Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer were together on some memorable Detroit teams before moving on and winning championships elsewhere.
Will they eventually enter the Hall of Fame as part of the same class?
The first question is whether both will retire after this season. The 43-year-old Verlander already jas announced this is his final year. He’s made only one start in a reunion season with the Tigers, although Detroit fans are hoping he can return for another.
Scherzer’s future is less clear. The 42-year-old right-hander is slated to start at Baltimore, as the Blue Jays try to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive, but Scherzer has posted ERAs over 5.00 both this season and last. He’s on a one-year contract with Toronto.
Some other prominent players also may have made — or might be making — their last appearances in the major leagues. Trey Mancini signed a one-day contract to retire with the Orioles and was celebrated in Baltimore. Andrew McCutchen and Carlos Santana, both 39, were released in August. Craig Kimbrel, now 38, has pitched for 10 different big league teams in the last six seasons.
Paul Goldschmidt is 39, but his team — the New York Yankees — is heading to the playoffs. And he may be more important than expected if Aaron Judge is out.
With a lockout possible after this season, there could be some retirements we don’t anticipate. Rick Sutcliffe, Bo Jackson and Hall of Famer Goose Gossage, for example, never played again after the 1994 strike but didn’t actually retire until the following year.
Trivia time
Who is the most recent player voted into the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA whose primary team was the Tigers? (The drought likely will end soon with Miguel Cabrera and then Verlander.)
Performance of the week
Angel Martínez homered from both sides of the plate and had four hits in Cleveland’s 12-6 win over the Athletics. The Guardians have won five straight and are closing in on a postseason spot. They have a one-game lead over the Chicago White Sox atop the AL Central, and it’s another three games back from the White Sox to Toronto and Houston in the race for the last wild card.
In the National League, Philadelphia leads Arizona by four games for the final wild card, so anyone rooting for chaos may be disappointed.
Comeback of the week
Detroit was down 8-2 in the fifth inning before scoring nine unanswered runs to win 11-8 over the White Sox. Kevin McGonigle hit a three-run triple, and both Hao-Yu Lee and Riley Greene added two-run homers during the comeback. Detroit’s win probability was down to 3.2% in the fourth inning according to Baseball Savant.
That’s the only game the Tigers have won out of their last five. They’ve been eliminated from the playoff race, the end of a frustrating season in which nothing seemed to go as planned.
Team of the week
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres both went 6-1, with the Dodgers posting the superior run differential. A three-game sweep of San Francisco leaves the Dodgers four games ahead of Atlanta for the second bye in the National League as they try for a third consecutive World Series title.
There still are health concerns for the Dodgers, with Shohei Ohtani on the injured list and Blake Snell having left his last start after one inning.
Los Angeles did get Edwin Diaz back, and he threw scoreless innings on back-to-back days.
Trivia answer
Al Kaline, who was inducted in 1980.
George Kell, Hal Newhouser, Jim Bunning, Sparky Anderson, Jack Morris and Alan Trammell have been elected since then with the Tigers as their primary team, but they weren’t voted in by the BBWAA.
Hockey is officially back! The Pittsburgh Penguins will play their first preseason game of the year against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.
The Penguins will feature some of their regulars on Monday, but younger players will also be in the lineup as they fight for roster spots.
The top line will feature Ben Kindel between Bryan Rust and Andrei Kuzmenko. Those three have played together throughout training camp and have looked comfortable. Now, it's time to see what they can do in game action.
Defensemen Harrison Brunicke and Owen Pickering will be paired together after practicing on a pair during camp. They've both had great camps and will have an opportunity to start the preseason on a high note.
Goaltender Sergei Murashov will play in the first half of the game, while Joel Blomqvist will get the second half.
Here are the expected lines and pairs:
Forwards
Kuzmenko-Kindel-Rust
Hallander-Lapierre-Brazeau
Dewar-Broz-Soderblom
Howe-Gustafsson-Hayes
Defensemen
Van Riemsdyk-Letang
Graves-Pietila
Pickering-Brunicke
It certainly appears that forward Carter Sanderson and defenseman Tomas Galvas will be the scratches.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
“That is one of several aggressive financial projections included in an investor presentation being circulated by Thrive Capital,” Toonkel and Maurer wrote. “… In the presentation, the buyers laid out plans to expand the storied National Basketball Association franchise, including through international growth and new opportunities in local media rights.
“Those moves would help boost the Lakers’ valuation to at least $30 billion in a decade, the buyer group said, assuming that TV and streaming rights double in value. More favorable assumptions for the same period would place the long-term valuation at $62 billion.”
Iger and Kushner believe they will simply be propelling an already prosperous franchise. According to Iger and Kushner’s investment group, Thrive Capital, the Lakers are tracking to produce $681 million in revenue this year — led by ticketing and media rights — with projections to hit $1.6 billion by 2037.
“Profits are expected to zoom up as well, with adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization set to more than triple from an estimated $129 million to more than $589 million over that span, according to the presentation,” Toonkel and Maurer wrote.
The key point with all of this news is what actually means for the fans and the on-court product. Fans do not care about billionaires bolstering their pocket books. If the Lakers are going to generate more revenue and explode in value as a franchise, ownership better invest a significant chunk (or all of it, really) back into the team or the fan experience.
Good owners spend, whether that’s enhancing TV production and in-arena pageantry, paying staffers a proper wage or ensuring finances aren’t an impediment for the Lakers’ team-building. Iger and Kushner seem confident and outspoken about their ownership tenure elevating Los Angeles to new heights monetarily. That won’t matter if such a development does nothing to benefit the Lakers’ on-court success or enjoyment for the fans.
BALTIMORE — The Milwaukee Brewers haven’t won more than five in a row all year. It hasn’t stopped them from setting a single-season franchise record for victories.
Milwaukee broke the mark it set last season, smothering the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 to improve to 98-58.
“We haven’t had these streaks of greatness,” manager Pat Murphy said. “We haven’t put it all together.”
Even without rattling off an extended run, the Brewers have the best record in the majors. They’ve already clinched their fourth consecutive NL Central title and will make their eighth postseason appearance in nine years. Twice in that span they’ve advanced to the NLCS, including last year, but they have not reached the World Series since 1982.
Milwaukee completed its ninth series sweep of the season while receiving help from all over the roster. The Brewers stole four bases, got a stellar diving catch from center fielder Garrett Mitchell in the seventh inning and had seven pitchers combine on a four-hit shutout for the record-setting victory with six games left.
“It means a lot,” said pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (15-5, 1.86 ERA), who gave up a hit and struck out four in three innings in an abbreviated start designed to manage his workload.
