The NHL's new Collective Bargaining Agreement cut preseason down from six games to four. This upcoming preseason will be the first time since 2014 that the Islanders hand't faced the Philadelphia Flyers.
Also included in the preseason release is the scheduling of two rookie camp scrimmages against the New Jersey Devils.
On Sept. 13, the Islanders rookies will face the Devils' in New Jersey at their practice facility before hosting them at Northwell Health Ice Center on Sept. 15.
Islanders rookie camp opens a week before NHL camp does.
We’re back like Mack The Knife and ready to dig into some off-season conversation.
After an extended break, we thought it might be nice to fill some of the pre-free agency vacuum by chasing some wild hares, particularly when it comes to a very specific vein of trade conversation — De’Aaron Fox.
Following San Antonio’s Finals loss (still feels to soon to type that), and an extended rough stretch while playing injured, the NBA world is a-twitter (pun intended) with ideas about how the Spurs should move on from Fox, in spite of the Spurs somewhat public declaration of support.
So, as far as this edition of the Mailbag is concerned, I’m going to be taking you through a bunch of those proposed trades (which a bunch of Spurs Twitter users were lovely enough to provide) and ranking them according to various scales of feasibility and fit.
As always, feel free to drop related (and unrelated) questions down below in the comments for use in future mailbags. If you have questions that didn’t get answered today, you can continue submitting it (and others) in the comments below, as we will absolutely be combing through them.
Additionally, you can also submit questions in the comments on our Twitter Mailbag posts, just as you would in the comments here. And of course, you can always DM me your question directly. (Please note that rhetorical questions and declarative statements are less likely to make the mailbag)
All right, now let’s get to it!
Ok, since we all seem to be on the subject of what to do with De'Aaron Fox lately, I'd love to see your best trade proposals
Make them as realistic or outlandish as you like, but drop them here, and I'll see if I can use them in a special Fox-centric @poundingtherock mailbag
Ok, I felt the need to embed the above tweet so that we all can see and understand that I told people that their ideas could be as outlandish as they were realistic.
Was this the right call? I have no idea. I do know that I spent an almost equal amount of time laughing and facepalming.
De’Aaron Fox + Keldon Johnson + three 2nd round picks (’26, ’29, ’30) for Giannis Antetokounmpo submitted by @ChiChiandPato
To be fair, this person admitted to a bit of pie-in-the-sky trolling, but this is obviously unrealistic for several reasons, chief among them being the complete lack of reported interest in the Alamo City on the part of both Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Front Office. The Spurs do have a solid combination of assets and salaries with which they could make an offer, but to do so for one guaranteed season of a soon-to-be 32-year-old who is pretty athleticism dependent is almost certainly a no-go for San Antonio, and Fox’s postseason swoon makes it even more unlikely that the Bucks will see him as a favorable asset (and that’s without considering Keldon’s postseason inconsistency). Much more likely the Bucks would want to make a demand for Dylan Harper, and I think we can all agree that that’s a no-go, even without considering shipping out the ’27 Atlanta, ’31 Sacramento, and/or the ’30 Minnesota swap.
Grade: -1/10(Updated Grade -1,000/10, the Miami Heat had to gut their team for Giannis)
De’Aaron Fox for Ja Morant + Ty Jerome submitted by @flygodd22
The lack of picks here actually feels somewhat realistic, given Memphis’ reported desire to move on from Morant. However, San Antonio seems like one of the most unlikely destinations due to: 1. A pretty significant personal character conflict for the franchise, 2. Already possessing a high-floor + high-ceiling back-court of the future in Castle and Harper that would again become cramped with Morant, 3. No evidence that Morant would be willing to adapt his ego and/or playing style accordingly, 4. Bigger needs at other positions, 5. Visible decline and an injury history that suggests that Fox is still the better and more reliable option. If the Spurs front office is going to take a risk, it’s probably not going to be on another guard, and almost certainly not on someone who has consistently displayed the opposite of their preferred ‘over themselves’ ethos. You risk upsetting the chemistry of a Finals team, the possibility of adding an internal power-struggle between Morant and your unquestioned franchise pillar, more guard rotation issues, and the possibility of it all ending up dead money anyway due to injury/regression. And according to Sam Amick, the Grizzlies are hoping to dangle Morant as a ‘Plan B’ for teams that miss out on Giannis. In other words, Memphis is hoping to take advantage of a desperate sucker. That’s just not the Spurs. Nor should it be. Unless the Spurs could somehow get draft assets back (and a blood-oath on pain of self-immolation from Morant for best-behavior), I don’t see this happening.
De’Aaron Fox to The Clippers + Kawhi Leonard to The Heat + Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jović to The Spurs submitted by @RomanSATX
Yep, it’s our first three-team trade, and I felt nauseous just typing it out. Ignoring the fact that no one really seems to know what the hell is going on with Leonard, The Clippers, and the theoretical consequences of their arboreal money-laundering scheme, there are still the issues of Wiggins being the wrong size forward, Jović being a milquetoast rim protector whose long-distance shot fell off a cliff, and neither player helping much with the rebounding issues. Add to the equation that the Heat are pretty Spursian in their ability to elevate and make use of role-players, and you basically get that Jović is a lesser version of Kornet who will be paid more than Kornet, for more years, and that Wiggins solves none of San Antonio’s issues at the 4 (though his contact will be expiring), and only increases the existing log-jam at the 3. And the Spurs get no picks. I would rather have someone give me a pedicure with a cheese grater than to have to watch a trade like this go down.
Grade: 1 chum bucket full of my disgust
De’Aaron Fox for Luka Dončić submitted by @HarperEasy2
I have almost no complaints about this trade other than some recently developing concerns that Spurs fans have been infected by whatever one-sided trade-related malady it is that ails the brains of Los Angeles Laker fans. Still, you can’t really call this sort of thing an impossibility anymore, and if the Lakers were to fire Rob Pelinka and then hire Nico Harrison, all bets are off. Even then, though, there would have to be some picks involved. Nico Harrison loves him some picks.
De’Aaron Fox + Luke Kornet (or picks) for Immanuel Quickley + Jakob Poeltl submitted by multiple people/accounts
This was the most popular submission by far, and it came with different variations of picks and/or Kornet, and it looks fairly rational on the surface. Poeltl is familiar with San Antonio and their system, and is still an above-average rim defender and rebounder, and a decent passer for his position. And Quickley is capable of handling bench and starting duties as needed, can definitely shoot the three, and has also has an ideal disposition for joining the roster seamlessly. Both players are more than capable of spot-starting and offer high-floor depth. However, issue number one is that Poeltl is on the decline, and his health has been an issue pretty much since he got to Toronto, and he’s about to get really expensive proportionate to his value (with 3 years fully guaranteed) which is why Toronto would be looking to get off him. Issue two is that Quickley still has 3 years left on a contract that’s about 20% of the cap, which is a bundle for a player who will get a lot of his minutes with the bench. I don’t think that this is a bad trade, per se. But I do feel like it presents just as many problems as simply keeping Fox, especially with his current trade value probably being lower than the Spurs would like. It may raise the floor, but almost certainly doesn’t raise the ceiling, and if Kornet is in the swap, it actually doesn’t really help depth. Most of all, it doesn’t really reduce cost. And if it doesn’t reduce cost or raise the ceiling, I don’t see the Spurs doing it.
