You know hockey season is coming when the kids start going back to school, players start flocking in droves to the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, and the Montreal Canadiens post their annual update about the Bell Centre ice being painted.
Last season, the Habs made a major change to center ice, painting the logo on a solid red background. It wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and it received numerous criticisms, including the fact that it made it hard to spot the puck when it was going through this area. Clearly, the Canadiens took the criticism on board, and the solid red background is now a thing of the past.
This year, the Habs have painted the logo so it looks like it’s really popping out of the ice with some relief. The bright red logo really comes out well on the white ice. The shading around the H makes it look like it’s popping out of the ice, and the font and blue contour on the letters give it a crisp look.
Unlike the last few seasons, in which a new Jumbotron was introduced (2024) and a new premium seating section (le parterre) was created, it looks like the center ice logo will be the main change at the Bell Centre this season, and no one will complain.
The first home game will take place on September 19, as the Canadiens will host the Toronto Maple Leafs in a split-squad game, meaning half the roster will play in Montreal while the other half will play in Toronto. Hopefully, local fans will see the top-of-the-lineup players skating on home ice rather than heading to Scotiabank Arena. The Habs will play another split-quad game in Montreal on September 26, this time against the Ottawa Senators. As for the September 21 preseason tilt against the Sens, it will take place in Trois-Rivières at the Colisée Vidéotron, the home of the team’s ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivières Lions, as part of the Kraft Hockeyville celebration.
Fans will have to wait until October 6 to see the first regular-season game on home ice, when the Habs will try to avenge their elimination at the hands of the Stanley Cup champions-to-be Carolina Hurricanes.
According to the plans the team released to members of the media earlier this week, rookie camp is scheduled to kick off on September 9, the annual golf tournament will take place on September 14, and main training camp should get underway on September 16. Those dates should be confirmed soon in official press releases, along with the list of players invited to rookie camp.
The Detroit Tigers snapped their six-game losing streak on Tuesday night with a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park. Jackson Jobe was not incredibly sharp, but combined with the bullpen, the pitching staff stymied the visitors’ bats while a two-run homer from Max Clark helped power the good guys to the win.
Getting the start for the Tigers in the series finale on Wednesday is right-hander Troy Melton, who has hit a bit of a rough patch recently after an impressive showing in 13 of his previous 14 appearances. Over his last two outings, the 25-year-old has allowed six runs — but only three earned — stretching across 10 innings of work, allowing 14 hits (two home runs) and four walks while striking out seven for a rough 5.48 FIP, with a pair of team losses and one of his own.
Melton’s longest appearance this summer came against the Rays when he saw them in St. Petersburg back on June 3, throwing eight frames of two-run ball on four hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out five for his second win in a 7-2 final.
For the visitors, fellow righty Freddy Peralta will take the bump looking to turn around what has been a rough season for two different teams. The 30-year-old has been brutal since his trade from the New York Mets to Tampa Bay, posting a 7.17 ERA and 5.76 FIP in four games stretching across 21 1/3 innings, allowing 23 hits (five home runs) and six walks while striking out 16 and hitting a pair of batters, taking two losses in the process.
Peralta faced the Tigers with the Mets in Queens back on May 12, tossing six frames of two-run ball on seven hits (one home run) and one walk while striking out seven for his third win in a 10-2 final. The discrepancy between his bWAR and fWAR for 2026 is interesting, as the former is listed at -0.9 while the latter is 1.0.
Here’s a look at how the two pitchers match up for Wednesday afternoon’s matinee in the D as the Tigers seek their first series win since taking two of three from the Cleveland Guardians.
Detroit Tigers (62-70) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (78-54)
Time (ET): 1:10 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:DRaysBay Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 133: RHP Troy Melton (7-2, 1.60 ERA) vs. RHP Freddy Peralta (5-11, 5.33 ERA)
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 25: Leody Taveras #30 of the Baltimore Orioles looks to the dugout after hitting a two-RBI single against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium on August 25, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2.5-game gap between the Orioles and the final AL wild card spot remains. The Guardians won again, their fifth in a row, and continue to occupy that last spot in the tournament. But several other clubs in the chase (Rangers, Twins, Blue Jays) lost. Only the Rangers (one game back) stand between the O’s and the Guardians. Having fewer teams to leapfrog in the standings is a good thing, especially since the Orioles still have a three-game series with those Guardians left on their schedule.
Pete Alonso, once again, was the star in last night’s win. He went 4-for-4 with a home run, a double, and four RBI. What’s a bit worrying is that he was removed from the game in the fifth inning and seemed to be bothered by his ailing calf again. In the moment, MASN’s Rob Long reported from his spot next to the Orioles dugout that Alonso asked the training staff to take a look at his calf right before manager Craig Albernaz removed him from the game. After the game, a cagey—and somewhat rude—Albernaz told the media that Alonso was fine and that the move was “precautionary”. When pressed again and asked “So nothing’s bothering him?” He told the reporter to not put words in his mouth, even though Albernaz himself had referenced Alonso’s calf just moments earlier.
