Aaron Judge still has a long road ahead to returning to the Yankees from a fractured rib injury, but the slugger recently took a step in the right direction.
According to manager Aaron Boone, who spoke to reporters before New York continues its series against the Blue Jays in Toronto on Saturday, Judge played catch for the first time during his rehab process Friday.
While it's certainly good news for Judge and the Yanks, the outfielder still has a ways to go in building up to full baseball activities. Regardless, it's good to hear that he has at least begun that process and is getting closer to a return.
Judge hasn't played in a game since May 31, although the fractured rib can likely be traced back to April when he made a diving attempt in the outfield. Before his injury, the 34-year-old was having a bit of a down season for his standards but still had 17 home runs and a .907 OPS.
More importantly, with Judge in the lineup, New York's offense was in a groove, but since landing on the IL, the Yankees have struggled to score runs consistently, including in their 3-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday night.
Aug 14, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Díaz (3) reacts at the end of the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
LOS ANGLES — Edwin Díaz likely won’t be available to pitch for the remainder of the weekend against the Milwaukee Brewers, after pitching on each of the last two nights, with extended outings both nights. He walked a tightrope on Friday night, loading the bases in the ninth inning, but somehow survived to earn the save. It wasn’t a good outing by any means, but all parties believe Díaz is at least heading in the right direction.
Díaz since returning from the injured list has one clean outing in six tries, with seven runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings. One night after allowing three runs in a blown save to the Brewers, he walked two batters and hit another, loading the bases in the ninth inning. This time he escaped without damage, helped by a fantastic play by second baseman Tommy Edman for the second out of the frame. A grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts ended it.
“It was good for him to work his way out of it, and obviously he was a hitter away,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Even with that last hitter, I wanted to see him try to fight through it and get through it. I was happy that he finished what he started.
Díaz said his posture on the mound was something he was working on, that his misses were more off the plate than in the middle of the strike zone to get punished.
“I’m leaning too much toward the right-handed hitter. Instead of straight down the plate, today was way better,” Díaz said. “My fastball ride was way batter than yesterday. I’m going in a good direction, so keep getting better and keep getting better.”
There’s still a lot to work on for Díaz, who threw only 11 strikes in his 26 pitches on Friday.
“It wasn’t pretty, I watched the inning too,” Roberts said.
“The strength department and the pitching side of things, he’s kind of detected some things I think we could clean up, so that’s encouraging,” Roberts added. “We started that process today. Hopefully with a couple days off to kind of work through that, we’ll see an even better version going forward.”
Recent Dodgers relief usage
Díaz and Tanner Scott have each pitched five times in the last eight days, something that happened only four times this season in the Dodgers bullpen before this stretch — by Scott (April 21-28, May 23-30), Alex Vesia (June 10-17), and Evan Phillips (August 2-9). If Vesia, Phillips or Jack Dreyer pitch on Saturday, they will have also pitched five times in eight days.
It’s been a busy time for the Dodgers bullpen.
“That’s the hard part, that a lot of people don’t have the information on availability and workload, and redlining guys, trying to keep guys healthy. I don’t have everyone available every single night, and what’s the cost of that night versus the next two or three games and looking also at the rest of the season,” Roberts said. “Those things I gotta think through, and when you peel that layer back, then your options get a little bit smaller. Then you’re talking about lanes and what’s the best for a particular pitcher. All those things matter.”
To Roberts’ point, it’s likely that Scott wouldn’t be available on Saturday either, in addition to Díaz, as no Dodgers reliever has pitched on three consecutive days this season. And if Vesia pitches Saturday, he’d be the first Dodger in 2026 to pitch four times in five days.
That’s a long way of saying Saturday is a day for Justin Wrobleski to eat as many innings as possible, whether he turns around his recent funk or not.
The Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves continue their weekend series Saturday night at Truist Park, with Eduardo Rodriguez facing Grant Holmes.
Both starters carry respectable ERAs, but their underlying profiles point to more offensive upside than the surface numbers suggest. We are backing Atlanta while also targeting the Over and a Corbin Carroll long ball.
Read on for our Diamondbacks vs. Braves predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, Aug. 15.
Who will win Diamondbacks vs Braves today: Braves moneyline (-137)
The Atlanta Braves are my moneyline pick behind the better offensive matchup. I'd play them down to -150.
