon as today, any time that Soto might miss with the back issue would be another cruel twist in the team’s already-embarrassing season. The team’s two best players, Lindor and Soto have appeared together in just nine of the team’s 78 games thus far this season. Soto suffered a calf injury that landed him on the injured list from April 4 through April 22, and in the very game that he returned to the field, Lindor suffered an even worse calf injury that’s kept him off the major league field for two months.
The Mets say that Soto is day-to-day with his back tightness. Here’s hoping that’s really the case and that he’s feeling better soon. At 34-44, it’s silly to talk about a potential comeback in the Wild Card race, but the Mets would simply be more enjoyable to watch if their two best players were on the field at the same time.
The Sacramento Kings were active on Day 1, taking an anticipated franchise cornerstone prospect in Darius Acuff Jr. at No. 7 and pairing another shooter and winning role player with him at No. 29 in Alex Karaban, following a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers sending the No. 34 pick and a future second round pick.
Sacramento aims to follow up on its first round wins in the second round. The Kings have the No. 45 pick in the second round of the NBA Draft.
The second round has a wide variety pool of talent featuring some players that can help contribute to a NBA team in the immediate future and others might need a year or two.
The Kings need guys who are defensive-minded. They are stacked at the wings. It would be ideal for Sacramento to target a big or another guard to backup Acuff.
Here's a list of players that the Kings should look to select if they're available:
Who should the Sacramento Kings target in round 2?
There is a bevy of guys that can contribute to a team like the Kings. Guys can contribute to secondary roles where they find their niche within a team whether it's as a knockdown shooter, board man, hustle guy, playmaker or lockdown defender. The Kings focus lies within perimeter defenders, interior defenders and additional ball-handlers. These following players fit within that mold.
Henri Veesaar (North Carolina, Forward): Veesaar likely won't be available but the Tar Heels big man is an example of what the Kings should look for.
Braden Smith (Purdue, Guard): Smith is someone who can facilitate with the best of them. The proof? He finished his collegiate career as the NCAA Division I career assists leader with 1,103.
Emanuel Sharp (Houston, Guard): Sharp is sharp offensively. The two-guard is a true shooting guard. He can knock it down from deep, he can slash and get to the rim. He averaged 15.5 points for the Houston Cougars. However, an area that needs improvement is shooting percentage, averaging 41% from the field.
Felix Okpara (Tennessee, Big): Okpara played a huge role for Tennessee, as an anchor to their defense. If that translates to the NBA, the Kings could beef their frontline with aggressors who play physical, giving Sacramento an edge.
Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia, Big): Onyenso could be a project but with huge defensive upside. He led the ACC in blocks and ranked second nationally with 2.92 swats per game in 2025-26 in just 18.6 minutes.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 22: Masyn Winn #0 and JJ Wetherholt #26 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium on June 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
No one expected JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker to be two of the best players in MLB. I had a hunch Wetherholt would be good, but not THIS good. I don’t think anyone realized the level of defensive range he brought, or the poise at the plate. I sure didn’t, at least.
Jordan Walker is the albatross causing much discussion on the true plans of Chaim Bloom and the Cardinals. He wasn’t supposed to be this for real-good and has been providing a lot of run creation dynamics. I suppose plans might be different if he was a non-factor.
As it stands with the 2026 versions of JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker, the Cardinals position players are a top 5 MLB team, with only the Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, and Nationals ahead of them. And all but the Nationals (maybe?) spent a ton more than the Cardinals did to reach that total fWAR. The Cardinals are one of 10 teams to have produced at least 10 fWAR on the position side.
Look out now! the Cardinals are in a home run race vs the Cubbies! We are only 3 HR behind and the Cubs have played less games. Fun!
Perhaps, surprisingly, the Cardinals are one of the only team defenses in MLB that show as a net positive on fangraphs. Just outside the top 5, the Cardinals are not a liability on defense. Mostly because the middle infielders and center fielders offset the rest of the team, but it’s a good run prevent defense overall.
Is this positional player advantage some sort of mirage? Perhaps the team’s xwOBA can give us a hint: the Cardinals are the third best team in MLB on baseball savant according to xwOBA! This offense is maybe just starting to click.
That said, this is an offense forward team with good enough defense to make the pitching a little better than it is. The real question is if the pitching can actually improve enough to carry this team forward. Just as the offense seems like it is just beginning to tap into its true potential, the pitching staff shows few signs of encouragement. It almost seems like a miracle that the team is doing this well, considering that the pitching feels like it has been neglected at least to some extent by the organization. And if they deal away Dustin May, it will lose one of the only focal points to the season when it comes to the pitching staff. After him flirting with no hitters this year, he has stolen the spotlight.
***
One thing I’ve noticed about St Louis after moving here is that it loves its heavy metal bands. Hopefully, the fight of the metal can be instilled into the winning ways of this tenacious team. As part of a weekly writing project, I present to you a whole truckload of heavy metal for hardball fans! This focuses on 1991. Enjoy some black coffee with this!
