Astros right-hander Mike Burrows will restart his rehab assignment and pitch three innings for Triple-A Sugar Land this weekend, manager Joe Espada said Wednesday.
On the IL since July 7 due to right elbow neuritis, Burrows was shut down after his third rehab start because of right shoulder inflammation. Espada said Burrows could rejoin the Astros’ pitching staff before the end of the regular season if all goes well.
In his first season with the Astros, Burrows went 4-9 with a 5.99 ERA before landing on the IL.
Left-hander Steven Okert, who has been on the IL since Sept. 1 with a right hamstring strain, has been playing catch. Espada said Okert has a doctor’s appointment Thursday that will determine his next steps.
Okert has a 2.13 ERA over 68 appearances and has been one of Espada’s most trusted bullpen arms.
On Thursday, the Philadelphia Flyers will kick off their on-ice portion of their 2026 training camp, and with a shorter overall camp and preseason this year, the roster battles and jostling for ice time will be as fierce as ever.
But, before anywhere, we have to establish the present to give context to the future. After all, the NHL roster is already looking considerably different than it did this time last year.
Rookies Porter Martone, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey are all primed to stick out of the gate this year, while players like Noah Juulsen, Egor Zamula, Sam Ersson, Garnet Hathaway, Nick Deslauriers, Rodrigo Abols, and Bobby Brink are all out of the picture entirely.
Until we see how things stack up, it'll be nearly impossible to predict how the Flyers will line up and who will play with who, which is why an assessment of the overall depth chart will be our most useful tool in the meantime.
As a reminder, these aren't line combinations or predictions, but more of a representation of a given player's role and usage in the lineup.
Forwards
Tyson Foerster - Trevor Zegras - Travis Konecny
Owen Tippett - Christian Dvorak - Matvei Michkov
Denver Barkey - Noah Cates - Porter Martone
Nikita Grebenkin (inj.) - Sean Couturier - Noel Acciari
Alex Bump - Jett Luchanko - Carl Grundstrom
Zach Aston-Reese - Jacob Gaucher - Danila Klimovich
Nolan Foote - Jack Studnicka - Cole Knuble
Noah Powell - Riley Thompson - Devin Kaplan
Rationale
The placements of players like Matvei Michkov, Martone, Barkey, and Bump is going to depend largely on how head coach Rick Tocchet wants to deploy them.
If Michkov is really in much better shape than he was this time last year, he should be squarely ahead of the less experienced Martone.
Barkey and Nikita Grebenkin, who is currently dealing with a setback, have skills that lend themselves better to a bottom-six role than what Bump has, though I expect all three to make the NHL roster.
The Flyers only want Jett Luchanko in the lineup if he's going to play and one of the 12 best forwards on the team, but in the event of injury (particularly long-term), he should be the first man up for them.
Cole Knuble has been impressive throughout rookie camp, but some of the journeymen are going to be ahead of him in the pecking order for now having considerably more NHL and AHL experience.
With their penalty-killing skills, I expect Tyson Foerster and Travis Konecny to be the two wingers deployed the most, with Trevor Zegras reprising his role as the go-to guy for this Flyers team.
Defense
Jamie Drysdale is poised to take another big step forward in 2026-27. (Photo: Robert Edwards, Imagn Images)
Travis Sanheim - Jamie Drysdale
Cam York - Rasmus Ristolainen
Nick Seeler - David Jiricek
Simon Benoit - Oliver Bonk
Ty Murchison - Helge Grans
Hunter McDonald - Cam Dineen
Jackson Edward - Spencer Gill
Rationale
When it comes down to it, defense should be the most polarizing group on the Flyers' roster. Although trade rumors persist and on an expiring contract, Rasmus Ristolainen remains with the Flyers, while Jamie Drysdale continues to trend towards becoming one of the better two-way defenders in the NHL.
Cam York is a fine second-pair guy, and everything after those four is a bit murky.
