It isn't exactly a secret that the Montreal Canadiens could use help at the center position. Their second-line center spot, in particular, is in need of an upgrade.
Because of this, the Canadiens are now being viewed as a potential fit for one of the NHL's most interesting center trade candidates.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson named the Canadiens among the potential landing spots for Seattle Kraken young center Shane Wright.
"The Canadiens have reportedly pursued wingers Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Kirill Marchenko of the Columbus Blue Jackets" Richardson wrote. "Nevertheless, the Canadiens could change their minds if their pursuit of those wingers proves fruitless, perhaps enough to consider circling back on Wright after passing him over four years ago."
With the Canadiens needing help down the middle, it would be understandable if they made a push for Wright. While the 22-year-old has not broken out as a true top-six center at this point in his career, he is still plenty young enough where that could change.
Wright also already has a solid offensive NHL season on his resume. In 79 games during the 2024-25 season with the Kraken, he set career highs with 19 goals, 25 assists, and 44 points. While he followed that up by recording just 12 goals and 27 points in 74 games last season, he has the potential to turn things back around.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Canadiens make a run at Wright. He could be a great fit on a young, exciting team on the rise like the Habs.
Philadelphia fans embraced Mike Trout like one of their own at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.
The event serves as a homecoming of sorts for the Los Angeles Angels star. The three-time MVP is a New Jersey native but has deep ties to Philadelphia, which is located 45 miles south of his hometown.
Trout received a loud ovation from the crowd as he was introduced before the Midsummer Classic.
A nice cheer for Mike Trout as he makes his return to the All-Star Game!
"It's been everything," Trout said about this All-Star experience during a pregame interview on the broadcast. "… Philly is a special place, it's where I grew up and it's awesome."
Trout served as the American League's leadoff hitter but struck out in his first at-bat against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez.
Among those in the crowd cheering for Trout were his friends and family.
It was Trout's first All-Star Game appearance since 2019, allowing his two sons, Beckham Aaron and Jordy Michael, to watch him play in the event.
Trout was named as an All-Star for the 12th time in his career. He was selected eight consecutive times from 2012 through 2019.
Where to watch the 2026 MLB All-Star Game
The festivities continue in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 14 with the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.
Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals defeated Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber to claim the title of Home Run King on Monday night.
USA TODAY at MLB All-Star Game
The 2026 Midsummer Classic has arrived, and USA TODAY will have reporters on the ground in Philadelphia and at home eager to deliver the goods. From media day and the Home Run Derby, to the red carpet and All-Star Game, we'll have everything covered.
Paul Skenes might not be pitching in the All-Star Game, but that didn’t stop him from getting dressed up – with his girlfriend, Olivia “Livvy” Dunne.
Skenes, who was selected to be an All-Star but won’t pitch due to his schedule, posed in an Instagram selfie with Dunne — and on the red carpet — wearing a blue suit, blue pants, a white shirt and a dark blue tie.
He was pictured next to Dunne, who donned a black and blue dress.
Dunne held a blue bag in her selfie, which was captioned: “throwing a fit.”
While being interviewed by reporters on Tuesday, Skenes talked more about his outfit, talking about his alligator boots and an American flag on his tie.
Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne pose together before the MLB All-Star Game. livvydunne/Instagram
Dunne, who said she’s wearing Miss Rosier, added she hoped to match Skenes and that he always wears red, white or blue and is a “Patriot.”
Skenes and Dunne have been together since 2023, when they met while attending LSU.
Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Livvy Dunne attend the 2026 MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show. Getty Images
Skenes’ baseball career has forced their relationship to be long-distance at times, but Dunne said they’ve remained close.
“I mean, he makes time to come to my events,” Dunne told People in March. “I make time to go watch him pitch. I try to make every start I can.”
After being selected first overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes has blossomed into one of the league’s top pitchers.
He followed his Rookie of the Year win and 1.96 ERA in 2024 by striking out 216 hitters in a Cy Young-winning 2025 campaign.
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne, right, walk on the red carpet for the MLB All-Star Game. AP Photo/Chris Szagola
Skenes has taken a slight step back in 2026 with a 3.57 ERA but remains one of baseball’s premier young players on an ascending Pirates team.
While Dunne is no longer a gymnast, she’s now coming to the small screen in the fall and will be part of Fox’s “Baywatch” reboot in her first true foray into acting.
The MLB All-Star Game brings the best players in the game together for a friendly exhibition. But if the game is close as the end draws near, the pressure and the intensity rise to another level.
And if it goes down to the wire, there won't be any extra innings. Instead, if the game is tied after the bottom of the ninth, MLB has created a fun way to settle the score that borrows from the Home Run Derby the previous night.
And last season, a home-run tiebreaker was used for the first time since the new rule was implemented.
MLB All-Star Game tiebreaker rules
If the All-Star Game is tied after nine innings, the winner is determined by a home run swing-off. Here's how it works:
Each team selects three players from its active lineup to compete in a mini home run derby. Each player gets three swings to try to hit as many homers as possible, and the team with the highest total is declared the winner. If it's still tied, each manager selects one of the three participants to take three more swings. That process continues until one team hits more homers.
Last season, the National League prevailed in the tiebreaker when Kyle Schwarber cleared the fence with all three of his swings for a 4-3 victory. Not surprisingly, Schwarber was named the All-Star MVP.
