The Yankees have an importantAnthony Volpedecision to make on Sunday, but manager Aaron Boone didn’t give any clues ahead of Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Sunday marks Volpe’s 20th day on his rehab assignment, the maximum allowed by Major League Baseball. The Yankees must either activate Volpe, or option him to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre.
“We’ll get through today and talk through that,” Boone said. “Just wanting to do what’s best for the team, for Anthony, so we’ll have those conversations.”
Complicating matters for the Yankees is the fact that Jose Caballero, the primary starter while Volpe has been sidelined while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, has filled in more than adequately.
In 32 games this season, Caballero has a .719 OPS with four home runs, 12 RBI, and 14 runs scored, playing solid defensively as well.
"Well, one, Caballero's playing the heck out of the position and playing really well, so that complicates it,” Boone said, “Just deciding, what's the role that exists right away? Those are things we've got to continue to work through."
Boone said he does “love the idea” of Caballero playing a “kind of super-utility role because he's so good at it,” but reiterated that Caballero has played a great shortstop, and the manager must do what’s best for the ballclub.
“You also can't ignore that he's played so well defensively at shortstop, been a real spark for us offensively, especially after kind of getting off to a slow start probably the first 10 days, two weeks of the season,” Boone said. “He's really picked that up and been in the middle of us winning games.
“At the end of the day, we're going to try and do what's best for our team and then individual players that we care about too and know that are going to be important contributors to our team. We weigh all that."
McKinstry hit his bomb in the fourth with Max Burt on base. It was the only extra-base hit of the day, but the Mud Hens still notched six other hits. Most of them came without any follow-up. Toledo strung something together in the second, too, with Andrew Navigato driving in Eduardo Valencia with a sacrifice fly.
Max Clark’s lone hit of the day came in that frame, a base hit to shortstop that turned into a throwing error that moved everyone up a base.
Bryan Sammons got the start for the Mud Hens. He gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings. Most of the damage came in the second, when the Clippers notched three of their eight total hits. Maick Collado doubled off Sammons to tie the game up at one run apiece, and Juan Benamin gave Columbus the lead with an RBI single.
It wasn’t Sammons’ best outing, but his final line looks just fine. His fastball velocity was down a bit, and whiffs were under 20% overall. Still, he left the game tied after giving up a homer in the fifth. Konnor Pilkington was first out of the bullpen in relief. He took the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the sixth — a sacrifice fly from Collado.
Tyler Mattison gave up a run on a homer in the seventh, and Tanner Rainey worked around a leadoff walk in the eighth.
It wasn’t a very exciting day in Triple-A, but it’s good to see McKinstry doing things at the plate and on the field, especially with injuries mounting in Detroit.
John Peck didn’t play today, so the home run-watch is on hold for now. Instead, it was Andrew Jenkins and Brett Callahan with the big flies for Erie in Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Chesapeake Baysox.
The SeaWolves led for most of the game, scoring a run in each of the first four innings. They were practically handed a run in the first after Chesapeake starter Juan Rojas walked the bases loaded and threw a wild pitch with just one out.
Joe Miller gave up a three-spot in the second inning, giving up back-to-back doubles and a single with no outs to set up a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice bunt. It was a short outing for Miller, who allowed seven baserunners to reach over three innings. On the bright side, Miller struck out five.
Jenkins’ homer came in the second, and Callahan’s came in the third — both of the leadoff variety.
A home run from Jenkins cuts down the deficit in the 2nd!
E.J. Exposito, Seth Stephenson and Peyton Graham all singled in the fourth to give Erie the lead for good. Jenkins had the only other Erie hit of the day in the eighth, a single that moved Chris Meyers over to third base. Exposito drove in the insurance run with a fielder’s choice right after.