Eduardo Rodriguez's 2.70 ERA looks strong, but his .336 xwOBA and .445 xSLG allowed suggest hitters have made better contact than the results indicate.
The Braves also bring significantly more power than the Arizona Diamondbacks, entering the series with 164 home runs and a .420 SLG. Rodriguez has survived some of that contact, however Atlanta has the power profile to turn it into extra-base damage.
Grant Holmes carries his own contact concerns, but the Braves' lineup gives him more run support to work with. This could be a bit of a slugfest and I generally favor the ATL in such scenarios.
Give me the Braves for my tenth two-unit of the year.
Diamondbacks vs Braves Over/Under pick: Over 9 (-110)
The starter ERAs point toward a pitchers' game, but the underlying contact suggests otherwise.
Grant Holmes owns a 3.47 ERA despite a 4.76 xERA, bottom 20 percentile 42.1% hard-hit rate, and 9.1% barrel rate. Rodriguez has his own separation between results and expected production, with opponents carrying a .445 xSLG against him.
The Braves should get the best of the Arizona DBacks but it won’t come without allowing runs. Both starters have allowed enough damaging contact to make a total of 9 playable, especially with temperatures near 90 degrees at first pitch.
I’d play this up to 9.5.
Diamondbacks vs Braves home run prediction: Corbin Carroll (+414)
This is a rare situation where the pitching we're backing could be the most homer vulnerable As mentioned, that's because of the 42%+ hard-hit rate that Holmes carries coming into this matchup. Corbin Carroll is poised to take advantage of that.
Holmes throws his slider, four-seamer, and cutter 74.8% of the time, led by a slider at 36.3%.
Carroll owns a .573 xSLG and 58.8% hard-hit rate against sliders, along with a .400 xSLG against four-seamers and .487 xSLG against cutters. He has also generated positive run value against all three pitch types.
Holmes will have to live in areas of his arsenal that match Carroll’s strongest contact profile, making him the best Arizona power target.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 43-41, +4.84 units
Over/Under bets: 47-37, +11.58 units
Diamondbacks vs Braves weather
First-pitch temperatures are forecast around 90 degrees, with readings staying in the upper 80s through most of the game and a chance of thunderstorms later in the evening. That kind of heat is a mild boost for offense because warmer air is less dense, giving well-struck fly balls a little more carry.
Diamondbacks vs Braves odds
Moneyline: Arizona +125 | Atlanta -132
Run line: Arizona +1.5 | Atlanta -1.5
Over/Under: Over 9 | Under 9
Diamondbacks vs Braves trend
The Atlanta Braves have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line in 18 of their last 23 games at home (+13.00 Units / 48% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Diamondbacks vs. Braves.
How to watch Diamondbacks vs Braves and game info
Location
Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
Date
Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Eduardo Rodriguez (11-4, 2.70 ERA)
Braves starting pitcher
Grant Holmes (7-4, 3.47 ERA)
Diamondbacks vs Braves latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Coppa Italia Totem is displayed during the Coppa Italia 2026/27 match between AC Monza and US Avellino 1912 at Stadio Brianteo in Monza, Italy, on August 14, 2026. (Photo by Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Hickory starter Mason McConnaughey allowed two runs in two innings, striking out one and walking one. Aneudis Mejia allowed a homer in 0.2 IP. Geury Rodriguez struck out two in 3.1 shutout innings.
Josh Springer doubled. Yolfran Castillo was 2 for 4 with a stolen base. Jay McQueen had a pair of hits. Dewar Tovar homered. Kaden Carpenter had a hit and a walk. Marco Argudin and Paulino Santana each had a hit.
For Frisco, Josh Trentadue allowed three runs in 2.1 IP, allowing a homer, walking two and striking out four. Eric Loomis allowed five runs, includinga pair of homers, in 0.2 IP, walking one and striking out one. Bryan Magdaleno walked one in 1.1 scoreless innings.
Round Rock starter David Davalillo had his best start of the season, needing just 76 pitches to face the minimum through six innings with 7 Ks, allowing just one hit, which was erased on a double play. Ryan Lobus allowed a run in an inning of work, walking one and striking out one. Wilian Bormie struck out one and walked one in a shutout inning.
