Heeney, Warner, Blakey, Jordon and Bice attend exit meetings
The five have not been to Swans HQ since August suspension
Sydney’s five suspended players have offered an apology to teammates and colleagues after ending their weeks-long exile from the AFL club.
Swans vice-captain Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice on Wednesday appeared at Sydney’ base at Moore Park for the first time since being banned for breaching club standards in August.
Continue reading...
We’re now into the final week of the season, and we are still playing somewhat meaningful baseball. Admittedly, Baseball Reference gives us just a 3.2% of making the post-season. That seems about right, because we need help elsewhere: either from the Brewers, who are visiting the Phillies (and down 3-1 in the fifth), or the Dodgers, who are being visited by the Padres. Yeah. It does not do my soul good having to cheer for either Milwaukee or Los Angeles, but that is the situation in which we find ourselves. Though if Arizona doesn’t do its part, it won’t matter for much longer into the week.
Here’s how our playoff odds compare to each season at this point (156 games in) in the Mike Hazen era. I’m going off Baseball Reference, because it’s a hell of a lot easier to see the numbers there!
I’m not quite sure why Baseball Reference is reluctant to commit to a cold, hard zero or one hundred percent. Perhaps they’re holding out hope that MLB might find the Dodgers in breach of financial regulations, pull a Glasgow Rangers on them, and send the franchise to start again in A-ball. Which would open up a playoff spot for the Diamondbacks, yay! But if you don’t think that Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo have done a much better job of figuring things out of late, the above chart should kinda put things into perspective. Admittedly, the recent trend is down, but the final week this year is still better than any one in the dark days of 2018-2022.
This will be Michael Soroka’s fourth start of the year against the Rockies, and he has done well. While only 1-0 with a pair of no-decisions, he has allowed only three runs over sixteen innings against them. The one start at Coors was also his one win, pitching 5.2 innings of two-run ball. Meanwhile, Arizona lit up Kyle Freeland in May at Chase Field, torching him for seven earned runs and chasing him in the fourth inning. Here’s to more of that tonight from our hitters, though the usual concerns about any lead at Coors will naturally apply.
Sign up for a user account and get:
Zack Wheeler walked out to the mound at Citizens Bank Park Tuesday night needing three strikeouts to reach 2,000. It took him 12 pitches. Garrett Mitchell went down first. Then Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang were rung up as Wheeler reached the milestone against the Milwaukee Brewers.
But, Wheeler kept going.
William Contreras, Jake Bauers and Christian Yelich struck out in the second. Luis Lara struck out to lead off the third inning. Wheeler struck out seven straight Brewers to start the game, something no Phillies pitcher had done to start a game. Cooper Pratt finally ended it by grounding out to third.
Wheeler, 36, is the 96th pitcher in major league history to reach 2,000 strikeouts and only nine got there faster.
Zack Wheeler strikes out the side in the first inning to reach 2,000 career Ks! https://t.co/R3R5L7zfdEpic.twitter.com/31f3TzQtwP
— MLB (@MLB) September 22, 2026
It came almost a year after a surgeon in St. Louis removed his top rib to address the circulation problem in his arm.
The trouble started after a start in Washington on Aug. 15, 2025. Wheeler felt some heaviness in his right shoulder. By the next morning doctors had found a blood clot near it. The diagnosis was venous thoracic outlet syndrome, meaning a vein was getting pinched between his collarbone and rib cage. The fix was taking out the first rib and some of the muscle around it. He missed the rest of the season and the playoffs.
He came back April 25 against Atlanta, capped at 90 pitches. He hasn't looked back. Wheeler entered Tuesday 13-5 with a 2.99 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 150½ innings. In his previous four starts he had allowed three runs in 26 innings.
Aaron Nola still owns the Phillies' mark for strikeouts in a row at any point in a game. He struck out 10 straight Mets in June 2021, matching Tom Seaver's major league record from 1970. The modern record for starting a game that way is nine, set by Miami's Pablo Lopez against Atlanta in 2021.
