PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 12: Elias Diaz #35 of the Texas Rangers bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Saturday, September 12, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Julia Jacome/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for September 13, 2026 against the Arizona Diamondbacks: starting pitchers are Cal Quantrill for the Rangers and Eduardo Rodriguez for the D-Backs.
It is the final game of the road trip, and an opportunity for the Rangers to finish the road trip with a series win in Arizona and a .500 record on the trip overall. No Joc Pederson or Nicky Lopez in the lineup after they were lifted from the game yesterday, though there’s a lefty on the mound so you wouldn’t figure on them starting anyway.
The lineup:
Foscue — 2B
Seager — SS
Jung — 3B
Burger — 1B
Nimmo — RF
Langford — LF
Duran — CF
Diaz — C
Jansen — DH
3:10 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +110 underdogs.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 29 : Fans outside Brooklyn Basketball Training Center during an introductory Press Conference for the 2026 Brooklyn Nets Draftees on June 29, 2026 in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Albert Ghim writes for No Ceilings, one of the more sophisticated NBA sites, and last week, he got a rare chance to check up on veteran players working out on the West Coast, particularly those charges of personal trainer Zach Gonzalez. Among those who he’s been focusing on in Gonzalez workouts and the runs at the NBPL’s new training facility in Playa Vista, an L.A. suburb. has been Egor Demin. To say Ghim is enthusiastic about the Nets second year guard would be an understatement. He just raves about him!
Ghim described how the 20-year-old has been working out in L.A.
“He is absolutely locked in, laser-focused, a man on a mission,” Ghim began. “He is so hard and ferocious on himself. I asked him what is your day-to-day look like right now. He’s working out with Zach in the morning, he playing the pro-runs at the new NBPA facility, getting in a lift. He’s doing extra workouts at night when possible.
“He’s going so hard. He is truly a man on a mission. This is a guy who knows where he needs to grow, spending a ton of time on his ball-handling, a ton of time on physicality, his jumpers, different types of jumpers — jumpers off movement, jumpers off the dribble. jumpers from the mid-range, from the outside, playing through physicality, embracing physicality. Initiating physicality is a big one to watch as well.
Ghim also spoke about how Demin has bulked up.
“For Brooklyn Nets fans who are watching this right now, I want you to know that Yegor’s body is absolutely destroyed. It is beaten. He is so hard on himself. He does not care if he’s hurt or if he’s slightly hurt or not feeling well, he is looking himself in that gym and to watch him work.”
“He said, ‘look we get it. We’re not idiots. We hear what people are saying on TV, saying we don’t want to win, we don’t care. We care,” Ghim quoted Demin.
Ghim also relayed what may have been the most interesting point of his 12 and a half minute commentary, how veterans are respecting Demin in the pro runs.
“Initially, early on, some of the veterans didn’t want him to play. They were like ‘he’s too young. we want to keep the younger guys off, keep it to veterans.‘ Then, he got in and he absolutely started torching guys. Guys like Norman Powell and Kyrie Irving have had a lot of praise for Egor. And in one of the games, he was playing with Norman Powell and he went off for like 30 plus and they won. And as he walked off the floor and they were all saying, ‘this kid is going to be an absolute problem’ and they are very, very impressed with him…
“He looks like a guy who absolutely wants to turn the narrative of the Brooklyn Nets. He’s already spent time in Texas with Julius Randle, working out with him, building that rapport, that relationship and he is a man on a mission that wants to bring Brooklyn back to winning basketball.” Ghim added. “He wants to be a leader. He wants to be a leader by example.
Finally, Ghim offered a little intel on the relationship between Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. who’s only a month younger than Demin.
“He’s telling me about Mikel and he’s saying, ‘Mikel is a freak.’ And the stuff Mikel cares about — his intel, his knowledge, his IQ of the game is extremely, extremely high. He feels like the fit between him and Mikel is going to be like a glove.
“It’s going to be a perfect pairing between the two and he’s talking about how Mikel has so much ability, on and off ball, which makes their pairing so interesting as Egor continues to grow as a ball-handler, as a creator himself. If I was a Brooklyn Nets fan, I’d be absolutely through the moon with the young core they’re building over there … Egor looks like a man on a mission and he’s coming for blood.”