JUPITER, FL - FEBRUARY 17: Joshua Baez #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses for a photo during the St. Louis Cardinals photo day at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s game 2 of the weekend series as the St. Louis Cardinals battle the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Cardinals will give the ball to Michael McGreevy while the Chicago Cubs will start Matthew Boyd. It’s also the Major League debut for Joshua Baez. First pitch is set for 1:20pm central time with the game broadcast available through Cardinals.tv.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 09: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 09, 2026 in New York City. The Braves defeated the Yankees 2-1. in ten innings. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves got all they needed from the pitching staff Friday, but couldn’t do anything on offense. Today’s game features a pitching matchup between Eduardo Rodriguez and Grant Holmes.
Rodriguez has a massive gulf between his 2.70 ERA and his 4.41 xFIP. I trust the xFIP more than the ERA to tell us how good he actually has been, but that is an impressively large gap through 143.1 innings. His strikeouts have cratered to a tiny 6.34 K/9, but he remains a serviceable MLB starter. His five-pitch arsenal of four-seamer, changeup, cutter, curveball, and sinker all look fairly average in terms of movement, with sub-average extension. That said, he has been locating those pitches well in the spots you would want for each pitch. The Braves’ offense would do well to hit a couple homers off of him, taking advantage of the high contact rate.
Meanwhile, Grant Holmes is coming off of two productive outings of 6.0 innings each. The team would obviously love to see that depth again, but I think that is unlikely to come with another 2 strikeout performance like last time, Grant will need to miss a few more bats to be reasonably expected to be that productive again. That slider continues to be an absolute weapon for him and we’ll have to hope it can vex the Diamondbacks during this tough stretch of games for Atlanta.
Game Info
Game Time: Saturday, August 15, 7:15 PM ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
Watch: FOX
Radio/Audio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Ricky Tiedemann #33 of the Toronto Blue Jays poses for a portrait during photo day at the Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex on February 20, 2026 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I thought the Jays and I had an understanding, I would play tennis on Saturday mornings and they wouldn’t make any news while I play.
Anyway:
Vladimir Guerrero has been put on the 7-day concussion IL. Concussions are terrible things. My youngest son got play playing rugby and it ended his rugby playing. He had a rough time of it. I hope Vlad is only out those seven days.
Paul Sewald has been activated for today’s game.
Lazaro Estrada was optioned to Buffalo, but then DFAed.
Rickety Tiedmann has been recalled from Buffalo. He’ll be in the pen. He was #5 on our prospect list. He’s missed most of this season because of injuries.
Chase Lee was optioned.
Daz Cameron was added to the 40-man roster and called up to the Jays. Daz signed with us as a free agent back in July. He’s played for Detroit, Oakland and Milwaukee. In 160 MLB games, he has a .200/.258/.326 line with 15 steals (0 times caught) and 11 home runs. In 23 games in Buffalo, he hit .367/.462/.582 with 10 steals and 3 home runs. He plays all three outfield spot. He’s mostly played center field, but has played left and right. Some pure speed will be nice (if he gets on base).
Today’s Vladless lineup. Braydon Fisher was to be the opener.
The shocking sale of the Los Angeles Lakers drew headlines for its reported $12.5 billion valuation. But it’s also notable for another reason: Assuming the sale is approved by the NBA Board of Governors, Mark Walter's tenure would rank among the shortest controlling ownership spans USA TODAY identified in the histories of current MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises.
USA TODAY reviewed ownership histories across the four major U.S. leagues and found just four completed qualifying tenures shorter than Walter's 289 days through Aug. 15. Historical ownership records — particularly from the early 20th century — can be incomplete or ambiguous, so the findings reflect the shortest qualifying tenures USA TODAY was able to identify and verify.
The shortest such spans USA TODAY uncovered were the back-to-back flips of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1980.
In February that year, Lou Mitchell bought 155,000 shares in the Cavs from Nick Mileti for an announced $1.4 million. After 31 days, Mitchell sold about 275,000 shares to Joe Zingale for an estimated $2.4 million after realizing the difficulty of running the Cavs and another business 125 miles away. Then, 22 days later in April, Ted Stepien bought those shares from Zingale for $2 million to become the franchise’s controlling owner with a 37% stake in the Cavs. Stepien remained owner until 1983.
Following that pair is John P. Harris, controlling owner of the Boston Doves — the franchise now known as the Atlanta Braves — for 35 days in late 1910.
Cox bought the club from a cash-strapped Gerald Nugent. His tenure was quite raucous and ended when commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned him from baseball for betting on the Phillies.
