PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 24: Antonio Senzatela #49 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates after winning the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Trevor Hayes/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The MLB Postseason is in full swing and the Division Series are set:
American League
(2) Cleveland Guardians vs. (6) Chicago White Sox
(1) Tampa Bay Rays vs. (4) New York Yankees
National League
(1) Milwaukee Brewers vs. (4) San Diego Padres
(2) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (3) Atlanta Braves
There are numerous former Rockies on these playoff rosters.
White Sox
Drew Romo
Brenton Doyle
Randal Grichuk
Rays
Ryan Vilade
Yankees
Ryan McMahon
Brewers
Antonio Senzatela
Dodgers
Seth Halvorsen
Braves
Brent Suter
So my question this evening is this: Which old friend(s) are you rooting for in the Division Series? Let us know in the comments!
It was a tense atmosphere from the onset at Little Caesars Arena during the Detroit Red Wings' home opener against the New York Rangers to begin the 2026-27 campaign.
Injured former captain Dylan Larkin was heavily booed when he was introduced alongside the other scratches, while multiple audible "Sell the Team" chants broke out from frustrated fans following Detroit's turbulent offseason.
It all culminated in a 2-0 shutout loss, marking the Red Wings' third consecutive home-opening defeat.
The Red Wings were playing without Larkin, who was announced as officially unavailable for Friday's game as well as Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets; whether he can play on Tuesday remains to be seen.
Detroit also didn't have defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who is in the midst of a contract stalemate and is currently in his native Sweden.
Meanwhile, the Rangers, who traveled from Manhattan to Detroit after playing Thursday evening, earned their second win in just over 24 hours.
Sean Durzi, whom the Rangers acquired from the Utah Mammoth in the Vincent Trocheck trade, connected on the power-play for the Rangers at 5:12 of the first period, whistling a one-timed shot through the pads of goaltender John Gibson for a 1-0 New York lead.
That would do it for the scoring until, with Gibson pulled for an extra attacker, Eeli Tolvanen hit the empty net with 1:16 left in the game.
The Red Wings fired 22 shots at Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand, who was appearing in only his fourth career NHL contest; he picked up his first shutout.
Meanwhile, Gibson stopped 19 of the 20 shots he faced.
Detroit had several chances to find the back of the net, most notably in the first period when a shot from rookie Anton Johansson, making his NHL debut, hit the post after being deflected by Andrew Copp.
Newcomer Viktor Arvidsson also came close, attempting to redirect a centering pass out of the air from close range, only to be denied by Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand.
However, Detroit managed only two shots on goal during the game's final frame.
Offense isn't going to be easy to come by for the Red Wings even if they had iced a full lineup, considering the combined 88 points lost due to the departures of both Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk.
The Red Wings have no choice but to put this loss behind them and prepare for their next game, a Sunday matinee affair against the visiting Winnipeg Jets.
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Bryce Harper and the Phillies haven't won a playoff series since 2023.
Bryce Harper is expecting change in Philadelphia after another disappointing October.
The Phillies have gone three straight seasons without winning a playoff series after pushing the Diamondbacks to a seven-game series in the NLCS back in 2023.
But Harper asserts that next season will look different in Philly after yet another flop in early fall.
A candid Bryce Harper answers questions about Don Mattingly's future and the Phillies roster going into 2027. pic.twitter.com/u6I5OzDRUs
“Each year’s so different than the year before. I don’t really put stock into years before or what happened or anything else,” Harper said after being eliminated by the Braves. “This was a brand new team. Obviously, we had the guys that are part of that core group that we are.
“I’d imagine this team is going to look a lot different next year with the guys that are leaving this clubhouse. So, we’ll see.”
Since 2023, the Phillies have suffered NLDS exits in 2024 and 2025 before losing to the Braves in the wild-card round this week.
In 2026, Philadelphia finished with an 88-74 record and needed a Game 162 victory to secure its fifth consecutive postseason berth.
The Phillies had won at least 90 games in each of the prior three regular seasons.
Harper, a two-time MVP and nine-time All-Star, is signed with the team through 2031 and turns 34 in two weeks.