Peyton Graham laces an RBI single to right to give the SeaWolves a 4-3 lead, but Seth Stephenson gets thrown out trying to score. pic.twitter.com/fGL9JTeGXb
The bullpen was very good for Erie. Dariel Fregio took over in the fourth and gave three innings of scoreless relief. He faced the minimum in each inning, getting some help from Thayron Liranzo, who caught a runner stealing to end the fifth and sixth.
Dariel Fregio gets the strikeout and Thayron Liranzo guns down another runner, with help from a great pick and tag by Peyton Graham. @BurgessLuke03 calls the action. pic.twitter.com/pJynhMrdq7
John Stankiewicz went 1-2-3 in the seventh, Tanner Kohlhepp stranded a pair in the eighth, striking out two batters, and Woo-Suk Go closed things despite some drama. Frederick Bencosme homered to open the ninth, but Go struck out the side after that.
Jenkins: 2-4, HR (4), R, RBI, K
Callahan: 1-3, HR (4), R, RBI, BB
Fregio (W, 1-1): 3.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:35 p.m. ET start in Erie on Sunday with the SeaWolves up 4-1 in the series.
The Detroit Tigers, per @erie_seawolves notes have made the following roster move:
5/3 – RHP Eric Silva transferred to Triple-A Toledo
Cedar Rapids Kernels 11, West Michigan Whitecaps 6 (box)
West Michigan’s losing streak hit seven games on Saturday despite the Whitecaps putting up six runs.
This loss is the result of a disastrous nine-run seventh inning, but West Michigan briefly led before that after scoring five runs in the fifth.
The Whitecaps didn’t get a baserunner until the fourth, though, when Ricardo Hurtado walked. He moved to third on an error and scored on a groundout later in the inning. Cristian Santana broke up the no-hitter in the fifth with a one-out single. Juan Hernandez tripled him in right after.
Juan Hernández drives an RBI triple to the gap and Cristian Santana comes around to score to give West Michigan a 2-1 lead. pic.twitter.com/9s8E1FmhxB
A two-out rally led to four more runs crossing. Andrew Sojka singled, Hurtado doubled, Garrett Pennington was hit by a pitch and Bryce Rainer reached on an error before Kernels starter Nick Trabacchi left the game with the score at 4-1.
The Whitecaps go up 3-1 on this RBI double down the line from Ricardo Hurtado. pic.twitter.com/SdWqCjHhwt
Samuel Gil drove in Hurtado and Pennington with a single for runs No. 5 and 6. Rainer and Gil executed a double steal, but both were left in scoring position.
Samuel Gil puts a pretty line drive swing on this to bring home two more runs and make it a 6-1 Whitecaps lead. pic.twitter.com/cx66a2JqaN
Troy Watson got the start for West Michigan. Things went well for him, allowing just one run on two hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Both of those hits came in the second, when the Kernels scored the first run of the game.
Gabriel Reyes relieved him in the fifth. Cedar Rapids got to Reyes for a run on a couple of singles and a walk, and he got through the sixth without giving anything up. Then came the big inning.
Cedar Rapids went single, two-run homer, single, single, flyout, single, walk to make it 6-5, and Reyes left the game responsible for the tying and go-ahead run. Both of those runners scored as soon as Ethan Sloan took over on a single and a passed ball. Lovely. A wild-pitch ball four made it 8-6, and a three-run homer brought us to the 11-6 final.
Jalen Evans worked around two hits in the eighth, while the offense did diddly-squat.
Rainer: 0-4, RBI, 2 K
Gil: 1-4, 2 RBI
Hurtado: 1-4, 2B (4), 2 R, RBI, BB, K
Watson: 4.0 IP, 2 H, R, ER, BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 2:05 p.m. ET start on Sunday as the Whitecaps try to avoid a sweep.
Lakeland gave up a crooked number to Bradenton in four of eight innings on Saturday as the Marauders clinched a series win, 13-4.
Things started okay. Beau Ankeney singled in Jordan Yost to give Lakeland an early lead, but Max Alba gave up a two-run homer in the bottom half of the first.
