Here are the lineups for today’s matchup against Houston. Let’s discuss!
For the Phillies:
For the Astros:
Gamethread 9/9: Astros at Phillies
Lakers add former Heat executive as key ‘pillar’ under new ownership
After months of searching, the Lakers have finally secured their second assistant general manager under Rob Pelinka.
The Lakers are hiring Heat vice president of player personnel Eric Amsler as an assistant general manager.
He’s also the general manager of the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s G League affiliate.
Amsler is the second assistant general manager hire of the offseason after Pelinka, the Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager, said to start the offseason that the front office was being expanded.
The Lakers have been interested in Amsler since at least late May, according to HoopsHype.
The Lakers hired Rohan Ramadas as an assistant general manager in May after Ramadas previously worked as a vice president of strategy and operations for the Pelicans.
Amsler will focus on the “player draft and evaluation processes,” which will include pro scouting, draft scouting and player development, while Ramadas’ focus is on the “strategy side,” which entails cap, analytics and data.
“A lot of the infrastructure is being built,” Pelinka said in May. “We will continue to staff out with assistant general manager positions. There’s a couple of those that we’re currently interviewing for and have done an extensive dive in that process. Those will be two key pillars that we’ll add for this offseason.”
Amsler spent 22 years in the Heat organization, starting as an intern in 2004-05 before working his way up to various other roles: scouting and information coordinator (2005-07); scouting and player personnel coordinator (2007-14); director of scouting operations (2015-18); director of scouting/assistant director of player personnel/assistant general manager of the Sioux Falls Skyforce (2018-19) and director of player personnel/general manager of the Skyforce (2019-23) before being promoted to his most recent role with the Heat.
He’s the Lakers’ first major hire since Mark Walter agreed to sell the majority ownership of the Lakers to businessman Josh Kushner and ex-Disney executive Bob Iger at the historic valuation of $12.5 billion.
Kushner also has ties to the Heat, being a minority owner of the franchise since 2024. He’ll need to divest that ownership stake before becoming the Lakers’ newest owner.
Flyers Drop Training Camp Roster with Interesting Surprise
At long last, Philadelphia Flyers hockey is finally approaching. Training camp is just under a week away, and the official roster is here.
On Wednesday, the Flyers dropped their official training camp roster and schedule ahead of next week's camp, which will kick off on Thursday following the conclusion of rookie camp.
The forward group, in no particular order, is as follows:
Garrett Wilson, Travis Konecny, Devin Kaplan, Sean Couturier, Nikita Grebenkin, Danila Klimovich, Alex Bump, Zach Aston-Reese, Christian Dvorak, Jack Studnicka, Nolan Foote, Noah Cates, Riley Thompson, Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras, Zayde Wisdom, Noah Powell, Noel Acciari, Cole Knuble, Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, Jett Luchanko, Jacob Gaucher, Denver Barkey, Carl Grundstrom, and Porter Martone.
At the goalie position, there are no new names or faces. Starting goalie Dan Vladar returns with Joseph Woll behind him, and they are joined by prospects Aleksei Kolosov and Carson Bjarnason.
Defense, however, is where things get interesting.
Flyers have surprise additions
Good News! Flyers' Egor Zavragin Wins First KHL Start of SeasonA successful season debut indeed.Starting atop the roster, Helge Grans and David Jiricek figure to battle for a roster spot once more, as will Oliver Bonk. Travis Sanheim, Jamie Drysdale, Cam York, Nick Seeler, Rasmus Ristolainen, Simon Benoit, Hunter McDonald, and Ty Murchison are all there, too.
Recent additions like Jackson Edward and Cam Dineen will most likely play their biggest roles in the AHL, and they will, apparently, be joined by another new signing in Andrew Perrott, who took an AHL deal with Lehigh Valley in July.
Perrott, 25, is a formerly undrafted, scrappy, undersized 6-foot defenseman who was a career AHL and ECHL tweener up until last year, when he played 51 AHL games for the Rockford IceHogs, scoring one goal, three assists, and four points with a -6 rating and a staggering 117 penalty minutes.
Perrott will participate in the NHL training camp ahead of someone like Cooper Wylie, who attended Flyers camps in the past and is heading into what will be his first pro season after four years at St. Cloud State University.
Flyers Breakfast: New Stadium Generating Big BuzzWednesday's Philadelphia Flyers news, discussing the new arena renderings and the players' immediate reaction.Another somewhat surprising inclusion, as mentioned above, is Zayde Wisdom, who returned to the Flyers organization last year on an AHL deal.
The 24-year-old will again have the opportunity to fight for a bottom-six roster spot, competing against the likes of Kaplan, Klimovich, Grebenkin, Aston-Reese, Foote, Grundstrom, and Wilson for that kind of role.
After a terrible 2023-24 season in which he scored only three points in 49 games, Wisdom is back on the map with a total of 27 goals and 59 points across his last two seasons, and he wore the 'A' for the Phantoms for the first time last year, too.
It's notable that the Flyers are giving their former fourth-round pick a shot in training camp ahead of younger, less experienced players like Alex Ciernik and Owen McLaughlin, but Wisdom has certainly earned it.
And between Wisdom and Perrott, the Flyers won't lack in energy or physicality during training camp and the preseason.
