Although last season largely ended in a surprising success, the Philadelphia Flyers still have some specters looming over them ahead of the 2026-27 season, and perhaps the biggest of them all is on defense.
A deeply uninspiring training camp battle last year ended with veteran Noah Juulsen overtaking prospect Helge Grans, as the latter made far too many gaffes in the defensive zone for a young player to prove himself under first-year head coach Rick Tocchet.
In his second year as head coach of the Flyers, Tocchet will again have a group of young players pushing for one roster spot on defense, with newcomer Simon Benoit acting as the replacement for the departed Juulsen.
Top Flyers defense prospect Oliver Bonk, a first-round pick in 2023, will be in that mix, as will trade acquisition David Jiricek, who was drafted sixth overall in 2022.
Jiricek, 22, will have a leg up over Bonk and some of his other peers if for no reason other than the fact that he is no longer waivers-exempt, meaning that, if he's waived and cut from the roster, another NHL team can pick him up for free.
That would mean, by extension, that the Flyers had traded a promising player like Bobby Brink for nothing.
Fortunately, though, Jiricek sounds ready to work, and the Flyers sound optimistic that the Czech defenseman will develop further under their vigil.
Flyers, Jiricek anticipate a big training camp
David Jiricek made his NHL debut for the Flyers at the end of the 2025-26 season. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
"We don’t have many guys like you here, so shoot the puck. That’s maybe why I am in Philly," Jiricek told The Athletic at the NHLPA European Player Tour in Munich. "I try to make it work. I try to shoot as much as I can right now, and shoot everything. If I have a pass for one-timers, I’m going to shoot it.
"Camp is quick this year, really quick," Jiricek said. "We have just four games in preseason, so you have to start from the first day (of) training camp as game-ready, I would say. That's the plan."
Acknowledgment is the first step.
Jiricek doesn't need to be reminded that he is battling for an NHL roster spot, now playing for his third organization in four years.
To that end, the 22-year-old has played 85 career NHL games, but produced only two goals, 11 assists, and 13 points, with none coming on the power play.
Jiricek was highly-regarded heading into the NHL draft due to his 6-foot-4 size, heavy shot, and poise with the puck, but his already average mobility was further affected by an ACL injury suffered in his draft year.
Upon joining the Flyers organization in March, Jiricek was an instant hit in Allentown for the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, ripping off two goals, 11 assists, and 13 points in just 15 games, blowing past the 10 points he recorded in 24 games with the Iowa Wild.
The Flyers are hoping his experience with the Phantoms can be parlayed into a continued upward trajectory that makes him a useful NHL player for years to come.
"He had a really good stint in Lehigh Valley. He proved that he's ready for the next level. For him, it's gonna be a battle for ice time. It's going to be up to him. Big summer for him. Yeah, he needs waivers. We're aware of that, and he's going to get a good look, and we hope that he's ready for it," Flyers GM Danny Briere told The Hockey News in a June Q&A.
"We feel he's ready for it, but he's going to have to show it on the ice. We know the offense is there, the big shot is there, the size is there, and that's just for him to round out his game, where he becomes a player that the coaches trust every night."
Tocchet, like Briere, is hoping that Jiricek's long-range cannon can be of great importance to the Flyers next season.
At the same time, like Jiricek said, camp is going to go quick, and it's going to be a race between him, Bonk, Hunter McDonald, and Ty Murchison as Tocchet sees it currently.
"The (short camp) does complicate it because we don’t have time to look at guys. You’ve got to make your mind up fairly quick," Tocchet told The Athletic in a recent interview.
"Jiricek, we want that big shot. Can he add that to us, and (have) patience with the puck... Four guys that have a chance. It’s a matter of who can get there quickest."
Time is ticking on Jiricek faster than any of the other hopefuls at his position, and it's now up to the once-esteemed draft pick to make this chance count. The Flyers believe he can.
Los Angeles, - September 04: Teoscar Hernández #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after a two RBI double against the Washington Nationals in the third inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
But Rushing was scratched with elbow soreness, as was third baseman Max Muncy with illness from the original lineup. Alex Call and Kiké Hernández get starts now, with Teoscar Hernández moving to DH.
Dodgers lineup
Edman CF Freeman 1B Betts SS Tucker RF T. Hernández DH Feduccia C Freeland 2B Call LF K. Hernández 3B
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 4: Brady House #12 of the Washington Nationals beats the tag by Miguel Rojas #72 of the Los Angeles Dodgers for a stolen base in the second inning at Dodger Stadium on September 4, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats rallied late last night, but it was not enough. They will look to even this series with the mighty Dodgers tonight. It will not be easy, but the Nats do have an ace up their sleeve. That would be Cade Cavalli, who is on the mound.
With a righty on the mound, the Nats make some lineup adjustments. Daylen Lile returns to the lineup after getting a day off yesterday. Lefties Jorbit Vivas and Jose Tena are also in the lineup. Dylan Crews is down in the 9 hole and Keibert Ruiz will do the catching. As mentioned, Nats ace Cade Cavalli is on the hill.
Nationals 9/5
J. Wood RF D. Lile LF A. Ortiz 1B C. Abrams SS B. House 3B J. Vivas 2B J. Tena DH K. Ruiz C D. Crews CF
Shohei Ohtani remains out of the lineup, but the Nats will have to deal with Freddie Freeman. The former Brave has been a Nat killer his entire career. Hunter Feduccia and Alex Freeland will be at the bottom of the order in this one. After facing Snell last night, the Dodgers are rolling out another ace (when healthy) in Tyler Glasnow.