Ghim’s No Ceilings colleague, Corey Tulaba, added that there’s other aspects of what’s going on with Brooklyn that need to be understood like the addition of Julius Randle who, despite Michael Porter Jr.‘s jump last year, is something the Nets — and Demin — didn’t have last year: an established NBA star.
“This is an all-NBA player who can make an impact on winning and has done that at multiple stops,” Tulaba argued. “So now, you’ve got a chance to go other there not just with a bunch of guys who are maybe learning how to play together or guys who are playing for themselves. You’re going to play with veterans who know what to do. They’re really building something cool in Brooklyn and it feels organic.”
To that point, Ghim noted that Demin shouted out other members of the Flatbush5, specifically Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf moving forward.
The two writers agreed that there’s not much likelihood that things in Brooklyn will take a big leap this year but as Ghim concluded, continuity should be a big help as they move along their NBA careers.
“The team feels they are building out a team of guys that can do stuff,” he noted. “Bring different layers, different styles as a team and them being so young as they are and building together and them really believing in themselves and the group that they have, obviously it won’t be this year, but in the next couple of years this may be a real team to watch in the East.”
But, wait, there was more!!
David Thorpe of True Hoop this week did a list of Ten guys who might make a big difference and he raved about the possibility that the Nets eighth youngest player, barely 22-year-old Noah Clowney, could have a breakout season. (We’ve written about Clowney several times this summer, most recently in these pages just a week ago but Thorpe’s analysis is new.)
The take has one fun fact we were unaware of which we highlighted as well as a possibility we hadn’t thought much about. Thorpe starts off by noting that he thought Clowney may have made a mistake declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft where the Nets took him with the 21st pick, making him the fourth youngest player in the NBA. He was also their first return on the Kevin Durant trade with Phoenix. But as he also notes, that’s what over the dam:
I thought it odd that Clowney left a terrific program at Alabama, fresh off a Final Four appearance, after one season. He was probably too young to succeed in the NBA, and could have made a ton in NIL money!
So last season he entered this tier of players from whom I had no idea what to expect. And out of those players … he impressed me more than anyone when I got to see him play in games. Only three players 21 or younger averaged at least 12 points and took at least 3.4 or more free throws per game: Clowney, Cooper Flagg, and Stephon Castle And he did that in only 27 minutes per game.
He is not a good shooter. But at 33 percent from 3, where he’s been for his two seasons, he’s not bad and there’s every reason to think he is due for a big improvement. He has a lot of game cutting, driving, slashing, and drawing fouls off those attacks. If his shot improves, I doubt it’ll be too long before he gets a chance to start ahead of Julius Randle. His defense will have to keep improving, but to me Clowney has the look of a starting level power forward who might even play some small ball five.
For the record, Clowney averaged 12.3 points on 40/33/80 shooting to go along with 4.3 boards, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks. As every Nets fan knows, there have been games or series of games where he’s gotten us all excited, like the final week of the 2023-24 season when he had games of seven and four blocks and the 14 games last season where had four or more 3-pointers go in, including games of seven and six in a 10-day, five-game stretch.
He does that consistently and his restricted free agency will be interesting come July. The Nets can match any offer he might get (and there were rumblings last season that the San Antonio Spurs might have interest.) Still, it was good to see the Thorpe analysis. He did not include rookies or second year players, it should be noted.
That’s your weekly dose of optimism. Now you can read what Channing Frye has to say about the Nets being “straight garbage.” We won’t. We’ve been inundated with the negative. We trying for balance.
Hair style updates
Combing the Internet this week, we found video of both Mikel Brown Jr. and Grant Nelson in barber chairs. No, nothing escapes the ND Dragnet…
We found the first on HoopChina…
And the second onFargo, N.D. barber Landon Lopez’s Instagram account…
Grant Nelson returns home to North Dakota and his local barber asks where you been? https://t.co/6dX4zslWMu
You won’t see Pooch’s byline on ND for a while. He and his new wife, Gabrielle Galluzzi, are on a honeymoon in the Caribbean! Anthony and Gabrielle were married Saturday afternoon at St. Francis de Chantal R.C. Church in Wantagh, N.Y.
Boston, MA - May 9: A Boston Red Sox fan in a poncho looks out at Fenway Park as the night's scheduled game is postponed due to rain. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
David Sandlin returns to the majors for a start this Sunday | Getty Images
Another Sunday, another critical rubber match in what I think we can safely say is the most rear-end-clenching division race we’ve had in nearly 15 years. Perhaps 20, depending on how you feel about Robin Ventura’s debut 2012 that produced a bizarre 85 wins and a missed playoff berth after leading the division most of the year.