Vance Honeycutt is off to a red-hot start after his promotion to Double-A baseball
Vance Honeycutt might be in the running for the best career of any position player to ever play baseball for North Carolina, but he hasn’t had an easy time of it since being drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2024. Through a season and a half in High-A ball, it looked like the concerns around his swing-and-miss and strikeout rate were going to end up overpowering all the tools he brought to the table, as he was striking out on over 40% of his plate appearances and thus not really giving himself a chance to put up any numbers. It looked like he might have turned a corner in spring ball, when he hit home runs in four straight at-bats and appeared to have reworked his swing into something more repeatable. But when he went back to the High-A Frederick Keys, it was unfortunately more of the same: 43% of his plate appearances ending in strikeouts and a dismal slash line of .182/.285/.359. He’d slipped from 5th to out of MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 prospects for the Orioles and was looking at a steep climb uphill if his big-league dreams were to be realized, because the list of players who have recorded that many strikeouts as a minor leaguer and become successful in The Show is basically empty.
Those stats and that situation don’t scream “guy ready for promotion,” but who knows what the Orioles organization was seeing under the hood. Maybe they were tinkering more with his swing. Maybe they thought he just needed a change of scenery. Or maybe they were just letting him sink or swim, giving him the opportunity to prove he’s still worth putting resources into developing. Whatever it was, they decided to promote him to their AA affiliate, the Chesapeake Baysox, on August 17th.
And whatever it was, it’s paying dividends. Honeycutt looks like a completely different player against AA pitching — through four-ish weeks, 16 games, and 65 plate appearances, he’s slashing .339/.431/.661 with 3 home runs, 11 RBI, and 10 stolen bases, and an OPS over 1.000, compiling a high-but-manageable 21.5% K rate (and is 2-5 with two home runs and a stolen base in his 17th game as I’m writing this, basically in my backyard no less). I don’t know if new coaching and a new environment has unlocked something for him, if AA pitchers are just giving him more opportunities to swing at something in the zone, or if the independent coach who recently posted about working with him during the month of August has something to do with it, but it’s a near-unprecedented turnaround for a minor league prospect and has Honeycutt looking like a bona fide prospect again.
Obviously, Honeycutt’s Double-A numbers come from a much smaller sample size than the problematic High-A ones. But he never even approached having a month like this in High-A, and we’re starting to get to a point where the sample size is big enough that it can’t be ignored entirely. Maybe this pace ends up being unsustainable for the former Tar Heel, but I think seeing him fall all the way back down would be even more surprising than the turnaround has been. As it is, he’s putting himself in a great position to maybe be looking at Triple-A at some point next year, if after a likely lockout, and resuming the trajectory that he put himself on as he wrote his legend at Boshamer Stadium.
Plenty of other recent Tar Heels are doing pretty well in the minors — including Kane Kepley, who’s the Chicago Cubs’ fifth-ranked prospect in his second year as a pro — and we’ll likely have a roundup of all of them once the minor league season is over in a few days. But this potentially career-saving stretch from Honeycutt was certainly worth covering on its own.
Ducks to terminate Chris Krieder's contract: How that helps both sides
The Anaheim Ducks are placing forward Chris Kreider on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, according to multiple reports.
The move will help both the player and the team.
The Massachusetts native wants to return east, according to Sportsnet, which first reported the waiver move. If he clears waivers and has the final year of his contract terminated, that makes him a free agent and a new team can sign him for less than his current $6.5 million cap hit. He already received a $1 million signing bonus.
Kreider, 35, had played the first 13 years of his career with the New York Rangers before being traded to the Ducks in June 2025.
The Ducks would benefit because they are in a cap crunch after matching the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet to Leo Carlsson that makes him the NHL's highest-paid player in 2026-27.
They have a little more than $9 million left with Carlsson averaging $18 million. But they still have to sign restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier, who led Anaheim with 41 goals and 69 points last season.
Taking Kreider off the books would give them a lot more room to play with in a new Gauthier contract.
Chris Kreider stats
Though Kreider's numbers have gone down, he has scored 22 goals the past two seasons and scored 17 of his 50 points on the power play last season.
There are teams out there that could use that scoring depth, such as the Buffalo Sabres, who lost three-time 30-goal scorer Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade deal with the Washington Capitals.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ducks to terminate Chris Krieder's contract: How that helps both sides
Boston Celtics Daily Links 9/9/26
NBC Sports Boston Ramp to Camp: What is Jayson Tatum’s path to MVP?
