LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman apparently avoided serious injury when the Los Angeles Dodgers’ first baseman took a frightening tumble down the stairs and into the visitors’ dugout while trying to catch a foul popup in the eighth inning.
Freeman isn’t sure whether he’ll play when the Dodgers begin an important four-game series with the MLB-leading Milwaukee Brewers, but he’s grateful his freefall to the dugout floor wasn’t worse.
“I didn’t hit my head, so that was the key part there,” Freeman said. “I am sore. Kneecaps are sore. Shoulder is sore. Hand sore. Wrist sore. I mean, I fell. (But) I’m in good spirits.”
Freeman stayed in the game and finished the top of the eighth, but Tommy Edman pinch hit for him in the bottom of the inning before Los Angeles closed out a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals, its fourth in five games.
The right side of Freeman’s body took the punishment, but the 2024 World Series MVP apparently didn’t break any bones. He’ll wait to see how he feels in the morning before he decides whether to play when the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers welcome Milwaukee in a rematch of last year’s National League Championship Series.
Freeman said he simply miscalculated the location of the dugout railing while he tracked Isaac Collins’ foul pop.
“I went to lean, like I was going to lean against the rail to catch the ball — and obviously there was no rail,” Freeman said with a smile.
Freeman, who turns 37 in one month, said he was fortunate to fall all the way into the dugout, missing the top flight of stairs entirely. That’s because when he landed, his head stuck out into the open space above the second flight of stairs that goes down into the visitors’ clubhouse instead of banging on the ground.
“Luckily, I was tall, so I missed everything else,” the 6-foot-4 Freeman cracked.
This wasn’t Freeman’s first fielding misadventure: He said he fell into the seats in Arizona roughly a decade ago while he was with the Atlanta Braves.
The Orange County native and childhood Angels fan also said he still remembers the infamous 1999 opening-day dugout fall by Mo Vaughn, who got hurt on the first play of his first game with the Halos.
The Royals rushed to Freeman’s side after the fall, urging him to stay on the ground. Freeman decided to get up anyway, and the Dodgers’ training staff rushed across the field to check on him.
“I think that we really dodged a bullet,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. “Very scary visually. For right now, he’s in good spirits, which I think is a good sign. Just kind of total body soreness.”
Philadelphia (64-58) and Minnesota (60-62) meet each other for the first time this season when the two gather for The Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa. The game is being threatened by rain, but shapes up for an interesting matchup to kick off a three-game series.
The Phillies have dropped two consecutive games to the Cardinals as Philadelphia only scored one combined run. Philadelphia is hitting .210 in the last six games (23rd) with 23 runs scored (T-15th). The Phillies have four homers in that span (T-25th), but is top five in stolen bases (7). The Phillies are tied with the Diamondbacks for the final NL Wild Card spot after the Padres passed both teams.
Minnesota is hot offensively over the past week. The Twins are hitting .282 (5th) in the last six games with the third-most runs (32), plus top 10 ranks in OBP, OPS, and SLG. However, in August, Minnesota's pitching ranks 20th in ERA (4.53), 24th in WHIP (1.43) and OBA (.258). Minnesota has allowed at least four runs in six-straight games entering this matchup.
Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Phillies at Twins
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM EST
Site: Field of Dreams
City: Dyersville, Iowa
Network/Streaming: Netflix
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Phillies at the Twins
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Philadelphia Phillies (-103), Minnesota Twins (-104)
Spread: Phillies -1.5 (+151), Twins +1.5 (-184)
Total: 8.5
Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Twins
Thursday's pitching matchup (August 13): Aaron Nola vs Taj Bradley
Josh Bell is hitting .375 in August (15/40) with three home runs
Brooks Lee is hitting .282 in August (11/39)
Royce Lewis is hitting .413 in August (19/46) with nine RBI
Kyle Schwarber is hitting .225 in August (9/40) with two home runs
Bryce Harper is hitting .270 in August (10/37) with three home runs
Trae Turner is hitting .239 in August (11/46) with four RBI
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Phillies at Twins
Philadelphia is 47-75 ATS, ranking second-worst
Minnesota is 66-56 ATS, ranking seventh-best
Philadelphia is 61-53-8 to the Under, ranking eighth-best
Minnesota is 64-50-8 to the Over, ranking fourth-best
Philadelphia is 23-37 ATS on the road, ranking second-worst
Minnesota is 31-29 ATS at home
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Phillies and the Twins
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Phillies and the Twins:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Phillies on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Phillies at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Over on the Game Total of 8.5
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
WASHINGTON — Alex Bregman wasn’t worried even as he grinded through an unremarkable first half in his opening months with the Chicago Cubs. He validated that attitude.
Bregman hit three homers in a game or the first time in Chicago’s 12-6 rout of the Washington Nationals, continuing a torrid stretch in recent weeks.
The 32-year-old, who signed a five-year, $175 million deal in January, is hitting .388 (26 for 67) with six homers and 17 RBIs in 16 games since July 27, and he has the most hits in the majors in that span. He’s homered four times in the first two games of the series at Washington, and six of his 16 homers this season have come against the Nationals.
“Feel like the last month or so has been a step in the right direction, but really the last two days have been a real step in the right direction,” said Bregman, whose seven RBIs were also a career high.
The Cubs only scored in three innings, but Bregman was a significant part of each rally.
After walking in his first two plate appearances, Bregman lofted a sweeper from Jake Bird into the visitors’ bullpen in left for a three-run blast to cap a four-run fifth.
In his next trip, he pulled a two-run shot to left off Yovanny Cruz as the final blow in a five-run sixth that made it 9-4.
In the eighth, Bregman homered in his third consecutive at-bat, sending a fastball from Trevor Williams into the Cubs bullpen to drive in Seiya Suzuki.
“We watched it in spring, with what he’s capable of doing, and you’ve seen it his whole career,” said shortstop Dansby Swanson, who also homered in the eighth. “He’s a special player when he’s going right.”
It was Bregman’s ninth career multi-homer game and his second against Washington this season. He also is the second Cub to hit three homers in a game, joining Swanson’s effort against San Diego on July 1.