Bryce Harper and the Phillies haven’t won a playoff series since 2023. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“You’re here to do business. You’re here to win games, and we didn’t do that,” Harper said after their 6-2 Game 3 loss in Atlanta.
Harper wasn’t fully on an island either.
Phillies starter Aaron Nola, who has been with the major-league club since 2015, also noted the team’s shortcomings, specifically honing in on everything not coming together at the right time this season.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola walks to the dugout after the first inning against the Atlanta Braves in game three of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Field in Cumberland, Georgia on Oct. 2, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Obviously, we’d love to win a World Series with these guys. We’ve been together quite a while, and we’ve got a good clubhouse, and you know, good characters on this team,” Nola said. “We know what type of guys are in here. We know what type of players we have, and what we’re capable of.
“(We need to) kind of play good at the right time.”
Interim manager Don Mattingly also spoke about the team’s loss and what factored into it.
“You’d love to be able to set your pitching up and them be rested and all that kind of stuff,” said Mattingly, who exited his post as Phillies skipper on Friday. “But that’s not the way it went.
“We had to fight to get ourselves in, and to do what we had to do to get in, we had to do what we had to do basically every game in the series.”
When it’s Big Blue Madness, basketball season is officially underway in the Bluegrass.
Friday night, a sold-out Rupp Arena welcomed the men’s and women’s teams in their first looks at both of them ahead of their upcoming seasons. It was a raucous crowd, with excitement building for the season.
Women’s Team shows off shooting ahead of highly anticipated season
The Women’s Basketball team tipped off the festivities as they entered the arena. Coming off a Sweet 16 berth last year, Kenny Brooks and the Cats have a lot of momentum coming into this season. The crowd at Rupp Arena clearly concurs, giving each player and Brooks a rousing ovation when they were introduced.
In the “Hot Shot” competition, Team 1 featured Asia Boone, Me’Arah O’Neal, Gabby Brooks, and Savvy Swords. They put up a solid 16 points to tip off the drill. They were followed by Team 2, featuring Clara Strack, Diana Collins, Emily McDonald, and Jemma Amoore. Behind a blistering start, they started draining shots from deep to take the lead.
On Team 3, a fan joined Ajša Sivka, Maddyn Greenway, and Dominika Paurová. They tied Team 1 with 16 points, meaning Team 2 won the drill.
Then came everybody’s favorite: The 3-point shooting contest. Asia Boone tipped it off with a solid 15 points, with Me’Arah O’Neal draining her final two shots to put up 18 points. A confident Emily McDonald made six in a row early and came up just one point shy of the lead with 17. All three advanced to the final round; Boone made all five shots on the final rack to accumulate 20 points.
McDonald responded by hitting her final shot to tie the score. It came down to O’Neal, who made all five from straightaway and then her final two shots on the last rack to tie the score at 20. That brought the tiebreaker to half-court, with a moneyball rack and the first player to make a shot winning the contest. Boone rattled one in after multiple rounds of attempts to take home the trophy.
Mark Pope welcomes back Karl-Anthony Towns
First of all, the thunderous applause started when Malachi Moreno was introduced. Then, things got real. A tall white sheet acted as a projector screen to play an intro video for Mark Pope, who appeared on a gigantic pedestal to address the crowd in Rupp Arena. Dressed in all black, including a Kentucky varsity jacket, Pope then said he had one more Cat to introduce. Pope unveiled that he was wearing a Karl-Anthony Towns No. 12 jersey, a fitting welcome home for one of the greatest Cats of all time.
Coming off winning the 2026 NBA Championship with the New York Knicks, Towns was greeted to a raucous ovation from the Rupp Arena crowd. In just one season with Kentucky, Towns averaged 10.3 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game. Keep in mind, he played on Kentucky’s platoon squad. NBA scouts knew what Towns had, and he was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.
In the NBA Playoffs this past Spring, Towns averaged 15.9 points per game and 10.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 55.1% from the field and 45.6% from 3-point range. Towns tipped San Antonio Spurs’ Dylan Harper’s final inbounds pass in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, enabling Josh Hart to hold serve underneath the basket against the Spurs’ Stephon Castle and cement the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, with the Knicks coming back from down 29 points in the second half.
