The Mets announced on their Player Development X account on Monday that top prospect Elian Peña has been added to the Domestic Reserve List.
Peña is officially in line to make his stateside debut during the 2026 season.
The 18-year-old infielder signed with the Mets for a franchise-record $5 million last January.
He started his career in a brutal 0-for-26 stretch, but finally was able to find his footing and finished the season hitting a strong .292 with 24 extra base-hits and a .949 OPS over 55 DSL games.
Peña also stole 21 bases in 25 attempts and had as many walks as strikeouts (36).
DeMayo writes: “From a tools standpoint, Peña possesses strong bat-to-ball skills with a compact, quick swing and an advanced knowledge of the zone. This dates to prior to him turning pro at either showcases or in BP, where he would refuse to swing at pitches he deemed outside the zone as not to make a habit out of it.
“From a power perspective, scouts project him to be above-average with a chance for more as he physically matures. There have been public comparisons to multi-time All-Star Rafael Devers.”
It wouldn't surprise anyone to see Peña skyrocket up prospect rankings with a successful season.
MLB Pipeline released their updated Top 10 right-handed pitching prospects heading into the 2026 season on Monday, and unsurprisingly two of the Mets’ young arms made the cut.
Nolan McLean topped the list, and Jonah Tong came in at No. 7.
Both youngsters are coming off tremendous seasons in which they cruised through the minors and found themselves pitching in big games at the big-league level down the stretch.
McLean enjoyed a bit more success in the majors than Tong, though.
The Oklahoma State product finished 11th in NL Rookie of the Year voting after pitching to a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 57 strikeouts over his first eight career outings.
He’s in line to play a huge role in the Mets’ rotation out of the gate this season.
Tong, on the other hand, was more of a mixed bag.
The 22-year-old showed flashes of the potential that helped him secure Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year, but ultimately struggled to a 7.71 ERA over his five outings.
It’ll be interesting to see how things play out for Tong to begin this season.
The righty certainly could use more time in the minors, but whether or not that’ll be with the Mets remains to be seen, as he is said to be “highly coveted” in trade talks this winter.
While they are listening, New York reportedly values Tong highly, so they likely wouldn't actually move him unless they are receiving a top-tier talent in return.
If he sticks around, he could play a role in the majors at some point this season.
Allen wins five frames in a row against Mark Williams
Zhao Xintong cruises to 6-2 win over Gary Wilson
Mark Allen shrugged off a bout of food poisoning to beat Mark Williams 6-2, winning five successive frames, and book a quarter-final with Judd Trump or Ding Junhui, who play on Wednesday.
Speaking to the BBC, Allen, the 2018 champion, said: “I prepare properly for these events, but I couldn’t prepare for this at all as I’ve been lying in bed all week with food poisoning. I just thought: ‘Go out there and give my best.’ I wouldn’t have had much left if it had got much closer.”
The slippery court that forced the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls to postpone their game last Thursday has slid both into a tough stretch of the schedule.
The league announced that the postponed game been rescheduled for Jan. 29. Additionally, the Chicago at Miami game, previously scheduled for Jan. 30, has been rescheduled to Jan. 31.
What that means in practice is that both the Bulls and Heat will now have to play four games in five days and play each other three times in that stretch.
This all came to pass because of condensation on the court that made it unsafe to play the teams' scheduled Jan. 8 game. The combination of a Blackhawks game the night before (so there was ice under the floor) with an unseasonably warm and humid day in Chicago led to condensation forming on the court. While there were extensive efforts to mop up and towel off the court, the water would just come back because of the conditions.
It was unsafe, and ultimately, both coaches — along with league representatives and the referees — chose to postpone the game rather than risk players' health.
Brown said he was "irate" after the Celtics lost to the Spurs on Saturday in a game where Brown scored 27 points, took 28 shots, and didn't get to the free throw line once. For the game, Boston shot four free throws to San Antonio's 20. After the game, Brown ranted about the officials and put up an NSFW social media post along the same lines.
"I hope somebody can pull up the clips," Brown said, via the Associated Press. "It's the same s*** every time we play a good team. It's like they refuse to make the calls and they call touch calls on the other end. That's just extremely frustrating...