Wheeler finished with 11 strikeouts Tuesday night in 5⅔ innings.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zack Wheeler opens with Phillies record 7 straight strikeouts, hits 2,000 for career
The San Francisco Giants run of brutal pitcher injuries has, unfortunately, continued. During Monday’s win over the Minnesota Twins, starter Blade Tidwell left the game with elbow soreness. That usually means one very bad thing and, unfortunately, Tuesday’s news does nothing to dispute that. Prior to the second game of the series, the Giants placed Tidwell on the 15-Day Injured List with a UCL sprain.
That obviously ends Tidwell’s season, but the bigger issue is that it will likely end his 2027 season, as well. A UCL sprain usually means Tommy John surgery, which would put Tidwell in line to return to the mound shortly before 2028 Spring Training.
According to Tidwell, it was a “high grade” sprain, which certainly doesn’t lend itself to optimism. The righty is scheduled to meet with a specialist today, and could seek a second opinion. But unfortunately, pretty much all roads lead to Tommy John at this point.
If that ends up being the case, Tidwell will join Carson Whisenhunt, Trevor McDonald, and Hayden Birdsong as Giants starters to need Tommy John this surgery, after reliever Randy Rodríguez had the operation late last year.
Taking Tidwell’s spot on the roster is reliever Braxton Roxby, who has been called up from AAA Sacramento. Roxby made his MLB debut in late August and pitched in two games for San Francisco, giving up four hits, no walks, and two runs in two innings, with two strikeouts. He’s auditioning for a spot in next year’s bullpen, which really means he’s auditioning for the right to remain on the roster through the offseason.
The Giants likely have another set of moves incoming, as they announced on Tuesday that Landen Roupp’s season is over. Roupp said that he is healthy, but since the Giants have nothing to play for and he’s already set a career high in innings, there’s no need for him to take the mound one last time.
San Francisco has three rostered pitchers in the Minor Leagues that they can call up, presuming Roupp is placed on the IL: Ryan Walker and Seth Lonsway in AAA, and Miguel Mendez in AA. They also could add southpaw Joe Whitman to the roster for his MLB debut, if they’re planning on protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft.
Tonight’s game is important for a number of reasons.
The top reason, of course, is that the Colorado Rockies currently have 99 losses. If they fall tonight, it will officially cement another 100-loss season. Additionally, it could mark Kyle Freeland’s final start at Coors Field as a member of the Colorado Rockies. Freeland has been a stalwart in the Rockies rotation and a leader in the clubhouse since he debuted on April 7, 2017, against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field.
The Denver native’s contract is up at the end of this season, and there have not been any indications one way or another if the Rockies plan to bring him back in some capacity in 2027. He is one of four pitchers to have played 10 Major League seasons with Colorado (also Antonio Senzatela, Germán Márquez and Aaron Cook).
That all said, the Arizona Diamondbacks also have something to play for. Their magic number is “3” as they push ahead to the postseason, four games behind the third-place Philadelphia Phillies (who are only one game behind the San Diego Padres and two games behind the leading Chicago Cubs). The Snakes’ chances of making the postseason are slim, but they are still very much alive in this race.
Freeland has made 24 starts this season after spending two separate stints on the injured list. The Thomas Jefferson High School product was diagnosed with left shoulder inflammation in April, and cervical radiculopathy in August. Known for being a fiery competitor, Freeland pitched four innings in his last outing, but gave up three runs (all home runs) on eight hits to the San Diego Padres on September 15th. The Colorado Kid has faced the D-backs 23 times in his career — the fewest of NL West opponents — and has a 4-10 record and 6.28 ERA. In 2026, he has a 4-10 record and 6.38 ERA, but ranks second in the rotation with a 0.9 fWAR.
He will be up against D-backs’ right-hander Michael Soroka. Soroka signed with the Snakes as a free agent in the winter and has been one of their better pitchers when not dealing with injuries himself. He went on the 15-day IL on June 20th with a left glute strain (returned August 4th) and returned to the IL with right arm inflammation on August 23rd (returned September 9th). In his last start against the Miami Marlins, Soroka pitched five innings and allowed just one run — a home run — on two hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Soroka has faced the Rockies five times in his career (four starts) and is 1-2 with a 3.20 ERA. In his last (and only) outing at Coors Field on May 17th, Soroka allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts across 5.2 innings.
Can the kid who grew up 15 minutes south of Coors Field get one final win in his home ballpark and end his storied career on a high note by spoiling the Snakes’ playoff push? Tune in to find out!