The offense has been a bit lethargic the past couple games but hopefully that 9th inning can bring some momentum. We desperately need CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews to get doing as well. It is Cade day and we need a curly W. Follow along in the comments and let’s go Nats!
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 04: Riley Greene #31 of the Detroit Tigers high fives teammates in the dugout after scoring during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Friday, September 4, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Tigers needed some of their big names to get it together and win them a game. Framber Valdez answered the call with seven shutout frames on Saturday, while Riley Greene homered twice and drove in four in a four-hit game. The bullpen only needed to go two innings to hold a 6-0 lead, and they did so with no trouble.
The Tigers already saw the weaker end of the Guardians rotation, so this was only going to get tougher on Saturday against Parker Messick, and then Gavin Williams on Sunday. With Framber Valdez going, the defense would need to be sharp, while Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark both got a needed day off against the left-hander.
Gleyber Torres and Hao-Yu Lee started the game off by striking out, but Riley Greene crushed a Messick cutter over the left center field wall for a solo shot and a quick 1-0 lead.
Steven Kwan grounded out to Lee to start the bottom of the first. Angel Martinez dumped a little broken bat bliner between Spencer Torkelson and Javier Báez for a single. Báez, playing second, collected it but Valdez wasn’t covering first expecting the ball in the air to be caught. Jose Ramirez lined out to Ben Malgeri in right field. Jo Adell got a bat broken as well but fouled off a 1-2 sinker in on his hands. A high fastball missed, but a good curveball whiffed him.
Malgeri started the second inning by driving a single to right center field. He thought about two, but hit the brakes, probably wisely. Torkelson chased a slider away and struck out. John Peck stayed back just enough to flick a changeup into center field for a single. Messick blew Zach McKinstry and Báez away with high fastballs to end the inning, with five and the Tigers first six outs coming on swinging strike threes.
David Fry led off the bottom half with a single through the right side of the infield. Angel Genao did the same thing. The speedy Petey Halpin put down a bunt toward third, but Hao-Yu Lee handled it, firing to Báez covering first. So it was second and third with one out. Valdez popped Austin Hedges up down the right field line to Malgeri, and the right fielder fired a strike to the plate to keep Fry at third. Brayan Rocchio grounded out to Peck, stranding both runners.
The Tigers took a little momentum from that as Torres led off with a single and Lee walked. Riley Greene came though again with a line drive single to score Torres, but Lee took way too big a turn and was thrown out trying to get back to the bag. Dillon Dingler bit on a good changeup and struck out as his recent struggles continued. Messick’s seventh strikeout came on another high fastball that Malgeri couldn’t hold up on. 2-0 Tigers, but yet again, they failed to fully capitalize on a rally.
Framber Valdez cruised in the bottom half, striking out Ramirez again to end the inning.
Torkelson, Peck, and McKinstry grounded out quickly in the top of the fourth, helping get Messick’s pitch count back in order. Valdez dispatched Adell with high heat to start the bottom half, and then snagged a comebacker from Fry for the second out. The dangerous, talented rookie Genao was up next, and barely checked with swing on an 0-2 curveball. A sinker got the ground out to Lee, wrapping up the fourth inning.
The top of the fifth saw Messick blow away Báez, Torres, and Lee in quick succession to reach 10 strikeouts in five innings of work. Halpin popped up a bunt to Valdez, who had it rattle out of his glove but caught it again waist high. That brought a rueful chuckle as his infield cracked up for a moment. He then walked Hedges, but got a 6-4-3 double play ball from Rocchio to end the inning. He was at 65 pitches through five frames. Still 2-0 Tigers.
Riley Greene led off the sixth, and he got a fourseamer in the same spot as the cutter he crushed in the first, and he hit it to almost exactly the same spot over the big wall in left center field for his 18th homer of the season. 3-0 Tigers.
Dingler bit on the changeup again and struck out. Malgeri though, hammered a drive into the right field corner for a double. Torkelson lifted a shallow fly ball off a pretty good 3-1 pitch to hit, and so it was up to Peck as Messick’s pitch count hit 90. The lefty missed with three straight fastballs, and Peck was taking on a 3-0 heater for a strike. He whiffed on the next fourseamer but Messick missed again to walk him, and Carl Willis came out to give his starter a pep talk for what would probably be his last batter in the game. That batter was McKinstry, who worked a 3-2 count but whiffed on a 96 mph heater for Messick’s 11th strikeout.
Valdez started bottom half getting Kwan to fly out to McKinstry in center. Martinez popped out to Torkelson behind first base. Ramirez got ahead 2-0, but grounded out to Peck to end the sixth.
Right-hander Matt Festa succeeded Messick in the top of the seventh, and there was a delay as the grounds crew cleaned up the mound. Báez fell behind 0-2 and flew out to center on a mistake pitch, clearly frustrated with himself. Torres pulled a grounder under Rocchio’s glove into left for a single. Lee put together a good at-bat and drew his second walk in the contest. That brought Greene to the dish and he hammered a double off the right field wall just short of his third home run.
