MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 27: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of the game at loanDepot park on July 27, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After taking three out of four from the Nationals, the Phillies welcome the Blue Jays to Citizens Bank Park for a three-game series.
In Friday night’s opener, the Phillies’ starter will be Zack Wheeler. Wheeler is coming off two abbreviated starts – one due to ineffectiveness, the other due to rain – and the Phillies could really use some length from him.
The Blue Jays turn to Jose Soriano. The Blue Jays acquired the righthander via trade, and this will be his first start with the team. He was 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA with the Angels.
The team has named assistant general manager Dan Feinstein as interim GM.
“David has been an integral part of the A’s and our success for nearly three decades,” A’s owner John Fisher wrote in a statement.
David Forst speaks during manager Mark Kotsay’s contract extension press conference before a spring training workout at the Lew Wolff Training Complex in Mesa, Arizona, on Feb. 17, 2025. Getty Images
“His leadership, dedication, and commitment to this team have helped shape our baseball operations department and position us for the future. We are grateful for everything David has done for our organization.”
Forst, who took over as general manager after Billy Beane was promoted to executive vice president of baseball operations after the 2015 season, has been in the A’s organization since 2000.
The 50-year-old joined as a scout before being promoted to assistant general manager in 2004, succeeding Paul DePodesta.
Forst had opportunities to leave the A’s, notably turning down interviews with the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres to stay with the team.
“It was truly an honor to spend the last 27 years with the A’s, especially the last 11 as the GM,” said Forst. “This organization is full of incredibly talented, devoted, and good people, and I am lucky to have worked alongside them for so long.”
General Manager David Forst of the Athletics during a spring training workout at the Lew Wolff Training Complex on February 21, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. Getty Images
While Forst worked as the A’s general manager, the team never made it past the ALDS, despite winning 97 games in both 2018 and 2019.
This season, the A’s have struggled to a 45-70 record that has them second to last, above only the Angels, in the American League West.
While payroll has long been an issue for the A’s, Forst saw the departure of numerous star players throughout his general manager stint, including Mason Miller, Matt Olson, Matt Chapman and Sean Murphy, making him a polarizing figure amongst A’s fans.
It’s NBA 2K season, which means we have officially reached that wonderful part of the NBA calendar where grown adults argue about numbers assigned to digital versions of basketball players. NBA 2K27 is set to release worldwide on September 4, with the deluxe and ultra editions opening the doors a little earlier on August 28. And as we creep closer to release day, 2K has begun pulling back the curtain on player ratings.
Typically, this is where I’d make the case that while these ratings mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of basketball, they still provide an interesting window into perception. How does 2K think a team will function? How do they view certain players? Which skills do they value? Which ones have they apparently watched through a dirty windshield while driving 80 miles per hour through the desert?
Make no mistake about it, the players care. Those little numbers next to specific aspects of their game become locker-room ammunition. They get discussed during shootarounds. They get screenshotted. They get sent to group chats.
If you’re an NBA player and 2K gives you a 48 free-throw rating, your teammates are going to find out about it, and you’re going to hear about it. Does anybody on the Phoenix Suns have a 48 free-throw rating? Oh yeah. Ryan Dunn. Sorry, Ryan.
Anyway, I’m not making my usual case for the importance of 2K ratings this year. I can’t. The entire operation has lost my confidence. Burn the spreadsheets and fire the algorithm into the sun. Somebody clearly left the computer running overnight and came back to find that it had started hallucinating. Whatever collection of numbers, formulas, algorithms, statistics, caffeine, and black magic 2K uses to determine these ratings produced one unforgivable result.
Devin Booker is not among the 10 best midrange shooters in NBA 2K27.
It gets worse. They gave him an 86. An 86! At that point, we are no longer dealing with reasonable basketball analysis. We have entered the realm of statistical malpractice. This is an egregiously narrow view of what Devin Booker does from the midrange, one that immediately calls the credibility of the entire exercise into question.
Therefore, I have reached the only rational conclusion available. None of these ratings can be trusted.
Does it sound like I’m making much ado about nothing? Ultimately, the answer is yes. I fully understand that we are arguing about numbers attached to digital basketball players in a video game that hasn’t even been released yet. Still, when you look at the ratings designated for Devin Booker, they’re ridiculous. It’s as if Visual Concepts, the creator of NBA 2K, has no idea how basketball actually occurs on a basketball court. Which feels like a fairly significant problem when your primary business is creating a basketball video game.