Plus, play along at home tonight with a special edition of Rockies Broadcast Bingo!
First Pitch: 6:40pm MT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
SBN Site:AZ Snake Pit
Lineups:
Sign up for a user account and get:
Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!
Last week was tough for the Chicago White Sox, who could have practically shut the door on the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central race but couldn’t finish the job. With six games remaining in the regular season, the Good Guys start the week with a three-game road trip to face the Kansas City Royals. At this point in the season, the White Sox still control their fate by simply winning games, but the first-round bye that accompanies the division title sounds a whole lot better.
The good news is that the Royals have been struggling again lately, going 3-7 in their last 10, and the South Siders are coming off a rest day and a 3-1 series win over the Detroit Tigers. But let’s not ignore the fact that the one loss was devastating; yes, the one where they blew a 6-0, then 8-2 lead that dropped Chicago out of first. You know the one.
After a day off, the bullpen should be more rested ahead of these final six games, though it would be most ideal for left-handed starter Anthony Kay to own at least five innings. The southpaw looked solid in his last start after a rough stretch. Though two runs scored with Kay on the mound, neither was earned, and the Guardians managed just two hits off him before he was pulled after four frames.
It’s understandable that manager Will Venable keeps a shorter leash on Kay, who owns a 6.00 ERA in his last seven starts and has surrendered 22 earned runs across 33 innings, but there’s also room to evaluate each situation accordingly. Kay relies on a six-pitch arsenal, but tends to throw the sweeper (23.1%) and four-seamer (22.1%) most often; when it’s on, the sweeper is a knockout pitch, drawing a 33.7% whiff and holding opponents to a .238 batting average and a .217 xBA.
With lefthander Daniel Lynch IV on the mound for the Royals, the White Sox are rolling with a classic righty/lefty matchup for the batting order. While Randal Grichuk typically takes the DH role against lefties, he will remain in left field while Tristan Peters takes another day to rest after colliding with the outfield wall in Friday night’s game. Before you ask, yes, Venable does in fact have the ability to play left-handed hitters despite facing a southpaw, but instead of doing that and letting Sam Antonacci play, you will get 38-year-old Tommy Pham batting second, and you will like it.
Your AL Player of the Week, Miguel Vargas, will take over for Chase Meidroth in the leadoff position, which is totally fair considering he posted the seventh-highest OPS (1.250) in MLB over the last seven days, slashing .313/.500/.750 in 16 at-bats. Brenton Doyle has also been getting more playing time with Peters out, but he’s been excellent over the past seven games with a .364/.364/.500 slash line.
Lynch will make his ninth start of the season and his 54th appearance in 2026, and he’s been great for Kansas City this year. The lefty has pitched most of the season out of the bullpen (46 IP as a reliever), but has also shifted into a starting role (30 2/3 IP) since mid-August. As a bonus for the South Siders, Lynch owns a 5.28 ERA as a starting pitcher, and batters are hitting .241 against him compared to a 1.96 ERA and a .185 opponent BA as a reliever.
Even with a lefty on the mound, the Royals will stick with the five left-handed hitters in their lineup, though it’s not like Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, and Salvador Perez are players to scoff at. The biggest threats in the lineup are Carter Jensen (.773 OPS), Witt (.799) and Jac Caglianone (.821).
We’ve been hoping for meaningful baseball for years, and now we have it. I can’t say I don’t wish we’d already clinched; however, we’re probably all collectively losing our minds game by game. Temperatures in Kansas City are in the low 70s and upper 60s, so it should be a beautiful night for some baseball that can only get better with a White Sox win. Tune in to CHSN for the TV broadcast, or ESPN Chicago AM 1000 for the radio and we’ll catch you here after the game.
Sign up for a user account and get:
What marks the first day of autumn on most people’s calendars is just another checkpoint for the Brooklyn Nets, but it’s a key one at that.
As of today, September 22, the Nets are one month removed from the start of their 2026-27 season, which will tip off in the Barclays Center against the Charlotte Hornets on October 21. It’ll mark the team’s 60th season as a franchise, which will also be celebrated all year long.