Walter’s current 289-day span comes next among the qualifying tenures USA TODAY identified. However, his sale is awaiting approval, which means his official ownership tenure could still extend.
Recent NBA ownership sales have varied widely in how long they took to receive league approval. Walter’s purchase of the Lakers last year, for instance, took 134 days between announcement of the sale and board approval.
Such a range means that Walter’s final tenure length could end up anywhere from roughly 315 days to 420.
Should the sale not finalize until after Oct. 4, Walter will drop below William Hepburn Russell, who bought the Boston National League franchise from Harris and owned the club for 339 days until his death in November 1911.
If the transaction does not close until after Oct. 14, Walter would further drop below Art Williams, who owned the Tampa Bay Lightning for 349 days from July 1998 to June 1999.
There are also a few ownership swaps that resulted in short tenures with a specific team.
For instance, Robert Irsay briefly held the Los Angeles Rams before swapping franchises with Carroll Rosenbloom and taking control of the Baltimore Colts in 1972. USA TODAY excluded franchise swaps because they did not represent a standalone acquisition and subsequent transfer of controlling ownership.
Methodology: USA TODAY reviewed controlling ownership tenures of current MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises. Tenures were measured from the effective acquisition date of controlling ownership to the effective transfer or end of control. Franchise swaps, inherited or interim ownership, group ownership changes in which control remained with an existing owner, and ownership periods outside of the four major leagues were excluded.
The Detroit Red Wings continue their offseason of questions, as they're still without a general manager following Steve Yzerman's departure from his role exactly one month ago, while Dylan Larkin's ultimate fate with the club has yet to be decided.
In the meantime, one of the more pressing business matters to be addressed between now and the start of Training Camp on Sept. 17 is a new contract for defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who has completed his entry-level contract and remains a restricted free agent.
However, the club retains his RFA rights since they extended a qualifying offer to him earlier in the offseason.
According to the latest from Edvinsson's agent, Peter Werner, via the Swedish publication Expressen, Edvinsson and his camp are "patiently waiting" for Detroit's management situation to be resolved:
"We are waiting patiently for a new general manager, says Edvinsson's agent, Peter Werner, to Expressen."
Edvinsson, whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (sixth overall pick) of the 2021 NHL Draft, has appeared in 179 career NHL games and has tallied 19 goals and 41 assists along the way. During that span, he's also averaged 21:09 of ice time per game and owns a plus-17 rating.
Last season, which was his second full NHL campaign, he reached a career-high in goals with nine, while coming in second overall in total ice time behind only fellow blue liner Moritz Seider.
After aggravating the injury again in late January, Edvinsson underwent surgery and began working toward a return, eventually resuming his duties on Detroit's blue line in late February.
His salary cap hit over the last three seasons has been a modest $894,167, and he's due for a considerable raise.
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 09: Ian Seymour #61 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on August 09, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome back to Rays Reacts. We asked, you voted. This time, we inquired on your confidence in the Rays starting rotation, which as a question conjures playoff considerations.
Practically, many teams skate by with just three plus starting pitchers, so personally I’m not too worried about how the rotation shakes out down the stretch. Despite losing Griffin Jax to injury — he recently got an injection in his elbow, and has resumed throwing at 120 feet — Rasmussen and Martinez are solid, Sugar Shane just pitched three clean innings in Durham on a rehab start, the Rays are settling Peralta into the Rays way, and Seymour is over-achieving expectations for a pitcher with 14 career starts at the MLB level.
I’m confident, but more importantly, how did y’all feel?
Minor concerns is fair!
Jax and McClanahan are indeed injured, Seymour was recently in the bullpen, and Peralta is new. It’s reasonable to be concerned at least a little bit.
If you are feeling confident, you are welcomed to place some responsible bets on the strength of that confidence through FanDuel, who sponsors this series.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The day before Mike D’Antoni was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Bright Side sat down with the former Phoenix Suns head coach about his time with the Suns, building the iconic Seven Seconds or Less offense, and what he’s feeling before his big day.
(The following answers have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.)
Now that it’s Hall of Fame Weekend, what are you feeling?
Mike D’Antoni: It’s a great honor. I mean, I’m sure if you asked all people getting into the Hall of Fame, they would say: “Oh my gosh, this is the best.” It kind of validates all the stuff that went on all the years, and it’s a great cap off to a good career. I’m happy with the way it went. I got to be doing something I love for a long time, and it’s the best.