Grade: 4.5/10 (depending on asset variation)
De’Aaron Fox for Julius Randle + Donte DiVincenzo submitted by multiple people/accounts
This was the 2nd most popular submission, and I understand the reasoning. Randle and DiVincenzo actually fill needs for the team, potentially raising the floor and the ceiling. DiVincenzo is a dead-eye shooter with terrific off-ball skills and is a decent defender capable of adding to the starting unit and/or the bench. Randle is a unicorn in terms of talent at Power-Forward, and at his best, is capable of stretching the floor, defending forwards and big men, making sharp passes, and out-rebounding bigger players. ‘At his best’ remains the operative phrase, though, as Randle has been confoundingly inconsistent over his career, season-to-season, game-to-game, quarter-to-quarter. Ironically, Randle’s inconsistent execution and effort level have been among the most consistent aspects of his game at each of his stops. It’s unlikely he would have bounced around so much for a player with his skillset had he been capable of greater focus and (per both reporters and fans) actually listening to his coaches. When you add DiVincenzo’s almost certainly year-long Achilles rehab to the equation, this is basically the Morant trade, just with better positional fits. If this trade featured Naz Reid instead, it might really be interesting, but Reid is as beloved and valued by his team and Minnesota fans as DiVincenzo is (Thilo Widder of Canis Hoopus gave glowing reviews of both during Fraternizing with the Enemy), and because of that, I expect the Wolves to hold onto both of them. Likewise, I expect the Spurs to avoid a solo swap for Randle. At best, they might help facilitate something for the Wolves for an asset (as they seem very motivated to move Randle), but considering Minnesota’s status as a Western Conference contender, I doubt it.
Grade: 4/10 (because of positional fit)(Updated Grade: 3/10, Minnesota had to send assets to trade Randle to the Nets, but it was really just a pick swap. Not worth it.)
De’Aaron Fox + pick for Kevin Durant submitted by multiple people/accounts
I’ve started to see this one more over the last several days, and again, I understand the reasoning need-wise. The Spurs need scoring, shooting, and size. Durant offers all three, and then some. His arrival has been a longstanding desire for a large cohort of Spurs fans since his tenure at the University of Texas, and then gained more steam around the NBA’s 75th anniversary, when Durant put on a George ‘Iceman’ Gervin jersey for a photo-op. And to be clear, the money works, and Durant’s contract only lasting two seasons seems ideal. Theoretically, the skill-set fits. But nothing about Durant has been simple over his career, and the injuries have really started to stack up over recent years. There have been rumors about Durant sabotaging team chemistry long before his recent stint with the Rockets, and once again, a lot of fingers are being pointed. Will Durant try to force an extension as he has in the past, and then throw a trade-value sabotaging fit when denied? Will he be willing to play second (or even 3rd) fiddle again in pursuit of more titles? Will he want to play within the relative confines of San Antonio’s system? Will he respect the still-developing head coach and younger ascending talents as his star begins to wane? All important questions when it comes to one of the most perplexing yet undeniably pure talents of his generation. However, I think the biggest factor is likely going to be Houston’s reluctance to send him to the Spurs, a long-time rival and current opponent for regional dominance as well as Western Conference seeding. The last time these two teams got together for a trade was 2007, when the Spurs shipped Luis Scola to Houston. Prior to that, you have to go back to 1992. Prior to that? 1984. In fact, the Spurs and Rockets have combined for exactly 4 trades with each other, total. It’s an interesting thought exercise, but it’s just not happening. If it does, though, you might want to think about buying a lottery ticket.
Grade: 5/10 (too many questions + too little chance)
De’Aaron Fox + late 1st to The Nets, Michael Porter Jr. + a Spurs 2nd to the Kings, Domantas Sabonis to The Spurs submitted by Yours Truly
Ok, hear me out. The Nets badly need a point guard, and just took on Randle and his salary as they continue their rebuild (ie: hoarding picks). With Randle in the fold, it feels like Porter could be on the move, and the Kings could really use his shooting, scoring, and relative youth + cap reduction. The Nets get a 1st and an upside play that Fox will return to form, allowing them to either keep or trade him for more assets. The Spurs get Sabonis, who is not only slightly cheaper than Fox, but only has two years left on his contract. And Sabonis is actually a pretty compelling fit for San Antonio when you break it down. Not only is he capable of playing both Center and Power-Forward, he’s also arguably the best passing big-man outside of Nikola Jokić (I’m not putting Karl-Anthony Towns over Sabonis until I see some consistency), is a tenacious rebounder, and averaged .389 from three over the 3 consecutive seasons prior to last year. In short, the Spurs would be able to use him the way that the Knicks have used Towns, except that Sabonis is a more efficient scorer and is smarter when it comes to fouls. And while Sabonis does showcase some defensive vulnerability, he’s had a positive Defensive Box Plus/Minus for most of his career, and will be protected a bit when playing with Wemby or Kornet. The biggest issue with this trade is feasibility. After getting fleeced by the Spurs twice in the past couple of years, will the Kings want to deal with them again? Will the Nets want more compensation? Do they want to keep Porter? Will their owner force them to make win-now moves? (as he has in the past) Will both teams try to extract maximum value from the Spurs? It’s just a lot of moving parts and ‘ifs’ and supposedly the Spurs don’t want to move Fox anyway. The fit could be amazing, and the trade has upsides for each team, but it just seems like a major stretch. Man could it be fun, though.
Grade: 5/10 (too many unknown variables)
Good Fit + More Feasible
De’Aaron Fox + Multiple 1sts for Jaren Jackson Jr. submitted by @DonMegaBets
If you wanna talk about fit, this might be even better than Sabonis, though Jackson is decidedly not as impressive a rebounder or passer. Offensively, Jackson’s a more consistent floor stretcher on a higher diet of long-distance shots, and is a pretty efficient scorer in his own right, but it’s the potential for outright defensive terrorism that gives this mouth-watering potential. You’re talking about pairing two of the most smothering rim protectors since San Antonio’s Twin Towers, both of whom can switch back and forth between the 4 and the 5 any given possession, and who can legitimately space the floor like no other front-court. I really only see three issues: 1. Jackson has had some trouble staying healthy as of late, 2. Juggling Jackson’s contract (and possible future contracts) in addition to other budding Spurs stars and Wemby, 3. Danny Ainge. The first issue I would feel less concerned about when considering the reputation and kid-glove handling of the Spurs medical team, and shrewd playing time allocations. The second issue just feels like champagne problems. ‘Oh no! How can they afford to pay all the great players they have on the roster?!’. The third issue, however, is almost certainly the biggest one. As a general rule, it’s a good idea to steer clear of wheeling and dealing with Danny Ainge. For starters, he already pulled off a small heist in order to land Jackson, and there’s no indication that he’d want to move him. Secondly, Ainge has a long history of fleecing teams + extracting maximum value once he knows they want a player. There are no discounts, no real weak moments, no real leverage. Ainge is going to get what he wants, or no dice. And that means this almost certainly empties the last of the San Antonio’s excess pick hoard. Would it be worth it? Yeah, probably. Would the Spurs actually do it? I sincerely doubt it.
Grade: 6/10 (Ainge seems unlikely to do it)
De’Aaron Fox + 1st for Lauri Markkanen submitted by @TheFinalQuan
Full disclosure, I’ve never been big on Markkanen, but he sure looks like a perfect fit in this scenario. Within the context of this Spurs team, he’s basically Kevin Durant-lite. He’s a very efficient shooter from all three levels who adds size, rebounding, and scoring punch, minus all of the drama. The contract is basically a perfect swap, and Markkanen should be able to slide right into the existing ecosystem without much trouble. The defense isn’t great, but his size + the Spurs existing corral of defenders should make up for a lot of that. And with only three years left, the Spurs should be able to move off of him pretty quickly if it doesn’t pan out. The snag is, once again, Danny Ainge, who will probably be prefectly content waiting until he gets exactly the offer he want, as keeping Markkanen really isn’t a problem for him, even if the Jazz draft another forward. With no real rumors of discord or desire to move him, you can expect Ainge to extract a premium for Markkanen’s services. And the Spurs don’t make a lot of trades to begin with, so I wouldn’t bet on this one happening. These are two trade partners who really prefer to dictate their own terms. Spurs fans would owe the front office yet another apology if they pulled it off without getting disemboweled by Ainge, though. But that’s a tall order.
