PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 05: Fernando Tatis Jr #23 of the San Diego Padres celebrates his solo home run with Gavin Sheets #30 against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at Chase Field on August 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Diamondbacks won 10-4. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (59-56) at Arizona Diamondbacks (61-54), August 6, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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The Mavericks are going to great lengths to flag down a one-of-a-kind trading card of their budding superstar.
On release day for the new Topps Chrome Update 2025-26 set, Dallas announced a lucrative bounty for the lucky collector who pulls an ultra-rare card of reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.
The one-of-one rookie card, which bears Flagg’s autograph and the actual patch he wore on the night of his NBA debut, is one of the most anticipated and sought-after trading cards of the year.
The one-of-a-kind NBA Debut Patch card bearing Cooper Flagg’s autograph and the patch he wore on his jersey the night he played his first game. The Topps Company, Inc.
The organization’s offer includes several items, including season tickets, a signed jersey and more:
Two (2) Mavericks season premium lower level tickets for 32 years
A Flagg signed game-worn rookie jersey
A post-game photo with Flagg
Private photoshoot with the NBA Rookie of the Year trophy and Larry O’Brien championship trophy
VIP tour of the Mavericks practice facility with a team meet-and-greet
Private basketball experience for up to 10 guests at American Airlines Center
Road trip experience to see the Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics, including: round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, game tickets
Flagg, 19, signed the card at Fanatics Fest in New York City last month.
“Oh my god, that thing is beautiful…I’m nervous,” Flagg said before suggesting that whoever pulls the card should keep it.
“Hold on to it, hold on to it,” he said. “I think it will gain in value as I go on through my career, so it will be a good piece to hang on to.”
In his first NBA season, Flagg averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and shot 46.8 percent from the field in 70 games.
In 2023, Topps and Major League Baseball introduced the Debut Patch series, featuring patches worn by players in their first MLB games that were later embedded into one-of-a-kind trading cards.
Pirates superstar pitcher Paul Skenes’ debut patch card fetched a record $1.11 million last year after the card was pulled by an 11-year-old boy in California.
The boy and his family rejected an offer from the Pirates — which was similar to the one issued by the Mavericks — and instead elected to put the card up for auction.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) dribbles as San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Just last week, a one-of-one card of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was found in Boca Raton, Fla.
The card, which features two game-worn gold MLB logo patches along with two Ohtani signatures, one in English and one in Japanese Kanji, was sold for over $10 million.
With Fanatics acquiring the license to feature NBA players on Topps products, this release marks the inaugural Debut Patch release for the league.
Other notable rookies featured in this year’s Debut Patch program include Spurs standout Dylan Harper, Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel and Nets guard Egor Demin.
EVERETT, WA - JUNE 07: Infielder Jhonny Level #23 of the Eugene Emeralds prepares to swing during a game between the Eugene Emeralds and Everett AquaSox on June 7, 2026 at Funko Field in Everett, Washington. (Photo by Henry Rodenburg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Apologies for the late Minor League Baseball roundup, but the Mike Krukow news set me back a bit today, both emotionally and in terms of labor. So let’s speed run Wednesday’s games from the San Francisco Giants affiliates … it was a great day for players whose name starts with a J!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Four pieces of news, all good: LHP Esmerlin Vinicio has been promoted from High-A Eugene to AA Richmond. And Richmond RHP RJ Dabovich, who has had awful injury luck, has been given a rehab assignment with Low-A San Jose.
And finally, AAA Sacramento outfielder Turner Hill was named Player of the Month in the Pacific Coast League, while outfielder Franco Willias earned those honors in the Dominican Summer League.
AAA Sacramento (62-45)
Sacramento River Cats lost to the Round Rock Express (Rangers) 13-10(11 innings) Box score
A fantastic day in the batter’s box for the River Cats, especially for the outfielders. It was a day that ends in “day,” so center fielder Turner Hill put on a show, hitting 3-5 with a home run and a double, though he had the ultra-rare (for him) strikeout as well.
With that, the 27-year old lefty’s hitting streak is up to 21 games, during which time he’s 39-87 with 10 extra-base hits, 8 walks, and just 7 strikeouts. My word, Turner! The undrafted free agent is doing everything in his control to ensure that he’s not just a feel-good story, but someone who could be helping a Major League roster … it’s now a .926 OPS and a 144 wRC+ for Hill, with 23 stolen bases and super solid defense. What a prospect he has become!
He was flanked by some exciting performances in the grass. Right fielder Scott Bandura had another stellar day, hitting 3-5 with 2 doubles, a walk, and a stolen base. After a slow start to his AAA campaign, Bandura has caught absolute fire: since June 26, the just-turned 25-year old lefty, taken in the 7th round of the 2023 draft, has hit 44-119 with 5 home runs, 8 doubles, and 28 walks. 28 walks!
That’s brought him up to an .838 OPS and a 121 wRC+, with 15 stolen bases. He’s now pretty much a slam dunk Rule 5 protection, in my eyes … which might mean he gets added to the roster before then.
And on the other side of Hill, in left field, was Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL), who began a rehab assignment! That was great to see, and Bericoto hit 1-3 with a double before getting subbed out. He probably won’t need too many rehab games before he’s manning left field for San Francisco on a near-daily basis.
Jonah Cox doesn’t technically get to join the outfielders for this game, as he was the designated hitter, but he’s always an outfielder in spirit, and he gets clumped with that trio due to his performance: Cox hit 3-5 with a walk, 2 stolen bases, and a strikeout. He’s done nothing but hit since making his AAA debut last week, first as a rehab assignment and now after being optioned. It’s important development for Cox after he looked overmatched in the Majors, but if he keeps hitting like this, he’ll be back soon enough.