NESN Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Explains the Meaning Behind His New Shoes’ Achilles Injury Memento
Celtics’ Mike Conley Ranks 3rd in NBA Longevity Stat
Payton Pritchard, Celtics Will Soon Have $67 Million Decision to Make
Ex-Celtics Guard Leaves NBA for China
Celtics Made Important Derrick White Decision After Jaylen Brown Trade
Former Celtics Fan Favorite Reveals Bold Goal at Age 37
Mass Live Celtics notebook: Jaylen Brown trade details, Isaiah Thomas, training camp
Former Celtics guard signs overseas in China after getting waived
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Jayson Tatum reveals how new signature shoe was shaped by comeback from injury
Jaylen Brown hints at contexts of exit from Boston Celtics in new interview
Communication might be most important skill Mike Conley brings to Boston Celtics
Celtics history: Dave Cowens traded; Steve Downing born
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Anthony Edwards hints at a secret appreciation for playing in Boston
The cruel irony of Mike Conley Jr.’s desire to join ‘flagship franchise’ in Celtics
Brian Windhorst’s latest Kawhi Leonard update is great news for the Celtics
How a wild Steve Ballmer hypothetical could derail a major Celtics asset
Clippers’ front office mess is even more good news for the Celtics
Chowder and Champions Celtics fans just got another reason to love the Mike Conley signing
Celtics’ difficult Payton Pritchard dilemma could have major impact on their season
CLNS Media/YouTubeMore Clippers Punishment Fallout Could Impact Celtics | Still Poddable
Locked on CelticsCenter STRENGTH: Celtics Can Expect BIG THINGS From Mitchell Robinson, Neemias Queta
The J NotesMike Conley Jr.’s reason to sign with Celtics shows harsh truth about Jazz
WEEI/YouTubeCan the Celtics contend without Jaylen Brown? Brian Scalabrine joins
Yahoo SportsA decade later, Jaylen Brown should’ve been clear No. 1 pick in 2016
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Former Celtics Forward Finds New Team After Boston’s Roster Overhaul
Boston Celtics Land On Unwanted List After Underwhelming Offseason
NBA Trade Rumors: Celtics’ Stance, Bulls Idea & Paolo Banchero Next?
Boston Celtics Target Snapped Up After Drawing Significant NBA Interest
Proposed Trade Sees Celtics Flip Paul George For $226 Million Duo
NikNBA/YouTubeHow Paul George’s Defense Helps the Celtics Possession Philosophy: Film Session
WWLP Celtics legend Robert Parish to launch cannabis line in Mass.
Celtics Roundtable Boston Celtics Get Interesting Evaluation Ahead of Training Camp
Fadeaway World Mike Conley’s One Major Reason For Choosing The Celtics Over Other NBA Teams Revealed
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ESPN The Rich Eisen Show – Who Is More Valuable Than Jayson Tatum Right Now?
NBA preview 2026-27: Zach Kram tiers all 30 teams
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SI .comJayson Tatum’s 5th Signature Jordan Brand Shoe Unveiled
Ranking the Boston Celtics Five Biggest Strengths Heading Into Next Season
The Sixer Sense76ers’ blockbuster win gets even sweeter as Celtics break cardinal rule
Air AlamoWild Jayson Tatum take compliments and insults Tim Duncan at the same time
Fan RecapNBA Legend Blasts Celtics Over Hard To Defend Jaylen Brown Gamble
How The 76ers Managed To Pry Jaylen Brown From Boston
Celtics Just Became The Clearest Warning About The NBAs New Rules
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Minor League roundup, September 8: Sacramento explodes, San Jose rolls
Four games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Tuesday, and half of them were playoff games. Let’s dive into the action!
Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Just a little bit of news, as catcher Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) and outfielder Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL) are scheduled to begin rehab assignments with AAA Sacramento.
AAA Sacramento (77-59)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 11-1
Box score
This was about as dominant of a baseball game as you’ll see, and it certainly didn’t feel as close as the not-close-at-all score would suggest.
It was a stunning offensive performance which, well … tends to happen in Las Vegas, though that doesn’t negate the impressiveness of the day for Sacramento’s offense, which featured 18 hits, half of which went for extra bases.
There were a trio of offensive stars, but none bigger than right fielder Will Brennan. The lefty was tasked with hitting cleanup, and he played the role perfectly.
In the 3rd inning, he smacked a 2-run home run.
In the 7th inning, he bashed a solo home run.
And in the 8th inning, he knocked another 2-run home run.
All in all, a 3-5 day with a trio of home runs and a strikeout, which brought Brennan’s OPS all the way up to .820 … a single-game raise of 31 points, which is pretty darned impressive this late in the season! It also raised his wRC+ to 111.
While Brennan was the biggest star, it’s understandable if you’re not as excited seeing him succeed as you are with some of the other players on Sacramento’s roster, given that Brennan is a 28-year old with MLB experience who was designated for assignment earlier in the year and will almost certainly be playing for a different organization next year.
So, if prospects are what you’re looking for, then allow me to introduce you to a pair who joined Brennan on the podium of offensive stars on Tuesday: center fielder Scott Bandura and left fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL). The 2026 season has been an unequivocal success for the pair of outfielders from the 2023 draft class, the former a 7th-round pick and the latter an undrafted free agent. And they’re making sure to end the year on a high note, following brief dips in performance as the season neared an end.
For Bandura, it was a game where he did a little bit of everything, as he hit 3-5 with a solo home run, a double, a sacrifice fly, and a stolen base. My word!
As for Davidson, he went a sensational 4-5 with both a triple and a double, with 1 strikeout. As we’ve grown accustomed to, the contact for Davidson (who is 93rd percentile in both average exit velocity and 50th percentile exit velocity), was loud: a 107.3-mph single, a 102.7-mph single, a 95.9-mph double, and a 101.3-mph triple.