Mark Pope Shines Spotlight on coaching staff
I think it’s great that Pope took several minutes to highlight his assistant coaches and staff, particularly what each of their roles are. Pope introduced each of them, with all of the members in various entrances to different sections in the upper deck of Rupp Arena.
Earlier this week, Pope said there’s great synergy with this current coaching and basketball staff. That was on display Friday night at Big Blue Madness.
Lighting it up from deep
Mark Pope said earlier this week that he thinks this Wildcats’ team’s shooting will be elite and they have a depth of shooters. In the 3-point shooting competition, we saw glimpses of what that can look like. Mason Williams tipped off the competition with 24 points. Then, Alex Wilkins showed off his shooting potential with a blistering 31 points. Milan Momcilovic participated and got hot at the end to finish with 22 points.
Then, it was reigning 3-point champion Trent Noah, who went 4-5 on the final rack to finish with 18 points.
The final round came down to Wilkins and Ousmane N’Diaye. N’Diaye finished with eight points, with Wilkins following it with a raining performance at 21 points and deciding to dunk in the final ball for the win.
Milan wins fan $10,000
A fan named Jake from the crowd got two half-court shots to win $10,000. He missed both, but he was able to select one player on the team to shoot from half-court to win him the money. He chose Milan Momcilovic. Wise choice. Momcilovic calmly let it fly, banking it in and winning Jake $10,000.
McBride and N’Diaye WOW in dunk contest
Justin McBride started off the dunk contest with an explosive between-the-legs dunk. In the final round, Ousmane N’Diaye threw a pass off the backboard that he put back for an emphatic slam. McBride followed with a thunderous windmill reverse dunk that netted him a 50 score from the judges.
Baseball: NLDS Playoffs: Los Angeles Dodgers Juan Uribe (9) victorious after hitting game-winning home run vs Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Game 4. Sequence. Los Angeles, CA 10/7/2013 CREDIT: Robert Beck (Photo by Robert Beck /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X157033 TK2 R1 F295 )
LOS ANGELES — The 2026 National League Division Series is the sixth postseason matchup between the Dodgers and Braves, dating back to 1996, and the fourth playoff matchup between the two teams in the last nine years.
The Dodgers beat the Braves in the NLDS in 2013 and 2018, both in four games, then beat Atlanta in seven games in a classic 2020 NLCS, coming back from down three games to one.
Atlanta swept the Dodgers in the 1996 NLDS and beat the Dodgers in six games in the 2021 NLCS.
Let’s take a brief look back at each previous October tilt.
1996 NLDS: Braves 3, Dodgers 0
In the first few years of the Division Series, “home-field advantage” meant playing the first two games on the road before coming home for the final three. So the wild card Dodgers were home to start off against the 96-win Braves, but it didn’t affect Atlanta much.
The Braves won two one-run games at Dodger Stadium, with John Smoltz allowing a run in nine innings of Game 1 before Javy López homered off of Antonio Osuna in the 10th inning. Greg Maddux allowed two unearned runs in seven innings of Game 2, then the Braves cruised in Atlanta in Game 3 to complete the sweep.
2013 NLDS: Dodgers 3, Braves 1
Juan Uribe was terrible in the first two years of his Dodgers contract, but turned things around in 2013. Even when he failed, he came up aces that year, including bunting foul twice down a run with Yasiel Puig on second base and nobody out in the eighth inning. Forced to swing, Uribe hit a two-run home run off David Carpenter while Craig Kimbrel watched from the visiting bullpen, sending the Dodgers to the NLCS.
Hyun-jin Ryu (seven innings in Game 1) and Clayton Kershaw (eight innings in Game 2) did the heavy lifting in two shutout wins in Los Angeles, then the Dodgers closed out in four games in Atlanta. Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a grand slam off Walker Buehler to win Game 3 for the Braves, a moment Buehler has cited multiple times as helping him learn how to deal with failure and embrace pressure situations going forward.
That Game 3 win in Atlanta was the last Braves win in a game facing elimination before Thursday’s wild card win over the Phillies in Game 3.
2020 NLCS: Dodgers 4, Braves 3
The Dodgers erased a 3-1 series deficit at Globe Life Field in Texas. Will Smith homered off Will Smith to key a Game 5 win, and Cody Bellinger hit the pennant-winning home run in Game 7, and dislocated his shoulder in the celebration.