Second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) made his long-awaited AAA debut, and it went quite well, as he hit 2-4 with a hit by pitch, though he also struck out twice. Fantastic seeing him the switch-hitter finally get to test himself in the Majors.
Rough days for the top prospects, though, as left fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) replaced Bericoto and hit 0-2 with a sacrifice fly, while third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) went 0-4 with 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and an error. Davidson has really struggled since getting promoted, while Harber was red hot but has since cooled down.
In exciting news, LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL returned to the rotation following a brief and confusing foray in the bullpen. Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ends, as Whitman did not follow the theme of the day, and was one of the few J names who struggled: he only made it through 2 innings, while giving up 5 hits, 4 extra-base hits, 2 walks, and 3 runs, with just 1 strikeout. It does seem like the River Cats were going to use him an as actual starter, though, as he threw 43 pitches (only 21 strikes, though).
Whitman’s day was better than RHP Alex Carrillo’s was, though. Carrillo, a 29-year old, made his organizational debut after signing on a Minor League deal a few weeks ago, and it was so rough that catcher Zach Morgan was called in to finish the inning (which he did without allowing a hit!). Carrillo registered just 1 out, while giving up 4 hits, 1 walk, 5 runs, and 4 earned runs.
But RHP Braxton Roxby had another great day, and was more than perfect. He didn’t allow a single baserunner, and needed to face just 8 batters to get 9 outs! Roxby entered in the 3rd after Whitman departed with 2 on and 0 outs, and got out of the inning cleanly, thanks in part to a caught stealing by he and catcher Thomas Gavello.
Roxby, who struck out 1 batter, has overcome his very slow start to the season. He had an 11.00 ERA after his May 1 outing, but since then has pitched 38.2 innings while giving up just 27 hits, 14 walks, and 10 earned runs, lowering his season ERA to 3.97, though his FIP is just 5.08.
Well, a pretty awesome performance on the mound from LHP Greg Farone. He had a dominant showing, giving up just 4 hits (all singles), 2 walks, and 1 run in 5.2 innings, while striking out 10 batters. 10!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 6, 2026
It’s been a bit of a rough 2nd season for Farone, who has a 5.78 ERA and a 5.54 FIP, but he’s been so much better lately, with excellent outings in 4 of his last 5 starts. He’s slowly starting to get the contact in check: on the year he’s allowed 87 hits in 85.2 innings, with 16 home runs, and those numbers need to keep coming down.
RHP Dale Stanavich had a nice game, giving up just 1 hit in 1.1 scoreless innings, with 2 strikeouts. Stanavich, a 27-year old Minor League free agent, is also giving up too many home runs, and has a 4.23 ERA and a 4.79 FIP … but he sure strikes people out!
A quartet of offensive performances to highlight: catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL) only hit 1-4, but connected for his 1st AA home run. Villarroel has taken a while to adapt to AA — he only has a .495 OPS and a 33 wRC+ through 9 games — but he’s just 21. And he’s a catcher!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 6, 2026
Also leaving the yard was third baseman Charlie Szykowny, who hit 1-3 with a walk and a solo blast. Szykowny had a brutal July, posting a .186/.220/.233 slash line with 26 strikeouts in 86 at-bats, but so far in August he’s 5-11 with 2 extra-base hits, 2 walks, and 0 strikeouts. Love to see it!
Charlie Szy-neaks one over the wall in left-center and we're out in front 👏
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 5, 2026
Center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) continues to look so comfortable in AA, as he went 3-5 with a stolen base. Since going 0-10 with a strikeout in his 1st pair of games at the level, last year’s 3rd-rounder has hit 26-61 with just 4 strikeouts. My goodness! That’s brought him up to an .877 OPS and a 134 wRC+ in AA, as he continues to fly up prospect lists.
And finally, second baseman Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL) went 1-2 with 2 walks, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Ahuna had a dismal slump over the summer, but has been much better lately, though his season numbers sit at just a .689 OPS and an 89 wRC+.
Ahh, and now we arrive at the 1st pair of star showings from the quartet of J names who shone on Wednesday: shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) and LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL). The pair entered the year as highly ranked prospects, and have only added to how highly they should be ranked. And my goodness was that the case on Wednesday!
Bresnahan was the starter and tossed 6 shutout innings, allowing just 2 hits, 2 walks, and a hit batter, while striking out 5. Just a dominant showing from an increasingly dominant pitcher. Despite the 2 walks, Bresnahan was basically allergic to going outside the zone, as he threw a stunning 61 of 86 pitches for strikes.
What we’re seeing from the recently-turned 21-year old is downright special: over his last 8 starts, the southpaw has throw 47.1 innings and allowed just 25 hits, 12 walks, and 7 earned runs, with 57 strikeouts. He’s thrown at least 5 innings in all 8 of those starts, and at least 6 innings in 6 of them. If I didn’t know better, I would say it’s AA time for the 2023 13th-rounder, who has a 2.72 ERA and a 3.91 FIP on the year, with 10.7 strikeouts per 9 innings.
As for Level, he had one of his best games since getting promoted, hitting 2-3 with a home run, a triple, and 2 walks. The switch-hitter has been extremely hot and cold since getting promoted, which is to be expected given that he’s only 19 years old, competing against players much older than he is. Despite the cold stretches, he has an .820 OPS and a 115 wRC+ with Eugene, which is remarkable … and should earn him a spot inside the top 50 on a lot of offseason lists.
