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Minor League roundup, April 14: Richmond’s outfield continues to shine

Close up of Scott Bandura in a Richmond jersey.
ALTOONA, PA - SEPTEMBER 04: Scott Bandura #5 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels looks on during the game between the Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Altoona Curve at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Thursday, September 4, 2025 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Sydney Kaschalk/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)

Only three of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action on Tuesday, as poor AAA Sacramento just can’t get in a game. The River Cats had both of their weekend games cancelled due to rain, which followed them as they traveled north from Sacramento to Tacoma, postponing their game on Tuesday. They’ll try again tonight, in what will hopefully be their first game since Friday, and the teams are scheduled for a doubleheader on Thursday. Now let’s get to 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

Help is on the way for San Francisco. Major League LHP Sam Hentges, who started his rehab assignment over the weekend with a perfect inning for Low-A San Jose, was moved up to AAA Sacramento. He’ll likely pitch a few times for the River Cats, and then be activated and added to the Major League roster.

Sacramento had to make space for Hentges on the roster, and they did so by sending RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) back to AA Richmond. That’s a bit of a bummer for Bednar, who was a non-roster invitee, and already dealt with the disappointment of beginning the year on the Development List, presumably also for roster logistics purposes. Bednar pitched well in a pair of games for the River Cats, with 4 strikeouts and just 2 baserunners in 3 scoreless innings. He’ll surely be back in Sacramento when roster space allows it.

According to Baseball America’s Jesús Cano, LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL), whose season was delayed by a spring injury, threw 3 innings in a simulation game at Papago yesterday, and reached 97 mph. The reigning Cal League Pitcher of the Year should be in High-A soon.

And finally, the Giants announced on Wednesday that AAA Sacramento outfielders Will Brennan and Drew Gilbert had been called up, as Major Leaguers Jared Oliva and Harrison Bader are headed to the IL. That means there will be some transactions in a flurry to get enough outfielders to the River Cats.

AA Richmond (9-1)

Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) 11-7
Box score

If the Squirrels weren’t on fire before, they certainly are now. After losing their opener, Richmond has now won 9 consecutive games, as they’re off to a truly brilliant start to the season. Then again, all of the affiliates are off to a brilliant start … if only the team in San Francisco could get the memo!

Richmond won this game on the back of hits, hits, and then some more hits, as they totaled 17 in the contest en route to their 11 runs.

It started at the top of the lineup, where a pair of hitters set the table with 3-hit days. Leading off was left fielder Scott Bandura, who had a brilliant day, hitting 3-4 with a pair of doubles, while also adding both a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly. That flurry of productive contact rewarded Bandura with a whopping 5 runs batted in for the day.

Bandura is really putting on a clinic on how to master a level the 2nd time around. The left-handed hitter, who was taken in the 7th round of the 2023 draft, was promoted to Richmond late last year, and had some struggles as he got his feet under him. Bandura posted a .626 OPS and an 88 wRC+ in 45 games with the Squirrels last year, but even those numbers look a little worse with some digging, as they were propped up by a lot of walks. The now-24-year old hit just .199, and struck out 30.6% of the time.

But the old adage of “one to measure, two to rake” doesn’t just apply to individual at-bats. Bandura appears to have applied that to his time in the Eastern League, as he’s raised his average to .333, while slashing his strikeout rate in half, all the way down to 14.9%. That, combined with his 6 extra-base hits, has given him a .913 OPS and a 140 wRC+ through 10 games this year.

We’re still a few months of good performance away from talking about Bandura in AAA, but it’s not exactly the rosiest of outfield situations in Sacramento. Hopefully Bandura keeps putting pressure on, and can earn a 2nd consecutive midseason promotion.

Hitting behind Bandura was second baseman Dayson Croes, who went 3-6 and also bopped a pair of doubles, while knocking in 3 runs. It’s been a sensational start to the year for Croes, a 26-year old who was signed out of indy ball a year ago. But that really shouldn’t surprise anyone, as the lefty was awesome in his stint with Richmond a season ago … and also awesome in his stint with Sacramento.

But the Giants are having Croes repeat AA, despite those strong results, primarily because fellow second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) has earned the AAA priority. Croes is taking it in stride, by taking all of his good numbers in AA last year and making them even better: his average has jumped from .307 to .349, his on-base percentage from .354 to .391, his slugging percentage from .400 to .488, and his walk rate from 6.0% to 6.5%, while his strikeouts have dropped from 18.1% to 15.2%. All of that has resulted in an .880 OPS and a 134 wRC+. Unfortunately, it does feel like Croes will be unfairly stuck in AA for a while, unless the Giants decide they want him (or Furman) to try a new position, which seems unlikely given that they both struggle to handle second as is.

If the top of the lineup was the star that drove the team to victory, the bottom of the lineup was one hell of a wingman. The trio that hit in the 7-9 slots — catcher Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL), third baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL), and right fielder Turner Hill — positively shined. Cavanaugh offered up the latest data point that his 2025 breakout season was not a fluke, as he hit 2-3 with a double, a walk, and a hit by pitch, while also striking out and getting caught stealing.

The 7 extra-base hits in 7 games is the headline-grabber for Cavanaugh, but I’d argue that the most important thing he’s shown is improved contact. He only got into 14 games for Richmond last year, but hit just .186 with a 26.8% strikeout rate and a 14.8% swinging strike rate. This year? A .435 average, a 9.1% strikeout rate, and a 7.6% swinging strike rate. Those numbers will come down (or up, as the case may be), but when you start that great, you have room to fall while staying in a strong place. The result, for now, is a blistering 1.432 OPS and a 262 wRC+. So watch out, those who fear the talking heads: the Patrick Bailey discourse has already become insufferable thanks to Daniel Susac and Jesús Rodríguez, don’t let Cavanaugh join the party!

As for the other pair, Velasquez hit 2-4 with a hit by pitch to raise his OPS to .798 and his wRC+ to 128, while Hill went 2-4 with a walk, bumping his OPS to 1.007 and his wRC+ to 164. I expect both of those players — who initially made it to Richmond in 2024 — to get their first real glimpse of AAA at some point this year (I say “real” because Hill has been an emergency fill-in for the River Cats on numerous occasions over the years). It’s certainly notable that Velasquez, who is still somehow only 22 years old, played third base in this game for the 1st time in his career. Some of that may be due to roster logistics in Richmond, but it also may be a way to prepare him for AAA since, as mentioned, Furman is blocking second base.

While it was the top and bottom of the order that carried the team, the prettiest swing of the day belonged to the heart of the order, as center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) left the building with a gorgeous swing of the bat in the 7th inning.

That salvaged an otherwise poor day for Davidson — he finished 1-5 with 3 strikeouts — but my goodness, that really might be the prettiest swing in the organization. The 23-year old is showing there’s still plenty for him to work on in AA — neither his .240 average nor his 28.6% strikeout rate are telling the organization that he’s almost ready for AAA — but he’s also emphasizing his game-changing abilities. So far he has 3 home runs in just 7 games, all while holding it down in center field. Perhaps it’s that new dad strength I’ve heard so much about!

The pitching was better than the score would suggest, as 5 of Hartford’s 7 runs came in the 9th inning, when RHP Cameron Pferrer got roughed up and couldn’t make it through the inning, forcing long reliever RHP Shane Rademacher into emergency duty to record the final out.

But the piggybacking starters pitched quite well, with RHP Logan Martin and LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL) handling the Yard Goats quite adeptly. Martin, who was making his 2nd start with the organization after coming over this winter in the Mason Black trade, had a bounce-back game after a rough AA debut. The 2023 12th-round pick, who will turn 25 later this season, gave up just 3 hits and 1 walk in 4.1 innings, with 4 strikeouts and only 1 run allowed.

The strikeouts and walks will be worth watching for Martin, as they may determine whether he’s able to continue developing as a starter or will have to move to a relief role at some point. He only had 7.7 strikeouts against 3.6 walks per 9 innings in High-A in 2025, and the Giants will need to see improvement on that front.

Speaking of fluctuating between starting and relieving, it’s still not entirely clear what role Choate has, but he played it damn well on Tuesday, giving up just 2 singles and a walk in 3.1 innings, while striking out 6 batters (he also gave up an unearned run). Choate, a soon-to-turn 25-year old whom the Giants selected in the 9th round in 2022, has been playing something of a hybrid relief/piggybacking starter role, with 7.2 innings through 3 appearances this year. So far his strikeout stuff — which has always been surprisingly high given his lack of velocity — has taken a leap forward, from 10.8 per 9 a year ago, to 15.3 this season. That’s still a very small sample size though, so we’ll see how that holds. Either way, it’s been a great start to the year for Choate, who is trying to prove he belongs in AAA as he nears the 150-inning mark in AA.

High-A Eugene (8-2)

Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 7-1
Box score

A really phenomenal pitching showing for the Emeralds, who allowed just 4 hits on the day. They did issue 6 walks, but 4 of those came from RHP Trey Dillard who, like Pferrer with Richmond, entered the game late, struggled, and had to be relieved for the final out of the game.

But the 3 pitchers who came before him pitched wonderfully. It started with LHP Charlie McDaniel, who took down 3 scoreless frames with just 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter, while striking out 4. McDaniel wasn’t the most efficient — he needed 52 pitches for those 3 innings, with just 32 strikes — but 4 strikeouts and 0 extra-base hits paint the picture of someone who made hitters uncomfortable all day long. Through 2 starts, the 24-year old UDFA has yet to allow a run.