2021 NLCS: Braves 4, Dodgers 2
The Dodgers three healthy Cy Young Award-vote-getting starting pitchers broken down by the NLCS, with Max Scherzer unable to pitch in the series at all. Eddie Rosario was Superman, hitting a robust .560/.607/1.040 with three home runs to win NLCS MVP.
Detroit Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen (27) tries to deflect the puck in front of New York Rangers goalie Dylan Garand in the second period of a game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.
DETROIT — And on the Rangers’ third game in four nights, Dylan Garand pitched his first career shutout.
Suddenly, the so-called competition for the spot behind Igor Shesterkin during preseason is irrelevant.
Garand may not have officially won the No. 2 job out of camp, but the 24-year-old sure looked capable of changing that following a 22-save performance Friday night.
“Definitely craziest week of my life, honestly,” said Garand, who became the first Rangers goalie since Henrik Lundqvist (2005-06) to earn at least one point in each of his first NHL games. “Cut on Sunday. Waivers Monday. No claim. Go down to Hartford, get an apartment. And then, you know, two practices and back up and playing on Friday. Crazy, crazy week.”
The young goalie was particularly sharp in his season debut. He manned the net with the sort of laser focus that comes when there are people to prove wrong.
New York Rangers goalie Dylan Garand makes a save in the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After proclaiming his desire to never go back to the AHL at the end of last season, Garand was sequestered from the main NHL group during training camp. It quickly became clear the backup job was Korpisalo’s to lose from the moment the Rangers acquired him from Boston on July 1.
“As good as I can,” Garand said of how he handled the demotion. “Proud of myself for the way I just kind of left it out there, and you know, it was out of my control. So I just focused on what I could control, I did that. Obviously, what happened, happened, and it is what it is. Just happy to be back here. It was a great win tonight.”
Concerns over the possibility of Garand getting claimed may have been overblown, but they weren’t unwarranted. On the same waiver wire last weekend, the Jets claimed Clay Stevenson and the Devils picked up Remi Poirier — two of three young goalies who were taken off waivers this preseason.
Had Garand been claimed, this Korpisalo injury could’ve been a devastating blow to the Rangers.
Detroit Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen (27) tries to deflect the puck in front of New York Rangers goalie Dylan Garand in the second period of a game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Instead, the Rangers were fortunate to recall Garand just five days after cutting him.
“It speaks volumes for his character,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s just a good person, first and foremost. He loves hockey. You can see it. I can see it every time I see him walk through the door. The way he works on his game. He’s a fierce competitor. He wants to play in the NHL. I understand that … he’s battling. He’s controlling what he can. It’s hard. Pro sports are competitive. Things don’t always go your way and you’ve got to be able to work your way through the ebbs and flows of a career.
“The thing I love about Dylan is he controls those things that are within his power. He’s got a great attitude. His effort is always where it needs to be. I really have a lot of admiration for him for how he handles his circumstance.”
Sullivan said he and Garand have had numerous conversations throughout the entire process, with the Rangers head coach assuring that the Canadian goaltender knows the organization believes in him.
Dylan Garand (33) of the New York Rangers celebrates his shutout with teammates after a game against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. The Rangers shut out Detroit 2-0. NHLI via Getty Images
The belief Garand already has in himself, however, has been evident since he made his NHL debut late last season.
Keon Ellis came to play for the Nets for one major reason: Jordi Fernández.
“In this game — and it is a business — having someone like Jordi being the head coach, someone you’re familiar with, [is big]. You know all the schemes, you know what he’s about, you know what they want to run,” Ellis said Friday after practice. “It’s a safe space right there. He’s familiar with my game, I’m familiar with how he rocks. That was the No. 1 thing.”
“He knows how I play, and I know how he wants his team to play. I know I can have a big impact in that way.”
Keon Ellis signed with the Nets this summer after spending last season with the Cavs, and later the Kings. Getty Images
The two were together with the Kings from 2022-24, when Fernández worked under then-Kings head coach Mike Brown — and Fernández left such an impact on Ellis in that time that he wanted a reunion.