Grade: 7/10 (or higher, depending on cost)
De’Aaron Fox + Multiple 1sts (2-3) for Trey Murphy and Herb Jones submitted by @DonMegaBets
For the perfect mixture of fit and feasibility, though, I think this feels right. The fit isn’t quite as compelling as some of the other propositions, but it’s close, as Herb Jones has seemed like an ideal Spur since he arrived in the NBA, and Murphy shares a somewhat combined profile of two previous Spurs additions in Rudy Gay and Harrison Barnes. Per ESPN’s Marc Spears, the Pelicans are actually looking to move Murphy, and they are exactly the kind of team the Spurs like to take advantage of. The entire organization is in a state of flux with “at least 25 vacancies across basketball operations and business departments so far’, including the medical and analytics departments, which were reportedly “gutted”, which doesn’t bode well, disregarding new president of basketball operations Joe Dumars’ already inconsistent front-office history. The real question in this scenario will be whether the Pelicans will try to continue their long-standing win-now attempts to build around Zion Williamson, or if they’re only interested in collecting assets. If it’s the former (or even an attempt to do both at once) this suddenly becomes very feasible, and might not even cost San Antonio their coveted 2031 Sacramento Kings swap. A front-office in flux and in search of direction (in combination with the right mixture of desperation), with good players who are being ignored for flashier options, is the perfect recipe for a good-old-fashioned Spurs heist. I still don’t think the Spurs are trading Fox this season, but of all the trade ideas, this one seems actually seems possible.
Grade: 8.5/10 (Joe Dumars is the epitome of chaotic good)
Well, that’ll do it for this edition of the PtR mailbag! Let us know your thoughts and/or drop your trade ideas in the comments below. We’ll see how things go tonight in the Draft. And, as always, Go Spurs Go!
Sunrise/ Sunset/ Since the beginning it hasn’t changed yet/ People fly high begin to lose sight/ You can’t see very clearly when you’re in flight — “On Your Way Down” Allen Toussaint
To be honest I didn’t pay much attention initially when Pat Kelsey was first asked Monday morning about not being invited to attend the NBA Draft.
He was diplomatic, commenting how Mikel Brown Jr. only had so many invites, etc, etc.
Then he said this, and my ears perked up.
“Although he was only here for one year, that young man is going to be celebrated and remembered and revered around here for a long, long time.”
I. Don’t. Think. So.
At least that’s my sense from feedback by the Commentariat, conversations along the way, and my own conversion on the issue.
I still didn’t pay a lot of attention. For me, the NBA Draft is a curiosity, far from an obsession.
However when Louisville’s Dean of Sportswriters Eric Crawford returned to the subject later in the interview, I rethought my dismissal that it wasn’t any big deal in these environs.
I’ve thought about it a lot between then and now, just having viewed the part time U of L mercenary take the stage in his bespoke white, pink and baby blue tux, the fitting of which was videoed by his team.
To which attire he added a Brooklyn Nets hat.
Let’s set aside for a moment the underlying dialog about the true extent of MB’s injury, considering how bad the kid’s back really was that “caused” him to sit out over a third of the Cardinals’ games, including the post season.
What I know is Pat Kelsey had Brown’s back during the step aways. Season long. As late at his presser.
“He’s got an ‘it’ about him. … I’m well aware of how special of a player I coached. I’m more proud of how special of a human being Mikel is.”
Unlike Bill Self who publicly wondered aloud how much his eventual No. 2 pick was truly injured last campaign, PK has never never had a discouraging word for Brown.
The very least Brown and his team — Read: Helicopter Father — could have done was bring Pat Kelsey along Tuesday night. To show some respect. Gratitude for PK’s indulgence.
They did not.
For shame.
I’m firmly of the opinion it was a disgrace.
It’s high time that you found/ The same people you misuse on your way up/ You might meet up/ On your way down — AT
* * * * *
During the season, I was an apologist for Brown.
I was close by in the gym when his back went out during a game. Memphis State, right?
Having had a troublesome back through the decades, I observed the signs in the PG’s hobble during his down time.
A fellow Cardinal hoopaholic advised Brown told him, he’d had back issues previously.
Thus I was inclined to accept he simply wasn’t sandbagging after his breakout national TV performance against UK.
Of course, I was dazzled by his game in early February against a North Carolina State gang mailing it in, “coached” by Will Wade who was already packing to move to Baton Rouge.
I was still dismayed that he matched the individual game point record of four year icon Wes Unseld in ’67. Just didn’t feel right, worthy.*
*I’ve had a former Cardinal, member of the family, share that he’d heard Brown’s dad was upset because Kelsey pulled him before he could break the record. ????
In retrospect I now find it suspect that Brown shut it down once and for all as a Cardinal after hitting but 2/10 in a late February L at Clemson, following by five days his atrocious shooting night in a loss to the Tar Heels on February 23.
How conveeeeeniant!!!
Then came his remarkable full recovery when NBA tryout season and combine dawned.
With the same no lumbar issues that didn’t seem to plague him in AAU and for the USA squad before he came here.
* * * * *
So, I’d offer he dropped by for a cup of coffee. Shared a couple of almond croissants with us against UK and a jayvee Wolfpack contingent.
Then moved on. Without giving a legit thank you to his coach.
Sayonara, dude.
* * * * *
I read a piece this morning about Steve Spurrier. In it, he lamented like many the current state of roster movement in college sports, how different it was in his heyday of the 90s.
How his recruiting pitch was, “You’ve got a home to come back to.”
Jordan Nwora comes back for visits.
Donovan Mitchell comes back for visits.
Chucky Hepburn, though a senior one and done is properly revered, and comes back for visits.
Mikel Brown Jr.?
If the over/ under on how many times he comes back was 1, I’d bet the under.
The Detroit Tigers are -145 favorites in their series finale against the New York Yankees.
With Tarik Skubal on the mound, my Yankees vs. Tigers predictions and MLB picks are backing the home team to come out on top in the rubber match.
Who will win Yankees vs Tigers today: Tigers (-145)
Ryan Weathers has allowed at least five runs in four of his past six starts, conceding 10 homers along the way. Only once did he avoid a longball during that stretch.
The Detroit Tigersrank 15th in ISO against left-handed pitching, so they have enough power to cause problems for Weathers.
Tarik Skubal owns a sparkling 2.74 xFIP on the season and has effectively limited walks and homers. While the New York Yankees generally excel against lefties, they’re missing a lot of key bats due to injury.
Expect Skubal to capitalize and back the Tigers to -150.
Yankees vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Over 7.0 (-120)
This total is half a run too low.
Homers are a great way to get chunk production, and Weathers is having a miserable time limiting them.
The Tigers rank eighth in ISO and first in flyball rate against lefties in June, so they’re well equipped to put Weathers’ home-run struggles to the test.
Skubal is one of the marquee pitchers in the sport, but he hasn’t been as effective this season while fighting injuries — understandably so.
Temperatures are expected to hover around 70 degrees with winds blowing in close to 10 mph. The weather favors the pitchers slightly, but the weather shouldn't be very impactful.