Next up was LHP Esmerlin Vinicio, who is having a much-needed awesome season. Vinicio threw 19 of 30 pitches for strikes while tossing 2 shutout innings with just 1 hit allowed, and striking out 2 batters.

It feels like Vinicio has been in the system forever, though he only just turned 23 years old. He’s still lacking physicality, though this year he no longer looks like he could blow away with a strong gust of Pacific Northwest wind. Most importantly, after a few seasons of really struggling with walks, Vinicio has shown much better command through an admittedly tiny sample size: he’s issued just 1 walk in 4.2 innings, with 6 strikeouts (he’s also only given up 1 hit, and 0 runs). Vinicio, who was signed in 2019 out of the Dominican Republic, might need a strong year to stay in the organization.

And then it was RHP Ryan Slater, San Francisco’s 18th-round pick in 2024. He was utterly dynamic in 2 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out 5 batters. Slater had a solid debut season last year with Low-A San Jose, but so far he’s been much better in High-A … though he’s only pitched 5 innings. Still, a great start to the year for the 23-year old, who has a 1.80 ERA and a 2.89 FIP.

Despite the 7 runs, it was a fairly mild-mannered day for Eugene’s offense, as they had 7 hits, just 2 extra-base hits, and 2 walks. But they made the most of their swings, no one more so than catcher Onil Perez, who hit 1-3 with a strikeout, but bashed his 1st home run of the season.

Perez was once one of the better catcher prospects in the system, but has fallen on some tough times as of late, which has resulted in a 4th consecutive year getting reps in the Northwest League. He did finally put up some good numbers with Eugene last year, but really struggled in AA. That, combined with the emergence of Drew Cavanaugh, pushed Perez back down a level, and now he’s 2nd on the depth chart behind Diego Cartaya.

He entered this game just 1-12 on the year, but every hit helps, and that’s doubly (or perhaps quadruply) true for big flies. The season is long, so there’s plenty of time for Perez — who is only 23 — to find his swing again.

Second baseman Zander Darby had the only multi-hit game for the Ems, as he went 2-4 with a stolen base and a strikeout. It’s been a dreamy start to the year for the 23-year old lefty, who was a 12th-round pick in 2024, as he has a 1.029 OPS and a 178 wRC+ through 8 games (ignore the 29.4% strikeout rate and 0.0% walk rate). Darby had an excellent 2 months with Low-A San Jose last year, but struggled mightily in his month to end the year with Eugene. Nice to see him adapt to the level and start to take care of it.

Quiet — but not bad — games for the team’s pair of top prospects. Center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) hit 1-3 with a walk, while shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) went 1-4 with a double and a strikeout. Jordan, who has an .804 OPS and a 112 wRC+, has just 1 strikeout in his last 4 games, after amassing 13 Ks in his 1st 5 games of the year. Kilen, who has a 1.067 OPS and a 176 wRC+, has 7 extra-base hits in just 9 games, as July’s 1st-round pick is off to a brilliant start to his 1st full season.

Low-A San Jose (7-3)

San Jose Giants lost to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) 12-6
Box score

The San Jose Giants did something we all desperately wish the San Francisco Giants would do: they hit a lot of home runs. Unfortunately, the end result for the Baby Giants was something the Adult Giants are all too familiar with: a loss.

But it wasn’t due to the long ball, as San Jose bopped a trio of big flies.

The 1st one came on the very 1st pitch of the day, from the very best prospect on the team, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL).

Level returned to the lineup after missing a few games, and wasted no time making his impact with a gorgeous swing of the bat. It was his only hit of the day, as the 19-year old switch-hitter ended the game 1-4 with a walk, a strikeout, and his 1st error of the season.

There have been a lot of star performers in the Minors for the Giants this year, but I’d argue no one has had a better year than Level, who is building on last year’s breakout campaign by hitting 15-31 through 7 games, with 3 home runs, 5 doubles, 4 walks, just 7 strikeouts, and 3 stolen bases, all while playing solid defense at shortstop. Level has started to pop up at the very end of some top 100 lists and, if he keeps performing even remotely like this, I think he’ll likely be residing in the top 50 in every midseason prospect list. Really couldn’t ask for a better beginning to the year for someone who, it’s worth repeating, is more than 2 years younger than the average player in the Cal League.

If Level is the MVP of the farm system at this point, then catcher Junior Barajas is first or second-team All-Farm. Last year’s 11th-round pick continues to rake in his debut season, as he hit 1-4 with a home run and a walk.

The 21-year old lefty isn’t playing every day due to his position, but he’s making the most of his playing time, going 10-31 with 3 homers, 4 doubles, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts, for a 1.124 OPS and a 166 wRC+. Like Level, Barajas is doing that with solid defense at a premier position, as he’s wasted no time looking like the Giants latest late-round steal. We need more than 7 games before we can give him that crown, but still … the Giants have to be thrilled with what they’re seeing.

And rounding out the home run party was designated hitter Broedy Poppell, who hit 1-3 with a walk and his 1st career home run. That’s always worth celebrating!

Like Barajas, Poppell was a late pick by the Giants last year, as he went in the 13th round for a meager $50K signing bonus. The switch-hitter, who turns 24 soon, has been awesome in his debut season, hitting 6-20 with 5 walks against just 4 strikeouts. Normally an outfielder, Poppell is a little bit more a control the zone guy than a home run hitter, despite what he did Tuesday. That was his 1st extra-base hit, but he has more walks than strikeouts, which was also the case in his 2 seasons as a starter at Florida A&M.

Also a nice day for second baseman Dario Reynoso, who hit 2-4 with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. The right-handed hitter, who just turned 21, has had something of a mixed bag of a season in 2025. Last year he dominated the Complex League (.999 OPS, 158 wRC+), but was awful in his short stint with San Jose (.472 OPS, 45 wRC+). Things are much rosier in his 2nd pass through the level, as he has a .785 OPS and a 125 wRC+. But the issue with his 2025 was that he struck out a lot … even while decimating ACL pitchers, Reynoso had a red flag strikeout rate of 31.7%, which rose to 38.6% in San Jose. It’s still a troubling number this year, at 31.3%. And finally, there’s the power issue: Reynoso sported a .258 ISO in the ACL last year, thanks to 10 home runs and 27 total extra-base hits in just 53 games. He has just 1 extra-base hit this season, and through 22 total games in Low-A only has 4 … all of which have been doubles.

I’m stalling on the hitters because the pitchers weren’t good and I don’t want to talk about them. RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) got the start, and it was a great game until it wasn’t.

Martinez was on absolute cruise control for a while, as he was perfect through the 1st 3 innings. But he ran into so much trouble in the 4th inning that he didn’t make it out of the frame, as he gave up 2 hits (both singles), 2 walks, and a hit batter, while only recording 2 outs. That, combined with RHP Mauricio Estrella allowing 2 of the inherited runners to score, tattooed 4 earned runs on Martinez’s ledger in just 3.2 innings, despite looking great for most of the game, and recording 5 strikeouts.

The 21-year old Martinez has yet to replicate last year’s breakout campaign, as he has a 9.45 ERA and a 6.57 FIP through 2 starts. But that’s a tiny sample size, and he has 9 strikeouts in 6.2 innings. There can be no denying that he has some of the best stuff in the system, he just needs to harness it.

RHP Melvin Pineda also showed off the strikeout stuff despite some struggles. The 2021 international signee from Venezuela, who turns 22 next month, gave up a hit, a walk, a hit batter, and a run in just 1.2 innings, but struck out 4 batters. He has 10 strikeouts through 5.2 innings this year.

Home run tracker

3 — Bo Davidson — [AA]
3 — Jhonny Level — [Low-A]
3 — Junior Barajas — [Low-A]
1 — Onil Perez — [High-A]
1 — Broedy Poppell — [Low-A]

Wednesday schedule

Sacramento: 6:05 p.m. PT at Tacoma (SP: Carson Whisenhunt)
Richmond: 4:10 p.m. PT at Hartford (SP: Greg Farone)
Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Everett (SP: Tyler Switalski)
San Jose: 6:30 p.m. PT at Rancho Cucamonga (SP: Cody Delvecchio)

Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV.

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Karl-Anthony Towns says Knicks will 'be judged on what we do on this run'

Karl-Anthony Towns had an up-and-down 2025-26 season for the Knicks. While he earned his second All-Star appearance in two years with New York, he also averaged a career-low 31.0 minutes per game, and his 20.1 points per game were the lowest since his rookie season. 

But speaking with reporters on Wednesday ahead of the Knicks’ first round playoff matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, Towns said that he, and the entire team, will be judged on what they do in the postseason. 

“It’s great that we put ourselves in this position, to be in the playoffs in this position, but at the end of the day, the regular season doesn’t mean anything if we don’t capitalize on this opportunity,” he said.

"This is the time. We've got to go out there and we've got to execute and we've gotta capitalize on this opportunity. At the end of the day, we'll be judged on what we do on this run."

Towns’ fit and role in Mike Brown’s system has been a topic of discussion all season, but the versatile big man could be a real matchup problem for the Hawks. Towns had 36 points and 15 rebounds against Atlanta back in December, and he went for 21 points and 12 rebounds against them earlier this month. 

“I’ve got to continue to impact winning and do whatever this team needs me to do or sacrifice for to get us the win, so I’m willing to do that,” he said. 

“Trust my work, that’s where my confidence is built,” he later added. “It’s built when there are no lights, no cameras, no fans. Just me, the basketball and the hoop. Me and the great (assistant coach) Mark Bryant, we get to work and my confidence is built there.”

