The Buffalo Sabres were the better club for most of their Game 7 match with the Montreal Canadiens, but in spite of outshooting the Habs 39-25, the Sabres sluggish and tentative first period had them playing catch-up for the rest of the game. Buffalo came back to tie the game in the third period, but midway through the first overtime, Habs playoff hero Alex Newhook scored his seventh goal of the postseason to send Montreal to the Eastern Conference Final with a 3-2 win at KeyBank Center on Monday.
The loss was as devastating for the Sabres as it was filled with jubilation for the Canadiens, as Buffalo was not on the favorable end of a pair of controversial calls. Phillip Danault’s opening goal went off the Habs center’s right skate, but after being reviewed by league, it was not deemed to be directed into the net with a distinct kicking motion. After Rasmus Dahlin tied the game in the third, the Sabres appeared to take the lead, as Jordan Greenway jabbed at the puck under Dobes pads, but the referee blew the play dead just as Greenway knocked the puck loose for linemate Beck Malenstyn to push it over the goal line.
The Sabres THOUGHT they scored the go-ahead goal but Wes McCauley's whistle was blown a SPLIT second before it went in 😵💫 pic.twitter.com/DoORVtzlqu
"I thought it was a little bit of a quick whistle, and because you can always go back and look at those,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. But, (I) didn't really get an explanation on it.”
The Sabres had opportunities in overtime, including a Tage Thompson odd-man break where he attempted a toe-drag past the Montreal defenders and Dobes, but a turnover by Dahlin and Thompson at the blueline led to a Montreal counterattack, where Newhook knuckled the puck past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to end Buffalo’s season.
"I think we said at the start of this series it was going to be two really good teams playing. We had some momentum swings. You get to overtime, we had a couple of really good chances when we had the chances in our hands. Those are the opportunities that you hope you get. We just didn't finish." Ruff said. "We had a couple great opportunities, even in the third, the Helenius toe(drag) glove save that almost went. I think the the ice was fairly tilted, we had a lot of opportunities to make a difference in the game."
Other comments after the game:
Rasmus Dahlin on the game-winning goal:
“That was on me. I can’t do that.”
Dahlin on the overall game:
“We could have scored a few more. (Dobes) made some good saves. It comes down to small things. Today, they got the bounces.”
Dahlin on the emotions of the season ending the way it did:
“It sucks.”
On the tying goal and the set-up by Owen Power:
"Great play by him, it wasn't enough though."
How hard is it to see the season end the way it did:
"It's one shot that decides the whole season, it sucks."
Can you appreciate the success this club had during the season and the fan reaction after the game?
“Not right now. Tomorrow, I will appreciate more things”
Tage Thompson:
"It's tough. I thought we played hard all year to get to this point. I don't think anyone in this room felt like we were done yet. Just disappointed."
“I thought we played a really good game, which makes it even tougher of a taste. Had a lot of chances. (Luukkonen) played great, kept it tight for us, and claw our way back into it, and felt like we had all the momentum, just couldn't score. (I) really thought that was gonna end different.”
"We were feeling good in here, tons of confidence in this room. I think everyone in here felt like this was going to end different, and probably felt like we deserved a little better outcome, but it's the way it goes sometimes, and we just got to unfortunately take that taste with us into the summer and do something about it."
The Sabres players will hold locker cleanout media availabilities on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Ruff and GM Jarmo Kekalainen's availabilities later in the week.
The puzzle pieces of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2026 draft capital are finally locking into place.
Following the Buffalo Sabres’ heartbreaking Game 7 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the draft order for the non-finalist postseason teams has officially crystallized. For the Maple Leafs, Buffalo’s elimination confirms exactly when they will be making their second selection of the summer: locking them into the 59th overall pick.
If the path to acquiring that selection sounds complicated, that’s because it is.
The Maple Leafs originally acquired the asset from the Los Angeles Kings as part of the return package for forward Scott Laughton back in March. Originally structured as a 2026 third-round pick, the asset included a conditional trigger: if the Kings qualified for the 2026 postseason, the pick would automatically upgrade to the Sabres’ second-rounder. Los Angeles held the Sabres’ natural second-round pick via a previous transaction, that specific selection has now been diverted to Toronto.
When determining the NHL Draft order, the league operates backwards from the postseason results. The Stanley Cup champion picks 32nd, the runner-up picks 31st, and the conference finalists fill out spots 29 and 30 based on regular-season records. From there, the remaining 12 playoff teams are ordered by their regular-season point totals. With Buffalo bowed out in the second round, their regular-season finish officially locks their slot at No. 59.
