The American Hockey League has announced the Top Prospects Team for the 2024-25 season.
The AHL's hockey operations department and general managers decide this honor. Skaters must have been 22 or under on the first day of the AHL season, played 36 AHL games, and less than 30 NHL games. Goalies must have been 23 or under, player 25 AHL games and less than 20 NHL games.
The Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 at home in Game 3 Wednesday to take a 2-1 NBA Finals lead.
Mathurin, the No. 6 overall pick by Indiana in 2022, erupted for a game-high 27 points off the bench. He shot a scorching 9 of 12 from the field to go with 7 of 8 free throws. He added four rebounds, one assist and a block in just 22 minutes. He averaged 16.1 points on 45.8% shooting in the regular season.
Sometimes you need your non-stars to step up and swing a game in a playoff setting, and Indiana just got one from its own draft pick.
Indiana started both halves extremely slow, but blew out Oklahoma City in each of the second and fourth quarters to seize the advantage.
Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana’s starters with 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting to go with 11 assists and nine rebounds, one away from a triple double. He also logged two steals and a block. Pascal Siakam posted 21 points on 8 of 14 shooting, with T.J. McConnell’s 10 points off the bench rounding out the double-digit scorers.
Oklahoma City got better production out of their starters, but lacked enough bench scoring. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 24 points on 9 of 18 shooting, while league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points on 9 of 20 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
Chet Holmgren had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, but went 0-for-6 from deep that stunted OKC’s perimeter statistics. Alex Caruso played 32 minutes off the bench, adding eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Isaiah Joe played just four minutes and made both of his 3-point attempts.
The Thunder are now in a precarious situation down 2-1 in enemy territory. Should Indiana capitalize at home, Oklahoma City would be down 3-1, a deficit only 13 teams in league history have turned around.
Only one of those 3-1 deficits were turned around in the NBA Finals, which involved LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers beating Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
Game 4 is set for Friday in Indiana at 8:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. PT.
The Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 at home in Game 3 Wednesday to take a 2-1 NBA Finals lead.
Mathurin, the No. 6 overall pick by Indiana in 2022, erupted for a game-high 27 points off the bench. He shot a scorching 9 of 12 from the field to go with 7 of 8 free throws. He added four rebounds, one assist and a block in just 22 minutes. He averaged 16.1 points on 45.8% shooting in the regular season.
Sometimes you need your non-stars to step up and swing a game in a playoff setting, and Indiana just got one from its own draft pick.
Indiana started both halves extremely slow, but blew out Oklahoma City in each of the second and fourth quarters to seize the advantage.
Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana’s starters with 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting to go with 11 assists and nine rebounds, one away from a triple double. He also logged two steals and a block. Pascal Siakam posted 21 points on 8 of 14 shooting, with T.J. McConnell’s 10 points off the bench rounding out the double-digit scorers.
Oklahoma City got better production out of their starters, but lacked enough bench scoring. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 24 points on 9 of 18 shooting, while league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points on 9 of 20 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
Chet Holmgren had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, but went 0-for-6 from deep that stunted OKC’s perimeter statistics. Alex Caruso played 32 minutes off the bench, adding eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Isaiah Joe played just four minutes and made both of his 3-point attempts.
The Thunder are now in a precarious situation down 2-1 in enemy territory. Should Indiana capitalize at home, Oklahoma City would be down 3-1, a deficit only 13 teams in league history have turned around.
Only one of those 3-1 deficits were turned around in the NBA Finals, which involved LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers beating Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
Game 4 is set for Friday in Indiana at 8:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. PT.
Teoscar Hernández has sunflower seeds thrown at him by Kiké Hernández, center, and Robert Van Scoyoc, right, after his three-run home run. (Derrick Tuskan / Associated Press)
There was a one-handed finish. A slow stroll out of the batter’s box. And a leisurely, long-awaited trip around the bases.
It’d been a while since Teoscar Hernández last admired such a momentous home run ball.
It was a sight the struggling Dodgers had come to sorely miss.