“It’s always a big deal to set a new record, a franchise record at that. Hopefully, we get a few more and get to a little bigger number.”
Milwaukee enters the final week of the season two games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the NL and needs only one more victory or an Atlanta loss to lock up a bye into the division series.
“It’s hard to be in this spot to begin with, and I don’t think it’s appreciated enough,” Murphy said. “I think people don’t realize how hard it is for any of the 30 teams to put themselves in this position, and that’s what makes me proud of these guys. We’re not the oldest team, we’re not the most experienced, we’re not the most talented. We’re not the most a lot of things, but for sure they’ve proven they’re a team.”
The St. Louis Blues have no shortage of NHL-caliber bottom-six players, but the simple fact is that not all of those players will make the opening-night roster, which is why the latest report stating the Blues are open to trades is unsurprising.
According to trusted NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Blues have made it known that they have plenty of NHL-caliber depth forwards who they are willing to part with.
“One thing I kind of heard is that in St. Louis, for example, they have a bunch of NHL guys who are kind of in the bottom six, and not all of them are going to make their team," said Friedman on his podcast, 32 Thoughts. "And I think the Blues have let it be known that if you want some NHL depth, deeper in your roster, guys who’ve played, we have extras.”
The veteran core the Blues are bringing into the season includes Jonatan Berggren, Pius Suter, Ross Johnston, Alexey Toropchenko, Dillon Dube, Nathan Walker, Oskar Sundqvist and Jack Finley.
This also includes younger players waiting for their opportunity, like Otto Stenberg, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Zach Dean, Justin Carbonneau and Dylan Peterson, although those players are unlikely to be traded.
From the veteran group, Ross Johnston is the least likely to be traded, as he was signed to a three-year deal in the off-season to be the team's physical presence and enforcer.
There are only so many spots, and realistically, there are just five spots to be earned from a group of 13 players. Stenberg, Carobonneau and Kaskimaki are likely out of the race due to being waivers exempt. Dean and Peterson are on two-way contracts, but the organization likely wants to see a bit more from them before calling them up.
Of the veteran group, Johnston likely has his spot locked down, and Suter should get the first run as the fourth-line center. Berggren showed he was capable of a middle six role last year and it would be shocking to not see him start on the third line.
That leaves Toropchenko, Walker, Sundqvist, Finley, and Dube fighting for one roster spot and one 13th forward spot. Three players will be sent on waivers and could be claimed by other teams. If the Blues don't see a future for them in the NHL, trading them and receiving a draft pick in exchange will help mitigate the loss.
Any of those players could be traded, but Suter's name could draw the most interest. He's a better player than a fourth-line center, but with the makeup of the roster, it's the role he's been reduced to. Suter earns $4.125 million for the remainder of this season before becoming a UFA.
NHL teams in need of center depth, especially someone with Suter's two-way versatility, could be willing to part ways with serious assets.
The Blues remain insistent on competing, and keeping Suter provides them with a strong lineup. But in the case where they think Kaskimaki or Dean could adequately fill that role, they could look to offload Suter.
Whichever direction the Blues go, they could be very active in the trade market.
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CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 17: The Los Angeles Dodgers pose for a photo on the infield after defeating the Cincinnati Reds to clinch the NL West Division title at Great American Ball Park on September 17, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers are taking advantage of the schedule in front of them, with 14 wins in 19 September games, including winning the last 10 in a row at home. This week that meant beating the Reds three times in four games in Cincinnati, then returning to Los Angeles to sweep the Giants.
Kyle Tucker is starting to turn things around at the plate, and followed up an excellent series the previous weekend in Miami with nine hits in 20 at-bats, with three home runs and two doubles, with six walks and just one strikeout.
Honorable mention goes to Mookie Betts, who tied a Dodgers record with three doubles on Saturday, part of a stretch of three consecutive games with at least three hits. Will Smith found his power again with two home runs and a double, and Alex Freeland reached base eight times in 14 trips to the plate, including a home run and a double.
Pitcher of the week
Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to beat the Reds on Tuesday, his third straight seven-inning start in September. Yamamoto this season has allowed zero or one run in 14 of his 27 starts.
Honorable mention goes to Justin Wrobleski, who retired all nine batters he faced with three strikeouts while starting Thursday’s division clincher in Cincinnati, and to Landon Knack, who got the win in that game with four scoreless innings in relief. Also to Emmet Sheehan, who continued his strong six-week run with nine strikouts in 5 1/3 scoreless frames on Sunday.
Week 26 results
6-1 record 39 runs scored (5.57 per game) 16 runs allowed (2.29 per game) .836 pythagorean win percentage
Year to date
96-60 record 780 runs scored (5.00 per game) 587 runs allowed (3.76 per game) .627 pythagorean win percentage (98-58)
Miscellany
Half a hundred: The Dodgers have won 10 games in a row at home, and Sunday’s win was their 50th win at Dodger Stadium this season. That’s six straight years with 50 wins at home, plus seven straight full seasons dating back to 2019. Since moving into Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers won 50 home games 12 times in 51 full seasons through 2014. But since 2015, they’ve won at least 50 games at home 10 times in 11 full seasons.
Parliamentary procedure: After making the All-Star team as a starter with the Kansas City Royals in 2025, left-hander Kris Bubic was on the 60-day injured list when the Dodgers acquired him just ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. Now he’s pitching in relief, angling for a spot on the postseason roster. With his appearance on Wednesday, Bubic became the 33rd different Dodgers pitcher used this season. So far, Bubic has four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings in three appearances. “It’s just funk,” manager Dave Roberts said Sunday of Bubic. “It’s nothing overpowering, but there’s just funky swings, soft contact. I see him as a neutral pitcher, gets left and right out. I like those converted starters, because he knows how to navigate lineups.”
Monday: The fresh arm express was busy this week, beginning with Emmet Sheehangetting optioned the day after pitching six scoreless innings, in favor of Paul Gervase.
Monday: One day after a rare bad outing, Edgardo Henriquez was placed on the injured list with low back discomfort, ending his regular season and putting his playoff availability in question. Bobby Miller returned from Triple-A.
Wednesday: Trade deadline acquisition Kris Bubic was activated off the 60-day IL to make his Dodgers debut in relief, the team’s 33rd pitcher of the season. Gervase was optioned and Ryan Ward was designated for assignment.
Thursday: Miller was sent back to Oklahoma City, and Landon Knack was called up to pitch four scoreless innings in relief in the division clincher in Cincinnati.