Roch Cholowsky throws out the first pitch at a White Sox game.
Roch Cholowsky is having the time of his life — and his bank account isn’t doing badly either.
Just days after being selected No. 1 overall by the White Sox in the 2026 MLB Draft, Cholowsky signed his rookie contract that includes a record-breaking $10.35 million signing bonus, sources told ESPN.
Cholowsky’s bonus tops the previous mark of $9.25 million for Chase Burns and Charlie Condon in 2024 draft. The slot value for the first pick this year was $11.3 million, so even with the record, the bonus came in slightly under value.
While Chicago hasn’t confirmed the deal, Cholowsky threw out the first pitch at Sunday’s White Sox win and sat in a luxury suite with friends and family.
Roch Cholowsky poses at a White Sox game. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I did see the video [of the first pitch], and I saw the crowd. So it was very exciting,” Cholowsky’s father, Dan, told reporters.
“He flew out 2 or 3 weeks ago and fell in love with the city [Chicago]. I want what’s best for him.”
“Since he’s been young, I’ve always treated him like a man and I respect his decisions. He said everyone was great to him and he loves it,” Dan added.
Cholowsky, a 6-foot-2 shortstop, hit .320 with 21 home runs, 60 RBIs and a 1.088 OPS in 60 games for UCLA in 2026.
Despite falling short of a College World Series title, the Bruins went 51-6 in Cholowsky’s final season.
Roch Cholowsky throws out the first pitch at a White Sox game. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Cholowsky hit .329 with 52 homers, 167 RBIs and a 1.072 OPS in 178 games across three seasons with the Bruins.
He also became the first UCLA player selected first overall since Gerrit Cole went to the Pirates in 2011.
“You look at what he has done throughout his baseball career, both at UCLA, but prior to that,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz told reporters Saturday. “We had interest in him in high school and then to be able to watch his college career unfold and see what he accomplished and the impact that he had on his teammates and that program and now to envision that type of influence within this organization is something that attracted us to select him at No. 1.”
However, James doesn’t appear to be in any rush. This was shown by a golf outing that he had on July 14, alongside Golden State Warriors star forward Draymond Green and world-class comedian Kevin Hart, both of whom are close friends with James.
Steve Stoute’s Instagram Story post of him golfing with LeBron James and Kevin Hart. Instagram/@stevestoute
Green and James were recently in Puerto Rico together, which is why it’s surprising to see them golfing so soon after that. There were reports that Green was using that vacation to recruit James to the Warriors, which, “have left [James] giving even stronger consideration to the idea [of joining the Warriors in free agency] than before,” according to a July 13 article from ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.
But there didn’t seem to be much recruiting happening during Tuesday’s golf outing. Instead, several Instagram Story posts from Steve Stoute (who was at the golf event with James, Hart, and Green) show that jokes were being cracked between the trio.
One post showed James and Hart sitting in a golf cart together. The 22-time NBA All-Star was joking about a poor shot Hart had made, with Hart claiming that it was too early to claim that he was having a bad day on the course.
There was some competition between James and Hart: At one point, James told Hart, “I’m up 3–0. I’m cooking you. You know how many teams came back from 3–0? None!”
James and Hart joking around on a couch together. Instagram/@stevestoute
LeBron James: “I’m up 3-0. I’m cooking you. You know how many teams came back from 3-0? None!”
Kevin Hart: “That’s not true. Didn’t you come back?”
Australian athlete, 27, won two Olympic gold medals in Paris
Jack served a doping ban after Ligandrol was found in her system
Australian swimmer Shayna Jack has announced she will retire after the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
In a video posted on Instagram in which Jack spoke with her coach Dean Boxall, the freestyler fought back tears as she said the Games – from 23 July to 2 August – would be her competitive swan song.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 14: Mikel Brown Jr. #0 of the Brooklyn Nets is guarded by Darius Acuff Jr. #5 of the Sacramento Kings on July 14, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Greathouse/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It took a few extra days, but we finally got our Mikel Brown Jr. vs Darius Acuff summer showdown. It was Nets as a unit, however, who delivered the box office production.
Brooklyn leapt out to a 22-6 advantage to the begin the game, forcing eight Sacramento turnovers in the contest’s first six minutes. Joshua Jefferson, who struggled in his first appearance as a Net over the weekend, got in on the action right after coming in off the bench.
Brown Jr. personally didn’t do any scoring to help to build that run, but facilitated on a few buckets. Despite having no points to match Acuff’s six in the first, he did come up with two assists.
His backcourt mate had him covered, however. Egor Dëmin led everyone with 16 first period points, shooting 3-3 from the field and 4-4 from the line. The sophomore, who’s starting to look a bit too good to be out there, had a near-perfect frame even outside of his shooting figures, pitching in three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and zero turnovers in 10 minutes.
Then, Brown Jr. started to get going. Acuff picked his pocket on the second period’s first possession, though Brown Jr. got back in time to block his subsequent shot in transition. MBJ walked the ball down the court right after, shook Acuff with a crossover, and dropped in a buttery midrange jumper. He finished with five points and two more assists in the period.
But while it was good to see Brown Jr. win round two, Drake Powell experienced a far larger and more cathartic redemptive arc. After beginning the summer 1-28 from the field between the California Classic and Vegas, he started the game 4-5 from three and a +11 at halftime.