Last season didn’t go as planned as he averaged 6.7 points split between Sacramento and Cleveland after a February trade, one season after posting 8.3 ppg for the Kings. He shot 36.3 percent from 3-point range but had been at 42.9 percent over his first three NBA seasons.
Jordi Fernandez, while an assistant with the Kings, previously coached Ellis for two seasons. Getty Images
The Nets are banking on more than just his shooting touch. The hope is the 26-year-old can be a defensive stopper. Last season, Ellis ranked in the 93rd percentile in steals (2.7), in the 95th percentile in blocks (1.5) and the 96th percentile in both turnovers forced (1.6) and deflections (6.4) per 100 possessions. His stop percentile of 4.4 ranked near the top of the league.
“I think Keon’s got the best hands in the NBA, and that’s hard to teach,” Fernández said. “At the same time, you want to be disciplined and follow the schemes, whatever the game plan is. I trust him. I know he’s very diligent with his work and everything, and I know he can perform at a high level. He’s going to help us a lot at the defensive end.”
Early on, he has impressed his new teammates.
“Strong start,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “Keon has been hooping these first two days. He plays the right way. He plays defense. He can really shoot the ball, and he’s been just overall very solid.”
The most important thing for both Ellis and Fernández is there is a comfort level already in place. Each knows what the other expects.
“You have a guy with many intangibles, is a super pro. He has probably the best hands in the NBA, can shoot the ball, can handle, is a good human,” the Nets coach said. “He’s coming here and is about business. It was a no-brainer.
“It’s not for me to say [how much of an impact he will make]. It’s for me to believe every time he guards he’s going to be good on that player, and every time he shoots the ball, I believe it’s going to go in.”
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Alex Tuch scored twice in his first game for Washington, Alex Ovechkin opened his 22nd NHL season with an assist and the Capitals beat the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Friday night.
Tuch joined the Capitals in an offseason trade after five seasons with Buffalo. The 41-year-old Ovechkin assisted on Tuch's opening goal in Washington's three-goal first period.
Cole Hutson, Jakob Chychrun and Ryan Leonard also scored for the Capitals, and Logan Thompson made 31 saves.
Sebastian Aho and Logan Stankoven scored for Carolina, and Brandon Bussi stopped 22 shots. The Hurricanes opened Tuesday night at home with a 1-0 overtime loss to Florida.
Tuch opened the scoring at 6:33 of the first period, beating Busso with a wrist shot. Hutson scored on a snap shot with 8:27 left in the period, and Tuch connected on a backhander with 5:37 to go.
Jakob Chychrun made it 4-0 on a power play at 1:36 of second.
Aho got one back for Carolina on a power play with 3:10 left in the second, and Leonard made it 5-1 eight seconds later. Stankoven scored midway through the third.
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Detroit, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
Dylan Larkin was given an icy welcome from Red Wings fans on Friday.
Ahead of Detroit’s season opener against the Rangers, Larkin, who is out with an upper-body injury, was met with a barrage of boos from Red Wings fans as he showed up on the video board while being introduced at Little Caesars Arena.
Red Wings fans booed former captain Dylan Larkin as he was introduced with the scratches for Friday’s season opener against the New York Rangers.
The boos stem from Larkin's trade request earlier this summer, the first domino in what has been a tumultuous offseason for the… pic.twitter.com/WcczTh0DWO
Larkin, who has a full no-trade clause, revealed that he wanted to be dealt to the Golden Knights, the Panthers, or the Wild, the Detroit Free Press reported in June.
His trade request kicked off a drama-filled summer for the Red Wings, who saw franchise icon Steve Yzerman step down as general manager in July.
Larkin’s decision also comes after the Red Wings have failed to reach the postseason in ten straight seasons, something the star center has previously criticized management for.
Also, as of Friday, top defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned with the season already underway.
Larkin, a Michigan native, has been a staple for the Red Wings since being drafted by them in 2014.
Across 808 career games with Detroit, Larkin, 30, has racked up 276 goals and 367 assists, totaling to 643 points, 10th all-time for the Red Wings.
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Detroit on April 8, 2026. AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Detroit named him team captain during the 2020-21 season for his leadership, but that title was stripped from the club in September following his trade request.