Ever since returning from an adductor strain last month, Hernández had endured one of his coldest stretches at the plate since joining the Dodgers last year. He was batting .171 over 20 games since his mid-May return to the lineup. He had just three hits in 38 at-bats over his last 10 contests.
That slump, which also included only one home run since April 28, finally they finally reached a tipping point ahead of Wednesday’s series finale against the San Diego Padres, with manager Dave Roberts moving Hernández out of his customary cleanup spot in the batting order in favor of hot-hitting catcher Will Smith.
“I love him in the four [spot] when he’s right,” Roberts said pregame. “But clearly the last few weeks, he’s been scuffling.”
With one swing in the top of the sixth, however, Hernández finally started to look right again.
In what was a tie game at Petco Park, on a day first place in the National League West was up for grabs, Hernández delivered the decisive blow in the Dodgers’ 5-2 win over the Padres, belting a three-run home run to straightaway center that sent the club a pivotal series victory.
“It was a big hit,” Roberts said. “The last few weeks, he’s … felt like he hasn’t contributed. But he has a knack for getting big hits. And that’s as big as they get, so far at this point in the season.”
Hernández’s sixth-inning at-bat was everything his recent trips to the plate hadn’t been during his weeks-long slump.
He finally got ahead in a 2-and-0 count — something Roberts had noted was a rarity for the 32-year-old slugger of late, in large part because of his inability to punish mistakes in his hitting zone.
“Balls that he should move forward, he’s not,” Roberts said. “And with that, there’s more chase, because he’s getting behind.”
And when Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada did serve up a mistake over the plate, Hernández didn’t miss it, clobbering a 2-and-1 fastball down the middle for a 420-foot drive that broke open the game.
“[It felt] really good, especially because I put the team in front,” said Hernández, whose home run was his 11th of the year and extended his team lead in RBIs with 47. “I’ve been working really hard, every at-bat, trying to get good pitches to hit … trying to get back the feeling that I had before I got injured.”
The Dodgers (41-28) got other heroics in Wednesday’s rubber-match triumph, one that gives them a two-game lead in the division over the Padres (38-29).
Ben Casparius gave up just one run in a four-inning start, replacing originally listed starter Justin Wrobleski in what could be a permanent move to the starting rotation for the rookie right-hander (or, at least, until the rest of the Dodgers’ banged-up pitching staff gets healthy in the coming months).
“He obviously came up as a starter … [and] where we are at now currently, he’s certainly showing that he’s 1 of 5,” Roberts said of Casparius, who had a 2.93 ERA as a swingman out of the bullpen to start the year. “The next time he’s on the mound, it will be as a starter.”
Andy Pages saved Casparius from another run along the way, throwing out a runner at home plate in the second inning with a 99 mph strike from center field. It was Pages’ fifth outfield assist of the season, tied for fifth-most in the majors.
“He's been doing it all year,” Casparius said. “I haven't seen anybody play in the outfield at a level he has this year. It's honestly, at this point, something that I think we all expect. And he picked me up big time right there."
Michael Conforto, meanwhile, got the game tied at 1-1 with an opposite-field homer in the fifth, marking just his second long ball since April 5.
And even at the start of the sixth inning, the Dodgers did some little things right to set up Hernández’s go-ahead blast. With one out, Freddie Freeman legged out an infield single, despite playing through not only his gimpy right ankle but also “a little quad thing” Roberts said he has been dealing with in recent days. Then, Smith reached base for the first of three times on the day by drawing a key one-out walk.
The Padres didn’t go away down the stretch. A Hyeseong Kim throwing error led to one run in the sixth, trimming the Dodgers’ lead back down to two runs. Then in the seventh, the command problems that plagued recently activated reliever Michael Kopech during his minor-league rehab stint last month reared their ugly head, with the right-hander issuing three-straight one-out walks in the seventh to load the bases.
Recently surging left-hander Anthony Banda, however, escaped that jam with the help of an impressive play by Mookie Betts at shortstop, who got to Manny Machado’s 3-and-0 grounder in the hole and made an on-time, one-hop throw to Freeman at short.