Bregman has nine homers in 26 games since July 11 after hitting seven in his first 92 games as a Cub.
“I think that’s why this is a good team,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We have a different guy who can do that any day, maybe. Dansby’s done it. Pete (Crow-Armstrong)’s certainly done it. Ian (Happ)’s done it. Seiya’s done it. It’s pretty cool and that’s a great game. He definitely drove the bus today.”
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 11: Alex Bregman #3 of the Chicago Cubs rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the sixth inning during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After Alex Bregman’s three home run game, I thought about how many veteran players have given the Nats issues this year. Obviously the likes of Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto have had big moments, but they are some of the best players in the league. I am going to take a look at three guys having otherwise mediocre seasons who have owned the Nats.
The first player we will talk about is the aforementioned Bregman. Despite being a star for most of his career, Bregman really has not put up superstar numbers in his first season in Chicago. He is hitting .256 with 16 homers and a .759 OPS. This is not bad, but pretty underwhelming for a guy like Bregman.
These numbers would be even more unimpressive if he did not play the Nats. Six of Bregman’s 16 homers have come against Washington. Last night he put the Cubs on his back, hitting three homers in a game for the first time in his career.
Alex Bregman Explodes for 3 Home Runs and 7 RBIs Against Washington 💣🔥
It has always felt like Bregman does well whenever he plays the Nats, especially in DC. He is one of those players I feel like Ted Lerner would have gone after if he were still owning the Nats. Bregman would have been a great veteran in this clubhouse and a good mentor for players such as Wood and Abrams. However, he is now in Chicago and owns the Nats whenever he plays us.
Bregman is far from the only player 30 or older to own the Nats this year though. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is Derek Hill, who has broken our hearts multiple times this year. Hill was a Nat at one point, but made zero impact on the team.
Honestly, I thought Hill would be out of baseball by now. Thanks to his speed, defense and improving offensive ability, the center fielder has stuck around. For the season, he is hitting .233 with a .708 OPS, 9 homers and has 0.8 WAR. That is a nice season for a journeyman like him.
However, a lot of that production has come against the Nats. He is hitting .368 against us in 19 at bats, and honestly that is lower than I thought. The 30 year old has 3 homers against the Nats, with two of them being complete backbreakers.
Back in June, he took Brad Lord deep in the 9th inning of a wild game that the Phillies ended up winning. It was just a total gut punch to get beat by Hill of all people. When the two teams squared off again in August, Hill hit a go-ahead grand slam off of Tom Cosgrove to extend the Nats misery.
When the Nats get beat by the likes of Bryce Harper or Kyle Schwarber, it is easy to shrug it off because those guys are elite players. This year it has been Derek Hill who has been killing this team. It is both very annoying and shows the struggles of the Nats pitching staff.
There have honestly been plenty of instances where the Nats do a solid job shutting down the best player on teams, but let other guys destroy them. That happened against Yordan Alvarez when we played Houston. It also is happening this week against the Cubs. Outside of one homer, PCA has been fairly quiet, but Bregman and Seiya Suzuki are feasting.
The last player on the list is also a veteran who is not his team’s best hitter. Like Bregman, Matt Chapman is having an underwhelming season by his standards. He was only hitting .235 with 7 homers and a .692 OPS before going down with season ending surgery.
However, he went 14 for 26 with 2 homers and 8 RBI against the Nats. The 33 year old was just hitting rockets all over the field whenever he played against the Nats. He played a big role in that horrible Nats meltdown, hitting two homers in that game to get the Giants back in it. Chapman also had the game winning hit in a 12 inning game. Despite the rough season, he has been a thorn in the Nats side.
It feels like players like Chapman and Bregman are the ones who really have owned the Nats this year. Simon Mathews and Sean Doolittle have come up with solid game plans for the stars, but the lack of pitching talent really shows up against these guys. You cannot spend as much time preparing for the sidekicks, and those guys have punished the Nats.
Throughout this season, experienced teams and players have had the Nats number. Alex Bregman, Derek Hill and Matt Chapman are just three examples of that. Hopefully the Nats learn from this season and continue to improve, especially on the mound. However, there will always be guys who are Nats killers, and these are a few of them.
On this day 42 years ago, the White Sox shipped away a future Cy Young winner for 47 games of Roy Smalley. | (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
1906 The White Sox ended their first and greatest homestand with a 0-0 tie against New York. While the Highlanders were held to three singles by Doc White, the White Sox somehow failed to score in spite of six hits and three New York errors. The homestand ended a record 15-1-1. (Two subsequent White Sox homestands finished 15-1.)
This game was also the only blemish on the 19 consecutive victories the White Sox ran off, setting the all-time modern (1901-on) MLB mark. The record, still recognized in spite of a tie in Game 12, was broken 10 years later by the New York Giants but remains tied for the fifth-longest in modern baseball and tied for eighth overall in major league baseball.
1933 The White Sox lost in 17 innings, 6-5, against Detroit. The loss is notable in that it remains tied for the 15th-longest game in White Sox history. However, it also saw the end of eight consecutive hits and 10 consecutive trips on base for journeyman second baseman Hal Rhyne.
Rhyne’s streak had started two games earlier, when he replaced Jackie Hayes and singled twice in two at-bats while finishing out a 2-0 win over the Tigers. The next game, Rhyne went 4-for-4 with four singles in an 11-2 win over the Tigers. In this third game, Rhyne singled in the second and fourth innings before finally failing to get a hit — however, in the sixth, his fielder’s choice grounder still got him safely on base. In the eighth, Rhyne got on base again, with a bunt single. Only in leading off the 10th inning of this third game did Rhyne finally fail to get on base, by tapping back out to the pitcher; Rhyne in fact would not get a hit at all in extras, making the final out of the game, ending the 17th.
A combination of his sparse play and those uncanny, eight straight hits saw Rhyne’s batting average raise 110 points over the three games, from .265 to .375 (in fact, in-game during this 17-inning marathon, Rhyne’s batting average got as high as .405).
The second sacker would play in just 15 more games after this one for the White Sox, and those would also be his final 15 MLB games; Rhyne was dealt to the San Francisco Seals of the International League after the 1933 season and would never see the majors again. However, he would play in the minors until 1940, when he was 41 years old.