The Knicks took two out of three head-to-head matchups with the Hawks this season, but Towns knows Atlanta, who finished first in the Southeast Division this year, will provide a challenge.

“I mean, they’re a great team,” Towns said. “They’re young, they’re athletic, and they cause turnovers. So, we expected ourselves needing to be the best. We just have to continue to use those one percents every game in the regular season to be the team we want to be at this time.”

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Fantasy Basketball: LeBron James, Jalen Duren among notable free agents

Offseason moves are another aspect of the pre-draft process that fantasy managers need to consider. New faces in new places, either via free agency or trades, significantly impact the outlooks of players, whether it's the one being moved or the teammates around him. Here are ten potential free agents (unrestricted, restricted and player or team option) whose statuses will affect fantasy basketball in 2026-27.

NBA: Milwaukee Bucks at Detroit Pistons
Ryan Rollins, Saddiq Bey highlight the top fantasy basketball pickups
Rollins, Bey and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are among the in-season pickups who offered unexpected fantasy value in 2025-26.

G James Harden, Cleveland Cavaliers

Harden has a player option worth just over $42.3 million for the 2026-27 season, and his time in Cleveland has been a success so far. In 26 regular-season games, with the Cavaliers going 19-7, The Beard averaged 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks and 3.1 three-pointers in nearly 34 minutes.

While Harden isn't the prolific scorer that he was during his prime, he's still a capable playmaker who has shot 43.5 percent from three since joining the Cavaliers. Plus, their current rotation has a wealth of offensive options that were bound to lessen Harden's influence as a scorer. And availability has not been an issue recently, with Harden playing at least 70 regular-season games in each of the last three seasons.

G Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers

Like Harden, Reaves has a player option for next season, worth just under $15 million. Given the production, especially this season, he's due for a major payday this summer. Injuries limited Reaves to 51 appearances in 2025-26, but he was highly productive when on the floor, averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.3 three-pointers in 34.5 minutes per game.

His fantasy outlook for 2026-27 will be affected by what happens with LeBron James, but last summer signaled a shift from James to Luka Dončić as the franchise's focal point. If LeBron isn't in the fold, Reaves becomes an even better fantasy prospect in Los Angeles.

C Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Duren essentially bet on himself going into the 2025-26 season, not agreeing to a rookie extension before the October deadline. He'll be a restricted free agent this summer, and the first-time All-Star stands to strike it rich. Duren appeared in 70 games for the Pistons, averaging 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks in 28.2 minutes. Whether you're talking about points or category leagues, Duren was a top-50 player on the team that finished the regular season with the best record in the East. He didn't have a top-50 ADP last fall; that won't be the case ahead of the 2026-27 season.

G Trae Young, Washington Wizards

Injuries limited Young to 15 games this season, five after being traded to the Wizards in January. He has a player option for next season worth just under $49 million, and remaining in Washington either on that deal or a reworked contract would significantly affect the fantasy values of multiple players. Young being in the mix eliminates most of Bub Carrington's redraft league value, and he wasn't the best option in those formats down the stretch, even with increased playing time.

Wings like Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Will Riley will have to take on more responsibilities defensively, but each could benefit as finishers with Young running the show. This can also be said for Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr, although there are questions regarding how those two bigs will fit alongside each other. Young will remain an early-round draft pick, regardless of league format.

F LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

James, who will turn 42 in December, has not yet decided whether he'll play next season, so we'll operate as if he's definitely playing. As an unrestricted free agent, what would his market be, with the age countering the lengthy list of achievements. Does he stay with the Lakers on a reduced deal, freeing up more money for Austin Reaves? Does James head elsewhere with designs on winning a title for a fourth different franchise? Given the skill set, he can fit in just about any system, even if the fantasy ceiling is lower than it was in seasons past.

F/C Kristaps Porziņǵis, Golden State Warriors

When healthy, Porziņǵis can be an excellent fantasy asset, especially in category leagues. However, availability is a major concern, with injuries including a lingering illness, limiting the Warriors' forward/center to 32 games this season between Golden State and Atlanta. Porziņǵis averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.2 blocks and 1.7 three-pointers in 24.0 minutes per game, shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 84.2 percent from the foul line.

After entering the 2025-26 season with a Yahoo! ADP just outside of the top-50, Porziņǵis is highly unlikely to reach those heights next fall. A healthy KP can be a top-50 fantasy player, if not better, but the recent issues making a risky player to commit an early-round pick on.

C Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder will have some decisions to make this summer, as starters Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort have team options for the 2026-27 campaign. Limited to 47 games, iHart has a team option for next season worth $28.5 million. In those appearances, the 7-footer averaged 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks in 24.2 minutes, shooting 62.2 percent from the field and 61.0 percent from the foul line.

Hartenstein's abilities as a rebounder and facilitator make him a solid center option, especially for those punting free-throw percentage. If he were to move on this summer, Jaylin Williams is someone whose fantasy value would receive a boost if the Thunder were to stick with a two-big lineup; Cason Wallace or Ajay Mitchell would benefit if the Thunder decided to slide Jalen Williams to the four.

G Fred VanVleet, Houston Rockets

VanVleet, whose player option for next season is worth $25 million, has not played this season due to a torn ACL suffered just before the start of training camp. Unfortunately, the injury kept fantasy managers from seeing how a partnership between VanVleet and Kevin Durant would work, with the latter's offensive gravity likely making it easier for the former to find quality shots.

Even with VanVleet shooting 37.8 percent from the field in 2024-25, his lowest percentage since his rookie season, the Rockets guard was still a top-75 player in category leagues. He's capable of remaining a highly valuable guard in fantasy basketball next season, especially if playing alongside Durant.

G/F Norman Powell, Miami Heat

Powell was on a roll to begin his first season with the Heat, averaging 23.0 points per game on 47.4 percent shooting in 45 games before the All-Star break. Unfortunately, injuries limited his availability and productivity after the break, pushing the Heat wing's season-long fantasy value outside of the top-50. Powell will be an unrestricted free agent, and uncertainty in Miami may place him in a holding pattern.

Do the Heat make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is not eligible to sign an extension with the Bucks until October? If so, what would Milwaukee's asking price be? Does Powell even wait to see how that situation plays out before deciding on his future? At his best, Powell can offer excellent fantasy value, but there are some unknowns for fantasy managers to consider.

C Nikola Vučević, Boston Celtics

Vučević, who will be an unrestricted free agent, moved from a starting role to the bench when he was traded from Chicago to Boston. A fractured finger suffered in early March limited him to 16 regular-season appearances with the Celtics, with Vooch recording averages of 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.6 blocks and 1.1 three-pointers in 21.1 minutes. Fitting into a new rotation is never easy, and the injury did Vučević no favors. However, his fantasy value as a reserve does not come close to what he can offer when starting. And Neemias Queta's emergence makes it incredibly difficult for Vooch to start in Boston in 2026-27.

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When do NHL playoffs start? 2026 standings, bracket, scenarios, tiebreakers

All four first round series in the NHL's Eastern Conference playoff bracket were settled on Tuesday, April 14.

One more Western Conference series can be set on Wednesday, April 15, with the Vegas Golden Knights having a chance to wrap up the Pacific Division title during their season finale. If they do, they will face the Utah Mammoth in the first round.

That would leave the second and third Pacific Division seeds, plus the second wild card in the West, up for grabs on the final night when the Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings play. If Vegas doesn't clinch on Wednesday, all four playoff seeds will be in play on Thursday.

Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket, Wednesday's clinching scenario and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season before the postseason begins on April 18:

Who's in the 2026 NHL playoffs?

Eastern Conference: Carolina, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Boston, Ottawa

Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Vegas, Edmonton, Anaheim, Utah, Los Angeles

Who can clinch an NHL playoff seed today?

  • The Vegas Golden Knights will clinch the Pacific Division title if they get at least one point against the Seattle Kraken.

NHL games today (Wednesday, April 15)

  • Dallas at Buffalo, 7, TNT, tru
  • N.Y. Rangers at Tampa Bay, 7
  • Detroit at Florida, 7
  • Toronto at Ottawa, 7:30
  • San Jose at Chicago, 8:30
  • Seattle at Vegas, 10

NHL playoff standings

NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26

After April 14 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.

Metropolitan Division

  • y-Carolina Hurricanes (113) Eastern Conference winner
  • x-Pittsburgh Penguins (98)
  • x-Philadelphia Flyers (98)

Atlantic Division

  • y-Buffalo Sabres (108)
  • x-Tampa Bay Lightning (106)
  • x-Montreal Canadiens (106)

Wild card

  • x-Boston Bruins (100)
  • x-Ottawa Senators (97)

Out of the playoffs: z-Washington Capitals (95), z-Columbus Blue Jackets (92), z-Detroit Red Wings (92), z-New York Islanders (91), z-New Jersey Devils (87), z-Florida Panthers (82), z-Toronto Maple Leafs (78), z-New York Rangers (75)

NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26

After April 14 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.

Central Division

  • y-Colorado Avalanche (119) - Presidents' Trophy winner
  • x-Dallas Stars (110)
  • x-Minnesota Wild (104)

Pacific Division

  • x-Vegas Golden Knights (93)
  • x-Edmonton Oilers (91)
  • x-Anaheim Ducks (90)

Wild card

  • x-Utah Mammoth (92)
  • x-Los Angeles Kings (90)

Out of the playoffs: z-Nashville Predators (86), z-San Jose Sharks (84), z-St. Louis Blues (84), z-Winnipeg Jets (82), z-Seattle Kraken (79), z-Calgary Flames (75), z-Chicago Blackhawks (70), z-Vancouver Canucks (58)

NHL playoffs if they started today

NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket

Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 14:

  • Carolina (M1) vs. Ottawa (WC2) This series is set
  • Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Philadelphia (M3) This series is set
  • Buffalo (A1) vs. Boston (WC1) This series is set
  • Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Montreal (A3) This series is set

The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card

NHL Western Conference playoff bracket

Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 14.