“Securing it, being able to throw from different arm angles, that’s something he just didn’t do well last year, given the lack of reps,” Roberts said. “But that’s a play that, in a big spot, time of game, the stakes right there, to make that play was huge.”
Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia then took care of the eighth and ninth innings, ensuring the Dodgers left San Diego in first place in the division.
“It’s fun playing these guys,” Roberts said of the Padres, who will make a return visit to Dodger Stadium next week for a four-game series. “They know they’re talented. We know we’re talented. It’s a fun series. It’s a big series. It’s not the end-all, be-all in June. But it was fun.”
As the off-season unfolds for the Buffalo Sabres, there are many opportunities for them to improve their roster. And as rumors swirled Wednesday about a major trade that will send star left winger Chris Kreider from the New York Rangers to the Anaheim Ducks for a prospect and a draft pick, it's fair to say this was a missed opportunity for the Sabres.
Given that Buffalo should want to acquire more veteran experience to lead them into the playoffs, Kreider would've been a terrific pickup for the Sabres. But it looks like Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams couldn't or wouldn't beat Anaheim's price for Kreider, and the Ducks are going to be better for it.
It's true Kreider is coming off a down season. And his $6.5-million salary, which runs for the next two seasons, may look like an overpayment for the 34-year-old. But in the two previous seasons, Kreider posted a combined total of 75 goals and 129 points. That's someone worth taking a gamble on, especially considering Kreider is a playoff beast, generating 48 goals and 76 points in 123 career playoff games.
Now, Kreider has a no-trade clause in his current contract, allowing him to veto a trade to 15 teams. Maybe Buffalo is one of those teams. But players can change their minds if GMs are allowed to talk to them prior to a trade. That could be what's happening at the moment with Kreider and the Ducks.
But in this writer's opinion, the Sabres are closer to competing for a playoff berth than Anaheim is. That's what should be frustrating for Buffalo fans right now. Every move like a Kreider trade is showing, one way or another, that the Sabres aren't aggressive enough to be a mover-and-shaker on the trade front.
Kreider may be a flop next season in Anaheim. But Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has quietly added a lot of veteran experience -- winger Alex Killorn, defenseman Jacob Trouba, and now, Kreider. That's an indication that teams value experience and knowhow. And at the moment, the Sabres don't have enough of it.
Trading Star Winger Tuch Should Definitely Be An Option For SabresThe Buffalo Sabres definitely have some untouchables on their team -- namely, star winger Tage Thompson, and defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. And there are other players it should take a mammoth deal to acquire -- namely, winger J.J. Peterka, center Josh Norris and blueliner Bowen Byram.
It would've been a coup for Adams to acquire Kreider, but that ship has apparently sailed. And now, the Sabres have to turn their attention to other veterans who are on the trade block. There are definitely teams out there willing to surrender some experienced players for young players and draft picks, and Buffalo has a lot of those assets. But once again, they're on the outside looking in, and Sabres fans are well within their rights to wonder if and when Buffalo will step up and make a move of consequence.
Kreider has been through the wringer in Manhattan, and still managed to thrive despite all the pressure he faced as one of the cornerstone members of the Blueshirts. You want someone like that in Buffalo. You want him to buy into your vision for the franchise, and you want him to be a great example for your young, developing players.
This is why Kreider would've been a great fit with the Sabres. But the bottom line is that Buffalo didn't outbid Anaheim, and the Ducks apparently wound up picking up a vital component as they make their own push to be a playoff team. Kreider may not have worked out in Buffalo, but taking a chance on him would've been a justifiable gamble. And it didn't happen.
Right now, the Sabres are not proactive with trades. And that's on Adams and his new management team. Buffalo absolutely has to be ready, willing and able to acquire assets that will improve their chances of getting into the post-season. And for one reason or another, they're unable to do so.