That ending doesn’t make me feel great about saying this, but of all the all-too-rare fun and competitive Sox teams since 2005, that 2012 squad is where I see shades of 2026. We didn’t know quite how bland as a manager Ventura was at that point, and while that team’s young, breakout talent was concentrating on the pitching side, it was a mix of up-and-coming youth who appeared to be cornerstones for years to come, aided by highly unexpected bounceback efforts from veterans like Jake Peavy and Andrew Benintendi. It’s not a perfect analog, but if they are similar at all, I also think the talent of this team ultimately wins out in a way that 2012 group couldn’t.
Here’s Will Venable’s lineup this afternoon as they try to get that magic number closer and closer to single digits:
After seemingly more months at sea than an aircraft carrier halfway around the world, the White Sox starting pitching staff FINALLY has relief, as David Sandlin gets the call from Charlotte for his first appearance in the bigs since early August. He’s been dominant against Triple-A pitching his last two starts, allowing just a single run over 12 2/3 innings along with 20 strikeouts.
Here’s the lineup he’ll get a look at, courtesy of Oli Marmol’s crooked-capped Cardinals:
McGreevey is a former first rounder of the Cards who has firmly established himself in their rotation this summer, making 28 starts to the tune of a 3.92 ERA, exactly league average for a starter. With just 106 punchouts in 154 innings, though, he could be the type of pitcher the offense needs to jolt itself awake for the home stretch.
First pitch will be broadcast on CHSN and 1:15 pm C.T., and Len Kasper and Darrin Jackson will be there with their usual radio broadcast on WMVP AM 1000. See you in the comments!
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 15: Michael McGreevy #36 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field on August 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s game 3 of the Cardinals weekend series against the White Sox Sunday as Michael McGreevy takes the mound for the Cardinals. The White Sox will start RHP David Sandlin. First pitch scheduled for 1:15pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 08: Starting pitcher Tanner Bibee #28 of the Cleveland Guardians walks back to the dugout after being pulled from the game in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 08, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Enzo, Enzo, Enzo, in your head” was how delirious Manchester City fans regaled Enzo Fernández, who after a star role in a memorable victory has instant cult hero status.
This 199th derby was won by Erling Haaland’s ninth strike in the fixture but the visitors’ totem was their new No 17. He was the key nuisance in a goal ruled out initially for offside and which the video assistant referee overturned when ruling that Fernández was not distracting Lisandro Martínez when Josko Gvardiol’s ball came over. The Argentinian, too, was an emblem of the fight Maresca’s team carried to Manchester United after Phil Foden appeared to turn the game the hosts’ way on 22 minutes.
MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 11: Members of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after the Dodgers defeated the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on Friday, September 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Owen Gupta/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
One last rubber game in Miami to decide the weekend series. First major league outfield start for Josue De Paula. Turf days off for Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman.
Barcelona continued their perfect start to the season with a hard-fought 4-2 La Liga victory over Levante in Valencia on Sunday.
Levante found themselves two goals down within 19 minutes after swift play from Barcelona led to goals for Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal. The home side then rallied, finishing the half with six shots to Barcelona’s three.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Jackson Merrill #3 and Austin Hays #15 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after Merrill hit a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the third inning at Oracle Park on September 12, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres have been close to blowing some perfect leads. But, this is the time to do that. In both Games 1 and 2, the Friars have scored seven runs. In both games, the Friars have allowed the San Francisco Giants to come back within at least two runs as last as the eighth inning. That has forced the Padres to dip into their high-leverage relievers despite their potent offense.
With Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Bradgley Rodriguez all having pitched on back-to-back days, they’ll be unavailable in the series finale. The onus will be on the offense and the Padres’ lower-leverage relievers to finish out the sweep over San Francisco. With how San Diego’s been swinging the bat, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Taking the mound
Logan Webb (SF) v. Nick Pivetta (SD)
Webb, despite some flashes of elite pitching, has struggled this season. He currently sits at a 4.10 ERA. If he finishes the season with an ERA over 4.00, it will be the first time he’s done so in six years. The last time he did so was in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
He hasn’t pitched much better down the stretch (4.66 ERA in last seven starts), but Webb is coming off of six innings of one-run ball versus the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s also done a pretty good job of limiting the Padres historically. Only Jake Cronenworth, Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill have batting averages over .240 (15-plus at-bats).