Veteran Nick Seeler regressed last year and turned 33 years old three months ago, while David Jiricek, still just 22 years old, must prove himself at the NHL level or risk being exposed to waivers for the first time in his young career.
Newcomer Simon Benoit is the likeliest to take up Juulsen's mantle as the meat-and-potatoes No. 7 guy, though Flyers GM Danny Briere left the door open to carrying eight defenders when doing his press conference on Tuesday.
That means opportunity for someone like Ty Murchison, who could very well grow into an option superior to Benoit or Seeler at a lower price, or Oliver Bonk, who has continued to impress after earning an NHL debut and Stanley Cup playoff debut late last season.
For now, Hunter McDonald and Helge Grans remain on the outside looking in, though they could jump up the depth chart quickly with tidy preseason performances. The numbers game just doesn't work in their favor, and especially not for Grans.
I could see McDonald and Murchison replacing Seeler and Benoit by season's end, particularly if the Flyers are sellers at the trade deadline.
You all know how much I like Spencer Gill, but with the considerable amount of time he's missed due to injury since being drafted in 2024, I think the Flyers are committed to letting him spend the full year in the AHL to gain experience and continue developing.
Brent Burns, the 41-year-old defenseman who's entering his 23rd season in the NHL, showed up at the Colorado Avalanche's training camp on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with a different look.
Gone is the long hair and long bushy beard. It's replaced by a trimmed look that makes him appear younger. His gap-toothed look is gone, too.
The facial hair had been legendary and Burns embraced it by wearing a Chewbacca mask at the 2016 NHL All-Star Game skills competition in Nashville.
Here is how Burns looks this week, plus how he looked last season:
MILWAUKEE, WI - SEPTEMBER 11: Andrew Abbott #41 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Friday, September 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Andrew Abbott looks to get back on track before the season ends as the Cincinnati Reds play host to two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and the Los Angeles Dodgers once again.
First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET. Here’s how both clubs will line up to start:
TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 16: third baseman Kazuma Okamoto #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays slides into home plate to score against the Detroit Tigers during the fourth inning at Rogers Centre on September 16, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tigers 1 Blue Jays 5
Nice to win one again.
We got a great start from Max Scherzer. Five innings, gave up a run in the first on a double (well, a pop-up that no one got under) and a single, but allowed only one more hit the rest of the way and added three more strikeouts to his all-time total (now 9543, 11 short of Jason Verlander). I don’t know if he can get that many before the season ends.
Offensively, we did nothing until the fourth inning: Kazuma Okamoto walked to start it. Josh Smith doubled (hard to believe we got him for Adam Macko, giving us runners on second and third. Ernie Clement hit a sac fly to tie the game. And Myles Straw lined a hard single to left for the game-winning run.
Myles was caught stealing after that, with two outs, not a bad idea. That gave Brett Bateman a fresh count to start the next inning. On the other hand, Bateman has been very hot, and the catcher is very good at throwing out stealers; maybe let him hit?
But we got one more in the fourth, so it all worked out. Bateman singled. Nathan Lukes moved him to second with a bunt and beat it out. Vlad ground out, giving us runners on the corners. And George Springer singled Bateman home.
And a mess of Tiger errors got us two more runs in the fifth. Three errors, including two consecutive errors by SS John Peck (two of them on one play: a booted ball and then a throwing error). Nathan Lukes got an RBI.
We had nine hits, but only one extra-base hit: a Smith double. Bateman (at the top of the order) and Straw (at the bottom) each had two hits.
The bullpen did the job too:
Mason Fluharty threw a quick sixth.
Spencer Miles pitched two quick innings. They sent him out for the ninth, but he didn’t have it, giving up a single and a walk. He just wanted Louis Varland to have a save opportunity.
Varland got a strikeout, a lineout, and a strikeout (Brandon Valenzuela got him the out by challenging a full-count pitch called a ball, but it was just the upper outside corner).
Valenzuela wasted a challenge in the first inning, on a 1-1 pitch, which caused trouble later when Springer wanted to challenge a pitch and quickly decided not to, in case he used our last challenge. After George struck out, he watched it on an iPad and was angry that he didn’t challenge.