Yankees vs Tigers odds
Moneyline: Yankees +125 | Tigers -145
Run line: Yankees +1.5 (-170) | Tigers -1.5 (+145)
Over/Under: Over 7.0 (-120) | Under 7.0 (+100)
Yankees vs Tigers trend
Detroit owns a 22-17 record on home soil this season. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Tigers.
How to watch Yankees vs Tigers and game info
Location
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Date
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
First pitch
6:40 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
Yankees starting pitcher
Ryan Weathers (2-5, 4.13 ERA)
Tigers starting pitcher
Tarik Skubal (3-3, 3.02 ERA)
Yankees vs Tigers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Stop me if you are getting tired of that headline. PCA has been on an unbelievable tear. Sammy Sosa, Derrek Lee, maybe Kris Bryant? Maybe Andre Dawson? How many Cubs have we seen have a run like this? Sammy is the most obvious, but I remember each of the other recent Cub MVPs having their stretches of dominance. With all due respect to the late Ryne Sandberg, his excellence was different. More relentless than flat domination.
PCA has a 1.327 OPS over his 24-game on-base streak. I believe Sammy Sosa’s June 1998 is the gold standard for the modern Cubs. He had a 198 wRC+ and 1.173 OPS. PCA is sitting at 282 and 1.434. There is just under a week to go and a doubleheader in there. This is some kind of hot streak.
One last thing in this PCA appreciation post. Yes, it’s silly that the haters are not voting PCA into the All-Stars. Also yes, his peers and NL coaches will vote him onto the team. I’d rather be the guy the players want to watch than the guys the fans want to watch. Does anyone really care that he might get one or two fewer plate appearances? He’s an All-Star. And he’s going to receive MVP votes again. I couldn’t really care less what the fans of other teams think about him. I assure you virtually all of them would love him if he was on their team.
As to the Cubs, you know where I am. They win these games. An opposing starter struggled and everyone ran to the bat rack and they piled on runs. They are good at those. They are good when the other bullpen blows up. They aren’t very good otherwise. Winning is fun. Scoring nine is fun. Crooked number innings are fun. I enjoyed this one.
The Cubs pitched relatively well before the garbage time of the ninth inning. Jayden Murray facing six batters, striking out two, allowing two hits and three runs was crazy. I hope they can find whatever they think they see. Of course, the bigger story is the same old story there. Edward Cabrera leaves with an injury. It’s a hamstring/adductor injury. We won’t see much (any?) of Cabrera the rest of the season. Matthew Boyd hopefully replaces Cabrera. But that’s a shame when you hoped Boyd would be an add and not a replace.
Of all the things I hate most being right about, it is that the Cubs got through 2025 relatively healthy. The injuries they had were headliners, so you remember them. But they had relatively few secondary injuries. They are being ravaged by them this year and they are particularly concentrated on the pitching staff, having a significant compounding effect. Somehow, this team is more or less on the trajectory that was expected before the season.
Today is a big day. Definitely don’t lose two. It’s a PCA world and we are all just living in it.
Three Positives:
Dansby Swanson actually had the biggest day. Two hits, a homer and a double. A sacrifice fly. Four runs driven in. Pray he’s turned a corner.
Pete Crow-Armstrong. Superstar. Just one hit, but two more walks. Oh and the one hit was a three-run homer. After three straight Cubs didn’t get a hit with RISP, he got a three-run homer. And hey, the Cubs did score two runs on the three not hits with RISP (walk and sac fly).
Carson Kelly stays hot. A hit, two walks, two runs driven in, three runs scored. The Cubs had eight hits, but drew seven walks and had a hit batter. Near constant pressure.
Game 78, June 23: Cubs 9, Mets 6 (41-37)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.174). 1-3, HR, 2 BB, 3 RBI, R
Hero: Carson Kelly (.123). 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 3 R
Sidekick: Dansby Swanson (.108). 2-3, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, R
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.082). 1-4, 2B, R
Goat: Michael Busch (-.031). 0-4, BB
Kid: Alex Bregman (-.029). 0-5
Jayden Murray’s ninth inning was in a no leverage situation and didn’t affect WPA.
WPA Play of the Game: Pete Crow-Armstrong’s three-run homer with two outs in the second gave the Cubs a five run lead. (.187)
Cubs Play of the Game: Francisco Alvarez’ two out single with the bases loaded cut a five-run Cub lead to three. (.106)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 77 Winner: Colin Rea 66-55 over PCA (135 votes)
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Michael Busch +20
Pete Crow-Armstrong +19
Ben Brown +13.5
Carson Kelly +12.5
Michael Conforto +9
Edward Cabrera -9.5
Phil Maton/Dansby Swanson -10
Caleb Thielbar -13
Seiya Suzuki -19.5
Up Next: A double header Wednesday. Shōta Imanaga will start one of the games and Javier Assad the other. They’ll face Nolan McLean and Sean Manaea for the Mets.
The Atlanta Braves are -130 favorites to snap their three-game losing streak on Wednesday, June 24.
My Braves vs. Padres predictions and MLB picks see plenty of value in backing Atlanta in a low-scoring affair against one of the league's worst offenses.
Who will win Braves vs Padres today: Braves moneyline (-135)
The Padres own a league-worst .285 OBP against left-handed pitching. They don’t hit for average, they don’t draw walks, and they lack power to cash in even when able to generate traffic.
Martin Perez has conceded two runs or fewer in 11 of 14 starts, and this is a great spot for him to do so again.
While the Braves possess a lot of power vs. lefties, they sit 19th in OBP. They are also playing in one of the more pitcher-friendly ballparks in baseball, which could take away from some of their home run potential.
Play the Under to -120.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 40-29, +3.0 units
Over/Under bets: 36-29-4, +3.59 units
Braves vs Padres weather
Temperatures are expected to hover in the low 70s with wind blowing side-to-side. No real boost for hitters or pitchers.
Braves vs Padres odds
Moneyline: Braves -130 | Padres +110
Run line: Braves -1.5 (+130) | Padres +1.5 (-150)
Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)
Braves vs Padres trend
San Diego has hit the Under in 16 of its last 23 home games (+8.35 units, 33% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Padres.
How to watch Braves vs Padres and game info
Location
Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Date
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
First pitch
8:40 p.m. ET
TV
BravesVision, Padres.TV
Braves starting pitcher
Martin Perez (6-3, 2.78 ERA)
Padres starting pitcher
JP Sears (2025: 2-2, 5.47 ERA)
Braves vs Padres latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
BRONX, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 9: The Bronx Zoo transforms into a vibrant display of autumn colors as fall foliage surrounds its animal habitats in New York, United States on November 9, 2025. Visitors enjoy the mix of wildlife and seasonal scenery, with golden leaves creating picturesque views across one of New York City's most famous attractions. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
The Knicks entered Tuesday night with the No. 24 pick. They left with no first-round picks… but five additional second-rounders, a bag full of cash, and what feels like another Leon Rose-Brock Aller masterclass.
A few notes and links…
Let’s start with the obvious: the Knicks did not trade out of the first round because they hated Sergio de Larrea as I did, or even Koa Peat, Cameron Carr, or any other prospect at reach. Every report coming out before and afterward pointed in the same direction, which is none other than avoiding the second-apron and keeping the title-winning core together. It isn’t simple, but New York is simply operating like the savviest franchise.
As SNY’s Ian Begley pointed out, New York saved itself roughly $3.4 million in first-round salary obligations by moving out of Round 1 and letting others pay for the 24th-best prospect. Can’t complain, let alone if Sergio was the bet.
