NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 14: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals steals second base against Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field on August 14, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last night the bats just could not get going and the bullpen faltered. That led to a disappointing 4-1 loss. Now the boys will have to regroup and try to even the series. Hopefully the league’s highest scoring offense can figure out the Mets makeshift pitching staff.
With a lefty on the mound, there will be plenty of changes to the lineup. Dylan Crews will lead off and play right. CJ Abrams is at short again despite the announcement of his move to second base. Andrew Pinckney and Harry Ford are also back in the lineup. Brad Lord will start as his reintegration into the rotation continues.
The Mets have a couple new faces at the bottom of their lineup. Brett Baty will play left field and Jorge Polanco will DH. Otherwise it is the same group as last night. Francisco Lindor will lead the way without Juan Soto. Sean Manaea has been throwing the ball much better lately and will be on the mound today.
Losing this series in New York would be a massive blow. This group needs to buckle down and do whatever it takes to win. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 09: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Detroit Tigers at Oracle Park on August 09, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s time for Game 2 in the three-game series between the San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies. All I’m hoping for is that it goes better than the first game did. And hey, we’re getting an MLB debut this fine afternoon, as Turner Hill is starting in left field!
Taking the mound for the Giants is their ace, righty Logan Webb. The three-time All-Star has made 21 starts this season, and is 7-7 with a 3.59 ERA, a 3.27 FIP, and 103 strikeouts to 32 walks in 133 innings. Webb was excellent his last time out, giving up just one run in eight innings against the Detroit Tigers.
For the Rockies, it’s veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen. The 33-year old, who was an All-Star in 2023, has made 25 appearances in his first season with Colorado, and has gone 3-10 with a 6.83 ERA, a 5.09 FIP, and 81 strikeouts to 46 walks in 112 innings. He’s given up the most hits (164) and runs (85) in the Majors this year, so you can expect the Giants to be shut out. Lorenzen gave up four runs, two of which were earned, in 4.1 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals his last time out.
There’s still a month to go until tee-off at the Montreal Canadiens annual golf tournament, but action is already heating up at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard. Players who didn’t spend the summer in town are already starting to return, including some who spent the summer in Europe, like Austrian prospect David Reinbacher.
De retour à Brossard ce matin!
Quelques joueurs sur la patinoire : Josh Anderson, Jake Evans, David Reinbacher, Ivan Demidov, Alexandre Carrier, Jayden Struble, Jakub Dobes (et Brendan Gallagher).
According to Dans les coulisses’ Marc-Olivier Cook, Josh Anderson, Jake Evans, Reinbacher, Ivan Demidov, Alexandre Carrier, Jayden Struble and Jakub Dobes were on the ice at the Canadiens’ practice rink on Thursday. Earlier this week, Jacob Fowler played in the LSHL; it's starting to smell like hockey again in Montreal.
Things will keep ramping up until rookie training camp kicks off, likely in early September, since the Habs will take part in the 2026 NHL Prospect Challenge in Gatineau on September 12 and 13. The Canadiens’ prospects will take on the Ottawa Senators’ and the Winnipeg Jets’ prospects. The game against the Jets will take place on Saturday, September 12, at 1:00 PM, and the one against the Sens on Sunday, September 13, at 6:00 PM.
Once that’s done, we’ll be getting nearer to the official start of the preseason, as the Canadiens will be playing five games on three days. How is that possible? Simply put, four of those five games will be split-squad games, including the last two on September 26 against the Senators. That means that, at that point, three days before the start of the regular season, the Habs will still have enough players to play two games at the same time—one in Ottawa and the other in Montreal.
Whichever way you look at it, this shorter preseason will mean that teams will be icing weaker sides; you won’t see a real NHL lineup until opening night on September 29 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The only preseason game that won’t be a split-squad affair is the one against the Sens in Trois-Rivières on September 21, the Kraft Hockeytown celebration game. The shorter preseason may let the league run a longer regular season with an 84-game calendar, but expect teams to need time to build real chemistry from the start.
Aaron Judge has not been seen in a baseball game since May 31. Yet on Saturday, Aug. 15, the New York Yankees got at least a glimpse of Judge both upright and participating in baseball activities.
Judge played catch and ran before the Yankees' game against the Blue Jays at Toronto's Rogers Centre as he begins his gradual climb back from a fractured right rib. He was cleared for baseball activities Aug. 5, but the Yankees have been deliberate in assessing test results and monitoring his injury.