1943 White Sox shortstop Luke Appling collected his 2,000th hit. It came against the Red Sox, helping the White Sox to a 3-2 win. The hit drove in a run in the first inning, off of Cecil “Tex” Hughson, as Wally Moses scored.
1948 In front of an overstuffed Comiskey Park brimming with 51,013 fans, Negro League legend and newly-christened Cleveland hurler Satchel Paige spun a masterpiece, 5-0, over the White Sox. It was Paige’s second career MLB start and just his 12th game pitched overall. The White Sox managed just five singles off of Paige. The whitewash moved Cleveland 28 games ahead of Chicago in the American League, with the South Siders falling to 36-70 in what still stands as the third-worst season in team history.
1954 White Sox pitcher Jack Harshman, who is tied for the franchise mark for most strikeouts in a game, notched another milestone. On this date against the Tigers, Harshman pitched all16 innings in a 1-0 win at Comiskey Park.
The Sox finally plated a run in the last of the 16th, on a triple by Minnie Miñoso scoring Nellie Fox.
Harshmanallowed nine hits and seven walks, facing a total of 65 hitters. Incredibly, Detroit’s Al Aber also went the distance in the contest! Harshman’s effort ties him for the sixth-longest pitching appearance in White Sox history.
The franchise mark is held by Ted Lyons who threw 21 innings in a game in 1929.
1967 All season long the White Sox battled the big boys — the Tigers, Twins and Red Sox — in the greatest pennant race in American League history. But for the White Sox, this game marked the beginning of the end of the dream.
The Sox lost a controversial game to the Twins, 3-2, when Tommie Agee doubled to center to lead off the ninth inning but was called out at third on a close play when he tried to stretch it into a triple. The Sox dropped out of first place for the first time in two months, as the Twins swept them in the series and moved atop the American League standings.
Afterwards, manager Eddie Stanky kept Vice President Hubert Humphrey waiting outside the Sox locker room, along with reporters. Stankylater said, ”What do I need Humphrey for? Can he hit?”
1984 The White Sox were having a terrible year on the field, but on this day they ensured a bad one off the field as well, sending left-handed reliever Kevin Hickey and minor-leaguer Doug Drabek to the New York Mets to complete a July deal for Roy Smalley. Two years from now Drabek would commence a stellar starting career that would end with him compiling 27.6 WAR and earning the 1990 Cy Young, making this a horrendous what-if deal.
Smalley played 47 games for the 1984 White Sox, and only 28 more from this day forward, earning -0.1 WAR.
1996 Robin Ventura clubbed his team-record ninth grand slam, leading the White Sox to an 8-4 victory over the Yankees. It came in the fifth inning off of David Weathers, and erased a 4-1 New York lead.
2002 White Sox infielder José Valentín homered from both sides of the plate in the same game. It was the fifth time in White Sox history this feat had occurred. Valentín did it in Texas off of Rangers hurlers Dennys Reyes and Todd Van Poppel, and the shot off of Reyes was a grand slam.
Valentín drove in six runs in the 12-3 win, with the home runs being his only two hits. He first did this two-homer trick in 2000, and would do it a third time in 2003!
Los Angeles (47-74) is going for the sweep over Texas (60-61) after winning 3-2 and 5-2 over the last two days. Mike Trout recorded three hits in Wednesday's win and George Klassen earned his first MLB win.
Texas is 1.5 games back of Houston for the AL West lead and sit in the final AL Wild Card spot. There are five teams within 2.0 games of Texas for the final playoff spot. In August, Texas is hitting .220 (22nd) with the eighth-fewest runs scored (39) over 11 games.
Los Angeles has one sweep this season and coincidentally enough, it came against Texas (May 22-24). The Angels' longest winning streak on the year is four games. In August, the Angels have the second-fewest runs scored (27) and second-worst batting average (.197) over 11 games.
Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Rangers at Angels
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026
Time: 10:10 PM EST
Site: Angel Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Rangers at the Angels
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Texas Rangers (-148), Los Angeles Angels (+138)
Spread: Rangers -1.5 (+109), Angels +1.5 (-131)
Total: 7.5
Probable starting pitchers for Rangers at Angels
Thursday's pitching matchup (August 13): Walbert Urena vs Jacob deGrom
Mike Trout is hitting .231 in August (9/39) with 16 strikeouts
Zach Neto is hitting .149 in August (7/47) with 18 strikeouts
Vaughn Grissom is hitting .162 in August (6/37) with nine strikeouts
Jake Burger is hitting .200 in August (7/35) with zero home runs
Corey Seager is hitting .263 in August (10/38) with one home run
Joc Pederson is hitting .231 in August (6/26) with two home runs
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rangers at Angels
Texas is 56-65 ATS, ranking sixth-worst
Los Angeles is 59-62 ATS
Texas is 61-54-6 to the Over, ranking seventh-best
Los Angeles is 69-51-1 to the Under, ranking second-best
Texas is 26-36 ATS on the road, ranking third-worst
Los Angeles is 32-29 ATS at home
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rangers and the Angels
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Rangers and the Angels:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Angels on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Angels at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 7.5
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Apparently, Josh Morrissey forgot how to play hockey over the last 12 months.
At least, that's how Jets fans (and most Central Division - and even Western Conference clubs) will interpret the NHL Network's latest ranking of the league's top defencemen.
The annual top-20 list was unveiled this week and somehow, some way, Winnipeg's No. 1 blueliner found himself all the way down at No. 16.
That's 10 spots lower than last summer.
You read that right - 10 spots.
Photo by Bob Frid/USA Today
Morrissey entered the 2025-26 season ranked sixth by NHL Network, firmly entrenched among the game's elite following three consecutive seasons of Norris Trophy-calibre hockey. One year later, he's apparently barely hanging onto a spot in the top 20.
The problem? His play hardly warrants such a dramatic fall.
Sure, Morrissey's offensive totals dipped from the heights of previous seasons. He didn't reach the 76 points he recorded during his breakout 2022-23 campaign, nor the 69 he produced the following year.
Instead, Morrissey had to settle for 14 goals and 55 points in 77 games.
Some decline.