If we’re assuming that last season is serving as the foundation for these ratings, and presumably it is, I have questions. Many questions. The kind of questions that require somebody at Visual Concepts to walk me through the laboratory and show me exactly what the hell they’re cooking in there.
Booker attempted the sixth-most midrange shots in the NBA last season, taking 325 of them. Among the players who attempted at least 300, he ranked sixth in field goal percentage, connecting on 45.8% of those attempts. Volume. Efficiency. An entire season of evidence. And somehow, when 2K unveiled its list of the top 10 midrange shooters in the NBA, Booker wasn’t on it.
Do you know who was? Tre Johnson of the Washington Wizards. I’ll hold while I wait for you to finish filling up your barf bag.
Johnson attempted 111 midrange shots last season. Granted, he made 49.5% of them, which is impressive. The kid can shoot. After one rookie season in Washington, however, NBA 2K has apparently seen enough. Forget sample size, forget volume, and forget the hundreds of additional midrange attempts Booker took and made throughout the course of an NBA season.
Tre Johnson is now the fourth-best midrange shooter in basketball. His rating? 98. Ninety-freaking-eight. Meanwhile, Devin Booker, one of the league’s most prolific midrange shooters for the past decade, a player who attempted nearly three times as many shots from that area of the floor last season, checks in at an 86.
Again, are we making too much out of meaningless video game ratings? Absolutely. But if you’re going to give us numbers to argue about, at least make the numbers make some damn sense.
You want more absurdity? I got you.
Devin Booker made 33% of his three-pointers last season. If I asked you to give him a three-point rating out of 100 based on that performance, where would you put him? Probably somewhere that reflects the reality that he was a below-average three-point shooter last season, right? Let’s do a little poll…
Thank you for voting. Have no fear, we already have our answer.
NBA 2K gave him an 86. The same rating they gave him from the midrange. Laughable. Absolutely laughable. Don’t get me wrong, I would love for Devin Booker to be an 86 from beyond the arc. I would love for him to enter next season as the 30th-best three-point shooter in basketball, which is where NBA 2K apparently believes he belongs. That would be fantastic news for the Phoenix Suns. It also has very little connection to what we watched last season.
Normally, I’m an advocate for NBA 2K. It fills the void during that final month and a half before the season begins, when we’re all wandering through the basketball desert searching for something, anything, that resembles meaningful basketball. You fire up 2K, look through the ratings, complain about a couple of them, start a season, and life moves forward. Generally, you can look at the ratings and understand the logic behind them, even when you disagree with the final number.
I can’t get there with this one. They have completely missed Devin Booker’s shot profile and his effectiveness heading into the 2026-27 season. Somehow, one of the most prolific midrange shooters in basketball has the exact same rating from that area as he does from beyond the arc, where he shot 33% last season.
Or perhaps they’re prophetic. Perhaps the people at Visual Concepts have seen the future, and Devin Booker is going to become less effective in the midrange while becoming one of the better three-point shooters in basketball. Maybe that 86/86 combination is trying to tell us something. Who knows? We’ve reached that point of the NBA calendar where nobody knows anything anyway. Training camp remains somewhere beyond the horizon, the transactions have slowed, and here I am arguing about the numerical shooting attributes assigned to a digital Devin Booker.
Brandon Clarke #15 of the Memphis Grizzlies dribbles the ball up court in the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on Monday, March 17, 2025, in Sacramento, California. (Getty Images North America)
Former NBA player Brandon Clarke died of a lethal combination of drugs, according to officials.
Former NBA player Brandon Clarke died of a lethal combination of drugs. Getty Images
Clarke died inside of a San Fernando Valley home on May 11, and according to the LA County DME, medical personnel first located him “unresponsive in his bedroom” at around 5 p.m.
He was ultimately pronounced deceased at 5:15 p.m.
Drug paraphernalia was discovered near his body and the initial investigation surrounding his passing centered on the possibility of an overdose, according to multiple reports.
Clarke, who was drafted into the NBA in 2019, played all seven seasons of his pro career with the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Clarke, who was drafted into the NBA in 2019, played all seven seasons of his pro career with the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies wrote in a statement the day after his death. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.
“We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
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Cross County Sheriff’s Office deputies wrote in a probable cause affidavit that after Clarke was stopped for a traffic violation, 235.6 grams of kratom was located in his vehicle.
Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on during a game against the Miami Heat on March 15, 2025, at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. (NBAE) NBAE via Getty Images
Clarke allegedly told authorities during the stop that he believed the “stuff is legal.”
Kratom, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a substance that can act as both a stimulant and a sedative.
Clarke’s fiancée, Amber Lorraine, remembered Clarke as “the most special person, with the biggest heart” in an emotional social media post that she penned in the days after his death.
“All I want is to hug you and kiss you,” she added. “This world isn’t the same without you.”
The Calgary Flames know exactly what they’re missing.
After finishing last season near the bottom of the NHL standings, Calgary’s biggest challenge heading into 2026-27 is no secret: they need more offence.
That’s where general manager Craig Conroy’s work this offseason becomes so important.
The Flames are expected to be active in their search for offensive help, whether that comes through the trade market or free agency. But with the UFA pool looking relatively shallow, one name continues to stand out as an intriguing fit: Vladimir Tarasenko.
Because if there’s one thing Tarasenko has proven throughout his career, it’s that he knows how to score.
Now 34-years-old, Tarasenko isn’t the same explosive offensive force who dominated during his prime with the St. Louis Blues. But the production is still there.
Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Last season with the Minnesota Wild, Tarasenko recorded 23 goals, 24 assists and 47 points in 75 games. Those numbers may not jump off the page compared to his peak years, but consistency matters, especially for a Flames team that desperately needs more scoring.
Tarasenko has reached the 30-goal mark six times in his career, including a career-high 40-goal season with the Blues in 2015-16. He also brings something Calgary’s young roster currently lacks: championship experience.
Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Tarasenko was part of Stanley Cup-winning teams in 2019 with St. Louis and again in 2024 with the Florida Panthers. That type of experience can’t be measured purely through statistics.
Of course, the Flames are entering a new phase. The organization is committed to developing its young players, and using a roster spot on a veteran only makes sense if that player can provide meaningful impact.
Tarasenko’s numbers suggest he still can.
His 23 goals and 47 points last season would have led the Flames in both categories. Calgary finished last in the NHL in scoring, averaging just 2.54 goals per game, while their power play struggled at a second-last 16.2% efficiency.
Adding a proven offensive weapon who can contribute at five-on-five and provide another option on the power play would immediately address one of the team’s biggest weaknesses.
There’s also the development side of the equation.
As a fellow Russian, Tarasenko could be an important resource for players like Matvei Gridin and Yegor Sharangovich.
For Gridin, who is one of Calgary’s top young prospects, having someone who understands the challenges of adapting to the NHL and navigating expectations could be invaluable.
Sharangovich is already an established NHL player, but he’s still looking to find another level offensively. Having a veteran scorer with Tarasenko’s resume around him could provide another example of what it takes to consistently produce at the highest level.
Matvei Gridin. Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Tarasenko’s offensive mindset, preparation and championship experience could help create the kind of environment where young players can learn what it takes to become consistent NHL contributors.
The Flames are building around youth, but development isn’t just about giving young players ice time. It’s also about surrounding them with the right people.
The biggest question is the contract.
A one-year deal feels like the kind of low-risk, high-reward gamble that makes sense.
Sometimes the best environment for young players includes experienced players who have already been through the highest levels of competition. While the Flames have to prioritize developing their prospects, there’s a strong argument to be made that having experienced winners around is just as vital to growth as actual ice time is.
Credit: Dave Sandford/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports
Whether Calgary chooses to pursue a bigger trade or look for a shorter-term free-agent addition, Conroy has to find a way to improve an offence that struggled mightily last season. A major trade may be the ideal solution, but those opportunities don’t always present themselves.
For now, a proven scorer like Tarasenko remains an interesting option, one that could provide the Flames with what they’ve been missing: a little more finish.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 06: Dustin May #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at American Family Field on August 06, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
In this week’s Reacts survey, we asked fans to grade the Milwaukee Brewers’ trade deadline. The results are probably about what you’d expect:
More than two-thirds of fans gave the Brewers a “B” (39%) or a “C” (33%). Another 20% gave Milwaukee a “D”, while 5% gave an “A” and 3% gave an “F.”