Drake Powell continuing to cash in on the basketball gods' summer debt to him.
He started the SL 1-28 on FGs between Vegas and Sacramento. He's now 4-5 from deep today. pic.twitter.com/8PDr2cr5aJ
Brooklyn eventually waltzed its way to a 56-34 lead at halftime, and it would’ve been even messier than that if not for Emanuel Sharp. The 45th overall pick out of Houston also went 4-5 from deep in the first half to lead his team with 14 points. Nobody else on Sacramento had more than eight at that point.
Dëmin, who put up a 20-piece last time out vs New York, had the same amount today by halftime while shooting 5-9 from the field. He continued to have Brown Jr.’s back all the way until the first half horn…
Egor Dëmin picks up the Mikel Brown Jr. miss and his third dunk of the first half right before the buzzer.
The dunking didn’t stop there, nor did the deposing of the Kings. The Nets continued to force Sacramento turnovers that led to easy points the other way. Brooklyn ended up earning 41 points off 28 Sacramento giveaways by the end of the night. About halfway there, Johnson, Dëmin, Brown Jr., and Wolf collaborated on what has to be the play of the summer so far for the team…
Nets level….
Major highlight for the Nets. Starts with Chaney Johnson hustle. Finishes with a Danny Wolf poster on Maxime Raynaud. pic.twitter.com/DFLqHkpusy
Helped by that sequence, Brooklyn went on a 13-0 run in the heart of the third to open up a 30+ point lead, and while that was enough to excuse Dëmin for all but one random possession in the fourth, Brown Jr., Powell, and a few others played on.
The former got a few points back on Acuff before sitting a few sequences later. Acuff still finished the game with the higher scoring total, although he had sacrifice his efficiency to get it. MBJ finished with 16/5/2, and four turnovers while shooting 6-11 from the field and 2-5 from deep. Acuff ended with 26 points, five assists, and five turnovers while shooting 9-18 from the field and 2-6 from deep.
Mikel Brown Jr. hits a three over Darius Acuff, flashes a smile on his way back down the floor. pic.twitter.com/v4sVySGm2I
The Nets did get a bit too rowdy in the that third period, picking up three technical fouls between the bench, Dëmin, and Powell, who got caught hanging on the rim for a tad too long after finishing off an alley-oop. Normally, you’d rather avoid seeing that. But hey, its summer. And again, you saw the Powell numbers before this one. He finished with 18 points, two steals, and a block after shooting 6-10 from the field and 4-7 from deep.
For the most part, the bench plus Johnson and Wolf took us the rest of the way. Sacramento never put any pressure on the lead as Ben Saraf’s methodical game and Johnson’s dominance on the glass kept the Kings on a leash anytime they tried to string together quick points. Saraf bounced back with 11 points, five assists, four steals, and zero turnovers on 3-4 shooting in 20 minutes played. Johnson, a game high +31, nabbed 13 points and nine rebounds, three assists, and a steal after shooting 5-7 from the field.
The Nets nabbed their second win in Las Vegas. The were five points shy of tying the league record for the most points scored in a Summer League game.
Final: Brooklyn Nets 115, Sacramento Kings 83
Sean Marks Speaks
Midway through the second period, Sean Marks also joined the broadcast for a brief interview where he touched on the the team’s young pool of talent., Julius Randle, and Jordi Fernández.
“Very excited about this group,” Marks said. “I mean, they’re young but they’re out there competing. They’re playing hard. They’re playing the right way. You see the ball moving around. These guys are competing — diving on the floor for loose balls. They want to compete for something, so that’s exciting.”
Marks later spoke specifically on Mikel Brown Jr., even giving us a bit of an idea of what he and the Nets look for in draft prospects.
“Obviously watching him, going back from from my days, watching him at the Hoop Summit, and then obviously Louisville, you see how he played there, and just how he approached his teammates,” Marks said. “I know he missed a few games, but then even in the games he was out, it was like, just watch him on the sidelines. Who’s interacting with? What do the coaches say about him? He’s a very cerebral player. He’s incredibly competitive, so that’s obviously going to translate to our level.”
It’s similar to what he said shortly after the Nets selected Brown Jr. last month.
“And what we’ve seen so far, not only in the California Classic Summer League, but in Vegas here, is just how he’s got those leadership characteristics, taken a lot of the guys under his wing, and spent time with them away from the court as well, which is really unique for a young man like that,” he added. Those things will translate to a really, really positive career.”
Marks also praised the borough of Brooklyn as a platform to raise up prospects like Brown Jr. He called it a “melting pot” before acknowledging its salt-of-the-earth reputation.
“It’s such a diverse borough that, to me, is exciting,” he said. “It’s a working-class borough. That’s that adds something to the culture of the locker room like we experienced with the Spurs. So, to me, that’s great. Everybody has their own story, and that’s it’s a worldly game now, which is what we’re just seeing right now on the on the court.”
He also shouted out Fernández and his coaching staff in that same regard.
