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Several Florida Panthers Games During Upcoming Season Have Start Time Changes

There are some changes coming to the Florida Panthers’ schedule for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

All the alterations have to do with game start times.

On Wednesday, the NHL announced dozens of changes to the start times of games taking place during the upcoming season.

Nine of those games feature the Panthers.

They are:

Tuesday, Nov. 10 at Columbus, time changed from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 12 at Detroit, time changed from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 2 vs. Montreal, time changed from 4 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 14 at Minnesota, time changed from 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 1 vs. NY Islanders, time changed from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 16 at Tampa Bay, time changed from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 4 vs. Pittsburgh, time changed from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 3 at NY Rangers, time changed from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 6 vs. Montreal, time changed from 7 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

The main takeaways from Florida’s changes are the three-hour change from 4 p.m. to 1 p.m. for the Jan. 2 home game against the Montreal Canadiens, and the March 4 Thursday home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins that will now begin at 8:30 p.m. local time.

The rest of the alterations are all fairly marginal.

Six of the nine games that had their start time changed are set to be nationally broadcast.

Three are airing on ESPN+/Disney+/Hulu – Nov. 10 at Columbus, Nov. 12 at Detroit, and Feb. 16 at Tampa Bay.

The Dec. 10 game against Pittsburgh and the Jan. 14 matchup in Minnesota will both air on ESPN, and the April 3 game at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers will be featured on ABC.

Opening Night remains set for a national ESPN broadcast on Tuesday, Sept. 29 in Raleigh when Florida faces the defending Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes.

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Photo caption: Apr 28, 2025; Sunrise,Florida, USA;FloridaPantherscenter Aleksander Barkov (16 and Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Nick Paul (20)faceoffduring the first period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Rich Storry-Imagn Images)

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Gamethread 8/26: Phillies at Mariners

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 15: Jesus Luzardo #44 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts as he exits the field after pitching to the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Target Field on August 15, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here are the lineups for the series finale in Seattle. Let’s discuss.

For the Phillies:

For the Mariners:

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Former Flyers Flop Resurfaces with Division Rival

With training camp fast approaching, the group of unsigned former Philadelphia Flyers players continues to shrink, even if only temporarily.

On Tuesday, the Washington Capitals announced that former Flyers goalie Cal Petersen will join them for 2026 training camp on a PTO, giving the southpaw netminder an opportunity to earn himself a contract for the 2026-27 season.

Petersen, 31, spent the 2025-26 season with the Iowa Wild, Minnesota’s AHL affiliate, appearing in 33 games and posting a bog-standard 13-16-2 record with a 2.73 goals-against average, a .896 save percentage, and four shutouts.

The former fifth-round pick has 106 games of NHL experience, which primarily came with the Los Angeles Kings as the once-heir-apparent to Jonathan Quick.

Petersen, $5 million cap hit and all, was traded to the Flyers organization in 2023 as part of the three-team deal that sent Ivan Provorov to Columbus in the last big subtraction of the Flyers' rebuild.

Petersen's time with the Flyers was unremarkable and understandably brief--the Kings' big-money salary cap dump was 2-2-0 in five games with the big club in 2023-24, but stumbled to the tune of a .864 save percentage and 3.90 GAA as Philadelphia scrambled to replace Carter Hart.

Former Flyers Forward Takes Surprising Next Step in Playing CareerFormer Flyers Forward Takes Surprising Next Step in Playing CareerFormer Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes has officially flamed out of the NHL, signing a one-year deal in the KHL in an effort to continue his playing career.

The Waterloo, Iowa, native's last NHL game came back on Feb. 25, 2024, when he allowed seven goals on 32 shots (.781 save percentage) in a 7-6 loss to the rival Pittsburgh Penguins with the Flyers still alive in the playoff chase.

Since then, Petersen has spent the past two seasons exclusively in the minors, including an unsuccessful 2024-25 run with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and this surprise opportunity with the Capitals is his latest attempt to revive an NHL career that once appeared to be on a promising trajectory.

Overall, Petersen boasts a 46-44-10 record, a 2.96 GAA, and .903 save percentage across his six-year NHL career.