While Level’s day was stunning, it wasn’t the only superstar showing, as third baseman Walker Martin hit 2-5 with 2 home runs and a strikeout. Martin’s season has been a little disappointing, but he’s been heating up a bit lately: in his last 7 games, the lefty is 8-28 with 4 homers and 3 walks, bringing him up to a .746 OPS and a 95 wRC+. The power is finally firmly on display for Martin, though the contact ability remains a big concern.
Center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) rounded out the dinger party, hitting 1-4 with his 19th home run of the year … that ties him with Bo Davidson for the organizational lead!
San Jose Giants lost to the Stockton Ports (A’s) 11-6 (10 innings) Box score
If you were hoping that one of the star Js of the day was Josuar González (No. 2 CPL), well … sorry to disappoint. The top prospect in the organization didn’t play in this game.
But you know who did? First baseman Jeremiah Jenkins. And a day after hitting a walk-off home run, Jenkins was back at it with a stunning day, hitting 3-3 with a home run, a double, and 2 hit by pitches. Wowee!
With that, the 14th-round pick in 2024 has a .879 OPS and a 118 wRC+. The power is other-worldly — he has a .253 isolated slugging, with 15 loud home runs — but he continues to have contact troubles, as he’s rocking a 29.6% strikeout rate, and a .245 average.
Also going deep was left fielder Oliver Tejada, who hit 1-5 with a solo bomb. Tejada, a 19-year old righty, has struggled since a recent promotion, as he’s hitting below the Mendoza Line, with a 32.7% strikeout rate. But he’s hitting bombs, as he already has 4 homers in 24 games at the level.
Shortstop phenom Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) had a lovely game, hitting 2-5 with a double and a walk. The 17-year old has poor numbers through 9 San Jose games (.651 OPS, 58 wRC+), but it’s just exciting seeing him at the level.
Nothing good on the mound, really. RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) made his 2nd start since returning from the IL, and didn’t have his trademark command, as he walked 4 batters in 2.2 innings, while also giving up 3 hits. On the bright side, he limited the damage to 1 run, while striking out 4 batters.
Dominican Summer League Black (30-17)
DSL Giants Black lost to the DSL Tigers 1, 6-3 (7 innings) Box score
And now we arrive at our final “J” of the day: shortstop Joniel Hernandez. The 17-year old phenom, who came over in the Robbie Ray trade, starred in his 1st game with the organization on Tuesday. And on Wednesday? Just a casual 1-2 with a home run and a walk. Between his 2 teams, Hernandez — who had a $1.4 million signing bonus — has a .994 OPS and a 135 wRC+, making him one of the top performers in the DSL … despite being a 17-year old shortstop. He is so exciting.
Joniel Hernandez homers in his second game since joining the @SFGiants organization.
The Cuban native, who was MLB Pipeline's No. 13 international prospect for this year's signing period, was traded from the Padres in the Robbie Ray deal at the Deadline:pic.twitter.com/IbOJBoQHyZ
RHP Delvis Heredia had the best pitching performance, throwing 2 shutout frames with 1 hit and 4 strikeouts. The 21-year old has had a tough 3rd season, so nice to see a good outing.
Home run tracker
19 — Lisbel Diaz — [16 in High-A; 3 in Low-A] 17 — Walker Martin x2 — [High-A] 16 — Jhonny Level — [6 in High-A; 10 in Low-A] 15 — Jeremiah Jenkins — [Low-A] 12 — Charlie Szykowny — [AA] 8 — Turner Hill — [AAA] 8 — Jancel Villarroel — [1 in AA; 7 in High-A] 5 — Oliver Tejada — [4 in Low-A; 1 in ACL] 5 — Joniel Hernandez — [DSL]
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 6: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Philadelphia 76ers is greeted by fans for his media press conference at Francis J. Myers Recreation Center on August 6, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Five weeks and one LeBron James signing later, Jaylen Brown finally spoke to the media as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. He answered questions for about 20 minutes about his relationship with the team and teammates, both new and old, and what he’s looking forward to bringing the city of Philadelphia.
The first takeaway of Brown’s press conference was the location. As opposed to holding it at the Sixers’ practice facility in Camden where the majority of these availabilities are, Brown requested that his introduction be held at the Francis J. Recreation Center in West Philadelphia with dozens of children in attendance.
As someone who’s been active in the Boston community, Brown is hoping to have that same impact in his new city.
“People who know my family and I, we are rooted in the community,” Brown said. “That’s what we hang our hats on.”
The Francis J. Myers Center doesn’t necessarily mean a ton to Brown personally just yet. He admittedly is still trying to learn the city with this as his first step.
“As I’m getting started on a journey, embarking on a journey here in Philadelphia, the introduction, the first impression is everything,” Brown said. “I just wanted to let people know in Philadelphia that this is something that’s important to me.”
Those kids got to look on with members of the media, family and Sixers organization as Brown described his reaction to the trade as well as his new team. Brown said he threw his phone across the room when he first heard the news, but has since been in steady communication with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe and LeBron James. Maxey, Edgecombe and Embiid all reached out to him pretty soon after the news broke. James has been active in the team’s group chats since he signed later in the month.
A theme of Brown’s presser was his desire to win and belief in the Sixers’ ability to do so, but he also isn’t sure exactly how that will look. He wasn’t shy about the fact that this roster is going to take some figuring out with the amount of star-quality mouths to feed. When asked what he’ll be bringing to the team, Brown sounded as curious as the rest of us.
“I’m not sure completely yet,” he said. “I think we’ll figure out as time goes on, as we start to spend time with each other, get on the court, and have conversations, etc.”