1991 Heavy Metal Edition
Sepultura – ‘Arise’ death thrash at its finest! This one put Brazil’s Sepultura on the world map, paving the way for the big success of ‘Chaos AD’ and ‘Roots’ as the decade progressed away from old school death metal sounds. On ‘Arise’, you will hear their early sound perfected into a masterpiece level recording. All killer, no filler, and Sepultura at their very best. One of my favorite heavy metal album covers as well…
Corrosion of Conformity – ‘Blind’ more Headbanger’s Ball action here. Blind was COC’s only album with Karl Agell on vocals (love it or hate it). They were at their heaviest on this album, with massively dark and chunky thrash riffs and a pessimistic view of the future with a political bent. If you want to hear one of the most overlooked and/or underrated thrash metal albums of all time, look no further.
Prong – ‘Prove You Wrong’ more MTV late night action! This is my favorite Prong album, mainly because that bass tone is absolutely insane. The last Prong album with Troy Gregory on bass, and the perfection of their early days sound out of NYC. Another forgotten classic metal album!
Morbid Angel – ‘Blessed Are The Sick’ Morbid Angel as their ferocious early selves, one of their best albums and maybe even better than fan favorite from a couple of years prior, ‘Altars of Madness’. Death Metal Hall of Fame type album. My favorite OG Tampa Bay death metal band, with honorable mention to Death.
Immolation – ‘Dawn of Possession’ NYC’s answer to Tampa Bay death metal, Immolation came storming onto the scene in 1991 with Dawn of Possession, a death metal sound like no other and as extreme as it gets. Another death metal classic! But a little more underground than the first four.
Melvins – ‘Bullhead’ the Melvins further hone their Gluey Porch Treatments/Ozma sound into fan favorite sludge metal masterpiece Bullhead. On this album you can hear the song “Boris” which ended up being a similar Japanese band that named themselves after a Melvins song! The song “Zodiac” might be my favorite on the album, though.
Death – ‘Human’ Chuck Schuldiner assembles a supergroup of studio musicians to learn his death metal creative vision and records this masterpiece! One of the first progressive technical death metal albums of all time, but possibly influenced by Atheist and Nocturnus releases a year prior.
Protector – ‘A Shedding of Skin’ an unexpected find, I don’t think I would ever listen to a band like Protector if I was not purposely trying to find hidden gems, but this is one of the best-produced and overlooked heavy metal albums off all time, a total classic even upon first listen. Finding stuff like this makes it all worth it.
Carcass – ‘Necroticism, Descanting the Insalubrious’ grindcore originators continue with the goregrind but make it a little more death grind. Lyrics featuring obscure medical terms and social commentary decorate so much fast shredding! Utter musical insanity.
Coroner – ‘Mental Vortex’ Swiss technical thrash metal, laid down with cold timekeeping precision.
Sadistik Exekution – ‘The Magus’ so fast as to be a blur, these Australian legends produced some of most rough, chaotic and raw extreme metal from anywhere in the world. One of a kind! An acquired taste.
Massacra – ‘Enjoy The Violence’ more wild heavy metal from 1991! What a find! A bad message/dumb album title, but a fun listen nonetheless. Another hidden gem.
Idolatry – ‘Devastation’ this is the kind of music I listen to when I do cardio at the gym. And yep, another hidden gem 1991 heavy metal find!
Convulse – ‘World Without God’ some of the darkest, most brutal underground death metal you’ll find. Crusty tomb sounds. Way ahead of their times, there would be more death metal bands that sound like this years later.
Bolt Thrower – ‘War Master’ the only heavy metal band to have a tie-in with a board game, Warhammer 40k! Literally the soundtrack to a fantasy miniature based war board game. And the music really does kick ass, this is no gimmick.
O.L.D. – ‘Low Flux Tube’ perhaps the band MOST ahead of their time! No pun intended. No one else sounded like this back then. The weirdest band on the list, except for perhaps the mighty Melvins. Alt metal weirdness with high-energy fun sounds. Hidden gem!
Jumpin Jesus – ‘The Art of Crucifying’ more weirdo metal you’ve never heard of, I find both the name of the band and the name of the album utterly ridiculous, but that was 1991 for ya! This is a real freakin’ good heavy metal album that all fans of the genre should hear.
Revenant – ‘Prophecies of a Dying World’ there were PLENTY of warnings about environmental collapse that were unheeded, and yet here we are. Still dying… top tier death metal here.
Gorefest – ‘Mindloss’ it’s like death metal hatched a giant egg of amazingly heavy bands in 1991! I can’t get enough of these heavy heavy old school death metal riffs…
Sarcofago – ‘The Laws of Scourge’ the lesser know South American death metal band on the list, but faster and deadlier… probably just as influential as Sepultura, or close.
