A general view of the Coors Field Stadium for the Major League Baseball National League West division Colorado Rockies team under construction circa June 1994 at Coors Field stadium in Denver, Colorado, United States. (Photo by Nathan Bilow/Allsport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
ROCKIES
Ketel Marte – 2B
Edouard Julien – 1B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Mickey Moniak – LF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Hunter Goodman – C
Nolan Arenado – 3B
TJ Rumfield – DH
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Troy Johnston – RF
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Jake McCarthy – CF
Gabriel Moreno – C
Willi Castro – 2B
Jose Fernandez – DH
Ezequiel Tovar – SS
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Kyle Karros – 3B
Merrill Kelly – RHP
Kyle Freeland – LHP
Into Coors Field for the first time this year go the Diamondbacks. Always an… interesting experience, shall we say. No lead should ever be considered safe, and it tends to be where bullpens go to die. But the D-backs’ relief corps has, by and large, been performing quite well so far in May. And that’s putting it mildly. I was shocked – SHOCKED! – to discover that the Diamondbacks actually have the lowest bullpen ERA for the month so far. They have allowed only seven earned runs so far in May – and three of those came in Paul Sewald’s outing in Texas on Wednesday night.
It’s worth noting the D-backs also have the fewest number of relief innings pitched for the month. This is mostly due to starters who have been pitching much deeper into games, since Torey Lovullo has his “come to Jesus” meeting with the rotation in Chicago. As a result, the D-backs have needed only about 2.2 innings per game out of the bullpen. Compare that to the Tigers, who have taxed their bullpen for a whopping 63.1 innings – twice as much as the Diamondbacks, using them for an average of more than five innings per game. That has helped the overwork issue Jack previously noted: things are much more under control there now.
We will see whether that remains the case after three days at altitude. As usual, Colorado is a tougher proposition in their home park: 8-11 vs. 9-16 on the road. Though we are only a quarter of the way through the season, that 171-point gap in win percentage is a lot more than it was in 2025, when the difference was only half as much, at 86 points. It’ll be interesting to see what reaction Nolan Arenado gets. While he played there with the Cardinals, of course, this will be his first return to Coors since being dealt to a divisional rival in the NL West. Maybe his departure cursed Colorado. Since then they have been the worst team in the majors and it isn’t close, with 27 fewer wins than anybody else.
Former MLB All-Star Lee “Buzz” Capra died on Monday, Illinois State University, his alma mater, confirmed.
He was 78.
Capra was a 27th-round pick by the Mets in the 1969 draft after his time at Illinois State.
“When I was hired as head coach of the Redbird Baseball program, Buzz was one of the first people to reach out, wish me luck and offer any assistance he could provide,” ISU head baseball coach Steve Holm said, per the school.
Buzz Capra of the New York Mets on March 1, 1972. Sporting News via Getty Images
“Buzz is a legend in our program and one of the best baseball players to ever wear a Redbird uniform. He was a Hall of Famer, national champion, longtime MLB professional and coach and his legacy in the game of baseball will live on. Our condolences go out to his family, friends and former ISU teammates at this difficult time.”
Capra made his big league debut with the Mets in 1971, making appearances in three seasons before having his rights sold to the Braves before the 1974 season.
He had a career season that year, making the National League All-Star team for Atlanta while posting a 16-8 record and winning the NL ERA title with a 2.28 mark. He also received down-ballot Cy Young and MVP votes.
An arm injury would derail his career shortly after, limiting Capra to just 62 more big league appearances after his All-Star campaign.
Braves Alumni Buzz Capra prior to the MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers on August 12, 2018 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Capra retired after being released by the Braves before the 1978 season, finishing his career with a 3.87 ERA across 544 ⅓ innings.
After his playing days, Capra would coach baseball at Northeastern Illinois University and later served as a minor league pitching coach for various organizations, including the Braves, Mets, Expos, Phillies and White Sox.
Jun 5, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Maikel Garcia (11) steals second against St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The last time we gathered here for one of my recaps, the Royals had just won the second of two straight against the Detroit Tigers. It was the third straight weekend the Royals had won the first games of a weekend series, and the first two weekends had ended in a sweep. Things were looking very, very bright.