For a Maple Leafs front office trying to restock an incredibly bare prospect cupboard, securing a concrete second-round asset can help.
Going into this season, Toronto’s draft pick outlook was bleak, to say the least. Trade deadline deals in 2025 saw management ship away their own consecutive first-round picks to the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers in desperate pushes for a deep playoff run.
But fortunes change quickly in the National Hockey League. Thanks to a monumental stroke of luck at the NHL Draft Lottery earlier this month, where the Leafs defied the odds and jumped from the No. 5 spot to the No. 1 overall position, Toronto is suddenly anchored by a potential franchise-altering first-round prize.
Now, with Buffalo’s finalized 58th pick safely in their back pocket, the Leafs possess two swings in the top 60. It may not completely fix a depleted prospect pipeline overnight, but it gives management some much-needed flexibility when the draft floor opens in June.
Montreal Canadiens’ coach Martin St-Louis is normally pretty even-keeled, but on Monday night, after his young Habs eliminated the Buffalo Sabres in overtime, the former NHLer was visibly emotive. When Alex Newhook scored the game-winning goal, the coach, after shaking hands with his assistants and the rest of the Canadiens’ staff behind the bench, headed on the ice and walked over towards the opponent’s net slowly. Looking to the heavens, the coach looked like he was soaking in the moment.
After shaking hands with the Sabres at center ice and celebrating the win with his players in the room, the man in charge headed to the podium to speak to the media. After a few routine questions, RDS Francois Gagnon asked St-Louis what that moment was about, and the coach said with watery eyes and a voice that was cracking:
I spoke to my mother a lot during overtime…That’s really what it was.
The coach lost his mother during the 2013-14 playoffs, to a heart attack, a sudden death that nobody saw coming at the age of 63. Back then, he was still a player and his team, the New York Rangers, was playing against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the playoffs.
The Blueshirts moved on to the third round, where they faced the Habs. That allowed him and his team to attend the funeral, just like the Canadiens also did back then. The Rangers then eliminated the Sainte-Flanelle to move on to the Stanley Cup Final, but in Game 4 of that series against the Habs, the man who would later coach them scored an overtime game-winner. If his late mother had a hand in the Habs’ elimination back in 2014, she made up for it on Monday night when she helped her son through a stressful overtime win.
NEW YORK - 1956: Thirdbaseman Gil McDougald #12 of the New York Yankees takes a practice swing prior to stepping into the batter's box during a game in 1956 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. (Photo by: Diamond Images/Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Yankees dynasties are usually remembered through their biggest stars. In the 1950s New York featured the likes of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Joe DiMaggio. Lost underneath all those legends, however, are the players who quietly held everything together year after year, like Gilbert “Gil” McDougald.
The 1951 Rookie of the Year winner, six-time All-Star, and five-time World Series champion, McDougald spent his entire Major League career in pinstripes. He was versatile, dependable, universally respected, and seemingly always in the middle of winning baseball. In many ways, McDougald feels like the Bernie Williams of his generation. He may not have become the face of the dynasty, but he was an essential part of it.
Gilbert James McDougald Born: May 19, 1928 (San Francisco, CA) Died: November 28, 2010 (Monmouth County, NJ) Yankees Tenure: 1951-1960
McDougald’s path to the Bronx began down by the bay in California. After graduation from Commerce High School, McDougald attended City College of San Francisco and the University of San Francisco. While in school he played semipro baseball with a local Boston Braves feeder team called the Bayside Braves.
Many scouts immediately wrote McDougald off due to his unorthodox batting stance. To better hit breaking pitches, McDougald splayed his legs open to the pitcher and let his bat stay down by his waist. However, Yankee scout Joe Devine was not deterred from the batting stance and took note of McDougald’s instincts and spirit as a player.
Devine signed McDougald to a $200-per-month contract with a $1,000 bonus in the spring of 1948. The move would pay off for both as McDougald would play the 1948 season for the Twin Falls Cowboys of the Class C Pioneer League. After a stellar season he was promoted to the Victoria Athletics of the Class B Western International League. In his first two professional seasons McDougald was selected as an All-Star at second base.
The 1950 season would see McDougald jump to the Double-A level with the Texas League’s Beaumont Roughnecks. Rogers Hornsby, the Hall of Fame second baseman, was the manager of the club and really took a liking to McDougald. Under Hornsby’s guidance McDougald made yet another All-Star team and was even named league MVP for the season.