As I said in my trade deadline grades earlier this week, I think the Brewers’ overall deadline sits right around that B/C threshold, specifically giving the Alexander Frias/Josiah Ragsdale for Dustin May/JoJo Romero trade a “C+” and the Mark Manfredi/Juan Martinez for Antonio Senzatela trade a “B+.” I didn’t specifically grade Milwaukee’s Friday trade of Blake Perkins/Craig Yoho for Codi Heuer/Bo Naylor, but given that the team then flipped Heuer for cash considerations at the deadline, I’d put it somewhere in the C/C- range. Overall, that means I think Milwaukee probably deserves a “C” for their overall deadline moves.
One thing I will say, though, is that the deadline has already proven to have added at least some value — Antonio Senzatela made two relief appearances earlier this week, totaling 1 1/3 scoreless innings with a strikeout and a walk, allowing no hits, while Dustin May went six strong frames in his team debut on Thursday, allowing two runs and striking out five to pick up the win.
Have something else you want to say? Keep the conversation going in the comments, and be sure to check out FanDuel Sportsbook for all your betting needs.
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Carlos Rodon has been on the injured list since June 30 with left elbow inflammation, but the Yankees starting pitcher is returning to the mound on Saturday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The left-hander will throw close to 50 pitches in what will be his first rehab start since the injury, manager Aaron Boone told reporters before New York's series opener against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.
From there, the Yankees will decide how they want to continue with Rodon's rehab assignment. One option, with New York sporting a solid five-man staff at the moment, is to recall Rodon but have him piggyback off one of the starting pitchers' starts. The other option is to let him make another start in the minors. Either way, once Rodon returns to the big league club, Boone confirmed that he will piggyback as he continues to raise his pitch count.
"I think he’s close to 50, not quite 50 pitches tomorrow, and I think we’ll definitely, probably piggyback him at some point," Boone said. "It’s just do we have him do one more and then do the piggyback at whatever pitch count he’s at. That’s the most likely right now."
New York's remaining regular season schedule allows them the flexibility to ease Rodon back in as it doesn't have any more long stretches of games with no days off.
"We're coming up on a stretch where we've got a fair amount of off days now, really the rest of the way," Boone said. "We don't have those long stretches of games, so hopefully that's beneficial for us."
When healthy, Rodon was excellent this season. In nine starts, the left-hander is 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 46.1 innings. However, he missed the first two months of the season while recovering from left elbow surgery in the offseason. It's the same elbow that experienced inflammation after his last start on June 28 that resulted in an IL stint.
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 04: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The goods news is the Red Sox have won eight in a row, 26 out of 29, and 31 out of 36. The bad news is their most recent win in the bananas marathon game on Thursday night might have a poison pill embedded inside of it.
Ranger Suarez lasted just three innings on the front end of a game that went 13, which means the bullpen had to cover ten frames of relentless high leverage situations. Together, all eight men in the pen were used, and they combined to throw 166 pitches. (Not ideal.)
By itself, this is an issue, but when you combine it with the fact there’s no off day on the schedule until August 20th, and that the Sox already wanted to limit the usage of both Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett who are set to blow by career highs innings pitched, it’s sneaky alarming.
Below is a table noting the number of pitches each arm in the pen has thrown over the last nine days. (I’ve color coded days with zero pitches thrown in green and days where a guy throws more than 15 pitches in red to make things easier to spot.)
Every single player in that pen either threw more than 15 pitches last night, or has been used two games in a row. Yikes!
On top of that, there’s also talk of a potential bullpen game on Sunday to create a temporary six man rotation to limit the usage of Tolle and Bennett. However, Brayan Bello, who would be the most obvious bulk guy in a situation like that has already thrown 114 pitches over three outings the last seven days, so that option becomes problematic.
We may be in a situation where the Sox have to call up Blake Wehunt to start on Sunday if they still want to push everything back. What the hell is a Blake Wehunt? Well, he’s a pitcher who’s only made three starts in Worcester so far after spending most of the year in Portland with the Sea Dogs and would need to be added to the 40 man roster, but he is lined up to pitch Sunday, and that would give you an out to eat some innings.
Also of note following last night’s absurdity, the Red Sox made a move, optioning Greg Weissert down to Triple-A and calling up Raymond Burgos.
The #RedSox today selected LHP Raymond Burgos to the active Major League roster from Triple-A Worcester. He will wear number 79. To make room, Boston optioned RHP Greg Weissert after last night’s game against the Chicago White Sox.
As much as some fans probably want Weissert gone, the reality is he had an option and the Sox need anybody else in that bullpen tonight to get some outs in case we get a one sided affair.
As much as any other sport, all the games in baseball are connected, and when you get a game like the Sox played last night on the front end of a long stretch with no off days in the middle of the summer, it creates a whole host of problems that will linger for several days.