It seems unlikely that Bandura (who has a .901 OPS and a 136 wRC+) or Davidson (who has a .912 OPS and a 135 wRC+) will debut this year, as we’re running out of time and the Giants are wanting to take a long look at Jonah Cox, Turner Hill, and Drew Gilbert, to make no mention of Grant McCray or Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL), the latter of which is starting a rehab assignment. But I certainly expect both players to be rostered as Rule 5 protections, and to show up to Spring Training (if it occurs) with a chance to win an Opening Day job.
Also nice days for designated hitter Eddys Leonard, who hit 2-4 with a walk and a strikeout; shortstop Aeverson Arteaga, who went 3-5 with 2 strikeouts; and catcher Fernando Gonzalez, who hit 1-3 with a triple, 2 walks, and a strikeout. It was a particularly impressive performance from Gonzalez, given that he’s been called up from Low-A San Jose for emergency duty (he’ll likely head back to San Jose now that Zach Morgan has been optioned to AAA).
Unfortunately, all those hits couldn’t find the bat of third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL), whose recent scuffling continued. Harber was the only player in the lineup who failed to record a hit, as he went 0-5 with a walk. Over his last 11 games, the righty has hit just 4-46 with 1 double, 6 walks, and 17 strikeouts, which came after a red-hot start to his AAA tenure. Hopefully he can find a little rhythm and end the year on a high note, because he’s dipped down to a .739 OPS and a 97 wRC+.
So, I mentioned earlier that the game was in Las Vegas, where baseballs tend to fly. It’s easy to use that as a reason to pump the brakes on any strong performances … but what happens when those performances are on the mound?
You can decide that the offensive environment is, indeed, ludicrous, and then be extra impressed by the pitching, or you can decide that the offensive environment is more tepid than we thought, and then be extra impressed by the hitting. Or heck, do both!
That’s a long-winded way of saying that LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) put on an absolute show in a bandbox. Just a week after an 8-inning start, the southpaw went 7 innings in this one, and didn’t allow a single run. 7 scoreless innings! In the Pacific Coast League! In Las Vegas!
The 2023 comp-round pick wasn’t overpowering, as he only struck out 3 batters on the day, but he limited the Aviators to just 5 hits, all of which were singles, and only walked 1 batter. He needed just 91 pitches to get through the day, and threw 63 of them for strikes.
Whitman, who turns 25 next week, had a bit of a rude introduction when promoted to AAA earlier this year, which resulted in spending some time operating out of the bullpen. But lately he’s really started to figure things out, which perhaps is the natural progression of adjusting to a new level, or perhaps is a chip on his shoulder after watching LHPs Matt Wilkinson and César Perdomo, and RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL) get promoted to the Majors ahead of him.
Either way, Whitman is on one hell of a 5-start run: 31 innings, 28 hits, 4 walks, 6 earned runs, and 24 strikeouts. Suddenly, his ERA in AAA is all the way down to 3.84, which is a delightful number in the PCL (his FIP is lagging behind, at 4.79). And while he’s not striking out a ton of batters (63 in 73 innings), he’s doing a magnificent job at limiting walks (21).
Unfortunately, the shutout was lost by RHP Ryan Walker, who made his Sacramento return after being optioned. Walker gave up 2 hits, including a solo home run, while striking out 2 batters in 2 innings.
AA Richmond (73-58)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Chesapeake Baysox (Orioles) 11-3
Box score
The Squirrels are really ending the season with a thud, as they’ve been piling up both losses and uninteresting performances. This game was, sadly, an exception to neither rule.
How bad was this game? Well, the best performance belonged to catcher Onil Perez … who didn’t catch at all, but instead tossed a perfect 9th inning in his role as reliever, a gig he’s now reprised thrice in the last handful of games.
That was easily the best pitching performance, as 4 of the 5 arms who came before Perez gave up runs, and the 5th (RHP Tyler Vogel) allowed 3 baserunners in 1.2 innings. Most notable, unfortunately, was how much RHP Miguel Mendez struggled, as the 24-year got knocked out in the 2nd inning after allowing 6 hits, 2 walks, and 5 runs, while recording just 5 outs (3 by way of strikeout, though). Mendez, who was part of the Robbie Ray trade, had pitched well in his 1st 3 outings for Richmond, so this game was hopefully an outlier. But it sure was an ugly outlier!
The offense mustered just 3 hits on the day, all of them singles. Only 1 player reached base multiple times, as third baseman Sabin Ceballos (No. 43 CPL) hit 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout. I think we can move on now.
High-A Eugene (0-1)
Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 8-7
Box score
Into the playoffs we go, but Eugene immediately finds themselves in a hole after losing the 1st game in the best-of-5 championship series. The good news is, after tonight, the games return to Oregon for the rest of the series.
As was the case with Richmond, this loss was largely due to a rough start by an exciting talent acquired at the deadline, LHP Henry Lalane. The 6’7 22-year old, who came over in the Heliot Ramos trade, couldn’t find the strike zone in this one, as he threw just 51 of 91 pitches for strikes, while walking 6 batters in just 4.2 innings. Lalane only allowed 3 hits in the game but, paired with those 6 walks, that put 4 runs on the board for the Canadians.