“One of the things that’s really shined from Jordi and how he’s approached his first few years here has been just how honest he is with players,” Marks said. “Nobody ever questions, ‘Well, where do I stand? What are my expectations? What am I supposed to do?’ Jordy lets everybody know right off the get-go and and owns it. He’s honest with it, honest about himself, honest about the mistakes that he makes, and I think that takes a lot. That’s a special leader, and he’s been absolutely tremendous in these first couple years.“
Marks wrapped up things up soon after that, but not before sharing what he expects Julius Randle to bring to the Nets this season. Randle also shared his thoughts on coming to Brooklyn in a different Summer League game a few days before.
“I look at how enthusiastic Julius is about coming back here and you know being in New York again, and so forth. I think he’s he’s been on winning franchises. He understands what it takes. He’s a pro’s pro. He’s a powerful player — that’s something we’re looking for. We need a downhill player that can play in that position, which we didn’t have, so I think him being able to take some of these young guys under his wing, show what it means to be a real pro at this level, and lead flags out will be great. That’s exactly what we’re excited about with Julius.”
Erik Slater of ClutchPoints also caught up with Marks during the game to ask about a potential Michael Porter Jr. contract extension. He indicated there won’t be any news on that soon.
Asked Sean Marks whether the Nets feel urgency to get an extension done with Michael Porter Jr. as he enters the final year of his contract:
"No. Any time you're in a hurry, that's when you make mistakes… We don't wanna do anything hastily or in a rush here. I love Mike… and… pic.twitter.com/9ip1LvxzqG
Brooklyn will take a day off before playing in its final “regular season” Summer League game on Thursday afternoon vs the Houston Rockets. That’ll tip off at 4:30 p.m. EST. Depending on how the standings shake out, they’ll either move onto a four-team playoff or play one consolation game after that either on July 17, July 18 or July 19th.
Dylan Cease struck out the side in the first inning, combining with 10 relievers on a three-hitter in a show of pitching dominance that led the American League to a 4-0 win over the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.
All-Star MVP Cody Bellinger hit a two-run single and Ben Rice followed with an RBI single in the first against Cristopher Sánchez of the host Philadelphia Phillies.
Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox added an eighth-inning home run off the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Justin Wrobleski, who was pitching on his 26th birthday, for the game’s only extra-base hit. The AL won for the 18th time in 23 games and holds a 49-45-2 advantage overall.
Singles by Juan Soto in the fourth, Pete Crow-Armstrong in the eighth and Otto Lopez in the ninth were the only hits by the NL, which failed to advance a runner past first.
Pitchers combined for 27 strikeouts, 15 by AL hurlers.
Cease struck out Kyle Schwarber, Soto and CJ Abrams around a walk in the first inning. He became just the seventh pitcher to strike out three in an All-Star opening inning after Carl Hubbell (1934), Warren Spahn (1949), Jim Palmer (1977), Dave Stieb (1983), Pedro Martinez (1999) and Brad Penny (2006) — four of them Hall of Famers.
Parker Messick, Michael Wacha, Joe Ryan, Nick Martinez, Cade Smith, Drew Rasmussen, Jacob Latz, Louis Varland, Aroldis Chapman and Bryan Baker finished the first All-Star shutout since the AL’s 2-0 win in 2013 at New York’s Citi Field.
Some starting star power was missing, with Jacob Misoriowski, Paul Skenes and Shohei Ohtani all unavailable. Just six pitches reached 100 mph, the fewest in an All-Star Game since 2021.
Bellinger and Rice both singled on up sinkers from Sánchez, who struggled through a 34-pitch inning that included three hits and two walks.
“It just took me a little time to soak it all in and enjoy it,” Sánchez said through a translator.
Mike Trout, a 12-time All-Star who hadn’t played in the game since 2019 because of injuries, went 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Documenting the day
Managers and starters entered through replica Liberty Bells in front of each dugout, walked to home plate and used a feathered quill to sign an oversized lineup card, as if they were Founding Fathers affixing names to the Declaration of Independence. The dirt was surrounded by 13 stars, one for each of the Colonies.
Fireworks were set off after the fourth inning to a video of Ray Charles singing “America the Beautiful” at Game 2 of the 2001 World Series.
Philadelphia was awarded this year’s All-Star Game in 2019 an unusually long lead time to coincide with the U.S. 250th semiquincentennial. The Phillies hosted the 1976 and ’96 games at Veterans Stadium and the Athletics in 1943 and ’52 at Shibe Park.
At the 1996 game, there was a hard hit even before the first pitch. Cal Ripken Jr.’s nose was broken when struck by a forearm of Chicago White Sox reliever Roberto Hernandez when he lost his balance on a platform during the AL team picture.
Next year’s game is scheduled for the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field for the first time since 1990 but is threatened by possible labor strife.
Brandon Marsh didn’t sound like a guy who had just struck out twice in his first All-Star Game.
No. He sounded like a guy who’d just had the time of his life.
The All-Star Game is an exhibition. A respite from the intensity of the regular season. A chance to get to know some rivals as teammates for a couple of days. It’s supposed to be entertaining for the fans and fun for the players.
Marsh, who started for the National League in right field, had a blast.
“That was some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time on a baseball field,” he said after leaving the game. “Seeing all the guys out there, dudes that I’ve looked up to for a long time. Being able to learn and pick their brains for a couple of days. And tonight – just the game – I got that October feeling. A little shakiness in the legs in that first at-bat.
“It was everything I could have asked for.”