Pivetta had just about the closest thing to a perfect return to the mound on Monday. He hurled five scoreless innings against the Washington Nationals, one of the most potent offense in the league. Still, Pivetta is mostly untested since returning back from his three-month IL trip.
He’s faced most of the San Francisco lineup, and has limited them well. That said, Jung Hoo Lee has had his number for quite some time. In 13 career at-bats, Lee owns a .462 batting average and 1.577 OPS when facing Pivetta. Hopefully the righty will be able to limit the Giants’ bats in the series finale.
Batter up!
The lineup has returned to its incredible potent ways, scoring 14 runs in the first two games of this series. The Friars have gotten some incredible production from their stars, as well as their contributors. San Diego needs to keep that rolling in order to hold onto their postseason spot.
Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
Dustin Harris, RF
Manny Machado, 3B
Luis Campusano, DH
Jackson Merrill, CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Jake Cronenworth, 1B
Freddy Fermin, C
Samad Taylor, LF
Harris made his first appearance batting second in the order yesterday. He did not disappoint. He ended the game 1-for-4 with three RBIs after going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk in the series opener. Harris could very well remain in that two-spot going forward.
Relief corps
Despite some struggles in the first few innings, Michael King locked the game down from there on. The starter pitched seven innings before Rodriguez entered the game. Rodriguez made it interesting, giving up a three-run shot to make it a one-run ballgame. After that, Morejon and Miller were used to finish out the last two innings.
That gives San Diego some options for the series finale. Griffin Canning, Kyle Hart, Yuki Matsui, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Randy Vásquez will be available once Pivetta departs form the game. That said, if Pivetta isn’t as dominant as he was on Monday, Vásquez will likely enter to pitch in bulk relief.
Jul 17, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of the security ribbon during batting practice before a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Game three of three with the Orioles.
I’m getting this together early because I’m busy until game time.
The lineups aren’t up yet, But we have Dylan Cease (10-5, 2.40) vs Trevor Rogers (10-9, 4.15).
On this day 41 years ago, Joe DeSa hit a pinch-hit grand slam at Seattle — his final MLB homer.
1923 Though the team was not contending for the pennant, the White Sox made a late move that would have terrific short- and long-term consequences: Buying center fielder Maurice Archdeacon from the Double-A Rochester Tribe in the International League, for the impressive sum of $50,000. The speedster was hitting .357 for the Tribe — and dialed it up when inserted as an everyday major-leaguer as an audition for 1924. Archdeacon hit .402 in 22 late-season games for the White Sox, with his batting average never falling any lower than .378. He followed that up in 1924 by hitting .319 for the South Siders.
By …
1925 … Archdeacon’s star had faded, and he saw just 10 games of action before being traded to the then-Double A Baltimore Orioles in June. The player to be named later in that deal arrived in Chicago on this very day: Righthander Tommy Thomas, who would go on to put up a 22.2 WAR career over seven seasons in the South Side rotation, beginning in 1926.
Not only was the swap an enormous win for the White Sox, but brought one of their best-ever pitchers to the South Side, as Thomas ranks as the 15th-best pitcher in franchise history per WAR.
1967 In one of the longest games in franchise history (tied for 13th-longest overall), and in the middle of a four-team pennant race, the White Sox shut out Cleveland, 1-0 — in 17 innings! (Now that’s pitching!)
The game lasted more than 4 1⁄2 hours, and was finally finished when Rocky Colavito singled to right, driving home Buddy Bradford.
White Sox starter Gary Peters allowed onehit in 11 innings, striking out seven … but also walked 10! (I wonder what his pitch count was!) This came just two weeks after also throwing 11 scoreless innings against Boston, in a four-hit win.
But opposing starter Sonny Siebert outdueled Peters, also going 11 innings, yielding four hits but no walks.
Don McMahon, the fourth Sox pitcher, picked up the relief win.
1985 With one out and the bases full in the ninth inning of a game the White Sox led, 2-1, at Seattle, pinch-hitter Joe DeSa crushed a grand slam to right field, becoming the eighth White Sox ever and first since 1972 to have a pinch-hit slam. The White Sox went on to win, 6-1, improving to 72-68 on a season marked by a strong September finish.