Invocator – ‘Excursion Demise’ and the award for album cover that looks most like an old school Magic The Gathering card goes to: Invocator!
Anacrusis – ‘Manic Impressions’ Anacrusis (as relatively unknown as they were) were one of the biggest heavy metal bands from St Louis in the 90’s! Check ‘em out!
Skin Chamber – ‘Wound’ industrial metal at its finest! to round out 25 ultra heavy albums from 35 years ago
Tune in the same time tonight for more Cardinals hardball action at 6:45pm in St Louis vs the Diamondbacks! Cardinals stand 6.5 games behind the overachieving Brewers and a game and a half up on the cursed Cubbies, which is good for the first wild card. But, the Cubs are 7-3 over the last 10 games so they are on the upswing again. Watch out, Cardinals. There’s over half a season left to play. Do well.
The Chicago Cubs (41-37) and New York Mets (34-44) are set for an old school double header on Wednesday with games at 1:10 and 7:10 ET. In their meeting Tuesday, Chicago won 9-6 being an explosive five-run second inning.
Chicago was powered by Pete Crow-Armstrong and Dansby Swanson's home runs which resulted in five of the Cubs' nine runs scored. The Cubs have won three of the last four games and six of the previous nine. Chicago leads the MLB in batting average over the last week (.324) and are showing some insane plate discipline with the second-most walks (29) compared to the fewest strikeouts (26).
New York has lost three straight games and have been outscored 30-11 in that span. The Mets didn't record an extra base hit in yesterday's loss as they have the second-fewest over the last week. As the Mets' offensive struggles continue, so does the pitching rotations. New York has a 6.49 ERA (28th) over the last week and a 5.06 ERA (27th) in June.
Nolan McLean takes the mound for Game 1 and Sean Manaea for Game 2. The Mets have won three of the last four games that McLean has started and two of the past three for Manaea. Chicago has yet to name their starting pitchers for the doubleheader.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Cubs at Mets
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Time: 1:10 PM EST
Site: Citi Field
City: Flushing, NY
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Cubs at the Mets
The latest odds for Game 1 as of Wednesday:
Moneyline: TBA
Spread: TBA
Total: TBA
Probable starting pitchers for Game 1 of Cubs at Mets
Wednesday's pitching matchup (June 24) for Game 1: Nolan McLean vs. TBA
The Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong is hitting .287 with 84 hits, 17 home runs and 43 RBI over 293 at-bats
The Cubs’ Dansby Swanson is hitting .189 with 46 hits and 66 strikeouts over 243 at-bats
The Mets’ Juan Soto is hitting .299 with 66 hits, 17 home runs, and 38 RBI over 221 at-bats
The Mets’ Marcus Semien is hitting .216 with 61 hits and 67 strikeouts over 282 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cubs at Mets
The Cubs are an 30-48 ATS, ranking second-worst
The Mets are 32-46 ATS, ranking fifth-worst
The Cubs are 41-36-1 to the Over, ranking ninth-best
The Mets are 35-35-8 on the total
The Cubs are 16-22 ATS on the road, ranking sixth-worst
The Mets are 15-22 ATS at home, ranking seventh-worst
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Cubs and the Mets
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Cubs and the Mets:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Mets on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Mets at -1.5.
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 13: Nate Eaton #18 of the Boston Red Sox of the Boston Red Sox looks on from the dugout during a game against the Texas Rangers on June 13, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nate Eaton, known this spring as The Pride of Great Britain, has brought a spark of interest to the Red Sox lineup. He’s still Nate Eaton, a guy who didn’t stick in Kansas City during some lean years, but sometimes you need a presence. Mickey Gasper is all mustache, no real bat, glove, or arm. Nate Eaton fills that final roster spot (yes, they are both on the roster now) in a more useful way.
In the fall of 2025, as Roman Anthony went down, Nate Eaton came up. He had brief appearances in June, July, and August, but September was his time. Down the stretch Eaton hit an absurd .370/.420/.478 with a home run and 6 steals. He played all three outfield positions and third base. He pinch ran. That’s utility outfielder work.
This is one of the problems with the Red Sox outfield logjam. We’ll ignore that Roman Anthony has been injured for a minute here. The Red Sox went inot the 2026 season with Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida as the outfield/DH rotation. To his credit, Alex Cora (and later Chad Tracy) said that the priority would be to keep the Gold Glovers – Rafaela and Abreu – in the outfield and rotation the DH among Anthony, Duran, and Yoshida. Which is a solid plan. But it was missing something: outfield flexibility.
Duran can cover left and center. Masa can cover left (kinda) but might need a defensive replacement at some point. Roman Anthony could cover right field but he’s probably your left fielder or DH. And Rafaela was scheduled for center field and that’s it. No infield for him, and no DH rotation, though maybe as an occasional “half day off.”