  • Colorado (C1) vs. Los Angeles (WC2)
  • Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3). This series is set
  • Vegas (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
  • Edmonton (P2) vs. Anaheim (P3)

The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card

NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?

If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:

  1. Regulation wins
  2. Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
  3. Total wins
  4. Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded. When more than two clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any odd games) shall be used to determine standings.
  5. Goal differential
  6. Total goals

In the Pacific Division, the Oilers have the most regulation wins, followed by the Golden Knights, Ducks and Kings.

When does the NHL regular season end?

The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.

When do the NHL playoffs start?

The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are schedule to begin on Saturday, April 18.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket, latest 2026 standings, scenarios, tiebreakers

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5 Sixers thoughts as they prepare for the Play-In Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 10: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers brings the ball up the court against the Indiana Pacers during the first quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on April 10, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Sixers have the basketball world right where they want them: limping into the Play-In Tournament while their best player is sidelined due to injury once more. Before they host the Orlando Magic tonight in beautiful South Philadelphia, here are five thoughts I currently have involving the team…

Are the Magic falling apart?

As much as we (rightfully) clown the Sixers, Orlando might be in even worse shape.

The Ringer’s Raheem Palmer reported yesterday that “The Magic are dealing with major turmoil in their locker room with my sources saying that a star player is willing to demand a trade if the head coach Jamahl Mosley isn’t fired at the end of this season.”

This isn’t to say that Nick Nurse’s job security is iron clad in Philly in comparison, but I’ll take any semblance of discontent I can get from the Sixers’ opponent. Let’s hope they collapse in spectacular fashion in front of our eyes!

I’m nervous about the referees in this one…

The crew chief for the officials in the Sixers-Magic game? None other than Tony Brothers himself.

I’m expecting a disaster on that front that could swing the game in either direction come late in the fourth quarter.

The Sixers will go with their black throwback uniforms for all home postseason games

I have mixed feelings here. The uniform move does harken back to the last time the Sixers had concrete postseason success, but it’s a little played out and overdone, no? It’s the lone move the organization can make to give the fan base a little juice, but still!

This is why I’m always a little wary when people want beloved throwback uniforms to become a team’s primary look again. It’s about scarcity and wanting what you can’t have. The Eagles’ Kelly Green throwbacks? They’re perfect a couple times per year. This version of the Sixers’ City Edition uniforms? I give the team credit. I liked the way they incorporated them throughout the season. There can, in fact, be too much of a good thing though. They otherwise lose their pizzazz!

I’m also an old man at heart and miss when home teams almost always wore white uniforms in the NBA…

Who could be the unsung hero against Orlando?

Setting aside the likes of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Paul George, who could be the player who flips this game on its head in the Sixers’ favor?

Give me some gritty energy from Dominick Barlow! I’m going with him.

Is it better for the Sixers to be the 8th seed instead of the 7th seed?

I’ve seen some chatter about this online. I actually think, based solely on the first-round matchup, that is the case. I’d rather the Sixers take their chances against Detroit rather than facing the inevitable with a series against Boston yet again. Rooting for the Sixers to lose to Orlando in the hopes of beating Charlotte on Friday instead, however, screams tempting fate to me on top of it just being anticompetitive. “I’d rather the Sixers be in a win-or-go-home scenario” is not a sound strategy given how this franchise has long operated!

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Devin Booker and the uncomfortable space between star production and superstar expectation

Apr 14, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) reacts against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first half during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

What is a star in the NBA? What is a superstar? How do you define and separate the two?

There’s some subjectivity to it, but the NBA gives us a baseline with its player participation policy. A “star” is someone who has been selected to an All-NBA or All-Star team within the past three seasons. By that definition, you’re looking at roughly 50 stars in the league in any given year. “Superstar” is where it shifts. That’s where this conversation begins.

In my humble opinion, the subjective definition of a superstar is someone who translates that star status into late-game productivity and postseason success. Someone who rises when the lights are brightest and the margin is tightest. In those moments, they deliver. A dagger jumper. A key defensive stop. The right read that lifts a team. And they do it consistently. At any given time, there are maybe 10 to 13 true superstars in the league. These are the ones who close, these are ones who elevate their teams when the postseason begins.

“Postseason success” doesn’t have to mean a title or even a Finals appearance. Only two teams get that chance each year. But it does mean winning games, winning series, and showing up when it matters most.

That label isn’t permanent. It’s fluid. Being a superstar five years ago doesn’t guarantee you are one today. Charles Barkley was a superstar. If he suited up now, that label wouldn’t apply. There’s a difference between “was” and “is”, and that line matters. Being a superstar isn’t easy. It carries weight. Expectations follow you every possession. The difference is, superstars meet those expectations when the moment calls for it.

Which brings me to Tuesday night, the Phoenix Suns, and Devin Booker.

The Phoenix Suns entered their first-ever Play-In matchup with home court advantage, even as they struggled over the final two months of the season. On one side, a Suns team that went 13–14 after the All-Star break. On the other, a Portland Trail Blazers group that was 15–11 over that same stretch. On the surface, it felt like two teams moving in different directions.

But the Suns had one thing that should have trumped the trends. They had Devin Booker. The best player on the floor. A bona fide star, someone who has touched superstardom, and depending on who you ask, still lives there. He’s paid like it with the ninth-highest salary in the league this season, eighth next year. So you break down the matchup, you run the numbers, you look at tendencies, and it comes back to one thing. You have the better player.

That’s not how it played out.

Because when the game tightened and it came down to execution, Portland had the better player. It was Deni Avdija who rose to the moment. He forced clutch time with a three at the 4:15 mark, pushing it to 100–97. From there, he went 2-of-2 from the field, 3-of-3 from the line, grabbed two boards, and added an assist. Of Portland’s 17 points down the stretch, he accounted for 10, either scoring or creating them.

On the other side, Booker finished 0-of-2 from the field, 3-of-4 from the line, with one assist. He accounted for five of Phoenix’s last 10 points.

And that’s where this gets uncomfortable.

Crunch time has been a challenge for Booker all season. Across 30 clutch opportunities, he shot 44.3% from the field, 30.8% from deep, averaged 0.98 points per minute, committed 11 turnovers, and sat at a-7. Those aren’t superstar numbers. Star, sure, but they don’t touch what superstars do.

And when you layer Tuesday night on top of that, it lingers. You can point to lineups. You can point to scheme. Tuesday brought it back to something simpler. There’s a ceiling when it comes to Devin Booker late in games, and it’s hard to ignore.

Booker is an elite jump shooter. One of the smoothest in the league. The lift, the release, and the rhythm all look effortless. But that strength can also define the limit. Because for everything he does well, he isn’t elite at getting to the rim, he isn’t elite from three, and he doesn’t consistently absorb physicality at a high level. He’s good in those areas. Not dominant. His 3.4 points per clutch performance in 2025-26 ranks 21st in the league. When the game tightens, the consistency in those areas fades. On Tuesday, it was right there.

Across from him, Deni Avdija looked different. Longer. More forceful. More committed to getting downhill. He kept applying pressure, over and over, and the Suns couldn’t stop it. That’s been his approach all season, and it translated when it mattered most. He attacked the rim, lived at the line, and made the right reads. He had 14 points in the fourth, was 4-of-5 from the field, and had 7 free throw attempts. High percentage decisions when every possession carried weight.

On the other end, it felt familiar. Booker working to get to his spots, trying to create space for that jumper. You’ve seen that movie before. You think back to the 2021 NBA Finals, those late-game moments where he kept searching for that same look. I still have nightmares in which Jrue Holiday is ripping the ball away from Devin Booker in the lane. It didn’t come easy then. It didn’t come easy here.

When a defense knows what’s coming and meets it with physicality and connectivity, that shot gets tougher. Booker did get to the line and he found points there. But there were no field goals made in the fourth. 0-of-3 from the field. Sigh.

That pattern has shown up too often this season, especially post-All-Star break, where Booker was 30% from the field in the clutch, 3-7 in the standings, and -30. His 2.9 points in those tight games rank 44th in the NBA. Late in games, when you need your best player to take over, he hasn’t been consistent. His 5.9 points per fourth quarter ranked 22nd in the league. And post-All-Star break, that number dropped to 5.0, which ranked 35th. His 8 turnovers are second in the NBA over that stretch, trailing only former Suns Kevin Durant.

That’s the reality they’re dealing with.

I keep coming back to the ceiling of Devin Booker, and by extension, the ceiling of the Suns. Booker has limits as a player. He isn’t overly tall, he isn’t long, he isn’t overwhelmingly explosive, and he doesn’t live at the line through physicality and whistles late in games. When things tighten, he doesn’t always find another gear. And when those traits aren’t there, what you go to becomes predictable. We saw it again against the Portland Trail Blazers.

That leads to the bigger question. How far can this team go when the focal point is paid like a superstar but runs into these challenges late in close games? What’s the ceiling? Add in the financial reality, $23.2 million in dead cap, and the margin tightens even more. Booker may take up 34.6% of the cap next season with his $57.1 million contract, but when you factor in that dead money, it plays closer to 40.3%. That matters. It limits flexibility. It shapes what you can build.