"Somebody please pull it up. Every time we play a good team, the inconsistency is crazy. ... I'm irate at how they officiated the game today."
While this is not the first time Brown has criticized the officiating of Celtics games this season, it is his first fine.
It hasn’t been an easy 2025-26 NBA season so far for the Kings, and the same can be said for Malik Monk.
But Sacramento has put together two consecutive wins after their dominant 124-112 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night at Golden 1 Center, and the veteran point guard has battled through adversity to make an impact in both. Staying ready hasn’t been easy, but taking up a mentorship role has helped Monk focus on the task at hand: contributing no matter what his situation is.
“Man, come in here, whether I’m playing or not — come on, man, watch out,” Monk told Morgan Ragan and Kyle Draper on “Kings Postgame Live” as rookie centers Dylan Cardwell and Maxime Raynaud interrupted the interview. “Just dealing what I was dealing with, coming in and not hanging my head, talking to my rooks right here that just came up, just trying to teach them the game and keep my mind off of the stuff I can’t control. So that’s how I just stay ready.
“Kept getting shots up, staying with my work and playing the game like this, man. Playing the game like this. Happy about it.”
Malik Monk shares how he has stayed ready to make an impact … with a surprise guest appearance 😅 pic.twitter.com/ao0idRtrBm
Monk has dealt with trade rumors and DNPs in recent weeks, sitting three straight games from Jan. 2-6 after two DNPs in December, but helping the rookies has allowed him to keep a clear head and contribute off the bench. He scored 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and 7 of 9 from deep with a game-high-tying eight assists against the Lakers, one night after contributing 15 points in Sacramento’s home win over the Houston Rockets.
While Monk said after Monday’s game he wasn’t given a specific adjustment he needed to make in order to return to the Kings’ rotation, coach Doug Christie told reporters the point guard has played to Sacramento’s “standard” over the last two games with Dennis Schröder suspended.
“… Everything about his focus. He’s talented as hell, man,” Christie said after the win. “So defensive intensity, coverages, communicating with his teammates. Everything about him has been top-notch. So, he deserves everything. He was the player of the game for us. The 26 points, as I told him, fantastic. It was the eight assists that was really impressive for me, actually, because he has the capabilities to do all those things.”
“Not surprising to me,” Westbrook told reporters postgame. “‘Lik can hoop, can put the ball in the hole. Give [him] an opportunity, he’ll produce some shape or form. If it’s not scoring, generating off — he [does] good job of making the best play for somebody else as well, too. So, I never worry about Malik one bit.”
Nothing is certain — in life, or in the NBA. But ensuring he’s prepared to make an impact helped Monk contribute to the Kings’ 10th win of the season and just their second winning streak of the campaign, on a back-to-back, no less.
When Sacramento plays former Kings coach Mike Brown and the New York Knicks on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center, Monk no doubt will look to do the same as the team seeks it’s first three-game streak of the season.
“Definitely trying to come in and make an immediate impact so I can stay on the court,” Monk said. “So yeah … I do that, I’ll be out there.”
And in the meantime, he’ll continue to teach Sacramento’s promising group of youngsters.
The Sixers rode a dream first half to a bounce-back win Monday night in Toronto.
They earned a split in their back-to-back against the Raptors with a 115-102 victory.
Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points. Joel Embiid had 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
The 22-16 Sixers had a full-strength squad. The 24-17 Raptors’ RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl and Ja’Kobe Walter were out with injuries.
The Sixers will host the Cavs on both Wednesday and Friday nights. Here are observations on their win over the Raptors:
Maxey shows off three-level skills
Paul George scored the Sixers’ first five points on two free throws and a pull-up three-pointer. VJ Edgecombe and Embiid also canned early long-distance jumpers.
Maxey wasted no time in displaying his three-level scoring prowess. He sped past defenders, hit mid-range jumpers, fired away well beyond the arc and appeared to pose a legitimate threat from almost anywhere.