“The Red Wings will begin the 2026-27 season without a captain being named,” the team said in a statement last month. “Any further discussions or decisions will be made once new hockey operations leadership is in place.”
Larkin has acknowledged the loss of his captaincy, telling reporters last month that he understands “why that decision was made.”
The three-time All-Star still has five seasons remaining on the eight-year, $69.6 million deal he signed back in 2023.
When it comes to Shohei Ohtani’s health, the Dodgers have plenty of hope — but few precise expectations.
That, at least, was the way manager Dave Roberts framed his superstar’s status on the eve of the National League Division Series on Friday, saying he was hopeful Ohtani would play well after battling right arm and left knee injuries during the second half of the season, but also acknowledging that he was “not so sure” about exactly what the slugger would be able to provide.
“I know that once the lights turn on, the postseason starts, [his] focus will be heightened,” Roberts said. “I expect good things. I really do. We just haven’t seen it enough really for me to forecast it.”
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) looks towards the home plate umpire against the San Francisco Giants in the seventh inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While addressing reporters on Friday for the first time since before going on the injured list in mid-September — when his injuries had become so bad he was showing visible signs of pain at the plate — Ohtani insisted his ailments had “gotten much better” and that the past few days had been “productive” for his previously slumping swing.
“I think my swing has gotten better,” he said in Japanese. “If I can make solid adjustments today, I think I can go into tomorrow in sufficient condition.”
However, Roberts also reiterated that the four-time MVP is “not 100%” following an 11-for-70 slump in his final 18 games of the regular season (the last five of which came after he returned from the IL last week).
Ohtani, meanwhile, described his injuries as something he will have to continue to manage during the playoffs, unsure if further treatment will be needed in the offseason.
During the Japanese portion of his news conference, he even revealed that, during his stint on the injured list, he avoided holding his young daughter with his aching right arm.
“I was able to hold my daughter using my left arm,” he said.
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers warms up in the on-deck circle in the top of the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Getty Images
“The physical part, I think, he’s kind of moving past that,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said. “Now it’s just gaining the timing of different speeds and when he wants to get his move off, that sort of thing. Kind of the usual stuff that hitters go through, as opposed to trying to cheat [to pitches] because the physical components are limiting them.”
During the club’s bye week workouts, Ohtani took batting practice on the field multiple times — typically a rarity for him — and even sent a couple balls nearly to the outfield scoreboards, according to Bates.
“It was as good as I’ve seen it this year,” Bates said, “as far as just the way the ball was coming off [the bat].”
He also got live at-bats in the team’s intrasquad scrimmages, including a couple matchups against Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday.
“Yoshi won the matchup,” Roberts joked, but Ohtani at the very least didn’t strike out.
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Getty Images
Whether that will be enough for Ohtani to truly turn the corner, however, remains to be seen.
For the one intrasquad scrimmage reporters were allowed to observe on Thursday, Ohtani was nowhere to be seen (staying back in the clubhouse and indoor batting cages to get his work in instead).
Ohtani himself also failed to offer much of an expectation for how he might perform this October, saying only: “I think I can get closer to the results I want if I can adjust to the atmosphere of the postseason.”
For now, such hopes will have to suffice.
Only when Game 1 of the NLDS begins on Saturday afternoon will Ohtani and the Dodgers know exactly where he is at.
As if the start of the 2026-27 season couldn't be more glum for the Philadelphia Flyers, one of their top prospects is already set to miss time through an injury.
On Friday night, Sokolovskii's club, the OHL London Knights, announced that the 18-year-old defenseman will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Sokolovskii is now the latest in a growing line of Flyers injuries, joining players like Denver Barkey, Nikita Grebenkin, and Helge Grans on the shelf.
So far, the Flyers' 2026 first-round pick has played in just one game for the Knights this season: a 7-4 win against the Owen Sound Attack on Sept. 25.
In that game against Owen Sound, Sokolovskii quickly got himself on the highlight reels, laying a devastating hit on Attack forward Lucian Bernat and sending his opponent's stick flying in the air in cartoonish fashion.
Of course, Sokolovskii would have to answer for that and fight Julian Brown, a 6-foot-4 fellow defenseman who he was teammates with last year on London before Brown joined Owen Sound.