Sunday: Sheehan got the call back up to the Dodgers, with Tarik Skubal placed on the bereavement list. Kyle Hurt was also called up, with Seth Halvorsen optioned.
The Dodgers conclude the regular season by running the Dave Dravecky gauntlet, hosting the San Diego Padres before going to San Francisco for three more with the Giants.
Expect Andy Pages and Roki Sasaki (out of the bullpen) to be active for the Padres series beginning Tuesday. Shohei Ohtani could return to the lineup as early as Wednesday.
My wife and I recently spent 12 days in France, and it was fascinating to note the differences between the two countries. I felt the food in France was overrated, as was the Louvre. Don’t get me wrong, both were fine, but based on their reputation, I was expecting more. As for museums, the Musée d’Orsay was much better than the Louvre and far less crowded.
As for the surprises, I felt the French are better drivers than their American counterparts. This is hard for me to admit since I love to drive. In France, you don’t see people sitting at a stoplight texting. I also noticed that slower drivers do not clog up the passing lane, which is close to an epidemic in the U.S. Plus, the French are much more generous in allowing other cars to merge into heavy traffic. Horn honking is rare, and I never witnessed a single event of road rage. Impressive.
Watching cars, delivery trucks, motorcycles, motorized scooters, bicycles, and pedestrians seamlessly navigate Parisian intersections was a sight to behold. We didn’t see one accident the entire time in France. In comparison, we landed in Minneapolis, got on the interstate, and within three miles came upon a semi overturned in the median. Welcome home, podner.
The other thing I was looking for was signs of baseball in France. Granted, France has never been known as an international baseball power. In fact, the country isn’t even a bit player. They do seem to be making improvements, with former major league player and manager Bruce Bochy (who was born in Landes De Bussac) now managing the French national team.
There have been a handful of former major leaguers from France, the most successful being Charlie Lea, who had some good years with the Montreal Expos. Former KU and Royal shortstop Steve Jeltz was born in Paris. And no, current Royal killer Ty France has no connections to the country.
Touring the country, I didn’t see a single baseball field. I didn’t see any children or adults playing catch. That was a bit surprising. A little research shows that there are only 87 baseball fields in the entire country. France is similar in size to the state of Texas. Texas has thousands of baseball diamonds spread across the state. Even a small-population state like Kansas sports well over a thousand ball diamonds. My small hometown of 1,000 souls has two. We used to have three.
I did see several soccer pitches, including the spectacular Stade de France. I’ve always had a thing for stadiums, and this one did not disappoint. Soccer, or as Europeans call it, football, is immensely popular in France, and they’re good at it, as witnessed by their fourth-place finish in this summer’s World Cup. There were many, including me, who thought they might win the whole thing.
I did see a few tennis courts, a couple of track ovals, and even what appeared to be an American football field, but which might have been a rugby pitch. I looked in schoolyards and city parks (which were spectacular, by the way), but no baseball fields. None. Nada. Zilch. Non.
My next social experiment was to start counting the baseball caps I saw on people. Granted, some of these people, probably most, are wearing the caps as a fashion statement and not necessarily as a shoutout to their favorite team. The cap most seen in France, and it hurts me to even type it, was the damn Yankees. And it was the Yankees by a very wide margin. The second most-seen cap was for the Dodgers, but even at that I saw probably 20 Yankee hats for every Dodger cap. I saw so many damn Yankee hats that I had to suppress my urge to blurt out “Yankees suck” every time I saw one.
I did see a Phillies cap, and one Padre cap, plus another that had an M on it, which I couldn’t decide was for Miami, Milwaukee, or Minnesota. Milwaukee should always stick with the MB, which looks like a glove. That cap is a classic. Same for the Twins. They should always go with the TC cap. Looking at caps on the internet, it was Minnesota’s ugly M hat, which is a crime against humanity. And that was it. So, the Yankees either have a lot of fans across the world, or the NY hat is some kind of perverted fashion statement.
People in France don’t seem to be as obsessed with sports as their American cousins. I did read Royals Review every day, and even though we were seven hours ahead, I appreciated the game recaps, so good work, guys. Much appreciated.
I wore a Chiefs shirt one day, which went unnoticed. I was a little disappointed to not even get a single snide comment about the refs helping them out.
I wore an Avalanche shirt another day, and there were several people who shouted out support for the Avs. An older Frenchman stopped me and asked what the AV stood for. “American hockey team,” I said. He nodded and went about his way.
France is a beautiful country with incredibly generous and friendly people. The country is starting to produce some world-class basketball players, but their baseball production is lagging the rest of the world. Sounds like the kind of place the Royals would put some scouts, looking for an “inefficiency.” Note to JJ: Don’t. Keep concentrating on where the ballplayers are: Venezuela. Mexico. Latin America. The good old U.S. of A. Japan. Even Korea is an up-and-coming baseball nation.
The Royals are finishing up their 58th season, and this summer marks the 50th anniversary of their first division championship and playoff appearance. The majority of that 1976 team was put together by their brilliant General Manager, Cedric Tallis, who was finally elected to the Royals Hall of Fame last year. That honor was long overdue, and a tip of the cap to John Sherman and the Royals for righting a wrong.
When we evaluate Tallis’ record, much has been written about his trading prowess and his excellent 1968 expansion draft. Prior to those two events, Tallis had started to sign an assortment of free agents and players from the 1968 draft to fill the Royals’ minor league teams and hopefully uncover a major league player or two. One of those players was Paul Splittorff, who was selected in the 25th round of the 1968 draft out of tiny Morningside College in Iowa and became the Royals’ first draft choice to make the majors.
Who was the first player ever signed by the Royals? That would be pitcher Jerry Lyscio, who was signed by Tallis on April 25, 1968. Lyscio, a Brainard, Minnesota, native, had originally been signed by his home-state Twins in 1964.
After being released by the Twins, Tallis scooped him up and sent him to Dubuque, the Royals’ Class A team. Lyscio won his first three starts for the Packers, which earned him the Midwest League Player of the Month award for May 1968.
For the season, Lyscio appeared in 28 games with 26 starts, threw 195 innings, and put up a 10-10 record with a respectable 3.42 ERA for a team that finished at 54 and 61.
That earned Lyscio a promotion to AA Elmira for the 1969 season. Unfortunately, Lyscio suffered a shoulder injury and never appeared in a game for Elmira. The injury also spelled an end to his baseball career.
That was as close as Jerry Lyscio made it to the show. Baseball is a tough game of survival, and arm injuries, especially in those days, were the death knell for a pitcher.
Despite that, Lyscio will always remain a footnote to history, the first player to ever sign a contract with the Kansas City Royals.