Beau Ankeney bounces an RBI single through the infield and Lakeland takes a 1-0 lead in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/SHDFtQY6v8
Alba was fine after that, working around four hits over the next 2 1/3 innings. He left with two men on base in the fourth, but Jose Guzman struck out the first batter he faced, and the defense came up with a 2-6-2 out to get the runner breaking for home.
Jose Guzman gets the strikeout and then Sergio Tapia and Jordan Yost do a great job of cutting down the running trying to steal home. pic.twitter.com/0xeEl4pi7i
That jump-started the offense going into the fifth. The Flying Tigers scored three runs, starting on a Jesus Pinto triple and a Yost RBI single. Max Anderson walked, and he and Yost executed a double steal that turned into a run thanks to a bad throw by the catcher. Beau Ankeney singled in Anderson right after.
That’s when the bullpen started to melt down. Caleb Leys got the sixth and promptly allowed a game-tying, two-run homer. Leys gave up the lead in the sixth on a leadoff triple and one-out single. A botched throwing error, walk and balk made it 6-4. One more walk forced Lakeland to make another pitching change.
Jan Caraballo intentionally walked the first batter he faced (or didn’t face?), gave up a run on a sacrifice fly, and allowed another run to cross on a double. Rough four-inning frame to break the tie and crush any hopes of a Flying Tigers win. Lakeland struck out three times in the next half inning.
Caraballo gave up a leadoff home run in the seventh, and Andrew Pogue gave up four runs trying to get the last three outs of the eighth—absolutely brutal stuff.
Yost: 1-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 K
Pinto: 2-4, 3B (2), R, BB, K
Ankeney: 2-4, 2 RBI, K
Alba: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a noon ET start on Sunday with Bradenton leading the series 4-1.
The Baltimore Orioles (15-18) face the AL East-leading New York Yankees (22-11). The Yankees won the series’ first two games by a combined score of 16-6. Scheduled starting pitchers are Trey Gibson for Baltimore, making his MLB debut, and Max Fried for New York, with a 2.09 ERA.
How to watch Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees
Apr 30, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Oof.
I need a minute to unfold myself and get some air back in my bruised lungs. That one hurt.
I think the reason it hurt so much is because it was so unexpected. I predicted a sweep for the Celtics. I dismissed the Sixers as first round fodder. I did not expect MVP Joel Embiid to show up. I did not expect Playoff P to show up. I was fully expecting Maxey to play the way he did, but everything else was shocking. Hats off to Philly that became the fully actualized version of themselves before our eyes.
As for the Celtics, I don’t know exactly what went wrong. I’m sure that smarter basketball minds (on this blog and elsewhere) will break down the film and let us know what worked and what didn’t. All I know is that the scrappy, overachieving team that we had come to know and love throughout the year, faltered under the bright lights. I would love to chalk this up to the younger players getting exposed to the crucible of the playoffs. However, I’m haunted of memories from the previous year. It is easy to discount the Knicks series because of the Tatum injury, but the defending champs were well on their way to losing that series before his injury made it official.
It boggles my mind that the core of a championship team is still in place, the roster that the Executive of the Year put together is still in place, and the presumed Coaching Staff of the Year is in place, and yet we’re sitting here after an epic collapse — the first series loss in history after being up 3 games to 1.
So much of this feeling of loss and frustration is tied to expectations. By now you know the story and you could write the rest of this paragraph verbatim. The Celtics headed into this year with zero expectations. Gap year. Develop the kids. Give Jaylen Brown a chance to be the main guy. See what happens with Tatum’s injury but don’t rush him back. Then everything started falling into place. The team achieved way above expectations. Just about everything that could have gone right went very right. The rest of the East looked entirely beatable. Tatum returned and looked so much better than anyone could have hoped. Everything was lining up and suddenly the Celtics were seen as one of the favorites (if not THE favorite) to win the East.