Now we come together, and the Royals have lost four in a row. They’ve gone from second place in the AL Central and holding a Wild Card Spot to the bottom of the AL Central and 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot. The vibes are bad. Battlefield Earth bad. Game of Thrones finale bad.
Madame Web bad.
I’m not here to tell you that the vibes aren’t or shouldn’t be bad. What I am here to tell you is that, somehow, the Royals are fewer than 3 wins from a playoff spot in the middle – or maybe the end! – of their second set of awful vibes in the first third of the season. It’s less that the Royals need to immediately trade every moderately valuable player and more that we all need to just take a dang break. Maybe you don’t want to take a break from baseball. Good news! It’s Rivalry Weekend in baseball, which means every game except the national ones is available for free on MLB.TV this weekend. If you absolutely must watch some baseball but you find the Royals are ruining your mood, go watch any other team. They’ll be here when you’re ready to come back. Maybe they’ll even be playing better again.
Some of us, of course, get paid to watch this team. And, yeah, sometimes that seems like a cheat code. But weeks like this week show why it’s not just easy money. I’m not asking for any sympathy for y’all, just saying, if you’ve ever thought about how dumb it is that I get paid even the small amount I get paid to watch baseball, remember I’ve got to watch the truly awful baseball, too.
OK. On to the game.
Michael Wacha will take the mound. He was also the pitcher the last time the Royals won, so that feels like a good omen. And, frankly, he’s been fantastic this year. He’s the seventh-most valuable pitcher in the AL by bWAR. (fWAR doesn’t like him as well because he’s not getting strikeouts. Still, he, Seth Lugo, and Kris Bubic are all top-25 in AL fWAR.) Nothing is guaranteed in baseball, but having 2026 Michael Wacha on the mound feels like a good thing.
The Cardinals will counter with, thankfully, a right-hander in Dustin May. May was a top—20-in-MLB prospect when he debuted in 2019, but he has never gotten anywhere near that hype. He has been hurt a lot and, beginning last year, he hasn’t been remotely effective. That has continued into this season. He faced the Royals twice last year, once with the Dodgers and once with the Red Sox. He gave up a total of 7 runs in 7.2 innings. He lost the one with the Red Sox, though Noah Cameron had a poor game against the Dodgers, and the Royals lost that one 5-4. If the Royals lose tonight, it seems unlikely to be because Dustin May finally started getting them out.
Lineups
The Royals are putting the usual vRHP lineup. I don’t have anything to say about it I haven’t said before. And, honestly, as much as Sal shouldn’t be in the cleanup spot, the Royals have won plenty of games with him in that spot this year when their pitchers have otherwise done their jobs. So I guess it doesn’t matter enough to have a cow about.
Apr 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals return home after a successful west coast road trip to kick off the I-70 series versus the Kansas City Royals. Dustin May gets the start for St. Louis while former Cardinal Michael Wacha will take the mound for Kansas City. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15p in Busch Stadium and the broadcast will be available through Cardinals.tv.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Christian Koss #50 of the San Francisco Giants reacts with catcher Daniel Susac #6 after pitching in the top of the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Oracle Park on April 04, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Like all scrappy bench players, Christian Koss touched hearts and minds. Everybody loves an underdog and here is a guy who looks overmatched against big league pitching yet hanging in there anyway. It was just this past December when our own Steven Kennedy lavished 1,481 words on Christian Koss’s utility role in 2025, ending his player review with the question, “was [that] the best utility season in Giants history?” Like most baseball stories, though, it has encountered the inelegant prose of reality.
To make room for a third catcher, the Giants have optioned the 28-year old Koss back to Triple-A Sacramento ahead of this evening’s game between the Giants and the Athletics in… Sacramento. The River Cats are in Texas playing the Rangers’ Triple-A team that Round Rock Express. Unclear if he needs to travel to Texas to play three games or wait for them to return to Sacramento for a 6-game homestand against the same time. He had just 15 plate appearances across 9 games for and was 1-for-14. He also pitched two innings and allowed three runs. He was, effectively, a garbage time player, a near-180 degree turn from last year, when the front office seemed really excited to get him onto the Opening Day roster any way they could.