My advice to Payton Tolle tonight? Throw strikes. This pen can’t take much more of a beating.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 17: Jordan Montgomery #52 of the Texas Rangers poses for a portrait during photo day at Surprise Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have activated lefthanded pitcher Jordan Montgomery from the 60 day injured list, the team announced today. To make room for Montgomery on the active and 40 man rosters, the Rangers have designated pitcher Nolan Kingham for assignment.
Montgomery is back in the majors after missing all of 2025 and the first part of this year due to Tommy John surgery. His 2024 campaign for the Arizona Diamondbacks, with whom he signed a two year deal as a free agent after the 2023 season, was a bad one, as he put up a 6.23 ERA in 117 innings over 21 starts and four relief appearances. Montgomery made eight rehab appearances over the past almost two months prior to being activated, putting up a 3.75 ERA in 24 innings with 21 Ks against three walks. His velocity was down during his rehab stint by about 3 mph compared to where he was in 2023, and 1.5 mph compared to his time with the D-Backs, though he has said he believes when he is back on a major league mound and the adrenaline starts flowing his velocity will tick back up.
The Rangers have said that Montgomery could be used in either a starting role or a relief role. With the rotation pretty much set as of now, Montgomery will probably be in the bullpen initially, though they could mix a start in for him during a stretch with no off days to give the rest of the rotation an extra day off.
Kingham seemed like the odd man out once Montgomery returned. The 29 year old was brought up to give the Rangers an arm in the pen who could provide length if needed, until one of the “regulars” could return. Kingham did make his major league debut during his brief time up, so that’s cool, at least. My guess is that he will clear waivers and resume his role in the Round Rock rotation.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 12: Taelon Peter #4 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles during the game against the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on April 12, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Michael Hickey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs are filling out their roster for training camp. Today, the Spurs announced they’ve signed former Indiana Pacer Taelon Peter to an Exhibit-10 contract, meaning he’ll join the Spurs for training camp but isn’t a guarantee to be on the regular-season roster.
Peter played in 38 games for the Pacers last season, averaging 12.6 minutes, 4.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, while shooting 38% from the field and 32.8% from three. Peter is a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Liberty University who was drafted 54th overall in the 2025 draft. While he hasn’t found his three-point stroke in the NBA so far, he was a 45.3% three-point shooter during his senior season at Liberty.
The second-year guard played well in the NBA Summer League just a month ago, averaging 9.5 points on 57.1% shooting from the field, according to RealGM. His play there may be why San Antonio decided to extend Peter a training camp invite.
He will have stiff competition for an NBA deal with the Spurs. San Antonio has already filled its two-way roster spots with second-round picks Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown, and returning two-way player David Jones-Garcia. Even with an open 15th roster spot, Peter will likely need to beat out one of those three players to make the team.
With the Peter signing, San Antonio has 18 players on its training camp roster. The team can carry 21 players during training camp but must cut the roster down to 18 players when the regular season starts. Training camp begins on September 29th.
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 04: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers slides safely into home during a game against the San Francisco Giants at Globe Life Field on August 04, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for August 7, 2026 against the Baltimore Orioles: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Shane Baz for the Orioles.
Texas looks to continue their winning ways after taking the final two games in their series against the Giants.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Langford — LF
Seager — SS
Nimmo — RF
Duran — 3B
Carter — CF
Burger — 1B
Diaz — C
Lopez — 2B
7:15 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -143 favorites.
In 2007, Derek Fisher requested his release from the Utah Jazz so that he could relocate his family back home to Los Angeles to receive medical help for his 11-month-old daughter Tatum, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer.
Almost 20 years later, Fisher revealed in an interview that he sacrificed $21 million on the three years left of his contract so that his daughter could receive the medical care she needed in Los Angeles.
“The people that she would need if I was working, they were here,” Derek said. “So the decision to move to back to LA didn’t matter if I was playing basketball or not.”
Derek Fisher surrendered $21 million for his daughter’s medical emergency care. ULOW LONDON FEATURES
Fisher went on to say that he and the Jazz explored a trade opportunity with the team, but due to him and his family being on a short timeline, and his determination to return to Los Angeles, the two sides agreed on a zero-dollar buyout, giving Derek the “freedom of choice.”
With so much uncertainty in the air, Fisher admitted that he wasn’t focused on playing basketball again but was prioritizing the health of his daughter and getting her back to Los Angeles.