For 3 of the first 4 games of the series, everything seemed to be continuing down that road. But something happened along the way and here we are. Lamenting the missed opportunity and wondering what exactly happened. Those raised expectations make this all so much worse. We let ourselves believe. Mind you, there’s nothing wrong with that. Belief is healthy and good. I couldn’t be a fan without that belief. I know that many media folks say that at some point they leave their fandom behind and treat their subject like a job. I could never.
So, what now? Well, I guess we do what we always do. Take a minute to reflect and process, then start thinking about the next journey. What does the team do next? What are the needs on this roster? Are there bigger moves the team needs to consider? Who stays and who goes? Who’s available to add? What skills do players need to work on in the offseason. We’ll cover all of that and much, much more in the long months ahead.
However, as painful as the ending was, I’m going to look back fondly on this regular season. We learned so much about so many of the characters. Like any good story, there were ups and downs, trials overcome and adversaries vanquished. The team bonded together over board games and nicknames and a lunatic coach. It was tremendous fun to watch and the season was a joy.
The ending was abrupt and painful. I just hope that the next installment of the series provides us with a triumphant return to glory. Because belief is good, and its what we do. Go Celtics.
Contract Status - Unrestricted Free Agent on July 1.
Games Played - 82 - Played all 82 games for the 5th time in his career.
Goals - 20 - He scored 20 goals in a season for only the third time in his career (25 in 2023-24 with Boston & 21 in 2015-16 with Minnesota). He had 7 power play goals which tied his career high.
Assists - 38 - He tied his career high in assists that he set in 2017.
Points - 58 - Finished just two points shy of his career high set in 22-23 with Boston. Up from 35 in 2024-25.
Contract Status - Going into year two of a 6-year contract signed in 2025.
Games Played - 61- Down from 82 the previous season. He had two stretches where he was injured, including the final eight games after breaking his hand in a fight.
Goals - 15 - Was on a 20 goal pace, but due to missed games, he finished three shy of his career high.
Assists - 11 - Would've set a career high with 15 assists if not for the missed games.
Points - 26 - Olivier was on pace to hit 35 points.
Contract Status - Going into year 2 of a 7-year contract signed in the summer of 2025.
Games Played - 82 - He played 82 games for the 4th straight season, and 7th time in his career. In three seasons with the CBJ, he's never missed a game.
Goals - 9 - His 9 goals were tied for the 3rd highest of his career.
Assists - 22 - His 22 assists are the third highest of his CBJ career, and 5th highest of his career.
Points - 31 - 5th highest points total of his career, and third highest in his CBJ tenure.
Forwards Grégory Hofmann and Calvin Thürkauf will most likely end up playing in the tournament.
Hofmann played 24 games for Columbus back in 2021-22 and had 7 points. He currently plays for EV Zug of the Swiss National League. He did not play in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
While the series between the Stars and Wild is currently tied up, Duchene is doing all he can to help Dallas. In four games so far this postseason for the Stars, Duchene has recorded two goals, five assists, and seven points. With this, there is no question that the former Blue Jackets forward is on fire right now.
In five games for the Penguins so far this postseason, Chinakhov has zero points and a minus-4 rating. He has also had zero shots in each of his last two games.
At the 1:06 mark of the third period, Texier scored the Canadiens' game-winning goal. It was a nice goal for the former Blue Jackets forward, too, as he beat Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy on the rush with an excellent snapshot.
According to Elite Prospects European Scout Honza Zoufal, Stanislav Svozil, who was drafted 69th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, is in talks with HC Kometa Brno, which plays in the Czech Extraliga. Svozil's contract will expire at the end of the season, making him a restricted free agent.
Ceulemans was drafted 25th overall in 2021 by former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen. The thought when he was drafted was that after college and a year or two in the AHL, he would be ready to go. Unfortunately, Ceulemans ended up being a victim of Kekäläinen's swing for the fence trades of Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson, more specifically, Severson.