The NL lost the game, 4-0, to the American League squad in the electric environment of Citizens Bank Park.
It wasn’t the best of nights for the members of the Phillies. NL starter Cristopher Sanchez gave up three runs in the first inning and took the loss. Two of the runs came on a base hit by Cody Bellinger, the game’s MVP. The NL had just three hits. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper went hitless with a pair of strikeouts in three total at-bats. Pitching ruled. There were 27 strikeouts in the game.
Thank goodness for Jesus Luzardo and Jhoan Duran. They gave Phillies fans something to pump their fists about. Both pitched scoreless ball. Luzardo got through the fourth inning on just six pitches. Duran covered two outs in the ninth in just four.
Despite the struggles of some Phillies, it was a win of a night for the organization. The Phillies and MLB put on a heck of a show, one the late David Montgomery would have been proud of. He’s the guy who held off pushing for an All-Star Game in the years following the opening of Citizens Bank Park. He always wanted the game in 2026 as part of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.
“Philly made these last couple of days really special,” Marsh said. “It’s been nothing short of amazing. And it’s been everything I ever dreamed of. I’m blessed to be here. I made a bunch of memories that I know I’m going to keep forever.”
One of Marsh’s memories came in the fifth inning when the movie Sandlot came to life on the field. Kids with baseball gloves dangling from their handlebars pedaled bikes onto the field as a video of Ray Charles singing America the Beautiful at the 2001 World Series played on the scoreboard. The kids interacted with players on the field as fireworks filled the sky. For a moment, everyone in the ballpark was a kid again on the Fourth of July.
“Honestly, that was one of my favorite parts of the game because that was my favorite baseball movie growing up,” Marsh said. “When I hear that song, it almost brings tears to my eyes because it takes me back to being five years old watching that movie. It was special.”
Marsh was able to chat with one of the kids who rode his bike onto the field.
“We were talking,” Marsh said. “He told me his grandma was a huge fan of the Phillies and of me personally. We took a video and sent it to her.”
Wow!
An in-game video with the NL’s starting right fielder. What a memory for that kid.
“He was ready,” Marsh said of the iPhone-carrying kid. “Locked and loaded.”
Marsh’s improvement this season has been a huge factor in the Phillies’ cutting their deficit in the NL East from 10.5 games on May 22 to two games at the All-Star break. Since the start of May 2025, he’s hitting .302, fourth-best in the majors.
Marsh, 28, believes his All-Star experience will only make him a better player.
“Just watching the best pros in the game, how they do it, learning to be more of a professional, little insights in the game,” he said. “Putting some stuff in the routine and just learning.
“I could go on and on with all the intel I got the last couple of days. To keep it short and sweet, just how to be a better pro.”
Good stuff.
Marsh, Sanchez, Schwarber, Harper, Luzardo and Duran will all get a day off Wednesday. On Thursday night, it’s back to the grind – a series against the New York Mets.
Philadelphia’s All-Star Game is over.
Before you know it, October will be here. Marsh wants that feeling again.
“More than anything,” he said. “I’ll do just about anything to get there. And I know the guys in our clubhouse would say the same thing. We put ourselves in a better position right before the break. We started slow but we’re back in the fight. We’re within striking distance. We just have to keep it day to day and enjoy it.”
Disagreements between MLB, the MLB Players Association and officials with the 2028 Olympics has slowed momentum from the game’s biggest stars participating in the Summer Games, according to a new report.
The three sides have been in ongoing conflict over the specifics of baseball at the Olympics for months per ESPN.
Particular sticking points revolve around hotel rooms, tickets and a mandatory-participation agreement.
LA28 and MLB are seeking a quick solution as the two plan to shut down the league for 11 days to accommodate an All-Star Game and a six-team Olympic tournament.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during the first round of the MLB baseball draft. Laurence Kesterson/UPI/Shutterstock
The MLBPA has been reluctant to sign an agreement, seeking a deal similar to what the International Olympic Committee, National Hockey League and NHLPA signed to bring NHL players back to the Olympics in 2026 after 12 years away.
“We made a proposal to the union which included a schedule and a mandatory participation agreement,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said, according to ESPN. “The union then pursued a negotiation with LA28 over largely economic issues, including housing and tickets, and told us they would not respond until they finished with LA28.”
Sources told ESPN that MLB is seeking mandated participation that would place players who avoid participation in the Games on the restricted list — without pay — from July 12 to Aug. 3.
The MLBPA strongly opposed the idea, specifically the punishment, and commissioner Rob Manfred’s ability “to discipline for just cause” with “a fine and/or unpaid suspension” under the clause.
The players union also pursued negotiations over housing and tickets, seemingly asking for hotel rooms for players and tickets available for their friends and family.
One of the variations of the 2028 Olympic logo. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Despite four All-Stars telling ESPN on Monday they would be willing to stay in the Olympic Village on UCLA’s campus, LA28 offered 435 hotel rooms on top of the 100 reserved by MLB and another 100 for the Japanese national team.
The desire to allow MLB players to participate in the Olympics has risen drastically amongst players and fans after the success of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The United States, Dominican Republic and WBC champion Venezuela have already qualified, with others coming from the Premier12 tournament set to take place in November 2027.