He’s out and in is the new flavor of the month, the Rule 5 pick Daniel Susac. He was 11-for-23 in 11 games before hitting the IL with a right ulnar neuritis injury. Not a good thing for a catcher to have with his throwing arm, and not a bat the Giants really could afford to lose. The Giants were just 4-7 with him and have gone 9-13 since, so, it’s not like he’s the straw that stirs the drink. On the other hand, the Giants are attempting to rebuild their catcher position in the aggregate through adding average-ish gloves with average-ish bats in hopes that enough average can overcome the offensive gravity well that Patrick Bailey’s bat had created in the lineup, the thing that compelled the Giants to finally trade him.
But Susac shoving Bailey aside is notable. The Giants drafted him as a Rule 5 and just a few months later he’s taking over as the #1 catcher on the depth chart. A little offense at the catcher position goes a long way with these Giants.
Still, it must be noted that the Giants are now carrying three catchers: Daniel Susac, Eric Haase, and Jesus Rodriguez. In theory, Rodriguez is Koss 2.0, while Susac and Haase are… hmm, not exactly Patrick Bailey. Maybe some sort of Hector Sanchez/Eli Whiteside situation, only… these are a lot of average-at-best right-handed bats to have on a roster. The bench is now Eldridge, Rodriguez, Haase, and Gilbert.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 09: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the first inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 09, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies (17-27) are back at Coors Field after a difficult Pennsylvania swing, opening a six-game homestand with a weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (20-22). Colorado went 2-4 through Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and yesterday’s 7-2 loss to the Pirates came with a larger concern than the score: Chase Dollander left in the second inning and has now been placed on the 15-day injured list with an elbow strain. The bad news resulted in a series of roster moves, and Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP) is reportedly headed to Denver.
Colorado also enters this homestand trying to stop a May slide that has left them 3-9 on the month.
The third-place Diamondbacks are coming off a painful 6-5 walk-off loss to Texas on Wednesday, and the overall offensive production has been underwhelming. Still, they still have Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and former Rockie Nolan Arenado — who has a 118 wRC+ with six home runs on the year.
The Rockies are 8-11 with a .767 OPS at Coors Field and will turn to veteran lefty Kyle Freeland as they look to return to the win column.
Freeland enters at 1-4 with a 6.00 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP, and his recent stretch since returning from the injured list has been uneven — 16 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings across three starts. Freeland is still getting hitters to chase, and he has done a good job limiting walks. The problem is that the contact has been too loud when opponents square him up, especially against the fastball.
Marte has hit Freeland hard, going 17-for-48 with three home runs and a 1.124 OPS against him.
Merrill Kelly takes the mound for Arizona, and his 2026 numbers have not been great. The veteran righty enters with a 7.62 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP through five starts, with hard contact and walks both showing up as problems. His four-seamer, changeup, and cutter have all been hit hard. But Kelly has been very good against Colorado over his career. In 17 starts against the Rockies, he is 9-3 with a 3.25 ERA, 102 strikeouts, and a 1.130 WHIP.
Ezequiel Tovar has had a brutal start to the season, but he has handled Kelly: .438 with two home runs in 16 at-bats.
A good night won’t fix all that. But a steady Freeland start, a few real swings against Kelly, and a win over a division opponent would be a great way to start the homestand.
ODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (17-28) will continue their seven-game homestand today as they look to win the opener of a three game series against the rival Texas Rangers (21-22).
Astros starter RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-1, 1.88 ERA), who tossed his fifth straight quality start his last time out, will oppose RHP Jack Leiter (1-3, 4.85 ERA) and the Rangers in this series opener.
ABOUT ARRIGHETTI: RHP Spencer Arrighetti owns a sparkling 1.88 ERA in five starts on the season. In his last start he gave up only one earned run, but took his first loss of the 2026 season against the Cincinnati Reds.