He didn’t shy away from the fact that there will be a lot of mouths to feed on this roster. The way he continually addressed winning and the habits it takes to do so reassures the idea that he will do whatever it takes to figure it out.
“I’m just excited to just be myself. I think that’s one thing that I can promise the city and the organization and the coaching staff, that I’m gonna come in every single day and be myself, put my best foot forward,” Brown said. “We’ll figure out the Xs and Os and the ins and outs. But winning is the agenda, so that’s the first thing that’s on my mind.”
To that point, the talent on the front end of this roster stands out to Brown just as much as anyone. He had high praise for the job the Sixers’ front office did as they sat in front of him in the first row.
“Obviously, on paper, we’re excellent,” he said, ”but I’ve been around a long time, long enough to know that just what you have on paper don’t really mean nothing.“
He wanted to stress that it takes the proper amount of work and dedication to take something on paper and turn it into actual success.
“It just takes the amount of work and the transparency, and the leadership can really guide this thing or not. So, for me, I’m just focused on that. How can I lead with my heart, lead with my work, my mentality?”
What will be interesting to see is how much of a vocal role Brown plays. He had tons of praise for Edgecombe when asked about him, but also admitted that he is not necessarily the mentor type. He tries to let his actions speak louder than words.
“I just come in with a mentality to impact winning, lead by example. I’m not designating myself as nothing. You gotta earn that with time and trust, and people gravitate naturally or they don’t,” he said, “but, you know, my focus is on winning.”
Brown has always been a highly motivated individual, and it feels now more than ever that a chip on his shoulder is driving him as a Sixer. He fielded several questions about the end of his Celtics tenure. He briefly mentioned how it didn’t end well there, as well as the fact that he hasn’t spoken to Jayson Tatum since being traded to Philadelphia.
His answer as to whether the trade was as motivating as his 2024 Olympic team snub said the most without having to say a lot.
“Um, yeah. I’m gonna say, it’s one day at a time. That’s all I got.”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 5: The tarp covers the infield during a weather delay before the game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets at Truist Park on July 5, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welp! Three innings have been played but the elements have won out for the time being and the tarp is now on the field as the Atlanta Braves are up 2-0 on the Miami Marlins.
Keep it right here for more updates, as we will have more information on a restart as soon as we get it. In the meantime, please check out this wacky home run that Ronald Acuña Jr. just hit at the expense of the Marlins.
[UPDATE (8:55 p.m. ET)]: C.J. Nitkowski just announced during the broadcast that the tarp is off of the field and that they’re expecting to restart at around 9:20 p.m. ET.
[UPDATE (9:22 p.m. ET)]: Tyler Kinley just threw strike one, and we’re back on! Join us in the game thread!
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 11: Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 11, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Despite being summer, the NBA’s August doldrums continue at glacial speeds. But amidst the roster limbo the Bucks find themselves in, tidbits continue to emerge about one particular player of interest: Peyton Watson. Let’s catch up.
A delayed resolution?
The news: Reports from Jake Fischer indicate that a resolution on the Watson front might not come until some time in September, with Watson and his Klutch Sports Group agent Rich Paul apparently “willing to remain patient.”
Why it matters: For the Bucks, this continues their roster holding pattern. With Watson the most talented player the Bucks have been linked to—they have also been connected with Jonathon Kuminga and Benedict Mathurin—they are unlikely to make any roster moves until this situation plays out. So, the roster remains at 17.
Actively involved
The news: According to Shams Charania, the Denver Nuggets are actively exploring sign-and-trade possibilities for Watson and the Bucks remain very much in play:
[The Nuggets] are in active trade talks with multiple teams on a Peyton Watson sign and trade. That includes Cleveland, Milwaukee, and the Clippers. There are combinations of player packages, pick packages as well. So either they’re gonna trade him, or you could potentially have him back on a 1-year, $6.5 million qualifying offer.
Why it matters: With the Nuggets seemingly unwilling to increase their offer to Watson and the Bucks one of three teams listed in talks, this is an encouraging sign. Of course, with the Nuggets becoming a second apron team after matching the Oklahoma City Thunder’s offer to forward Spencer Jones—and going deeper into it by signing Lonnie Walker IV—any trade will be complex (to say the least).
Asset hesitation
The news: Meanwhile, despite their interest, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reported that the Bucks are hesitant to include any first-round draft capital in a deal for Watson:
But while the Bucks are interested in the 23-year-old forward, league sources maintain they expect the Bucks to be hesitant to include a first-round pick in any deal for Watson as they continue building out their asset base post-Antetokounmpo.
Without giving up a first-round pick, the Nuggets would have to derive much of the value of a sign-and-trade with the Bucks from the player (or players) involved in the deal. While other teams interested in Watson might be giving up fringe rotation players with a first-rounder, the Bucks might need to include real rotation players to entice the Nuggets to consider their offer.
Why it matters: Jon Horst seems to be playing hardball. Yes, the Bucks would love to have Watson, but being in the extremely early stages of a rebuild, they shouldn’t be outwardly willing to cough up major assets to do so. Yes, Watson is worth a first-round pick. But Horst keeping that in his back pocket is the right move for now. Plus, the Bucks do have a logjam of rotational players that could be dealt in whatever convoluted trade ultimately materialises.
Where the Watson saga ends up is anyone’s guess. For all we know, the Bucks might simply be involving themselves as a trade facilitator taking on a contract they can absorb while bringing back additional assets. Either way, here’s hoping Horst has another heist up his sleeve.