It's no wonder some Sabres fans want to throw their hands in the air out of despair. They see other teams taking big swings, while Buffalo stays stapled to the bench, unable to even get to the plate. Landing Kreider would've infused the Sabres fan base with a jolt of optimism, but instead, they only got more silence from Adams & Co..
Time will tell if the Sabres can land a difference-maker this summer, but at the moment, cynics have more moves -- or lack of moves -- to point to and justify their exhaustion with this organization. When nothing solid materializes for a franchise that desperately needs help, the reaction of the paying customers will not be positive. And if Kreider thrives with the Ducks next year, Sabres fans will wring their hands in agony wondering "what if" Buffalo had stepped up and acquired him.
‘Challenge of fan unrest at ticket price and accessibility’
England’s football system is “under strain” in a climate of tension between commercial imperatives and the needs of supporters, according to a new report from Deloitte. The analysis also warns that uncertainty over the role and scope of an independent regulator is “unhelpful” to those wishing to join the rush of investors entering the sport.
The Annual Review of Football Finance painted an overall picture of a booming industry, pointing out that the European football market was worth a record £32.2bn in 2023-24. More than £16.9bn of that was generated by the “big five” leagues, with the Premier League alone recording revenues of £6.3bn. Deloitte cautioned, though, that those numbers do not tell the full tale of a game caught between its community roots and the requirement for continued growth. “There can be no doubt that the system in English football is under strain,” said Tim Bridge, lead partner at Deloitte sports business group, in the report’s foreword. “Repeated reports of fan unrest at ticket price and accessibility demonstrate the challenge in the modern era of balancing commercial growth with the historic essence of a football club’s role and position in society: as a community asset.”
With an increasing sense in league circles that Giannis Antetokounmpo will remain in Milwaukee, trade speculation is ramping up around the second biggest name on the market: Kevin Durant.
The Phoenix Suns and Durant's representation — led by KD's business partner Rich Kleiman — are sorting through offers, working together to find a trade that works for all involved, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Teams that have expressed interest in Durant, sources said, mainly feature the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks. Several wild-card suitors have made inquiries on Durant in the past seven to 10 days, sources said...
Suns officials and Kleiman will continue to meet on trade conversations -- with talks expected to escalate before the NBA draft later this month.
Because Durant is entering the final year of his current contract ($54.7 million), he has some leverage in the situation. Teams are not going to give up the kind of haul Phoenix is seeking to rent Durant for a year. Whoever trades for Durant will likely sign him to an extension, one that is at or near the maximum of two years, $122 million.
The Suns reportedly are looking for depth and players who can help them retool quickly around Devin Booker, as well as draft capital. With the Suns over the second apron of the luxury tax, a third team (or more) is almost certainly involved in any Durant trade to make the numbers work under the more restrictive CBA.
Here's a closer look at the teams mentioned.
• San Antonio Spurs. Durant to the Spurs is the rumor with the most heat, there is a growing sense in some circles they are the front runners. The idea for the Spurs is that trading for Durant, pairing him with Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, and having him as an example for about-to-be-drafted Dylan Harper, makes the Spurs a dangerous team next season in the West and helps build a culture for the future. Durant is not on the timeline of those other players, but the Spurs could view this as the best path to being a threat in the deep Western Conference next season. The trade would likely involve something like Devin Vassell or Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, Harrison Barnes and this year's No. 14 pick. There is zero chance the Spurs are giving up the No. 2 pick for KD.
• New York Knicks. It's unclear just how serious these talks are. While a Karl-Anthony Towns for Durant works as the core of a trade (and Devin Booker and KAT have Kentucky ties), it would take a third team coming in (because the Suns are over the second apron, so some money has to go elsewhere) and for a Suns team looking to add depth and draft picks, it's hard to see a path to a trade both teams would like. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports the Knicks are out of the running.
• Houston Rockets. While Houston certainly put together a package of picks — they control the Suns' 2027 and 2029 first rounders — and young players that would interest Phoenix, reports from people around the Rockets from the start have said they have a limited interest in Durant because he does not match up with the timeline of the rest of their core (Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, etc.). If the Rockets could get Durant on a steal of a deal it's one thing, but whether they would put together the best offer is another question. A trade could involve Green, this year's No. 10 pick and some other players, and it would require a third team to make the math work under the second apron.