WORCESTER - Woofster, the new mascot of the Worcester Red Sox, made his Polar Park debut Tuesday night. Spt Woosox 907 2 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Worcester: Cancelled (rain), end of season
Remember when Portland’s last game of the season was cancelled due to rain? Oh, that was just last week.
Well, as we’re stuck in a cycle of weekend storms, the last game of the season was cancelled for the WooSox. A factor in this decision was Worcester being eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday night. Still, for the season to end so unceremoniously calls for at least some commemoration, and so I’d like to shout out some names on the roster. I originally intended on going down the line on the website and speculate on future contributions to the team, but, by my estimation, especially since the trade for Adley Rutschman that had a ripple effect through the organization, a good portion of Worcester’s roster are either one-year placeholders until the farm gets replenished with the next couple of drafts or guys that are dealing with significant injuries. So, here’s to the guys that may not be that:
Allan Castrofinished the season with 77 RBIs, two behind Bobby Dalbec for the team record since they relocated to Worcester five years ago… and saying that relocation happened six seasons ago is crazy for someone who went to the first home stand under pandemic crowd protocols. Castro really was a constant for the offense amidst a handful of platoon guys cycling through the team and that can’t be understated. He batted doubtful games back into contention and sealed close games away. If I pick a workhorse/general player of the year, it’s him orBraiden Ward, but only because Franklin Arias started the year in Portland.
Speaking of Braiden Ward, I personally was sad to see Brennan Bernardino go this offseason but loved the return from Colorado. And he performed fantastically, particularly near the end of the season. He ended up swiping 61 total bags and ther’s some clamor around a potential call-up to the Sox who, despite being a generally quick team in terms of baserunning, lack a real Dave Roberts-esque “when you see him, you know he’s going to steal” threat. Ward provides that, is defensively versatile, playing second as well as center field, and is pretty reliable with the bat in a pinch.
Franklin Arias is banging on the door and he will definitively be getting the call either in 2027 or Opening Day 2028, depending entirely on the length of the lockout. Either way, though, keeping him off the 40-man roster for now means, even with a lockout, he’ll get valuable time to improve his exceptional swing even more, though not against Major League arms. His totals across Portland and Worcester read like an All-Star caliber player: 28 home runs, .323/.400/.557 slash line, a 14% strikeout rate, and a plus glove in the infield to boot. Arias may or may not live up to his sky high prospect status, but pencil him in to the next iteration of this Red Sox team, whenever that comes.
John Holobetz will also likely be given the call in 2027. He’s still just 24. The 6’3” righty struck out 132 in 119 innings, walked just 36, had a WIP of a hair under 1.25, but even more comforting is he outperformed his Portland numbers in Worcester, signaling quick growth. While it’s sad that Quinn Priester missed 2026 with an injury, he was a world-beater in 2025, and the value of having steady presence in the rotation can’t be understated Depending how he bounces back in 2027, especially with the Brewers emerging as an NL front runner, expect that trade to go down in the history books as a win-win.
Hayden Mullinsalso put in his best work in 2026, and more specifically, directly before his promotion to Triple-A right before the end of the season. He celebrated his 26th birthday last Monday and so, in his age-25 season, Mullins was exactly what Portland needed in a rotation guy, especially following Anthony Eyannson’s departure. He struck out 132 in 92 innings, walked 49, lacked the longevity that Holobetz and others in the rotation had but did not give up long balls, getting taken yard just seven times all season (and even one of those was in his only Worcester appearance.) The 6’0” lefty will continue his development in 2027 before likely a late season call-up; it’s possible the team explores some multi-inning reliever roles depending on how this development goes.
Of course, too, the team’s former first-round draft pick Mikey Romeroand current millionaire Kristian Campbellare still kicking around Wrocester, and the latter wants a redemption arc after a rough 2025. Neither saw any Major League time due to a cluttered roster and a multitude of other reasons, but don’t count either out for a platoon role next year, pending a lengthy lockout. You want guys looking better in September than they did in April, and while Campbell swung somewhat of a hot bat in the spring, I think that notion is true for both of these guys. The same is even true with Jedixson Paez (who saw Major League action, but don’t mention this to him) Blake Wehunt and Gage Ziehl. These are all guys to watch in 2027, provided some trade for a hole on the roster doesn’t call for dealing one of them (I think Campbell is pretty set on this roster given his price tag.) But, depth is a good problem to have.
And so ends my fourth full season providing Minor Lines for Over The Monster. You’ll see me kicking around during the playoff push and the offseason providing input on pieces that can make this 2027 team – and farm – even better than the 2026 version. Thanks so much for reading all season, and Go Sox!
With one week to go in the regular season, the Cubs’ magic number to clinch a postseason berth has dropped to one, and their magic number to get home field in a Wild Card series is now six. This means that the Cubs control their own destiny. Win out — six games — and they will be home a week from Tuesday against either the Padres or Phillies. (Easy? No, but it is possible.)
In the meantime, here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.
Three up
Pete Crow-Armstrong had a very weird, but productive, week
PCA batted .345/.367/.897 (10-for-29) with two doubles, a triple, four home runs, nine RBI, seven runs scored and two stolen bases. That’s a 1.264 OPS for the six games, which might actually be good enough to get him another Player of the Week award.
But here’s the thing. He put up those numbers while going 0-for-15 with five strikeouts in three of the six games!
That means that in the other three games, he was 10-for-14 (.714) with all those other peripheral numbers.
I keep saying this but I have to say it one more time: Savor this PCA season, we have not seen anything like it from a Cubs player — or most MLB players! — in most of our lifetimes. I hope he can steal two bases against the Marlins this week so he’d join the 40/40 club at Wrigley Field.
And remember, PCA is only 24. Who knows? He might do this again next year!
David Peterson is getting hot at just the right time
In his two starts over the week ending Sunday, Peterson threw 12 innings, allowed six hits and two runs, walked four and struck out 14. For his last three starts, which include two against postseason teams (Braves and Brewers), Peterson has a 1.65 ERA and 1.163 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in 16.1 innings. (And the run charged to him against Atlanta scored after he left the game.)
I think the Cubs might have to consider Peterson for a Wild Card series start.
Palencia pitched just twice over the week, but the second outing was two scoreless innings against the Reds Saturday, the first time he’d thrown two full innings in a game since April 2025. The best news is that in that two-inning outing, Palencia threw eight of his 20 pitches at 100 miles per hour, a level he had trouble hitting in his first few outings back.
I don’t think I have to tell you how much having a productive Palencia would mean for the Cubs in the postseason.