I don’t know that it was a needed win for the Jays, but it was a needed win for me.
Jays of the Day: Scherzer (0.16 WPA), Straw (0.15, who didn’t look pleased that Vlad poured water in his cleats) and Smith (0.10). And let’s give an honourable mention to Varland.
Other Award: No one.
Tomorrow is an off-day. Yay. And then the Jays head to the Heart of Texas (stomp stomp) to play the Rangers for three games.
Luka Doncic (77) of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring during the first half at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
He was raised by hostile crowds of nearly 20,000 screaming fans while playing for Real Madrid from the ripe ages of 13 to 19 years old.
He was tested by the Dallas Mavericks, with whom he was selected as the third overall pick in the 2018 draft and transformed into a top-four player in the league, leading the franchise to the 2024 NBA Finals.
He was sharpened by the shock, betrayal and humiliation of the Mavericks pulling the rug from under him, making the virtually unheard of decision to trade a superstar of his caliber in his mid-20s to the Lakers in February 2025.
He was vindicated by a revenge tour that included getting in arguably the best shape of his career last summer ahead of leading the league in points (33.5) and finishing third in assists (8.3) last season.
Now the stakes are even higher.
Even though the Lakers have technically been his team for the last season and a half, he always had a shield. It was in the form of LeBron James, who has been the face of the league for two decades and is arguably the greatest player of all-time.
Doncic was the brightest star. But James was a supernova.
When the Lakers struggled, fingers pointed at the 41-year-old, who has dominated news cycles long enough for fathers and sons to cycle through the league.
He spent the summer readying himself for that responsibility.
Luka Doncic signs autographs for young fans during the Los Angeles Lakers’ visit to Slovenia on Sunday, August 23, 2026. Andrej Tarfila/Shutterstock
He hand-selected his teammates.
Doncic wanted Austin Reaves to remain by his side. The Lakers signed him to a four-year, $180 million extension, the richest contract in NBA history for a player who went undrafted.
He wanted Walker Kessler to be his partner down low. The Lakers mortgaged their future to get him, emptying their cupboard by signing him to a four-year, $130 million deal, including giving the Utah Jazz unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030. (The Lakers don’t have a tradeable, unencumbered first-round pick until 2034.)
He’s foaming at the mouth to win his first championship. That was never more obvious than last March when he put up video game stats, averaging 37.5 points, eight rebounds and 7.4 assists, leaving the league blinking in disbelief as the Lakers tornadoed to a 15-2 record over that stretch.
He desperately wants to win his first MVP Award. That was never more obvious than when his face was streaked with pain while talking about how he fell in the NBA’s MVP rankings despite his superhuman performance last spring.
“The better I play, the more I go down in ratings,” Doncic said in March. “So I don’t know what more I can do.”
Well, make no mistake about it: That slight lit another fire under him. It’s dangerous, considering he has been smoldering since the trade.
Doncic is ready to explode.
And he has the perfect conditions to do it.
He’s playing for one of the most celebrated franchises in sports. He’s next in line behind a who’s who of household names, including Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and James.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic messes with New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson during the first quarter of a game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
He’s used to the pressure, having experienced it from raucous crowds since he was a teenager. He responded by becoming the youngest player to win the EuroLeague MVP Award at age 19, while also carrying his team to a championship.
Over the last two seasons, he has been insulted. He has been embarrassed. He has been overlooked.
Now he wants to make his detractors pay.
We watched Bryant thrive under those conditions, becoming a five-time champion with the Lakers. We also watched Bryant see something in Doncic when he playfully trash-talked him in Slovenian during a Lakers game in 2019.
That moment seems prophetic now.
Bryant was the last Laker who really excited a city inured to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, the back-to-back world championship Dodgers and enough sunshine to keep people away from their televisions and arenas.
Unlike James, who had won three championships before joining the Lakers in free agency in 2018, Bryant became a champion in front of our eyes.