Lalane is going to be a fascinating Rule 5 decision for the Giants. He’s certainly not a player they want to risk losing, but they have to feel like the risk is fairly minimal, given that he only made it to High-A recently, and has really struggled there: in 8 official starts at the level (5 with the Giants and 3 with the Yankees, and not including this playoff outing), Lalane posted a 3.86 ERA and a 4.78 FIP and, if you include the playoffs, had just 35 strikeouts to 18 walks in 42 innings. I suspect, given those numbers and the team’s roster crunch, that Lalane will go unprotected, but you could understand if the Giants have hesitations.
Unfortunately, Lalane set the tone, as the rest of the pitchers struggled as well.
The offense was quite a bit better, and once again led by just-signed catcher Charlie Muniz. The Giants signed Muniz — college baseball’s all-time leader in home runs — out of the Pioneer League a week ago, and he put up donuts in his 1st 3 games, before ending the year with his 1st hit: fittingly, a home run.
He was back at it again in this one, hitting 2-4 with a home run and a double, while striking out twice. Muniz, who is 24, was presumably signed to fill out the catching depth when the organization had a strong need for backstops, but I’m guessing the Giants are excited to have him in the system, and look forward to seeing what he can do next year, especially since they didn’t use any of their draft picks on catchers this year.
Muniz had the best game, but second baseman Kaedon Kent had the most hits, as the lefty, who just turned 23, went a nearly-perfect 4-5 with 2 runs batted in, though he did strike out once and was caught stealing. Kent, who was drafted in the 3rd round last year out of Texas A&M, spent the entire year in High-A, where he also spent his debut action a season ago. Across 86 games between the Giants and Yankees, he posted a .790 OPS and a 107 wRC+ in the regular season, with just a 16.0% strikeout rate. He’ll certainly head to AA next year, to play second next to Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), who struggled in this game, hitting 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and a sacrifice bunt.
Right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) and third baseman Isaiah Barkett both had strong games, with the former (taken in the 7th round last year) going 1-3 with a double, 2 walks, and a strikeout, while the latter (taken in the 10th round a year ago) hit 2-3 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base. Maldonado was sensational following a late-season promotion to Eugene, as he posted a 1.023 OPS and a 154 wRC+ in 22 games with the Emeralds. Barkett quietly had a strong season as well, with an .886 OPS and a 125 wRC+ with Low-A San Jose, then a 10-game stint in Eugene where he had a .786 OPS and a 114 wRC+. Barkett posted sub-10% strikeout rates at both levels, and showed some fantastic defensive versatility.
Low-A San Jose (1-0)
San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports (A’s) 10-5
Box score
A great start to the playoffs for the Baby Giants, who won the lone road game in their best-of-3 series, and now will get 2 chances to finish off the Ports at home, and earn a shot in the championship series. Then again, it shouldn’t be surprising that San Jose started the playoffs on the right foot, as they ended the year having won 20 of their final 22 games.
Sometimes things in baseball can’t be explained. Or perhaps that red-hot streak by San Jose is what explains things. When you’re hot, you’re hot, and it’s contagious.
All of that is to say that center fielder Andy Polanco, an 11th-round pick in 2024, wrapped up his 2nd pro season with 2 career home runs: 1 last year in the ACL, where he played 47 games, and 1 this year in Low-A, where he appeared in 98 contests.
And so, naturally, the 21-year old homered in his 1st at-bat of this playoff game. And then he homered in his 2nd at-bat, as well.
It was a star showing all around for Polanco, as he ended the day 3-4 with a stolen base and an outfield assist. Hard to do much more than that! Polanco only posted a .728 OPS and an 83 wRC+ this year, but he played incredible defense, and stole 38 bags. There’s a lot to like there, but the power-to-strikeout ratio (1 home run in 393 plate appearances with a 30.5% strikeout rate) is deeply concerning. We’ll see what improvements he can make next year.
Designated hitter Drew Smith, a 15th-round pick in July who only got into 3 official games (but hit a home run), had a delightful introduction to the playoffs, as he went 2-5 with a 2-run home run and 2 strikeouts. Smith had 16 home runs for Oregon this year and a .280 isolated slugging percentage, so the Giants are certainly hoping to see a lot of that next year!
Rounding out the home brigade was second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL), who hit 2-4 with a 2-run blast and a walk.
Meola has to feel a little disappointed that he spent the entire year in San Jose, after also playing 16 games there last season following being drafted in the 4th round. He really struggled early on, but turned his season around in the second half, which was enough to push him past league average (.821 OPS, 103 wRC+). The glove plays, even if the bat is lagging, so it’ll be fun seeing him in Eugene next year, turning two with shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL). Speaking of González, he had a solid game, hitting 2-4 with a walk and a stolen base. Between injuries and beginning the year in the Arizona Complex League, González had just a 31-game sample in San Jose (plus these playoff games). And I still think that was easily enough to get him to Eugene to open 2027.
While the 4 home runs from the hitters stole the show, it was a fabulous pitching performance from RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL). Cayama showed both the control and the electricity that make him such an exciting prospect, as he struck out 5 batters in as many innings, with just 1 walk. Cayama, who also allowed 4 hits and a hit batter, got tagged for just 1 run, which came on a solo home run.
It was great seeing Cayama have such a nice outing, because he ended the regular season with an absolute clunker of a performance. It was an odd season for the Venezuelan, who turns 20 next month, as he posted a 4.87 ERA and a 4.27 FIP, while missing a chunk of the season with an injury. But he also had 73 strikeouts in just 57.1 innings, with only 17 walks. That counts as a very nice year in my book.