Three down
Nico Hoerner is still struggling
Remember when Nico was hitting at MVP level in April?
He’s had a rough time since then. Over the six games he batted just .250/.280/.292 (6-for-24) with one double.
Nico’s offensive numbers are down this year and he’s only going to post a bit more than 2 bWAR after a 6.2 bWAR season in 2025.
Hopefully he can turn it on in October, and continue playing solid defense at second base.
Clay Holmes got roughed up by the Reds
Holmes has had a couple of clunkers since joining the Cubs — this week against the Reds and the previous week against the Marlins.
The good news is that both of those starts were on the road. In four Wrigley Field starts since joining the Cubs, Holmes has a 1.14 ERA and 1.014 WHIP in 23.2 innings, with 18 strikeouts and only one home run allowed.
He’ll likely start Thursday against the Marlins (though currently that game is listed as TBD for the Cubs starter), which would set him up for a start in the Wild Card series the following week. If that series winds up at Wrigley, I’d seriously consider Holmes for one of the starts.
Edward Cabrera had a rough transition to relieving, but maybe there’s hope
Cabrera’s first relief outing for the Cubs probably went an inning too long, as he was left in for a third inning of work after finishing the seventh and throwing a scoreless eighth against the Braves last Wednesday. Craig Counsell left him out there in a 4-3 game and he served up a two-run homer to Drake Baldwin in the ninth.
Things were better for Cabrera in a scoreless inning against the Reds in a low-leverage situation on Sunday. He allowed a hit and a walk, but got out of the inning with a double play. He threw only nine pitches, two of which hit 99. Perhaps shorter outings would be better for Cabrera.
Sep 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Atlanta Braves players and coaches celebrate in the clubhouse after winning the National League East division title at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
All the way back in March, there were still plenty of questions about this Atlanta Braves ballclub as the curtain was being raised on the 2026 season. Would the squad as a whole be able to get over the injury bug that hampered their 2024 season and then wrecked their 2025 season? Would the rotation have enough to get through the long season? Would they be able to fend off two contenders in particular from the Northeast? Would they be able to get over losing one of their starters for an entire season du Would this team respond positively to having a new manager in charge?
There were plenty of questions heading into the 2026 season and as far as the regular season goes, the answers were all positive. It’s September 21 and the Atlanta Braves are NL East champions once again. For the seventh time in nine years, the Braves are the top dogs in their division and their two years in the wilderness when it comes to the East have come to an end.
While it may not be a massive shock to see this particular Braves team make it back to the top of the divisional mountain, it is a pleasant surprise that the Braves ended up basically going wire-to-wire. From Opening Day on March 27 until now, the Braves went into every game this season either tied for first place or by themselves at the top. There was no need for a late-season surge or an extremely dramatic race going down to the very last week of the season where they flip-flopped in the standings — the Braves got their surge done early on in the season and maintained from that point forward and now they’ve clinched the divisional title with a week to spare.
That’s not to say that this was easy — as Walt Weiss mentioned in the away clubhouse in Houston before the champagne started flowing, winning a division is never easy since you’ve got to be on top of things for a solid six months. It’s a massive challenge and as it turns out, the Braves were up to the challenge. They took advantage of both the Phillies and the Mets stumbling out of the gate to start the season, they survived a serious run of malaise in June and halfway through July that saw the lead fall down to just two games by the All-Star break. The lead got back as high as nine-and-a-half games on August 12 but again dipped down to being as low as three games on September 9.
If the pressure that the Phillies was putting on them was clear in the standings, it wasn’t apparent by the way that the Braves responded to that pressure. When the lead fell down to just two games on July 18, Atlanta responded by rattling off 14 wins out of 18. When it was down to three on August 22, the Braves went on a seven-game run that included a sweep of the Dodgers. When the Phillies were within striking distance with a stretch looming that saw the Braves face Philadelphia seven times over ten games, the Braves responded by going winning five of those seven games. Dusting off the divisional title with a sweep in Houston (their first sweep on the road since May, mind you) was just another example of how when the circumstances called for it, the Braves were usually able to rise up to moment and take care of business when they needed to.
The much-maligned rotation also deserves plenty of praise for how they performed over the course of this season. There were real questions for everybody in this rotation — including the ace of the rotation, Chris Sale. Thanks to some reportedly impressive preseason workout regimens, Sale was able to not just ward off Father Time but deliver one of the best seasons of his career so far — at age 37!
Meanwhile, Martín Pérez admitted early on that this was the first time that he had felt healthy since 2023 and he responded to the faith that the Braves organization placed in him by delivering his most productive season since 2022. The questions concerning Atlanta’s action (or lack therof) at the trade deadline were answered by Tyler Mahle arriving and immediately stepping his game up once he entered Atlanta’s rotation. Bryce Elder was able to be productive more-often-than-not, himself and Grant Holmes has shown flashes of being an incredible effective option in the rotation all season. It’s a group that’s proven to be greater than the sum of its parts, and that’s even with guys like Spencer Strider being injured for the most part and Spencer Schwellenbach being gone for the entire season.
Outside of Chris Sale, however, the biggest star on this pitching staff has collectively been the bullpen. Raisel Iglesias has had his ups and downs but as you can imagine by the fact that he’s still closing, there have been more “ups” than “downs.” With that being said, this bullpen is certainly more than just its closer and that’s been proven with the way that Didier Fuentes, Dylan Lee, Dylan Dodd and everybody else who’s been called upon in big spots has usually managed to go in and get the job done in very effective fashion. With Robert Suarez potentially returning, that just makes this bullpen even tougher to deal with down the road and for all we know, this could very well be the successor group to the Night Shift from 2021 that we’ve all been waiting for.
The bullpen keeping teams in games has been crucial since Atlanta’s offense has proven all season that they can get it done late in games against the other team’s bullpen. Heading into Sunday’s action, the Braves had the second-best wRC+ in the National League when it came to production from the seventh inning through the ninth inning, with a wRC+ of 109 in that situation. It’s only gotten better for Atlanta recently, as they’ve been hitting at a clip of 130 wRC+ as a team in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings since August 1. That’s still tied for second in the NL (in both scenarios behind the Cubs) but it’s proof that this is a team that can make a run late in games if they need to.
We saw a perfect example of it this past weekend in Houston. Ronald Acuña Jr.’s grand slam broke the game open for Atlanta in the seventh inning. They’ve won games late and they know how to pull off comeback victories as well, as a whopping 41 of their 92 wins so far have been of the comeback variety. The comeback victories are actually a trend from last season, when the Braves pulled off comeback victories in 41 of the 76 games that they won in 2025. They also did it 43 times when they won 104 games in 2023 and then picked up 38 comeback victories when they won it all back in 2021. Fighting for 27 outs has been akey factor in Atlanta’s success in this current era and it’s something that Walt Weiss has carried over from the Snitker Era to his current time as manager so far.