"We expect him back, but we're in the early stages of baseball activity," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters in Toronto. "Hopefully things continue to go well."
The Yankees were 36-23 and 1 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay in the American League East when Judge played his final game before going on the injured list. They've gone 32-31 since, losing All-Star Game MVP Cody Bellinger along the way, and now trail Tampa Bay by 6 1/2 games entering play Saturday. New York retains a three-game lead over Boston for the No. 1 wild card spot.
There was a pretty clear idea of what Trent Frederic was supposed to be when the Edmonton Oilers brought him in.
He was a 6-foot-3, bottom-six forward who would finish checks, get physical, and provide enough offence to move around the lineup when necessary. Edmonton was paying for a player who would be involved every night.
Instead, they're paying for a player who's gone largely unnoticed.
Frederic has become an easy target in Edmonton with his $3.85 million cap hit. A player making that much money in the bottom six has to provide something consistently and Frederic hasn't scored enough, hasn't been physical enough, while too often has gone through games with little influence.
He could enter training camp fighting just to stay in the NHL. Frederic runs the real risk of getting paid $3.85 million a season to play in Bakersfield.
It's a remarkable position to be in considering what Edmonton thought they was getting.
Frederic is well-liked by his teammates and has never had a reputation as a problem in the room. By all accounts, he's a good guy who wants to get better. But fans watching a team with limited cap space pay nearly $4 million for a player who has become difficult to notice don't really care.
“I would say that’s fair,” Frederic told Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now. “I don’t think I started off great. [Playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl], I think we were pretty good, playing with the two best players.
“But I don’t think I started off great. I just kind of got lost who I was. I didn’t really have much of an identity. So hopefully, I’ve gained some confidence just getting away from the game and enjoying it right now in the summer and having fun and working out and everything.”
Frederic has lost parts of his identity. His value has always depended on everything surrounding the offence, not becoming a high-end offensive player himself. He has to be around the puck, finish checks, win battles and give Edmonton a physical presence in games that call for one. When those things disappear, there isn't enough left in his game to make him particularly useful.
Kris Knoblauch never found a way to get that player back into the game, but maybe Mike Babcock can.
There should be very little confusion about what Babcock will expect from Frederic. He has spent his career demanding details from players and has never been reluctant to tell somebody when they aren't being good enough. And Frederic is the one player on this roster who unequivocally needs this.
If Frederic isn't scoring, he still has to affect the game physically. If he isn't getting many touches with the puck, he has to be noticeable on the forecheck. If Edmonton's better players are getting pushed around, Frederic can't be another player watching it happen.
Those were supposed to be the reasons he was brought here.
But that was last year. Frederic wasn't healthy enough to have a normal summer a year ago, something that put him behind before the season had even started.
“Going back last summer, I wasn’t able to skate until around probably now, started just barely getting on the ice again,” said Frederic. “For me, I think after the (Olympic) break, I would say I was probably as close as 100 per cent as I had been before the injury. I think it’s unfortunate that we lost early, but it’s been great for myself just to get a full summer of training hard and early skating, and at 100 per cent. It’ll be good.”
Frederic has had the summer to train properly, and he will arrive at camp healthy. Edmonton has enough competition in its bottom six that past performances on different teams won't be enough to guarantee anything.
The Oilers would probably be happy if Babcock can get Frederic back to being the player they thought they were acquiring.
Frederic can be very useful in the NHL. He can be difficult to play against, and there has been enough offence in his career to suggest he shouldn't be an automatic fourth-liner. What disappeared last season was any identity that made him the player he was.
A demanding coach is capable of bringing some of that back.
“I’m just excited to come back next year and have a fresh start and pretty excited to have Babs [Mike Babcock] and get kind of a complete fresh slate,” Frederic said.
He'll get one.
Babcock will give Frederic another opportunity, while making it clear what'll happen if he doesn't take advantage of it.
As the Minnesota Timberwolves were seen gathering in Paris, France for a Rudy Gobert sponsored team-building vacation, the NBA schedule-makers were hard at work determining who goes to play where and when after the fallout from LeBron James’ Philadelphia 76ers decision.