And if you remember correctly, it wasn't exactly a banner year for his Jets. Offence was not happening. Backup goaltending took the lead. Injuries occurred and a veteran heavy lineup skated slowly through the 82 game slate.
The now 31-year-old has produced at least 10 goals and 55 points in four consecutive seasons. Among active NHL defencemen, only Cale Makar and Rasmus Dahlin can say the same.
And Morrissey wasn't exactly sheltered while doing it.
He averaged a career-high 24:43 of ice time per game, once again serving as Winnipeg's do-everything back-ender. Power play, penalty kill, late-game situations, difficult matchups - J-Mo's fingerprints remained all over virtually everything the Jets did from the blue line.
Yet NHL Network dropped him from sixth to 16th - make it make sense.
There were, admittedly, reasons why Morrissey's season didn't carry quite the same shine as years past.
Winnipeg took a significant step backwards after winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2024-25, while Morrissey's highly anticipated trip to the 2026 Winter Olympics ended almost as soon as it began. An upper-body injury suffered in Canada's opening game against Czechia knocked him out for the remainder of the tournament and followed him back to Winnipeg.
But none of that suddenly made Morrissey the NHL's 16th-best defenceman.
This is still a player who has established himself as one of hockey's premier offensive blueliners over the past four seasons. His 2022-23 breakout wasn't a one-off. He backed it up in 2023-24. Then again in 2024-25. Then, even in what could reasonably be described as a "down" year, he scored 14 times and put up 55 points.
That's a pretty comfortable floor.
There is certainly an argument to be made that other defencemen have passed him. The NHL is overflowing with high-end talent on the blue line and younger stars continue to emerge.
But 10 of them in one season? That's where NHL Network's ranking becomes difficult to swallow.
Perhaps Morrissey won't mind.
Before becoming a perennial Norris Trophy candidate, he spent years as one of the league's more overlooked defencemen. He knows what it's like to play without the national recognition his performance deserves. For the first time in a while, he gets to do it again.
Morrissey enters 2026-27 healthy, still firmly entrenched as the engine of Winnipeg's blue line and now armed with something he hasn't had much reason to carry over the past few seasons: A chip on his shoulder.
NHL Network believes there are 15 defencemen better than Josh Morrissey. Now Winnipeg's stud gets an entire season to prove them wrong.
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 14: The facade of Yankee Stadium prior to Game 1 of the ALCS presented by loanDepot between the Cleveland Guardians and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday, October 14, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Ten billion dollars.
Supposedly that’s what Yankees Global Enterprises, the consortium that controls the New York Yankees, Legends Hospitality, owns a controlling interest in the YES Network and partial stakes in New York City FC and AC Milan, is worth. That valuation was an agreed-upon sum as YGE received a $2.5 billion cash injection from Apollo Global Management, a private equity fund that stepped in last week to help the Yankees refinance their debt, as well as purchase an as-yet undisclosed equity share in the Enterprise.
MLB hates when companies own stakes in their teams. They hate that Liberty owns the Braves and Rogers owns the Blue Jays, for a number of reasons. Having to publicly report earnings, massaged though they may be, undermines the greatest trick the league ever pulled — publicizing player salaries while privatizing the return owners enjoy. Companies have shareholders that demand the arrow only ever go up and to the right, where individual owners can be assuaged with the prestige and status that comes with owning one of 30 very shiny toys.
True to this form, league rules mandate that PE firms cannot own more than 15 percent of a club, which if Evan Drellich’s reporting on that $10 billion valuation is true — and Evan’s very good at this stuff — gives us a pretty clear breakdown of the maximum financing vs. equity split. Private equity, in its most vampiric form, is a big part of the reason your life might suck. Fast food used to be cheap, quick, with dubious quality. Now Roark, Inspire and 3G have made it pricey and slow, while maintaining dubious quality. The inheritance you expect from your parents will instead likely be burned away in assisted living and end-of-life care, an industry so dominated by PE that it burps revolvers. Sears was so big it had the naming rights to the tallest building in the richest nation on earth, now it’s a footnote in an accounting textbook.
These are the worst case scenarios, orchestrated by the worst people to exist in the history of capitalism. I am cautiously optimistic that this will not happen, to the same degree, to the New York Yankees. Part of that optimism comes from the arrogance of the folks who still run the team — there’s far more value in calling it Yankee Stadium than Amazon Field, simply because of the legacy other people helped build before Hal received the keys to the kingdom.
Still, the entry of Apollo signals a change that has been coming around for a while, but is here all the same. The business of baseball has always been about making money. To us, Babe Ruth is the greatest player to ever step on a field because of 714, because of 14 WAR seasons, because of the called shot. To the business of baseball, Ruth is the greatest because nobody, past or present, sold as many tickets just with his name. To us, Jackie Robinson is a hero because of the moral courage, determination, and grace he showed in breaking baseball’s segregation. To the business of baseball, Jackie is a hero because he unlocked a brand new customer base — see AM Glimmitz’s excellent The Metropolitans.
You used to have to be good, or at least be interesting, to make money in baseball. You used to have to sell tickets and ad space on the back of your actual accomplishments. Even rights fees from regional TV deals, the lifeblood of baseball, was at least a little dependent on Winning Baseball Games. Revenue sharing socialized all of that, the rich subsidizing the poor and allowing the poor to continue to drag themselves along the bottom, which I’m pretty sure I was told is against the ethos of American capitalism. Anyway.
Private equity doesn’t particularly care about the quality of your product at time of buy-in. Private equity cares whether there is something that can be cut away, or something that can be fertilized, in order to recognize an outsized return with a very quick turnaround. PE found its legs in distressed assets, companies that did have fat or inefficiencies or, yknow, pensions. Strip away that fat, those inefficiencies, those employees, temporarily boost profit, and spin off the now-crippled asset is the name of the game. It won’t work with the Yankees and that MLB rule still holds, but one wonders about the actual distressed assets in the league — what this mindset could do to the Pirates, the Rockies, the Angels.