Doncic has the opportunity to do the same thing.
He can become LA’s next superhero.
Or he can fade into being an embarrassing footnote.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 9: Jake Bennett #64 and Mickey Gasper #30 of the Boston Red Sox before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park on September 9, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TV: NESN
First Pitch: 8:05 p.m. ET
The Red Sox have cut their magic number for a postseason spot to five despite losing the first of three games in Texas on Tuesday night. Boston looks to take another step closer to October. The ballclub will do so with Jake Bennett on the mound, who struggled with six earned runs last time out during the overall disappointing series against the Angels.
Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate behind him Wednesday evening at Globe Life Field.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 25: Carlos Correa #1 of the Houston Astros runs to the dugout against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Daikin Park on April 25, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before yesterday’s game with the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros manager Joe Espada told the media that 3B Carlos Correa would not be returning to the team this season.
This came as a bit of a surprise, considering the amount of information and conversation coming from the Astros and from Correa directly as he ramped up his rehab to make a return this season. Correa had been very transparent about wanting to return, and working hard to rejoin his teammates. The Astros had weekly updates on Correa’s progress and he recently was doing baseball activities in Florida to get ready for a rehab assignment this week with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys.
Correa was set to meet with doctors earlier this week before going out for the Space Cowboys final week of the season. Apparently it didn’t even get that far.
Today, the Astros revealed why Correa’s attempts to rejoin the team were thwarted. From the Astros:
IF Carlos Correa (lt. ankle tendon injury) will not return to the active roster in 2026. Correa spent last week rehabbing at the Astros Florida complex and during the ramp-up process he experienced soreness in his surgically repaired ankle. He will return to Houston this week to be medically re-evaluated.
There is always a chance of setbacks during rehab, and unfortunately, Correa’s ankle just didn’t respond well enough to his ramping up baseball activity in preparation for a rehab assignment.
The San Jose Sharks are set to kick off their 2026 Training Camp on Thursday, and ahead of the annual event they announced which players have been invited to participate.
There are 28 forwards set to attend this fall's training camp. While the NHL regulars like Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Tyler Toffoli will be there, quite a few players expected to play for the San Jose Barracuda will also attend.
Forwards:
Alex Barre-Boulet
Filip Bystedt
Ethan Cardwell
Macklin Celebrini
Igor Chernyshov
Ty Dellandrea
Tye Felhaber
Andre Gasseau
Adam Gaudette
Patrick Giles
Barclay Goodrow
Collin Graf
Jake Gustafson
Donavan Houle
Jimmy Huntington
Brett Leason
Cam Lund
Mason Marchment
Michael Misa
Quentin Musty
Zack Ostapchuk
Kiefer Sherwood
Will Smith
Ivar Stenberg
Tyler Toffoli
Anthony Vincent
Alexander Wennberg
Carson Wetsch
There are also 15 defensemen and five goaltenders set to participate in this year's training camp.
Defensemen:
Nolan Allan
Luca Cagnoni
Sam Dickinson
Libor Hajek
Mattias Havelid
Alexander Karmanov
Michael Kesselring
Roland McKeown
Darnell Nurse
Mack Oliphant
Dmitry Orlov
Eric Pohlkamp
Leo Sahlin-Wallenius
Phillip Sinn
Jacob Trouba
Goaltenders:
Yaroslav Askarov
Eric Comrie
Matt Davis
Brady Knowling
Alex Nedeljkovic
Interestingly, recently signed netminder Ilya Samsonov will not be attending training camp.
MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 11: Blake Snell #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on Friday, September 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Blake Snell faces Andrew Abbot as the Dodgers look to make it three consecutive wins against the Cincinnati Reds.
Tommy Pham’s go-ahead, three-run bomb in the fifth flipped the game upside-down — for about 15 minutes. | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Well, these were back-to-back games that made you want to slam your head in a wall, but that’s baseball, right? In a game that traded leads a couple of times — including an absolutely ridiculous, three-run homer from Tommy Pham — Cleveland had the last laugh once again, as a four-run sixth inning gave the Guardians a three-run lead that held up, 6-3.