There’s emotion tied to all of this, and there should be. Booker is a player this fan base loves, and rightfully so. Loyalty doesn’t last long in this league. Having him here for over a decade is rare. It’s something to appreciate. When his name is called before every game, you feel it. You know why people are there. This is Booker’s city.

Longevity doesn’t create superstars, however. Superstars are defined by continual postseason success. So it’s irresponsible to treat Devin Booker as infallible or irreplaceable. You can appreciate what someone has done and still be honest about what you’re seeing. That’s sports. That’s life. That’s business.

Booker has been at the center of a team that exceeded expectations. He, individually, did not. He finished as a top-ten scorer and carries a top-ten salary, yet he still struggled late in critical games. Both are true. He hasn’t won a postseason game since May 7, 2023. In 11 seasons, how many times has this team truly felt like a championship threat? Two?

He isn’t alone in this. Plenty of players struggle late. The difference is consistency when the pressure rises. The ones who deliver in those moments earn the label. Booker isn’t there right now. He’s the face of the franchise, the player this city rallies behind, and he also had a rough night against the Portland Trail Blazers. It adds to a season where the returns haven’t matched the expectations. Multiple things can be true at once.

We entered that game believing the Suns had the best player on the floor. We left with a different feeling. Deni Avdija put up 41 to Booker’s 22 and did it by imposing his will. You can call it a one-game sample, but the broader trend pushes back on that idea. Avdija is on the rise. A star, not quite a superstar, but trending in that direction. He has multiple ways to generate points late, especially when possessions tighten.

Booker has done that in the past. We’ve seen it. But past production doesn’t guarantee present results. What you were doesn’t automatically carry over to what you are now. And it poses the question of who you want to be.

Maybe this is emotional. A reaction to a frustrating loss in a game the Suns let slip away, embarrassingly coughing up an 11-point lead late. Emotions can make smart people look stupid, right? You can’t put the loss entirely on the shoulders of Devin Booker, but there is no doubt that he needs to be better. This isn’t new, and at some point, it has to be acknowledged.

The hope is that Devin Booker responds when the season is on the line Friday. That’s the moment. That’s the opportunity. At the same time, there’s a part of you that hopes it doesn’t come down to clutch time again. Because right now, the numbers and the recent history aren’t in his favor.

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Elder looks to get pitching back on track in rubber game

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 10: Bryce Elder #55 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning during the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Braves’ run prevention was really good coming into this series. Through Sunday’s win over Cleveland, the Braves had a league-best 59 ERA-, a sixth-in-MLB 89 FIP-, and a pedestrian 99 xFIP-. The pitching performance was just okay, but a combination of favorable HR/FB stuff (yay, the universe owes them for last season) and top-three defensive play cured pretty much every ill.

And then, the Marlins came to town. They blasted the Braves with BABIP, homers, and everything in between in the first game. Grant Holmes came in with a 63/110/115 line (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-), and was dealt a 166/78/94 outing by the vagaries of fate and the Marlins’ bats. Basically: he didn’t pitch well but the team kept runs off the board, and then he pitched okay and the runs piled up on him anyway. Reynaldo Lopez came in with a 28/128/112 line, and was dealt a 133/63/89 start, which was pretty much the exact same outcome (except that no reliever hung a curve for a three-run homer and the Braves won). The Braves are still first in ERA-, and sixth in FIP-, but they’ve moved up to tenth in xFIP- while having 15 runs dumped on them in two games. The Marlins, meanwhile, have continued doing what they’ve done so far this season — they have a top-ten wOBA and bottom ten xwOBA, have the league’s biggest favorable variance in this regard, and if you’ve watched these first two games, you get it: holy every grounder finds a hole, Batman!

So, now we’ve got Bryce Elder lined up for the rubber game. Elder’s line? 25/73/86. That’s better, worlds better, than the frankly-subpar pre-Marlins performances of Holmes and Lopez, but the same giant run prevention gap applies. There’s added intrigue, too. Elder was brilliant in his first two outings of the year, showing a completely different approach to pitching and a much more exaggerated (and effective, and not all over the place, or mechanically problematic for long stretches) slider. Then, he faced the Guardians, and it was… if not Bad Elder, at least, Unremarkable Elder. But, honestly, nah — he was bad. A 3/3 K/BB ratio and his first homer allowed (a no-doubter). In essence, the Elder “regression” that everyone feared.

So, what’s Elder going to do now? In the first two games of this series, the Marlins upended things and drove a dagger into the positioning-and-defense run prevention the Braves had used as their aegis to this point. His career against the Marlins has been a mixed bag — better starts (but with some clunkers mixed in) through 2024, and then two struggle bugs in 2025. Not that it really matters, this might be a different Elder at this point. Or, it might be the same old Elder, based on his most recent start. I have no idea. I don’t think anyone does, including Bryce Elder. We’ll see what happens.

Countering Elder in this rubber game will be Chris Paddack, who signed a one-year, $4 million contract to pitch in Miami in the offseason. Paddack’s 2026 experience has been the opposite of that for the Braves thus far (except in this series): he has a 150/125/97 line in two starts and a relief appearance. He had a bizarre Marlins debut (6/0 K/BB ratio, but two homers and eight runs charged), then a blergh long relief appearance (4/4 K/BB ratio) where he was charged with just a single unearned run, and then a mixed bag start against the Tigers (4/1 K/BB ratio, a homer. Paddack has pitched pretty well against the Braves in his career (3.36 FIP, 4.14 xFIP), but it’s just a handful of outings spread across the now-kinda-long arc of his career. The Braves didn’t do much against him in two outings last year, but that was kind of par for the course for them.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Wednesday, April 15, 7:15 p.m. EDT

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv (and Braves.tv if you’re in-market, etc.)

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM

(Also, a moment of silence for the hilarious readout on the MLB.com preview that lists the Marlins’ TV provider as Marlins.TV, presented by Werner, Hoffman, Greig & Garcia. Between this and the clown show that is the forced spelling of loanDepot Park, please contract the Marlins and open a more serious franchise somewhere.)

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The Short Porch is short on starting pitching

We’re still in small sample size territory as the calendar turns to tax day, but the Cubs are just a titch under 10 percent of the way through their season. The results have been disappointing to say the least, even though it’s early. While there are signs of optimism, the scoreboard doesn’t lie and neither do the standings, which you can see here:

The word that comes to mind immediately is “yikes.”

Admittedly, there are some close losses in those nine early contests and some of the Cubs bullpen arms haven’t gotten off to a great start. Additionally, there are a number of key hitters for the Cubs who should be performing better off to slow starts, I mean, just look at this table sorted by wRC+ for Cubs hitters with at least five plate appearances (not including Tuesday’s game):

NameTeamGPAHRRRBISBBB%K%ISOBABIPAVGOBPSLGwOBAxwOBAwRC+
Moisés BallesterosCHC144026707.50%22.50%.194.385.333.375.528.396.351152
Miguel AmayaCHC1131154016.13%29.03%.160.400.280.419.440.395.325151
Nico HoernerCHC16721910512.50%11.11%.167.327.300.403.467.391.357148
Michael ConfortoCHC1127033022.22%33.33%.095.500.286.444.381.389.406147
Carson KellyCHC1450054018.00%16.00%.073.394.317.440.390.388.406146
Ian HappCHC1465487012.31%33.85%.263.258.211.308.474.341.333116
Dansby SwansonCHC16653139118.46%27.69%.192.188.173.323.365.319.334101
Seiya SuzukiCHC418011022.22%16.67%.000.273.214.389.214.310.29795
Alex BregmanCHC1674236010.81%13.51%.108.222.215.297.323.287.29780
Matt ShawCHC154923616.12%20.41%.159.212.205.250.364.273.32271
Pete Crow-ArmstrongCHC166819544.41%30.88%.063.286.203.239.266.225.22939
Michael BuschCHC1560063011.67%20.00%.038.171.135.233.173.202.24624
Batters w/ at least 5 plate appearances

Again, every small sample size caveat in the world applies to these stats, but the Cubs absolutely need Alex Bregman, Matt Shaw, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch to right the ship and get their wRC+ above 100 ASAP. That’s a Short Porch for another day, though. Today we’re talking about starting pitching.

The Cubs started the season with a rotation that included Cade Horton, Shōta Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon. Seventeen games into the season Cade Horton is out for the rest of the year after they found damage to his UCL, Matthew Boyd is on the injured list due to a biceps issue and the rotation is Shōta Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, Colin Rea and Javier Assad.

Life comes at you fast.

Despite Monday night’s shellacking of Assad, who gave up 11 hits and nine runs over 4.1 innings pitched at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, that’s honestly a better state of affairs than most teams could muster being down two starters less than a month into the season. There is also reason for some cautious optimism with the expectations that Boyd will be back soon. And Justin Steele should return before the All Star break.

But the bench of pitchers is basically depleted. The next man up would likely be Ben Brown who was moved to the bullpen this season after struggling as a starting pitcher. While fans may be clamoring to see top prospect Jaxon Wiggins, he’s dealing with unspecified “soreness” at the moment. In case you’re wondering how the front office is feeling about this pitching situation, reporting from The Athletic yesterday indicated the Cubs are one of the teams checking in on Lucas Giolito, who managed to piece together a season with a 3.41 ERA in 2025 over 145 innings pitched, despite a FIP of 4.17 and an xERA of 5.01.

The bottom line is that the Cubs’ depth is being tested early and it doesn’t look like the current 40-man or farm system have adequate answers for a team who fancies itself as being much better than their current record.