That the New York Yankees seemingly no longer have to worry about being good, about having a Babe Ruth or a Jackie Robinson, that they can sign a document that injects $2.5 billion into various numbered accounts and solves a debt issue that otherwise might have made them think about how to grow the business and increase quality, is that canary keeled over when the worker returns. PE will reach into your wallet at every opportunity, your diet, your parents, your mechanic. It has now come for your leisure.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 09: Collin Price #37 of the Houston Astros runs in to score on a pinch hit single by Brice Matthews in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 09, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (60-55) won 10-2 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land got the scoring started in the second inning scoring 5 runs on a Price 2 run home run, Ferreras 2 run double and a run on a wild pitch. McPherson started fro Sugar Land and went 2.2 innings allowing 2 unearned runs. The offense got another run in the 5th on an Alexander solo home run. Weiss tossed 3.1 scoreless innings in relief. The offense got some insurance in the 9th scoring 4 runs on a Price 2 run home run and Salazar 2 run home run. The rest of the bullpen was solid tossing shutout innings as they closed out the 10-2 win.
Ryan Weiss, RHP: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (WIN)
Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Michael Knorr, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Christian Roa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (52-58) lost 9-3 (BOX SCORE)
Hertzler started for the Hooks but struggled allowing 8 runs, 7 earned, over 2 innings. The Hooks got on the board in the 5th inning on an Austin 2 run home run. They picked up another run in the 9th on a Call groundout but that was it as they were unable to overcome the early deficit and fell 9-3.
Ramsey David, RHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (37-71) lost 4-1 (BOX SCORE)
Perez got the start for Asheville and allowed 2 runs over 4.1 innings while striking out 7. Asheville got a run in the 5th inning with a run scoring on a double play. The bullpen allowed a couple of runs as the Emperors extended their lead. The Asheville offense qwas quiet the rest of the way as they fell 4-1.
Weber started this game on Tuesday and went 3 innings allowing 1 run. The game was suspended due to rain and picked up on Wednesday. The offense got on the board in the third when a run scored on a double play. Smith came into the game in the 4th and went 4.2 innings allowing 3 runs. The offense got a run in the 6th on a Piasecki walk and then 2 runs in the 8th inning to tie it on a Piasecki groundout and a run on an error. The bullpen tossed a scoreless 9th and in the bottom of the inning the Woodpeckers walked it off on a Luciano RBI single.
Fraide started for the Woodpeckers and pitched well tossing 6 scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts. The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Tryon solo home run. In the 4th, the offense added 3 runs on a Flores RBI single and De Leon 2 run single. Butler tossed a scoreless 7th inning to close out the 4-0 win.
I lead off with my overriding impression of this game and, in fact, the first two games of this series. Future me is not looking forward to playing this Nationals team a year or two from now. I mentioned yesterday that I had picked up the stat during the broadcast just how young this Nationals team is on the offensive side of the ball. Despite that, that offense just keeps coming and I’m very much aware that their most productive hitter isn’t even in the lineup. If they keep things on track, they are going to be a real handful. For now, it is 2026 and I feel the dawning of the Nationals’ “Wait ‘til Next Year Day” is not super far off into the distance.
My next thought is that I am hereby suspending the reality check. I will return my scoreboard watching feature instead. Today is the day that I have elected to start dreaming dreams. Spoiler alert, though you probably already know, the Brewers got swept by the Padres and suddenly the Cubs are within three games of first place and showing no signs of slowing down. I warned you all probably a hundred times by now to not get carried away. This was going to be a simple season. The team was surprisingly good despite largely having no pitching staff and so it was readily apparent that they would make the playoffs and that winning a series would be a fantastic accomplishment and probably an overachieve with the remaining healthy team. Certainly, the absolute season.
Acknowledging that reality is buzz-killing this incredibly fun team that is on a truly remarkable run. They had that 20-3 stretch earlier this year that was bookended by the two 10 game winning streaks they had early on. Right now? They’ve won 18 of 26. I said it yesterday, this team is reminding me of the 2015 Cubs. This has that same feeling like they are just basically going to win every day. Because of the thud ending to the 2015 season coupled with the third-place finish in the division that year, that season is occasionally overlooked as one of the best seasons any Cub team has ever had.
By straight regular season wins, that year is tied for the 10th best regular season in Cub history. For a long and distinguished franchise, that’s a pretty lofty rating. It is the best Cub team ever to finish third in its existing grouping. Among the nine teams that won more games, only the 1907, 1908 and 2016 teams won any postseason series. So 97 or more wins and a postseason series win? One of only four such Cub teams. So I respect the weight of history when I say this team reminds me of that one.
Ironically, this Cub team FINALLY feels like the team I originally thought the Cubs were creating when I watched all of their early drafts. I thought that they were drafting a team focused on pounding you into oblivion, much more so than a run prevention team. That 2016 team and even back to 2015, was focused on great pitching, with a lean towards contact management and elite defense. This team is designed around elite position players. All across the diamond they feature plus players. It’s absurd to me that in a just world, Seiya Suzuki would probably be a Gold Glove finalist in right field. That figured to be one of their weaknesses. I wouldn’t look at you as if you were insane if you invited seven Cubs to be Gold Glove finalists. It’s remarkable.
Now, Alex Bregman has hit blistering hot and this lineup is just so long. Good pitching is generally going to beat good hitting. So I still harbor no delusions about the ceiling of this team. But man, you better execute your plan, because this team is waiting to pounce if you don’t. This is now 17 times with double digit runs and 22 with nine or more. 31 with eight or more. 30 wins in 31 games. Yeah, I can do math, this team is actually under .500 if it doesn’t score eight runs. That stat is just wild in magnitude. In basically a quarter of their games, they score eight or more runs. When things start sliding for you against this Cub offense, the team runs to the bat rack to pour it on.
So don’t mind me, I’m entertaining delusions of division titles and World Series runs. And hey, look at that, the team in closest geographical proximity to me (the Rays) just travelled west and swept nine games. Neat. In 2016, both my parents died and I moved into a new home perfectly sandwiched between that. I was in no position to go to a World Series game. Give me a Rays/Cubs series for early Christmas. I’ll be there! So you are all now on your own to reality check yourself. I warned you early and often. I’m just going to go for the ride and crash hard some time later. See ya at the end.