Two things can be true at once. Alonso is fit enough to play, but the calf is probably still bothering him to some degree. It’s late August. Most players are dealing with something, big or small, at this point in the season. Alonso has said repeatedly how important is to him to be in the lineup every day. So you need to find ways to get him off his legs when possible. Removing him from a blowout game makes sense, but Albernaz doesn’t need to lie about the reality. Some transparency, especially with matters that we can all see plainly with our eyes, goes a long way.
We should probably expect Alonso back in the lineup tonight. Whether he plays first base or DHs will be interesting.
Links
Injury updates on Helsley, Alexander and more | Roch Kubatko Blaze Alexander is on his way back. He played for Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday night, going 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout while playing third base in the 3-1 win. Ryan Helsley is much, much farther away. But he is throwing bullpen sessions of 15-20 pitches, so that’s something.
A new Holliday takes the field at Busch Stadium | MLB.com Matt Holliday made his name in St. Louis. He is in town with the Orioles this week to watch his son take that same field as a big leaguer. The series opener went well for him! Jackson was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Tyler Wells turns 32 today. The Orioles picked the big righty from the Twins in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, and then over the six subsequent seasons used him in a variety of roles on their pitching staff. Earlier this month he was traded to the Rays for pitching prospect Michael Forret.
Maikel Franco is 34 years old. Better known as a hot prospect in the Phillies system that never reached his ceiling, Franco came to Baltimore in 2021 as a stopgap solution at third base. It did not go well.
This day in O’s history
1962 – The Orioles beat the Yankees 2-1 thanks to home runs from Brooks Robinson and Jim Gentile as well as nine impressive innings on the mound from Robin Roberts. That win completes a five-game sweep of the Bombers
1966 – Down 2-0 in the ninth inning, Vic Roznovsky and Boog Powell hit back-to-back pinch-hit home runs to knot things up 2-2 with the Red Sox. The game goes to extras, where the Orioles prevail 3-2.
1973 – For the 13th straight game, the Orioles are victorious, beating the Royals 10-1. Paul Blair contributes to the effort with an inside-the-park home run.
2012 – The Orioles acquire pitcher Joe Saunders from the Diamondbacks in exchange for reliever Matt Lindstrom.
St. Lucie Mets catcher Yovanny Rodriguez (21) at bat in the third inning of the Blue Jays vs St. Lucie Mets game at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on July 29, 2026. (Photo by Carl Rizzo/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Jonathan Santucci had his best start since being promoted to Triple-A, but the offense was completely stymied by Chuck King and the IronPigs offense, leaving Santucci the tough luck loser. The southpaw allowed a pair of runs over five innings, scattering five hits, walking one, and striking out seven, but he got deGromed, with Ronny Mauricio’s fourth inning solo shot, his sixteenth of the year, the only run the offense could manage. Of note, Brian Metoyer threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout, giving him a 2.25 ERA in 8.0 innings, scattering 4 hits, walking 5, and striking out 16. In a bullpen that is carrying Daniel Duarte, Chayce McDermott, Jonathan Pintaro, and Jefry Yan, maybe we can find some room to give Metoyer the call.
Gary Gill Hill was having him quite the early morning until he wasn’t. The right-hander cruised for five innings, allowing three hits and striking out seven. Thanks to a solo homer by Eli Serrano in the second, a solo homer by Jefferson Rojas in the fourth, and a two-run shot by Chris Suero in the sixth, Gill Hill had a nice 4-0 lead to work with. In the sixth, after recording the first out of the inning, he gave up three consecutive singles and a double, ending his day, breaking up the shutout, and leaving the tying runs on second and third. Cristofer Gomez allowed one of those inherited runners to score but was able to navigate out of the inning without coughing up the lead. John Bay wasted no time to give the Rumble Ponies some additional cushion, leading off the seventh with a solo homer to make it a 5-3 ballgame. The very next batter, Corey Collins, crushed one of his own to make it 6-3. Despite additional hits, Binghamton was unable to cash in in that inning further, which was unfortunate as the Phils did not go down meekly and ended up taking the lead in the eighth inning and winning the ballgame. With the loss, Binghamton is now 3.5 games behind the Phils with the rest of the week to go.
Yonatan Henriquez continued his assault on the South Atlantic League with a solo homer in the top of the fourth- his tenth of the season and his fifth in the last calendar week- but the rest of the Brooklyn offense did not show up and that solo shot ended up being Brooklyn’s only run. Nicolas Carreno pitched well enough, allowing three runs over five-plus innings, but it be like that sometimes.