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Yankees Triple-A manager Shelley Duncan comments on RailRiders’ home-opening series split

CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 1: Shelley Duncan of the New York Yankees looks on before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on March 1, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Crowds flocked to see the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders during their first home series of the season last week at PNC Field in northeastern Pennsylvania. Total attendance for five dates was 17,043, the team’s largest Opening Week attendance since 2019.

Fans saw the RailRiders split the six-game series with the Durham Bulls.

In the opener, the RailRiders overcame a six-run deficit in theie final three at-bats for a 7-6 win. A wild pitch and RBI double by big-league veteran Paul DeJong in the bottom of the sixth brought the RailRiders within 6-2. Another wild pitch and a Yanquiel Fernández sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh narrowed the margin to 6-4. Then in the bottom of the eighth, two balks brought in the tying runs. Familiar Yankees face Oswaldo Cabrera followed with a sacrifice fly to give the RailRiders the victory.

Manager Shelley Duncan said it was the type of win that can define the character of a team.

“The energy these guys had … a lot of teams would sometimes implode, give up,” Duncan said. “But these guys stayed locked in every pitch. They went out there and continued to have good at-bats, just chipping away. Not trying to do too much, not trying to force that big inning, not trying to force the comeback in one inning.”

Ali Sánchez kept that special feeling going in the series’ second game. After the Bulls scored a run in the top of the ninth to tie the game, the catcher homered with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give the RailRiders a 5-4 triumph.

“They kept grinding and it ended up paying off,” said Duncan of his team’s spirit. “They had trust in themselves that things would happen. It’s something special.”

Durham won the next two games, 10-2, and, 4-2, in the first game of a doubleheader. The RailRiders used a six-run fourth inning to take the second game of the twinbill, 9-5. The Bulls claimed the series finale, 4-3, to salvage a split.

Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones led the way for the RailRiders against Durham.

Domínguez batted .316 (6-for-19) in the series with seven walks and five stolen bases in six games. “The Martian” has been batting in the leadoff spot this season and is tied for seventh in the International League in batting at .354 (17-for-48) with two home runs, eight RBIs and seven stolen bases.

Jones, meanwhile, hit .278 in the series (5-for-18) with one home run, eight RBIs and two stolen bases in six games. He walked five times and struck out five times. That last number is interesting since in his first eight games and 33 at-bats, he whiffed 19 times. His eight RBIs gave him 17 for the season, which is tied for the International League lead.

Reliever Danny Watson picked up two of the three wins in the series and fellow reliever Yovanny Cruz had the other. Cruz is 3-0 with one save. His three wins are tied for the league lead.

The split in the Durham series left the RailRiders with a 9-6 record, two games behind the Memphis Redbirds in the International League standings. They now head north up Interstate 81 for a six-game series with the Syracuse Mets that was scheduled to begin Tuesday.

Syracuse (7-8) is coming off a series in which it lost four of six to the Buffalo Bisons. Nick Morabito leads the Mets at .295 (13 for 44) with two home runs and five RBIs. Cristian Pache has a team-best 10 RBIs while batting .233 (10 for 43) with one home run. Right-hander Jonah Tong, the Mets’ No. 2 prospect, was scheduled to start the opening game of the series. (Neither he nor the RailRiders’ Brendan Beck fared well.)

Also on the Syracuse roster is veteran Jose Rojas, who played for the RailRiders last season and was selected to the International League All-Star team. He led the league with 32 home runs and 105 RBIs and tied for the lead with 35 doubles while batting .287. He tied the franchise record for home runs in a season set in 2011 by Jorge Vasquez and was the second player in franchise history with 100 or more RBIs in a season, falling one short of the mark of 106 set by Torey Lovullo in 1999.

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Yankees recall reliever Angel Chivilli from Triple-A

The Yankees are making an addition to their bullpen ahead of Wednesday's game, calling up righty Angel Chivilli. 

Chivilli was acquired from the Rockies over the offseason in exchange for 1B T.J. Rumfield, who has taken advantage of his new opportunity with a stellar start in Colorado. 

The 23-year-old right-hander, on the other hand, struggled mightily with the Yanks during spring training as was optioned to the minors after giving up 11 runs in just eight appearances.

He rebounded nicely in Triple-A, though, starting the year with five straight scoreless outings. 

Chivilli will now look to carry that success over to the Bronx, where he’ll take the place of RHP Yerry De Los Santos, who was optioned back to the minors on Tuesday night. 

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Craig Berube 'Not Going To Get Into' Whether Maple Leafs Need Culture Change After Rick Bowness' Comments In Columbus

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube understands how Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness feels.

Following the Blue Jackets' final regular season game on Tuesday, a 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, Bowness lashed out at his players after what he called a careless performance.

It had been three months since Bowness' hiring in Columbus, and the Blue Jackets have had a 21-11-5 record since, tying them for the fifth-most points in the NHL since Jan. 13.

But after an uptick in play in the first two months following Bowness' hiring, the Blue Jackets fell off a cliff, securing just seven of a possible 26 points in the final 13 games of the season.

The playoffs were a possibility for the Blue Jackets, much like they were for the Maple Leafs coming out of the Olympic break. However, after picking up numerous costly losses, the team's playoff hopes drifted further and further away.

"I don't know if I'm back, but if I'm back, I'm changing this culture," Bowness told reporters in Columbus following their loss on Tuesday.

"These guys, they don't care — losing is not important enough to them. It doesn't bother them. Like, how can you go out and play like that? I should've done this a month ago. But this is why we are where we are. This is why we're out of the playoffs."

Maple Leafs Set For 5th Or 6th Best NHL Draft Lottery OddsMaple Leafs Set For 5th Or 6th Best NHL Draft Lottery OddsFollowing the Calgary Flames' loss to the Avalanche, the Toronto Maple Leafs are now locked into the fifth or sixth best lottery odds, leaving the fate of their top-5 protected 2026 first-round pick hanging in the balance.

Ahead of Toronto's final game of the regular season on Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators, Berube was asked about Bowness' comments and the importance of players having to hate to lose.

"Well, they do," the Maple Leafs' head coach said.

"I think more than anything — and I'm not in (Bowness') head or what he was thinking or whatever — for me it's like, losing has to hurt. It's got to be vocalized in the room by the players. When you're losing and you're not winning, things have to be said in a not-so-nice manner.

"And when that happens in a locker room enough times, things are bound to change. You got to challenge each other, and he's not wrong."

Coming out of the Olympic break, the Maple Leafs were six points out of a playoff spot. They lost their next eight straight in what was one of their longest losing streaks in recent memory.

'It's Crossed My Mind': Morgan Rielly Unsure About His Maple Leafs Future Before Final Home Game Of Season'It's Crossed My Mind': Morgan Rielly Unsure About His Maple Leafs Future Before Final Home Game Of SeasonRielly has four more seasons left on his eight-year contract, which he signed in Oct. 2021.

That ultimately tanked their playoff hopes.

Since the Olympic break ended, the Maple Leafs have held the NHL's worst record of 5-14-5 in 24 games. They've picked up just 15 of a possible 48 points and were outscored 64-99 in that stretch.

We've seen more fight out of the team recently, after Auston Matthews suffered a knee injury at the hands of Anaheim Ducks defender Radko Gudas on Mar. 12. That's in part due to no one standing up to Gudas right away after Toronto's captain went down.

But does what occurred with the Blue Jackets — with Bowness calling out the team's culture — need to happen in Toronto? Is culture something that needs to improve within the Maple Leafs? 

"I'm not going to talk about all that," Berube said. "I'm not getting into all that stuff."

Toronto plays its season finale in Ottawa on Wednesday night, then has locker cleanout day on Thursday.

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On Extending Young Players and Reading the Economic Tea Leaves

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 14: Kevin McGonigle #7 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates after scoring a run against the Kansas City Royals during the bottom of the eighth inning at Comerica Park on April 14, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images

This morning, uber-prospect Kevin McGonigle and the Detroit tigers finalized an eight year, $150m contract extension. The deal covers the 27-34 seasons, effectively buying out the first three years of McGonigle’s free agency, and includes escalators that could increase its value to $160m. Even assuming McGonigle breaks arbitration records (firmly on the table, given that he’s hitting .311/.417/.492 in his first 72 MLB PA with peripheral stats that suggest he really is that good), that values his age 27-29 seasons at $90-100m. He’s one of a spate of top prospects to sign for big money right at the beginning of, or even shortly before, their MLB careers so far this spring:

Several young but established big league stars have also extended recently, including Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, Red Sox ace Garrett Crochett, and Orioles starter Shane Baz. The Jays were active in that market last year, signing Alejandro Kirk last season to a deal that now looks like theft after his breakout 2025 and then paying Vladimir Guerrero jr. what amounts to a retail price free agent deal to keep him in Toronto for the remainder of his career.

The Jays don’t have any clear extension candidates right now. Daulton Varsho is the obvious name, but he’s having something of a weird start to the season with his speed, range and power significantly down so far but his contact rate and overall offensive production looking excellent. Combined with a potential offensive breakout being derailed by injury last year, he might be a guy where both team and agent decide to wait and see before valuing his free agency.

I still think this trend is of interest to us on this site, though, because it probably reveals something about the direction the economics of the sport and the process of collective bargaining between the MLB Players’ Association and the league are headed. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) runs through the end of this season, at which point it’s been widely predicted that there might be a lockout. Owners are said to be upset about the lack of parity in payrolls, with the New York Mets’ $362.6m 2026 expenditure being more than five times the last place Cleveland Guardians’ $69.4m. Of course, one might reasonably then ask what the Guardians are doing with the roughly $200m disbursement of national and pooled local revenues each franchise receives, at which point owners tend to harumph and storm out of the room.