Given the talent, if you’re looking to field your best team, Anthony, Rafaela, and Abreu are in there every game. That leaves you with a left/center fielder (Duran) and a left fielder (Masa) as the DH and guy off the bench. This lead to, while Anthony was on the IL and before Nate Eaton was called up, Wilyer Abreu playing every inning of right field. Which is not ideal.
And, in addition to another source of right-handed power, that’s where the roster fell short all season so far. There are more roster spots than ever at 26 and yet it felt like the team was always shorthanded. Which brings us back to Nate Eaton.
In six games – obviously a small sample size – the utility outfielder is hitting .333/.467/.750. More importantly, he was able to pinch hit in two games and pinch run in another. In three games he was the starter relieving Rafaela, then Abreu, then Duran in center, right, and left field, respectively. He’s stolen two bases. Last night he started the game with a leadoff walk.
Should Eaton be the leadoff hitter? He has a career .293 OBP so probably not. Can he fill in there? No one else has claimed it in Anthony’s absence so he can’t really be worse than some of the options that have cycled through if you’re playing matchups. And while it’s old school, having his speed in front of your better hitters is worth something. Being right handed helps too. Last night’s Rockies starter, Sean Sullivan, is a lefty so maybe that was all the thinking behind it. A low OBP leadoff guy is definitely not ideal, even with speed. Mostly we’ll see Eaton off the bench.
But he was a spark in September 2025. He’s flexible defensively. He hits from the side they need. He can run. As it becomes increasingly difficult to find positives while watching these games, he’s providing a high likelihood of something enjoyable to watch. Maybe that Great Britain team was right on their roster choice, even if they couldn’t nail down Aroldis Chapman.
The trade market for a second-line center isn’t exactly booming right now; the potential candidates are few and far between, and if the Montreal Canadiens want to land a pivot who could really unlock Ivan Demidov’s potential, it won’t be cheap. On Tuesday morning, BPM Sports and RG Media’s Marco D’Amico reported that the Vancouver Canucks are open to retaining some salary to trade Elias Pettersson. Could he be a fit for the Canadiens?
To me, the most interesting trade and bounce-back candidate is Elias Pettersson.
Hearing that Vancouver is open to retention (to a degree) on his deal. At 9M/9.5M with the cap rising, that would quickly become 2C money.
Playing behind Suzuki would be a huge load off for him.
At 27 years old, he fits right in with the Canadiens’ core age group. Captain Nick Suzuki will be 27 himself in October, and both were products of the 2017 draft. Suzuki was taken 13th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights while the Canucks used the fifth overall pick to claim the Swedish center. Pettersson is a right-shot, something the Canadiens do need down the middle, and he’s already proven that he can perform at center in the NHL, unlike Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook when Kent Hughes acquired them.
The pivot signed an eight-year contract with Vancouver back in March 2024, and since then, he’s been struggling. In 2022-23, he put up 102 points in 80 games, then followed up with 89 points in 82 games in 2023-24. After signing his contract, he dropped to 45 points in 64 games in 2024-25 and put up 51 points in 74 games this past season. Those numbers are not worthy of a player who has an $11.6 million cap hit for the next six seasons, and it’s hardly surprising that the Canucks are looking to move him.
Pettersson is a former Calder Trophy winner as the rookie of the year in 2018-19 and is definitely a talented and skillful player, but he has a full no-movement clause and will need to approve any trade. Could he be able to bounce back in Montreal? That remains to be seen. If the Canucks retain part of his salary and he becomes the elite performer he once was, it could be a great deal for the Canadiens. A bit like when the Vegas Golden Knights traded for Jack Eichel with the Buffalo Sabres.
Vancouver doesn’t want to unload Pettersson at any cost, though, and a team that wants him will have to pay handsomely for the privilege. Elliotte Friedman said last month that a team that wants the pivot will have to be ready to send a center back the other way. Who could that mean for the Canadiens? Oliver Kapanen and other pieces? Michael Hage and other pieces? It’s not yet a guarantee that he will become a center in the NHL. Would Vancouver be ready to roll the dice on that?
Sending Brendan Gallagher to the Pacific Division team would make sense, as he has said that he would like to go home, and it could help make money work, but his trade value isn’t great right now.
The Canadiens would really have to do their due diligence on Pettersson to understand what went wrong and whether they feel Montreal could be the right destination for him to bounce back. If he were able to do so for less than his full cap hit, he could be a great fit for the Habs. But it wouldn’t be a risk-free investment. With just three days to go before the draft, all GMs are currently working the phones, and this is just one of the possible avenues the Canadiens could choose to go for. On the plus side, given that he’s a Swede, the Habs wouldn’t have to worry about the current exodus of American players to the USA…
While it may be disappointing to see the Philadelphia Flyers again miss out on a coveted trade target, at least they aren't stretching themselves thin by paying ridiculous prices.
On an action-packed Tuesday in the NHL, the Buffalo Sabres traded defenseman Bowen Byram, alongside fourth-liner Jordan Greenway, to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the 45th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and 6-foot-8 defenseman Louis Crevier.