This was a weird ballgame. The Mets jumped out to a quick 5-0 early on, but the Tortugas tied the ballgame up by putting up a five spot in the bottom of the second, scoring five runs off of poor Cesar Ramirez, who failed to record a single out. Normally that kind of thing would produce a momentum shift, but the offense kept hammering out runs while Christian Rodriguez came in in relief and just shut down Daytona for three-plus innings. Seven Mets hitters had multi-hit games with Yovanny Rodriguez and Jake Ogden logging three-hit games; Rodriguez’ was particularly impressive, as he launched a pair of homers. Other names who had good nights were Aiden Robbins, who hit his third homer of the season, and the rehabbing Boston Baro, who is on his second rehab assignment after being shut down back in mid-May during his first.
SEATTLE, WA - AUGUST 25: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Eric Hiller/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
You know, I kind of expected the team to not play well on Monday. A cross country trip that followed a highly emotional win on Sunday had all the makings of a letdown loss. Yesterday, they were just beaten by a good pitcher. That happens.
Oct 2, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers general manager Matt Arnold talks to manager Matt Arnold before game two of the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs against the New York Mets at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Note: I wrote this before last night’s game, which had, we shall say, some controversial managing in it. I stand by what I say here but the timing of this is objectively funny.
When it comes to end-of-the-year awards, the Brewers have cleaned up the past couple of years in the non-playing roles. Manager Pat Murphy and general manager Matt Arnold are both back-to-back winners in the awards for their respective jobs; Arnold is the only person to ever win the Executive of the Year award more than once (the award started in 2018 and thus has only been handed out eight times), and last year Murphy and Stephen Vogt in the American League became just the third and fourth skippers to ever win Manager of the Year award in consecutive seasons (Kevin Cash in 2020-21 and Bobby Cox in 2004-05).
Let’s start with Arnold. He’s got a tougher road in one obvious sense: while the Manager of the Year award is given to one manager from each league, there is only a single Executive of the Year award, thus the pool is twice as large. That being said, in a vacuum, Arnold has as good a case as anyone; yet again, the Brewers traded a franchise cornerstone before the season. Yet again, the Brewers are just as good, if not better, than they were last season. In addition to the Peralta trade, Arnold came out ahead in the big swap with the Red Sox, even if all three players sent to Boston are contributing (a reminder: Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler to the Red Sox for Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan, and David Hamilton). At the trade deadline, Arnold chose not to deal for Tarik Skubal, but instead pivoted to Dustin May, a pickup that — barring his last outing — has looked quite good thus far.
I do not, however, think Arnold is going to win this award a third time running. There are a couple big reasons, whether justifiable or not.
First things first: while most Brewers fans and even some more sensible pundits think that Arnold made the right call by not trading for Skubal, there are a lot of people out there who think he was too passive. Add in that Skubal ended up with the Dodgers, the team that knocked the Brewers out of the playoffs last year, and the optics aren’t great. I am not here to re-litigate the decision to not trade for Skubal — I am firmly on the side of believing that it was the right call — I am here simply to state that among the people voting for this award — people who are not as plugged into the Brewers as we are — there is still a bit of a perception that Arnold blew it.
The second big factor is voter fatigue. People don’t like giving awards to the same person over and over again. Sometimes, there may not be an alternative that makes a whole lot of sense, but I think there are a couple of options that people will be able to talk themselves into instead of Arnold. One of those is the guy who did trade for Skubal, the Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman. Friedman won this award back in 2020, but that was a weird season. This year, his team should finish with one of the top two records in the league, he did trade for the biggest fish at the trade deadline, and he now presides over the farm system that most outlets see as the best in the league, even after trading for Skubal. The counterpoint here is that Friedman’s two very expensive free agent pickups, Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz, have both been quite bad.
Another option, and in my opinion the more likely one, is the Rays’ Erik Neander, who also won the award back in 2019. The Rays may not be quite at the level of the Brewers or Dodgers this season, but it looks like they’re going to waltz to the best record in the American League. Yes, their path has been made far easier by the absence of Aaron Judge, and yes, the AL Central and West divisions are embarrassing. But the Rays were far from a preseason favorite — ZiPS, PECOTA, and ESPN all predicted they’d finish last in the AL East, just to name a few quickly chosen projection systems.
That type of narrative is very often a harbinger of success for these types of awards. My prediction is that it leads to Neander supplanting Arnold as the reigning Executive of the Year.
It may very well also lead to Cash’s third Manager of the Year award, but as we do have separate AL and NL awards, that has no bearing on whether Murphy wins or not. In my opinion, Murphy winning MotY again is far more likely than Arnold winning a third straight EotY, but who could be standing in his way?
Well, let’s look at the other contending teams in the NL.
Dave Roberts hasn’t won a Manager of the Year award since 2016, his first season in charge of the Dodgers. It is hard to win Manager of the Year when your team is the perpetual favorite, and I’d say that continues this year, especially if the Dodgers don’t finish with the best record in the league. That’d be almost disappointing.