The Capitals already have Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren established as their NHL tandem, while Clay Stevenson and Mitch Gibson are the incumbent holdovers from the AHL Hershey Bears.

That leaves Petersen facing an uphill battle for a roster spot at either level, but his NHL experience could make him a depth option for Washington in the event of injury.

For a goaltender who hasn't played an NHL game in more than two years, the PTO with Washington is effectively the final chance for Petersen to put himself back on the radar in North America.

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Braves look to secure series win against Dodgers behind AJ Smith-Shawver

It is crazy how one game can boost morale, but that appears to be the case as the Atlanta Braves took down the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers in dramatic fashion where Ozzie Albies hit a go ahead single in the eighth and Raisel Iglesias secured a save after a leadoff triple to Shohei Ohtani.

The Braves now how a 4.5 game lead in the division which seems drastically better than the 2.5 game lead they had just two days ago when the Braves were having a rough patch while the Phillies had just won nine straight games.

As the regular season is drawing close to the final month, today could be a good indicator on whether AJ Smith-Shawver, today’s starter, will be good to go for the playoffs. He has not lasted longer than 4.1 innings in his two starts. He gave up two ERs to the Mets and four to the Twins while struggling with his command. If he has a strong showing against the Dodgers, it could show that he is shaking off some rust and may possibly be a viable option come October.

With only 8.2 innings under his belt this season, it is wise to take expectancy stats with a grain of salt, but he xERA does not paint a much prettier picture thus far with a 5.75, which is largely due to a 17.5 percent strikeout rate and 12.5 percent walk rate. One area that has been good thus far is he is limiting hard contact to only 35.7 percent of the time. So far, he is pitching his fastball 5.0 percent less this year than last and has replaced that with curves. This may be due to easing him back in, but with his fastball velocity being in the top 24.0 percent of MLB pitchers, his lower usage may be part of the reason his effectiveness is down so far this season. Again, extremely small sample size, so more innings will give us a better picture as to the true story.

Smith-Shawver has only faced two players on the Dodgers’ roster in his young career. In that time, he has faced Alex Call in five at-bats. Call has gotten the better of him with a .400 average and 1.500 OPS. Backup catcher Ben Rortvedt has faced Smith-Shawver twice and is hitless.

The Dodgers are scheduled to bring Roki Sasaki to the mound. Sasaki has likely disappointed some Dodgers fans this season. He has started twenty-two games and pitched 116.0 innings, so he is eating innings, but his ERA of 4.42 is not much better than his 4.46 last season. His walk and strikeout rates have gotten much better since last season, but both are still underwhelming. His strikeout rate of 23.1 percent places Sasaki just two percent better than average. His walk rate of 9.3 percent is in the bottom 39.0 percent of qualified pitchers. It is a weird combo because his chase rate and whiff rate are both elite, but they are not resulting in many strikeouts comparatively.

Sasaki has only faced five players on the Braves’ roster before and none of them in more than three at-bats. Ozzie Albies has done well in his three ABs with a .667 average to include a HR. Austin Riley, who happens to be hot right now, is 1-2 against him. Harris, Murphy, and Olson have all been hitless thus far.

On paper, this game seems to hinge on how well AJ Smith-Shawver performs. Of the three SPs the Braves face in this series, tonight is the weakest. The bullpen has been used quite a bit lately and Smith-Shawver does not typically go deep into games, so the Braves need to catch a spark on offense to give the bullpen a cushion.

First pitch is at 7:15 EDT

Game Info

Game Time: Wednesday, August 26th, 7:15 pm EDT

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

Watch: BravesVision, MLB Network

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

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Hector Rodriguez hits leadoff for Reds as Terry Francona gets desperate for offense

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 22: Héctor Rodríguez #43 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts after hitting his first career home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at Chase Field on August 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s been a week or so since we’ve highlighted just how flawed and rotten the Cincinnati Reds offense is. In that time, they’ve run off a string of 23 straight innings without scoring a run, and only a Sal Stewart solo homer has pushed a run across the plate so far in two games against the lowly San Francisco Giants – two games in which the Giants starting pitchers have been forced to exit in the 2nd inning due to injuries.