Regardless, it’s very clear that ownership intends to push for a salary cap. Progressively stricter luxury taxes have proven ineffective in curbing top team spending. Nine teams are paying some tax in 2026 and five are into the top tax bracket, including clubs like the Blue Jays and Mets that were not regular tax payers 5+ years ago. If a soft tax won’t stop spending, a hard cap is the only way to do it. On the other side, though, a cap has always been a firm red line for the union. They rely on high spending teams to set the market and to force cheap owners to spend. If owners are willing to press their case, there’s a risk of a lockout that could shorten or even scrap the 2027 season. Both sides are gearing up for a prolonged stoppage, with the MLBPA allocating 100% of player licensing revenues (the share the player gets when, e.g., you buy a replica of their jersey) in each of the last two seasons to build up a strike fund that’s now over half a billion dollars, while the owners have a war chest about four times as large.

There’s also a larger economic backdrop. The local cable sports market (referred to as regional sports networks, RSN), which is the backbone of MLB teams’ local revenues, is collapsing. Main Street Sports Group, which operates the FanDuel Sports Network RSNs that broadcast nine MLB teams’ games, has had to try to renegotiate rights deals it couldn’t afford to pay. Most of the teams eventually just transferred their rights to MLB.tv, which is partnering with ESPN to sell local streaming rights for roughly half of the league starting next season. Commissioner Rob Manfred is scrambling to redesign the league’s revenue model around streaming, but how well that will work isn’t clear, and he’s facing opposition from more successful teams that like owning their own regional broadcast rights. Owning a north American sports franchise has been a bonanza to TV money and skyrocketing franchise valuations over the last 30 years. Whether that will continue is at least a little murky. The potential for a lockout further clouds the picture. Attendance took a decade to recover from the 1994 strike. A prolonged 2027 lockout, at a time when the league is navigating the streaming transition, could be even more damaging.

GMs and agents are intensely aware of all of this, of course, which is why the recent extension spree is interesting. Early career extensions are a team friendly bet, in general, as players trade upside for certainty. They hit the market later and with fewer prime seasons remaining, taking the possibility of ever signing a true top of the market contract off the table in exchange for locking in set for life money now. That Scott Boras clients don’t take extensions has become a fan cliche because the hyper-aggressive agent pushes his guys to hit the open market, a bet that pays off more often than not. And now, the fact that agents are directing their clients towards extending shows that they’re leaning towards the safety side of that bet.

Teams are typically in a position to be less risk averse. A player only gets one career, and if something goes wrong that career can be cut short before they strike it rich. A team expects to operate indefinitely, and its revenue is stable as long as the fans show up. It’s still somewhat telling that they want to sign these deals, though. The Tigers clearly think locking in the right to pay McGonigle over $30m in 2034 is worth taking on that risk, which doesn’t point to an expectation that the top end of the free agent market is going to downshift in any huge way.

Overall, then, I think the signs are modestly pessimistic for labour, but arguably slightly optimistic for fans wanting to watch a 2027 baseball season. After all, negotiations need both parties to have a basically similar understanding of reality to work out, and it doesn’t hurt when failing to strike a deal has some painful consequences. The fact that a lot of extensions are getting done suggests that players and their agents are not expecting a world where salaries skyrocket while GMs don’t significantly fear the bottom of the free agent market dropping out. The league’s forced pivot towards variable streaming revenues has the potential to make viewership damaging antics by owners more damaging to everyone. Those factors in combination give me a little hope that reasonable positions will be taken and the gap can be bridged. Still, there are choppy waters ahead.

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CelticsBlog predictions: How do the Celtics win it all?

The regular season is over, and the Celtics did that thing they’ve been doing for years: stacking wins, figuring things out on the fly, and somehow ending up right back in the mix heading into the playoffs. It wasn’t always clean, and it definitely wasn’t always predictable, but here they are — two months away from Banner 19 with a real path to get there in front of them.

So before things get weird (because they always do), we wanted to start with the big question: what does a championship run actually look like for this team? And just as important, what’s the version of this postseason where it all falls apart? We asked the CelticsBlog crew how they see both sides playing out.

If the Celtics win the title, how do they do it? If they don’t, what went wrong?

Jeff Clark: The Celtics win the title by doing what they’ve been doing all season. Completely buying in, playing team basketball, and trusting each other. In a weird way, the Tatum injury created opportunities for everyone to step up, which means Tatum doesn’t have to put everything on his shoulders.

Now, if they lose, I would have to imagine that another team just reached another level. There would be no shame in losing to the Thunder, Spurs, or Nuggets in the Finals. I could see the Pistons overwhelming the team with physicality and getting hot from 3. It could happen, but I like our chances against anyone.

Bill Sy: We saw a lot of experimenting towards the end of the regular season, whether that was the dynamic between the Jays when they were both on the court, Brown becoming more of a pure scorer and challenging the officials with his physical play, and Tatum flexing his all-around game. However, like it has the last couple of years, it may come down to the three-point shooting. The Celtics were 7-11 when they hit less than 30% from behind the arc. Last year, they were 1-3 in the postseason. During the championship run, they were 2-1 — an indication just how special that banner year was.

Rich Jensen: If the Celtics win the title, it will be due to Jayson Tatum being far enough along in his recovery to make such an outcome possible. Is this a tautology? Yes it pretty much is. But winning the Finals is all about Tatum’s health. Without Tatum, the Celtics are just a very good basketball team—to be sure, a team that most other teams would like to be, but not, in my opinion, championship caliber. 

With Tatum recovering, they are a very good team indeed, but I’m still not convinced that they are championship caliber. Tatum is clearly not all the way back, but the nice thing is that it’s all downhill from here. He should continue to improve as the playoffs wear on. The only question is how good he will be by the time he needs to be good enough to make the difference between winning it all and coming up short. If Tatum’s progress isn’t as quick as it needs to be, the C’s are going to stall out somewhere along the line.

Ian Inangelo: If the Celtics win the title, it will be on the back of the defense locking down their opponents with the offense from guys outside of Brown and Tatum stepping up in timely moments. If they don’t I would assume it would end up in a loss to a team who takes advantage of the Celtics inexperience and depth, and are just able to out shoot them from three.

Mark Aboyoun: If Boston wins Banner 19, it’s because the role players continue to produce. Boston can’t afford guys like Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser or even Baylor Scheierman to have off nights. Now that we’re in the postseason, those three in particular need to maintain their current level and make sure they knock down open shots or, in Pritchard’s case, continue to be aggressive, especially when one of Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum is on the bench. 

If they don’t win the championship, it’s because Joe Mazzulla couldn’t figure out the big-man rotation. Neemias Queta has proved to be an above-average center this season and is the team’s only true defensive center. If he gets in foul trouble, Luka Garza and Nikola Vučević are more offensive players and, at times, struggle defensively.

Boston, MA – April 12: Boston Celtics center Luka Garza celebrates after hitting a late 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. The Celtics and Orlando Magic played at TD Garden on April 12, 2026. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images

Nirav Barman: The Celtics certainly have the experience and the coaching to win it all this year. Even though we lost several big pieces from the 2024 run, the Championship DNA is still strong with this team. Winning or losing really just comes down to the execution this year. Boston’s depth is what’s kept them atop the East, different guys being ready on different nights. The margin for error is much slimmer in the playoffs, so it’ll come down to if Joe can find the right combos for any given night.

Mike Dynon: To win the title, it’s a given that the Celtics will first need everything Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum can give them. JB just finished a regular season that should put him on first-team All-NBA, and JT basically looked like his old self with 10 double-doubles and one triple-double in 16 games. If the Jays deliver as expected, winning will come.

Another key will be if Derrick White can get on a heater. We know DWhite provides defense, basketball IQ and leadership at elite levels. This season, though, he made a career-low 39.5% of his overall field goal attempts, and at the arc his percentage was down nearly six points from the year before. The Celts are accustomed to White nailing clutch threes with regularity, and they will certainly need that now.

Finally, can the supporting cast overcome their postseason inexperience? This is the 15th season for Nikola Vucevic, but he’s played in just 16 playoff games. Other than the rookies, add up all the expected contributors – Vooch, Queta, Scheierman, Garza, Walsh and Banton – and they’ve appeared in 51 total postseason games. For context: Al Horford has 197 playoff appearances.

If these things don’t go Boston’s way, their season will end too early. But if they do, get ready for a parade.

Ryan Paice: If the Celtics win, it will be because the Jays are the best duo in today’s league and the team’s crew of role players hit their shots. I have faith the defense will remain elite, as this group has consistently performed at a high level under Mazzulla and features an impressive toolbox of solid defensive options. But for this team to win, Brown and Tatum are going to have to keep the offense churning and executing at all times — especially down the stretch.

The Jays are the engine of the Celtics offense, and when they struggle the team can get desperate and jack up shots to its own detriment. I wouldn’t put it past Pritchard, Hauser, Queta, and the Stay Ready crew to win a couple of the games the Jays struggle in, but they have to perform at their highest levels if the C’s are going to go all the way.

If they don’t, it will be because an opponent successfully slowed down the dual-engine heart of the offense and it sputtered out when it mattered most.

Gio Rivera: If Boston finds itself back in the NBA Finals, it’ll be because of two defining factors: the team’s depth and its core principles. Throughout the regular season, regardless of circumstance, the Celtics rarely missed a beat. Outside of their season-opening 0-3 start — the beginning of a new-look team adjusting to life without Jayson Tatum — they seldom found themselves in a prolonged skid, as they didn’t lose more than twice straight for the remaining 79 games of the regular season.