The Timberwolves were highlighted by the league a lot due to the Anthony Edwards and now LaMelo Ball effect. It should be a fun season with plenty of marquee matchups that Minnesota will be on the front lines of national coverage.
Let’s dive deeper into the upcoming season.
Schedule at a Glance
Nationally Televised Games
The Timberwolves have 27 nationally televised games this season, one less than the 2025-26 season. Despite it being one less game, they arguably have a higher pedigree of nationally televised games. Some of the highlights include:
Wednesday, October 27th at 7:30pm on ESPN: @ Miami HEAT
The Season opener against Miami HEAT which will be Giannis Antetokounmpo’s debut in Miami. If the Wolves do not add a power forward before the season, it will be interesting to see who guards Giannis in this matchup. He could easily exploit the specific issues that we are projecting on to this team at this point in time.
Friday, December 25th at 7:30pm on ABC: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Wolves get a home game against the Thunder during the primetime 7:00 pm CT slot. This is a nice change after the late night Christmas Day affair in Denver a season ago.
1/18 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day vs New York Knicks. Defending champion Karl-Anthony Towns’ and his team will play host to Minnesota at Madison Square Garden.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 27: Anthony Edwards #5 and Naz Reid #11 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrate after the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during Round 1 Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2025 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Homecomings
When you make multiple moves in the offseason like the Timberwolves did, there will be multiple reunions that take place throughout the season. We’ll surely hear some boos and cheers alike.
Monday, November 23rd at 6:30pm on Peacock – vs. Brooklyn Nets
This will be Julius Randle’s return to Minnesota after he was unceremoniously traded this offseason to the Brooklyn Nets, preceding the LaMelo Ball trade. There should be a lot of feelings from all parties in this one because of the way that this era of the Wolves ended, and will be one that is very interesting to track.
Friday, January 29th at 8:30pm on ESPN – vs. Charlotte Hornets
This homecoming should be a lot warmer than the first on this list. This will be Naz Reid’s return to Minnesota which should be filled with a lot of appreciation and a hype video for the ages.
Monday, February 15 at 11:00am on NBC – @ Charlotte Hornets
The inverse of the above will happen for LaMelo Ball in Charlotte less than two weeks later. In a morning President’s day matchup, LaMelo will return to Charlotte in what should be another emotional homecoming for a player that did a lot for the Hornets organization.
Sunday, February 28 at 6:00pm on NBC – vs. Boston Celtics
This is the biggest “homecoming” of the season, and the easily the most important in Timberwolves franchise history. After Kevin Garnett rejoined the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise last season including multiple marketing campaigns, number 21 will finally get his jersey up in the rafters at long last.
Starting with the Christmas Day game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a stretch where they play: at Golden State, at Denver, vs. Denver, at Indiana, vs. San Antonio and at Houston. These are a lot of big matchups against good teams and the calendar flips to 2027. The second Denver Nuggets matchup is on New Year’s Eve Day as well. Minnesota has had some, let’s say memorable, New Year’s experiences. A blowout at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks, a loss against the Detroit Pistons before they were good that led to a Player’s Only meeting. If you need an escape from the holidays or your family, this will be a great time to lock in on some Timberwolves hoops.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 15: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Team USA Stars holds up the Most Valuable Player trophy after the 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome on February 15, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Intensity Around the All-Star Break
Starting on February 12th right before the All-Star Break and stretching to just after the break on March 2nd, the schedule is at Boston, at Charlotte, vs. San Antonio, vs. Indiana, vs. Boston and at Oklahoma City. With three games before the break and three games after it will be interesting to see how Minnesota looks at this point in the season. This portion is generally difficult to navigate because of the pending vacation with the time right after reserved for the “final stretch” of the season. This will be right around the trade deadline as well so it is always a news-filled time in the season. We saw what happened last year. As the first signs of spring start to sprout, it will be another stretch of fun matchups for Minnesota.
The Finale
The final three games of the season are at Los Angeles Lakers twice, then vs. Houston Rockets. This is always the time of the season where final jockeying is taking place as teams fight for seeding. Hopefully the Timberwolves are not fighting for seeding at this point though. This is where the rubber meets the road and playoff matchups come clearly into view. During the last couple of seasons, there has been some drama with these games, and that could also be the case this year with those teams believed to be in the mix with Minnesota for a top six seed.