Walt Weiss of the Braves could conceivably be an option, but they’re sitting five games back of the Brewers for the best record in the NL this year, and while the Braves were bad in 2025, it’s not like it’s a shock that they’re winning that division.
Craig Counsell and the Cubs currently hold the top Wild Card spot. They’re a good team, and Counsell has done fine. But can you imagine giving this award to Counsell over Murphy if the Cubs don’t catch the Brewers before the end of the season?
Mike Shildt of the Padres and Torey Lovullo of the Diamondbacks have their teams in or around Wild Card position, but I don’t think either has a particularly good case.
A wild card in this equation is the Marlins’ Clayton McCullough. (Could you have named the Marlins manager if I didn’t tell you? I could not have.) Miami is a team that had almost no expectations this season but who are currently a couple games over .500 and not totally out of the Wild Card race. Heck, they would be right in the mix if they were in the AL. I don’t think McCullough will win, but the Marlins have definitely overperformed, and that sometimes leads to a surprise victory in this award.
There’s one name missing here, and it’s the one that could be the biggest threat to Murphy: Philadelphia’s Don Mattingly. When Dave Dombrowski fired manager Rob Thomson on April 27, the Phillies were 9-19. Since taking over as interim manager, Mattingly is 64-40 and has the Phillies in the number two Wild Card spot, nipping at the heels of the Braves at the top of the NL East.
Now, an argument here: if you told someone before the season that the Phillies would be 73-59 on August 25, I don’t think it would shock anyone. The reason Mattingly is in consideration for this award is because the Phillies played so badly early in the season that to get where they are now, they had to dig out of a pretty large hole. Mattingly is also a beloved figure in baseball, and this could be his last opportunity; Mattingly is 65, hadn’t managed a team in five years, and it’s not clear that he’ll be back with the Phillies next year (though he told reporters he is open to it).
Mattingly definitely has the nice story on his side, and that story will look even better if the Phillies come from way behind to catch the Braves for the NL East crown.
But let’s be real here: in a vacuum, Murphy wins this award easily, right?
As stated at the top, the Brewers yet again traded a franchise icon. They were yet again disparaged by projection systems and dismissed by national writers for not trying hard enough and not spending enough money. Yet again, they’ve not only defied those expectations, but done so with aplomb. The Brewers could do the remarkable feat of improving on their record five seasons in a row, despite winning the division in four of those seasons. Think about that for a minute, and you will realize how difficult that is to do. Milwaukee has a real chance at setting a franchise record in wins (they need to go 17-14 the rest of the way to do so) and, for the second consecutive year, finishing the regular season with the most wins in the league.
There are certainly some fans of the Brewers (and users of this site!) who are sick of hearing about the Brewers’ regular-season accomplishments. I get it. But these are regular season awards. Arnold probably is going to be a victim of voter fatigue, and sure, whatever, that’s fine. Murphy, though, should win Manager of the Year in the National League (with an obvious caveat about seeing how the remaining month of the season plays out), which would make him the first person to ever win three in a row. He might not; the Mattingly case might just be a bit too alluring for some voters to ignore. But as I write in late August, Murphy absolutely deserves it, whether he wins it or not.
Happy birthday to Ryan Brasier, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1972 – At Wrigley Field, Ron Santo records his 2,000th career hit, a three-run home run off Ron Bryant. Santo’s hit, driving in his 1,200th run, is the margin of victory as the Cubs top the Giants, 10-9, and other stories as well.
1980 – At Milwaukee’s County Stadium, George Brett strokes four singles and a double in five at-bats as the Royals edge the Brewers, 7-6. The Kansas City third baseman’s 5-for-5 performance raises his league-leading batting average to .407.
1995 – Atlanta P Greg Maddux ties a major league record by notching his 16th consecutive road win, a 7-2 victory over his former team, the Cubs. Maddux now shares the record with Denny McLain, Cal McLish, and Rich Dotson.
1998 – Atlanta’sAndruw Jones steals his 20th base of the season, becoming the youngest player ever to have a 20 homer, 20 steal season. Cesar Cedeno was the previous record-holder.
1999 – Arizona defeats Florida, 12-2, as Randy Johnson wins his 14th game. Johnson fans nine Marlin batters in becoming the fastest pitcher to reach 300 strikeouts in a season.
Today in Cubs history:
1929 – In the eighth inning of a 5-5 game at Wrigley Field, Cubs 3B Norm McMillan hits a line drive down the left field line with the bases loaded. Reds LF Evar Swanson, shaded toward center, can’t find the ball, which he sees bounce off a gutter in foul territory. McMillan circles the bases and four runs score. Later, Cubs relief P Ken Penner picks up his jacket in the bullpen and discovers the ball in his right sleeve. It is Chicago’s 8th grand slam of the year.