Anfernee Simons was terrific across his 49 games in Boston. Josh Minott flashed his potential in spurts. Then, of course, the remaining newcomers — Luka Garza, Hugo González, and Ron Harper Jr. — all delivered in their moments under the spotlight too.

Garza emerged as an offensive-rebounding maestro while shooting a career-best 43.3 percent from three and knocking down a career-high 55 triples throughout the regular season. González made notable defensive strides and delivered a clutch game-tying three in Brooklyn. Harper provided 22 points in San Antonio after Jaylen Brown’s ejection. 

Together, they proved Boston doesn’t just have depth — the team is comprised of role players capable of shining as bright as any starter on the roster. Their collective impact became a vital fixture of the Celtics’ identity and success. If that remains intact, Boston will be very difficult to match. If it doesn’t, the team will face a repeat fate of Round 2 last season, collapsing in utter underachievement.

Grant Burfeind: If the Celtics win the title, it’ll be because they stick to what they’ve been doing all season. The ball moves, the threes fall at a normal (not even nuclear) rate, and the defense travels every single night. This team already has a crystal clear identity, and when they lean into it, they’re incredibly hard to disrupt. This version of Boston that doesn’t beat itself, doesn’t panic when a game gets weird, and just keeps stacking good possessions until the other team breaks first is oh-so fun to watch and oh-so hard to beat.

If things go sideways, it’s probably going to look familiar. A couple games where the offense stalls into isolation-heavy possessions, a lid materializes over the rim, and suddenly everything feels harder than it should. Add in a cold stretch from one of the Jays or a series where the opponent dictates pace and turns it into a grind, and now you’re playing in that uncomfortable space where variance actually matters. This team has answered a lot of those questions already, but the playoffs have a way of dragging old concerns back into the light.

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Today in White Sox History: April 15

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 15: Nick Nastrini #43 of the Chicago White Sox pitches against the Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field on April 15, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.
On this day two years ago, Nick Nastrini set a White Sox mark by setting down the first 11 batters he faced in an MLB debut. | (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

1915
It was the biggest shutout in team history, as the White Sox pasted St. Louis, 16-0. The Pale Hose put up seven runs before the home Browns even got to bat, and scored in every inning but the third, seventh and eighth. It was just a 15-hit assault with no homers, so how did the Sox score 16? With help from five Browns errors and six stolen bases!

Buck Weaver went 3-for-6 with a double and two runs, pacing all the White Sox hitters … except starting pitcher Red Faber, who went 4-for-5 with a double and three runs, leading the team in total bases! Faber, no clouter him, pitched in an AL-high 50 games in 1915 and racked up 118 plate appearances and 84 at-bats … yielding 11 hits. Yes, more than a third of Faber’s hits in 1915 came in this game.

Also a curiosity, the win moved the White Sox into first place, at 2-0 on the season, and Faber’s season record was 2-0 was well. How? Well, Opening Day was a 13-inning thriller that saw the second-year hurler relieve in the 12th inning (not too well, either, giving up two earned runs) to earn the win — with fellow young hurler and future star Eddie Cicotte getting the save with a clean 13th. The next day, this blowout, Faber threw a complete game despite eight innings of the contest qualifying as garbage time!

This game stood as the biggest White Sox shutout win until 1925 and a 17-0 drubbing at Washington (and later tied in 1987). The game remains the third-biggest shutout in team history and tied for the 18th biggest win ever for the White Sox.

1954
The White Sox helped reintroduce Major League Baseball to Baltimore (in front of a crowd of 46,354) for the first time since 1902, as they played the new Baltimore Orioles in the first-ever game at Memorial Stadium (the franchise had moved from St. Louis that offseason). Virgil Trucks got the start for the White Sox, but the O’s won, 3-1, starting a run of numerous unfortunate, strange and bizarre happenings at Memorial Stadium over the next 37 seasons.

1972
The first labor impasse to cause regularly-scheduled games to be cancelled had caused Opening Day of the 1972 season to be pushed back. Thus in the first game of the new season was in Kansas City, where the Sox lost to the Royals, 2-1, in 11 innings despite Dick Allen’s first White Sox home run. Allen blasted a shot in the ninth inning off Dick Drago to give the team a brief, 1-0 lead. Kansas City tied the game with two outs in the ninth inning on a Bob Oliver home run off of Wilbur Wood, then go on to win the game.

The Sox dropped three consecutive one-run games to the Royals to start the season, two in extra innings, but ended up with 87 wins in 154 games and battle the eventual World Series champion Oakland A’s until the end of September.

1983
Former Cubs pitcher Milt Wilcox had his perfect game ruined with two outs in the ninth inning when White Sox pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston ripped a clean single up the middle. It was the only hit of the night for the Sox, who lost to Detroit, 6-0. Hairston’s hit marked just the third time in major league history that a perfect game was broken up with just one out left. Billy Pierce was one of the other two pitchers to have that happen to him, when he lost his to the Senators on June 27, 1958.

1985
In a game at Boston, pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston collected his 51st safety in that role, setting a White Sox all-time record. Jerry would lead the league in pinch-hits from 1983-85 and retired with 87 total in his career. He also hit the last home run to set off Bill Veeck’s original exploding scoreboard in October 1981 — a grand slam off of future Sox pitching coach Don Cooper!

1987
Future White Sox bullpen coach Juan Nieves tosses the first no-hitter in Milwaukee Brewers history, defeating the Baltimore Orioles, 7-0. Nieves was a pitching coach in the White Sox minors from 1999-2007, then worked under Don Cooper as the bullpen coach on the South Side from 2008-12. He also appeared as Francisco Delgado in the 1999 Kevin Costner baseball film For the Love of the Game.

2006
It was an all-time great defensive play.

In the ninth inning of a game at U.S. Cellular Field against Toronto, Sox second baseman Tadahito Iguchi had to charge in on a slowly-hit ball by Bengie Molina. Iguchi’s momentum carried him forward, forcing him to leave his feet and start to fall to the ground. Before he hit the field, though, he got a throw off, despite being parallel to the ground. His throw was strong enough to get Molina at first.

The Sox won the game, 4-2.  

2024
In his very first MLB start, Nick Nastrini retired the first 11 batters he faced, the most consecutive outs since 1960. In the process, Nastrini broke Bruce Tanner’s mark from back on June 12, 1985.

However, the punchless White Sox still lost the game, shut out, 2-0, by the Royals — tying a dubious record. It marked the sixth time in 16 games they were held without a run to start a season. The last time that happened in the modern era was in 1907 to the Brooklyn Superbas.

The White Sox were held to four singles in the game, and if not for a stolen base by Braden Shewmake in the fifth inning, no Chicago batter would have reached second base.

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Phillies notes: Zack Wheeler closes in, Zach Pop goes to injured list

Phillies notes: Zack Wheeler closes in, Zach Pop goes to injured list originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Serious progress has been made. Zack Wheeler is getting close to a return to the Phillies’ rotation.

That is big news for both the ace and the organization.

On Tuesday, the 35-year-old made his fourth rehab start, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and striking out nine. Wheeler punched out five of the first six batters he faced.

It was another encouraging sign in his buildup, especially because he touched 95 mph with his fastball for the first time in the recovery process.

Rob Thomson called the outing “very encouraging.”

“He went through the minimum through five, was 92 to 95, so he touched 95,” Thomson said Tuesday. “That was good. He said he felt good after the outing. Somebody asked him if he was starting to run out of gas, and he said no, I felt good even at the end.”

Wheeler, who Thomson said felt good again on Wednesday, will make one more rehab start Sunday in Bridgewater, N.J. The plan is for him to throw around 90 pitches.

And while Thomson hinted Tuesday that a sixth rehab outing was still possible, there is no strong indication yet that it will be necessary. The Phillies are going to let Wheeler’s body and stuff guide the decision from here.

When asked Wednesday whether a sixth rehab start was under consideration, Thomson said, “We haven’t really talked about it. We’ll just see how it goes.”

At this point, Wheeler appears to have a very real chance to return to the big league club next weekend, when the Phillies head to Atlanta.

POP TO IL, BACKHUS RETURNS

In a three-day stretch, the Phillies have now lost two relievers to the injured list.

First, on Monday, they placed Jonathan Bowlan on the 15-day injured list. Then on Wednesday, right-hander Zach Pop joined him there.

Pop, who has posted a 3.68 ERA through his first seven appearances with the club, suffered a right calf strain on Tuesday night after his opener outing on Sunday. He allowed one run over two innings in that appearance.

Thomson described it as a mild strain.

“Zach was doing some agility work after the game last night and just felt something in his right calf,” Thomson said Wednesday.

It has been a solid start for the 29-year-old, especially with the development of his sinker. To begin the year, opponents were hitting just .111 against the pitch, which he has thrown 62.3 percent of the time. That has led to the type of ground-ball profile the Phillies were hoping to get from him.

To fill Pop’s spot, the club recalled Kyle Backhus from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He had originally been optioned when Orion Kerkering came off the injured list.

After allowing three runs in his Phillies debut on Opening Day, the left-handed submariner turned in three scoreless outings after that.

Backhus also gives the Phillies another left-handed option after Tim Mayza and Tanner Banks were both used Tuesday. Thomson noted that Backhus is in a good spot physically and could give them length if needed.

“Backhus was good. Just had a couple days off,” Thomson said. “He can give us probably maybe two innings today.”

Jesús Luzardo gets the ball Wednesday as he looks to bounce back after allowing five runs in his last outing against the Diamondbacks.