What games are you most looking forward to? Maybe a Rob Dillingham homecoming game? We all know that at the end of the day, the Wolves are guaranteed to go 82-0.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 9: Sean Manaea #59 of the New York Mets pitches in the second inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 9, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets lineup
A.J. Ewing – CF Francisco Lindor – SS Bo Bichette – 3B Carson Benge – RF Jared Young – 1B Marcus Semien – 2B Brett Baty – LF Jorge Polanco – DH Francisco Alvarez – C
SP: Sean Manaea – LHP
Nationals lineup
Dylan Crews – RF Andres Chaparro – 1B Brady House – 3B CJ Abrams – SS Harry Ford – C Jacob Young – CF Daylen Lile – DH Nasim Nunez – 2B Andrew Pinckney – LF
SP: Brad Lord – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 4:10 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
Draymond Green, left, Klay Thompson, middle, and Stephen Curry celebrate winning the NBA Finals in June.
Klay Thompson is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. He is also a sure-fire future Hall of Famer. So his takes carry legitimate weight in NBA circles. On Friday, he was asked who has been the most difficult player to guard throughout his professional career.
Klay Thompson said LeBron James is the most difficult player he’s had to guard throughout his NBA career. AP
“We saw him for four straight Finals, and I haven’t seen anyone control the game as well as he does. He can do everything on the court. He has no weaknesses.”
“LeBron [James]. We saw him for 4 straight Finals, & I haven’t seen anyone control the game as well as he does. He can do everything on the court. He has no weaknesses.”
Klay Thompson on the hardest player he's ever guarded.
Thompson and the Golden State Warriors faced James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in every NBA Finals from 2015 through 2018. It was an era of dominance for both teams in their respective conferences.
While James never quite had a supporting cast as strong as Steph Curry’s team, the 41-year-old managed to overtake the Warriors in 2016. The thrilling seven-game series resulted in one of the biggest moments of James’ basketball legacy, cementing the forward as one of the greatest players in NBA history.
LeBron helped the Cavs become the first team in NBA Finals history to win a title after trailing 3-1 in the series. And he did it against the team with the greatest regular-season record (73-9) in NBA history.
Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry established themselves as the best shooting duo in NBA history. Getty Images
The former Warriors star is currently entering the final year of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
Though no longer with the Warriors, the 36-year-old is one of the best players to compete for the franchise. Thompson helped Golden State reach six NBA Finals, winning four of them.
Thompson and Curry established themselves as the greatest shooting duo in NBA history, known as the “Splash Brothers.”
Through 11 seasons, the veteran shooting guard has averaged 19.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 steals while shooting 45.3% from the field and 41.3 % from beyond the arc in 793 games. Thompson missed two full seasons, 2019-20 and 2020-21, with a torn ACL and Achilles.
Draymond Green, left, Klay Thompson, middle, and Stephen Curry celebrate winning the NBA Finals in June. NBAE via Getty Images
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 9: Michael Lorenzen #24 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on August 9, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After taking the first game of the series behind another deep Kyle Freeland start and Zac Veen firepower, the Colorado Rockies (49-73) try to continue their three-game road winning streak with a Saturday afternoon contest by the bay against the San Francisco Giants (50-72). A win would give the Rockies their 50th victory of the season and bring them even with the Giants for fourth in the division.
Leading the way for the Rockies is Michael Lorenzen (3-10 across 24 starts, 6.83 ERA, 1.875 WHIP, 81 strikeouts). Lorenzen’s performances have ebbed and flowed throughout the season. He has consistently given up a fair number of hits each game and has varied in his ability to limit the run damage. In his last start, he gave up eight hits but only surrendered two earned runs. In the start before that, however, he allowed seven earned runs on seven hits, only lasting three innings in a 13-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Over his last handful of games, his longest outing was just 4.1 innings pitched.
Lorenzen has squared off with the Giants twice this season. Back at the end of May, he went 3.2 innings with three earned runs on five hits, as the Rockies beat the Giants 8-6. More recently, he went five innings and gave up just one earned run on five hits in a 3-1 loss in July. He’ll aim to keep traffic on the basepaths to a minimum and limit San Francisco’s offense as he did in his other outings against the club.
Logan Webb gets the start for the Giants (7-7 across 21 starts, 3.59 ERA, 1.083 WHIP, 103 strikeouts). Webb has been extremely strong as of late. He’s notched two wins in his last three starts and kept runs at two or fewer in that stretch. He’s also gone deep into games, going six or more innings in his last six starts. Although San Francisco took the loss in his last game, Webb did his part, allowing just one run over eight innings of work.