But while the one month break is significant point to surpass, and we’ll be crossing days off with little-to-no reserve from now until October 21st, several other big days are on deck first. Here’s everything you need to keep an eye out for as we come down this home stretch:
This coming Monday, on September 28th, the media will meet with Sean Marks, Jordi Fernández, and Nets players for their annual media day at HSS Training Center in Brooklyn. It’ll be the first time Marks and Fernández will be made available since the days following the NBA draft. In years past, Media Day has been nothing short of eventful…
Soon after, on October 4th, the Nets will host Fan Fest in Crown Heights. The event looks like an upgraded version of Practice in the Park, though more concentrated on the team’s 60th anniversary rather than the upcoming season alone. There will be panels, interviews, fan Q&As, skills clinics, 3-point contests.
Two days after that, on October 6th, the Nets will play their preseason opener, also against the Hornets but on the road. There, Brooklyn has a shot to get the first look at Naz Reid and former Net Dennis Schröder on their new teams.
Then, on October 8th, the Nets will have their only preseason game at home, hosting the Philadelphia 76ers at the Barclays Center. It’s unlikely the 41-year-old LeBron James plays in that one, but you never know.
On October 12th, they’ll hit the road again to get their first look at AJ Dybantsa and the Washington Wizards. Brooklyn will then wrap things up two days later in Miami on October 14th against the new look Heat, possibly facing old rival Giannis Antetokounmpo in his new threads.
The Charlotte and Washington games will be broadcasted exclusively on DAZN. The Miami and Philadelphia games will be on both DAZN and the YES Network, the two networks announced Tuesday.
After the preseason, Brooklyn will need to make any final roster cut down decisions by October 19th. However, the team already appears set with 15 players on standard contracts and their three two-way slots filled. There will be announceement
Then, on October 21st, it’s game time. As mentioned, the Nets will host the Hornets at the Barclays Center, with the opener scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. EST. The starting line-up? Don’t expect much until Jordi Fernandez meets the media just before tipoff. With that, the wait will be over.
Last week was tough for the Chicago White Sox, who could have practically shut the door on the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central race but couldn’t finish the job. With six games remaining in the regular season, the Good Guys start the week with a three-game road trip to face the Kansas City Royals. At this point in the season, the White Sox still control their fate by simply winning games, but the first-round bye that accompanies the division title sounds a whole lot better.
The good news is that the Royals have been struggling again lately, going 3-7 in their last 10, and the South Siders are coming off a rest day and a 3-1 series win over the Detroit Tigers. But let’s not ignore the fact that the one loss was devastating; yes, the one where they blew a 6-0, then 8-2 lead that dropped Chicago out of first. You know the one.
After a day off, the bullpen should be more rested ahead of these final six games, though it would be most ideal for left-handed starter Anthony Kay to own at least five innings. The southpaw looked solid in his last start after a rough stretch. Though two runs scored with Kay on the mound, neither was earned, and the Guardians managed just two hits off him before he was pulled after four frames.
It’s understandable that manager Will Venable keeps a shorter leash on Kay, who owns a 6.00 ERA in his last seven starts and has surrendered 22 earned runs across 33 innings, but there’s also room to evaluate each situation accordingly. Kay relies on a six-pitch arsenal, but tends to throw the sweeper (23.1%) and four-seamer (22.1%) most often; when it’s on, the sweeper is a knockout pitch, drawing a 33.7% whiff and holding opponents to a .238 batting average and a .217 xBA.
With lefthander Daniel Lynch IV on the mound for the Royals, the White Sox are rolling with a classic righty/lefty matchup for the batting order. While Randal Grichuk typically takes the DH role against lefties, he will remain in left field while Tristan Peters takes another day to rest after colliding with the outfield wall in Friday night’s game. Before you ask, yes, Venable does in fact have the ability to play left-handed hitters despite facing a southpaw, but instead of doing that and letting Sam Antonacci play, you will get 38-year-old Tommy Pham batting second, and you will like it.
Your AL Player of the Week, Miguel Vargas, will take over for Chase Meidroth in the leadoff position, which is totally fair considering he posted the seventh-highest OPS (1.250) in MLB over the last seven days, slashing .313/.500/.750 in 16 at-bats. Brenton Doyle has also been getting more playing time with Peters out, but he’s been excellent over the past seven games with a .364/.364/.500 slash line.