(For the uninitiated, the Reds rank dead last among all 30 MLB clubs in batting average, on-base percentage, and wRC+ on the season. That’s bad.)

So, for the series finale against San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon, manager Terry Francona decided to tinker. Said tinkering? It involves moving rookie Hector Rodriguez up to the leadoff spot in the lineup and bumping the only two players who’ve actually hit the ball for months (Sal and Elly De La Cruz) down a tick, for whatever reason.

We’ll see if it works when first pitch is chucked at 3:45 PM ET by Giants ace Logan Webb.

Here’s the full lineup for the series finale, one that will feature lefty Nick Lodolo on the mound for the Reds:

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Potential Sabres Trade Or Free Agent Acquisitions – Bryan Rust

The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures. 

We are continuing to look at potential options for the Sabres, now that veteran Patrick Kane has returned with Chicago.  Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.

Other Sabres Stories

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Kekalainen ideally is looking for someone who could make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, or someone who can fill the leadership gap and/or add some snarl and sandpaper to the middle-six, with the trade of Jordan Greenway to Chicago.  

Who will pick up the scoring slack for the departure of Alex Tuch?

Two-time Stanley Cup winner Bryan Rust was expected to be a trade commodity last season, as the Pittsburgh Penguins were expected to miss the playoffs and begin a rebuild under GM Kyle Dubas, but the sell off did not occur, as the Pens surprised and made the postseason but lost in the first round to Philadelphia. 

Dubas appears to be attempting to rest the aging Pens roster, surrounding aging future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson with younger acquisitions such as Nick Robertson, Hendrix Lapierre, Kaeden Korczak, and promising goalie Sergei Murashov, but the former Leafs GM could quickly pivot and deal off aging assets if the club struggles in the first half.

The 34-year-old Rust has spent a dozen seasons with the Penguins, and tied his career-high with 65 points last season, scoring more than 20 goals for the seventh consecutive campaign. The two aspects that have to make Rust an extremely enticing target for the Sabres is that he would not be a rental (with two years left at $5.125 million AAV entering this season), and someone who does not have no-trade protection. Dubas would be looking for young prospects for Rust, which makes the Sabres and Pittsburgh an potential fit for a potential trade. 

Buffalo has enough in their prospect pipeline to acquire the veteran, and his championship experience would be invaluable if the Sabres hope to advance further in the postseason than they did last year, but Rust’s availability all depends on whether the Penguins are well out of the playoff race before the trade deadline.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

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Jonathan Kuminga inches closer to joining Luka Doncic on Lakers

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic in Lakers uniforms on a basketball court, Image 2 shows Jonathan Kuminga

The Los Angeles Lakers and Jonathan Kuminga have been linked for much of the offseason.

But the framework to get Kuminga in purple and gold remains complex.

The Lakers have been interested in signing Jonathan Kuminga for several months now. NBAE via Getty Images

Despite being an unrestricted free agent, Kuminga joining the Lakers requires a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

The Lakers don’t have the cap space to sign Kuminga outright, leaving the team with limited options to acquire the 23-year-old forward.

A decision is expected to come soon.

The Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves appear to be the remaining teams in the sweepstakes, but Kuminga’s reported preference is LA.

The squad initially pitched Kuminga the opportunity to start alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The Lakers’ pitch to Kuminga was headlined by the opportunity to start alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. NBAE via Getty Images

But Kuminga’s camp wanted more money than in the Lakers’ initial deal, believed to be worth $10 million annually.

With training camp next month, Kuminga’s market has continued to shrink.

Jonathan Kuminga now has limited options in free agency after another one of his suitors pivoted. Getty Images

The Timberwolves can sign Kuminga as part of their tax mid-level exception, without requiring the Hawks cooperation. In some ways, it’s an easier deal for the Timberwolves to get done.

Kuminga’s free agency has been a complex process, but it’s near its conclusion.