Good news for the Rockies: Webb hasn’t been at his best in his two starts against Colorado this season. He was better in the first of the two, allowing only one run on three hits in 4.1 innings as the Rockies beat the Giants 8-6. His second start against Colorado, though, is his worst of the season. In a July matchup at Coors Field, Webb allowed 11 hits resulting in 7 runs and took the loss as the Giants fell 15-3.
As Colorado did with Zac Veen, the Giants are turning to a prospect tearing it up in the minors, with recently promoted outfielder Turner Hill making his MLB debut today after building a 26-game hitting streak with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats.
Both teams are in very similar positions late in the season. The Rockies carry a good bit of momentum on their side into today’s matchup. With a slew of hot bats in the lineup, they hope to add to the win column.
Joshua Báez made sure his major league debut somehow exceeded the wild expectations that preceded it.
Báez's emotional journey to the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup culminated Saturday, Aug. 15 when he made major league history by homering three times in his first three major league at-bats, including a towering two-run home run on the first pitch he saw from Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd at Wrigley Field.
It's the first time any player has homered three times in his MLB debut.
That first homer, a 449-foot blast to dead center field, sent the visiting dugout into padding-pounding pandemonium and the more than two dozen family members on hand from around the USA and Dominican Republic into unabashed glee. Yet it was only the beginning of a power show that drove the Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Cubs.
In his second at-bat, Báez led off the fourth inning by clubbing a full-count Boyd changeup 382 feet into the third row of Wrigley's left field bleachers. He battled back from an 0-2 count and didn't see a single fastball from Boyd, who'd hoped to mix up the lefty with a mix of off-speed pitches.
Báez, 21, came into the game the Cardinals' No. 3 prospect, yet that designation might have to be updated after his debut.
That's because on his third trip to the plate - with Boyd, amazingly, still on the hill, increasingly becoming a more significant footnote to history - Báez found his third set of bleachers.
This time, it was to right field, off a Boyd slider, a two-run shot that gave the Cardinals a 6-3 lead. At this point, the giddiness gave way to utter disbelief. Cardinals DH Ivan Herrera simply clutched the sides of his head with his two hands, a reaction echoing Thomas Hill's tearful gratitude when Duke's Christian Laettner hit that shot back in 1992.
Báez was a third-round pick of the Cardinals in 2021, out of Dexter School in Brookline, Mass. He was midway through his second full pro season, at Class A Palm Beach, when his father, Jose Manuel, who'd had a profound impact on his baseball development, passed away.
Báez continued climbing the Cardinals' system and the prospect charts, rising to No. 56 in Baseball America's top 100 ratings this summer. And then came June 16, and the third anniversary of his father's death.
The Cardinals outfield prospect marked the occasion by hitting four home runs for Class AAA Memphis, pointing to the sky after each of them.
"I was just trying to push through, and it's just insane I was able to hit four home runs in one night," he said then.
It was a significant step in doubling down on his 2025 power breakout, when he hit 20 homers and got on the Cardinals' big league radar. This year, he's crushed 34 home runs and driven in 90 runs for Memphis, all but daring the Cardinals to ignore him.
That's proven impossible with every level Báez climbs. And now, he's reached the highest in historic fashion.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 02: A detailed view of the custom Nike cleats worn by Kazuma Okamoto (7) of the Toronto Blue Jays during the Tuesday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays on June 2, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Many roster moves happened today, check the post below this one for the details.
Rickey (no e) Tiedemann (two e’s) sounds thrilled to be up with the Jays:
Ricky Tiedemann says that his stuff is back to where it was before his surgery. A big day for the 23-year-old
“Not only for me, but for everybody who sacrificed anything for me growing up, getting me to games, my family, my parents. It’s big for all of us as a family.” #BlueJayspic.twitter.com/ExrCoHdHZL
Jul 22, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) delives a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Low-scoring affairs have dominated the scoresheet in recent Yankee games, and with Cam Schlittler on the mound, we might very well be in line for another one. None of these low-scoring losses were more curhsing than the last time Schlittler appeared in a game, seeing his seven magnificent innings of one-run ball with double-digit strikeouts go to waste as the Yankees fell to the Braves 2-1.