ABOUT LEITER: Jack Leiter has an 11-16 career record with a 4.81 ERA in 230.0 career innings. He holds a 1-1 record against the Astros with a 4.26 ERA in 19.0 innings. Leiter is the son of famous lefty Al Leiter and the nephew of former big leaguer hurler Mark Leiter.
VS. TEXAS: The Astros and Rangers are playing their first series of 2026. Today’s game marks the beginning of the annual Silver Boot Series with the Silver Boot going to the team with the most victories. Tonight’s contest will be the 300th game between these two teams as the Astros aim to make it an even 150-150 with a victory in tonight’s game. The Astros retained the Silver Boot last season by winning seven games in 13 tries.
THE SILVER BOOT SERIES: The Astros and Rangers have played each other 292 times in their franchise histories, splitting those matchups evenly with 146 wins apiece…recently, the Astros have had the upper hand, winning or splitting nine straight season series, going 93-51 against the Rangers since the start of the 2017 season.
TODAY’S AVAILABILITIES: The Astros clubhouse will be open to approved media at Daikin Park from 3:10-4 p.m. CT…Astros Manager Joe Espada will be made available in the Astros dugout at approx. 4 p.m.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, May 15, 1:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
“I couldn’t imagine walking away from the Warriors,” Kerr said Friday from the top floor of the Warriors’ arena, overlooking a sweeping view of the city the coach couldn’t give up.
Warriors coach Steve Kerry said he met multiple times with GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob the last few weeks. Getty Images
In his first public comments since signing a contract extension that will extend his tenure in Golden State for a 13th and 14th season, Kerr expressed excitement about continuing his partnership with Steph Curry, emphasized that he still has a vigor for coaching and acknowledged that some things will have to change next season.
All that was no sure thing following the Warriors’ ouster in the play-in tournament, Kerr explained. Who else but his wife, Margot, helped him see the forest through the trees.
“My wife said something, she said you might coach again someday, but you’ll never coach the Warriors again,” he said. “That was really meaningful to me because I love this team. I love our players. That struck me. … At that point, it was really: ‘What do you guys want to do.’”
Kerr met multiple times with general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob over the next two weeks. He looped in Curry and Draymond Green, too, but said that neither had “any impact or influence on whether I was going to be the coach.
“That’s a credit to them,” Kerr continued. “Our best player isn’t telling Mike or Joe what to do. He understands the repercussions of that if he were to go down that path … it usually doesn’t go well.”
The decision was up to Kerr and the front office with whom he touted a collaborative relationship that resulted in a process that “I don’t think actually happens in pro sports, honestly,” Kerr said.
“Where you have these kinds of conversations and genuinely, authentically try to figure out what’s the right thing, you know?”
Still, it was no foregone conclusion that Kerr would be back. Speaking after their elimination loss to the Suns, Kerr sounded like a coach ready to step away.
Dunleavy wasn’t sure when the Warriors’ season ended that Kerr would return as coach. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Dunleavy thought so, too.
“There were plenty of nights where I went to bed where I didn’t think he’d be back as coach,” Dunleavy said, but “it became clear as long as he wanted to do it, it made a ton of sense for him to be back.”
Dunleavy said he didn’t broach the subject with Kerr during the season — “not once.” When it came time for them to talk, one demand Dunleavy and Lacob made was for Kerr to sign on for more than another lame-duck season, like he did this past year.
“We needed a multiyear commitment, and Steve unequivocally gave us that,” Dunleavy said, adding that they “fully expect” Kerr to serve out the two-year contract, if not “hopefully more.”
“It’s not just a one-year swan song, ‘Last Dance’ thing,” the GM continued. “That is 100% not what this is about. Joe would not have been good with that.”
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Part of their discussions focused around shifting expectations, given the state of their roster. Curry and Green will be a year older, and they won’t have the reinforcements from Jimmy Butler or Moses Moody to begin the season as the two wings recover from injuries.
Lacob, with his insatiable appetite for success, wasn’t going to let them off so easily.
“We were talking about injuries and how this is the first time we can’t realistically just say, ‘Hey, let’s win a title next year,” Kerr recalled. “He just said, you know, ‘I’m the owner and I can’t help but just say, I expect to be in the playoffs every year and have a shot.”