Torres scored to make it 4-0, but Lee had to wait a beat to make sure the ball wasn’t caught and they held him at third. Festa was uncharacteristically spraying and he fell behind Dingler. The Tigers catcher lifted a high fly ball to left but just got underneath it a touch. Still it was a deep fly ball and enough to score Lee. Malgeri then lined a soft single to left center to plate Torres, and it was 6-0 Tigers. Malgeri now has 103 plate appearances in the majors with a 117 wRC+. I wouldn’t expect him to turn into a full-time, above average player for the Tigers, but he does a lot of things well and has already made a good case to take over Matt Vierling’s roster spot in particular.
Ron Kulpa had an equipment problem at that point, giving Festa a break as Willis came out to chat. He then punched out Torkelson to end the top of the seventh.
Valdez had a good 20 minute break while his teammates poured on the offense. He was only at 76 pitches beginning the frame, so he could potentially go two more frames with a quick inning. Instead, Adell fought through a long at-bat and then just nicked Adell with an inside heater in a 3-2 count. Fry grounded to Lee, who fired a one-hopper to second to get Adell as Báez made a nice pick on the throw. Genao then grounded into a 5-4-3 double play with a sweet turn from Javy and a nice scoop by Torkelson to wrap up the inning, and Valdez’s outing. The lefty was fired up after seven shutout innings, and so were his teammates. Gotta take a spark where you can find it right now.
Rookie right-hander Austin Peterson took over in the eighth. We saw him against the Hens twice this year, one good start and one shakier one. His fastball is nothing special, but as you’d figured from even a mediocre Guardians pitching prospect, he has quality secondary pitches and decent command.
Peck greeted him with a grounder to third that Ramirez couldn’t handle. They called it a single, and Peck will take it. McKinstry grounded into a force of Peck at second. Báez tapped one back to Peterson, and he spun and threw high to second and everyone was safe. That one was charged an error. Jose Ramirez gets a lot more deference, apparently. So first and seecond, one out, with Gleyber Torres at the plate. Torres hit a fly ball to Kwan in left and McKinstry tagged and took third, but Lee took a breaking ball just on the edge inside for strike three.
So, it was everyone’s favorite…bullpen time for the Tigers. Thanks to Valdez, they’d only need two innings, so we felt okay with a six-run lead. Possibly that’s because nothing matters anymore and life is meaningless, please Eat Arby’s, but hey, that’s just a long, miserably disappointing season talking.
Kyle Finnegan made quick work of the Guardians in the eighth. Halpin popped out again, and Hedges and Rocchio grounded out to wrap up a nine-pitch inning.
Peterson whiffed Greene on a changeup as the Guardians finally retired him in this one. Dingler grounded out, and Malgeri struck out to send it to the ninth.
Beau Brieske looked as good as we’ve seen him all year yesterday, and he came in to finish this one off. The new power curve Brieske debuted recently is pretty interesting, and his fastball-changeup combo look better, though he’s not back to the high 90’s velocity we saw from Brieske in his 2024 peak.
He got Kwan to ground out to Peck for the first out. Martinez lined out softly to Peck as well. Ramirez popped out to Báez, and that was a Tigers victory.
Jackson Jobe will take the mound for the Tigers on Sunday, facing off against the tough RHP Gavin Williams as the Tigers look to split the series. First pitch is set for 1:40 p.m. ET.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 30: Dalton Rushing #68 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on after hitting a three-run home run in the fourth inning during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, July 30, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers originally planned to start Dalton Rushing at designated hitter and Max Muncy at third base on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, but both were scratched from the lineup. Rushing has elbow soreness and Muncy is sick, the team said.
Several hours before first pitch on Saturday, Rushing was going through drills to test his elbow, including throwing from varying distances in the outfield, including what looked like to be around 120 feet. Rushing also did drills throwing to second base from behind home plate.
In their place, Teoscar Hernández moved from left field to designated hitter with Alex Call now starting in left field, and Kiké Hernández was inserted into the lineup at third base.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 05: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, September 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Denis Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Every baseball fan is familiar with the scam known as the shell game— after all, it’s present, in more innocuous form, in the cap shuffle ubiquitous to scoreboards. Tonight Zack Wheeler offered the visiting Braves a shell game, tempting them with three baserunners through three at-bats… but when the Braves selected their shell, there weren’t very many runs underneath.
The start was rather subpar for the home crowd, with Wheeler allowing a pair of singles to the first two Braves, then walking Matt Olson to load the bases with none away. But a pop fly and a strikeout (aided by a canny ABS challenge from J.T. Realmuto) put him just a single out away from pulling off the great escape. Ozzie Albies flew out to center, and the Braves trudged back to the dugout with the dreaded NOBLETIGER (No Outs, Bases Loaded, Ending in Team Incapable of Getting Easy Runs, it’s a real term) nipping at their heels.
But the Phillies would give Atlanta starter Martin Pérez a rougher start. Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner worked walks to start off the game, with the former dashing for third on a fly out from Bryce Harper, and slipping right past the tag. A single to right from Luis Arraez scored him, and the bases were then loaded on a walk of Alec Bohm. Realmuto walked to bring in a run (an ABS challenge on ball four proved fruitless for the visitors). The inning ended when Ronald Acuña Jr, looking truly superb, leapt into the air to turn a line drive from Bryson Stott into out number three.
Wheeler’s second inning of work was a far smoother affair, with three up and three down. Pérez could not say the same. Derek Hill lined a ball to right, and Acuña suddenly looked far less superb, stumbling and allowing Hill to reach third. He then scored when Matt Olson bobbled a grounder at first.