The 25-year-old tallied 18 points in the first quarter on 6-for-7 shooting. Through 36 games, Maxey’s averaged 30.9 points. It’s remarkable that, if Maxey finishes the season with at least 30 points per game, the Sixers will have had four such years in the past five. Embiid did it three straight times between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 campaigns and won two scoring titles in the process. Maxey currently leads the Eastern Conference in scoring and sits third in the NBA.
As a team, the Sixers shot 14 for 17 from the floor in the first quarter (7 for 8 from three-point range). The Sixers’ star trio had 37 of the team’s 45 first-period points.
Embiid above the rim
Unfortunately for the Raptors, a new quarter did not mean the Sixers’ offense drastically cooled off.
Embiid jammed in his most powerful dunk of the season in the second quarter. He accepted an Edgecombe pass, took a hard dribble through the lane and elevated for a one-hand slam that the Sixers’ bench enjoyed. Beyond the entertaining two points, it’s clearly an excellent indicator with Embiid’s health that he’s willing and able to score in that fashion above the rim.
Embiid’s now just three points away from the milestone of 13,000 career points. He’s seventh on the Sixers’ all-time scoring list.
Toronto remained unable to handle the Maxey-Embiid two-man game. Maxey sunk yet another three off of an Embiid dribble handoff to stretch the Sixers’ advantage to 73–44. They led by as many as 31 points late in the second quarter.
Edgecombe was a significant part of the much-improved shooting effort. The rookie posted 15 points (5 for 7 from the field, 5 for 6 from three-point range) and eight assists.
Toronto finally gathered some momentum late in the third quarter, making a run and cutting the Sixers’ lead to 18 points on a Gradey Dick layup.
The Raptors hung around in the fourth, though never to a degree that truly alarmed the Sixers. For several minutes, the main lingering question was whether all the fans asking for Sixers head coach Nick Nurse to sub in Kyle Lowry would get their wish.
Much to everyone’s delight, Lowry checked in at the 1:57 mark. The six-time All-Star and Raptors legend basked in the moment and thanked the crowd.
The 39-year-old tried three jumpers and came up empty. That didn’t diminish the cheers at the final buzzer. Lowry held the ball as the clock expired and raised his arm to acknowledge the love again.
The Columbus Blue Jackets officially announced Monday that veteran coach Rick Bowness has been named their new head coach following the firing of Dean Evason and assistant coach Steve McCarthy. Evason was relieved of his duties after the Blue Jackets failed to meet expectations this season, leaving the club after going 19-19-7 for the worst record in the East.
Bowness, 70, comes out of retirement to take on the challenge in Columbus, bringing nearly four decades of NHL coaching experience and a reputation for steady leadership. Prior to stepping away from the bench in May 2024, he concluded a highly successful two-year stint with the Winnipeg Jets, where he posted a 98-57-9 record and led the club to consecutive playoff appearances.
Bowness’s time in Winnipeg revitalized the Jets’ identity, implementing a structured style of play that became the foundation for future success. During the 2023-24 season, under his guidance Winnipeg tied a franchise record with 52 wins, set marks for road victories and defensive consistency, and earned recognition that saw him named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach.
His coaching roots run deep in Winnipeg history as Bowness began his NHL coaching career with the original Jets franchise in the 1980s, first as an assistant before serving 28 games as head coach during the 1988-89 season.
Beyond his time in Winnipeg, Bowness’s coaching résumé is one of the most extensive in NHL history. He has held head coaching positions with the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars, among others, and has served as an assistant coach with several teams including the Vancouver Canucks and Tampa Bay Lightning. His tenure with the Stars included guiding Dallas to the Stanley Cup Final in the pandemic-altered 2020 season.
Over his 38-year career, Bowness coached more NHL games than anyone else in league history and became one of only three coaches to lead teams in five different decades.
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Rick Tocchet’s club has dropped consecutive games in regulation for just the second time. The Flyers are now 9-2-2 in games following a regulation loss.
It didn’t keep him out Monday night. His game ended early with 9:24 minutes left in the third period when he was tossed for “abuse of officials” after being whistled for crosschecking.
The Lightning (28-13-3) are on an absolutely torrid stretch in which they’ve scored five goals per game over 10 straight wins.