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Lakers sale drama twists again as Buss brothers revealed as MLB team owners

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Siblings Joey and Jesse Buss (in black hat), from left, sitting in the front row during a press conferrence announcing new Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, at the UCLA Health Training Center, Image 2 shows Alternate governor Joey Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers addresses the fans during the NBA Cup Trophy ceremony, Image 3 shows San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King winds up

Joey and Jesse Buss are securing their next sports franchise ownership stake. 

The Buss brothers, through Buss Sports Capital, have reached a deal to become minority owners of the San Diego Padres.

The Athletic reported Wednesday that Joey and Jesse Buss are acquiring an ownership stake of around 5% of the Padres, who have new controlling owners after Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano purchased controlling shares of the franchise. 

Siblings Joey and Jesse Buss (in black hat), from left, sitting in the front row during a press conferrence announcing new Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, at the UCLA Health Training Center, in El Segundo, CA, Monday, June 6, 2022.

The Buss brothers will be on the Padres’ ownership group’s advisory board as part of their investment in the franchise.

Joey and Jesse Buss launched Buss Sports Capital in September 2025 after the Buss family sold the majority stake of the Lakers to Mark Walter. 

Joey Buss said in a statement to The Athletic: “We are honored to join Kwanza and José and have the opportunity to contribute to the future of a team that Jesse and I have loved since we were kids growing up in San Diego. Sports have always been a part of our family’s story, and great organizations have a unique ability to bring people together and create a lasting sense of community. Padres fans have built one of the most passionate and loyal communities in all of sports, and we believe there is a tremendous opportunity to deepen that connection in San Diego and around the world.

“The Padres are on the cusp of something special, and through Buss Sports Capital, we look forward to bringing our experience and perspective to the ownership group and doing our part to build on the strong foundation already in place.”

Alternate governor Joey Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers addresses the fans during the NBA Cup Trophy ceremony after the game against the Indiana Pacers during the In-Season Tournament Championship game on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (NBAE) NBAE via Getty Images

Joey and Jesse Buss are also pursuing an ownership stake in an NBA Europe franchise. 

The news of their investment in the Padres came a week after five of the Buss siblings voted to sell their remaining 17.8% ownership stake in the Lakers to future franchise majority owners Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. 

Kushner and Iger agreed to purchase the majority ownership stake of the Lakers from Walter in mid-August for a historic valuation of $12.5 billion. 

San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King winds up against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in San Diego. (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan

Jeanie Buss, the Lakers’ current governor, didn’t vote in favor of the sale and is contesting her siblings’ decision through her lawyer, Adam Streisand.

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LIV Golf to lay off majority of staff amid ‘compressed timeline’ for new investors

  • Saudi Arabia’s PIF have ended financial support

  • Chief executive working on deal but needs players’ buy-in

LIV Golf informed the majority of its workforce on Wednesday that they will be laid off in the first week of September.

The news ⁠comes three days after the 2026 season concluded in Indianapolis and four months after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced it was ending its financial support ⁠of the league after ⁠spending more than $5bn over the past five years.

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Pens to be featured in national broadcasts 20 times this upcoming season

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 18: A general view of PPG Pants Arena before the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers in Game One of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 18, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

When the 2026-27 NHL season gets underway this fall, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be featured in nationally broadcasts games 20 times.

The 20 nationally broadcast games that the Penguins play this coming season will be featured on TNT, ESPN, ABC, and ESPN+/Hulu.

The Penguins will open their season on September 30 in Philadelphia when they take on the Flyers. That game will air on TNT with a 7:30 p.m. puck drop.

Locally in the Pittsburgh market, games will air on SportsNetPittsburgh along with radio broadcasts on 105.9 ‘The X.“

Here’s the full list of nationally broadcast games for the Penguins this year:

  • September 30 – Penguins @ Flyers – TNT
  • October 7 – Penguins @ Capitals – TNT
  • November 27 – Penguins @ Sabres – TNT
  • December 8 – Blackhawks @ Penguins – TNT
  • December 10 – Penguins @ Panthers – ESPN
  • January 12 – Avalanche @ Penguins – ESPN+
  • January 13 – Penguins @ Islanders – TNT
  • January 18 – Capitals @ Penguins – TNT
  • January 31 – Flyers @ Penguins – ABC
  • February 28 – Rangers @ Penguins – TNT
  • March 4 – Penguins @ Panthers – ESPN
  • March 6 – Penguins @ Sabres – ABC
  • March 7 – Penguins @ Islanders – TNT
  • March 11 – Bruins @ Penguins – TNT
  • March 13 – Capitals @ Penguins – ABC
  • March 14 – Red Wings @ Penguins – TNT
  • March 20 – Penguins @ Rangers – ABC
  • April 3 – Flyers @ Penguins – ABC
  • April 4 – Penguins @ Capitals – ESPN
  • April 6 – Penguins @ Rangers – ESPN
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Islanders To Have 10 Games Nationally Televised During 2026-27 NHL Regular Season; League Updates Six Start Times

The New York Islanders will play on national television 10 times during the 2026-27 NHL regular season the club announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Here's a quick breakdown from the list above.

ESPN (2): Vs. NYR on Oct. 6, At BOS on Mar. 15

ESPN+/Disney+/Hulu (5): Vs. LAK on Oct. 22, Vs. CAR on Nov. 5, At LAK on Nov. 12, At PHI on Dec. 3, Vs. CAR on Mar. 30

TNT/truTV/HBO Max (3): Vs. PIT on Jan. 13, At CAR on Jan. 28, Vs. PIT on Mar. 7

The Islanders played 10 nationally-televised games a season ago, as well. 

The NHL also announced on Wednesday that they have changed six start games for the Isalnders this season:

The Islanders' 2026-27 season begins on Sept. 30 against the Toronto Maple Leafs followed by their home opener on Oct. 3 against the New Jersey Devils. 

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Sabres Top 40 Prospects – #14

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.  

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games. 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

14. Vsevolod Komarov – Defense (Rochester - AHL)

Komarov was the Sabres fifth-round pick (134th overall) at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal. The native of Chelyabinsk played his minor hockey in the Metallurg Magnitogorsk system but came to North America to play for the Quebec Remparts after being selected in the CHL Import Draft. 

Who will make up the scoring gap created by the departure of Alex Tuch?

In his first season, the 6’3”, 188 lb. blueliner focused more on being conscientious in his own zone and had 19 points (2 goals, 17 assists) in 60 QMJHL games, but made offensive strides in the sophomore campaign (12 goals, 27 assists) and scoring the game-winning goal for Quebec in the Memorial Cup final.

Buffalo locked up Komarov on an entry-level contract in June 2023, and in his third QMJHL season, and he led all QMJHL blueliners with 69 points (14 goals, 55 assists) in 60 games with Quebec and Drummondville and was named the league’s top defenseman and First Team All-Star.

“You could see right from the start that the hockey sense was there, the compete was there, and the poise. He just needed to get stronger and get his legs under him, move quicker. And he had the size as well,” Drummondville GM Yanick Lemay said about Komarov in The Athletic. “So it was just a matter of time for him I think to mature physically and get more powerful and that’s what he did the last two years.”

In his first professional season, Komarov’s offensive game struggled to translate from junior (18 points in 69 games), but the 22-year-old showed off a high-level of physicality, leading the Amerks with 85 penalty minutes. Last season, he took a step back on all fronts, putting up 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in 55 games, with 60 penalty minutes. 

The Sabres have a number of young defenseman in their pipeline, including 2025 first rounder Radim Mrtka, and 2023 second-rounder Maxim Strbak. Komarov will need to step up and take advantage of his pro experience next season to continue to be regarded as a promising prospect, otherwise he will fall victim to the numbers game.  

Follow Michael on X, and Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

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Report: Former Arizona wing Bennedict Mathurin signs with Pelicans

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Bennedict Mathurin #9 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts after the play in the second half against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on April 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Don Collier/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Bennedict Mathurin is headed to New Orleans. How long he’ll stay in the Big Easy remains to be seen.

The former Arizona Wildcats standout has signed a two-year $16 million deal with the Pelicans that includes a player option, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.

According to Charania, Mathurin chose flexibility and an earlier route to unrestricted free agency versus longer-term offers that would have come with total team control.