The Yankees at the time were coming off back-to-back championships and had their infield returning for another season. It would appear that McDougald would not have a spot on the roster. However, as the Korean War started the Yankees decided to bring McDougald to spring training in case the club lost the services of second baseman Jerry Coleman or third baseman Bobby Brown to the military.
Like all his managers before, Casey Stengel took a real liking to McDougald. Stengel played McDougald at both second base and third base that spring. Liking what he saw from the young player at both positions Stengel decided to bring the almost 23-year-old north.
McDougald played little at the start of the season. However, Stengel, now smitten with the young rookie, gave him a shot to play in late April. McDougald would make the most of the opportunity and earn a role on the team platooning at third base with the lefty Brown and filled in for Coleman who would be injured on and off over the season.
McDougald would play 131 games in his rookie season hitting .306 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI. He placed among the American League top ten in batting, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, and stolen bases. His strong rookie campaign earned him the American League Rookie of the Year Award and helped the Yankees win the 1951 World Series championship besting the New York Giants in six games.
The 1952 season cemented McDougald as one of the Yankees’ most important players. He earned his first All-Star selection while primarily playing third base and once again helped New York win the World Series this time topping the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games.
The Yankees and McDougald kept rolling in 1953. McDougald, playing third base would set his career high in RBIs that season and the Yankees would defeat Brooklyn again in six games to win yet another World Series.
Before the 1954 season the Yankees moved McDougald to his original primary position of second base to accommodate Andy Carey. The move led to a 103-win season, but the Yankees would not take the pennant as the Cleveland Indians would post a 111-win season to end the Yankees’ run and mark the first time McDougald would not play in a World Series to finish off a season.
The Yankees would retake the pennant in 1955. However, the Yankees would fall to the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series. The 1955 season also saw McDougald suffer a freak injury. During batting practice before a game in August, he was struck in the head by a Bob Cerv line drive. Diagnosed with a mild concussion, McDougald returned to game action within days. Unknown to all though, there was a small skull fracture and damage to the left inner ear. Over time, McDougald would suffer a loss of hearing in that ear, but it would not affect his playing career.
McDougald would again change positions in 1956. This time he would replace an aging Phil Rizzuto as the Yankees shortstop. McDougald’s mindset was simple, “I will play anywhere as long as I get to play.”
Much like his unorthodox batting stance McDougald was ungraceful to watch as a fielder, but very effective. He was able to use his knowledge of the game and strong all-around ability to fill the position. McDougald would earn another All-Star selection in 1956 this time as a shortstop.
The Yankees breezed to yet another AL pennant and beat Brooklyn in seven games to win another World Series. McDougald provided one of the fielding gems that preserved Don Larsen’s perfect game, snaring a hot shot deflected by Andy Carey deep in the hole and throwing out Jackie Robinson at first. After the season ended the Better Sports Club of Arlington, Virginia, honored McDougald as Baseball Sportsman of the Year for his off-the-field work with civic and charitable organizations.
While McDougald’s career was filled with winning, one moment forever changed the way he viewed baseball. On August 16, 1957, McDougald lined a pitch directly into the face of Cleveland pitcher Herb Score. The terrifying injury damaged Score’s eye and permanently altered the trajectory of one of baseball’s brightest young pitchers.
McDougald was devastated by the incident and reportedly blamed himself for years afterward despite understanding it was an accident. The moment deeply affected him personally and emotionally, showing the kind of compassion and humanity teammates and opponents consistently praised throughout his life. Many said McDougald continued playing hard after the incident, but some of the boyhood joy he once carried for the game never fully returned.
That story also feels especially relevant today watching Cam Schlittler deal with the frightening number of comeback shots hit back at him already this season and watching Spencer Jones break Clay Holmes leg. Modern pitchers continue throwing harder than ever while hitters produce increasingly violent contact. Every sharply hit comebacker serves as a reminder of how dangerous a baseball can become in an instant.
The 1957 Yankees claimed yet another pennant, but New York was an upset loser to the Milwaukee Braves in a seven-game World Series. Over the course of the 1957 season Tony Kubek would start to earn some playing time at shortstop. Kubek’s emergence would shift McDougald back to primarily second base for the 1958 season.
Accolades kept coming for McDougald in 1958 as he was voted “most popular Yankee” by the CYO of the Archdiocese of New York. McDougald was starting to see his stats decline but was still good enough to earn another All-Star nod and was also the recipient of the Lou Gehrig Award, the first Yankees player ever to receive the honor. The Yankees would go on to avenge the 1957 World Series loss and take down the Brewers in seven games, McDougald going yard in the 10th inning of Game 6 to force a seventh game.