Byram, 25, hasn't quite lived up to his draft status as a former fourth overall pick himself, but buried on Buffalo's depth chart, the Sabres still managed to get surplus value on his original draft slot and then some.
For the Flyers, paying that kind of cost for someone who may or may not grow into a No. 1 defenseman would be indefensible and ludicrous.
To start, the Flyers don't even have a top-five draft pick this year, and an equivalent to that value likely starts with the names Matvei Michkov or Porter Martone.
Then, to add a serviceable bottom-pair defenseman with size, as well as another top-50 pick, to acquire a grinder like Greenway, makes it that much more unfathomable.
The Flyers already have their de facto No. 1 defenseman Travis Sanheim, who is signed at a modest $6.25 million cap hit.
Byram is reportedly looking for double digits on his next contract, and he has just one more year remaining on his current deal at a $6.25 million cap hit of his own.
Yes, Sanheim is older, but he is more proven and established, and will be cheaper this time next year.
The risk of adding Byram at that trade cost, then paying the financial cost to keep him, just made no sense for the Flyers.
Plus, the Flyers need the breathing room to develop their own players--namely David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk--into top-four caliber defenders, and we can assume that the majority of Jiricek's NHL value will come on the power play.
If Byram usurps that quarterback role and doesn't do it like one of the best in the league, Jiricek's chances of becoming a useful player for the Flyers are undermined significantly.
If Byram was one of the best in the league, then it wouldn't have mattered. We, and the Flyers, can't put that cart before the horse.
Sometimes frustratingly so, the Flyers are very good at conducting risk assessment on the trade market and finding deals that work for them.
Adding Byram would have been nice, to be clear, but it's also clear that there was no scenario in which this would have made sense for the Flyers from a value standpoint.
Jun 5, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs silver dancers perform during a timeout from the game against the Miami Heat in game one of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center. The Spurs beat the Heat 110-95. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
On Monday, the Spurs issued this press release:
The San Antonio Spurs have announced the return of the Silver Dancers for the 2026-27 season. pic.twitter.com/aD7hXQqUgi
“The San Antonio Spurs today announced the expansion of their in-game entertainment lineup with the return of the Silver Dancers for the 2026-27 season. The Silver Dancers will join the Spurs Hype Squad as part of a dynamic entertainment team designed to elevate the game-day experience and connect with fans both in the arena and throughout the community.“
The Silver Dancers were supplanted by the Hype Squad is 2018. They will now share the spotlight as they integrate into the current rotation of in arena entertainment.
Jordan Mandelkorn, Vice President of Marketing, Creative & Retail for Spurs Sports & Entertainment, stated:
“We’re always looking for ways to make the Spurs game-day experience more exciting and engaging for our fans. The Silver Dancers and Hype Squad each bring their own energy, skillset and connection to our fans, and we’re excited to expand our entertainment lineup in a way that reflects the spirit of the Spurs both on the court and in the community.”
Those interested in auditioning for either the Silver Dancers or Hype Squad can do so through Sunday, June 28. Information is available at Spurs.com/Auditions.
Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.
Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.
A busy lead-up to the draft. Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Farewell to Simon Nemec:
TRADE ALERT: We’ve acquired two conditional first-round picks, a 2026 second-round selection, and defenseman Etienne Morin from Calgary in exchange for defenseman Simon Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
Assessing the Simon Nemec trade: “This trade ensures the Devils avoid a risky contract and arms them with draft picks that can be leveraged as currency to add top-six winger help.” [The Athletic ($)]
“The Brady Tkachuk blockbuster to the Florida Panthers underscores an unfolding truth in today’s NHL. Power is shifting in favor of the NHLs star players. New Jersey Devils fans watching the Hughes speculation might feel uncomfortable. However, they’re not in a Tkachuk-like predicament… yet.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
NEWS | The Washington Capitals have acquired forward Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues for forwards Connor McMichael and Milton Gastrin and Washington’s first-round pick (16th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft.#ALLCAPS | @Shift4
Seems like Morgan Rielly could be on the move soon:
Morgan Rielly’s agent J.P Barry has submitted a list of 4 Western based teams Rielly is willing to go to. This will be a team by team assessment and depending on the fit, there could be some flexibility to add teams to the list.