Who were some of the influential factors in your life to tell you to be yourself? You were an untraditional coach.
MD: Well, you know, besides being from a family that does that, and my brother who was coaching with me that had a similar philosophy, the main two guys were Jerry Colangelo and Brian Colangelo.
They put the team together, and then we’re talking about how to play and whatever, and I’m saying, you know, my gut says we should do this, but the traditional way is that. And they say, “go with your gut, do what you think’s best”. And so that’s when I decided to move Amar’e Stoudemire to the five and Shawn Marion to the four. It comes from years and years of playing, years and years of coaching, and past experiences from when I was a player, and what would feel good, and then as a coach and how it went with my team at Olympia Milano when I really started that.
How did you find people to buy into your unconventional coaching strategies?
MD: The players adapt easily because most of the time when you spread the floor, and you run and you give them confidence, then their talents come out. I always try to coach where I didn’t put a ceiling on the players. I trusted them; they knew I trusted them. I didn’t second-guess them. At my level, at the NBA level, you can do that because you have great players that, if they’re not selfish, then they will do what’s right for the team. And I was just blessed with having so many players that put the team first. And it’s easy also to put the team first when your stats are strong because everybody wants to earn money, and you got to earn money by having stats in a career year.
You went for volume?
MD: Yeah, we went where everybody can eat. Instead of that guy posting up this guy all the time, or going to a specific spot with the ball every time, we let everybody feed, and boy, they just bought in and went with it.
How did Amar’e Stoudemire adapt to your offense, and how did your relationship early in his career help when Steve Nash came back and the Seven Seconds or Less offense began?
MD: I think it helped. It didn’t hurt. Amar’e was just a raw talent. I could convince the players when I talked to them, and that’s like two hours a day, and we’re going to play a certain way.
But then they go home and they got to listen to their family members, their uncle who knows better than anybody, and the barber who tells them you can’t play that way that it’s going to kill you, or you listen to talk radio or old talking heads, the old players that play a certain way, and so I knew that doubt would creep in, and we just got really lucky that we went 31-4 right off the bat in the 2004-2005 season. Then the players were buying more in, and we’re up 20 at every time at halftime. So they’re buying in, and then it was easy.
When people say that the Seven Seconds or Less offense changed the NBA, what does that mean to Mike D’Antoni, the person?
MD: It’s obviously a little exaggerated. I think we influenced it. Basketball is always evolving, so it was going to happen. Then Steve Kerr and Steph Curry and those guys took it and validated what we tried to do in Phoenix. They’re playing the way that we played because we did it kind of without analytics, and we didn’t have that knowledge yet, and so now they do it with analytics telling them that’s the way to go, and so it’s obviously satisfying.
I’m more of a fan now and guess what? It’s fun to watch, it’s fun to see people’s talents, and so it is very satisfying. I’m very proud of the fact, and happy to have players and management that bought in, and we went with it.
Do you see any budding Mike D’Antoni-style coaches in the NBA?
They’ll do it better. Coaches keep getting better, and I don’t follow that close. I obviously follow guys like Kenny Atkinson, who was with me in New York. But everybody has their style and their demeanor, and it works all kinds of different ways. There’s not one way to play, and you got to do what’s best for your personnel, and that could be all kinds of different venues. And when that happens, you’re a good coach. Whether it’s my style or somebody else’s style, it doesn’t matter.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 23: Didi Gregorius #18 of the New York Yankees celebratres his eighth inning grand slam home run against the Minnesota Twins with teammates Aaron Judge #99, Gleyber Torres #25 and Giancarlo Stanton #27 at Yankee Stadium on April 23, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While he’s been better of late, Trent Grisham slumped in much of the early going of the season. That became a bit more problematic than it would be as he’s spent much of this season as the Yankees’ leadoff hitter. Through Wednesday, Grisham was posting a .678 OPS while hitting first in the Yankees’ order,
The thing is, those struggles haven’t been as prevalent in pretty much any other spot in the lineup. In all other plate appearances besides the ones in the one hole, Grisham had a .854 OPS going into Thursday. This got me thinking about the randomness that often come within season splits. However, I was intrigued by the opposite of what’s happening to Grisham this year. I wanted to know what seasons Yankees’ players had where they absolutely went off while hitting in one particular spot in the batting order.