Even with all the maneuvering from Tuesday and all the surprises yet to come, the Knicks currently have roughly $211 million committed to 11 players, leaving about $10.8 million before reaching the second apron. Not exactly the type of cushion that lets you sleep comfortably, considering all of Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, Ariel Hukporti, Jeremy Sochan, Kevin McCullar Jr., Trey Jemison, and Jose Alvarado don’t have a contract in place right now.
Speaking of Alvarado, Sean Deveney spoke to an Eastern Conference executive who described his upcoming market in the most terrifying way possible.
“Oh, it would be a cluster. He’s the kind of guy you want on the bottom half of the roster if you’re a contender. So all the teams that were after him before will be after him again, and they can all bump him to $6 million with an (cap) exception or go higher, go into the midlevel for him. And you’d have to add some teams to that mix, too.”
Linked to both Alvarado and Tuesday’s dealing and wheeling: remember that New York originally acquired Alvarado by sending two second-round picks and a Frankensteinian Dalen Terry-Guerschon Yabusele body to New Orleans. Suddenly, those freshly-acquired five second-rounders Rose grabbed don’t look quite as random, do they? Keep ’em coming!
If you are still lost amid all the draft sennanigans and deals and cap issues and stuff like that (which I have publicly admitted to being) and you haven’t read Michael Zeno’s breakdown of the cap implications and Knicks situation, do it right now. The entire piece is basically a love letter to Brock Aller, and the argument is simple: second-round contracts are cheaper, they create more flexibility, and could massively help New York retain all/most veterans while staying under the apron.
If you don’t love Nate, fear nothing. I’d keep loving him for you.
Pour one out for the St. John’s crowd, even if it hurts not to have Zuby Ejiofor around. The Red Storm standout ended up going No. 23 to Atlanta, one pick before New York’s original No. 24 selection. Fun what-if: had Zuby been available for the Knicks, would we be talking about trading out of the first round? Worth Weisioning.
Jalen Brunson announced his first children’s book, Jalen Plays It All, and I don’t know why you haven’t preordered it yet.
Speaking of Brunson! Becky Hammon refused to apologize for her take that she couldn’t be the No. 1 option on a title team. “All he did was prove history wrong,” she said, adding that ESPN doesn’t pay her to cancel her own opinions. Stay strong, Becky!
Only wow, she actually admitted being wrong a few hours later, in what sounded like a simple “Here you have it, leave me alone” type of statement. See, Becky’s initial comments sucked, and she knows it. She knows it so much, and it became so clear that she was wrong, that now she’s just trying to escape the spotlight, one she couldn’t bear, in the only possible way. Throwing the rock and hiding her hand as quickly as possible, at the start of a Las Vegas Aces press conference, trying to evade endless loops in X as if this wasn’t the year 2026 of our Lord. Good luck escaping history, Becky.
Not happy with her comments, she went on to say the following thing about Jalen Brunson, probably, perhaps, one has to imagine, thinking that she was being so clever as to make me mad once again, in a plot twist only meant to deflect attention from his initial and unmistakable remark. And in doing so, she inevitably fell for the trap a second time, now finding herself waiting for another eventual round of backlash. Some people never learn, I guess.
“Let me just piss off Knicks fans again and say, I think he’s the greatest Knick ever. Give them something else to talk about… I’ve always been a Jalen Brunson fan. I was a fan of his at Villanova, in Dallas and why this comment went off the rails, I have no idea because it was clearly a historical and analytical take.”
Adam Silver keeps trying to avoid saying the League is going 32 while sounding increasingly locked into the upcoming expansion. The commish said Seattle and Las Vegas remain the focus and, in a new/confirmed development, he floated the 2028-29 season as the first one featuring the Sonics and the Gamblers.
Celtics Corner I: Shams Charania reported before the draft and post Giannis-to-Miami that Boston is “listening, engaging, and discussing” trade offers for Jaylen Brown.
Celtics Corner II: Brad Stevens then said Brown is “a big part of us,” but the funniest thing is that literally five seconds later, he added, “you never know… I don’t want to predict the future.”
Celtics Corner III: These two statements seem somewhat contradictory.
Celtics Corner IV: I support whatever creates the most chaos, and it doesn’t look like the C’s are escaping this messy situation with their duo intact. If it doesn’t break by July, it will by September. And if it stays together all the way up to next season’s tip-off, I would be watching and waiting for the Brown Stream That Bombs It All. Here’s the link, click the notifications button!
Old “report” brought back to life a couple days ago: the Knicks “could pursue” OAKAAK Tim Hardaway Jr. for his third stint in Manhattan. The internet remains undefeated.
Enjoy Round 2.
In honor of him getting his jersey retired, he’s the great Pau Gasol singing “How to Save a Life” pic.twitter.com/SWfuORZPu5
Indiana Fever center-forward Aliyah Boston (7) is introduced Saturday, May 9, 2026, during the first half of the Fever’s season opener game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
INDIANAPOLIS — It’s the third quarter of a late May game against the Valkyries and the Fever are looking to cap off a third-quarter rally that saw them overturn a seven-point deficit to take the lead.
With 20 seconds remaining, a miscommunication by the Golden State defense allows Kelsey Mitchell to find Raven Johnson in the corner for a three that ignites the home crowd.
In a moment that could hardly better define the highs and lows associated with playing rookies, Johnson’s excitement after the shot quickly transforms into overzealousness. Without a single player on either team having yet crossed half court, she fouls Veronica Burton 94 feet from the basket to send her to the free throw line.
As cliché of a rookie mistake as it was, it was also a perfect teaching moment, and Aliyah Boston took advantage.
Standing at half court, she waits for Johnson, puts her arms on her shoulders and offers advice. Despite being just 24 years old and in her fourth year in the league, Boston has become one of the team’s leaders.
Boston isn’t new to the role. By her own admission, she’s a natural talker. But talking is not leading, nor is it necessarily communicating, either. Those are skills she’s had to develop over the years, something she credits her college coach, Dawn Staley, for helping kickstart.
It’s also something that came along by necessity. When injuries ravaged the Fever last season, Boston became the point guard of sorts at times. Point guards are vocal leaders, so Boston had to assume that role as well.
All those experiences and circumstances have led to this season, where Boston has blossomed into a leader and a constant voice for the Fever, whether in practice, the locker room, a huddle or during the game.
In this moment against the Valkyries, it’s allowed her to help refocus Johnson in a tight game. The results are immediate as Johnson opens the fourth quarter with a flurry of activity, scoring or assisting on the first seven points of the period for Indiana — including setting up Boston for a layup — as the lead extended to double digits en route to a victory.
Leadership is often demonstrated in the moments behind the scenes and away from the cameras, but that game and that moment offered a rare chance for fans to see how impactful it can be.
It’s been clear for multiple years that the Fever have three stars in Caitlin Clark, Boston and Mitchell.
But sometimes even if something is implied, it’s still best to make it known. So, this preseason, head coach Stephanie White took aside the trio and told them the obvious.
This is your team.
“I think we’ve kind of known that from the jump that it’s really just like, we got to — the three of us like as a unit — we have to make sure that we lead the team in the right direction,” Boston told SBNation of White’s preseason message. “I think it’s always different, especially last year with [Clark] being out, so it was like kind of just finding that group again. But I think, honestly, like we’re doing a pretty good job of it.”
Setting aside the multiple All-Star selections in the last two seasons from the three, they are also among the most tenured players on the roster. The roster turnover since the arrival of Boston and Clark in consecutive drafts leaves them as three of the four longest-serving Fever.
For Boston, even if talking comes naturally, White’s message was a reassurance that the team needed her to speak up. She took that vote of confidence and ran with it this season, and her team has taken notice.