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies competes during the 2026 Home Run Derby. Getty Images
“I hope LA ’28 happens,” Harper told USA Today in March. “I’m hoping the next CBA agreement can happen where teams and players can come to an agreement on taking that two-week break, especially it being in our home country.
“It would be great for baseball. You talk about growing the game and being able to grow it at that, at the highest level would help out tremendously.”
Baseball became an official Olympic sport in 1992 and ran through 2008. It returned for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, with Japan winning gold and the United States taking silver. The U.S. roster included the likes of Joe Ryan, Triston Casas, Shane Baz and Nick Martinez.
The players union added that the league’s stars would like to play in the Olympics under the right conditions.
“In general, our players want to play in the Olympics,” Bruce Meyer, head of the MLBPA, said Tuesday, according to The Athletic. “They’re patriotic, and for them it’s a special opportunity, and we want them to have that opportunity.
“Having said that, we want to make sure that they have things like travel and accommodations and things that they deserve based on who they are.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 13: Manager Dave Roberts #10 of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cristopher Sánchez #61 of the Philadelphia Phillies speaks during the 2026 MLB All-Star Game press conference at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Derik Hamilton/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Dylan Cease faces Cristopher Sánchez to begin the 2026 All-Star game at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday.
LAS VEGAS — NBA free agency drags on — apparently just like LeBron James wants it to — and the rumor mill keeps churning. Here is the latest, including about LeBron and his next destination.
LeBron nearing decision?
The vibe in Las Vegas and at Summer League has shifted in the last 48 hours from "LeBron can just be LeBron and take his time" to more of a "make a decision so the teams involved — and everyone else — can move on." Or, maybe that's just me. Either way, there are multiple reports that LeBron is getting closer to a decision, but when that might land remains up in the air.
LeBron has been reaching out to players on the teams he is considering, reports ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. It's known that LeBron was spending time with Draymond Green, but be careful not to read too much into it. League sources NBC Sports has spoken with still think all signs point to Cleveland as the destination, but other reputable reports have Miami and Philadelphia in the mix as well.
Officially, until LeBron makes the call, everything is still in play. Hopefully that call comes soon.
One quick additional note: Don't expect LeBron's son, Bronny James, to instantly go wherever dad does, reports Dan Woike at The Athletic. After a couple of years of work, Bronny has developed into a player who looks like he could someday be an NBA rotation player. He has taken big strides to get there, and while there's a long way to go, the Lakers have been impressed and like him. They reportedly are not looking just to dump him wherever Dad goes.
Miami eyeing Thompson, DeRozan
From the "trying to move on to other business category," we bring you the Miami Heat, one of the finalists for LeBron, but they are also looking into other options to round out their roster as well.
One of them is Klay Thompson, reports Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Thompson, 36, averaged 11.7 points per game last season, shooting 38.3% from 3-point range, both career lows. Thompson is owed $17.5 million next season in the final year of his contract, and it would be tough for Miami to trade for that deal without giving up some of its already thin depth around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Miami could offer Nikola Jovic, and the money works, but the Serbian forward is coming off a down season and is under contract for four years at $64 million, which may be more long-term money than Dallas wants back on its books.
There is a belief that if the Mavericks can't find a trade this offseason they might buy out and waive Thompson, making him a free agent, which works for the Heat, but Dallas understandably is looking for a better return for themselves.
The Heat also have had conversations with Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal but are not aggressively pursuing either at this point, according to the report.
Miami is also reportedly interested in free agent DeMar DeRozan as a fallback if LeBron chooses to go elsewhere, and other teams on his list are thinking the same thing, Jackson and Chiang at the Herald report. Something to watch whenever LeBron gets around to announcing his decision.
Peyton Watson interest increasing
Peyton Watson is drawing a lot of interest for two reasons: 1) Every team could use more two-way athletic wings, it's the most in-demand position in the league; 2) He is available as a restricted free agent, the Nuggets will talk sign-and-trade, but the price is steep.
Denver is asking for something similar to what Utah just got for Walker Kessler — two first-round picks and two swaps, plus matching salary at around $25 million a year on average, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
The Clippers and Hawks reportedly have been interested in Watson but have balked at the asking price. Now we can add the Bucks to the list, reports Stein. The matching salary part for the Bucks is easy, Kyle Kuzma could work (the Bucks are under the salary cap and can take back more than they send out by a few million easy), but does a rebuilding Milwaukee team want to give up all those picks? Unlikely, but it's something to watch.
Other free agency notes
• Austin Reaves signed his four-year, $180 million extension with the Lakers, but that was about $5 million less than was originally reported. Reaves took a little less to help the Lakers maintain some future financial flexibility, according to reports.
• The Spurs will re-sign Jordan McLaughlin to a new one-year contract, his agent told Shams Charania of ESPN. That deal will be for the minimum and likely is not fully guaranteed.
• Don't be surprised if former Pelicans coach Willie Green signs on to Dusty May's new staff in Dallas, Marc Stein reports. Multiple teams, including the Warriors, talked to Green about an assistant role.
• Former All-Star Victor Oladipo hosted an open workout for teams in Las Vegas this week, hoping to find his way back into the league. Once one of the top two guards in the game, he last played in the league for the Heat in 2023.
PHILADELPHIA — The bosses of Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association spoke Tuesday and expressed belief the game is doing well — which is about where their agreement ended.