• Minnesota Timberwolves. This is a team that has been to the Western Conference Finals for consecutive years and is looking for the player who can put them over the top. Durant might be that guy, and he is Anthony Edwards' idol. Maybe the biggest challenge is logistics, with both teams over the second apron, this trade would take at least three and likely four or more teams to make work. Reports out of Minnesota say Jaden McDaniels and Naz Ried are off the table in any trade for Durant, so it would likely be Julius Randle (unless the Suns have interest in Rudy Gobert), an assortment of less expensive players, this year's No. 25 pick and/or another first, and a whole lot of players and picks going to other teams.
Miami Heat: Durant to Miami is intriguing, but it's hard to see how this trade comes together. For it to work for Miami, it has to keep Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, and they'd prefer not to give up Kel'El Ware (if I'm the Suns, I demand he is in the deal). Who else on the Heat roster would the Suns want? Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic and some future firsts? Maybe Duncan Robinson. Again, it's just hard to see how this all comes together, but apparently the sides are talking.
The 6-foot-1 forward has played in 498 career NHL games and recorded 52 goals, 92 assists, and 144 points in ten NHL seasons. He played on six different NHL teams and has now signed a contract in the Czech league.
Photo Credit: Mar 29, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild center Devin Shore (19) shoots against the New Jersey Devils in the second period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images.
Muse, 42, was hired to replace former bench boss Mike Sullivan on Jun. 4, and after a long search and process, Dubas believes that they've found the right guy for where the Penguins are at right now.
And it was someone who was not initially on his radar.
"What stood about Dan during the process was that he was not somebody that I knew personally going into it," Dubas said. "But right from the time that we met and we spoke on the phone, then when we met over Zoom, and then met in person, it became clear that he was somebody that was going to be extraordinarily well-suited to develop all of our players. Not just our young players, but all of them."
He continued: "[With] everything about him as we got through and further on in the process, it became clear that he was going to be a great fit to partner with us and help lead us through this transition and then back into contention with the Pittsburgh Penguins."
Muse is excited to get started in Pittsburgh, too, as this is his first head coaching opportunity at the NHL level. He previously had assistant coaching stints with the Nashville Predators, and - most recently - with the New York Rangers.
And he is aware of the caliber of the organization that he is joining.
"It's an honor to work in the NHL," Muse said. "It's a huge honor to be a head coach in this league. It's extremely humbling to be a part of this organization, this city, working with this staff and with these players. I couldn't be more excited to get started here."
Here are three takeaways from Muse's introductory press conference:
"Through this process, you see what an exciting time it is to come in here," Muse said. "You have legendary players of our game here in Pittsburgh. Future hall-of-famers. You have these exciting young players that are coming up, and then you have a little bit of everything in between. So, to have an opportunity to work together with everybody here to make sure that these players are continuing to grow wherever they are in their career... I just can't tell you how exciting an opportunity that is."
Muse understands the assignment, too, as he is aware of the fact that the team is in a transitionary period. He's ready to undertake the task of bridging the team back to contention - and he'll do it one player at a time, one day at a time.
"There's going to be a lot of work that goes into it [before training camp]," Muse said. "And that's the work with each individual and what they need, it's going to be the work with the collective group, and then, as soon as we get on the ice for the first time, we're going to continue to build. It's going to be a step-by-step process. Each day, we're going to be looking to get a little bit better as a group, a little bit better for each of these guys."
2. Muse values an individualistic approach to coaching
And on that note, one of the best bits from Muse during this presser was when he was asked about his approach to balancing the desire to win and the focus on development.
He kept mentioning how each player is different and has different needs depending on where they're at in their respective careers. This individualistic approach to coaching his players is something that separates him, and he knows how to put it all together to meet common goals, too.
"Everybody's different," Muse said. "Everybody's path's going to be different, so as a coach, you enjoy that part of it because you've got to learn who the person is to really work with them and help them."