“I think the thing that really stands out is Aliyah’s constantly the one talking in our huddles,” Clark said. “She’s the first voice we have there…She has a very strong voice and you constantly hear it whether it’s in-game, whether it’s on the bench in a timeout, whether that’s in the locker room on not just game days, but even on practice days too.”
Being the vocal leader also hasn’t taken away from Boston’s production either. If anything, the opposite has been true.
She’s averaging 17.2 points, the most of her career, while still grabbing 8.6 rebounds per contest. Much of her jump in scoring can be attributed to her improvement as both a 3-point shooter, where she’s shooting 44.7% on 2.5 attempts per game, and at the free throw line, where she’s shooting 83.8%.
“I think talking about the game is always great and I think it allows you to just see and understand it a lot more, understand teams, player tendencies,” Boston said. “I think the more that you watch, the more you talk about it, it just makes it clearer.”
As great as Boston has been this season, ask just about anyone with the Fever, and they’ll point to last season as the moment Boston took a leap in many ways.
It was a year marred by injuries for the Fever. As quickly as the team would make an in-season signing, another player would fall by the wayside with the point guard position being the most common point of attrition.
To help alleviate the burden of the rotating new faces, the Fever did what they do so often: lean on Boston.
“At times she was our point guard last year,” Clark said. “And if you’re the point guard, you got to communicate a lot, you got to know what’s going on, you got to be on the same page as a coach and you have to be able to get your teammates where they need to be.”
Boston became one of only three players in league history to have at least 350 rebounds and 150 assists in a season last year. She also realized how impactful she can still be as a communicator even if she wasn’t a point guard.
“I think that just my positioning, how we wanted to play, I think that definitely was a super big part of it,” Boston told SBNation. “So for this year, I’m just trying to make sure that I continue on that path.
“I think you can still lead from the post. I know the guards have the ball a lot, but I think being able to just communicate and talk about what I’m seeing is always going to be crucial.”
On top of everything else, the interplay between Boston and Clark remains one of the most reliable actions for any team in the league. What continues to make Boston particularly difficult to defend is her passing ability. As quickly as Clark can find Boston on a roll to the rim, the latter can hit the former on a backcut.
Boston is one of only two players in the league this season with a total rebound percentage and an assist percentage both above 20%. The Fever are putting the ball in her hands more than ever before, evidenced by her career-high 27.8% usage percentage, and she’s repaying them with career numbers.
“She’s solid,” White said. “She doesn’t get too high, she doesn’t get too low. Certainly, every player gets frustrated at times, but she’s an elite communicator. You trust her to make the right play and to make the right read. She brings people together. She’s a connector, which is so important, and she just continues to lead by example and be a vocal leader for our team.”
Those lessons learned from a challenging 2025 season are paying dividends for Boston in 2026. As a team, the Fever have struggled to find consistency this season. Offensively, Indiana is averaging the most points per game in the league. Defensively, they’re allowing the third most.
Not surprisingly, highs and lows have followed them. A recent four-game win streak included a game-winner from Clark in Washington. But that streak came shortly after an ugly loss in Portland, when they trailed by as many as 26.
What remains most consistent throughout it all, though, is Aliyah Boston, who just keeps improving.
Who will win Guardians vs White Sox today: White Sox moneyline (+102)
The Cleveland Guardians head into the finale in the midst of a three-game losing streak, and Tanner Bibee's recent form concerns.
The right-hander has a 4.81 FIP over his last two startswhile allowing 2.19 HR/9. That's a recipe for disaster against the second-best power-hitting team in the majors.
On the other side, Chicago White Sox righty Erick Fedde is throwing the ball well. He's posted a 2.15 FIP across his previous two outings while limiting opponents to a 23.8% hard-hit rate.
Cleveland also has just a .196 xBA over their last seven games and a poor 34.2% hard-hit rate.
Guardians vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-107)
This feels like a game where Chicago scores most of the runs while Cleveland continues to struggle offensively.
Fedde's recent form makes him a difficult matchup for a Guardians lineup averaging just 2.33 runs per game during its current losing streak.
Cleveland's bullpen has been solid lately, posting a 3.95 xERA over the last two weeks, which should help prevent Chicago from completely running away with the game.
The White Sox bullpen hasn't been as sharp, with a 4.63 FIP, but Fedde typically works into the fifth inning and can limit the amount of relief work required.
I can see a 5-2 or 6-2 type game here.
I'll play this pick up to -130.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 31-24, +4.65 units
Over/Under bets: 31-23, +3.60 units
Guardians vs White Sox weather
Conditions at Rate Field are expected to be fairly neutral this afternoon, with temperatures around 78°F and moderate winds. While the weather could provide a slight boost to offense, it shouldn't be a major factor in determining the outcome of this game.
Guardians vs White Sox odds
Moneyline: Guardians -108 | White Sox +104
Run line: Guardians -1.5 (+144) | White Sox +1.5 (-150)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-100) | Under 8.5 (-104)
Guardians vs White Sox trend
The White Sox have hit the moneyline in 21 of their last 25 games at home (+19.10 Units / 71% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. White Sox.
How to watch Guardians vs White Sox and game info
Location
Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
First pitch
2:10 p.m. ET
TV
CleGuardians.TV, CHSN
Guardians starting pitcher
Tanner Bibee (2-8, 4.03 ERA)
White Sox starting pitcher
Erick Fedde (2-6, 4.46 ERA)
Guardians vs White Sox latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Dennis Cholowski will hit the free agent market on July 1st, his agent confirmed with The Hockey News on Wednesday morning.
The 28-year-old served as one of the club’s depth defenseman, appearing in 17 games for the Devils in 2025-26 and 13 in the American Hockey League with the Utica Comets. He was acquired by New Jersey in March 2025 from the New York Islanders for forward Adam Beckman.
Drafted in the first round in the 2016 NHL Draft, he has additionally played for the Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals, and Seattle Kraken.
Cholowski was among the handful of unrestricted free agents facing uncertain futures with the Devils, alongside Evgenii Dadonov, Zack MacEwen, and Colton White.
When NHL free agency opens at 1 p.m. ET on July 1, it will mark Sunny Mehta's first opportunity to navigate the market as the Devils' general manager.
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
On Tuesday, Calgary Flames General Manager Craig Conroy made a blockbuster trade with the New Jersey Devils, acquiring 21-year-old defenseman Simon Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
Nemec joins the youth movement in Calgary, one led by 19-year-old Zayne Parekh, 23-year-old Matt Coronato, 24-year-old Dustin Wolf, 24-year-old Connor Zary, and 26-year-old Martin Pospisil.
“I’m pretty excited to join Calgary, it’s a good young team. I think it can be a really good spot for me, so I’m really happy.”
Simon Nemec is eager to join the squad and reunite with his fellow countrymen!https://t.co/ZuN2Mxq3rJ
Moreover, the Flames not only acquired a young player with three years of NHL experience, but Nemec has logged a lot of minutes for Slovakia in international hockey.
Here are five fascinating statistics about Nemec's career.
5. Named MVP of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Nemec had a great 2020-21 season. First, he played 39 games with HK Nitra, scoring 26 points. Then, he led all Slovakian U18 skaters in points and earned a Top 3 Player on Team award at the U20 World Juniors.
However, the following year, in 2021-22, he skated for the first time at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and won the tournament's MVP award and captured a silver medal. As captain, he had one goal and five assists in six games.
4. Nemec Will Be Only the 7th Slovakian Player in Flames History
As of 2026, Nemec is one of just 95 players from Slovakia to play in the NHL, and just the 29th defenseman to skate in a game. Moreover, he is about to become only the 7th player from Slovakia to put on a Flamin' C sweater, joining current teammates Martin Pospisil and Samuel Honzek.