“Commissioner Gary Bettman said that the NHL found no basis to prevent the Edmonton Oilers from hiring coach Mike Babcock but that the league expects ‘a certain level of decorum and conduct’ from him.” [ESPN]
“The NHL is exploring putting a second team in Texas, with Austin and Houston as potential targets, commissioner Gary Bettman announced on Tuesday following a board of governors meeting.” [ESPN]
“Will Connor Hellebuyck be the next American-born star to leave a Canadian NHL franchise? It appears the Team USA Manifest Destiny is real, and we have to take the trade rumors seriously at this point.” [Daily Faceoff]
“For decades, NHL teams asked players to be loyal and commit on long-term deals that locked them up from their teenage years until retirement. These teams then acted in cutthroat ways to buy out or otherwise dump them, however, when their play declined. That paradigm has now changed entirely, to where star players (and their agents) realize they hold the cards, especially with how free agency has been hollowed out and how vital the trade market has become to building a top team. Whether that shift has created a permanent imbalance in the league, with talent flowing from north to south, remains an open question. But it’s one worth asking yet again, as another top player heads to Florida and another Canadian team’s GM is left scrambling to fill a gaping roster hole.” [The Athletic ($)]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
Happy birthday to Doug Jones, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 2021, Four Cubs pitchers combine on the seventh no-hitter of the season, one shy of the all-time record, in a 4-0 win over the Dodgers. Zach Davies pitches the first six innings, then Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel add one inning each to complete the feat , and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
1908 – Honus Wagner does it all today, smacking a home run and double, then breaking a 3-3 tie with an eighth-inning single. He ends his scoring with a steal of home as the Pirates win, 5-3, over the Reds.
1960 – Willie Mays hits two home runs, singles, steals home, and makes ten putouts to lead the Giants in a 5-3 win at Cincinnati. Mays has three RBI and three runs scored.
1991 – California’sDave Winfield goes 5 for 5 and hits for the cycle as the Angels defeat Kansas City, 9-4. In so doing, he becomes the oldest player in history (39) to accomplish the feat.
1993 – Carlton Fisk of the White Sox, plays his 2,226th and final major league game, surpassing Bob Boone‘s record of 2,225 for most games caught. Fisk reluctantly retires with 3,999 total bases, the most ever for a catcher.
1994 – Aided by a nine-run 6th inning, Houston goes on to defeat the Dodgers, 16-4. 1B Jeff Bagwell drives home six of the Astros’ runs as he slugs three homers, including two in the sixth inning. He is the 28th player in major league history to homer twice in the same inning.
2000 – The Reds beat the Padres, 11-5, as Barry Larkin goes 5 for 5 with two home runs, four RBIs, and four runs scored.
Today in Cubs history:
1894 – The Chicago Colts score five runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead over Baltimore, but the National League leaders respond with three runs in the bottom of the inning to claim an 11-10 win.
1374 – Sudden outbreak of St. John’s Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.
1853 – US President Franklin Pierce signs the Gadsden Purchase, buying 29,670 square-miles (76,800 square km) from Mexico for $10 million (now southern Arizona and New Mexico).
1889 – Butch Cassidy commits his first bank robbery with Warner and two McCarty brothers at the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride; they steal about $21,000, equivalent to about $735,000 today.
1963 – First demonstration of a home video recorder at BBC Studios in London.
1968 – Joe Frazier stops Mexican challenger Manuel Ramos in 2nd round TKO at NYC’s Madison Square Garden in his first heavyweight boxing title defense.
1973 – Marlene Raymond (15), limboes under a flaming bar at 6 1/8″.
2013 – Stanley Cup Final, TD Garden, Boston, MA: Chicago Blackhawks defeat Boston Bruins, 3-2 for 4-2 series victory; Blackhawks’ 5th Championship.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Brandon Marsh #16 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park on June 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Usually, we eschew stories about other sports, but this is a pretty funny Phillies connection to be made. The Trail Blazers hired Micah Nori as their next head coach. Does that name sound familiar?
Every story is local: Phillies outfield prospect Dante Nori’s dad is an NBA head coach now. https://t.co/DwrSdAasP6
Deadlocked at 0-0 for the first few innings, Syracuse finally broke the ice with a two-run fourth but they wouldn’t hold the lead for long, as the IronPigs plated four runs in the bottom of the inning on a Dylan Moore grand slam. Syracuse scratched back, scoring a run apiece in the fifth and sixth, and despite allowing another Lehigh Valley run in the bottom of the sixth, retook the lead in the seventh, when the rehabbing Francisco Lindor led off the inning getting on base thanks to an error and Tyrone Taylor drove him in with a home run to left center. After a balk in the bottom of the inning tied things up at 6-6, those rehabbers once again had an impact on the game in the top of the eighth. Lindor singled, Taylor doubled, and with runners on second and third, Ronny Mauricio singled to drive both home and give Syracuse the lead, a lead they would finally hold onto.
Nick Lorusso homered in the top of the first to give the Rumble Ponies an early 1-0 lead, but the SeaWolves reversed things in the fourth with a big six-run inning and controlled the rest of the game from there on in. Jose Ramos hit a solo homer of his own in the sixth, but a lot of good it did, as it was Binghamton’s only additional run. So much for the Rumble Ponies starting the second half on the right hoof.