One topic that Kerr was insistent didn’t come up in talks was his tendency to speak up on sociopolitical issues. It had been reported that Warriors brass hoped he would tone it down.
“That literally never came up,” he said. “That was not part of the conversation at all.”
Mostly, the conversations oriented around how to maximize the final years of Curry’s career and send out the core of their dynasty the right way while also setting a foundation for the future.
As Dunleavy said: “It’s gonna end for them. … It’s not gonna end for us. The Warriors are forever.”
Kerr said he spent the past week reviewing every Warriors turnover from this season. NBAE via Getty Images
Dunleavy described the Warriors’ 37-45 finish as “underwhelming” and a “disappointment” but chalked up their shortcoming to injuries — Curry also missed two months, in addition to the season-ending knee surgeries for Butler and Moody — rather than roster construction.
That said, there will be some stylistic changes. At the top of the list: taking better care of the basketball after the Warriors committed the third-most turnovers in the NBA.
“We can play however we want,” Dunleavy said. “Just don’t turn the ball over.”
Since putting pen to paper on his new deal, Kerr said he spent the past week reviewing each and every one of the Warriors’ turnovers. He acknowledged that he had room to improve, too.
“I know I have to be better,” Kerr said. “I didn’t have a great coaching year this year. I know there are a lot of things I can do better.”
The fact that Kerr toasted an extension that reportedly maintains his status as the league’s highest-compensated coach by watching film should tell you exactly where his head is at.
“If I were tired and burned out, I would not be here,” he said. “I love my job.”
And now, he will get to do it for another two years.
“The idea is let’s see how good we can be,” Kerr said. “We think we can still be good. We’ve got to get some guys back from injuries; we’ve got to make some moves; I’ve got to do some things.
“But let’s run it back. Let’s see how good we can be. I think we’re all really excited about that.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 12: Mark Walter attends a basketball game between the Loa Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena on February 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After years in the LeBron James era under Jeanie Buss’s ownership, the Lakers quickly leapt into a new era last year.
Months after acquiring Luka Dončić via trade, the Buss family sold their majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter. In what seemed like the snap of a finger, the franchise shifted into a whole new era on and off the court.
Despite how fast everything moved, Luka and Walter have quickly developed a relationship. In Dan Woike’s recent article on The Athletic, he detailed the relationship between the pair as the new leaders of the franchise.
Dončić has had regular contact with new Lakers owner Mark Walter and has been impressed with the level of communication, league sources said. Dončić has also mentioned how well he thought the Lakers played in March when the team went 15-2.
Both changes came abruptly, but both people have adapted on the fly. Across the league, the stars of a franchise always have a certain bit of power. That could have been diluted as the franchise turned over to new hands, but Luka has maintained a relationship with not just the ownership but the front office as well.
During his exit interview, President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka spoke about his constant communication with Luka throughout the season and into the summer.
“I think the keyword is that’s an ongoing, collaborative process,” Pelinka said. “It’s not, ‘Hey, I want x, y and z.’ We’re in constant communication with him and his team. I plan on seeing him before he takes off to go home and spend some time with his daughters. We’re going to get together I think Friday or Saturday. So, ongoing dialogue.
“His knowledge is vast and so those dives and collaborations with him are really inspirational and he also does it in a way where he wants to do his job great and he wants to let JJ do his great and let me do my job great. They really are productive conversations through that lens.”
If they’re taking Luka’s opinion and wishes into account, it seems likely that a lob-catching center would be on the way. After back-to-back seasons in LA without a true, starter-caliber big man in that role, the Lakers sound like a team aiming to acquire one.
The starting pitching rotation for the Yankees is expecting a big boost from the impending return of Gerrit Cole, but manager Aaron Boone is refusing to rush him.
In a brief pregame news conference ahead of Friday's Subway Series opener at Citi Field against the Mets, Boone emphasized that "the likelihood is two more [minor league starts] for [Cole], and then [the Yankees] will be in a position to roll."
Cole is slated to take the mound tomorrow night at 6:05 pm EST for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders against the Syracuse Mets.