RHP Eric Nachtsheim, the team’s 6th-round pick in July, made his 2nd pro appearance. He got roughed up in his pro debut, and the only official outing of the year, since postseason stats aren’t counted. But he sure responded with his playoff performance, as he retired all 5 batters he faced, with 3 strikeouts. Nachtsheim, a 22-year old out of McNeese State, threw 16 of 23 pitches for strikes.
Home run tracker
16 — Lorenzo Meola — [Low-A]
13 — Scott Bandura — [10 in AAA; 3 in AA]
10 — Will Brennan x3 — [AAA]
3 — Andy Polanco x2 — [Low-A]
2 — Charlie Muniz — [High-A]
2 — Drew Smith — [Low-A]
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: 7:05 p.m. PT at Las Vegas (SP: TBD)
Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Chesapeake (SP: Charlie McDaniel)
Eugene: 7:05 p.m. PT at Vancouver (SP: Jordan Gottesman)
San Jose: Off day
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be viewed on MLB TV
Lakers hire Heat vice president of player personnel Eric Amsler as assistant GM
It turns out the Lakers are not in a hiring freeze.
After spending the summer searching, the team has hired its second assistant general manager. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the team is hiring Eric Amsler from the Miami Heat.
Amsler served as the vice president of player personnel in Miami.
Amsler held a number of roles in his two decades with the Heat. According to the team’s website, he oversaw the franchise’s scouting department and served as general manager of the team’s G League affiliate. While it’s unclear if he will hold the same role in regard to the South Bay Lakers, he will likely hold a similar role when it comes to scouting and player personnel.
Prior to becoming the team’s VP of Player Personnel, he held a host of jobs with the franchise. As listed by the Heat, here were his various positions over the last 22 years:
- Scouting and Information Coordinator (2005-07)
- Scouting and Player Personnel Coordinator (2007-14)
- Director of Scouting Operations (2015-18)
- Director of Scouting/Assistant Director of Player Personnel/Assistant General Manager, Sioux Falls Skyforce (2018-19)
- Director, Player Personnel/General Manager, Sioux Falls Skyforce (2019-23)
During his exit interview back in the spring, President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka stated that the team planned to hire two assistant general managers. They made their first hire by bringing Rohan Ramadas, a stats and analytics specialist, over from the Pelicans.
Once the ownership hoopla started, namely in Mark Walter selling his majority stake to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, many wondered or expected there to be a hiring freeze, leaving the second assistant GM spot unfilled. Fortunately for the team, that proved not to be the case and now they can move forward with a front office fitting a franchise of the Lakers’ stature.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. heading to IL with sprained right thumb
Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. will be placed on the 10-day IL with a sprained right thumb.
"We just got an update that he does have a sprained right thumb that’s going to require an IL stint," Boone said Wednesday. "So, no baseball activities for the next 7-10 days, and then see where we’re at."
Chisholm was removed from Tuesday’s win over the Colorado Rockies in the top of the ninth inning after sliding head-first into second base in the previous inning when he tried to stretch a ball off the wall in right field into a double, hitting the bag hard with his thumb.
Boone did not announce any corresponding roster move, but did say that the Yankees would be comfortable with Anthony Volpe playing second base. Volpe has never played second base in the majors, but has played 19 games at second with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season since he was demoted from the major league roster.
"I know he's been a complete pro and completely got after it down there in everything they've thrown at him," Boone said of Volpe, "whether it's moving and playing some second base, obviously introducing some third base to him, making sure his swing is dialed in, and he's obviously swung the bat incredibly well. That's not an easy thing to do when you've been the guy in the big leagues and you gotta go back."
Chisholm is available to pinch-run for the Yankees on Wednesday, per YES Network's Jack Curry, before he's placed on the IL on Thursday. Volpe will be the corresponding move for Chisholm.
The 28-year-old Chisholm is hitting .232 this season with 19 home runs, 55 RBI, and 40 stolen bases.
Losing Chisholm is obviously a blow to a Yankees lineup that hasn't been at full strength for quite some time. Aaron Judge finally returned from a lengthy IL stint on Tuesday and is still ramping back up to being able to play every day, and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton remains on the IL after suffering a setback while rehabbing a calf injury.
Former Purdue basketball star Trey Kaufman-Renn can return to college for sixth season
Back in June, Trey Kaufman-Renn heard his name called at the 2026 NBA Draft.
By the time November rolls around, there’s a good chance he’ll be playing college basketball somewhere.
Kaufman-Renn, a former forward at Purdue who was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2025, was granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA by an Indiana judge on Wednesday, Sept. 9, opening the door for him to return for a sixth college season.
After five seasons at Purdue, the first of which he redshirted, Kaufman-Renn was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 59 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. In five NBA Summer League games, he averaged 6.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9 forward never signed a contract with the team.
Unlike many college basketball players petitioning for an extra season of eligibility under the NCAA’s newly adopted five-for-five model, Kaufman-Renn was not part of the 2022 recruiting class. He was a top-50 recruit in the 2021 class, a group that also included the likes of Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, both of whom are preparing to enter their fifth seasons with NBA franchises.