1948 – The Cubs sweep two from the Braves, 5-1 and 5-2, despite a near-riot that holds up play for 20 minutes in the nightcap. The reaction by the fans comes when Jocko Conlan rules that a drive by Phil Cavarretta in the third inning is a ground-rule double, not an inside-the-park homer. Conlan makes his call after Braves LF Jeff Heath “loses” the ball in the Wrigley Field vines, though it is really by his feet. The fans shower the field in protest and Conlan bawls out some of Chicago’s finest for not taking any action. When play is resumed, Andy Pafko walks and Peanuts Lowrey hits a bases-loaded triple.
1966 – After seeing a caricature of himself on the scoreboard, an angry Leo Durocher calls the Astrodome‘s press box to have it removed. When nothing is done, the enraged Cubs manager rips the phone out of the dugout wall and tosses it onto the infield.
2001 – The Cubs defeat the Cardinals, 6-1, as Sammy Sosa hits two more home runs, his 50th and 51st of the season. In doing so, he joins Mark McGwire and Babe Ruth as the only players with four 50-homer seasons.
1968 – “Hey Jude” single is released by the Beatles in the US (Billboard Song of the Year 1968, Billboard 10th biggest song of all time 2013).
1999 – Michael Johnson breaks the 400 m world record with a time of 43.18 seconds.
2007 – The Rolling Stones close their two-year, 147-concert “A Bigger Bang” tour at the O2 Arena in London, England; the box office gross of the tour exceeds $558 million, a record at the time.
2025 – American pop superstar Taylor Swift (35) and American NFL football player Travis Kelce (35) reveal their marriage engagement in social media post, garnering 1.2 million ‘likes’ in under 10 minutes
Klay Thompson’s illustrious Warriors tenure ended two years ago, which might have been five seasons after its initial expiration date.
The sharpshooting guard left Golden State to sign with the Dallas Mavericks in NBA free agency two years ago, but according to longtime teammate Draymond Green, Thompson’s departure would have happened much sooner if not for one fateful night.
Green, on the latest episode of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” reacted to Thompson signing a two-year contract with the Miami Heat on Friday after a buyout with the Mavericks and the narratives surrounding Thompson’s career, specifically that he never was capable of being a true No. 1 option throughout his 15-year (13-season) NBA career, and revealed an interesting Warriors scenario that never came to fruition.
“Everyone tries to make Klay the guy Klay was after the injuries,” Green said. “I won’t go for that. What I will also say is, [it was] highly likely that after the 2019 playoffs, Klay Thompson was going to leave the Golden State Warriors and go be a No. 1 option somewhere. Highly f–king likely.
“Then he got hurt, and so he stayed. But one thing I can assure you, there was a 90 percent chance my brother was going to leave Golden State and go elsewhere and test that No. 1 option thing out. Unfortunately it wasn’t in the cards for him and he got hurt and he never got the opportunity to.”
Thompson famously suffered a torn left ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, weeks before he was set to become an unrestricted free agent.
However, even before the injury, there did not seem to be much doubt that Thompson would re-sign with Golden State, so Green’s revelation that Thompson very likely would have left that summer if not for the injury certainly might come as a surprise to many Warriors fans.
Thompson, after missing the entire 2019-2020 NBA season while recovering from the ACL tear, then suffered another devastating injury, a torn right Achilles in Nov. 2020, that sidelined him until Jan. 9, 2022, when he made his long-awaited return to the court with the Warriors after two-plus seasons.
Green believes that because of Thompson’s initial knee injury in 2019, and Achilles injury one year later, his former teammate never had the opportunity to truly prove his capabilities as a team’s No. 1 option.
“So now, in turn, everyone wants to talk like ‘Oh, you couldn’t do it’ like he wasn’t going to,” Green added. “But I study the history, I do the research, and I’m going to appreciate and watch and know the Klay Thompson of 2017, ’18, ’19, he was capable.
“He just never got the opportunity to do the contractual obligations, and once he fulfilled his contractual obligations he faced an ACL and Achilles in back to back years and missed two-and-a-half years of basketball.”
While the consecutive season-ending injuries certainly were a devastating blow to Thompson’s career, the four-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star still should be a first-ballot Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer whenever his career does end.
One of Australian sport’s most recognisable voices is headed to Kayo Sports’ cricket coverage with Gerard Whateley set to join the Fox Cricket commentary team for the Summer of the Century.
PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 22: Sergei Murashov #1 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates during the game against the Seattle Kraken at PPG PAINTS Arena on November 22, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
PensBurgh’s 2026 edition of the Top 25 Under 25 countdown rolls on with a look at goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov.
Sergei Murashov’s 2025-26 season provided both him and Penguins fans an appetizer to what could be the main course in 2026-27.
Murashov entered the 2025 preseason with an outside chance of making the NHL roster, going 2-0-1 in three preseason appearances with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.