So while Atlanta’s offense hasn’t been nearly as potent as it was in those 2022 and 2023 seasons, they’ve been doing enough to get the job done and keep the line moving. Having Acuña continue to perform at a high level entering the Postseason would be crucial and it would also be huge to see Matt Olson continue to hit balls far and deep like he’s done all season. Michael Harris II’s consistency would be greatly appreciated in October and then having a hitter like Mauricio Dubón who has consistently come through in big moments for the Braves will also be huge going forward as well. Drake Baldwin has star potential, himself and then both Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley should be able to provide the experience to not be blinded by the bright lights of October since they’ve been there, done that, and have plenty of celebratory t-shirts to prove it when it comes to Postseason experience.
All in all, you have to like where this Braves team is at as they head into the Postseason as NL East champions. The rotation will be shortened during the Postseason so that makes things a bit easier for Walt Weiss to keep track of going forward. The bullpen is a strength and it’s especially important for the relievers to come up big during this time of year. It’s also important for the timely hitting to be there as well and the Braves have shown that they’re capable of getting that timely offensive production in late game situations and in high-leverage situations as well.
As long as they can stay healthy, the Braves have got all the ingredients to get a deep Postseason run cooking and in a NL bracket that appears to be extremely competitive, it’s not like there’s a going to be a clear-cut favorite this October. The Dodgers look as vulnerable as ever, the Brewers are definitely in a position where they need to finally prove that they can do something in the offseason, the Cubs offense is dangerous but they’ve also been prone to running extremely cold at times, the Phillies have struggled against the Braves all season and the Padres could very well run out of gas by the time the Postseason runs around (though admittedly, that is a scary team to face with the way that they’ve been playing lately). It’s a wide open bracket and it’s a wide open Postseason as well since the American League hasn’t been as good when compared to the National League.
So there’s plenty of reason to feel optimistic. The Braves are back on top of the division, they’ve proven to be resilient whenever the situation has called for it, they’ve bounced back from adversity on plenty of different occasions during this season and they’ll be entering the Postseason after playing a whole bunch of games against contenders for weeks on end. Here’s hoping that there’s a fun Postseason ahead for us fans and one that could potentially end with a parade in Atlanta (hopefully a slower one if it does happen) and Cobb County to start off November. That sure would be fun, right? Let’s see what happens!
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 18: Gabriel Hughes #43 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after pitching in the fourth inning during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Friday, September 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Gabriel Hughes and TJ Rumfield are two very different players.
Hughes was drafted by the Rockies in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft and has worked his way up through their minor league system. Rumfield was acquired from the Yankees in an offseason trade.
Rumfield made the Opening Day roster; Hughes debuted mid-season.
And, of course, Hughes is a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery while Rumfield is a position player.
But both have made an impact for the Rockies this year in different ways.
TJ Rumfield
TJ Rumfield is making a case for NL Rookie of the Year. Through Saturday, he is slashing .302/.392/.454 with a 23-game on-base streak, the longest in the Majors and the longest single-season on-base streak by a rookie in franchise history.
But how would Rumfield sum up his rookie season?
“A lot of learning experiences,” he said. “I think a lot of the team stuff – trying to gel together with guys and make conversations with new people, and even when you have new faces in here, trying to make them feel comfortable because I know how I felt when I first got in the locker room. It’s just small things like that, and ultimately just learning every day.”
And those learning experiences have paid dividends for the rookie, as he ranks among all qualified rookie leaders in average (.302, 1st), OBP (.392, 1st), OPS (.846, 1st), hits (159, 3rd), and multi-hit games (41, T-2nd). Rumfield ranks among NL qualified rookies in doubles (29, 1st), RBI (70, 2nd), extra-base hits (47, 2nd) and total bases (239, 2nd). And he ranks among Major League leaders in OBP (.392, 3rd) and average (.302, 5th).
He and Yordan Alvarez (.312/.429) are the only qualified players in all of MLB with a batting average of at least .300 and an OBP of at least .309.
Not too shabby.
Rumfield has also been a defensive stalwart for the Rockies at first base — something they’ve been sorely lacking since Todd Helton retired in 2013. He’s made plenty of jaw-dropping plays, but one stood out to him in particular on May 18 against the Texas Rangers at Coors Field.
“I just remember the ball going up in the air and like, ‘Okay, this is one where I can maybe go over the dugout. Like this could be cool,’” he recalled. “And you get closer and closer, and you’re like, ‘Uh oh, it’s about to happen!’ And the momentum taking me over – it was just everything you dream of. Nobody caught me, but it was fine. It’s baseball. You dream of making plays like that and just trying to make a little difference in the game.”
He’s also been leaning on his teammates, especially Troy Johnston.
“(He’s given me) more golf advice,” Rumfield chuckled. “But the boy’s a great teammate. I would actually go to him when I’m feeling down. And he can attest to this – I’ll go to him and I’ll be like, ‘Troy, you’ve got to give me something. Tell me something good about myself.’ And he always does. We’re currently 3-for-3 on that one.”
Manager Warren Schaeffer has also helped his fellow Virginia Tech alum get settled from day one.
“Schaeff was unbelievably welcoming on the first day in spring training,” Rumfield recalled, “calling me into his office and letting me know, ‘Hey, you’re welcome here. I just want you to come and compete.’ It didn’t feel like anything was given to me. I just had to go out and earn it, and I’ve wanted to do that. That’s what I’ve done my whole entire career. It was nice to have the front office be so welcoming – Schaeffer be so welcoming – and just everything kind of working out.”
Gabriel Hughes
Gabriel Hughes (No. 7 PuRP) has been a different story.
The former 10th-overall pick had a long way to the majors that included Tommy John surgery in 2023. But he didn’t let that slow him down, making his long-awaited MLB debut on July 3.
Hughes made his last start on September 18 — his 13th of the year — and took yet another no decision. In 14 appearances (13 starts), Hughes is 0-8 with a 6.33 ERA. The only other Rockies pitcher in franchise history to begin their career with zero wins through their first 13 starts was Jon Gray in 2015-16.
But like Rumfield, Hughes said his rookie year has been “a learning experience.”
“It’s been very different from every level I’ve played at so far, and I think learning how to manage that schedule is part of being a professional,” he said. “But it’s been wonderful, too, being able to travel to so many different places, play so many different places, experience so many different things. It’s been really special being able to see so much of the country in such a short amount of time.”