A chief disagreement: Both suggest fans are on their side, and MLB’s effort to ensure support has not been appreciated by the union.
To win fan support, MLB launched a “Level the Playing Field” advertising campaign that has become inescapable, particularly on its TV network. The league says it is responding to fan concerns about competitive balance by attempting to overhaul the economic system and install a salary cap and floor — which players are fighting — in the next collective bargaining agreement.
“I have watched over the last few years the owners, the commissioner’s office, try to convince fans — the consumers of their product — that the product is broken,” Bruce Meyer, the interim executive director of the MLBPA, said at a gathering with reporters before the All-Star Game. “Trying to convince fans and the world that, you know what, you are going to these games in record numbers, including small-market teams that have actually been at the forefront of increases in attendance — and instead, the league, the supposed stewards of the game, has spent an inordinate amount of time trying to convince those same fans that they don’t have hope, or they shouldn’t have hope.
“… I think it’s perverse.”
The league argues it is reflecting a view heard overwhelmingly from fans.
Getty Images for The Players Alliance
“We’re listening to our fans,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a separate Q&A with reporters. “What our fans in a number of our markets are telling us — better than half of them — is there’s a lack of competitive balance in the game and everything we propose is directed at addressing that fan concern.”
At the heart of the labor fight is ownership’s assertion that small-market teams lack a fair chance to succeed, and the players’ arguments that payroll does not guarantee victories, and if small-market owners want to spend more, they can.
“In order for this game to reach its full potential … we need to make sure that fans in markets, at the beginning of the season, have a realistic belief that their team has a chance to win,” Manfred said. “I think that we need a system where fans, particularly in smaller markets, can have some hope that the players that are signed and developed by their organizations can actually stay there through free agency.”
Meyer’s response: Look at the records of the Brewers, Guardians, Rays and Cardinals over the past decade, and look at the young stars many small-market clubs have locked up long before free agency. Additionally, the owners of those clubs can simply spend more money on major league salary.
“The fans in those markets deserve to have them compete,” said Meyer, who took over after Tony Clark was forced out in February, “and the fact that [those owners] want this all-purpose excuse to not have to compete doesn’t change the fact that competitive balance in baseball is healthy.”
Rob Manfred, Commissioner of Major League Baseball, wears sunglasses and holds a phone while attending the Allen and Co. Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference. REUTERS
Do fans agree? Yes, Manfred said, citing a “sophisticated” process in which the league uses professional pollsters and focus groups, among other sources.
No, said Meyer, who pointed to a poll in The Athletic in which just 34 percent of respondents said their favorite team would have “a significantly better chance at making the postseason in a cap system.”
“If they were so concerned about fans,” Meyer said of the league’s owners, “they would be listening to the fans all across baseball who are literally chanting, ‘Sell the team.’ ”
No small-market team since the Royals in 2015 has won the World Series. On the other hand, Meyer pointed at the struggles of the Mets, who have “the richest owner,” and the Yankees, who “have won one World Series in the last 25 years.”
“That doesn’t sound like an existential crisis,” Meyer said.
Manfred countered that there are always exceptions, but that “over a very long period of time, there’s a very strong relationship between who gets into the playoffs and who proceeds, notwithstanding the exceptions.”
Both sides have exchanged initial proposals for a new CBA ahead of the current agreement expiring Dec. 1. The expectation is the league will lock out the players as negotiations then pick up.
Last month, President Donald Trump said MLB should have a salary cap. A sports fan known to interject himself into issues past presidents avoided, Trump could intervene if a lockout drags on.
Asked if he would welcome intervention, Manfred declined to speculate.
“He is a great sports fan, and he is really knowledgeable about the business of sports, so it doesn’t surprise me he’s interested,” Manfred said. “But beyond that, I’m going to pass [on the question].”
US President Donald Trump AFP via Getty Images
Both the league and union want players to participate in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, but hang-ups include the league wanting mandatory participation, according to ESPN.
Unlike the World Baseball Classic, which occurs in spring as players are ramping up, the Olympics will be midseason, when pitchers will be stretched out and hitters in rhythm.
“We went down the road on LA 2028 because we saw it as a unique opportunity to market the sport with our very, very best players,” Manfred said. “It is a disruptive undertaking for us. Put money to one side — you’re disrupting the entire season. And if we’re going to undertake that effort, we want our very best out there so that people see how great our game really is.”
Meyer said the two sides are in a “very early stage” of discussion.
“In general, our players want to play in the Olympics,” Meyer said. “… We want to make sure that [players] have things like travel and accommodations and things that they deserve based on who they are.”
Meyer said the union has cooperated with a federal investigation into a youth baseball company owned and created by the MLBPA.
Reading from a statement, Meyer said, “It’s our understanding the MLBPA and its current staff are not and have never been targets of this ongoing investigation.”
The three amigos: Miguel Vargas, Munetaka Murakami, and Tristan Peters. | Chicago White Sox
The All-Star break is officially in full swing, and following an absolutely epic Home Run Derby Monday, fans are primed and ready for the Midsummer Classic this evening. Philadelphia is hosting the festivities for the first time since 1996, bringing the best of the best to the City of Brotherly Love. The American League leads the National League all-time, 48-45, and has dominated the better part of the last three decades, losing just five times since 1997 and winning 10 of the last 12. Though we can’t forget last season, when a tied game after nine led to the first “swing-off” tiebreaker that allowed the NL to take the W as Philly’s own Kyle Schwarber won it in dramatic fashion.