Lefthander Anthony Kay tossed a solid outing despite two unearned runs in his box score. In his four innings, Kay only surrendered two hits with two walks while striking out three, and was throwing GAS today. The lefty typically averages around 95-96 mph for both his sinker and fastball, but today was hanging in the upper-90s, topping out at 99.2 mph while tossing three of the fastest pitches in the game. On top of that, his changeup had a bit more spin on it today that added about a two-inch increase horizontal break, which got batters to whiff every time they swung at it (3-of-7) at a 42% called-strike-plus whiff rate (CSW%).
Both runs that scored in the bottom of the third were due to an error made by Chase Meidroth while attempting to turn a double play. Petey Halpin led the inning off with a base hit, and with one out, Steven Kwan hit a grounder to Chase at second, who seemingly had an easy double play to tag Halpin and toss it over to first to get Kwan. Meidroth probably should have made the tag with two hands to ensure that he at least got ONE out, but the ball flew out of the glove as he tagged Halpin, which allowed the rookie to move into scoring position.
Kay was able to work soft contact out of José Ramírez to get the second out of the inning, although unable to get the much-needed double-play ball. Let us be reminded that errors and walks will always kill, and sadly the Meidroth error came back to haunt the South Siders as Jo Adell ripped a two-run base hit out to left to take a two-run lead.
After working through that brief chaotic period, Kay settled down and was able to work through the fourth without too much issue. The southpaw had used just 66 pitches through four, and it felt like a bit of a panicked move for Will Venable to decide to go to the bullpen early, in the fifth, to bring lefthander Hagen Smith in. With the way Kay was throwing today, he seemed to definitely have at least one more inning in him before needing to rely on the bullpen. But we could debate this until we are blue in the face, and either way, the White Sox lost the game.
On the other end of the ball, the White Sox had actually outhit the Guardians this game, 8-5. The issue, however, for the billionth time this season (don’t fact-check me, but I’m sure it’s a close estimate), the team could not execute with runners in scoring position: 1-for-8 while stranding eight runners. In fact, the White Sox mashed seven of those eight against Parker Messick in his six innings, but also struck out eight times along the way.
Their lack of ability to score in the first inning after Randal Grichuk smoked a one-out triple set the tone early. Once again Miguel Vargas simply needed to make some contact — any contact would have been a good start! — but he struck out on a high pitch out of the zone, and Tommy Pham grounded out to end the frame, in his first plate appearance after elevator-lobbying his way into the game.
The South Siders loaded the bases up in the fourth with base hits from Vargas and Brenton Doyle, and Colson Montgomery was hit by a pitch in the wrist for the third base runner with … Luisangel Acuña up to bat. It was not lost on me that it was just the fourth inning, but having that meaningful of an opportunity and letting Acuña take the plate appearance feels … icky. The AB ended just as you’d expect, too, with a ground out to the shortstop to end the inning. Pain. The only good news in this situation is that Montgomery’s X-rays came back negative, and he will be day-to-day.
All game, Meidroth was attempting to start a rally, going 3-for-5 on the day with a two-bagger, marking his fifth hit in the last two games from the leadoff position (5-for-10). Outside of the rally in the fifth that scored all three South Side runs, the rest of the lineup just could not come through in the clutch. Except Tommy. Freaking. Pham.
If you were like me, you were probably punching the air while yelling about the bonkers decision that GM Chris Getz and Venable made to bat Pham in the cleanup position in his first game off of the IL. Especially given that, prior to today’s game, he has had exactly ONE (1) at-bat in MLB since APRIL, and has been on the injured list since then. Meidroth and Grichuk worked back-to-back base hits with one out in the top of the fifth, looking to ignite the offense with Vargas coming up to bat. Vargas was likely looking for another fastball, but ended up getting way too out front on a changeup and flew out to right, bringing none other than Pham up with two outs. The 38-year-old had hit the ball hard (104.4 mph) in his first at-bat, but in the inning prior he went down on strikes after staring at a fastball down the middle; needless to say the confidence in him producing wasn’t really there.