“We’re going to have to live in a city that has the hospitals and the medical care that my daughter needs, regardless of basketball,” Fisher said.
The former Lakers point guard added that his wife at the time, [Candace], who is a Los Angeles native, still had family living in the area, and they were available to help with additional treatment for Tatum.
With his family relocated back in Los Angeles, Fisher ended up signing a three-year $14.1 million contract with the Lakers.
In 2004, his first stint with the Lakers came to an end after helping the team three-peat from 2000-2002, while being paired alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Derek Fisher as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. AP
During the 2007 Western Conference Semifinals, the Little Rock, Arkansas native was traveling between New York and Utah to see Tatum while she was receiving treatment.
A year after he appeared in 82 games with the Jazz in 2007, Fisher helped Bryant win two more NBA championships in 2009 and 2010.
The move comes as the team has a 45-70 record and is fourth in the AL West. They have lost eight straight games.
"David has been an integral part of the A's and our success for nearly three decades," team owner John Fisher said in a statement. "His leadership, dedication, and commitment to this team have helped shape our baseball operations department and position us for the future. We are grateful for everything David has done for our organization."
Forst had been with the A's organization for 27 years and was in the final year of his contract. He expressed no interest in relocating to Las Vegas in two years when the organization moves from its temporary home in Sacramento.
Forst, who had been with the organization for 27 years, also had no interest in relocating to Las Vegas in two years. https://t.co/k7RZ3Sd3iB
Assistant General Manager Dan Feinstein will take Forst's place through the end of the season as the organization looks for a permanent replacement, according to a team release.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 28: Ha-Seong Kim #7 of the Atlanta Braves goes to first base after drawing a walk against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the six inning of a major league baseball game at Oracle Park on June 28, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the Braves kick off a three-game series on the road against the Yankees, Ha-Seong Kim will make his return to the lineup, playing shortstop and hitting ninth.
It’ll be his first game action since June 30, not long after which he was placed on the injured list with middle finger inflammation.
Before his IL stint, he hit .068 in 73 plate appearances after a delayed start to the season due to a separate injury. This return feels like his last chance to validate the $20 million contract he was given and prove he belongs on a potential postseason roster.
With a strong left-handed pitcher in former Brave Max Fried taking the mound for the series opener, the Braves are moving Ozzie Albies up in the order. Notably, above left-hander Matt Olson, to the No. 3 spot behind just Ronald Acuña Jr. and Drake Baldwin.
Baldwin will DH Friday, giving Sean Murphy another catching start in his recent return from the IL.
The Yankees, notably without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger, will hit Ben Rice, he of the 31 homers this season, second in the batting order, and recent prospect call-up shortstop George Lombard Jr. seventh.
This will be Fried’s first career start against his former team. As such, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the only six members of Atlanta’s roster who have faced him joined the Braves within the last two seasons.
Former National Lane Thomas has faced Fried the most, a whopping 19 times. Although it should be a favorable matchup for Thomas as a right-handed hitter against a left-handed pitcher, he’s 1-for-19 against Fried with one single, one RBI and three strikeouts.
None of the Braves who have faced Fried have had much success against him. Mike Yastrzemski and Ha-Seong Kim are both 2-for-7 (.286) to lead the way on a roster which is a combined 11-for-65 (.169) against the southpaw with two homers (one each from Jorge Mateo and Dominic Smith), five RBIs, 13 strikeouts and three walks.
Braves debutante right-hander Tyler Mahle has faced the Yankees twice, once with the Twins in 2023 and earlier this season with the Giants. He took the loss in both starts but wasn’t particularly bad either time, allowing two earned runs in each appearance (4.32 ERA) over a combined 8 1/3 innings, giving up nine total hits with 10 strikeouts and four walks.
Among current Yankees with more than two at-bats against Mahle, Paul Goldschmidt (11-for-29 for .379 average with three homers and five RBIs) and Ryan McMahon (5-for-18 with two homers and eight RBIs) lead the charge.
Overall, the active Yankees are a combined 20-for-82 (.244) with three doubles, two triples, five home runs and 17 RBIs against Mahle, striking out 24 times while walking eight.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 05: The Nike basketball shoes Tre White #78 of the Miami Heat during their 2026 California Classic Summer League game at Chase Center on July 05, 2026 in San Francisco, 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 Thien-An Truong/Getty Images) | Getty Images