The Flyers were swept in their three-game regular-season series with Tampa Bay and were outscored 15-3.
• Dan Vladar could do only so much for the Flyers.
He wasn’t at his best, but he really wasn’t a problem. The 28-year-old finished with 21 saves on 25 shots.
The Lightning’s final goal was an empty-netter.
The Flyers fell behind 1-0 for the 30th time. Tampa Bay’s game-opening goal came just 1:10 minutes into the action when the Flyers couldn’t locate a loose puck at the feet of Pontus Holmberg.
Then, only 33 seconds into the middle stanza, Erik Cernak’s shot went off Jake Guentzel and past Vladar. Not even four minutes later, Brayden Point padded the Lightning’s lead to 3-0 on the power play. Vladar made the initial save on Point, but he had little to no chance at stopping the next shot off the rebound.
Dvorak stemmed the tide for the Flyers with a goal. The Flyers had a chance to trim the deficit to 3-2 with a couple of power plays, but they didn’t record a shot on either one.
Tampa Bay took advantage, extending its lead back to three with another power play goal in the final minute of the second period.
Lightning netminder Jonas Johansson stopped 19 of the Flyers’ 20 shots.
• Matvei Michkov was held without a point.
Since the start of December, the 21-year-old winger has just one goal — an empty-netter — in 19 games. Michkov has eight assists over that span, but the Flyers could really use his goal-scoring ability.
It just hasn’t been there right now.
• Rodrigo Abols and Nikita Grebenkin both dropped the gloves for the Flyers simultaneously in the third period.
• The Flyers are back in action Wednesday when they visit the Sabres (7:30 p.m. ET/TNT).
When the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Egor Chinakhov back on Dec. 29, I was a bit surprised. It came out of nowhere, and I didn't think they'd be in the market for another forward since their forward depth was already really good.
Chinakhov had been hoping for a fresh start since the summer, when he requested a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, which they granted. The Penguins sent a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and forward Danton Heinen back for Chinakhov, which shows what they think of him.
He's the type of player that Dubas has routinely gone after over the past couple of years. When he sees that a young player needs a change of scenery, he pounces. He did the same for Philip Tomasino, Jesse Puljujarvi, Cody Glass, and Emil Bemstrom. Yes, it didn't work out for those four players in Pittsburgh, but that doesn't mean history will repeat itself here with Chinakhov.
I know it's only been six games, but I've really liked the way he's played since making his Penguins' debut against the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 1. He has two goals and three points in those six games for the Penguins and has showcased his blistering release multiple times.
His first goal with the Penguins came off a brilliant stretch pass from Ben Kindel on Jan. 3, but it was his release that really stole the show. He came in on a breakaway against Red Wings goaltender John Gibson, and before you could even blink, the puck was in the back of the net.
His second goal came against the Calgary Flames this past Saturday, and it capped off an awesome two-on-one with Evgeni Malkin. Chinakhov dished the puck to Malkin, who gave it right back to him, and made no mistake with a blistering one-timer. Flames goaltender Devin Cooley had no chance on this shot.
That goal brought the crowd at PPG Paints Arena to life in the second period before Matt Coronato scored the game-winner early in the third. The loss snapped the Penguins' six-game winning streak that had vaulted them into a playoff spot.
Outside of Chinakhov's release, his speed has been on display. He can fly up the ice and really burn opposing players when going for loose pucks. He really showcased his speed on Sunday against the Boston Bruins when he came in on a semi-breakaway and had a good chance against Joonas Korpisalo, but it was ultimately saved.
Chinakhov has also been good in his own zone and has done a nice job defending against chances. His backchecking has been really solid, and I've liked how he anticipates plays before they happen. He hasn't been out of position, either.
Detroit Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen (27) skates with the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Egor Chinakhov (59) during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
He has played 65:09 at 5v5 with the Penguins and has been on the ice for 51% of the shot attempts, 50.7% of the scoring chances, 51.8% of the high-danger chances, and 45.5% of the expected goals, though I think that latter number will go up in the second half of the season.