The roller coaster ride that is Ronald then took another sudden swerve in the top of the third as he sent a Wheeler sweeper deep, deep into the left field seats. But the Phillies were certainly not inclined to let themselves be outslugged in their own ballpark: in the bottom of the fourth, Schwarber knocked a Pérez pitch over the fence in right. Two more hits, both with two outs, ensued, and Pérez’s night ended.
Acuña came up to the plate again with two outs in the fifth; both of his predecessors in the inning had walked away with Ks. The Citizens Bank Park crowd expressed their particular feelings for the Peach State superstar, roaring with delight whenever he fouled the ball off; the cheers reached a fever pitch when he whiffed for strike three.
Wheeler wrapped up his start after the sixth: three hits, one earned run, two walks, nine strikeouts. Jonathan Bowlan took over, allowing a homer to Austin Riley to narrow the score to 4-2. José Alvarado took the eighth, and kept the score where it was. And so, it was time for Jhoan Duran to do his thing. He did, striking out Michael Harris II, inducing a ground out from Mauricio Dubon, and another from Albies. That’s the game.
The Phillies are 80-62. They return to action on Sunday at 1:o5 for game three of the series.
Alex Call was originally tabbed to take Rushing's spot at DH, but he and left fielder Teoscar Hernández swapped spots in another lineup update six minutes later. In that same update, it was also announced that Kiké Hernández would start at third base in place of Muncy. Shohei Ohtani also remains out for his third consecutive game.
The team has yet to give a reason for either last-minute change, though Rushing reportedly was pulled after throwing on the field pregame, according to the OC Register's Bill Plunkett. He was originally scratched for the same reason on Aug. 2 with what Dodgers brass referred to as "irritation" at the time, only for an MRI to reveal a partially torn UCL in his right elbow. Rushing returned early last week, forgoing a rehab assignment entirely in a surprise move to many. The 25-year-old is unable to catch, so he's been available strictly as a lefty bat off the bench. He's pinch-hit in each of the Dodgers' four games since his return and has hit 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Muncy, on the other hand, has been relatively injury-free this season for the first time in years. He's been one of the Dodgers' most reliable hitters this season, posting a .826 OPS with 26 home runs through 130 games -- the most he's played since 2023. He was also named to the NL All-Star team this summer for the first time in five years and became Dodger Stadium's all-time leader in homers. However, Muncy has struggled as of late along with most of the Dodgers' offense, as he's hit just 1-for-22 over his last eight games.
Shohei Ohtani injury update
Dave Roberts told reporters Ohtani was set to hit in the cage on Saturday for the first time in a few days. He expects to talk with the two-way phenom on Sunday to see how he feels coming out of it, and that conversation will factor into whether Ohtani will need an IL stint or not.
Dodgers lineup vs. Washington Nationals for Saturday, Sept. 5
Here's what LA's batting order now looks like after late scratches to Muncy and Rushing:
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 05: Martín Pérez #33 of the Atlanta Braves takes the sign from the catcher during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, September 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Denis Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After winning the battle of the aces on Friday to kick off this huge division rival series, the Braves had a Martin Perez vs Zack Wheeler matchup to contend with tonight.
Things started inauspiciously for Atlanta, as two singles and a walk from their first three batters of the game turned into zero runs in the first, followed immediately by four walks and a single allowed by Perez in the bottom of the inning to put the Braves in a 3-0 hole going into the second inning. Ronald pulled one back for the Braves in the third with a monster solo homer on a sweeper that wasn’t in an awful location from Wheeler. That was also Ronald’s 500th career RBI, which he picked up in style.
Perez allowed a solo homer to Schwarber, giving back the run in the fourth and allowed two more singles but Ray Kerr stranded those two Phillies to maintain the 4-1 deficit. That’s only 3.2 innings and 4 largely deserved runs allowed for Perez in a pretty rough outing for the veteran. Kerr stabilized the game and a big solo homer from Austin brought another run back in the seventh, making it a 4-2 game.
Kerr ended his outing with a big 3.1 scoreless innings with only the one strikeout but no walks and 5 whiffs on 35 pitches. Brent Suter worked a scoreless eighth, despite a single and a walk, giving the offense once last chance to overcome a two run deficit in the ninth. They went down in order to Jhoan Duran, handing the Phillies a 4-2 win to even the series.
While the offense didn’t do enough to win this game, despite some bad sequencing luck to only get 2 runs from 2 mammoth homers, Perez’ command meltdown gave the Phillies a lead that they would never relinquish.
We’ll be back tomorrow at 1:10 PM ET for game 3 of this 4-game wrap-around series.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 13: Bobby Miller #28 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks on the field during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch on February 13, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers swapped relievers in the bullpen on Saturday, activating Bobby Miller from the 60-day injured list with Kyle Hurt getting optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The timing of the move helps provide a lesson in timing and roster planning with just over three weeks remaining in the regular season.
The immediate need is available arms to cover Sunday and Monday’s games. Sunday was an open spot in the rotation already on the nine-game homestand, and Monday opened up after Eric Lauer was placed on the injured list after his start last Tuesday. Justin Wrobleski, who pitched two innings on Tuesday, will be available for bulk innings on Sunday against the Nationals. Miller will be potentially available Sunday as well up to around 50 pitches if needed if he doesn’t pitch on Saturday, manager Dave Roberts said Saturday.