Three Positives:
I’d ask you if you remember the previous Cub to hit three homers in a game. But I suspect your memory reaches to July. Alex Bregman, three homers and seven runs driven in. I’m never going to tell you that you have to vote unanimously. But really… Alex’s season line is up to .256/.347/.412 (wRC+ 113). Those first two numbers are gravitating towards his career numbers. Also, he improved his OPS by .030 in mid-August. Wild. That’s a 24 point slugging jump in a game this late in the year.
Dansby Swanson had two hits, a double and a homer. He also drew a walk. He drove in two and scored three.
Pedro Ramirez had a single, double and a walk. He scored twice and stole two bases as well. When I say this offense is really long, I mean it. The fifth infielder is a really potent bat. The 4th outfielder and 2nd catcher have both been terrific as well.
Fun note, Javier Assad threw four innings for another multi-inning save in a lopsided Cub game. That’s two of those for Assad, Colin Rea has one, and Jordan Wicks has one. Without digging, the Cubs have almost as many more than three-out saves as three outs or fewer. This team is just different.
Game 121, August 12: Cubs 12, Nationals 6 (71-50)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Alex Bregman (.369). 3-3, 3 HR, 2 BB, 7 RBI, 3 R
Billy Goat: David Peterson (-.231). 5 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 4 R (3 ER), 6 K (W 4-1)
Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.159). 1-5, DP
Kid: Carson Kelly (-.077). 0-4, BB
WPA Play of the Game: Daylen Lile batted with the bases loaded and two outs, the Cubs up by two. He singled, driving in two to tie the game. (.243)
Cubs Play of the Game: Alex Bregman’s first homer, a three-run shot in the top of the fifth with one out. (.212)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 120 Winner: Jacob Webb received 57 of 91 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Pete Crow-Armstrong +29
Alex Bregman +22
Carson Kelly +14.5
Shōta Imanaga +14
Trent Thornton +13.5
Phil Maton -10
Nico Hoerner -11
Jameson Taillon -13
Dansby Swanson -19
Caleb Thielbar -19.5
Up Next: The Cubs get a chance to go for a road sweep. Get greedy. Last road sweep was June 23-25, when the Cubs beat the Mets four times in three days. Kevin Gausman (6-10, 4.29) makes his second Cub start. He allowed two runs over seven in his debut. 27-year-old Cade Cavalli (9-5, 3.57) starts for the Nats. He’s finishing strong in his first full major league season. He’s 4-1 with a 3.29 (38.1 IP) over his last seven. He doesn’t go particularly deep in games. About six when things are going well. Keep it close and beat their bullpen again.
Scoreboard Watching: In games with implications for the Cubs, the Diamondbacks and Phillies each lost, extending the Cubs lead for the first Wild Card spot to 7.5 games. The Brewers lost, bringing the Cubs within three games. The Dodgers and Braves each won, staying two ahead of the Cubs. On Thursday, the Brewers travel to LA to play the Dodgers. Keep winning, there are games to be gained.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 12: Carlos Cortes #26 of the Athletics loses his balance rounding second base after hitting a two-run RBI double against the Tampa Bay Rays in the bottom of the third inning at Sutter Health Park on August 12, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning A’s fans!
But not a good morning for the A’s squad. After getting swept by the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday afternoon the club is officially in the cellar of all of MLB with a 47-74 record. At least they aren’t alone there as the Los Angeles Angels also have a 47-74 record. The goal over the final few weeks needs to be to finish better than the Angels, who sold off some pieces at the trade deadline. For as good as our young core is, are we really reaching these depths?
The team did just face the club with the best record in the sport. So how does the rest of the schedule look? Well first we have our off day today, then the home stand continues tomorrow against the Texas Rangers, who are both below .500 and also fighting for the AL West with their Texas rivals. This would be an excellent chance to put our spoiler hats on for a division rival.
Then the A’s will head to Kansas City for four games against the Royals, four very winnable games. Then to Houston to take on the Astros so hopefully we keep those spoiler hats ready after the Rangers series. After that the road trips ends with the A’s welcoming the Twins to Sacramento for three games. We just saw them last month and perhaps helped them become buyers at the trade deadline after losing two of three. Then we wrap the month with three against the Baltimore Orioles. Very winnable series.
September should be much easier for the Athletics. While all the other teams in the league are duking it out for playoff spots the A’s will have a fairly easy schedule. After starting the month with three against the Rangers the A’s will then face the Mariners, Blue Jays, and Mariners again for nearly the first two entire weeks of September. The Blue Jays are one of the biggest disappointments in the league this year after nearly winning the World Series last season, and like the A’s they’re in their own fight to avoid last place in their division. The M’s are also a letdown for fans across the sport after their improbable run to the AL West crown last year.
And then the final road trip of the year. Three in Tampa and three in Cleveland. Those games are going to be hard with the Rays and Guardians likely battling for their division leads. Afterwards we wrap the year with a long homestand against the Angels and Astros. That Angels series might end up determining who spend the winter in the basement of the AL West while the Astros could be resting starters in preparation for the playoffs.
How did it come to this? The club was riding high the first few weeks of the season and we were in first place in mid-May. Pitching, pitching, pitching. Injuries didn’t help but the focus this offseason needs to be pitching. Playing in a minor league ballpark doesn’t help but that’s the reality of the situation for the club right now. No knowing how the Las Vegas ballpark plays until we get there so we had better be ready for whatever comes.
No baseball today folks. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Until then! Have a great day everyone.
It’s looking unlikely for Nick Kurtz to return this season. His PRP injection on Aug. 4 went well, but he has to be in a brace for four weeks after that. Kotsay: “Four weeks of no mobility. You probably can do the timeline and think through the scenarios in front of us for Nick.”
The Red Sox (64-56) pursuit of the Yankees and the Rays in the AL East and even a playoff spot has been slowed this week by the Blue Jays (59-63). Toronto has taken the first three games of their series and will go for a sweep this afternoon at Rogers Centre. Losers of five straight, the Sox sit ten games out of first in the AL East. Despite the streak, they remain 4.5 up in the Wild Card chase. Counted out long ago by most, the Jays have won seven of their last ten and sit just 1.5 games behind the Rangers and the final Wild Card spot.