His preseason performance surely reinforced the belief that he could eventually become Pittsburgh’s goaltender of the future. But that time had not yet arrived. Murashov was assigned to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Oct. 4.
In northeastern Pennsylvania, Murashov opened the AHL season by playing in seven games, earning a 5-2-0 record to go with a sparkling 1.73 goals-against average, a .930 save percentage and one shutout.
An injury to Tristan Jarry turned into an opportunity for Murashov. He was called up for five NHL games in early November after Jarry was placed on injured reserve.
He made his NHL debut on Nov. 9, saving 31 of 33 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
A week later, Murashov notched his first career NHL win and shutout in a 4-0 victory against the Nashville Predators in Stockholm, Sweden, on Nov. 16.
Murashov was returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Nov. 26 after Jarry was cleared to return. The 22-year-old would remain in the AHL for the remainder of the season, save for one emergency recall on Dec. 13.
Over that brief November cameo, Murashov posted a 1-1-2 record, a 2.56 goals-against average, an .897 save percentage and one shutout.
His NHL sample wasn’t flawless, but these numbers aren’t enough to draw firm conclusions about his ability to translate his AHL success to the NHL.
The bulk of Murashov’s season was spent platooning with fellow goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist. The Yaroslavl native finished the regular season with a 24-9-4 AHL record, a 2.20 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage, earning an AHL All-Star nod and being named to the AHL’s All-Rookie team.
SERGEI. MURASHOV.
You've got to be kidding me.
Calmly to the bench after a ridiculous glove save late in the 3rd period to keep game tied at 1-1.
Murashov’s rise also came at the expense of Blomqvist. Their proximity in the AHL made the comparison inevitable, and Murashov’s stronger regular-season numbers and NHL opportunity ultimately helped separate the two in 2025-26.
As the Baby Penguins saw continued success on the ice, Murashov served as the team’s top goaltender for the Calder Cup playoffs, helping the Penguins reach the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2014.
In 15 postseason games, he earned an 8-7 record, a 2.11 goals-against average, a .931 save percentage and one shutout.
His .931 save percentage ranked as the fifth-best in the Calder Cup playoffs, providing another indication that his regular-season success was no fluke.
So, what comes next after all the accolades and seemingly reaching his ceiling in the American Hockey League?
Arturs Silovs re-signed with the Penguins on a one-year, $2.8 million contract through 2026-27, while Stuart Skinner, acquired in the Tristan Jarry trade, departed as a free agent this summer.
That leaves an opening for Murashov or Blomqvist to compete for the backup job behind Silovs.
“My full expectation is that the two of them, Sergei and Joel, will be competing for a roster spot here this year,” Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas recently told NHL.com. “I think they both have earned, over years now, the chance to compete for that.”
All that to say, the time appears to be right for Murashov to make a serious push for a permanent NHL spot, potentially splitting the workload with Silovs this season.
A year ago, Murashov was a promising fourth-round pick trying to establish himself in the AHL. Twelve months later, he enters the season as Pittsburgh’s top goaltending prospect and one of the organization’s most important young players.
If all goes well, he could become what the Penguins’ front office has long believed he could be: the organization’s long-term answer in net.
BRONX, NY - AUGUST 04: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees in the dugout during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 4, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Borough of the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
A couple weeks ago, as the Yankees got decent injury news regarding their trio of injured sluggers, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton, I posed the question: what would Stanton in particular look like when returned? The idea was that among those recovering stars, Stanton was the player with the widest error bars. Anything, from a scorching hot late summer like the one he produced in 2025, to the tepid batting line he posted at the start of this season, to devastating re-injury, seemed possible.
Well, we know how that turned out. Stanton indeed re-injured himself, and his season is likely over. Bellinger has returned, leaving Judge as the last, and most important, domino to fall. So, with rumors swirling about a possible Judge comeback in the next two weeks: what should we expect from the Captain?
As Judge (hopefully) approaches a healthy return, I think it’s worth remembering just how excellent the 34-year-old still looked prior to his injury. Judge first suffered a rib fracture against the Astros on April 26th, and told reporters later that he may have aggravated the fracture when he crashed into the right field wall on May 3rd against the Orioles. Judge had a robust .264/.403/.628 slash line that day, good for a 1.037 OPS. His OPS actually peaked a few days later, at 1.067 on May 6th.
That, to me, is the best-case scenario. Judge was, prior to his injury, by all accounts still among the very best in game, if not the best. Homing in on that May 6th peak, Judge had a 190 wRC+, a .442 wOBA, and a .457 expected wOBA. For context, Judge had a .463 wOBA and .459 expected wOBA for the entirety of his sensational 2025 campaign. All of this is to say, Judge at the start of the season was still Aaron Judge.