Lynch will make his ninth start of the season and his 54th appearance in 2026, and he’s been great for Kansas City this year. The lefty has pitched most of the season out of the bullpen (46 IP as a reliever), but has also shifted into a starting role (30 2/3 IP) since mid-August. As a bonus for the South Siders, Lynch owns a 5.28 ERA as a starting pitcher, and batters are hitting .241 against him compared to a 1.96 ERA and a .185 opponent BA as a reliever.
Even with a lefty on the mound, the Royals will stick with the five left-handed hitters in their lineup, though it’s not like Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, and Salvador Perez are players to scoff at. The biggest threats in the lineup are Carter Jensen (.773 OPS), Witt (.799) and Jac Caglianone (.821).
We’ve been hoping for meaningful baseball for years, and now we have it. I can’t say I don’t wish we’d already clinched; however, we’re probably all collectively losing our minds game by game. Temperatures in Kansas City are in the low 70s and upper 60s, so it should be a beautiful night for some baseball that can only get better with a White Sox win. Tune in to CHSN for the TV broadcast, or ESPN Chicago AM 1000 for the radio and we’ll catch you here after the game.
Sign up for a user account and get:
Andy Green was announced as the Mets' 26th manager in franchise history, removing the interim tag that he's held for months, and the players are on board with the decision.
“I’m glad they did. Everyone’s happy," Marcus Semien said prior to the team's series opener with the Rangers on Tuesday. "You look at our entire season, not great. But since Andy stepped in, he’s helped a lot of guys be a better version of themselves. We’ve been playing a good brand of baseball. Glad to have that continuity moving forward. Extremely happy for him and his family."
Since Green took over for Carlos Mendoza, the team is 37-38 entering Tuesday but is 31-28 since the All-Star break.
A big part of that turnaround has been the improving health of the team, but also Green's managing style. As many players pointed out Tuesday, Green isn't afraid to hold players accountable, and that has led to better play overall.
"He’s a guy that is straight up with you," Semien said of Green. "Whatever he sees, whatever he may be feeling, he communicates it in a way that you react to well, and you want to work hard for that guy."
"Felt like he’s done a good job and you don’t want to go into the offseason thinking about what’s going to happen," Francisco Lindor said of Green's hiring. "A familiar face that’s been around for a couple of years now, and in the clubhouse with us. It’s a wise decision; it’s a good decision. And looking forward to the next couple of years."
Lindor is one of those players whose improving health has coincided with the team's better play, but the Mets shortstop said that Green brings the "light, joy and accountability" to the team, and that has impacted the clubhouse.
"He’s someone from day one said he would hold players accountable, so if he says something, for better or worse, you have to listen," Lindor said. "He can be a guy that can blend in and stand out as well. With that, that gives him the ability to call people out and the ability to tap someone on the back and say good job."
As Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said in Green's introductory presser ahead of Tuesday's game, continuity was a big reason for the decision to keep Green as the manager. But it couldn't be just anyone, it had to be the right person for the job.
"It has to be the right voice, and we have the right voice with Andy," Stearns said. "A lot of the players pulled me aside after we informed them earlier today. And that familiarity is helpful. The ability to go into the offseason understanding what this is going to look like from a leadership perspective when we all get back in the same room is important for players. It’s comforting for players and allows us as an organization to all move ahead together."
"It’s valuable not only for the manager, but for the guys in here," Semien said of the continuity. "To come back strong, understand what this year was. Learn from it and come back hungry as a group. We want to finish strong here first…and work hard in the offseason. Show up ready to improve."
Andy Green said he “didn’t expect” that he would take the reins as the Mets’ full-time manager, but over the last few weeks it became “more and more obvious” that his days with the interim tag next to his job title were numbered.
“Simply put, I think Andy’s the perfect person for this job,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said at a news conference announcing Green as the permanent manager on a three-year contract Tuesday in Texas, adding he is “thrilled we got to this day” and is “looking forward to parenting” with Green going forward.
“Certainly, when I came down here three months ago I didn’t anticipate this day at all,” Green said. “Wasn’t anything I was thinking could happen, but that does not take away from my level of excitement and passion that I’ve felt over the last three months with this group of guys.”