Two star-studded lineups will be managed by a pair of excellent managers. Dave Roberts, the Los Angeles Dodgers skipper, is managing back-to-back years and his fifth All-Star game, and he will have five of his players on the roster. Making his managerial debut in the Midsummer Classic, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider will be at the helm for the American League. The Jays fell to the Dodgers in a thrilling, seven-game World Series in 2025, and though Toronto hasn’t been as dominant this season, Schneider will have four players attending with Cy Young contender — and an old White Sox pal — Dylan Cease getting the start for the AL.
Leading the field with the most elected All-Stars are the hometown Philadelphia Phillies, with six players represented this year, including two-time All-Star Cristopher Sánchez, who is starting on the mound for the National League. One of the best fun facts coming out of this year’s game is that Roy Halladay was the last starting pitcher to represent both the Blue Jays (2009) and the Phillies (2011). Veterans Chris Sale, Freddie Freeman, and Justin Verlander will each make their 10th All-Star Game appearance, while Mike Trout was elected for the 12th time and will start in center field.
There are also quite a few young guys and rookies making their All-Star debut as well, as there are 11 players younger than 25 years old, and 36 first-timers. There is so much talent on both rosters, but I want to focus on three of those first-timers: Miguel Vargas, Munetaka Murakami, and Tristan Peters.
If you told White Sox fans a year ago that the team would go from 102 losses to three All-Stars (with a few more that were deserving or right on the cusp), they would probably think you were crazy. Heck, if you told them at the beginning of April, it would have felt like one big joke. But here the South Siders are: sending three excellent players to the national stage while holding first place in the AL Central.
Third baseman Miguel Vargas has not only been one of the best stories of the year, but his improvement across every facet of his game over the past two years has been amazing to watch. He’s been consistent every year with not chasing pitches while walking at higher rates. Still, the increases in production across his offensive stats while playing a solid third base have propelled him into the top players in the American League. Vargas’ 3.3 WAR is the fifth-best in the AL, his 13.7% walk rate ranks ninth, his .848 OPS ranks 13th, and he is tied for sixth with 21 home runs. I mean, seriously, this year’s Savant page is bonkers.
He can also rock a blue suit on the red carpet, so pray for the league.
Japanese rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami has also impressed pretty much everyone since he joined MLB, and despite being injured for the past six weeks, he still is tied for seventh for most homers in the AL with 20, and holds a 148 wRC+ on the season, sixth in the AL (min. 250 PAs). Mune’s 33.6% strikeout rate is the highest in the AL and fourth-highest in MLB, though he essentially balances that out with his 17.8% walk rate (third in AL), .540 slugging percentage (sixth) and 911 OPS (fifth). And again, he has maintained all of this while not playing for over a month. Murakami’s nine home runs were just beaten out by Kyle Schwarber’s 10 in the first round of the Home Run Derby, but his swing looked smoother than ever, and it certainly wasn’t a bad showing for his first time around.
Last but DEFINITELY not least is center fielder Tristan Peters. Replacing Byron Buxton due to injury, Peters was a late All-Star addition, but his success this season has been beyond impactful to the White Sox and truly unprecedented. Peters was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason for “cash considerations,” in what may end up being some of the best money that GM Chris Getz has spent thus far. His .301 batting average is the third-best in the AL and ninth-best in all of baseball, and Peters has mashed 20 of his 75 hits for doubles (26.7%), tied for fourth-most in the AL (alongside Vargas). From the Savannah Bananas to hitting for the cycle in his first full major league season, to the MLB All-Star game, it’s been a lot of fun watching him get to this point.
None of the Chicago White Sox players are starters right now, but hopefully they’ll get an inning at some point tonight. Cease has quite the lineup behind him, nonetheless, especially with all of that power loaded from top to bottom, with Trout leading off and Yordan Alvarez batting second while leading all of baseball with a 1.059 OPS and the AL with 31 homers. Two Derby contestants being on your team is also a flex, with Junior Caminero batting fourth, and Ben Rice balancing out the lineup in the seven-spot while being second in the AL with 29 bombs.
Since being snubbed for an All-Star selection in 2022, Cease is finally making his debut at the Midsummer Classic and is having arguably his best season yet with a 2.84 ERA. His 36.9% strikeout rate is trailing only the flame-throwing Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers. Walks have always been something that Cease has struggled with in his career, and his 11% BB% is the fifth-highest among all qualified starters, but striking out over a third of your opponents while holding them to a .189 batting average has helped maintain his success this season.
For the National League, the lineup Cristopher Sánchez has behind him is just as scary, with MLB home run leader Schwarber giving Cease a run for his money right off the bat, followed by consistent sluggers Juan Soto and Freeman. Sánchez has been an elite pitcher for the last several years, and his 2.62 ERA and 1.186 WHIP have kept him not only front of mind as an All-Star but as a potential Cy Young candidate for the NL this season. His 38.6% chase rate is among the best in all of baseball, and his changeup is simply nasty, with opponents batting just .167 against him while drawing a 45.2% whiff rate on the pitch.