Good to have you back, Maks!💥 Maksim Sokolovskii with the Finch Collision of the week! pic.twitter.com/wgzVguuJ9Y
Unfortunately for the Flyers and their new top prospect, Sokolovskii's season will get off to a bit of a slow start after he played in only 44 regular season games for the Knights last year, plus five playoff games.
The silver lining, on the other hand, is that the 6-foot-8 Russian blue liner looked pretty good in his lone OHL appearance this season, building on the growth that the Flyers saw from him over the course of the last season that vaulted him into the first-round conversation heading into the 2026 NHL Draft.
Sokolovskii was one of the more impressive, noticeable players throughout rookie camp and the early stages of development camp, so as long as the injury isn't a long-term deal, this bump in the road shouldn't end up hampering his development this season all that much, if at all.
The Ottawa Senators got some encouraging injury news on the eve of their 2026-27 NHL season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Defenceman Jake Sanderson is expected to play Saturday night, although his status won’t be completely certain until the Senators see how he feels on game day.
Sanderson has missed a number of practices throughout training camp with an undisclosed injury. He returned to make his preseason debut against the Montreal Canadiens last Saturday, helped set up one goal, but left the game and did not return.
Though he was sent down on Friday, Hoyt Stanley was pleased earlier this week to make it through to the final 23 man roster (Senators YouTube).
Sanderson skated at practice on Friday and admitted it may take a little longer to get up to speed.
"Obviously, I've only played one period of preseason," Sanderson said. "I think, for me, I (need to) control what I can control, and that's my effort and my mindset, making sure I'm locked in."
Sanderson's expected return means rookie Hoyt Stanley has been returned to the Belleville Senators. Stanley was a surprise addition to Ottawa’s 23-man roster, largely because of injuries to Sanderson and Artem Zub.
Zub isn’t ready to return yet, but there was some encouraging news on that front as well. He is participating in practice again, although he remains in a yellow non-contact jersey.
There was also good news up front.
Warren Foegele will be in the lineup Saturday night after missing training camp following offseason surgery. After spending most of last season on the fourth line, he's expected to suit up tomorrow in a much better position to succeed alongside Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson.
Foegele says his mission is just to keep it simple. He's in the top six because newcomer Andre Burakovsky remains out. Like Sanderson, he also left last Saturday’s game against Montreal with an injury, but was back at practice Friday. Like Zub, Burakovsky was wearing a yellow non-contact jersey.
So while the Senators aren't completely healthy heading into opening night, their injury situation is beginning to look a lot better than it did just a few days ago.
Detroit Red Wings star Dylan Larkin received a big reaction from fans as he appeared at Little Caesars Arena amid his trade request.
And it included a heavy layer of boos.
Larkin wasn't playing on Friday, Oct. 2 because of an upper body injury but he was introduced along with the other players who weren't dressed. He gave a wave to fans after the reaction.
Larkin has five years left on his contract at an $8.7 million cap hit. The longtime captain lost his "C" and the Red Wings will start the season without a captain.
Red Wings fans chant, 'Sell the team'
Larkin wasn't the only person to hear it from fans.
Early in the first period, fans began chanting, "Sell the team."
The Buffalo Sabres practiced at Key Bank Center on Friday after losing 6-3 in Columbus in the season opener on Thursday, and had defenseman Olen Zellweger on the ice for workouts for the first time since leaving the preseason game against the Blue Jackets late last month following a hit from blueliner Carson Soucy.
The 22-year-old was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks over the summer for a second round pick, and skated alongside Owen Power, replacing righty Louis Crevier in the top four. Head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that Zellweger cleared concussion protocol and should be available to play in the home opener on Saturday against the defenseman he replaced as Power’s tandem partner, Bowen Byram, and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Crevier was shifted down to the bottom pairing, splitting time with Zach Metsa on the right side with lefty Matt Grzelcyk. Veteran Dennis Gilbert was sent back to Rochester, who open the 2026-27 AHL season against the Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies at Blue Cross Arena.
In ex-Sabres news, Byram through two games with the Hawks is getting #1 defenseman ice time, averaging near 25 minutes, but has no points and is -4. This is less reflective of Byram as an individual, and more reflective of how dreadful Chicago is without Connor Bedard.