When asked for specifics on how they are managing Cole's workload as he gears up for a return - at this point likely to come before the end of May - Boone noted that his star righty is under a pitch count limit in the mid 80s.
The injuries are piling up for the Yankees at the moment. Max Fried was just added to the 15-day IL due to a left elbow bone bruise. Meanwhile, DH Giancarlo Stanton, corner outfielder Jasson Dominguez, and emerging shortstop Jose Caballero are all on the 10-day IL.
With the Bronx Bombers rolling into Queens for the weekend, having lost six of their last eight games, Boone is refusing to bow to the pressure and rush Cole back into the fold in the hopes of regaining control of the AL East.
"We don't want to take [Cole] off track for a short-term need," Boone remarked.
At the time of writing, the Yankees are currently two games behind the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays in the divisional standings.
A Facebook page for Edwin O. Diaz Laboy that appears to belong to the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher includes about a dozen video of cockfights. Some of the birds fought until they stopped moving and were removed from the pit of the arena.
A federal ban prohibits cockfighting in all 50 states and in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico. USA TODAY Sports reviewed publicly available photos and videos of Diaz, roosters and cockfights posted to the Facebook account on May 15. Other posts to the account were locked to the public. Public access to the photos and reels appears to have since been restricted.
Along with photos and videos of Diaz pitching, smiling with family and friends and promoting community activities, posted to the account are more than 150 photos of roosters, cockfighting clubs or breeding facilities. One photo shows roosters packed into cardboard boxes, their heads poking out of cutout holes above small feeding dishes taped to the boxes.
The account also includes 26 reels featuring roosters, some fighting in organized matches. Others are shown on what appears to be a breeding facility where Diaz is featured holding roosters while promoting upcoming cockfights in multiple videos.
In one video, young-looking roosters are scurrying about what looks like a pen. A caption accompanying the video reads, "Upcoming champions in development."
Photos and videos of Diaz posted to the account date back to 2010. The first photo of a rooster was posted on Nov. 30, 2016, while the account's first promotion of Club Gallistico de Puerto Rico, a cockfighting club, was posted on July 31, 2018. Diaz has been featured in multiple videos and photos posted to social media promoting the cockfighting ring.
Diaz's full name is Edwin Orlando Diaz Laboy. He is currently on the injured reserve after undergoing surgery on April 22 to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, the Dodgers announced April 20.
Representatives of both MLB and the Dodgers declined comment when reached by USA TODAY Sports for a story that linked Dias to cockfighting in Puerto Rico through photos, videos and promotional material found on social media.
Multiple animal welfare organizations have called upon MLB to investigate Diaz's involvement in cockfighting since the story's publication.
Diaz, a three-time MLB All-Star, is pictured wearing a Dodgers uniform on Facebook in promotional material for cockfights.
He did not respond to interview requests USA TODAY Sports submitted to a publicist for the Dodgers and to THE TEAM, which represents Diaz.
The Facebook page also includes a photo of Diaz standing between Puerto Rican jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr., also linked to cockfighting through photos, video and promotional materials on social media.
Jose Ortiz won the Kentucky Derby May 2 on Golden Tempo and Irad Ortiz finished second on Renegade. The brothers are two of thoroughbred racing's top jockeys, both scheduled to ride in the Preakness Stakes on May 16.
Jul 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; The Silver Boot trophy is on display on the concourse for the Lone Star series with the Texas Rangers playinng against the Houston Astros at Global Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse will leave the Warriors sideline after their contracts expire and they won't be renewed, according to ESPN's Anthony Slater.
Stotts is looking to get back to an NBA head coaching opportunity and wanted to throw his name in the candidacy pool, ESPN reported. Stotts' NBA coaching career spans more than three decades. He took his first head coaching job in the NBA in 2002 with the Atlanta Hawks. His most successful stint came with the Portland Trail Blazers from 2012 to 2021, where he coached the team to consecutive playoff appearances, including a Western Conference finals run in 2019.
Stotts joined Golden State in 2024 for his second stint with the team. His first tenure as Warriors assistant came in the 2004-05 season under head coach Mike Montgomery.