Mathurin was traded last season to the Los Angeles Clippers after spending the first three-and-a-half seasons with the Indiana Pacers. The 24-year-old averaged 17.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists last year.

Mathurin only started one game with the Clippers out of 26 appearances. He’ll have a better opportunity to earn a starting role in New Orleans, where his main competition will be Trey Murphy and Saddiq Bey. The Pelicans are coming off a 26-56 season.

New Orleans has had its eye on Mathurin for some time, according to Charania, who reported the team has aggressively pursued him for over a year.

Mathurin becomes the first Arizona alum to play for New Orleans since Solomon Hill and Stanley Johnson played for them in 2019.

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GameThread: Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 1:10 p.m.

Aug 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) waits on the field for a teammate to bring him his hat and glove after the third out against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Detroit Tigers (62-70) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (78-54)

Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site:DRaysBay
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Troy Melton (7-2, 1.60 ERA) vs. RHP Freddy Peralta (5-11, 5.33 ERA)

PlayerGIPK%BB%GB%FIPfWAR
Melton1590.021.47.943.33.841.5
Peralta26135.021.59.039.64.651.0

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The Yankees and the drawbacks of an unbalanced lineup

As the New York Yankees start the week with a series against the Houston Astros, you probably noticed the continuation of a recent trend. That trend is that of four straight left-handed hitters at the top of the lineup: Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Luis Garcia Jr., and Cody Bellinger. As much as the current numbers and the general lack of right-handed production tend to favor this choice, it is easy to become concerned with the problems such a setup raises.

At the bottom of the order, one might feel more at ease about sequencing several hitters in a row from one side of the plate due to the ability to pinch hit for some—especially true for a Yankee team with a right-handed specialists off the bench —but that opportunity isn’t there among for top hitters. It’s a paradoxical thing since you’d figure that your top hitters wouldn’t need to be pinch-hit for, but that’s not entirely true, at least not for Garcia.

The timing of this article isn’t ideal since it comes a day after Garcia had a big hit off a left-handed reliever in Steven Okert, even if it didn’t decide the game. Still, his season numbers indicate the rarity of that accomplishment, as Garcia entered the last game with a .581 OPS against southpaws in the middle of a career year. You still want and need a right-handed presence to balance the top of the order.

Once you stack the left-handed hitters like that, it becomes easy for an opposing manager to bring on a lefty specialist. As a group, this foursome has a reliable enough track record against southpaws to make this a swallowable pill, and it’s why they’re choosing this route in the first place, but it’s far from the ideal scenario. Rice has 10 homers and a 119 wRC+ against lefties this season, while Bellinger and Grisham sit at 110 and 104, respectively.

The problems with this choice are well-established; the Yankees know it, yet they’re risking it. They’re doing so not only because the track record of their lefty hitters allows for such, but primarily because the right-handed hitters on the active roster are forcing their hand. Deadline acquisition Helliot Ramos has played his way into a more limited role in less than a month, courtesy of not hitting water falling off a boat, and a little over a week ago we talked here about the dangers of asking too much out of George Lombard Jr., who already finds himself steadily higher up in the order, batting fifth in this series opener against the Astros. Beyond those two, you have no healthy choices under consideration to bat high in the lineup.

Sticking to a previously established belief should only make sense as long as the belief makes sense. In other words, if we’re to truly assume that Ramos is going to continue struggling in the way that he has, the Yankees may have to reassess this whole policy of easing in Lombard. In the end, there is what we would like in an ideal world, and there is the reality of adapting to your current situation. If we weren’t so concerned about how Lombard would handle such a task, the alternative would be rather clear.

The lack of a right-handed presence at the top is not only a problem but also a wasted opportunity—that hitter would clearly benefit from facing southpaws late in games as they enter to face the Yankees’ most dangerous hitters. Usually, we’re talking about the top lefties out of a given bullpen, but the matchup advantage might be there against more traditional specialists. It’s something that Lombard could, and Ramos definitely should, take advantage of. He was acquired in large part for this specific reason.

Hopefully, this temporary problem is fixed when Aaron Judge returns to anchor this lineup, but until then, the Yankees could run into some problems without any kind of right-handed presence near the top of the order to balance this lineup.