To try and figure this out, we’ll mainly be using two statistics available via Baseball Reference: tOPS+ and sOPS+. What tOPS+ does is measure how you did in a certain split compared to your overall numbers for the season. For example, a 120 tOPS+ means you were 20 percent better than in a given split than your overall numbers. Meanwhile, sOPS+ compares numbers in a certain split to the major league average. A 120 there means your numbers in that split were 20 percent better than the league average within that same split. We’re also going to put a minimum of 100 plate appearances on this to get a look at players who legitimately played there a bunch, and not just ones who had like one at-bat in a spot and happened to homer.
Hall of Fame shortstop Phil Rizzuto had the highest tOPS+ in this spot with 154 in 1954, but he didn’t actually hit all that great there (sub .700 OPS), he just did better there than anywhere else in one of the final years of his career. Instead, we’ll go with Bauer, who might have not have had the typical description of a traditional leadoff hitter and put up a .776 OPS overall for the season. However, he hit 16 of his 18 homers when Casey Stengel put him first in the order.
Batting 2nd: 1920 Bob Meusel (167 tOPS+, 228 sOPS+)
When I saw Meusel was especially dominant hitting second in 1920, my initial thought that he probably got a boost from hitting directly in front of Babe Ruth. However most of the time, Ruth was fourth in the lineup with Wally Pipp batting third. Pipp was very much respected in his day, but Meusel just happened to go off whenever he was second in the order, hitting .414/.436/.739.
While 2022 was a few years after his juiced-ball peak, he was still an above-average hitter that year. He did especially well hitting third, which often came with the benefit of hitting after one of Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, or Giancarlo Stanton. In 119 plate appearances there, he had a 1.050 OPS, including a third of all his walks on the year.
Batting 4th: 2018 Didi Gregorius (173 tOPS+, 187 sOPS+)
The 2018 campaign was the first one with Stanton on the team, and the Yankees often elected to hit him third with Judge in the two spot. That left Gregorius as an unconventional cleanup hitter, although you might not have known that he was if you just looked at his stats there. Hitting behind the two large boys helped Didi to a career year, as he had a .748 slugging percentage in the cleanup spot.
Batting 5th: 2023 Harrison Bader (163 tOPS+, 120 sOPS+)
With that 120 sOPS+, Bader was genuinely better hitting fifth than most other hitting there. He was also just so much better there than when he hit anywhere else. His .826 OPS in the five hole in 2023 isn’t awe-inspiring, but it’s funny how much better it is than his overall .643 with the Yankees that year, which ultimately got him waived in late August. This might be the purest form of what I was trying to find in making this lineup.
Batting 6th: 1987 Gary Ward (189 tOPS+, 159 sOPS+)
However, we have now immediately found someone that may be an even purer form. Gary Ward’s 1987 with the Yankees wasn’t especially great either, as his .675 OPS graded out to a 78 OPS+. However, hit him sixth and he turned into a legit slugger. He had 131 hits and 16 home runs in total that year, but if prorate what he did in the six hole and map out what he would’ve done over the whole season, he would’ve had 174 hits and 36 homers.
If Mapes was specifically hitting seventh in 1950, he became an absolutely on-base machine. He drew 17 walks there in 124 plate appearances, posting a .402 OBP. That’s almost as high as his slugging for the entire 1950 season: .421.
Posada’s big breakout would come in the 2000 season, as he was still a below average hitter on the whole in the 1999. However, he showed signs of what was to come in the future, specifically hitting eighth in 1999. Sixteen of his 33 extra-base hits came there, as his 1.004 OPS was nearly 300 points higher than his overall season one.
Batting 9th: 2019 Mike Tauchman (157 tOPS+, 272 sOPS+)
Mike Tauchman was one of the embodiments of the 2019 “Next Man Up” Yankees where it seemed like everyone who got playing time ended up contributing in a positive way. Acquired in a then-quiet deal with the Rockies for reliever Phillip Diehl at the end of spring training, the Sock Man’s overall season numbers that year were very good, but in the nine hole especially, he hit .356/.440/.683.
Aug 13, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers designated hitter Eduardo Valencia (32) runs the bases after he hits a home run in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (60-62) vs. Chicago White Sox (63-58)
Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:South Side Sox Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Troy Melton (7-1, 1.46 ERA) vs. LHP Anthony Kay (9-5, 3.96 ERA)
James announced the launch of his YouTube channel, which centers around golf. The 41-year-old and his crew will play rounds at some of the greatest courses in the world, dine at local restaurants and more throughout each episode.