For example, Hughes was able to pitch at Yankee Stadium — somewhere he’d always dreamed about as he grew up as a huge fan of Mariano Rivera. And he had to navigate the New York City Subway System to get there:
But like all of the other pitchers, Hughes noticed a difference pitching at Coors Field versus the road. But not necessarily in the way one would think.
“I think it’s an experience that Albuquerque has prepared me for, where you go from elevation to non-elevation every week,” he said. “I think here, the biggest difference is that you do it every three to four days instead of every week.”
In addition to his body preparation, though, Hughes has made some adjustments to his pitching.
“I think one of the things I’ve really learned is that I have to have different starting points for a lot of my pitches when I’m here versus on the road,” he said. “It’s not something I’ve thought about too much in the past when I was in Albuquerque. But here, where the margin for error is so low, I think it’s extremely important. So that’s something I’ve continued to work on. But that’s probably the biggest thing I’ve noticed because the margin for error is so low, so you have to be sharp here and on the road.”
And the coaching staff have given Hughes a lot of good advice and a lot of good ideas, which he has enjoyed.
“It’s been awesome. They’re all young and full of ideas,” he said.
“And working with Alon (Leichman) and Gabe Ribas and Matt Buschmann has been really cool because there’s always some new idea, and it’s always, ‘Hey, take it or leave it. If it works for you, great. If not, no worries.’ There’s no ego there. But I think it’s really cool because if I have ideas, I can bounce them off them. They have great ideas that they bounce off me, too.”
He also had high praise for his manager.
“I think Schaeff’s been really cool, too,” he continued. “He’s been a great manager so far because he’s been willing to give praise when you need it and to give you tough words when you need it. And I have no doubt that all the coaches would go to war for us.”
There have been a lot of up-and-down moments for Hughes during his rookie season, but one stands out in particular:
“Striking out Shohei (Ohtani) on three pitches at Dodger Stadium was pretty cool,” he said. “I think it was to lead off an inning, and it was a fastball up, a curveball that he fouled off, and a fastball above the zone for a swing and miss. That was a pretty cool feeling.”
Hughes was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on September 19 to finish his rookie year, but still finished with 1.1 fWAR — leading the Rockies’ rotation.
Looking to the future
Rumfield and Hughes represent the Rockies future. Both have been bright spots in different ways, and it will be exciting to see what they are able to do in their sophomore campaigns.
In the meantime, there are six games left in the Rockies 2026 campaign and hopefully they are able to finish strong.
BREAKING NEWS — Beatles biographer Mark Lewisohn just uncovered a new diary from Paul McCartney, suggesting the original lyrics to the 1968 hit “Hey Jude” were much different. Just as “Yesterday” originally came to Macca in a dream as a song about scrambled eggs, contemporaneous notes reveal that the seven minute epic was initially about future Minnesota Timberwolf Julius Randle’s troubled history with the franchise.
Canis Hoopus is proud to share an exclusive look at the original lyrics (sung to the tune of Hey Jude)
Hey Ju—lius Randle You were decent, but not immaculate Remember when you took it to Draymond and backed him down under the basket?
Hey Ju, you got done wrong by several members of the Buss family You outplayed Zion and Ingram and we get why you feel angry
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Ju, refrain, Don’t treat your coach a little colder The second apron is so cruel, hey Ju, you’ll do, The turnaround you neeeeed is over your shoulder
Hey Ju—lius Randle Take a bad shot and make it wetter You’ll probably get numbers with the dumb Nets But Karl-Anthony Towns is way, way better Better better better better better better, oh!
Na na na nananana, nannana, hey Ju… (repeat until George Harrison walks out on a rehearsal)
Hey folks, some real talk here. I know I just spent the last few paragraphs LARPing as Weird Al Yankovic, but deep down I’m just a Wolves fan with a big ol’ heart. I saw a lot of negative outbursts aimed at Julius Randle in the comments last playoffs and wanted to provide a nuanced assessment of his fun-but-flawed tenure in tree-stripes.
October, 2024 – Julius Randle’s wife allegedly says she prefers Twin Cities suburbs to New York City: I got hyped when someone on Reddit shared this rumor right after a clearly shocked Randle said he “just wants to be wanted” when he got traded on the eve of the ‘24 season. Maybe she’s on to something–the Plymouth K.U.B.E. indoor playground is a dope place to bring the fam.
November 17, 2024 – Ant hugs Julius after buzzer-beater. Unintentional hilarity ensued after Anthony Edwards gave Julius a jubilant hug to celebrate Randle’s game-winning three against the Phoenix Suns, a la Magic Johnson on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Julius reacted with saucer eyes, acting as if he had never been appreciated by a teammate before in his life. I guess Larry Nance Jr. isn’t a hugger.
Nov 27, 2024 – Julius struggles to find his footing in a depressing loss to the Sacramento Kings. Early on Julius struggled to fit into the offense. He didn’t have the court vision to facilitate from the elbow like KAT, wasn’t shooting great from three, and just couldn’t find a rhythm. It didn’t help that stonehands Rudy Gobert dropped every pass Randle sent his way.
JR’s stat line looked fine on the outside (21 points and nine rebounds), but he hit one of his five shots from three and chucked up some momentum-stopping head slappers. The Wolves were under .500 and stuck in a four-game losing streak. Nothing blares “it’s not working” like a loss to the Kings.
Dec 7, 2024 – Julius wears great sweater. Say what you will about his on-court achievements, the man performed wonders as cozy-sweater sommelier.
March 30, 2025 – Julius gets 25 points and 8 rebounds against the Detroit Pistons. Somewhere in the final quarter of the ‘24-25 season, Julius really started to settle into his role. This was the game I thought he finally figured it out. Down 16 early, Julius stayed calm and bullied his way to the line over and over. Thanks to Julius, the Wolves clawed back and celebrated a routine win in the midst of a 9-2 hot streak to end the season.
April 30, 2025 – Julius outplays LeBron James. While Jaden McDaniels was the real second option this series (backing an awesome Ant performance), Julius Randle played his part to perfection.
Randle used his strength to wear out Bronny James’ aging dad and saved his best for Game 5. Ruby Gobert got the headlines for this win, but I’ll always respect Julius for putting the team first against the Los Angeles Lakers and balling within the space Chris Finch carved out for him.
May 12, 2025 – Julius is better than Jonathan Kuminga. After dropping the first game to a veteran Golden State Warriors team, the Wolves ran the Dubs off the court for the next four games. Julius’ performance in Game 4 epitomized his dominance in the series, posting 31 points and contributing mightily to Kuminga’s minus-13 in the game.