Both teams scored a few runs in the early innings, but Jersey Shore landed what seemed at the time to be the decisive blow, plating five runs in the fifth and surging ahead to a 7-3 lead. To their credit, the Cyclones kept things competitive, scoring three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to bring them within one. A few innings later, in the eighth, the recently reassigned Sam Biller successfully plated that run, tying things at 7-7. In the tenth inning, Hoss Brewer hunkered down and was able to prevent the BlueClaws from scoring. In the bottom of the inning, Daiverson Gutierrez led off the inning and drove the first pitch he saw in the zone for a line drive into left that the fielder played poorly to win the ballgame.
The St. Lucie Mets were on the basepaths all evening, logging 10 hits, drawing 4 walks, and getting on base an additional 4 more times thanks to defensive miscues on the part of the Mighty Mussels. They made the most of those opportunities, stealing eight bases in ten attempts. The team hit only two extra base hits, a Julio Zayas double in the first and a Jeremy Rodriguez double in the fourth, but kept the train going, scoring six runs; with a few more extra base hits, this one could’ve been a true blowout, as St. Lucie only went 3-18 with runners in scoring position and left 9 runners on base.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 05: Kody Huff #68 of the Cleveland Guardians walks across the field before a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch on March 05, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As a Guardians fan you may not be very familiar with Kody Huff, but you are way too familiar with Gabriel Arias. Let’s adjust the familiarity vortex there, real soon.
Gabriel Arias currently has a 54 wRC+ and a 46% strikeout rate. I think it is fair to note that his planned rehab was cut short by the injury to José Ramírez. Still, for his career, Arias has a 74 wRC+ and a 34% strikeout rate. Among ML hitters with 1,000 or more plate appearances since 2022, he ranks last with a swinging strike rate north of 20%. He is just a terrible hitter.
Enter Kody Huff. Acquired from the Rockies for Cal Quantrill, Huff is a right-handed hitter having a breakout season as a 25 year-old in Cleveland. Huff has a 141 wRC+ with a 17/15 K/BB%, with a home OPS of 979 at Columbus and a .875 OPS in road games. He also has a 1.012 OPS against LHP this year. Admittedly, his wOBA of .407 is belied a bit by a .366 xwOBA… but .366 reduced down to, I don’t know, .315 in the bigs would still be a huge improvement over current options, especially if it included production vs. southpaws. Huff has seen his hitting output skyrocket with slightly higher exit velos (+1 mph in average exit velo) and moving about 9% of his prior groundball rate to line drives and 6% to flyballs. Nothing looks particularly unsustainable… he simply seems to have made some hitting growth later in his development, as catchers often do.
“Aha, he’s a catcher,” you say. “How can we fit him on the roster with our catching all-stars Patrick Bailey and Austin Hedges??” Leaving aside all sarcasm there (Bailey and Hedges are excellent defenders and both have hit fine with Cleveland this year), Huff has started 20 games at first base and 9 at third base this year.
Huff is fine at third base. He has a good arm and looks smooth picking the ball. He may actually be a pretty good first baseman. And he’s got a solid reputation as a catcher. I think the team should pause Huff’s catching work and tell him, “Kid, you are gonna fill in for José and get some great reps at third base.” Then, DFA Arias (who will get through waivers, and if he doesn’t, who cares?) and add Huff to the roster. If he hits and Jose is back, then keep Huff in the David Fry role.
It’s probably bad that I want to solve our offensive woes with catchers. But in Ingle and Huff, I see professional hitters. And we need more of those in Cleveland, by George. Get Huff the magic dragon up!
The Detroit Tigers’ four-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday night in a 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees to even up the three-game home series. Casey Mize cruised through the first five frames before surrendering three runs in the sixth and the offense just did not have enough gas to get over the hump before they ran out of time.
On Wednesday night, left-hander Tarik Skubal will make his third start since returning from the injured list after having an innovative nanoscope procedure performed on his pitching elbow. The 29-year-old has not found his old form just yet, posting a 4.35 ERA and a 5.42 FIP in his last two games stretching over 10 1/3 innings of work, allowing 12 hits (three home runs) and two walks while striking out 12 and hitting a batter.
Up against him will be fellow southpaw Ryan Weathers, who is having his best season since his 2024 campaign with the Miami Marlins. The 26-year-old hit a rough patch recently, putting up an 8.47 ERA and a 7.63 FIP over three starts stretching across 17 frames before bouncing back his last time out, allowing one run on a solo shot over 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight vs. one walk for a no-decision in a 5-1 home loss against the Chicago White Sox.
Here is a look at how the two matchup in the series finale.