For much of last night’s game, Boston and Toronto were locked in a tight pitchers' duel between Ranger Suárez and José Soriano. Toronto grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Ernie Clement delivered an RBI single, but Boston answered in the fifth on Willson Contreras' 24th home run of the season. The game remained tied until the bottom of the eighth, when Toronto erupted. After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alejandro Kirk opened the inning with singles, a dropped foul popup by Contreras extended an at-bat for Kazuma Okamoto, who immediately made Boston pay with a go-ahead RBI single. The Blue Jays kept the pressure on, drawing a bases-loaded walk from Clement, getting a sacrifice fly from George Springer, and a two-run double from Myles Straw as Toronto scored five times in the inning to take a commanding 6-1 lead.
Boston mounted a rally in the ninth. Caleb Durbin singled home a run, Jarren Duran followed with an RBI double, and Andruw Monasterio added a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 6-4. However, Blue Jays closer Louis Varland recorded the final two outs to secure his 26th save. Soriano allowed just one run on four hits over six strong innings in his second start for Toronto since being acquired from the Angels. Suárez was solid as well, also surrendering just a single run across five innings before the bullpen collapse.
One of Boston's most exciting young arms, Payton Tolle (7-6, 3.20 ERA) takes the ball for the Red Sox this afternoon. In his most recent start against the Athletics on August 7, Tolle delivered the best outing of his young career. He threw six innings of two-hit ball, allowed just one run, walked nobody, and struck out a career-high 14 batters in a dominant 13-1 Boston victory. The performance represented the highest strikeout total by a Red Sox pitcher age 23 or younger since Roger Clemens.
The future Hall of Famer, Max Scherzer (1-4, 7.25 ERA), gets the nod for Toronto today. Scherzer has been better than good in three starts since returning from the injured list. The veteran has allowed four runs over 14 innings while striking out 13. His most recent start came on August 8 against the Phillies. Scherzer worked 5.1 innings, allowed two runs on five hits, walked four, and struck out four in a game that also saw him move into tenth place on MLB's all-time strikeout list.
Lets dive further into tonight’s game and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Red Sox vs. Blue Jays
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026
Time: 3:07PM EST
Site: Rogers Centre
City: Toronto, ONT
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, NESN, Sportsnet
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Red Sox vs. Blue Jays
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Boston Red Sox (-153), Toronto Blue Jays (+142)
Spread: Red Sox -1.5 (+105), Blue Jays +1.5 (-127)
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers – Red Sox vs. Blue Jays for August 13
Red Sox: Payton Tolle Season Totals: 107.0 IP, 7-6, 3.20 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 124K, 29 BB
Blue Jays: Max Scherzer Season Totals: 36.0 IP, 1-4, 7.25 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 27K, 15 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Red Sox vs. Blue Jays
Masataka Yoshida is 4-6 including 1 HR in his career against Max Scherzer
Willson Contreras has struck out 6 times in 15 ABs against Scherzer
Andres Gimenez is 3-4 including 1 HR vs. Payton Tolle in his career
Adley Rutschman is 1-6 since being activated by the Sox
Kazuma Okamoto did not strike out yesterday marking the first time since July 29 (11 games) that he failed to do so in a game
Vlad Guerrero Jr. has hit safely in 5 straight games (7-22)
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Red Sox vs. Blue Jays
The Blue Jays are 58-64 on the Run Line this season
The Red Sox are 58-62 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 61 times in Toronto’s 122 games this season (61-57-4)
The OVER has cashed 54 times in Boston’s 120 games this season (54-62-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Red Sox vs. Blue Jays for August 13
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s game between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Red Sox on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 8
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The 2026 Field of Dreams game takes place tonight at 7:30 PM ET exclusively on Netflix as the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins make their debut in the event.
Tonight's game marks the third edition of the signature event, inspired by the Academy Award-nominated film "Field of Dreams", in which Kevin Costner, starring as Ray Kinsella, follows a voice that inspires him to build a baseball field in his cornfield.
The Field of Dreams game was contested in 2021 and 2022, before a three-year hiatus due to site renovations.
Live coverage of tonight's Phillies vs Twins game begins at 6:30 PM ET. See below for additional information on how to watch the 2026 Field of Dreams game.
How to watch 2026 MLB Field of Dreams Game (Phillies vs Twins):
Where: Dyersville, IA
When: Today, Thursday, August 13
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Live Stream: Netflix
Where is the 2026 MLB Field of Dreams Game?
The Field of Dreams game will take place in Dyersville, Iowa, at a newly constructed baseball park located approximately 500 feet away from the actual movie site of the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams".
MLB Field of Dreams History:
The Field of Dreams game debuted in 2021, with the White Sox defeating the Yankees 9-8 on a walk-off HR. In 2022, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 4-2.
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits for whatever suits your mood.
Why are some MLB games unavailable to stream on Peacock?
Due to territorial blackout restrictions, select regular season, special event, and Postseason games may be unavailable on Peacock. Television territory blackout restrictions apply regardless of whether a Club is home or away and regardless of whether a game is televised in that Club's home television territory. For more information, visit Peacock’s Help Center.
Everything you need to know about MLB Road to the Show, a five-part docuseries on Peacock following some of the top college and minor league players across baseball.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 11: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians looks on from the dugout during the eighth inning while playing the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on August 11, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After yesterday’s post appealing to Stephen Vogt, it’s time to hypothetically talk to my all-time favorite baseball player, Jose Ramirez.
Jose, there are few things in life that bring me more joy than watching you play baseball. You are on your way to being the greatest Cleveland baseball player to ever lace them up. It isn’t your fault you broke your hamate and had to get surgery. Your quick return and dedication to playing everyday isn’t surprising to anyone who has followed you for any period of time.
But, Jose… is it possible you need a couple more weeks to rest? We can all see that your hand/wrist is a huge liability for you. Prior to your injury, your “down” season was 111 wRC+ with a .354 xwOBA and a slashline of .239/.339/.418 with a .249 BABIP with a 14/13 K/BB%. Since your return, you have a 61 wRC+ and a slashline of .207/.338/.207. with a .317 xwOBA and a 4.5/15.5 K/BB%. To your credit, you’re still making amazing quantities of contact and spitting on bad pitches… but your hand doesn’t have the strength to do anything much with the contact you make at the moment. Would that strength have a better chance of returning with a little more rest?