He added: "You have guys in different places in their careers, and that's very clear. My job coming in here is going to be to help maximize each person and to help each person work toward what their highest level could be right now. And that's going to be my focus."
The understanding that every player's path is different should bode well for a coach working with so many young players - and young players with different things to work on.
"Part of player development is saying, 'What could you become?' and helping that person believe that, and then helping guide them, helping them with the road map on how to get there," Muse said. "And then, you're working together with the player in order to help that player take their game to the next level.
"I think it's really rewarding to be able to be a part of that, and to be able to help players achieve those things that they're looking to do and help them see what could be possible."
3. There will be a high degree of collaboration between Muse and Dubas
Make no mistake: Dubas and Muse will definitely be working very closely.
And that collaboration is one of the aspects that drew Muse to the job in the first place:
"One of the things that really excited me about this opportunity was the clear collaboration it's going to have," Muse said. "And that, kind of, started right away within this process. I think that, early on in our conversations - and especially when coming in here in that meeting with other members of the organization - it became very clear that this is an opportunity for full collaboration at a very high level. And there will be."
He added: "That's something that excites me. That's something that I've seen and something that I believe in that you have to have. You have to take all the resources that you have, all the different people and ideas, and you have to become united in what your approach is going to be and in everything that you do. And I believe that's what leads to success."
Dubas echoed that sentiment, and he thinks the collboration between him, Muse, and the players will help propel the team toward a better future.
"Of course, when we're talking about building out the team and how we want it to play, there's always a give-and-take between the coach and the manager," Dubas said. "There's the way that Dan would like the team to play, and then there's the group of players that we have and the group of players that are available... and then trying to find the best way, collectively, to move the team ahead."
When Matt Chapman landed on the injured list Tuesday with a right hand sprain, it looked as though the Giants’ win streak could be in jeopardy with their home run leader and star third baseman sidelined.
But two games later and San Francisco now has won seven in a row, the latest another thrilling comeback victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night at Coors Field — and the player who has taken over for Chapman on the hot corner helped lead the 10-7 win.
Casey Schmitt got it done with the bat, the glove and on the base paths in the victory and is taking advantage of his chance to play every day with Chapman out. On a two-RBI night that also featured a Chapman-esque play at third, Schmitt scored the go-ahead run with a dazzling slide in the eighth inning after drawing a pivotal bases-loaded walk that gave the Giants belief they could come back yet again.
“You’re getting breaking ball after breaking ball, and then to be able to take a fastball for a ball on the last pitch, that’s a great at-bat,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said after the game of Schmitt’s “huge” walk. “And then the next time up, hits a ball in the hole and gets us another RBI. So, it’s a great opportunity for him, and he made a great play defensively.
“He’s got a real opportunity to do some good things while Chappy’s out. We’re lucky to have him.”
After Mike Yastrzemski drove in the tying run as San Francisco rallied in the eighth, Tyler Fitzgerald laid down a perfect bunt that allowed Schmitt to dive in under the tag at home. Though he initially was called out, Melvin successfully challenged the call and the comeback was complete.
“We knew we were going to bunt there,” Schmitt told Laura Britt and Ron Wotus on “Giants Postgame Live” after the win. “Talked to [Giants third base coach Matt Williams] before, just make sure I see it down. I saw it down and just took off, and luckily I got in there.”
Earlier in the fifth inning, Schmitt threw out Keston Hiura from foul territory after the grounder forced him to make a one-legged throw all the way across the diamond and into Jerar Encarnacion’s glove at first.
While Chapman and his Gold Glove are a tough act to follow, Schmitt is a stellar defender in his own right and earned the 2022 Minor League Baseball Gold Glove as the best defensive third baseman in the minors during his time with the Eugene Emeralds.
But now, he gets to take notes from one of the greatest ever to do it at the major-league level. And with Chapman himself expecting to miss more than 10 games, Schmitt will be able to learn plenty.