One specific area that the Blue Jackets could look to improve is their top six. When looking at their roster, one specific need they have is another high-impact winger.
Due to this, if Alex Tuch ends up testing the free-agent market instead of re-signing with the Buffalo Sabres this off-season, the Blue Jackets should strongly consider making a push for him.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft Lottery on May 5, 2025, where the CBJ will most likely pick 14 or 15.
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Magic Game 7 computer picks
Jamal Cain Over 5.5 points (-130)
Projection: 7.96 points
Jamal Cain made a name for himself after putting Duren on a poster, and he's played 20+ minutes in three straight for the Orlando Magic.
A total of 5.5 is very obtainable, especially when playing that many minutes.
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Anthony Black Over 10.5 points (+100)
Projection: 13.35 points
Anthony Black has had a rough series against the Pistons, but Orlando will need him to score with Detroit putting all the pressure on Banchero.
Black posted 9 points in Game 5, and our model sees a similar game from Black this afternoon.
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Jalen Suggs Over 12.5 points (+100)
Projection: 14.69 points
Jalen Suggs cleared this line in three of the first five games of this series, but he — along with everyone else — has failed to score often since.
Our projections expect the guard to return to form in this do-or-die game.
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Pistons Game 7 computer picks
Jalen Duren Over 12.5 points (-105)
Projection: 16.27 points
Our player prop projections indicate Jalen Duren will go Over today's point line with relative ease. The big man hasn't been himself this series, but he'll step up when the Detroit Pistons need him most.
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Ausar Thompson Over 9.5 points (-105)
Projection: 11.62 points
Ausar Thompson has played heavy minutes for the Pistons over the last three games, resulting in positive outcomes for the team. His rebounding ability makes him a necessity, and he'll get plenty of floor time to pass this number.
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Harris Under 18.5 points (+105)
Projection: 16.51 points
Tobias Harris has been a stud for the Pistons this series, but our model calls for regression. The vet only averaged 13.3 points per game in the regular season, and he's playing over his head.
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How to watch Magic vs Pistons Game 7
Location
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Date
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Tip-off
3:30 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Vidal Bruján | (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Getty Images)
The Mets are set to call up infielder Vidal Bruján to replace Ronny Mauricio on their active roster, according to Mike Puma. Mauricio is heading to the injured list with a left thumb fracture that he suffered in the Mets’ loss to the Angels last night.
Mauricio himself was called up on April 23 to replace Francisco Lindor on the Mets’ active roster, as Lindor suffered a calf injury that doesn’t yet have a specific timetable for return. In 32 plate appearances in the big leagues this year, Mauricio has hit .219/.219/.313 with a 46 wRC+, and he’s had a rather absurd 53.6 percent chase rate.
Bruján was a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport in ahead of the 2019 through 2022 seasons as he worked his way up through the Rays’ minor league system. But that promise has never really materialized, as he’s hit just .199/.267/.276 and been worth -2.0 fWAR in 262 major league games. He’s been claimed on waivers four times since last summer: by the Orioles from the Cubs, the Braves from the Orioles, the Twins from the Braves, and the Mets from the Twins.
We’ll see whether the Mets give Bruján significant playing time at shortstop, the position where he’s spent the vast majority of both the 2026 season with Syracuse and his professional career. The team could opt to play Bo Bichette at short, Brett Baty at third, and Mark Vientos at first on an everyday basis instead while keeping Bruján on the roster as a defensive replacement.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 28: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers steals second as Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros fields the throw in the ninth inning at Minute Maid Park on July 28, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers continue their road trip on Monday night against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is coming off his shortest start of the season, with five innings and four runs (three earned) allowed against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium. He lasted at least six innings in his previous eight straight starts and 15 out of 17 dating back to 2025.
The Dodgers’ last trip to Houston was in 2024, when they lost two of three games from July 26-28. They were also swept by the Astros at Dodger Stadium last July 4-6, and have lost six of their last seven games against Houston, dating back to 2023.