Chinakhov and Kindel have spent a good chunk of time together on the same line and have shown some chemistry, even if some of the metrics are below water. They have played 49:46 at 5v5 together and are +1 in shot attempts, -3 in scoring chances, and -2 in high-danger chances. The latter two numbers will likely improve with more minutes together.
They could potentially play on the third line with Tommy Novak once Bryan Rust is healthy, while Evgeni Malkin reunites with Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau. Malkin works better at center and showed a ton of chemistry with the big wingers earlier in the season.
With a Novak-Kindel-Chinakhov line, you'd have a nice balance. Novak is a good playmaker, but has been scoring more as of late. Kindel has excellent vision, and Chinakhov can finish chances.
Chinakhov still has 38 more games to show the Penguins' brass that he should be extended since he's slated to be a restricted free agent this summer, but he's off to a good start.
PGA offers re-entry to LIV Golf players via new program
Koepka stands to miss out on at least $50m in equity
Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour just five weeks after bolting from LIV Golf, agreeing to a one-time program for elite players that comes with a financial penalty that could rank among the largest in sports.
Koepka plans to resume his PGA Tour career in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines at the end of the month. But he will not be eligible for PGA Tour equity grants for five years, he will not receive FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026 and he cannot play signature events unless he earns his way in.
The Winnipeg Jets have made a surprising move on the blue line, recalling defenseman Isaak Phillips from the Manitoba Moose (AHL) while placing Colin Miller on injured reserve retroactive to January 11th.
Miller sustained his injury during Sunday’s game against the New Jersey Devils after a collision along the boards that required assistance off the ice. This marks the second recent injury to the Jets’ defense corps, following Haydn Fleury, who remains sidelined after a serious fall into the boards that left him stretchered off with multiple injuries.
TRANSACTIONS: The #NHLJets have recalled D - Isaak Phillips from the Manitoba Moose (AHL). The Jets have also placed D - Colin Miller on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 11.
Phillips’ call-up comes as a surprise, as many anticipated Jets prospect Elias Salomonsson would get the promotion. Salomonsson, who received his first recall earlier this season, played four games with Winnipeg, going minus-four before returning to the AHL.
Phillips brings a different look to the Jets’ lineup. The 23-year-old defenseman has NHL experience, having appeared in 56 games over four seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. Originally a fifth-round pick by Chicago in 2020, Phillips was eventually sent to the AHL and traded to Manitoba, where he has continued his development.
The Jets hope Phillips can tap into his potential and provide a steady presence on the blue line. He is expected to make his Winnipeg debut Tuesday against the New York Islanders.
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Arizona tightened its hold on the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday while Vanderbilt’s unbeaten season has landed the Commodores in the top 10.
Lizotte has spent the past two seasons with the Penguins after his first six years were with the Kings.
The 28-year-old has spent nearly his entire career as a fourth-line center. This year, he's averaged 13:57 of ice time. That's just one second below his career-high of ice time that was set in 2019-20 with Los Angeles.
He's featured in 35 of 44 games for Pittsburgh and has recorded five goals and five assists for 10 points on the year. With that, he has a respectable 51.4 faceoff percentage and a plus-six rating.
Last season was his first in Pittsburgh. He ended that 2024-25 campaign with 59 games to his name, as well as 11 goals and 20 points.
Blake Lizotte (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
Lizotte's time with the Kings began when he signed in April 2019. He was an undrafted forward who joined Los Angeles following two seasons at St. Cloud State from 2017-18 to 2018-19.
He made his NHL debut in 2018-19, but played his first full season in 2019-20. Lizotte scored six goals and 17 assists for 23 points in his rookie season as a 21-year-old.
His best NHL season was in his fifth year with the Kings. In 81 appearances for Los Angeles, he scored 11 goals and recorded 23 assists for a total of 34 points. He averaged 12:57 of ice time that season and registered a plus-11 rating.
Lizotte also accumulated a whopping 70 penalty minutes that year. He never reached more than 28 in any other NHL campaign.
His tenure with Los Angeles ended in the 2023-24 off-season when he signed with the Penguins as a free agent. Lizotte inked a two-year contract at $1.85 million per season, the same deal that is set to expire at the end of this season.
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