Green, who spent four seasons managing in San Diego, said he wasn't going to look to get back in the dugout full time until his two youngest daughters graduated from high school. With them as seniors this year, Green said the timing was right, and that his family has “pivoted over the last three months as they’ve seen my passion rise.”
But “above anything else,” Green acknowledged the players in the clubhouse for influencing his decision to take on the full-time role.
“They’ve rekindled in me a love I had for being in the dugout, and I’ve enjoyed believing in them, encouraging, and challenging them,” he said. “At times, holding them accountable and being a mirror for them, and seeing themselves for what they’re doing. I have been grateful for how they have responded
“Certainly know that we have not met the level of expectation of what we want to do in a win-loss capacity, but I am excited to go forward with that group. I have a ton of belief in that group and what we can do together and what we anticipate doing together.”
Green’s future with the club and if he would be a candidate for the managerial job was a topic just about every time Stearns spoke the last few weeks. And just about every time it was asked, the response from Stearns and Green was that he would be returning to the front office for the 2027 season. That changed with the manager calling the executive earlier this month.
“He gave me a call sometime in the first week of September, and wanted to let me know that his passions had changed a little bit,” Stearns said. “I think Andy was very careful to not assume anything, but he wanted me to know that if we wanted him to be a candidate, he was eager to do that. He was willing to serve the organization in whatever capacity we thought was best, but that his passion was in the dugout.”
Stearns admitted that call “got his head spinning a little bit,” but after digesting the change, there were a number of conversations leading to him giving his recommendation to ownership to go with Green.
For his part, Green said he started to feel that itch – what he later called "an overwhelming sense of joy and purpose" – in late July, which was a “tough time to start saying you’re feeling more passion for being in the dugout.”
“It was trade deadline time; we weren’t necessarily winning baseball games, there were a lot of conversations that had to be had with players to help walk them through difficult chapters,” Green said. “And I started thinking, if I have such a passion for the hard times, I’m looking forward to the good times.”
Green added that with August and moving forward with the new group after the deadline, it became “more and more clear,” and that once he reached the decision with his family, he made the call to Stearns.
Stearns said that the organization did "a significant amount of due diligence on external candidates" to uphold their "responsibility" to make sure they knew who else would be out there before Green put pen to paper on the contract, "but we never got to the point of interviewing an external candidate."
Green, who has a 37-38 record since he took over as interim following the firing of Carlos Mendoza, said he feels getting key pieces back from injury and the players have "gelled together and enjoyed playing together," which helped them play better baseball of late.
"This is a player-led business where they gotta take ownership of their careers and have the initiative to make this place great," Green said. "I think they've felt a transferring of that ownership and initiative. And I think they've risen up and played better baseball. Perfect baseball? No. And is there better baseball than we've played up 'til now? Yes.
But the newly minted skipper is "encouraged" by the way they have come together and "played with a better measure of freedom" since he came into the dugout.
"I think you see that on a pretty daily basis, so encouraged by those things," he continued. "We still have real strides to make to get to where we wanna go. We're very aware of that."
In making those strides for next season, Green told the clubhouse on Tuesday, after informing them of his new contract, that the "bright lights next year will reveal the work they did or didn't do in the shadows of the offseason."
"We have a lot of work to do on an individual basis," he said. "And each one of those guys is responsible for coming back as a better version of themselves and transferring that ownership to them was imperative to do, and it's why I'm so hungry to just get this announcement out of the way and move forward so we can have player meetings and talk to them individually about, 'Where's your next stride? Where's the next step? How do you get back to your best level of greatness?' And then try to set up an offseason where we're all collectively pushing in that direction.
"For me, there's a lot of work ahead. And the last three months there's been progress. Enough [progress]? No, we've got more to do."
Stearns added that he sees Green as having an ability to “connect the organization in ways that very few people could.”
“He allows us to connect front office to dugout, he allows us to connect minor league to major league, and he provides us a level of continuity that we need right now,” he said. “And a level of stability and belief that I think our players and our entire organization covet.”
And that his experience is a huge plus for the Mets heading into 2027.