Los Angeles is 4-3 on the road against the Astros dating back to 2020.
The Atlanta Braves' charmed ride to start the 2026 season - their 24-10 record is the best in the major leagues - finally hit a pothole as they placed All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. on the injured list Sunday, May 3, with a strained left hamstring.
Yet the club also got positive injury news, as right-hander Spencer Strider was activated from the IL and will make his season debut against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday after missing the first five weeks with a left oblique strain.
Acuña was injured Saturday running out a grounder in the second inning at Coors Field and was removed from the game. The five-time All-Star has been dogged by injuries the past five seasons, as he tore the ACL in his right and left knees in that span. He was off to a decent start this season, with a .252/.362/.378 line and two home runs.
The majority of his plate appearances figure to be consumed by outfielders Eli White and Mike Yastrzemski, while Mauricio Dubón will get more reps in left field, leaving shortstop duties to Jorge Mateo before the return of the injured Ha Seong Kim.
Strider posted a 4.45 ERA last season in his return from a second Tommy John surgery. The Braves rotation has performed admirably despite a litany of injuries to stars like Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach, posting a 3.08 ERA - third in the major leagues - without them.
LAKELAND, FL - MARCH 12: Bradley Hanner #93 of the New York Yankees pitches during the spring training game against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 12, 2026 in Lakeland, Florida. The Yankees defeated the Tigers 4-3. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
One of the strengths of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders this season is their bullpen.
Entering Saturday, the Yankees’ Triple-A club ranked second in the International League in bullpen ERA at 3.40 and paced Triple-A in fewest walks with 57. Thanks to the bullpen’s efforts, the RailRiders have nine wins in games where they were trailing at some point.
“The bullpen’s done great, we’ve relied on each other,” reliever Bradley Hanner said. “We’re a tight-knit group down there. It’s been fun to kind of piggy-back off each other. One guy does good, you want to keep the train moving. It’s been great so far and hopefully we can keep doing that.”
Hanner has been one of the key contributors. In his last six outings, covering 9.1 innings, the 27-year-old right-hander from Virginia has not allowed a run with six hits, one walk and 12 strikeouts. His most recent appearance Thursday against the Buffalo Bisons, he threw 2.2 perfect innings with four strikeouts. Overall, Hanner is 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA in nine games. He has allowed three runs (two earned) on 10 hits with six walks and 18 strikeouts in 14.1 innings.
One reason for Hanner’s success so far this season has been the work he has done on his four-seamer.
“Coming in with the Yankees, that was one of the bigger things – to kind of clean up to orientation of the four-seam,” Hanner said. “So far we’ve kind of nailed it. It’s been good. I don’t know the numbers and stuff to back it up, but I think they’re all in the positive. Everything is trending with the four-seam, I feel more and more comfortable with it as we go on. That’s been the biggest key.”
Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 21st round in 2019, he spent three seasons in that organization before before being claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Guardians organization in December 2022.
Hanner spent the 2023 campaign in Double-A with the Akron Rubber Ducks. He split time in 2024 with Akron and the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. Last season with Columbus, Hanner appeared in 42 games in relief and was 4-4 with two saves, three holds, a 4.74 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 49.1 innings. The Yankees signed him as a free agent in December.
Coming to the RailRiders, Hanner had a familiar face with bullpen coach Pete Larson. “I had him in Low-A when I was with the Twins,” Hanner said. “It’s been fun to reunite with him.”
Other than Larson and fellow reliever Brent Headrick, Hanner didn’t know many players here. Still, he said it has been a smooth transition coming to the Yankees organization.
“Everybody’s been really welcoming, accommodating. Everything you need, they’ve got everything you could ever imagine to help you get better,” Hanner said. “It’s been great.”