Miller began the season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, and also dealt with a back injury this season. During his rehab assignment for Triple-A Oklahoma City, Miller put up a 3.86 ERA in seven games, with 17 strikeouts and four walks in 14 innings. His last two outings were exactly one inning, but his first five games with the Comets were between two and three innings, and ranged from 44-50 pitches.
“I feel like my stuff has played up a little bit better [in relief], but being in attack mode just all the time is really a mindset out there,” Miller said Saturday. “Try to get ahead of every single hitter, not get in a ton of 3-2 counts, just try to get the hitter out as best you can.”
Whether Miller is even an upgrade over Hurt is at least debatable, as at least one Dodgers reliever was surprised to see Hurt in street clothes with a travel bag packed walking out of the clubhouse on Saturday. But Miller is more likely than Hurt to provide length, and the fresh arm express isn’t always fair.
Miller started his rehab assignment on August 5, which meant Thursday was his 30th day on rehab, the longest allowed for pitchers while on the injured list. Barring a setback or another injury, that’s the point at which the team must activate the pitcher off the IL, whether adding him to the active roster or option him.
Ben Casparius was in a similar situation last week, but hadn’t pitched since August 19, and was shut down with arm fatigue. Same for Gavin Stone, who’s 30th day on rehab was on Friday, but he hasn’t pitched since August 25 and is dealing with a biceps issue per Jack Harris of the California Post. So they remain on the 60-day injured list and will likely remain there the rest of the season.
Miller though was healthy, and joined the team on taxi squad on Friday until they determined when he would actually get called up. While the Dodgers could have activated him from the injured list and optioned him to remain with Oklahoma City, the baseball calendar comes into play here. The final day of the regular season is September 27, and had the Dodgers optioned Miller now and he remained in the minors, he’d have burned up his third and final option season, having used options in 2024 and 2025. But by calling him up now, if Miller can stick around until at least Wednesday, there won’t be the 20 days remaining in the season for him to exhaust an option year, whether he gets sent down past then or not.
That would keep Miller as a more functional depth piece on the roster going into 2027 if the Dodgers so choose.
Odd man out
Because Miller was on the 60-day injured list, the Dodgers needed a corresponding move to make room for him back on the 40-man roster. The axe fell on center fielder Alek Thomas, who was designated for assignment on Saturday, just four days after he was optioned as the Dodgers have turned to mostly Tommy Edman and some Kiké Hernández in center field for the next few weeks as they wait for Andy Pages to return from a broken hand.
Sure, this hurts the Dodgers center field depth in the short term, but most of their decision on Thomas was already made on Tuesday when he was sent to the minors. Thomas has already been on optional assignment well over 20 days this year so he will be out of options going into 2027. He was not long for the 40-man roster because of that lack of flexibility, and this just gets a head start on that, though Thomas could also clear waivers and potentially remain in the organization.
The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to weigh their options when it comes to Shohei Ohtani's status.Ohtani was not in the starting lineup as a designated hitter for a third straight game as the Dodgers took on the Washington Nationals on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is “hopeful” that Ohtani won’t need a stint on the injury list, but the team continues to take a "day-to-day" approach with him.
Ohtani had been a constant fixture in the lineup, not having missed a game since July 30 before this latest absence.
Ohtani had some discomfort in his biceps and neck during the Dodgers' 8-6 home loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 2. He went 0-for-4, but did walk and score a run.
Ohtani was working toward his first pitching start since July 3, when knee inflammation and biceps discomfort kept him off the mound. Ohtani had a short bullpen session on Aug. 28, but it wasn’t enough to earn the green light to take the mound for a game.He was working through his pitching progression, making an attempt to come back before things came to a halt following a short bullpen session.
Is there a reason Dodgers won't put Shohei Ohtani on IL?
While only the staff knows for certain, the Dodgers' hesitation to put Ohtani on the injury list could be because of an MLB rule. Ohtani is considered a two-way player, and because of that status, he would be placed on the 15-day injured list instead of the 10-day list.
If he were placed on the IL shortly after missing his third game, the placement can be backdated up to three days, meaning he only has to spend 12 days on the list from the day he is placed. If he is placed Sept. 5, he could return by Sept. 18, but every day the Dodgers delay the decision only pushes back the number of days he can spend on the roster during the regular season before ramping up ahead of the postseason.
The Dodgers will have 20 games left in the regular season, finishing out the schedule with six of the last nine games coming against the San Francisco Giants. A three-game home stand with the San Diego Padres will be sandwiched in between.
Has Shohei Ohtani ever been on the IL before?
Ohtani has only been on the injured list three times during his MLB career. He had a 24-day stint in 2018 while he was with the Los Angeles Angels due to a Grade 2 UCL Sprain in his right elbow.
Ohtani did not pitch the rest of the season but continued as a hitter.
He then started the following season on the 10-day IL to continue to heal from Tommy John surgery.
He also suffered a right oblique strain and a torn UCL that put an end to his final season with the Angels back in September 2023. He was placed on the 10-day injured list after already being shut down as a pitcher and missing 11 consecutive games.
The Buffalo Sabres’ 2025-26 season was largely a success, with the Sabres winning the Atlantic Division, as well as their first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series against the Boston Bruins. Buffalo fell to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round, but at long last, there was real reason for optimism in Western New York.