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Casey Mize throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
President of baseball operations A.J. Preller had another busy trade deadline and succeeded in helping an ailing group.
The Padres acquired right-handed pitcher Casey Mize ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
One of Preller’s deadline acquisitions was Casey Mize of the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander was sporting a 2.70 ERA with 85 strikeouts across 86.2 innings pitched before he was traded to the Padres.
Mize made his Padres debut Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, and it was everything but spectacular as San Diego lost 10-4. It was a complete dud as Mize gave up a career-high eight earned runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings.
The eight runs allowed by Mize are the most by a pitcher in his Padres debut since Jhoulys Chacin allowed nine runs in 2017, which is tied for the franchise record.
Mize acknowledged the poor performance and expressed disappointment in himself.
Casey Mize’s Padres debut was disastrous as he gave up a career-high eight runs in his first start with the organization. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
“Not the first impression I wanted to make for my teammates and for the fans. Pretty tough time to have the worst start of my career. I just put us in a really tough spot, didn’t give us a chance to win. So, frustrated and embarrassed by that,” Mize said.
The Padres have arguably one of the biggest games of the 2026 season Thursday against the Diamondbacks. A loss would mean the Padres are three games behind Arizona, while a win would reduce the deficit to one game.
Padres manager Craig Stammen will have to make sharp decisions in Thursday’s series finale against Arizona. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
The matchup is also important because a Padres win would tie the season series with the Diamondbacks. There’s a lot on the line for San Diego today, and the Padres buying at the deadline made their plans for the remainder of the season increasingly clear.
The Padres are going for it in 2026, and they’ll need Mize to regroup as the squad chases a wild-card spot.
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Barring something unforeseen, the Philadelphia Flyers more or less have their NHL roster set heading into training camp next month.
After a long wait, the Flyers finally re-signed exciting forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin on Thursday evening, inking the Russian winger to a two-year, $2.2 million contract with a $1.1 million AAV.
Grebenkin, 23, recently switched agents, going from Gold Star Hockey powerhouse Dan Milstein to Adel Mansurov of Newport Sports, who wrapped up this lengthy but relatively straightforward negotiation with the Flyers.
And now that Grebenkin is signed, the Flyers have 14 NHL forwards under contract. Unless general manager Danny Briere and Co. swing a trade in the next five weeks, or an injury happens, Grebenkin and his 13 peers are your NHL forwards going into opening night.
The former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect will have to battle with Carl Grundstrom and Noel Acciari for playing time after suffering a season-ending injury in March.
Veterans Luke Glendening and Garnet Hathaway had filled in for Grebenkin after his injury, but Denver Barkey and Alex Bump have established themselves, and Noel Acciari got a decent chunk of money with his $2.8 million cap hit earned in free agency. Tyson Foerster is healthy now, too, so Grebenkin will have to work for the minutes he gets next season and moving forward.
As for the rest of the roster, the last remaining free agent the Flyers have is defenseman Hunter McDonald.
The 6-foot-4, 24-year-old defenseman played in the Flyers' season finale against the Montreal Canadiens last year, making his NHL debut and recording his first NHL point--an assist--in 15:11 of ice time, posting a +3 rating and four penalty minutes.
The Flyers still rate McDonald highly, as further evidenced by his traveling with the team as a ringer in case of injury last season, even though they were never forced to call his number.
McDonald will, however, turn 25 late next season, and the time to establish himself as an NHL player is quickly running out.
Nick Seeler no longer has trade protection, and newcomer Simon Benoit is under contract for only one more year.
The same is true for Rasmus Ristolainen, who has long been a trade candidate and an ace in the hole for the Flyers if and when the right offer comes across their desks.
Like Grebenkin's, that negotiation shouldn't be too difficult for either side, but both sides will assuredly be making their cases on their view of an NHL fit in the meantime.
Pete Crow-Armstrong went on a podcast last week and said with a laugh he likes the theory that Babe Ruth never existed. Baseball's internet treated it like a confession.
"This is gonna be crazy," the Cubs center fielder told Kristin Cavallari on her show "Let's Be Honest." Then he brought up the theory that the sport's greatest player may never have existed. He picked up the theory from Tayler Saucedo, a Mariners pitcher at the time, who floated it on a podcast in 2024 because he had barely seen any video of Ruth playing. Saucedo said this was a discussion in the Mariners bullpen and that they also decided that Ted Williams' legendary 500-foot home run never happened either.
Crow-Armstrong piled on Ruth saying the game has changed so much since then that pitchers back then might as well have been throwing underhand.
Then everybody lost it. One site used the quote to worry about American public education. Another brought up the plague of misinformation. A bunch of them criticized the young Cubs outfielder. It raised eyebrows and ruffled feathers! That's a lot of coverage for a 24-year-old answering a question about an unpopular opinion on a podcast hosted by somebody from "Laguna Beach."
The video thing has an actual answer, if any Millennial or Gen-Zer wants it.
Film in the 1920's was shot on nitrate, which is chemically unstable, burns easily and eventually turns to dust on its own. Studios also destroyed and recycled old reels, because before television there was no money in keeping last year's pictures. The Library of Congress studied it in 2013 and found that 70% of the roughly 11,000 American silent features made between 1912 and 1929 are completely gone. Only 14% still exist. Newsreel crews shot a couple of minutes of highlights, not whole games, because nobody was broadcasting anything.
The written record of Ruth is voluminous.
Every game he played was covered by competing newspapers in every American League city, with box scores and photographs and league records to go with them. Crow-Armstrong's real question about Ruth's greatness compared to the modern era is an old argument in clubhouses over the decades. Adam Ottavino took flack a few years ago for saying he could strike Ruth out. It's a time-honored tradition to argue about the eras of baseball players.