The Yankees are signing RHP Bradley Hanner to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training, per @Joelsherman1
Hanner has a 4.91 ERA in his minor league career, including a 4.74 ERA last season for the Guardians' Triple-A affiliate pic.twitter.com/FWu5gvKdYi
All that remains is for Hanner to one day get that call to the major league. He admits he thinks about it at times, but knows it is out of his control.
“All I can do is show up every day, work hard and pitch to the best of my abilities,” he said. “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it at times. But I’m not losing sleep over getting the call. If it happens, it happens and I’ll be super-grateful for that. Obviously it’s what everybody dreams of.”
If and when that call comes, Hanner believes he is ready.
“I feel very good about where I’m at right now. I don’t know what else I would need to do,” Hanner said. “Keep putting up zeroes, keep pounding the zone. I don’t think that there’s an outlier that I need. I don’t think it’s anything like that. I think it’s just time and place and pitching well. Not getting lucky, just right-man, right-spot situation.”
The Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche open their second-round NHL playoff series on Sunday. The Wild beat the Dallas Stars 4-2 in the first round while the Avalanche swept the Los Angeles Kings. The Colorado Avalanche are favored with a -194 moneyline compared to the Minnesota Wild's +161. The over/under for the matchup is set at 5.5 goals.
How to watch Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche
The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning face off in Game 7 to determine the winner of their first-round playoff series. The Lightning forced Game 7 with a 1-0 victory in OT on Friday. The combined score of the previous six games is 14-14 and all of the six games were decided by a single goal. The Lightning are favored with a -161 moneyline compared to the Montreal Canadiens' +135.
How to watch Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Cade Cunningham has played beyond his regular-season numbers in this series, averaging 32.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game on 44.9% shooting.
Cunningham has mostly acted as a primary scorer but has also served as a primary playmaker when he’s needed to, as he’s put up nine or more dimes twice in the series. Overall, Cunningham is putting up 45.3 PRA per game in this series.
And while that might seem unsustainable given his regular season output (39.4 PRA), we have to consider he’s logging serious minutes, being on the court for 40.5 minutes per game in this series compared to 33.9 during the season.
The Detroit Pistons aren’t going away from Cunningham in Game 7.
The 23-year-old forward had an inconsistent season — which led to some discourse about how good he really is — and that has shown up again in this series, where a 45-point explosion in Game 5 was followed by a 4-for-20 shooting performance in Game 6.
One area where Banchero has remained relatively consistent is his ability to get the ball to his teammates. He’s averaging 6.3 assists per game in this series and has dished out six or more assists in four of the past five games.
Whether or not Banchero gets his shooting touch back in Game 7 (and maybe especially if he doesn’t), he should be able to distribute the ball to his teammates the same way he has throughout this series, which makes the Over on his assists total a smart play.
But with the odds available, I’m being drawn to his rebounding total, which is offering plus money at a reasonably low number.
Mitchell has averaged 5.2 rebounds in this series after grabbing 4.5 boards per game in the regular season. In each of the last five games, he’s picked up at least five rebounds.
That continues a trend that started late in the regular season, as he finished strong with 6.3 rebounds per game in April.
Toronto isn’t a particularly effective team on the boards — ranking 16th in the NBA in rebounding rate this year at 49.5% — and Mitchell has had a big edge on the defensive glass when battling with the less physical Ja’Kobe Walter.
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The Orlando Magic will try to rebound from their historic Game 6 collapse when they take on the Detroit Pistons in a Game 7 that will decide the series. The Pistons have won the past two games, including a 93-79 victory on Friday in which they limited the Magic to just 19 points in the second half. The winner of Sunday’s game will advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals to face the winner of the Toronto Raptors-Cleveland Cavaliers series. The Pistons are favored by 8.5 points.
Gretchen Walsh bettered her own 100m butterfly world record for the third time in 12 months as she clocked 54.33 seconds in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the same event where she became the first woman to breach the 55-second mark.
The reigning world champion now owns the 13 fastest times in the event’s history.
Magic
Pistons
Paolo Banchero
Donovan Mitchell