According to the ruling Wednesday from Clark County (Indiana) Circuit Court No. 6 Judge Kyle P. Williams, the NCAA cannot deny Kaufman-Renn eligibility based on his five years in college and four years playing for the Boilermakers, or his professional status. Additionally, the NCAA must allow member schools to recruit and enroll Kaufman-Renn while permitting him to participate with the basketball team.
If Kaufman-Renn continues his college career, it won’t be with the program he called home the past five years. In a post on Instagram, Kaufman-Renn said he will not return to Purdue.
“Four truly unforgettable years,” he wrote. “Grateful for my teammates, Coaches, Coach (Matt) Painter, the Paint Crew, and Boiler Nation. My chapter in black and gold has come to an end, but Purdue will always be part of me.”
Kaufman-Renn told reporters on Tuesday, Sept. 8 that “six or seven” teams had expressed interest in the Sellersburg, Indiana native playing for them for the upcoming 2026-27 season. He said multiple programs told him he could earn "significantly more" than what he would have as a late-second round NBA draft pick.
Whoever ends up with Kaufman-Renn will be getting a potential difference-maker at an extraordinarily late stage in the transfer portal process.
Kaufman-Renn started every game as a sophomore for a Purdue team that made the national championship game in 2024, where it lost to UConn. As a junior in 2024-25, he averaged 20.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and was named an honorable mention All-American. Last season, he averaged 14.2 points and a career-high 8.3 rebounds per game as the Boilermakers advanced to the Elite Eight for a third-consecutive season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former Purdue basketball star Trey Kaufman-Renn can return to college for sixth season
Cubs Minor League Wrap: Edward Cabrera rehabs in Iowa
A rare day in the minors where it’s all day games today.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs laid an egg against the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), 7-3.
Jordan Wicks started this game and took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits over 3.2 innings. Three of the four runs came on a three-run home run by Carlos Pérez. Wicks struck out five and walked three.
Edward Cabrera threw two innings of relief in a rehab appearance. Cabrera gave up one run on two hits. He struck out one and walked no one.
Catcher Owen Ayers went 2 for 4 with an RBI double. He also scored once.
First baseman Kevin Alcántara went 2 for 4 with an RBI double and an RBI single for two total runs batted in.
Left fielder Jordan Nwogu was 2 for 4.
Ayers shows off his arm.
Cabrera brought the heat.
Ayers’ RBI double.
Knoxville Smokies
The Knoxville Smokies were subjugated by the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 4-3.
Starter Kevin Valdez gave the Smokies five solid innings, allowing two runs on three hits. Both runs scored on solo home runs. Valdez struck out four and walked one.
Frankie Scalzo Jr. came on to pitch the eighth inning and got out of that unscathed, but then he stayed in the game in the bottom fo the ninth. Scalzo gave up a one-out single and the runner then stole second and went to third on a bad throw. The winning run then scored on a wild pitch.
The final line on Scalzo was one unearned run on two hits over 1.1 innings. He walked one and did not strike anyone out.
Left fielder Andy Garriola was 2 for 4. He had an RBI single in the first inning and scored on a wild pitch in the fourth.
Center fielder Kane Kepley went 1 for 4 and was hit by a pitch. He stole two bases and scored once.
South Bend Cubs
Traveling back from Iowa. South Bend has to win tomorrow and Friday in South Bend to continue their season.
Alex Formenton Opens Up on Oilers Opportunity as GM Explains Signing Decision
"I'm very excited to be an Oiler and look forward to trying to make the most of this opportunity," said Alex Formenton as he spoke to the press on his first day with the team. After thanking the Katz family, Stan Bowman, and Jeff Jackson, along with the coaching staff, Formenton was as ready as he could be for a very curious Edmonton-based media on Thursday.
He didn't give direct answers to some fairly direct questions, but he talked about the process that led him to Edmonton and emphasized that he'll do his best to show he has no intention of wasting this chance he's been given.
Edmonton Oilers Sign Alex Formenton To One-Year ContractAlex Formenton is making his return to the NHL after spending the past three seasons in Switzerland, joining the Edmonton Oilers on a one-year contract.The news of his signing -- a one-year, one-way deal worth $850K -- dropped just before today's on-ice session, so media scurried to the Downtown Community Arena to catch a glimpse of Formenton on the ice. A good dozen or so gathered to ask him questions after the session (an unusually long one) was over.
Upon first glance, Formenton looks fast. That was always his talent: being speedy. Before he was forced to leave the league, that's where most analysts believed he'd be able to carve out a solid NHL career. A few years later, whether that speed can translate into success at the NHL level remains to be seen.
Formenton has been out of the league for some time now. Following a very public trial in which he and other members of the 2018 Hockey Canada team were charged with sexual assault, it wasn't clear he'd ever get back to the NHL. He played the past three seasons playing in Switzerland with HC Ambri-Piotta.
As much as the Oilers might take some heat from fans for their decision to sign a forward who was acquitted of sexual assault charges, there will be some scrutiny over the fact Formenton wasn't necessarily a difference-maker overseas.
What makes the Oilers feel like he can get his game back?
"I think being away from the NHL for the past four seasons, I've been eager to get back, working hard to become the player I was and slash, taking a step forward. I'm going to do everything I can on and off the ice, in whatever role that I need to to help this organization."