“His experience throughout his career in this game, his experience in our organization over the last three years, our relationship that we’ve developed, and his ability to lead our clubhouse makes him the right choice,” Stearns said. “I’m thrilled that Andy has gotten to the point where this is the right choice for him and his family, as well. And I think we’re in very good hands in our dugout going forward.”
Stearns said that no decision had been made about the rest of the Mets coaching staff, and they would conduct a full review during the offseason, which is the organization's standard procedure.
It’s the last homestand of the year.
That sentence brings no small measure of relief. This has been a trying season for the Royals, and it’s certainly been a trying last month for the Royals. They have lost 14 of their last 19 games. And unlike some past years where the Royals have pivoted to playing a young lineup, there is little potential excitement in this year’s squad. We know who’s good, and everybody who isn’t good probably isn’t going to have a job in Kansas City next year.
It’s also the last Royals game I’m covering as a member of the press this year. As it was the first game of the homestand, both Matt Quatraro and JJ Picollo did pregame press conferences in the dugout. Here are some takeaways from that and from a few interviews in the clubhouse:
Here we go:
New York Mets @ Texas Rangers
Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
The Shed
LHP Sean Manaea vs. RHP MacKenzie Gore
The Mets can’t be assed to release a lineup. Here is Texas’:
Go Rangers!
Francisco Lindor – SS
Juan Soto – LF
Bo Bichette – 3B
Mark Vientos – 1B
Carson Benge – RF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Francisco Alvarez – DH
A.J. Ewing – CF
Luis Torrens – C
SP: Sean Manaea – LHP
Wyatt Langford – LF
Corey Seager – SS
Josh Jung – 3B
Jake Burger – 1B
Brandon Nimmo – RF
Ezequiel Duran – CF
Justin Foscue – 2B
Elias Diaz – DH
Danny Jansen – C
SP: MacKenzie Gore – LHP
First pitch: 8:05 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
Many NBA teams can look you in the eye and say they have talented bench units, and they’d be right. The Oklahoma City Thunder, with Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Jaylin Williams; the New York Knicks, with Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet, and Jose Alvarado; and the San Antonio Spurs, with Keldon Johnson and Dylan Harper, all have cases for boasting some of the deepest rosters in the league. But how many of them think they have six starters?
Steve Kerr used that term to describe the 2023-24 Golden State Warriors heading into the season after the team traded for Chris Paul. Paul was coming off a season in which he helped the Suns finish fourth in the West and ranked fifth in the NBA in assists per game. Despite their struggles on the road the season before, the Warriors had one of the best starting lineups in the league and were adding a player who had made his third straight All-Star appearance in 2021-22. While the Suns’ starting lineup during the 2025-26 campaign wasn’t as strong as the Warriors’ was before they added Paul, one major contributor to Phoenix’s surprising success last year is slated to start this season on the bench.
Collin Gillespie.
Gillespie started 70% of the team’s games last season and averaged career highs in nearly every statistical category. He’s now slated to be the Suns’ first man off the bench, with Jalen Green taking his place in the starting backcourt alongside Devin Booker. While the team had a better record when Gillespie didn’t start (Phoenix was 30-28 in his starts and 15-9 when he didn’t), he played an integral part in the team’s rotations and helped Phoenix reach the playoffs in a season expected to be marked by regression. The Suns also had a higher winning percentage when Gillespie started than when Green did, and their worst stretch of the season came while Green was starting.
Some of Gillespie’s best games of the 2025-26 season came in starts: his 28-point, eight-three-pointer game against the Lakers, his 30-point double-double against the Trail Blazers, and his 25-point outing against the Wizards. With Green out for most of the season, Gillespie took on many of his starting guard responsibilities and provided floor spacing and another ballhandler alongside Booker.
With Green playing a major role for the 2024-25 Houston Rockets, who finished second in the Western Conference with 52 wins, and averaging at least 17 points in four straight seasons, he has proven himself as a consistent scorer. While his efficiency remains a concern, his upside and experience as a starter helping teams develop put him firmly in the starting guard spot next to Booker. But this isn’t about comparing Green to Gillespie; it’s about whether Gillespie is a starting-level guard.
At the end of last season, Gillespie struggled mightily, averaging 7.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 34.1/28.1/85.7 shooting splits in his final 15 games of the regular season. But his body of work for the season is more important than how he ended it, considering the injuries Phoenix dealt with late in the season and the adjustment of reinserting Dillon Brooks and Booker into the starting lineup after their injuries.