Detroit Tigers (34-45) vs. New York Yankees (47-31)
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:Pinstripe Alley Media: Detroit SportsNet, Amazon Prime Video, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 80: LHP Tarik Skubal (3-3, 3.02 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Weathers (2-5, 4.13 ERA)
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 7-2 at Indianapolis Indians
3B Oswaldo Cabrera 3-6, 2 RBI, 2 K, fielding error – after a dreadful start to the year, Oswaldo has come alive with a .967 OPS in June 2B Marco Luciano 2-4, BB, K, SB RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-4, BB, 2 K, GIDP CF Garrett Martin 3-5, HR, 4 RBI, 2 K, SB – he did it all last night 1B Tyler Hardman 0-5, 3 K DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-2, 3 BB, K, SB SS Jonathan Ornelas 0-4, 2 K C Payton Henry 0-4, K LF Duke Ellis 1-4, RBI, BB, K
Alexander Cornielle 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 2 K Zach Messinger 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 0 K Carson Coleman 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (win) Yordanny Cruz 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (hold) – good to see a steady outing from Cruz Bradley Hanner 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 4-0 at New Hampshire River Cats – Somerset stifled, four hits, all singles
LF Jackson Castillo 2-3, BB, SB CF Jace Avina 0-4, K RF DJ Gladney 1-3, BB, K DH Nick Torres 1-4 3B Coby Morales 0-4, K C Tomas Frick 0-3 1B Josh Moylan 0-2, BB, K SS Owen Cobb 0-3, 2 K 2B Connor McGinnis 0-3, K
Cade Smith 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HR (loss) – probably the 24-year-old’s best start of the year, tough luck loss Chris Kean 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Tony Rossi 1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Cade Smith (@Yankees No. 16 Prospect) notched his THIRD quality start of the season! 🤩
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 5-4 at Bowling Hot Rods
3B Kaeden Kent 1-5, K SS Core Jackson 1-4, 2 K, throwing error DH Eric Genther 0-4, RBI, 2 K 1B Kyle West 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, K RF Wilson Rodriguez 2-3, BB 2B Roderick Arias 1-4, 2 K, SB C Josue Gonzalez 0-3, RBI, SF CF Camden Troyer 0-4, K LF Luis Durango 2-4, 2B, SB
Bryce Cunningham 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR – 2024 second-rounder has given up three runs over his last three starts Hansel Rincon 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K Brandon Decker 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K Aaron Nixon 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (hold) Brady Kirtner 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB 0 K (loss, blown save)
3B Jackson Lovich 0-4, K CF Brando Mayea 0-4 DH Luis Puello 0-4, K LF Logan Maxwell 0-1, BB, SB LF Gabriel Lara 0-2, K SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 2-3, RBI, SF, SB RF Willy Montero 1-4, 2B, 2 K 1B Hans Montero 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K, SB C Engelth Urena 0-3, K 2B Luis Escudero 0-2, BB, 2 K
Justin West 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K (win) Kevin Stevens 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (hold) Greysen Carter 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K (hold) Matthew Tippie 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (save)
Florida Complex League Yankees:L, 10-6 (7) vs. FCL Tigers
3B Richard Matic 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, K CF Wilberson De Pena 1-1, 2B, 3 BB, 2 SB, fielding error – a nice .417 OBP on the year for the 19-year-old DH Queni Pineda 0-3, BB, 2 K 2B Leni Done 0-3, RBI, BB, K, SB LF Jose Castro 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, CS RF Francisco Vilorio 0-3, K SS Dexters Peralta 0-3, fielding error C Justin Capellan 1-3, 2B, K, throwing error 1B Christofer Reyes 0-3
Hueston Morrill 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Jerson Alejandro 1 IP, 0 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 1 K Sunayro Martina 0.2 IP, 3 H, 6 R (5 ER), 1 BB, 0 K (loss) – a 4-1 fourth-inning lead evaporated quickly Rafael Arias 1.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR Edinzo Marquez 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K Brian Arias 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 11-3 vs. DSL Cardinals
DH Isaias Castillo 0-2, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, SB SS Stiven Marinez 1-5, 3B, RBI, K, fielding error CF Yostin Pena 3-4, K, 2 SB 2B Juan Torres 2-3, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, BB 1B Cesar Lopez 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB C Juan Martinez 1-3, K, SB L Manuel Aguilar 1-4, 2B, 3 K RF Eliezer Adames 0-2, RBI, 2 BB, K 3B Emmanuel Orozco 0-2, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB
Fredy Penuelas 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 4 K Angel Salazar 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K (win) — one of the cleanest DSL lines you’ll see Luis Ilarraza 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 3 K (hold) Varis Villarreal 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 12-5 at DSL Tigers 2
SS Mani Cedeno 1-5, 2B, 2 K 2B Carlos Bello 2-4, 2 2B, K, SB C Alessandro Rodriguez 0-3, RBI, BB, K, SB, two throwing errors, one pickoff error – oops RF David Carrera 1-4, HR, RBI, K 3B Kevin Beltre 0-4, K DH Poly Ojeda 0-1, 2 BB 1B Adrian Feliz 0-2, K 1B Jesus Guerrero 1-2, 2B, RBI, K LF Sebastian Pinto 0-1, BB LF Eddison Charles 1-2, K, SB CF Alfiery Matos 0-4, K
Randy Angomas 2.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 4 K Kevin Centeno 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR Carlos Hampshire 2.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 2 K Lenin Caceres 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