But Pham proved us all wrong. On the very first pitch, he blasted a three-run, no-doubt bomb to give the Sox a one-run lead, 3-2, completely turning the game on its head and rendering me speechless. I’m sure he saw people talking smack and knew the consensus around his addition to the lineup was generally negative, so naturally he rose to the occasion to prove everyone wrong. I will stand on 10 toes to say that I was absolutely someone that was not a fan of Pham being selected to bat fourth in a must-win game, but TOMMY, I WAS WRONG: 412-feet with a loud crack off of the bat … bravo. This is the type of psychopathic behavior that we love to see.
That truly could have been the magical home run that saved the White Sox season, but alas, they couldn’t maintain the lead, and the game became un-fun in about 10-15 minutes. Pham’s malevolent homer flashed the clutch, home-run hitting White Sox that we’ve seen all season, but it’s such a brutal punch to the gut knowing that a guy with a Backyard Baseball name like Petey Halpin crushed the South Side momentum like a tiny little lego under a hydraulic press.
As the game moved into the bottom of the fifth, Smith came in and was able to get through the frame despite José Ramírez hitting the first of two doubles on the day. But as has been the case each game this series, things started to go haywire in the sixth. Smith managed to get two outs, but his two walks ended up coming back to bite Chicago. The worst part, truly, is that Smith surrendered walks to David Gry and Austin Hedged, who are better matchups ahead of potential killers such as Brayan Rocchio in the 9-hole.
Instead of letting the southpaw face Halpin as the 8-hitter, Venable turned to the third lefty of the game, and Sean Newcomb was chosen to try to clean up Smith’s mess and escape the inning with the lead. As good as Newcomb has been, he was immediately rocked for a three-run homer from Halpin. Petey was batting just .029 against southpaws in 40 plate appearances with a -76 wRC+ and a .108 OPS. Smith has been throwing some nasty pitches, and could potentially have been a better match against the rookie outfielder. Again, everything is in hindsight so who knows, maybe the Halpin homer was as destined as Pham’s.
Newcomb has been excellent all season, but unfortunately the Guardians beat him today. On a 3-1 count, Newcomb served up a sinker that hung mostly down the middle of the plate, and Halpin turned on the pitch and blasted a three-run shot to right, handing the lead back over to Cleveland, 5-3.
Newcomb walked both Rocchio and Kwan to put two runners on for Ramírez, who knocked his second double of the game to score an insurance run for the Guardians, completely erasing Pham’s miraculous homer. After the Ramírez RBI, Venable went to the bullpen for the second time in the inning, and thankfully Jordan Hicks was able to strike Adell out to get out of the inning. In his one appearance this series, Hicks was ready when we needed him most, but that was all for today.
For the final two frames, lefthander Noah Schultz made his first relief appearance of the season, and his first MLB outing since early August. Schultz was solid for both innings, and retired all six Cleveland batters that he faced in order to keep the White Sox at just a three-run deficit.
Both Kyle Teel and Munetaka Murakami — in for Colson — drew walks to put two runners on with two outs in the eighth, giving the South Siders another chance to get back in the game. You better believe it, Acuña was due up to bat again in a huge situation, but Sam Antonacci pinch-hit for him after the Guardians brought in Cade Smith. The Matrix had already glitched once earlier in the game for the Pham homer, and maybe in another timeline Antonacci blasts the game-tying bomb — but not in this one.
The Good Guys went down in order in the top of the ninth, giving Smith his 37th save of the season after 1 1/3 innings, striking out the first and last batter of the inning to slam the door on the White Sox. We all knew Chicago needed to win AT LEAST one game this series. They did that, and they have the tiebreaker. That’s all cool and fun, but wow, these last two games were truly heartbreaking.