Responsible for a 10-6 record on the season, Schlittler comes into this game hoping to avoid a fourth straight Yankees loss in his start, something that hasn’t happened since he first came up to the big leagues last season. It should be noted he hasn’t taken the loss in any of them, twice deserving a lot more than what he got in offensive support.
One of the aspects that has limited the Yankees’ regular-season goals has been this team’s struggles inside the division. After yesterday’s loss to the Jays, the only team against which the Yankees hold a winning record in the AL East is the Baltimore Orioles, playing .500 ball in their eight games versus Toronto, outscoring them by just a single run.
Don’t look now, but having won four out of their last five against the Red Sox and Yankees, the Blue Jays—who seemed to be in a lost season not so long ago—are now only one game back of the last AL Wild Card spot. Benefiting from an egregious lack of depth in the AL playoff picture, and despite having sold at the deadline, the Jays carry more than enough of a core to be a more dangerous club than the ones fighting for these final Wild Card spots.
Lastly, in a coincidence that doesn’t spark good memories, Schlittler will be opposed by a bullpen game just like in Game 4 of last year’s ALDS, this one with Brydon Fisher as the opener.
How to watch
Location: Rogers Centre — Toronto, ON
First pitch: 3:07 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), SN590 THE FAN (TOR)
Aaron Judge still has a long road ahead to returning to the Yankees from a fractured rib injury, but the slugger recently took a step in the right direction.
According to manager Aaron Boone, who spoke to reporters before New York continues its series against the Blue Jays in Toronto on Saturday, Judge played catch for the first time during his rehab process Friday.
While it's certainly good news for Judge and the Yanks, the outfielder still has a ways to go in building up to full baseball activities. Regardless, it's good to hear that he has at least begun that process and is getting closer to a return.
Judge hasn't played in a game since May 31, although the fractured rib can likely be traced back to April when he made a diving attempt in the outfield. Before his injury, the 34-year-old was having a bit of a down season for his standards but still had 17 home runs and a .907 OPS.
More importantly, with Judge in the lineup, New York's offense was in a groove, but since landing on the IL, the Yankees have struggled to score runs consistently, including in their 3-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday night.
Aug 14, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Díaz (3) reacts at the end of the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
LOS ANGLES — Edwin Díaz likely won’t be available to pitch for the remainder of the weekend against the Milwaukee Brewers, after pitching on each of the last two nights, with extended outings both nights. He walked a tightrope on Friday night, loading the bases in the ninth inning, but somehow survived to earn the save. It wasn’t a good outing by any means, but all parties believe Díaz is at least heading in the right direction.
Díaz since returning from the injured list has one clean outing in six tries, with seven runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings. One night after allowing three runs in a blown save to the Brewers, he walked two batters and hit another, loading the bases in the ninth inning. This time he escaped without damage, helped by a fantastic play by second baseman Tommy Edman for the second out of the frame. A grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts ended it.
“It was good for him to work his way out of it, and obviously he was a hitter away,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Even with that last hitter, I wanted to see him try to fight through it and get through it. I was happy that he finished what he started.
Díaz said his posture on the mound was something he was working on, that his misses were more off the plate than in the middle of the strike zone to get punished.
“I’m leaning too much toward the right-handed hitter. Instead of straight down the plate, today was way better,” Díaz said. “My fastball ride was way batter than yesterday. I’m going in a good direction, so keep getting better and keep getting better.”
There’s still a lot to work on for Díaz, who threw only 11 strikes in his 26 pitches on Friday.
“It wasn’t pretty, I watched the inning too,” Roberts said.
“The strength department and the pitching side of things, he’s kind of detected some things I think we could clean up, so that’s encouraging,” Roberts added. “We started that process today. Hopefully with a couple days off to kind of work through that, we’ll see an even better version going forward.”
Recent Dodgers relief usage
Díaz and Tanner Scott have each pitched five times in the last eight days, something that happened only four times this season in the Dodgers bullpen before this stretch — by Scott (April 21-28, May 23-30), Alex Vesia (June 10-17), and Evan Phillips (August 2-9). If Vesia, Phillips or Jack Dreyer pitch on Saturday, they will have also pitched five times in eight days.
It’s been a busy time for the Dodgers bullpen.