And for those paying attention, Crow-Armstrong is making a case for being considered among the great young players of his generation.
He leads the Cubs in homers (26), RBI (69) and hits (126). He has 29 stolen bases, including stealing third base in the bottom of the 11th inning on Thursday. He pressured the Blue Jays and forced Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela into a throwing error to score the winning run.
Crow-Armstrong is suddenly in the debate for the National League MVP, ironically battling the player that they call the modern day Babe Ruth: Shohei Ohtani.
San Francisco Giants fans already have enough reason to be sick of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
While San Francisco dominated this rivalry with three World Series victories in the 2010s, the Dodgers have already three championships this decade and are odds-on favorites to three-peat this season.
Thankfully, San Francisco still has Logan Webb, its longtime ace whom the Giants’ front office was not entertaining offers for at the deadline.
Giants pitcher Logan Webb was untouchable at this year’s trade deadline. Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
The last thing Giants fans want to think about is Webb pitching for the Dodgers. But given their ability to acquire what feels like every elite starter in baseball, Webb donning Dodger blue at some point is never out of the question.
This feels especially true after comments Webb made to NBC Sports.
“This is probably not a fan-favorite answer, but I love playing at Dodger Stadium,” Webb said when asked about his favorite stadium to play in.
“It’s a great energy, obviously it’s a great team. It’s a lot of fun, like, they got the huge speakers in center field. So, it’s just a good atmosphere to play in. We go there [and] they don’t like us. You hear a lot of little smack talk, so it’s fun,” he added.
Webb said he enjoys playing at Dodger Stadium.
Granted, Webb is far from the first player to speak highly about Dodger Stadium, as it’s undoubtedly one of baseball’s best environments. But that isn’t going to assuage Giants fans’ fears about whether this indicated Webb would be open to playing for Los Angeles.
Webb is signed with San Francisco through the 2028 season, so fans don’t worry about him jumping ship in free agency. But if the Giants are sellers next season, and the Dodgers come calling about Webb, it doesn’t seem like he would turn down a trade.
The 2026 season hasn't gone how the Mets or Bo Bichette envisioned.
Bichette, who was so close to winning the World Series with the Blue Jays last season, signed with the Mets because he viewed it as an opportunity to win.
It's been tough sledding for Bichette and the team this season, though.
Even after signing the All-Star infielder to a lucrative deal this offseason, along with other notable additions, the Mets find themselves 16 games below .500, even after completing their three-game sweep of the Guardians on Thursday.
The team dealt many of their pieces at the deadline, leaving some veterans and kids to finish out the season.
Bichette, who signed a three-year, $126 million contract, has opt-outs after each of the first two seasons. MLB.com's Anthony DiComo asked Bichette about that option and whether he will use it this offseason, but the converted third baseman said he's focused solely on finishing the season strong.
“The way I look at it is, I think there’s no doubt this team is going to be better next year,” Bichette said. “I really believe that. There’s still a lot of talent in this room, a lot of young talent that’s really hungry, combined with guys that have been around who have done a lot of great things in this game. And then on top of that, typically when you have a season like this, people show up a little bit more motivated. So I think that this group is going to be well prepared to be better next year.”
If Bichette doesn't opt out, he'll make $55.3 million in 2027. After a rollercoaster 2026, Bichette will likely remain in Queens instead of testing free agency.
To Bichette's credit, he's overcome a terrible start to the season, but hasn't been consistent enough to hit the numbers he's put up in his career. After a successful series in Cleveland, where he went 5-for-14 with a home run and three RBI, he's slashing .257/.301/.370 with an OPS of .671.
The Mets are looking to compete in 2027 and if Bichette stays, he'll be one of the players looked upon to help make the turnaround happen. A strong finish will go a long way towards that.
“It hasn’t been my best season for sure,” Bichette said. “If I played better, maybe the season would be different for the team. But just focused on trying to finish strong.”
A little over a month since the Sixers shook up the NBA summer by trading for him, Jaylen Brown held his first press conference in Philadelphia.
Here’s what stood out from Brown’s introductory press conference Thursday:
The shock factor
How did Brown initially react to the news of the trade?
“When I first (learned) I got traded, I just threw my phone across the room,” he said with a laugh.
Multiple Sixers soon reached out to Brown and welcomed him aboard, including Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Joel Embiid. Still, on a day that included posing for photos with his No. 7 Sixers jersey and throwing out the first pitch at the Phillies game, Brown acknowledged his new reality hasn’t entirely sunk in yet.
“There’s been a lot of emotions,” he said. “It’s been a process. To be honest, I’m still processing to some degree. One, the excitement of coming to a new city, new place, new expectations, new energy. And then also leaving somewhere that you’ve been for a very, very long time.
“I’ve been in Boston for 10 years. I’m 29 years old, so I was there a third of my life. I met some lifelong friends, some people that I’ll still be connected to. … It’s just a process. Just like everybody else has to deal with certain things, it’s no different. It’s just been public; that’s the only difference.”
Focused on winning and work
Brown was crystal clear about his priorities.
Details will matter for the Sixers’ dramatically revamped roster, but the five-time All-Star wing’s drive to win is simple.
“I’m not sure completely yet,” Brown said when asked where he envisions himself most helping the Sixers. “I think we’ll figure it out as time goes on. … But I’m excited to just be myself. That’s one thing I can promise the city, the organization and the coaching staff, that I’m going to come in every single day and be myself. Put my best foot forward, lead with my integrity, lead with my mentality and lead with my capacity and my will to win.