Another former Sabre had an auspicious debut for his new club, the Edmonton Oilers. Goaltender Devon Levi, allowed seven goals on 22 shots in a wild 9-7 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. On Friday, Alex Tuch will make his Washington Capitals debut against the Carolina Hurricanes.
1. Lakers’ perimeter defense is better than expected
If you asked any scout what the Lakers’ biggest hole was heading into the season, the response would’ve been unanimous: perimeter defense.
Only, the players say that’s wildly incorrect.
In fact, Lakers coach JJ Redick cut practice short Wednesday because the competition became so intense. There are nine new players. There are two starting positions open alongside Doncic, Reaves and Kessler.
And it’s obvious that those spots will be won by defensive effort.
Kessler, who is the Lakers’ defensive anchor down low, has been impressed by what he has seen so far.
Los Angeles Lakers players Collin Sexton (10) and Walker Kessler (14) pose during media day at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California, Monday, September 28, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I think we’re going to be a nasty defensive team, I’m just being honest,” Kessler said. “Just seeing these guys hound the ball on the perimeter.”
Kessler said people “aren’t taking into account” how good the Lakers’ perimeter defense will be, adding that this roster has the intelligence and skill to surpass expectations.
But one question in particular stumped Kessler.
Who stood out?
“I mean, Thi [Adou Thiero], Ziaire [Williams], Quentin [Grimes], Bull [Matisse Thybulle], Van [Jarred Vanderbilt], Jake [LaRavia] — I could go through the whole team,” he said.
“Everyone’s got their own strengths, weaknesses. But I think that these guys are really good at not allowing their weaknesses to show and really focusing on their strengths, and [making] sure that’s what’s pushing them forward, especially on the defensive side.”
2. Lakers believe they’ll be championship contenders this season
It was obvious last season that the Lakers were heads and shoulders behind the top teams in the West, including the Thunder and Spurs.
They lost their four regular-season matchups against the Thunder by an average of 29.3 points and then were swept out of the playoffs by Oklahoma City in the second round. Oh, then the Thunder lost to the Spurs in the Western Conference finals.
The Lakers responded by completely overhauling their roster last summer, adding youth and speed.
But let’s be real: It still seemed as though they were a few tweaks away from being able to contend. And they definitely needed time to jell, especially considering the Thunder and Spurs have been deep into the playoffs with their rosters.
But the Lakers don’t think it will take time.
They believe they’ve arrived.
Austin Reaves, Head Coach JJ Redick, and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers pose for a portrait during NBA Media Day at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Said Redick: “I’m confident we’re gonna develop as a team into a championship-level team this year.”
When Reaves was asked if he agreed, he didn’t hesitate.
“I do,” he said. “Let me tell you, trying to score on Matisse and Ziaire, especially with Adou out there, too, and then Walker on the back line is not easy. I had to deal with that all day yesterday and today, and it’s not fun. So, defensively, we’re going to be much better.”
That’s great news for a team that finished 19th in defensive rating last season. As for their new defensive star? Kessler also believes the Larry O’Brien Trophy is within the team’s grasp.
“I believe so,” he said. “No question. Yeah, undoubtedly.”
3. Get ready for Luka
A fire was lit under Doncic as soon as he was shockingly dealt by the Mavericks to the Lakers in February 2025.
Those flames were fanned when LeBron James left Los Angeles in free agency.
The Lakers are his team.
And he’s ready.
Los Angeles Lakers player Luka Doncic (77) is pictured during media day at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California, Monday, September 28, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He says he’s fully healthy after missing last postseason because of a strained hamstring. He recently made five consecutive half-court shots, stunning Reaves into pausing his own news conference to marvel at the feat.
He helped handpick the roster, telling Lakers brass that he wanted Reaves and Kessler as his teammates. And he paid for the entire Lakers team to fly to Slovenia so he could host a minicamp, something he had never previously done in his career.
Doncic led the league in scoring last season (33.5 points per game), was third in assists (8.3) and finished fourth in MVP voting.
Here’s to betting he puts up an MVP-caliber campaign this time around.