LeBron James announced he would be signing with the 76ers near the end of July. Getty Images for Fanatics
The first of which is an hour and a half long. It centers around his European golf trip with teammates from the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their NBA championship. The former teammates played at Castle Stuart Golf Links at Cabot Highlands.
James shared the news on social media.
You all loved the 2016 reunion trip so much I thought I'd give ya'll a little more. Welcome to my YouTube channel! My life on and around the course. Let’s go!!! https://t.co/JKA9egPBEi
“You all loved the 2016 reunion trip so much I thought I’d give ya’ll a little more. Welcome to my YouTube channel! My life on and around the course. Let’s go!!!” James wrote in a post on X.
James’ reunion with his Cavaliers teammates was at the forefront of the NBA summer, given the four-time NBA champion’s impending free agency decision. Soon after the trip, the veteran informed the Los Angeles Lakers he would not be returning for the upcoming season, officially ending his eight-year tenure with the organization.
James leaving the Lakers kickstarted the month-long free agency sweepstakes, which included the Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and Cavaliers.
Half of the first episode of LeBron James’ new golf YouTube channel centers around a European golf trip.
Beyond basketball, James has taken an interest in golf and it appears the new hobby has spurned a new business venture for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Miguel Vargas received a papal blessing after two home runs in Detroit last night. | MLB Photos via Getty Images
This is a story about how the Detroit Tigers, after concretely selling at the deadline by trading their top available pitcher as well as several other pieces, go on a massive, improbable heater to grab the division title on the last day of the season.
Take a deep breath: That’s the story of the 2024 Detroit Tigers. That team was still led by and impending two-time Cy Young winner. The two best hitters from that squad — Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter — are currently injured. The back half of their rotation now includes prospect Jackson Jobe (who’s allowed six runs in 8 2/3 innings so far in his return from Tommy John surgery), and Drew Anderson (who had a 4.24 ERA in 39 appearances out of the bullpen before being shifted to the rotation). While Chicago’s inconsistent play since the All-Star break has been concerning, the Tigers are not the AL Central team I’m worried about.
A large part of Detroit’s recent run has been Troy Melton, who has a 1.86 ERA in 13 starts and hasn’t given up a run over 20 innings in the last three of them. But with just 69 strikeouts and a league-average ground ball rate, good for a solid but unspectacular 3.63 FIP, we’re at the point where the other shoe can drop at any moment. See: Davis Martin.
The Sox have a chance to start turning the tables today. Opposite Melton, they’ll roll with Anthony Kay, who is himself working at a probably-unsustainable 3.36 ERA since the start of May. His battery mate is recently-claimed catcher Jake Rogers, making his debut for the team after Edgar Quero was optioned to Charlotte this morning. Rogers hit 21 home runs in 2023 but has just a 70 OPS+ since then, and unfortunately, he’s been a concretely subpar defensive catcher this year despite grading out mostly positively in the past. This will be Rogers’ fourth organization in three weeks, as he was traded from Detroit to Baltimore in July before being sent to Boston in the Adley Rustchman deal several days later. The Sox claimed Rogers this week after he was designated for assignment by the Red Sox. Andrew Benintendi also works his way back into the lineup for a second straight game after appearing as a pinch hitter in three of his previous four appearances.
Tigers outfielder Ben Malgeri and catcher Eduardo Valencia are making their 25th and 18th appearances in the big leagues, respectively. Old friend Corey Julks makes his second appearance for the Tigers after 72 for the White Sox in 2024-25.
Melton comes at hitters with an arsenal led by glove-side spin, attacking the inner part of the plate with four-seamers, cutters, and sliders. The outcome of this game may depend on whether the Sox hitters who thrive primarily by turning on inner-half pitches — Benintendi, Colson Montgomery, and Peters, with other lefties Murakami and Braden Montgomery working more to all fields — can make the righthander pay for any mistakes he may make in that vicinity
It’s another matinee matchup this weekend, with first pitch at 12:10 p.m. CT from Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. Standard broadcasts will be available on CHSN (TV) and ESPN 1000 AM (radio). We’ll see you there!
COVERS INTEL: Eduardo 
Welcome to my YouTube channel! My life on and around the course. Let’s go!!! 