DeSa’s story takes a sad turn, however, as this would be his final of his two career major league homers. The Hawaii native played all of 1986 in Triple-A Buffalo, hitting .283 with 17 homers and 83 RBIs. He became a free agent but was snapped up by the Kansas City Royals, with a good chance of breaking camp on the MLB roster. However, while playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, he was killed in a car accident on Dec. 20, 1986.
1987 In a game in his old haunts of Seattle, White Sox pitcher Floyd Bannister fired a one-hitter in winning, 2-0. Harold Reynolds’ two-out single to left in the first inning was the only baserunner on the night for Seattle — and he was thrown out trying to stretch the hit to a double! Bannister faced the minimum 27 hitters, and struck out 10.
Opposing starter Mark Langston pitched a two-hitter for the Mariners — and took the loss! Unfortunately for him, his two hits allowed were solo homers to Pat Keedy and Donnie Hill.
1996 After James Baldwin endured a six-run outburst in Boston to fall behind, 6-0, in the third, Frank Thomas led off the fourth inning with an answer: a solo shot off of Roger Clemens. But that blast over the Green Monster didn’t just cut the Red Sox lead to five, it tied Thomas with Harold Baines and Carlton Fisk for most-ever White Sox homers, 214.
Interestingly, Baines had been the former franchise leader, passing Bill Melton, but after being traded from Chicago in 1989, Fisk took over the franchise lead. Baines had tied Fisk atop the White Sox leaderboard just two weeks earlier, on August 30.
2002 For the first time, the new Sox Park hosted a concert. The Rolling Stones took the stage in the middle of a three-day stand in Chicago that saw them first at the United Center, later at the Aragon Ballroom. The Daily Herald reported 52,000 fans, but the true total was likely in the 40,000 range. The Pretenders opened the show, then giving way to two hours of Stones. The tour celebrated the 40th year of the Rolling Stones.
As for the White Sox, they trounced New York at Yankee Stadium, 13-2, getting multi-hit games from José Valentín, Magglio Ordóñez, Frank Thomas and Joe Crede.
2004 Due to Hurricane Ivan, U.S. Cellular Field hosted the first two games of a series between Montreal and Florida. It was the first time a National League team had played a regular season “home” game in an American League park since 1946. Attendance for the curiosity was 4,003.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 08: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium on September 8, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees got spanked on their home turf yesterday, Gerrit Cole and a few mop-up relievers combining to surrender six home runs and a dozen runs total. The best way to wipe clean the stink of that performance is with a win in the rubber game to secure the Subway Series this afternoon.
Cam Schlittler keeps on rolling as he looks to keep pace just ahead of Dylan Cease in the AL Cy Young race (and perhaps compete for an MVP as well). Last time out, he allowed one run while striking out 10 across seven innings against the Rockies, which was his 20th start of the season with one or fewer runs allowed to extended his franchise record. In 30 starts, Schlittler is 13-6 with a 2.01 ERA (209 ERA+), 2.61 FIP, and 220 strikeouts in 178.2 innings while leading all AL pitchers with 5.7 fWAR.
Christian Scott is one of the many young starting pitchers the Mets have produced and graduated to the majors over the last few seasons. The 27-year-old righty debuted in 2024 but underwent Tommy John surgery in September of that year, forcing him to miss the entirety of the 2025 season. He offers a rare combination of wipeout stuff and damage limitation, sitting in the 84th percentile in both strikeout and hard-hit rates. He technically has a seven-pitch arsenal but will generally lean on three pitches: a four-seamer in the upper-90s, a sweeper with a 30.9-percent whiff rate, and a cutter against which hitters are batting just .132. In 21 starts, Scott is 4-4 with a 3.81 ERA (108 ERA+), 3.60 FIP, and 120 strikeouts in 99.1 innings.
The Yankees get some thump back in their lineup, Ben Rice and Luis García Jr. returning after getting the day off yesterday. There was a question of when Aaron Judge’s next rest day might come — it’s certainly not today as the Yankees go for the series win. If he can really get his timing back over the next couple of weeks, a top-five of the lineup of him, Rice, Cody Bellinger, García, and Spencer Jones looks pretty dangerous.
Four of the five Mets who homered yesterday remain in the lineup, only Luis Torrens getting replaced by Francisco Alvarez behind the plate. Francisco Lindor led the way with his two home runs and five RBIs and remains at leadoff today. Schlittler has his work cut out for him against a lineup with pop at almost every station, particularly now that Lindor and Juan Soto are healthy.