Penalty killing and a depth forward role seem to be the most logical assigments early. He was skating with Trent Frederic and Mathieu Joseph at captains skates.
"I'm very excited to be an Oiler & look forward to trying to make the most out of this opportunity."
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 9, 2026
Alex Formenton on signing a one-year contract with the #Oilers earlier today. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/F1TYozyXtL
Clearly, the Oilers think there's something there. They could have signed any number of UFAs still out there on the market. Many might have been more obvious choices and come with less baggage. Management knew about the potential backlash.
According to TSN's Ryan Rishaug, Stan Bowman described the process behind signing Formenton. He noted that Hockey Canada's recent support for reinstatement was a factor.
“I think that played a big role for us in our decision-making. They were certainly the closest to this; they had the most information, so for them to single Alex out as the one deserving of reinstatement immediately, we did feel like that played a large role.”
They spoke with Formenton about it. The team, the coach, and management all came to mututal decision: this was a decision they were comfortable making, hoping the potential benefits would outweigh the risk.
“I’ve had a chance to have multiple conversations with Alex and go over lots of things…. We’ve reached the decision we think this is the right move to bring Alex in and help our group.”
Bowman added that Formenton is very determined to make a positive impact on and off the ice. "I know he has a heartfelt desire to make a good impression and we certainly hope that's the case."
As for why the Oilers did this from an on-ice perspective: "Yeah it really this kicked into gear when Matt Savoie sustained his injury and it became obvious that he was not going to be ready to start our season. You know, looking at our PK as an area that we think has to improve, Matt was one of the bright spots last year, but with him being unavailable we felt we needed to look around at our options."
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Washington Nationals vs San Diego Padres Game Thread
This road trip has been absolutely miserable. Last night, the Nats made history with their 38th blown save. Now they will look to actually win a game. They are 0-5 on this west coast swing and will look to at least win one game in sunny California.
Blake Butera will be making some lineup alterations. Andres Chaparro will play third base in this one. Nasim Nunez is back at shortstop which pushes the struggling CJ Abrams to second base. Keibert Ruiz and Jacob Young are also back in the lineup. Jackson Kent will be on the mound.
With a lefty on the hill, the Padres will make some changes. Austin Hays, Samad Taylor and Jase Bowen will all be in the lineup. Fernando Tatis Jr. will go from the outfield to second base. Luis Campusano goes from DH to catcher. Veteran Walker Buehler will be on the mound.
Game Info:
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Stadium: Petco Park
Time: 4:10 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
The end of the season has been hard to watch and very discouraging. However, we still have about 15 of these bad boys left. It would be great if the Nats showed any life at all down the stretch. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Drake Baldwin returns to leadoff spot for Braves in middle game against Rays
The lineups are out for tonight’s contest as the Atlanta Braves are looking to knot up the series with the Tampa Bay Rays at one run apiece. Manager Walt Weiss has decided to go with a top-of-the-order look that we last saw when the Braves were in Philadelphia, which means that Drake Baldwin is getting the nod at DH and leading off.
Here’s the rest of the lineup for Atlanta:
This’ll be the 55th time that Baldwin has led off for the Braves this season and so far through 54 games, he’s hit .305/.390/.500 in the leadoff spot, good for a wOBA of .388 and 146 wRC+. Compare that to his overall slash line for the season of .276/.352/.446 with a wOBA of .350 and a wRC+ of 121, it’s clear that Baldwin is pretty comfortable hitting in the leadoff spot.
Meanwhile, he’s swapped positions in the lineup with Michael Harris II as he’s gone from leading off on Tuesday to batting cleanup on Wednesday. There’s a bit of shuffling in the bottom half of the order but the names are the same — Mike Yastrzemski goes from eighth to sixth, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley move down to seventh and eighth, respectively, and Sean Murphy will be the connector to the top half of the order in the ninth slot. None of these guys have an extensive amount of experience against Griffin Jax but I did mention in the preview that a handful of these guys did tag him for a few runs during a relief appearance in this ballpark for Jax back in 2025, so maybe they’ll continue that success here.
Here’s the nine (plus pitcher) for the Tampa Bay Rays this evening:
Let’s focus on Atlanta’s lineup, though. What do y’all think?
Mariners Game #146 Preview and Discussion: 9/9/26, Rangers at Mariners
The Mariners play a rare mid-series day game to accommodate the opening of the 2026-27 NFL season happening across the street at Lumen Field later tonight. Radio folks, take note of the change.
Lineups:
Cole Young, who is batting .304 in September, gets the start at second base even with a lefty on the mound for Texas. Kade Anderson makes his fourth big-league start.
News:
Michael Arroyo, who isn’t in the lineup despite Texas starting a lefty, was taking outfield reps with coach Eric Young Jr. pregame.
Emerson Hancock threw a bullpen today which he described as a typical mid-week bullpen as he continues to work back from his adductor strain. The strain affects his landing leg, which made putting force on it difficult when he first felt the strain. He describes it as a “day-to-day” thing and says he needs to see how he feels tomorrow. “We’re just trying to do everything we can to keep building this thing up, and hopefully get a chance to come back and pitch.”
Today’s game information:
Game time: 1:10 PT
TV: Mariners TV, with Aaron Goldsmith and Ryon Healy
Radio: KTTH 770 AM with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.