Interestingly, Nemec will become the first and only defenseman from his country to play in Calgary, since everyone else has been a forward. Former Flames players from Slovakia include Adam Ruzicka, Ronald Petrovicky, Robert Dome, and Marek Hrivik.
3. Enjoys Playing Flames Goalies, Past and Present
Nemec has scored only 16 goals in the NHL, with his first coming against Philipp Grubauer and the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 7, 2023. So far, he's lit the lamp against 12 goalies, with Spencer Knight of the Chicago Blackhawks surrendering the most, since he gave up Nemec's only career hat trick on Nov. 12, 2025.
Interestingly, the former Devils' defenseman has beaten both of his new teammates, Wolf and Devin Cooley, while also getting one past former Flames goalie Dan Vladar. With five career goals against the Blackhawks, Nemec should enjoy playing in the Western Conference, as the two teams will meet three times.
2. Third-Highest Scoring Defenseman from 2022 Draft
As the second overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Nemec is just one of 76 players from his class to suit up for a game in the league. Of course, that year's leading scorer is first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky of the Montreal Canadiens with 184 points, while Nemec ranks 10th overall in scoring.
With 49 points in 155 games, he is the third-highest scoring defenseman from 2022, behind the Canadiens' Lane Hutson (146 points) and the Anaheim Ducks' Pavel Mintyukov (69 points). Regarding games played, Nemec moves up to 8th and is one of 12 skaters in his draft class to surpass 100 games.
1. Won an Olympic Bronze Medal in 2022
Because Nemec had not yet made the jump to North America in 2022, he had a chance to represent Slovakia at the Winter Olympics. At just 18 years old, he captured a bronze medal when his team defeated Sweden. To make the lineup, Nemec had to play in qualifying games, where he picked up an assist in three contests. At the Winter Olympics, he played in seven games, picking up another assist.
In 2026, Nemec returned to the Slovakian lineup, first in two qualifying games, and six more at the Olympic Games. Once again, they played in the bronze medal game, except this time around, Slovakia lost 6-1 to Finland. Through two appearances, Nemec has already played 13 Olympic games.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JUNE 23: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on June 23, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees broke their losing streak on Tuesday, narrowly defeating the Tigers 4-3 thanks to a timely two-run shot from Jazz Chisholm Jr. to go ahead for good in the sixth inning. Carlos Rodón did enough to keep them in the game, pitching into the sixth inning and allowing all three of Detroit’s runs, and the bullpen was lights out as David Bednar secured his 15th save of the season. With the win, they put the pressure on the rest of the American League to keep up, so let’s see who managed it.
Tampa Bay Rays (43-33) 5, Kansas City Royals (34-46) 12
Kansas City started off strong early, and then they ran up the score late. They jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to home runs from Nick Loftin and Jac Caglianone, but Junior Caminero got one of them back in the bottom half on an RBI single to cut the deficit in half. The game stayed in a stand-still from there until the fifth inning, when Shane McClanahan finally buckled. Michael Massey led off with a double and got advanced to third on a bunt, but McClanahan threw the ball away allowing the batter to reach and Massey to score. McClanahan got two more batters to make outs to get on the verge of escaping without a crooked number on the board, but Loftin ripped an RBI single and Caglianone hit his second homer of the game to make it 6-1. All of the runs were unearned due to the error, but given it was McClanahan himself who committed it they might as well have been earned.
We entered pour-it-on territory in the eighth inning, now facing the Rays’ bullpen. A pair of run-scoring doubles, a sacrifice fly, and a wild pitch brought five more runs home and made it an 11-1 blowout. Caminero continued to be the offense for Tampa, this time lifting a solo shot, but Josh Rojas got it right back in the top of the ninth with an RBI double. The Rays finally got their offense cooking in the bottom half, scoring three runs on four hits and a walk, but the rally came nowhere close to closing the gap.
Other Games
Toronto Blue Jays (39-40) 7, Houston Astros (38-43) 9 (11 innings): Houston jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning thanks to homers from Yainer Diaz, Cam Smith, and Taylor Trammell, but Toronto tied it by the seventh thanks to homers of their own from Luis Urías and Daulton Varsho. The Jays then took the lead in the eighth on a two-run single from Kazuma Okamoto, only for the Astros to tie things back up in the ninth thanks to a bases-loaded catchers’ interference and a sacrifice fly.
That brought us to extras, where nothing of note happened in the 10th with both sides going down in order. In the 11th though, Houston finally cashed in with a three-run Joey Loperfido blast.
Toronto got their ghost runner across in the bottom half, but only after a flyout to begin the inning. Two more groundouts closed this one out as Houston continues to crawl closer to the rest of the AL West while Toronto dips back under .500.
Cleveland Guardians (41-39) 1, Chicago White Sox (41-37) 2: The middle innings decided this one, as all the scoring occurred within the fourth through sixth. Colson Montgomery got Chicago on the scoreboard first, flipping a two-out RBI single out to right field. Cleveland countered in the fifth inning with a Kahlil Watson solo shot, but the White Sox recovered their lead in the sixth with a solo blast of their own, this one off the bat of Miguel Vargas. That was all the damage done against Parker Messick as he pitched 7.2 phenomenal innings striking out 10 batters, but it saddled him with a hard-luck loss as the White Sox remain in first place in the AL Central.
Seattle Mariners (41-39) 3, Pittsburgh Pirates (39-40) 2: George Kirby didn’t have his sharpest stuff, scattering eight hits with two walks over six innings, but he managed to limit the damage to just two runs (and only one of them earned). The Pirates built a 2-0 lead by the third inning, but Seattle chipped away with a Cal Raleigh homer in the fourth before Cole Young put them ahead with a two-run shot.
Dylan Moore of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs is present during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
The big club had a truly thrilling night as they shocked the Nationals, but the affiliates had one that produced emotions of a rather different sort. All of the Phillies affiliates lost last night, and the pitchers faced particular trouble, with only the Threshers allowing fewer than eight runs. The season is long, and memory is short: the affiliates will put this behind them.
Syracuse 9, Lehigh Valley 6
The IronPigs took a lead with a grand slam in the fourth, courtesy of Dylan Moore, but allowed the Mets to score in every inning from the fourth onwards. Christian Cairo went three for five with 2 runs, and Keaton Anthony contributed two hits of his own. All of the IronPig pitchers allowed runs, and all but one allowed multiple. Starter Tucker Davidson struck out nine, but walked three and allowed five hits and three runs.
Altoona 9, Reading 4
The Fightin Phils scored in four consecutive innings, but just one run in each, and none in any other frame. It wasn’t enough to defeat the Curve, who put up nine runs on ten hits. Luke Ritter worked three walks, and Pedro León and Alex Binelas each had a homer and another hit to add to it. None of the four Phils pitchers who took the mound walked away without allowing a run: starter Braydon Tucker allowed four (three earned) through 3.2 pitched.
Brooklyn 8, Jersey Shore 7
The BlueClaws were in pole position after a five run fifth that gave them a 7-2 lead. Unfortunately, they surrendered three in the bottom of the inning, then were held scoreless the rest of the night as the Cyclones walked them off on a single in the 10th. Only Tyler Pettorini had more than 1 hit. Nick Biddison contributed two RBI. All three BlueClaw pitchers had somewhat rough nights, with Cody Bowker allowing three runs and five hits in four innings, Sam Highfill allowing three runs and six hits in three innings, and Gabriel Barbosa allowing two runs, including the winner, across two innings.