“So we’ll figure out the X’s and O’s, the ins and outs, but winning is the agenda. That’s the first thing that’s on my mind.”
Brown’s new teammates certainly won’t be strangers at training camp.
“We talk damn near every day almost,” he said. “We’ve got group chats, multiple now, and we’re all trying to figure this thing out. LeBron (James), he’s active in the group chat. We’re just all trying to get on the same page. I think everybody knows how incredible the opportunity that we have is, but we’ve also got to put in the work. My focus is on that — putting in the work, earning the respect from the city, from the coaching staff.
“Everything will take time. I understand how that process of winning works. You’ve got to build from the foundation and build up. You can’t skip steps. So we’re not skipping (any) steps. We’re starting early.”
No pretending time with Celtics ended on pleasant note
While Brown opted against going into great depth on the final stages of his Celtics tenure, he didn’t act as if the parties parted on swell terms.
“The whole process,” he said Thursday. “But to be honest, my mind is so focused on what’s in front of me. … I’m moving on. Maybe one day you share the details of how everything transpired, all the moving parts that took place in this. Obviously, there’s a lot of speculation. I feel no need to chime in on it because I’m focused on what’s in front of me.”
Brown spoke highly of his decade in Boston and said he was “very grateful for my experience” during formative years in his life.
He was asked about his relationship with former Celtics co-star Jayson Tatum.
“We won a championship together,” Brown said. “Anybody that you won a championship with, you’d think that’s what a brotherhood and a lifelong legacy would entail. Obviously, there’s ups and downs in any type of relationship for sure. But on my end, there’s nothing but respect. Besides when he plays the Sixers, I hope he does well. But other than that, everything for me is just based in respect.”
Has Brown talked with Tatum after the trade?
“Not really,” he said.
Responding to all the noise
Brown has not been oblivious to the NBA world’s discourse about his game and personality.
“I feel like I’ve dealt with that for a while internally, externally,” Brown said. “I just choose to focus on what I focus on. Obviously, it got to a threshold this offseason that was a little bit higher than what it’s been in the past. I think people attacked my character. Someone even went as far as saying that I had a disease. … But none of it is completely surprising. Some of these things were said externally. Internally, through the organization and stuff like that, there’s been conversations. … It’s just been a crazy process and transition.
“And then obviously, getting traded to the Sixers, somebody that you competed against for the last 10 years, someone that’s been a rival, that was a process, too. So there’s been a lot of stuff. Having to move your family and move places … it has been a lot. But people deal with it every day. People have to change, relocate. I’m not complaining up here. … It is what it is. So let’s get to it.”
Safe to say Brown won’t lack motivation next season.
“I don’t care about the MVP awards, Finals MVP,” he said. “None of that stuff really moves me. It’s nice, but the only thing that’s going to move me is doing something collectively — a championship. That’s what I’m looking forward to, trying to start that journey and building. But all the other stuff that comes with it is just a distraction to me. Whatever it takes on a night-to-night basis. Whatever it takes.”
Centering the community
Brown didn’t pick the standard press conference setting of the Sixers’ training complex in Camden, New Jersey.
He instead chose the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center in Philadelphia. Local kids sporting Jaylen Brown shirseys were among the attendees.
Brown’s done extensive work in the Boston community through his 7uice Foundation, which describes its mission as partnering with“institutions, organizations and social change leaders to bridge the opportunity gap for youth in traditionally underserved communities.”
“For me and for people who know my family and I, we are rooted in the community,” Brown said. “That’s where we hang our hat, being able to affect other people’s lives. I think we’re very blessed. We’ve been able to help our own family and be able to kind of change the course of what our generation or our family name could possibly do. But we look forward to being able to impact others and to touch families and households that we may never get to see.
“Being here at Francis J., as I’m still getting to learn this community, I just wanted to make this an important pillar in my life — the community and the foundation. And as I’m getting started on the journey here in Philadelphia, the introduction, the first impression is everything. I just wanted to let people know here in Philadelphia that this is something that’s important to me. … So I’m happy to be here, and thank you to the community for allowing me to be here and holding my space here. I’m looking forward to learning the community, meeting some like-minded individuals and doing some work. That’s what we’re about.”
Danny Briere crossed off his second-to-last restricted free agent of the offseason.
The Flyers agreed to terms with Nikita Grebenkin on a two-year, $2.2 million contract Thursday night. The deal has an average annual value of $1.1 million. Grebenkin will remain a restricted free agent when the contract expires after the 2027-28 season.
The 23-year-old winger had four goals and 10 assists in 55 games last season, his first with the Flyers. The rookie played 11:17 minutes per game. He missed the final 13 games of the regular season and the playoffs because of an upper-body injury that ended up costing him more time than expected.
“Initially we thought it was going to be something short,” Briere said in May, “and it just never got better.”
Grebenkin was rehab skating in late June and early July while the Flyers had development camp. He joined the prospects for some drills and looked pretty good. It’s looking like he’ll be healthy and good to go for training camp, according to a report by Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports.
Nikita Grebenkin looking pretty good here as he’s taking part in a session with the prospects.
He ended the season with an upper-body injury and there’s some uncertainty about his status to start next season.
A product of the Scott Laughton trade two seasons ago, Grebenkin turned some heads last training camp. He won a job, showing his ability to hunt the puck and battle for it. His speed and competitiveness made him an intriguing guy in the Flyers’ bottom six.