This is why, for the second straight year at TheHockeyNews.com, we're breaking down the Sabres’ Eastern Conference opponents in a series called “Know Your Enemy”. And in this particular file, we’re focused on a team that’s fallen from being the gold standard of NHL teams to the bottom of the Atlantic – the Detroit Red Wings.
BUFFALO SABRES VS. DETROIT RED WINGS
NEW RED WINGS PLAYERS: Viktor Arvidsson (RW), Keegan Kolesar (RW) Daniil Tarasov (G)
2025-26 SERIES: Sabres 2-1-0, Red Wings 1-1-1
2026-27 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: December 28, at Buffalo; February 21 at Detroit; March 12 at Detroit; April 10 at Buffalo
CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM? The Sabres handled most of their business with the Red Wings last season, but this year, Detroit will be a desperate team – and the way the schedule-maker has put together Buffalo’s 2026-27 campaign, the games against the Wings could prove to be the difference between home-ice advantage – or worse, the difference between making or missing the playoffs.
Indeed, the Sabres play their final regular-season game against the Red Wings this coming year when they host Detroit. If pre-season projections are correct, the Wings will be well out of the playoff picture by that final game. So they could be in prime spoiler mode at that point, and Buffalo has to be ready to play high-stakes hockey from Game No. 1 through Game No. 84.
By the time the Sabres play their first game against Detroit this coming season, the Wings should have another GM in place as Steve Yzermans’ successor – or at least, you’d hope. As a matter of fact, you’d have hoped the Red Wings would’ve already had a new GM. But that speaks to the organization’s problems.
That said, the Wings team Buffalo will see in December could be significantly different than their current roster. Certainly, Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin’s trade request will almost certainly result in him moving on. But the new Wings GM will have to start trading off more veterans as they try to chart a new course for the franchise.
The Wings used to be the measuring stick by which all teams were judged, but those days are long ago. And the Sabres have to take advantage of that.
Taking it to Detroit is an absolute must for this Buffalo team, and if they don’t do that, the Sabres are liable to regret it at season’s end.
You know, based on the number of baserunners the Cubs had in this game — 13 hits and six walks, not to mention a hit batsman — they should have scored many, many more than six runs. RISPy business, again — 4-for-18 (!) with runners in scoring position, 11 men left on base, and more baserunning hijinks I’ll describe below.
Early on, the Cubs were doing real good work at keeping guys off the bases. Except not the other team’s runners… instead, their own.
In the first, Michael Busch got himself called out on strikes on something you almost never see — a batter timer violation. This was apparently called, per the boxscore, because he called timeout for a second time in the at-bat.
It’s a baseball axiom that you try not to make the first out of an inning at third base, given that if you’re on second with nobody out, you’re already in scoring position.
It’s also a baseball axiom that you shouldn’t make the third out of an inning at third base, but the Cubs did that in that inning as well. Hoerner had taken second on the play on Happ at third, but one out later he tried to steal third and was thrown out.
So by that time the Cubs had three hits and nothing to show for it. More on that baserunning from BCB’s JohnW53:
The Cubs’ two runners out at third in the second inning were just their 28th and 29th outs on bases all season. Their 27 to start the day tied them with the Cardinals for third fewest. The Rangers had 26; the Mariners, 23. The Marlins had the most by far, 62 to the runner-up Nationals’ 56. The combined average of the 29 other teams was 40, nearly half again more than the Cubs’ 27.
After Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out, Seiya Suzuki walked. One out later, Alex Bregman was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Happ then singled in a pair [VIDEO].
The Cubs made it 4-0 in the top of the fourth. With two out, Miguel Amaya doubled and PCA singled him in [VIDEO].
Javier Assad had held the Marlins scoreless for three innings, but had run up a high pitch count with a lot of walks. In the bottom of the fourth, another walk came back to bite Assad, as that plus a double and a couple of force plays scored a pair of Marlins to make it 4-2.
Assad gave up a leadoff single in the fifth, then retired the next two Marlins. At 88 pitches, he was removed to have lefty Caleb Thielbar face Griffin Conine. I mean, that’s statistically the right thing to do, but… Thielbar served up a two-run homer to Conine on his fourth pitch to make it a one-run game.
More on Assad’s day from John:
This was the Cubs’ 19,646th regular-season game since the Modern Era began in 1901.
t was the first in which their starting pitcher finished with an exact line of 4.2 innings pitched, three runs allowed, three hits and five walks.
Six previous starters had gone 4.2, 3 R and 3 H but no more than four walks: Bob Buhl in 1963 (0 walks), Juan Cruz in 2002 (4), Angel Guzman in 2006 (2), Carlos Zambrano in 2009 (4), Adbert Alzolay in 2021 (1) and Edward Cabrera on May 15 (3).
The Cubs pushed the lead back to two runs in the top of the sixth. Conforto led off with a single and Amaya sacrificed him to second. The sac bunt is not something Craig Counsell likes much. It was just the eighth all year for the Cubs, fewest in MLB. But they were trying to stay out of a possible double-play situation, the right thing to do, and Amaya executed.
Thielbar was much better in the sixth, retiring the Marlins in order, including a pair of strikeouts.