Jupiter 6, Clearwater 5
The Threshers kept the Hammerheads from scoring in eight of nine innings. But a six-run eighth for the visitors gave Jupiter the victory in this shark vs. shark showdown. Griffin Burkholder, Juan Villavicencio, and Alirio Ferrebus had two hits apiece. Jonathan Hogart had a rather satisfiying line, with two walks, two runs, a hit, an RBI, and no strikeouts. Starter Cade Obemueller allowed the Hammerheads to scatter six hits over four innings, but, aided by his 8 Ks, he allowed no runs. Tyler Bowen struggled, allowing five runs on three hits and two walks in 0.2 innings.
DSL Rockies 15, DSL Phillies 11
The DSL Phillies fought back furiously, putting up five runs in the seventh and four in the eighth as they tried to catch up to the Rockies. 11 runs, and all scored the hard way: no homers. A valiant effort, but not enough to secure victory thanks to the Rockies’ scoring in six of their eight frames. Juan Parra, Francisco Renteria, Sebastian Saenz, Dayber Cruceta, and Jose Tovar contributed two hits each. The Phillies had four pitchers, each taking two innings, and each allowing multiple runs. They had only five strikeouts on what proved to be a rough night.
Aug 16, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of Los Angeles Dodgers hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Loons were the only team to secure a win in a day of limited action in the Dodgers’ minor league system.
Player of the day
The lack of support around Jaron Elkins shouldn’t devalue what was, by all accounts, an impressive performance, particularly on the basepaths. The Tower Buzzers center fielder reached base three times and was responsible for all three of his team’s stolen bases in a 5-3 loss, without getting caught once.
Elkins is right in the middle of his finest run of form this season, having recorded at least one hit in 15 of his last 16 games. It was his second appearance stealing at least three bags, and the first one since the beginning of April.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Even the temporary reinforcement of having Teoscar Hernández in the heart of the batting order wasn’t enough to help the Comets overcome the Aces in a 5-4 loss. Hernández homered on the first day of his rehab assignment, and OKC threatened with the go-ahead run in scoring position in the top of the eighth inning, but Jack Suwinski struck out to strand a pair.
Pitching-wise, it was a game of command struggles for the Comets, with Ryder Ryan and the bullpen combining to walk 12 batters, seven more than the opposition. Ryan took the loss, allowing three earned runs in just as many innings pitched.
Double-A Tulsa
By all effects, this one was over for the Drillers well before the end of the third inning, having allowed nine runs to the Hooks, all of them charged to starter Patrick Copen, who had his worst performance of the season, conceding not one, not two, not three, but four home runs.
One of the side effects of such a large deficit so early is that the offense can check out, at least to a certain extent. In this particular game, that was transparent, with six of the Drillers’ nine starting hitters finishing the game with multiple strikeouts. Their only run came on a Mike Sirota solo blast in the bottom of the third, his only hit, reaching base for a 59th straight game.
Six was the number here. The Loons beat the Lugnuts by six runs in a 7-1 win. They recorded six doubles to account for all of their extra-base hits, and they were six for 17 with runners in scoring position. It was truly a collective effort with a special shout-out to the bottom of the order: Samuel Munoz and Victor Rodrigues, hitters eighth and ninth, were the only ones to record at least three hits in this performance.
Tossing 2.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts, reliever Jacob Frost recorded his seventh win of the season since starter Zach Root was unable to complete five full innings, still pitching a solid game, allowing just the one earned run.
Single-A Ontario
Three unanswered runs to begin the game gave the Tower Buzzers an ideal start; the only problem was that the offense fell flat after that, and the bullpen struggled with walks to eventually cough up the lead in the eighth, losing the game 5-3. These late struggles meant that Ontario couldn’t properly take advantage of a good outing from its starting pitcher, Mason Estrada, with five one-run innings.
Individually, although his performance didn’t carry an impact on the game, unable to drive in a run or score one himself, Elkins now has 22 stolen bases on the year. The center fielder stole three bases in a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, which also included a walk. First baseman Easton Shelton hit his 22nd homer of the year.
Tuesday’s scores
Reno 5, Oklahoma City 4
Tulsa 1, Corpus Christi 10
Lansing 1, Great Lakes 7
Visalia 5, Ontario 3
Wednesday’s schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (TBD) at Lansing (Steven Echavarria)
5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Peter Heubeck) vs. Corpus Christi (Bryce Mayer)
6:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Landon Knack) vs. Reno (TBD)
6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Visalia (Junior Ciprian)
Jun 12, 2026; Summerlin, Nevada, USA; Athletics pitcher Hogan Harris (36) throws the ball during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
Happy Wednesday A’s fans!
The Athletics remain stirred in mediocrity at the big-league level. The “Green and Gold” have been unable to establish a foothold above .500 and take control of a division whose expected pace-setter, the Seattle Mariners, have fallen short of preseason expectations.
The situation is unlikely to improve unless the team receives more consistent pitching performances from both its starters and relievers to complement its potent lineup. At the moment, starting pitchers J.T. Ginn and Gage Jump are the only two starters the A’s can reliably count on every time they take the mound.
Meanwhile, the A’s bullpen comprises several talented relievers, but no true shutdown guy has emerged since the franchise traded Mason Miller last July. Left-hander Hogan Harris is solid, yet he is overworked and finds himself in trouble more often than not. On Father’s Day, he could not protect his team’s lead, giving up a game-tying three-run home run in the eighth inning.
Dominican right-handers Luis Medina and Elvis Alvarado have the flame throwing stuff to become lockdown arms at the end of games. Both pitchers have flashed their potential at times this season, but remain inconsistent, as evidenced by Alvarado surrendering the Angels’ game-winning home run in the ninth inning of Sunday’s series and homestand finale. Last but not least, Mason Barnett, whom the A’s recalled earlier this month, has been a pleasant surprise, pitching well over his last five relief appearances.
The A’s finally designated veteran right-hander Scott Barlow for assignment rather than waiting for him to blow the lead in another game. The team did not do a good enough job to address its bullpen weakness this offseason, as Barlow did not even last till the All-Star Break and fellow offseason signing Mark Leiter Jr. recently landed on the injured list with a hip injury.
Down on the farm, the options are scarce. A few days ago, the A’s promoted Geoff Hartlieb and Matt Krook, giving these two journeymen relievers another chance to compete in the major leagues.
Yunior Tur, a 26-year-old Cuban right-hander holding his own at Triple-A, could receive his first MLB promotion soon as the A’s continue trying to put together the right mix of bullpen arms. On the other hand, pitchers such as Jacob Lopez, Luis Morales and Michael Kelly performed so poorly for the Athletics earlier this season that they are now trying to rediscover their form in the minors.
Will the team’s bullpen continue to struggle, or can the group turn things around? What is your goal for the Athletics as the end of June nears?
Keep voting for Nick Kurtz. Given the season he is having, he deserves to represent the Athletics at the All-Star Game in the state where he grew up.
Shea Langeliers continues to lead all AL Catchers in All Star voting. 🤩
Nick Kurtz, somehow, continues to trail the lead vote-getter among AL first basemen, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., by nearly a million votes. 😬#Athleticspic.twitter.com/O79mwJoyIk
This past weekend, the A’s Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas Aviators clinched the first half Pacific Coast League championship. They will host the second half champion in the best-of-three LCS beginning on Tuesday, September 22.
This is an interesting breakdown of how Tyler Soderstrom has snapped out of his early-season slump to become a consistent contributor in the middle of the A’s lineup.
Since May 24 (108 PA), only 4 qualified hitters have a higher wRC+ than Tyler Soderstrom
Prior to that date, his previous 209 PA turned out a less than stellar performance, batting under the mendoza line and a 76 wRC+
COVERS INTEL: Weathers has allowed an 11.7% barrel rate, 