“That’s the hard part, that a lot of people don’t have the information on availability and workload, and redlining guys, trying to keep guys healthy. I don’t have everyone available every single night, and what’s the cost of that night versus the next two or three games and looking also at the rest of the season,” Roberts said. “Those things I gotta think through, and when you peel that layer back, then your options get a little bit smaller. Then you’re talking about lanes and what’s the best for a particular pitcher. All those things matter.”
To Roberts’ point, it’s likely that Scott wouldn’t be available on Saturday either, in addition to Díaz, as no Dodgers reliever has pitched on three consecutive days this season. And if Vesia pitches Saturday, he’d be the first Dodger in 2026 to pitch four times in five days.
That’s a long way of saying Saturday is a day for Justin Wrobleski to eat as many innings as possible, whether he turns around his recent funk or not.
The Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves continue their weekend series Saturday night at Truist Park, with Eduardo Rodriguez facing Grant Holmes.
Both starters carry respectable ERAs, but their underlying profiles point to more offensive upside than the surface numbers suggest. We are backing Atlanta while also targeting the Over and a Corbin Carroll long ball.
Read on for our Diamondbacks vs. Braves predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, Aug. 15.
Who will win Diamondbacks vs Braves today: Braves moneyline (-137)
The Atlanta Braves are my moneyline pick behind the better offensive matchup. I'd play them down to -150.
Eduardo Rodriguez's 2.70 ERA looks strong, but his .336 xwOBA and .445 xSLG allowed suggest hitters have made better contact than the results indicate.
The Braves also bring significantly more power than the Arizona Diamondbacks, entering the series with 164 home runs and a .420 SLG. Rodriguez has survived some of that contact, however Atlanta has the power profile to turn it into extra-base damage.
Grant Holmes carries his own contact concerns, but the Braves' lineup gives him more run support to work with. This could be a bit of a slugfest and I generally favor the ATL in such scenarios.
Give me the Braves for my tenth two-unit of the year.
Diamondbacks vs Braves Over/Under pick: Over 9 (-110)
The starter ERAs point toward a pitchers' game, but the underlying contact suggests otherwise.
Grant Holmes owns a 3.47 ERA despite a 4.76 xERA, bottom 20 percentile 42.1% hard-hit rate, and 9.1% barrel rate. Rodriguez has his own separation between results and expected production, with opponents carrying a .445 xSLG against him.
The Braves should get the best of the Arizona DBacks but it won’t come without allowing runs. Both starters have allowed enough damaging contact to make a total of 9 playable, especially with temperatures near 90 degrees at first pitch.
I’d play this up to 9.5.
Diamondbacks vs Braves home run prediction: Corbin Carroll (+414)
This is a rare situation where the pitching we're backing could be the most homer vulnerable As mentioned, that's because of the 42%+ hard-hit rate that Holmes carries coming into this matchup. Corbin Carroll is poised to take advantage of that.
Holmes throws his slider, four-seamer, and cutter 74.8% of the time, led by a slider at 36.3%.
Carroll owns a .573 xSLG and 58.8% hard-hit rate against sliders, along with a .400 xSLG against four-seamers and .487 xSLG against cutters. He has also generated positive run value against all three pitch types.
Holmes will have to live in areas of his arsenal that match Carroll’s strongest contact profile, making him the best Arizona power target.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 43-41, +4.84 units
Over/Under bets: 47-37, +11.58 units
Diamondbacks vs Braves weather
First-pitch temperatures are forecast around 90 degrees, with readings staying in the upper 80s through most of the game and a chance of thunderstorms later in the evening. That kind of heat is a mild boost for offense because warmer air is less dense, giving well-struck fly balls a little more carry.
Diamondbacks vs Braves odds
Moneyline: Arizona +125 | Atlanta -132
Run line: Arizona +1.5 | Atlanta -1.5
Over/Under: Over 9 | Under 9
Diamondbacks vs Braves trend
The Atlanta Braves have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line in 18 of their last 23 games at home (+13.00 Units / 48% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Diamondbacks vs. Braves.
How to watch Diamondbacks vs Braves and game info
Location
Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
Date
Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Eduardo Rodriguez (11-4, 2.70 ERA)
Braves starting pitcher
Grant Holmes (7-4, 3.47 ERA)
Diamondbacks vs Braves latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. 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.
COVERS INTEL: Eduardo