Kyle Stowers homered off Trent Thornton in the seventh to cut the lead to one again. Ryan Rolison had to clean up that inning after Thornton hit two Marlins hitters with two out, which he did with a ground out. In the bottom of the eighth with a Miami runner on second and one out, Ryan Zeferjahn was called on, and got the next two hitters via ground out. The Cubs got their first two hitters on base in the ninth via walks, but could not score any insurance runs.
That left it to Zeferjahn to nail things down, as Jacob Webb is still apparently unavailable after the injury he suffered against the Brewers on Wednesday. Stowers was the first Marlins hitter and Zeferjahn got him on a ground ball, then he struck out Heriberto Hernandez.
Then Zeferjahn appeared to have struck out Conine on a 100 mile per hour fastball to end the game. That was overturned via ABS challenge, a very close pitch. How close? This close! [VIDEO]
As noted in the headline, Zeferjahn becomes the 14th Cubs pitcher to record a save this year. The other 13: Webb (9 saves), Thornton (3), Thielbar (3), Daniel Palencia (3), Rolison (2), Assad (2), Aaron Civale (2), Jordan Wicks (2), Colin Rea (1), Hoby Milner (1), Ben Brown (1), Gavin Hollowell (1) and Corbin Martin (1). The team total of 32 ranks 22nd in MLB (and the Cubs also have 24 blown saves).
Zeferjahn did good work in this game, just when the Cubs really needed someone to step up. Perhaps he’ll become a useful reliver after all.
And a couple more game notes from John:
This may be a little hard to believe, given the late-inning drama, but the Cubs never trailed in the game.
In each of their three straight wins, they have scored first and never fallen behind. They had only one streak of at least three such wins this season: four in a row, April 28-May 2. The won at San Diego, 8-3 and 5-4, and at home vs. the Diamondbacks, 6-5 and 2-0. But in both at San Diego they took an early lead, were tied, then pulled away. They have scored first and held the lead in each of the last three wins.
…..
This was the Cubs’ 11,500th win in the regular season since 1876, first year of the National League. Only two teams had won more going today: the Giants, 11,680, and Dodgers, 11,609. The Cardinals were fourth, with 11,434. The Cubs’ 11,000th was a 9-3 victory at Detroit on Aug. 24, 2020. Since then, they are 499-485.
Thus the Cubs will go for the series sweep Sunday afternoon in Miami. Clay Holmes will start for the Cubs and Tyler Phillips goes for the Marlins. Game time Sunday is 12:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
New York Mets pitcher Nate Lavender throws to the Houston Astros in the sixth inning at Citi Field in Queens, New York, Friday, August 28, 2026.
No one at the major league level has seen more of Nate Lavender’s fastball than Luis Torrens, whose job catching the new Mets reliever has gone from challenging to almost comical.
In the first days of Lavender’s major league life, the ball jumped on Torrens a bit faster than he expected. Now from his crouch, he is watching opposing hitter after opposing hitter go through the same adjustment process.
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“I feel like the hitters know the numbers, the metrics, but actually when they’re going to face him, you see weird takes against the fastball,” Torrens said this weekend before the Mets’ 9-5 loss to the Giants on Saturday at Citi Field.
Hitters will seek out the four-seamer and then get the exact pitch they were looking for. And yet they don’t swing because it is already upon them.
“They go like, ‘Oh f–k, that’s the fastball,’” Torrens said with a smile.
With a funky delivery that sneaks up on seemingly every hitter he has seen, Lavender has emerged as not just a nice piece but among the most dominant relievers in the sport since his call-up.
Entering Saturday’s 9-5 loss to the Giants at Citi Field, Lavender had been the third-most valuable reliever in baseball — according to FanGraphs’ version of WAR — since debuting Aug. 4, a touch behind Houston’s Josh Hader and Pittsburgh’s Mason Montgomery.
Nate Lavender delivers a pitch in the sixth inning of the Mets’ loss to the Astros on Aug. 28, 2026 at Citi Field. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
His numbers have been otherworldly, carrying a 0.00 ERA this season, the 12 consecutive scoreless innings to begin his career the second-longest such streak in team history. The lefty had faced 44 batters and allowed just eight to reach (five hits, three walks) while striking out 14.
No, Lavender has not come out of nowhere: He was a rising prospect with the Mets before injuries (notably 2024 internal brace surgery) struck, went to the Rays as a Rule 5 project and was returned in December because injuries (notably 2025 bone spur surgery) struck again.
But his fastball continues to seem to come out of nowhere, a weapon that has barely been touched and apparently barely been seen — all while averaging a touch over 92 mph, one of the slower four-seamers in the majors.
“But it plays like 97 [mph],” Torrens said. “It’s a heavy, heavy 92.”
The heaviness is a product of deception and extension, neither of which was necessarily a goal, Lavender said, but happy accidents that have helped him since he was a child whose father just wanted him to stay healthy.
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The pride of Hudson, Ill., had to develop a good fastball as a kid because, well, Dad said so: He didn’t want his son throwing breaking balls and risking injury. If Lavender wanted to throw a different pitch, “Throw a changeup” was the advice.
“I’m sure there’s remnants [in my delivery] of that kid in there that just picked up a ball,” Lavender said, “and that’s just the way I naturally throw it.”
He fought one of those natural instincts as a freshman at the University of Illinois, where a pitching coach worked with him to shorten his arm path to protect against injury. Previously, he would reach back so his arm would lag behind the rest of his body, and then lift it at a bit under a 90-degree angle before releasing. It was a long whip-around, and the shorter arm path would help keep him healthy (a hope whose irony Lavender acknowledged).