Please note that first pitch has been delayed slightly due to the weather to 1:55 PM.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY
First pitch: 1:35 pm ET 1:55 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, SNY
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2 (NYM)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 12: Harry Ford #17 of the Washington Nationals (C, facing camera) celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off fielder's choice in the 10th inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Nationals Park on September 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. Washington defeated Los Angeles 6-5. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After winning two close games, the Nats have secured a series win against the Angels. This afternoon, they will be looking for the sweep and a chance to get to 70 wins on the season. The Nats have had trouble getting sweeps this season, but this is a prime opportunity.
There are a couple changes to the lineup this afternoon. Jose Tena gets his first start of the series at second base. Andres Chaparro will be back in the lineup over at third base. Yohandy Morales is also back in there at first. Dylan Crews is out of the lineup, which means the outfield consists of Daylen Lile, Jacob Young and James Wood. Riley Cornelio will be the opener in this one.
With a righty on the mound, the Angels are bringing back some of their left handed bats. Wade Meckler, Moises Ballesteros and Josh Lowe are all in the lineup today. Mike Trout will be the DH which means Jose Siri will be in center field. Former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez will be on the mound for the Halos.
Angels 9/13
Z. Neto SS M. Trout DH W. Meckler LF V. Grissom 1B M. Ballesteros C D. Guzman 3B J. Lowe RF J. Siri CF C. Moore 2B
The Nats have actually been playing solid baseball at home lately. Hopefully that can continue this afternoon. Sweeps have been hard to come by, but after two hard earned wins, the Nats have a chance to close the show. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
The Chicago Blackhawks have a surplus of young defensemen. Some are already in the NHL, while others are in development leagues around the world.
There are also some good ones at this year’s prospect camp, where a group of Blackhawks prospects is preparing for the 2026 Prospect Showcase against the St. Louis Blues.
Leading the way for that group on the blue line is Taige Harding. Chicago selected Harding with their 3rd-round pick (91st overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft. At 24, he is one of the older players at the tournament, and he is standing out.
Harding is a big player. At 6’7” and 236 lbs, he’s one of the largest players in the organization. He uses every bit of that size on the ice as well. For being as big as he is, he skates well, too.
During these practices, he has looked like the number one defenseman at the event. It is lining up as if he is going to be on the top pair against the Blues. Jake Furlong is his likely partner on the ice. During drills of all kinds, Harding seems to have a grasp of what’s expected, and he feels good about it.
"Everything's kind of just getting ready for mini-camp," Harding said about what he's working on. "Help the younger guys; this is my second one now, so I feel pretty comfortable. Just kind of work on the details and get back into game shape."
Throughout the year, Taige Harding is going to spend his time with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. This is another good opportunity for him to develop down there and learn for another year.
"For me, personally, it's making an impression," Harding said. "Everything I can so the staff knows who I am; prove I belong here."
If Harding were a perfectly sound prospect, he would be in line to make his NHL debut this season, but it isn't likely. There is a lot for him to work on within his game, and he recognizes that.
"Being a big guy, skating," Harding said. "At this level, everyone skates so well. I think I do skate pretty well, but just being more fluid, being a little quicker in some areas. [I have to] continue working on that and just using my brain; make sure I don't get caught."
When Harding was asked who he models his game after, he mentioned St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko. Of course, that is a high ceiling for a large defenseman with that skill set. Parayko was a top-pair caliber defenseman on a team that won the Stanley Cup in his prime, so it's a good goal for him to have.
"Taige took huge strides last year," IceHogs head coach Jared Nightengale said of his defenseman. "With his size, when he plays with an edge, I think he's going to make us a heck of a hockey team."
The plan for Harding in Rockford is for him to be on the penalty kill, play against top lines, and bring a physical presence to the team at even strength. When asked who Harding's ideal partner would be, coach Nightingale said he didn't have one particular person in mind.
Of course, there is a lot of fluidity to AHL lineups due to the nature of the league, but Nightingale did say that an offensive defenseman would work well with someone like Harding, who leaves a lot of "outs" with his stay-at-home nature.
There are not many players of Harding's size in pro hockey. Just because a player is big doesn't make them good. When Harding is on the ice, there are other big players, but his game is much more noticeable than most.
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