May 22, 2025 – Oklahoma City slaps the ball out of Randle’s hands. Ooof. Aside from mood swings, Randle’s biggest weakness is losing the ball when pestered by smaller guards. OKC swarmed Julius, and turnovers fell from his fingers like cherry blossoms in an anime fight scene. Julius had six points in Game 2 of the series.
Dec 14, 2025 – Julius keeps the Wolves afloat. The rudderless Wolves got off to a frustrating start to the 2025 season, in no small part due to roster limitations forcing Finch to ask shooting guards to run the offense. Julius played great in December, frequently leading the team in scoring and bailing out the offense when plays broke down. His December 14th performance against Sacramento showed the value of having an 18-point, 9-rebound metronome on a team that struggled to run a play.
Jan 26, 2026 – Julius seems kinda bummed out by ICE shootings. In January 2026, the President paid 4chan moderators to execute a Veterans Affairs nurse. Shortly after this tragedy, the Target Center hosted a bizarre, tear-gas-stained matinee against the Golden State Warriors. Many Wolves fans were disappointed that Steph Curry and Steve Kerr seemed to be more empathetic to Minnesotans than members of our own team.
Julius Randle gave one of the better quotes, clearing a low bar by saying, “Regardless of politics, there’s a human aspect to it. For me, I have kids, I have family; for me, the job as a man is to be the protector of the house. You see things like that, and obviously, it’s tough. It’s hard to stomach things like that… regardless of whatever’s going on, when somebody loses their life, you never want to see that.”
These words aren’t the strongest condemnation, but to Julius’ credit, his demeanor was somber when reflecting on the moment. He honestly seemed saddened by the events, and my take was that he did not want to get death threats for saying the wrong thing.
Feb 6, 2026 – Giannis Antetokounmpo’s viral marketing stunt causes Julius’ self-esteem to crater. I feel for Julius on this one. After saying his only desire was to “feel wanted,” the 2026 trade deadline revealed that he was not wanted by two different teams. The Timberwolves tried to trade him for Giannis, but the Milwaukee Bucks also rejected Julius.
Randle went into a funk, pondering the ephemeral nature of love with each ill-conceived 18-footer. After the trade deadline, Giannis revealed he had an advertising contract with prediction market Kalshi, and it sure seemed like the Greek Freak engineered an effective insider trading campaign by manipulating trade rumors.
I guess that was legal??? Martha Stewart has to be so pissed about this.
May 15, 2026 – Julius scores three points as San Antonio Spurs eliminate Timbies in the second round. Randle was not the only big who floundered against Victor Wembanyama last postseason (pray for Chet Holmgren), but man, did he struuuuuugle. Wemby’s length erased Julius’ bread-and-butter foul-line turnaround/drive to the rim. By the end of the series, it seemed like Randle just wanted to go home.
July 10, 2026 – Julius traded to the third-saddest NYC team. At least it’s not the Jets or Mets, right? Looking back, I will always include Julius in the same category as Carlos Boozer and LaMarcus Aldridge: talented back-to-the-basket bruisers who could support a run to the conference finals, but who ultimately were just below the efficiency bar required for a true second banana on a title team.
No shame in that, Julius! You’re an all-star. I enjoyed your time on the Wolves and wish you the best in Brooklyn–I hear now’s a great time to catch Victoryland at Elsewhere.
Jiri Kulich and Justin Danforth were both on last year’s opening night lineup – Kulich as the team’s projected No. 1 center, Danforth having just signed a two-year contract to be an impact bottom-six player.
Both players saw their seasons end early. Danforth sustained a broken kneecap during the fourth game of the season; Kulich was diagnosed with a blood clot on Nov. 1.
The Sabres will use camp to find out where both players, now healthy, fit into their organizational picture to begin this season. Kulich has practiced thus far on a line with Sam Carrick and Beck Malenstyn but has history playing a top-six role. Danforth, meanwhile, is one of several viable candidates for a bottom-six, penalty-killing role. That group also includes Tyson Kozak, who will be in Monday’s lineup.
The Sabres enter the season with their top-six defensemen seemingly set: the returning quartet of Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power and Conor Timmins plus two newcomers in Olen Zellweger and Louis Crevier.
The depth behind that group of six will be highlighted in Pittsburgh. Zach Metsa and Dennis Gilbert open as the frontrunners for the role of seventh defenseman, having spent the start of training camp with the NHL practice group. Ryan Johnson has NHL experience and could factor into that conversation as well, while Radim Mrtka – Buffalo’s first-round pick in 2025 – is looking to make an impression as he begins his first professional season.
The grim news: Bregman looks like hell, a nasty shiner that's rendered his left eye practically shut after Michael Busch's foul ball on a check swing took one hop and clocked Bregman standing nearby.
The good news: He's returned to Chicago, his eye appears intact and he seems insistent that he'll return to play.
The Cubs are off Monday and have a magic number of one to clinch a National League wild card berth. They'd begin a best-of-three National League wild-card series Tuesday, Sept. 29, very likely against one of the Padres, Phillies or Braves.
Bregman has been one of their best hitters since late July, with 16 homers and a 1.052 OPS in 51 games since July 27.
This is the time of year when there are very few trades, and it's even rarer to see one with names players would recognize, but on-and-off talks between Atlanta and Charlotte have bubbled to the surface.
This summer, Atlanta has discussed trading Buddy Heild to Charlotte for Dorian Finney-Smith, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. That deal has yet to come to fruition but is not dead, according to the report.
An earlier version of the trade could have included Devin Carter, but Atlanta waived him earlier this month and he quickly signed with Boston.
For the Hawks, this is largely about long-term money and the fact that they spent the summer trying to get off Hield's salary for this coming season. Hield is set to make $9.7 million this season, but has a player option for $10.1 million for next season, which he is likely to pick up. While Finney-Smith will make more this season at $13.3 million and has two more years on the books after that, only $3.1 million of his 2027-28 salary is guaranteed. Atlanta will likely have to include more in this trade that interests Houston (picks, potentially), it won't be a straight player-for-player swap.
Finney-Smith, 33, played just 37 games in Houston last season due to ankle surgery, and put up career-low numbers when he did. The hope is that, healthy again this season, he can return to the reliable 3&D role he had filled throughout his career.
Hield, 33, played in 51 games last season, splitting time between Golden State and Atlanta, and averaged 7.6 points per game while shooting 34.9% from 3-point range (the lowest percentage of his career).
This trade may never come to fruition, but expect both players to show up in more trade rumors as we move into the season.