Chicago will head back home tonight with a sour taste in their mouths, but there’s still a way into the postseason, despite how flat it feels after these three in Cleveland. Righthander Erick Fedde is set to go against Framber Valdez of the Detroit Tigers as they kick off a four-game set in the Southside jerseys, honoring Tim Anderson’s career with the White Sox.
I’m gonna go cry now. Let’s try again tomorrow, I guess.
MVP Tommy Pham: 1-for-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, K
Runners-Up Anthony Kay: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 3 K Randal Grichuk: 2-for-5, R, K, 3B Chase Meidroth: 3-for-5, R, 2B, E (cost 2 R) Noah Schultz: 2 IP, 0 H
Cold-Cat Sean Newcomb: 0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K, Blown Save (2)
Runners-Up Hagen Smith: 1 2/3 IP, H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K, LOSS (3-2) Luisangel Acuña: 0-for-3, K Tristan Peters: 0-for-4, K Chase Meidroth: 3-for-5, R, 2B, E (cost 2 R)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - SEPTEMBER 11: Nick Martinez #28 and Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate after clinching a playoff spot after the game against the Houston Astros at Tropicana Field on Friday, September 11, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Alex Zadorozny/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 15: Daylen Lile #4 of the Washington Nationals celebrates his three-run home run with Harry Ford #17 and Andrew Pinckney #45 as J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on in the seventh inning at Nationals Park on September 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats handed the Phillies a damaging loss last night. They will look to repeat the trick tonight. The Phillies need this game for their playoff push, so they will come out with a point to prove tonight. However, these Nats have been playing good baseball at home lately.
Blake Butera is loading his lineup with lefties tonight. Dylan Crews is the only right handed hitter in the lineup. That means the likes of James Wood, CJ Abrams, Daylen Lile and Keibert Ruiz are back. We will also see Abi Ortiz and Jose Tena get starts. Jared Simpson will be the opener in a bullpen game.
The Phillies are making a couple changes at the bottom of their order. With a righty likely to get bulk work, lefties Brandon Marsh and Justin Crawford will be in the 8 and 9 spot. Otherwise it is the same cast of characters as last night. The Phillies turn to another ace with Zack Wheeler on the bump.
There are only 10 games left in the season now. The Nats will look to get their most wins in a season since 2019 tonight. They also have a shot to win their 5th game in a row. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
San Jose Sharks fans, and players for that matter, have had different opinions on Ryan Reaves during his time in the NHL but it's now been confirmed that his last NHL season was spent with the team in teal. On Wednesday, the veteran winger took to social media to officially announce his retirement.
For many years, Sharks fans hated Reaves due to his time with the Vegas Golden Knights, but it didn't take long for the public opinion to change once he arrived in the Bay Area. His personality off the ice quickly turned him into a fan favorite, even with some of those who weren't happy with his on ice contributions.
Now 39 years old, Reaves started his career with the St. Louis Blues organization after they drafted him 156th overall in 2005. Roughly five years later, he made his NHL debut and remained in St. Louis through the 2016-17 season. He then had stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the aforementioned Golden Knights, the New York Rangers, the Minnesota Wild, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and eventually, the Sharks.
Reaves finishes his career with 962 games played, 66 goals, 74 assists, and 1,137 penalty minutes.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 31: Xzavion Curry #53 of the New York Mets looks on during the game against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on July 31, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets lineup
Francisco Lindor – SS Juan Soto – LF Bo Bichette – 3B Carson Benge – RF Jared Young – 1B Marcus Semien – 2B A.J. Ewing – CF Brett Baty – DH Luis Torrens – C
SP: Xzavion Curry – RHP
Orioles lineup
Dylan Beavers – LF Pete Alonso – 1B Gunnar Henderson – SS Coby Mayo – DH Christian Encarnacion-Strand – 3B Samuel Basallo – C Jeremiah Jackson – 2B Rece Hinds – RF Colton Cowser – CF
SP: Chris Bassitt – RHP
First pitch: 7:10 PM EDT TV: ESPN Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