But the rib injury obviously impacted Judge as he attempted to play through pain. He had an .888 OPS in 31 games post-injury, great but entirely non Judge-like. He struggled much more as time went on and the injury presumably worsened, running a paltry .665 OPS in the three weeks before he finally withdrew from the lineup on May 31st. That latter figure feels like an almost inconceivable outcome for Judge as long as he’s not seriously injured. The former figure feels more plausible as the kind of production Judge could provide if he is still somewhat compromised or rusty when he returns.
For what it’s worth, public projection systems paint an optimistic picture. ZiPS pegs him for a 173 wRC+, and 1.2 fWAR in 101 plate appearances. While it’s unlikely Judge actually eclipses 100 PA’s in the remaining regular season games, that WAR figure is noteworthy. ZiPS essentially forecasts Judge at this very moment to be worth over 8 WAR per 700 plate appearances, which is another way of saying that ZiPS still projects Judge, even after this absence, as the best position player in the world on a rate basis.
How realistic is such a forecast? Obviously, it’s hard to say from the outside, with so little information about Judge’s health and how much time he’ll need to get back up to speed after a three-plus-month layoff. But we can gauge expectations using the clues available to us. Judge struggled mightily when compromised, but was still positively incredible when health earlier this year. Even accounting for his time on the sidelines, projections give us a rosy forecast. What do you think? Can Judge be a world-beater when he gets back?
Tonight, the series with the Astros continues in the Bronx, and on the site this morning, John profiles a Yankee legend (?) in Jayson Nix, who turns 44 today. Also, Andrew runs through what you may have missed on Tuesday night, Josh analyzes Mark Walter and The Dodgers Of It All, and Maximo discusses the challenges that come with a top-heavy lineup.
Sawyer Gipson-Long was mauled again, and the Hens couldn’t get much going offensively on Tuesday.
Gipson-Long surrendered three homers in this one, and gave up four runs in the bottom of the first. The first season after Tommy John can be tough, but it’s hard to believe the right-hander is going to hang onto a 40-man roster spot much longer.
In the third, Seby Zavala drew a leadoff walk. A Max Burt double got him to third, and a Cal Stevenson ground out scored him to make it a 4-1 game.
In the fourth, Max Anderson led off with a double and moved to third on a John Peck single in his first game back off a rehab stint. Peck drew an errant pickoff throw and Anderson scored, but that’s all they’d get. Gipson-Long gave up a solo shot in the fourth to make it a 5-2 game.
In the top of the seventh, the Hens closed the gap when Josue Briceño singled off the wall in right with two outs and Peck smoked an opposite field double to move him to third. Good to have Peck back. He’s going to be a factor in 2027. A wild pitch scored Briceño, but again they couldn’t sustain a rally.
Hayden Minton’s second outing as a reliever went poorly, as he surrendered two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Jack Little gave up a run in the eighth with help of a passed ball on Zavala, and that was that.
Peck: 2-3, 2B, K
Anderson: 2-5, R, 2B, K
Gipson-Long (L, 2-6): 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s an 8:07 p.m.. ET start, because why be normal, in St. Paul on Wednesday.
Zyhir Hope hit an absolute nuke in this one, while Peyton Graham set a new single season stolen base record for Erie as he stole his 59th and 60th bases of the season. However, the pitching staff let them down late as the Curve walked this one off.
Woody Hadeen opened the game by drawing a walk and stealing second. Thayron Liranzo singled him in and took second on the play. Peyton Graham lined out, but E.J. Exposito singled him in for a 2-0 lead.
Carlos Peña got the start, and the lefty surrendered a solo shot in the bottom of the first, and then three runs in the second.
Hope got a run back with a moonshot over the batter’s eye in center field to open the third inning. Liranzo followed with a single but was stranded. Peña allowed one more run in the bottom of the fifth before his outing ended, and it was 5-2 Altoona.
In the top of the sixth, Roberto Campos singled with two outs and rode home on Seth Stephenson’s second homer of the year to tie the game.
In the top of the ninth, the SeaWolves seized control. Hadeen and Hope singled, and a sacrifice fly from Liranzo plated the go-ahead run. Unfortunately Graham struck out and Exposito popped out to end the inning.
Zane Barnhart entered the game, replacing Moises Rodriguez, and looking for the save. He got two quick outs, and then walked to hitters and gave up a single that tied the game, and Easton Carmichael stepped to the plate and lined a single to left to walk it off.
Peyton Graham with the 5th stolen base of the day for Erie. That’s his 60th of the season pic.twitter.com/9lxDPlL3CW
Rayner Castillo threw another good game and then just ran out of gas at the end of his outing, but it mattered little as the Whitecaps were held to just two hits.
Castillo punched out nine last time out and is really coming on strong late in the season as his breaking balls and changeup have been much sharper. The easy mid-90’s gas on the big right-hander’s sinker continues to be a little scarce compared to late 2024 and early 2025, but at least he’s finishing the season strong.