“I’m feeling good,” Schmitt told Britt and Wotus of returning to third base in Chapman’s absence. “Just there filling in for Chappy, and he’s right there helping me out with everything, too. I get to be out there, and I’m learning form the best as well. It’s been awesome just to be here and to be a part of it.”
The Giants are riding high, even though the wins haven’t come easy. Wednesday’s victory was their MLB-leading ninth comeback this season of three or more runs, and the first of their current win streak that they’ve won by more than one — and everyone is contributing.
Willy Adames, who has underproduced so far this season, is 4-for-7 with five RBI and five runs this series, and Schmitt had a big night in the Giants’ 6-5 series-opening win Tuesday, too, with a solo homer that put San Francisco back in the game. Jung Hoo Lee, who had hit a bit of a dry spell after a red-hot start, has scored five runs and smashed two triples in Colorado, just to name a few contributors.
The Giants also lost starting catcher Patrick Bailey to the 10-day IL with a neck strain earlier on Wednesday, but right now, they feel like they’re in every game — even with two of their best defensive players injured.
“You can never count us out,” Schmitt told Britt and Wotus. “Every time we step out there, we’re expecting a war. It’s just been so much fun, and we’re all sticking together. It’s been great to be able to come back in late games like that.”
In the first game of a home doubleheader against Double-A Portland, Stroman looked comfortable on the mound, striking out four across 3.1 innings while allowing one run on one hit and two walks. He retired five of six batters to begin the outing, induced four groundouts plus a flyout, and threw 27 of his 46 total pitches for strikes.
Stroman's appearance was his first taste of game action in exactly two months, as he landed on the injured list back on April 12 with left knee inflammation. The 34-year-old veteran struggled prior to the injury, producing a ghastly 11.57 ERA across 9.1 innings (three starts). He gave up five runs on four hits and three walks and logged only two outs against the Giants on April 11.
It's unclear when Stroman will return to the Yankees' active roster -- or what his future role will look like, with existing competition in the rotation -- but he'll need a handful of rehab starts to build up his workload after a lengthy absence.
Stroman told the media, including The Athletic's Brendan Kuty, after the game that he's "very open to whatever it may be" when asked about his role when he returns to the Yankees. He also acknowledged that they haven't spoken about it yet, but expects to be built up as a starter with his next rehab start coming next week.
Meanwhile, in the starting lineup for Somerset, veteran slugger Giancarlo Stanton appeared in his second rehab game. Batting second as the designated hitter, he went 1-for-4 with a sharp RBI double to center in the first inning.
Stanton, who's missed the entire season due to lingering tennis elbow injuries, saw game action for the first time on Tuesday. The 35-year-old went 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBI. His return to the big league club is yet to be determined, but it could arrive sooner rather than later.
Claps All Around 👏@Yankees RHP Marcus Stroman wraps up his first rehab outing with Somerset and salutes the crowd on his way to the dugout.
The AHL unveiled its 2024-25 Top Prospect Team on Wednesday with a pair of top Carolina Hurricanes prospects — Bradly Nadeau and Scott Morrow — being named to the team.
The chosen players are selected by the league's hockey operations department in conjunction with AHL general managers as the prospects projected to be the best future NHL players.
To qualify, players must have been 22 years old or younger on the first day of the regular season and must have played in at least 36 regular season AHL games and no more than 30 NHL games.
Morrow, 22, had 13 goals and 39 points in 52 AHL games this season and was a top power play quarterback for the Wolves.
The 2021 second-round pick played in 14 regular season games for Carolina this season, registering a goal and six points, and also played in all five games against the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final as well.
It is also just the first time in AHL history that a pair of teammates from the same organization have each been named to the Top Prospect Team in the same year.
The other players selected to the team include Konsta Helenius (Rochester Americans/Buffalo Sabres), Dalibor Dvorsky (Springfield Thunderbirds/St. Louis Blues), Logan Mailloux (Laval Rockets/Montreal Canadiens) and Jet Greaves (Cleveland Monsters/Columbus Blue Jackets).
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