The biggest difference for Collin Gillespie from last year to this year (outside of his paycheck) is that the team knows he’s capable of playing heavy minutes and contributing to winning. The question, however, is whether his performance a season ago showed he’s ready for a larger role and capable of consistently starting, rather than doing so out of necessity.
When it comes to the Lakers’ lineup rotation for 2026-27, it’ll look a lot different for the team and coach JJ Redick compared to when the 2025-26 season ended just a few months ago.
After an offseason roster reconstruction, over half of the players on the Lakers’ roster (nine players) will be new faces.
And that doesn’t include younger players looking to fight for more playing time, such as second-year forward Adou Thiero and third-year guard Bronny James.
While there are multiple players guaranteed to be featured in the Lakers’ rotation as long as they’re healthy and available, there are still several spots to fill.
In light of training camp starting next week, and preseason games kicking off in 1 ½ weeks, here is the California Post’s best projection for what the Lakers’ rotation will look like once the regular season tips off in a month:
Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler
Let’s get the easy decisions out of the way.
Doncic and Reaves are the Lakers’ star players, and were the league’s highest-scoring duo during the 2025-26 regular season.
In addition to sending the Jazz two unprotected first-round draft picks and two protected first–round picks, the Lakers are paying Kessler at least $30 million in each of the next few seasons after having interest in him the last few years.
They didn’t make that investment to bring him off of the bench.
Doncic, Reaves and Kessler are sharpied as starters.
Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia
From investment and skillset standpoints, the expectation is Grimes will be a Day 1 starter.
Grimes will be the Lakers’ fourth-highest paid player this season ($13.9 million salary) after signing a four-year, $60 million contract in July.
And his complementary skills as a shooter and point-of-attack defender fill the needs the team has around their three marquee players.
Not only is Grimes a lock for the rotation, but it’s a safe bet he’ll be a starter, too.
The choices for the Lakers’ fifth starting spot has been covered extensively, and LaRavia should be the player who slides that into slot.
He played in all 82 regular season games for the Lakers in 2025-26, but started nearly half of the season when one (or multiple) of the regular starters were sidelined. It’s clear he won the trust of the Lakers’ coaching staff. And at 25 years old, he has room to grow as a player. His familiarity with Doncic and Reaves helps, too.
Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle
The Lakers made a significant investment in Mamukelashvili, signing the 6-foot-9 big man to a four-year, $52 million contract. He’ll be the first or second option off of the bench for the power forward or small-ball center looks.
Sexton will be the Lakers’ top guard off of the bench.
Redick mentioned in May that the team needed to improve with dribbling, passing and shooting.
Outside of Doncic and Reaves, Sexton and Mamukelashvili provide the best combination of all three skills.
Williams, a lottery pick in 2021, has untapped potential entering his sixth season in the NBA.
Thybulle is the Lakers’ best perimeter defender, even if there are questions about his durability after playing a combined 45 regular season games the last two seasons.
The Lakers have used nine- and 10-men rotations under Redick.
If the plan is to have a 10-man rotation, there will be a fierce competition for the final spot.
Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, Kevon Looney, Jarred Vanderbilt
Each player brings distinct strengths and weaknesses.
Vanderbilt is the best defender, but his lack of shooting can cramp the offensive spacing alongside a traditional big man.
Looney remains a high-level screener and rebounder, but he’s coming off of playing 21 regular season games for a Pelicans team that chose to have multiple big men ahead of him in the depth chart.
Carr is the best shooter of the group and provides vertical athleticism, but needs to get stronger to be a reliable defender on the wings.
Thiero is the best athlete but needs to refine his skills.
Mamukelashvili’s ability to be a floor-spacing center opens up an opportunity for Vanderbilt to be the swiss-army knife defender the Lakers would benefit from in the frontcourt next to Mamukelashvili.
Thiero may be the Lakers’ long-term focus, but Vanderbilt should be ready to contribute more to winning from Day 1 and be in the rotation to start the season.
There should be opportunities for Thiero and Carr to get minutes, but they’ll have to earn that playing time, starting with next week’s camp.