"I enjoyed my time with Steve, the staff and players," Stotts told ESPN. "My two years there were fulfilling. Nothing but well-wishes."
Stackhouse joined the Warriors as an assistant with Stotts in 2024. Before agreeing to join Golden State, Stackhouse coached six seasons at Vanderbilt. He was named 2023 SEC Coach of the Year for leading the Commodores to a 22-15 record. He was fired after the following season after a lackluster year.
ESPN reported that Stackhouse, too, is searching for a head coaching opportunity.
Those two weren't the only assistants to cut ties with Golden State. Prior to the end of the season, Chris DeMarco left in January to become head coach of the New York Liberty, moving up Kris Weems in the coaching hierarchy.
Golden State will continue its coaching search to fill the sideline alongside Kerr.
One candidate, ESPN reported, is Willie Green, who began his coaching career with the Warriors in 2016 as an assistant. He's since went on to become an assistant for the Phoenix Suns and head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans from 2021 to 2025.
Warriors assistant coaching candidates
When there were discussions about whether Kerr would return, various names came up as to who might succeed him. Well, now that Golden State has retained him, and instead lost their assistants, a few other coaching positions must be filled.
If these were some of the candidates to take Kerr's job, why shouldn't some names be mentioned to coach alongside him? Here are some names to keep in mind as the Warriors search to fill their assistant coaching vacancies:
Andre Iguodala
Iguodala is a former Warrior who won four championships with the franchise and was named the 2015 Finals MVP. He's been an All-Star and played a veteran role mentoring young guys, especially during the Warriors' 2022 championship run, which birthed an iconic meme during the NBA Finals in a teaching moment with Andrew Wiggins.
Coach Iguodala was not playing with Andrew Wiggins 😅
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 05: Rhys Hoskins #8 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 05, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last offseason, when the Pistons and Jalen Duren discussed a contract extension, he thought they underestimated his value, and the result was that the sides did not agree to a new deal. Then Duren went out this season and showed them what he was worth: 19.5 points a game on 65% shooting, plus 10.5 rebounds while playing elite defense (he was on some Defensive Player of the Year ballots). He is almost certainly going to be an All-NBA player. That led to the expectation Durent had earned a max contract extension this summer, a five-year deal worth at least $239 million, and up to $287 million with that All-NBA nod.
Then the playoffs started.
Duren has struggled this postseason, averaging 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game when the team needs him most, while his lack of outside shooting has helped clog up the Pistons' offense at times. Things got so bad that coach J.B. Bickerstaff played Paul Reed over Duren during the fourth quarter and overtime of a critical Game 5.
Which begs the question, is Duren still worth a max contract? Here is what one front office executive told Brian Windhorst of ESPN:
"He's not a max player, but they're probably going to have to give him the max," an East executive said of Duren. "Because now [cap space] teams like Chicago or Brooklyn might see him as someone they could get with a max offer sheet and Detroit will have to match.
"With the new apron rules, it might come back to bite [the Pistons], and it's just another example of how the CBA crushes team building."
The Pistons need to re-sign both Duren and Ausar Thompson this offseason, two key defenders and part of the culture built in Detroit, but also two non-shooters who have led to spacing problems in the playoffs as Orlando and then Cleveland have thrown multiple defenders at Cade Cunningham and dared anyone else to beat them. If both get huge deals (Thompson will likely get a contract similar to the $25 million a season that Dyson Daniels agreed to in Atlanta), the Pistons lose flexibility to add another shot creator and/or more shooting the team needs.
Can the Pistons get Duren to take the 25% max ($239 million over five years) and not more? If the Pistons try to get him to take less than that, could a team with cap space in need of a center — Chicago and the Los Angeles Lakers both check those boxes — swoop in and try to poach him (Detroit has the right to match any offer).
As the executive quoted by Windhorst suggests, one of the consequences of the tax aprons in the CBA is that teams CANNOT miss on max contracts, or they quickly become anchors. Duren has earned the right for the Pistons to back the Brinks truck up to his home, he deserves the massive contract coming. How massive, and can he continue to play at this level, are the questions. And there are no easy answers.