Perhaps most concerningly, the injury is affecting your play at third base. From not being able to turn the wrist quick enough to catch a snap throw to third to nab a runner, to not being able to smoothly corral ground balls, it’s clear that more time needs to elapse in order to recover enough mobility to be reliably fluid at the hot corner.
Now, if you were to go on the IL again, the infield would become Travis Bazzana at second, Angel Genao at third, and Brayan Rocchio at short, with Daniel Schneemann likely returning as the utility infielder. Personally, I’d like to give the recently red-hot Milan Tolentino a look in that role for a bit, but, in any case, it’s important to note that Schneemann has a .286 xwOBA, Rocchio a .294 xwOBA, and Bazzana a .302 xwOBA (Tolentino’s xwOBA would be much better of late in Columbus but for the season it is only .316), so I can see that your expected numbers even with a drastically diminished wrist tell us you’re still a better hitter than all these young players. However, there is enough reasonable optimism about these fledgling bats (including Genao’s sparkling .381 xwOBA!) to float us to the end of the month and give you a chance to return with some additional strength and healing at the beginning of September.
It’s up to you. Cleveland has made that clear, and far be it from me, a fanalyst, to tell you how to go about your business. You have earned the right to do as you see fit. But, if even a small part of you feels like getting another couple weeks plus off can give you a shot at returning as something closer to your normal self (especially defensively), don’t hesitate. It’ll help the team most of all if that hand/wrist heals more and gives us a shot at getting our star back to something like his usual abilities.
Every Guardians’ fan is in your corner and believing in you to find your way and play a part in giving us a chance at a playoff run. Just know it can involve some more R&R if needed and no one will feel you have failed them in the slightest!
On Sunday, Aug. 9, the NHL Network announced their list of “Top 20 Defensemen Right Now” and ranked Anaheim Ducks star blueliner Jackson LaCombe at 17th. One week after ranking teammate Cutter Gauthier as the NHL’s 19th best winger, LaCombe comes in at 17th among defensemen, sandwiched between Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Well, he's on the map and becoming, vastly becoming one of the better, or best, two-way defensemen in the game because of his great skating ability,” NHL Network analyst Ken Daneyko said on the countdown show. “He’s agile; he's mobile. He can do so many things as far as poise and culture. And he's a big, strong kid."
Unsurprisingly, names like Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski, Rasmus Dahlin, and Miro Heiskanen ranked atop the list at No. 1-5, respectively.
LaCombe (25), a former second-round pick (39th overall in 2019), was selected by the Ducks from Prep School Shattuck St. Mary’s and was seen as a smart, toolsy long-term project. He proved Anaheim’s amateur scouting staff right after playing his next four seasons at the University of Minnesota, where he eclipsed his production year-after-year and totaled 99 points (19-80=99) in 140 games.
Following his senior year at Minnesota, where he was an alternate captain and led his team to a crushing National Championship defeat, he signed his two-year ELC with the Ducks and made his NHL debut toward the end of the 2022-23 season.
LaCombe had a difficult transition to the NHL in his first full season (2023-24), where he scored just 17 points (2-15=17) in 75 games. He was asked to play much of the season on his off-hand side, up and down the lineup, and with limited power play time, but also difficult minutes at 5v5 and on the penalty kill. His play recognition was slow, his game was simplified, and he struggled to defend the strongest and fastest players in the world.
He signed a two-year contract extension following his rookie season that carried an AAV of $925k.
In 2024-25, the Ducks and LaCombe enjoyed a true breakout season despite opening the season as a healthy scratch. He was confident when leading rushes and patrolling the offensive blueline with the puck on his stick. He began driving to the net without the puck, and breakouts became automatic exits with either a precise first pass or poised, confident, intelligent strides. He tallied 43 points (14-29=43) in 75 games and led the Ducks in ice time with 22:18 TOI/G, becoming an all-situations, true No. 1 defenseman.
Following his breakout, with one-year left on his contract, and days before the 2025-26 season, LaCombe signed an eight-year contract extension with the Ducks worth an AAV of $9 million per season.
In the 2025-26 season, LaCombe built on his breakout and established himself as an elite defenseman in the NHL. He again led the Ducks in ice time, with 24:15 TOI/G, including 3:13 on the power play and 1:39 per game on the penalty kill. He produced 58 points (10-48=58) in all 82 regular season games and was arguably the Ducks’ best player as they clinched the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.
His season was highlighted by 10 points (1-9=10) in 12 playoff games and (relatively) shutting down (an injured) Connor McDavid, as they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the first round and went on to lose in the second to the Vegas Golden Knights. Both series lasted six games.
LaCombe has played at the international level for the United States on three separate occasions, winning a Gold Medal at each stop. He notched an assist in six games at the 2021 World Junior Championship, five points (2-3=5) in ten games at the 2025 World Championships, and, though he didn’t suit up, he brought home a Gold Medal from the 2026 Olympic Games as a last-minute replacement for injured Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones.
If possible, LaCombe may be relied on even more by the Ducks moving forward. The 2026 offseason saw the departures of his partner Jacob Trouba, captain Radko Gudas, and Stanley Cup winner John Carlson. LaCombe will likely continue to play heavy, difficult minutes and will likely be called upon to impact both top units of the special teams. There may even be a captaincy on the table for him.
With a lack of overall depth on the roster and a stable of young blueliners behind him on the lineup sheet, LaCombe will have to drive offense to a higher degree at that end of the ice and continue to refine his defensive habits deep in his zone, specifically at the goal mouth.
LaCombe was a long-term project who wound up bearing fruit suddenly and unexpectedly, to the point where the surface of his potential seems only scratched. His big-money contract will only just kick in in 2026-27, and he’ll be this season’s 13th (tied) highest-paid defenseman in the NHL. Once an inconceivable thought, there’s a shot he breaks into the top ten on this NHL Network list in the summer of 2027.