A side benefit: With such a short path, there is very little time for hitters to pick up the ball.
Nate Lavender walks off the mound in the eighth inning of the Mets’ win over the Padrees on Aug. 17, 2026 at Citi Field. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
And so as a professional, Lavender’s left hand goes from glove to behind him to delivery in remarkable speed. His body hides the ball, then his right, gloved arm serves as another blocker before his head is the final shield, the ball whipping out from behind his cap and then bearing down on the batter, a fastball that averages just 92.7 mph but holds hitters to 2-for-25 with 10 strikeouts entering play.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve necessarily always tried to hide the ball well,” the 26-year-old said, “I think it’s just been a byproduct of my natural delivery and then just trying to keep the body in good positions.”
Adding to hitters’ discomfort is Lavender’s 6-foot-2, long stature. His right, lead foot gets far down the mound, which makes for an elite amount of extension. By the time the ball leaves his left hand, he is an average of 7.1 feet closer to the plate, among the best in the majors.
Lavender is aware that his extension is a strength, but it’s not one that he said he has cultivated.
“I think it’s just part of my natural stroke to the plate,” he said.
Both the natural and the learned arm path have teamed to turn a 2021 14th-round selection who leads with a fastball that hasn’t touched 95 mph into one of the best relievers in the game for the past month and a surefire, real piece for the 2027 Mets.
They have left opposing hitters muttering at a 92.7 mph four-seamer.
“I’m thankful that that deception’s in there,” Lavender said, “and I can use it to my advantage.”
Shohei Ohtani is not the Dodgers’ only pressing injury concern.
Shortly before first pitch on Saturday, the team scratched Max Muncy and Dalton Rushing (who was set to serve as designated hitter in Ohtani’s absence) from its starting lineup for that night’s game against the Nationals.
The good news: The team announced that Muncy was only “sick,” averting a more serious issue with its veteran third baseman.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy walks into the dugout during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
Rushing had been playing through the issue since the start of this week, returning to the active roster for hitting-only duties –– as a pinch-hitter and as an option at DH.
But now, his status is in doubt again, with the Dodgers awaiting MRI results to know whether he will need to return to the injured list.
Rushing originally hurt his elbow a month ago, getting diagnosed with his slightly torn UCL after feeling pain while warming up for an Aug. 2 game.
His scratch Saturday, however, came after he was seen playing catch in the outfield pregame.
“He was doing some early throwing today, and it just kind of flared up,” Roberts said. “I think we’ll kind of put a pin in throwing for now … I still believe that hitting is on the table. We’ll just see how it feels tomorrow.”
If Rushing is forced onto the injured list, they Dodgers will almost certainly call-up another left-handed bat to replace him. Highly-touted prospect James Tibbs III figures to be one potential option, after getting consideration for a promotion when rosters expanded at the start of the month. However, outfielder Ryan Ward and infielder Hyeseong Kim present alternatives who are already on the 40-man roster.
“Possibly,” Roberts said when asked if an IL stint was likely for Rushing. “I think depending on how the scan comes back.”
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing (68) rounds third base to score a run against the San Diego Padres in the fifth inning of a baseball game on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
Muncy, on the other hand, is dealing with a much less concerning issue that came out of the blue.
The slugger has been struggling lately, mired in a 1-for-22 slump over his last eight games. On the season, though, he has been one of the Dodgers’ most consistent hitters, batting .245 with 26 home runs, 68 RBIs and a .826 OPS.
Roberts said they would also evalaute how he is recovering on Sunday before deciding if he can return to the lineup.
Thornton allowed four home runs in the game, two apiece from star slugger Rafael Devers and righty shortstop Christian Koss. The six earned runs he allowed today was a season-worst mark for the rookie southpaw, although he did also strike out six batters.
"Obviously, the home runs there, it's not what he's looking for," said Green. "The wind was blowing them out; they took advantage of that at the plate and we didn't."
"There were some middle-of-the-plate pitches that got hit... Six strikeouts show some encouraging trends, but still more barrels than he'd like today," he continued.
Thornton, still just 24 years old, showed maturity beyond his years, taking accountability for the mistake pitches but refusing to change the "pound the zone" approach which has brought him success this season.
"My cutter shape was fine, I just didn't have the location for it," Thornton admitted. "But I'll continue to throw strikes... it's baseball, this can happen to a lot of people."
Green agreed with Thornton's assessment of his cutter, the pitch he uses most frequently (30.6% of the time).
"I don't think that he got that cutter inside enough to speed [the Giants batters] up," Green stated.
On the other end of the rookie performance spectrum today, Ewing went 1-for-2 at the plate with a 407-foot homer in his first at-bat of the game. He also drew two walks.
"I love the two walks as much as the home run," Green said of Ewing after the game. "He deserves credit... I think that's indicative of him being in a good spot and trusting who he is."
Among qualified hitters, Ewing's strikeout rate (26.4%, in the 16th percentile) and walk rate (9.0%, in the 46th percentile) are both below league average, and improving in those areas could be key to further fulfilling his potential.
"It felt good to feel that contact again," Ewing said of his round-tripper, his first since July 8th.
"It's all about sticking to a plan and an approach, that's how good things happen," the 22-year-old rookie concluded.
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