He cruised through five innings, before issuing a one-out walk in the sixth as he topped 80 pitches. A double followed to score the run, and a Samuel Gil error allowed the runner to take third. Logan Berrier took over and immediately gave up the RBI single. Beyond that, the ‘Caps bullpen was nails.
Doubles from Beau Ankeney and Cristian Santana were the Whitecaps only hits, and after leaving between the eighth and ninth innings of Sunday’s game, Bryce Rainer wasn’t in the lineup. Nothing really seemed amiss when he came out of the game, so I doubt it’s anything serious but we’ll have to wait and see.
Santana: 1-3, 2B
Strong: 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K, SB
Ankeney: 1-4 , 2B, K
Castillo (L, 2-10): 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Wednesday night.
Caleb Leys struggled in his start, but the kids brought their hitting shoes and some serious pop to take the first of six in Lakeland on Tuesday.
The Flying Tigers had the lead early when Jordan Yost led off the bottom of the first with a single and then stole second base. Tigers 2026 second rounder Tyson LeBlanc was the DH in this one for his first pro at-bat and he grounded out. Jesus Pinto came through with a single to get Yost to third, and he scored on a grounder from Angel de los Santos that went for an error. Cris Rodriguez’s first A-ball at-bat did not go well either, as the center fielder grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Leys dug himself into a hole in the second, and a two-out error from Yost contributed as the Threshers came back with three runs. Leys bounced back with a better third inning, although a foul ball down the first base line was close enough to really irritated the Threshers, with an ejection of the manager to follow. LeBlanc spanked a single up the middle for his first pro hit in the bottom half, although that went nowhere. Leys was wild in the fourth and again dug himself a deep hole and couldn’t escape, while another error, this one from De Los Santos at second didn’t help the cause.
So it was 5-1 Clearwater, but at that point the Flygers pulled it together and began the comeback. In the fifth, Pinto singled but was forced on a De Los Santos grounder. That worked, as Rodriguez hammered a 423 foot shot to right center field for his first home run in full season ball.
Rodriguez’s strikeout rate in the Complex League really put me off my feed as far as his future. There aren’t any examples of players striking out 30 percent of the time against that level of competition and succeeding, even at age 18. But we’ll see if he can make signficant progress next year or not before getting too down on his chances.
In the sixth, Brady Ballinger doubled, and Javier Osorio blasted a 109 mph shot to left to tie the game. Between Pinto, De Los Santos, Anibal Salas, and Osorio, the Tigers have a really talented, athletic group down there alongside the better known names like Yost, Michael Oliveto, whose bat looks outstanding btw, and Rodriguez.
Frenny Grant, Jose Guzman, and Pedro Garcia did great work out of the pen to smother the Threshers offense. Finally, in the bottom of the eighth, Yost walked, and singles from Salas and Pinto plated the go-ahead run. Garcia locked it down to earn the victory.
Osorio: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR
Pinto: 4-4, BB
Yost: 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K, SB
Leys: 3.1 IP, 5 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Wednesday night.
Dom Bess is one of many in a long line of England spinners to struggle for a sustained run in Test cricket. Why is there no lasting solution?
It is the eighth over of South Africa’s first innings in Gqeberha in January 2020 when Joe Root tosses the ball to 22-year-old Dom Bess. Three overs later, the decision pays off.
With the final ball before drinks, Bess takes a return catch to dismiss Pieter Malan. In the final over before the close, he has Zubayr Hamza caught at short leg. The next morning, Bess removes Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen to become the first English spinner to take the first five wickets of an innings since Derek Underwood in 1975.
Aug 25, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Steven Kwan (38) scores in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
it might be fragment time. we just watched baseball until 1:15 AM.
in the early innings of Tuesday night’s game, the Guardians loaded the bases with no outs and didn’t score any runs from it, and Gavin Williams got shelled.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 08: Georges Niang #20 of the Cleveland Cavaliers brings the ball up court during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on November 08, 2024 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors finalized their 15-man roster by signing veteran forward Georges Niang to a one-year, $3.9 million contract. Niang, who enters his 11th NBA season, brings much-needed frontcourt floor-spacing to Golden State.
Free agent forward Georges Niang has agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Golden State Warriors, Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Niang — a career 40% 3-point shooter — enters his 11th NBA season after missing 2025-26 due to injury. pic.twitter.com/XFD2t1XKNm
Known affectionately as “The Minivan,” the 33-year-old boasts a career 39.9% mark from three-point range. The Warriors plan to deploy him primarily as a stretch-four off the bench, complementing their core with reliable perimeter shooting and high-IQ veteran depth.
After missing the entire 2025–26 season recovering from a left foot injury, Niang arrives in the Bay Area fully healthy and eager to contribute. He previously posted solid reserve minutes across stints with Utah, Philadelphia, and Cleveland, averaging 9.9 points in his last full campaign.
For Golden State, acquiring a proven 40% long-range sniper on a cost-effective deal serves as a high-value perimeter addition.