But he’ll have a ton of competition when this season’s training camp arrives next month. Porter Martone, Denver Barkey and Alex Bump are young wingers coming off difference-making performances down the stretch and in the playoffs. Martone is poised for a big role this season, while Barkey and Bump could be in the lineup on opening night.
Hunter McDonald is the Flyers’ final restricted free agent who needs to be re-signed. The 24-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut last season in the team’s regular-season finale. He’s projected to open this season with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 05: Michael Massey #19 of the Kansas City Royals is congratulated by teammates after the Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 2-1 to win the game at Kauffman Stadium on August 05, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good evening, Royals fans.
It’s Thursday night, it’s been raining a lot today, but hey, at the time of this writing, there’s baseball to be played between the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins, the finale of a three-game series in which the Royals won the first two.
Tonight’s game is also the last of the season between the Royals and Twins.
On the mound for the Royals: Michael Wacha, still a Royal. Yes, many fans pined for Wacha to be moved at the deadline as he looked like the Royals’ best trade chip. And maybe he was. But he didn’t get moved, and takes the bump tonight looking to help the Royals sweep the Twins out of town.
Opposite Wacha is right-handed pitcher Bailey Ober, who is 7-3 on the year with a 4.45 ERA and 4.63 FIP. Not great numbers, but decent. In his last outing, he faced the Royals and limited them to three runs (two earned) over six innings while walking three, allowing four hits, and striking out three. He would’ve taken the loss had Kody Clemens not hit a walk-off Grand Slam.
Kyle Isbel and Michael Massey drove in the Royals’ two runs in last night’s victory. Isbel tied the game at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the fifth. A few innings later, Massey, facing a lefty, scorched a homer to right to put the Royals up 2-1. The real story of the game was, of course, Noah Cameron, but, as I like to say, you can’t win if you don’t score. Thanks, at least in part, to Isbel and Massey, Kansas City prevailed, and in doing so improved their record to 48-67.
Still grisly, but not “20-games-under-.500” grisly.
And Wacha will face the following:
Twins 8/6
T. Larnach LF L. Keaschall CF K. Clemens 2B J. Bell DH R. Lewis 1B B. Lee 3B A. Roden RF V. Caratini C T. Gray SS
Last night’s loss pushes the Twins’ losing streak to four games as they currently sit 56-59 but only one game out of a Wild Card spot. Of course, this is the American League in 2026, so it’s a crowded field. Cleveland owns the last Wild Card with Seattle, Minnesota, and Baltimore all a game back, Detroit 1.5 games back, and Toronto three back. The Guardians themselves are only a half-game back of the Rangers for the second Wild Card. No, none of these teams mentioned having winning records.
Think about how much worse things would be for the Twins had Royce Lewis and Clemens not provided walk-off wins last week against the Royals.
First pitch tonight at 6:40. Let’s end the series on a high note, shall we?
The Buffalo Sabres made it into the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, ending a 15-year playoff drought. Buffalo went on to beat an upstart Boston Bruins team in the first round before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.
The Sabres’ step forward in 2025-26 means TheHockeyNews.com’s annual process of grading the Sabres will result in mainly-positive grades, Buffalo is far from a perfect team, but when we’re analyzing their individual performances from last season, we must be more generous than not.
That said, in this particular “Sabres Grades” file, we’re focusing on goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukonen. The 27-year-old Finn appeared in 36 games this past season, posting a .910 save percentage and a 2.52 GAA. But his playoff performance was less than ideal, as he had an .876 SP and 3.18 GAA in six appearances, and in four of six playoff appearances, his SP was .880 or worse.
So, while we’re going to acknowledge Luukkonen’s strong stretches this year, we’re not going to give him an ‘A’ – at least, not just yet:
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Position: Goaltender
Grade: B+
The Skinny: Prior to this past season, Luukkonen had been a workhorse for the Sabres, as he’d played a combined 109 games in two seasons from 2023-2025. But the lesser workload this season resulted in a significant bounce-back season from him this past year. Luukkonen has put up a .910 SP in two of the past three seasons, so you can see why the Sabres have kept him as their de facto starter.
Luukkonen also is signed to a team-friendly contract paying him $4.75-million for the next three seasons. But backup Alex Lyon (.907 SP, 2.77 GAA) provided him with healthy competition, and youngster Colten Ellis is also in the picture. Luukkonen has some no-trade protection – a five-team no-trade list – and if Buffalo did choose to go in a different direction in net, Luukkonen would get a lot of attention based on his strong play in two of the past three years.
Had Luukkonen come into the 2026 post-season and showed consistency between the pipes, his grade here would easily move into ‘A’ territory. But he gets a B+ because his playoff performance left much to be desired.
Let’s not forget – the Sabres were linked to rumors about Winnipeg Jets superstar netminder Connor Hellebuyck. But if Buffalo does pull the trigger on that trade, you have to think Luukkonen would be the player going the other way, so long as Winnipeg isn’t on Luukkonen’s modified no-trade list.
But if that doesn’t happen, much of Buffalo’s season is going to be dependent on how well Luukkonen performs. The Sabres’ defense corps has undergone massive change this summer, and not for the better in the short-term. So Luukkonen will be leaned on at least as much next season, if not more than they leaned on him in seasons before then.
Luukkonen gave Buffalo a great regular-season performance last season. But the goaltending business is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately line of work – and the lasting memory of Luukkonen last season was him faltering when the games mattered most.
The Sabres may eventually go in another direction, but this series grades Buffalo’s performances last year, and Luukkonen’s efforts were a tale of two worlds. Luukkonen needs to be more consistent next season, because if he can’t, the Sabres will almost assuredly go with another goalie sooner than later.