When the 1959 season rolled around the Yankees decided to roll with Kubek at shortstop and Bobby Richardson at second base. This move pushed McDougald back to third base as his primary spot in the lineup. McDougald made yet another All-Star team that season, but the Yankees had yet another newcomer threatening to take playing time in Clete Boyer.
Seeing the writing on the wall McDougald informed the Yankees that the 1960 season might be his last. The famous 1960 season of Mantle and Roger Maris would be the last season for McDougald. The Yankees fell in the World Series at the end of that season in seven games to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Following the season and with Major League Baseball set to host an expansion draft McDougald informed the Yankees and the public that he would be retiring. New York general manager Roy Hamey was unhappy and stated that McDougald would not be replaced on the list of Yankee expendables, for fear of setting “a bad precedent, giving other veteran players the idea that they could threaten to quit rather than be sent to one of the fledgling franchises.” However, pretty much everyone else saw the move for what it was, a man of high character informing everyone he had no intention of uprooting his family.
In his ten years in pinstripes McDougald played in 1,336 games, got 1,291 hits, and had a final slash line of .276/.356/.410 good for an OPS of .766. Additionally, he was a six-time All-Star at three different positions and won five World Series. McDougald appeared in 596 games at second base, 512 at third base, and 284 at shortstop. McDougald was one of baseball’s ultimate utility infielders before the term was really invented.
Even after his playing days ended, McDougald remained beloved throughout the baseball world. He later worked as a coach for Fordham University and continued impacting younger generations of players through local youth sports. That was until the 1980s when McDougald almost completely withdrew from normal life due to hearing loss.
In 1994 McDougald was featured in a report by the New York Times covering the struggle of his hearing loss. His Yankees connection would come in handy as Dr. Noel Cohen, chief of otolaryngology at New York University Medical Center, would perform a cochlear implant. The surgery restored McDougald’s hearing and he went on to champion the treatment for children and others suffering from hearing loss.
Former teammates consistently described him as humble, intelligent, and selfless, traits that helped make him one of the most respected players of his era. McDougald will never be the first Yankee fans remember from that era, but he remains one of the most important. Dynasties are held together not just by superstars, but by the dependable players every superstar needs beside them. The glue guys who simply want to play ball.
Happy birthday Gil!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Feb 19, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets outfielder Nick Morabito (70) poses for a photo during media day at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
In what appears to be a corresponding move for designating Austin Slater for assignment, the Mets are reportedly calling up outfield prospect Nick Morabito. Morabito marks the third Mets’ outfield prospect to be called up since the start of the season, and the third to have limited time at the Triple-A level.
Morabito, who ranked #15 on the Amazin’ Avenue 2026 Prospect List, is a 23-year old outfielder who the Mets drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft. At the time, the Mets going over slot to draft Morabito seemed like a strange move, but he’s turned himself into a legitimate prospect after a somewhat mixed high school career.
Speed is Morabito’s best tool, and his ability to leg out ground balls has kept his minor league batting average and BABIP inflated. A true plus runner, he has posted 90th percentile outcomes in various speed-quantifying metrics since being drafted. He is pesky on the base paths, taking extra bases when possible, and has begun to come along as a base stealer, not just posting high volumes but better success-to-failure ratios as well.
A shortstop in high school, Morabito was drafted as an outfielder and has not played anywhere in the infield save a handful of games where he manned second base in 2023. While he has some experience in left and right fields, the overwhelming majority of his time in the outfield has come in center, where his plus speed is a major boon.
In 41 games at Triple-A, Morabito has hit .253/.364/.390 with seven extra base hits and 14 stolen bases. Morabito had a very good showing in the Arizona Fall League last autumn and had one plate appearance for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
With the number of injuries the Mets are currently contending with, it might make sense for Juan Soto to be relegated mostly to designated hitter and letting the three outfield prospects (Morabito, A.J. Ewing, and Carson Benge) man the outfield for the time being. Things may change if and when players like Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco come back and shake up the roster, but for now, we are getting a serious youth movement in Queens, especially with Zach Thorton joining the club tomorrow.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 20, 2026: Mike Sirota #08 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the San Diego Padres at Camelback Ranch on March 20, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Tulsa Drillers outfield now has three top-100 prospects, with the Dodgers promoting Mike Sirota to Double-A after he romped through the Midwest League with High-A Great Lakes.
Sirota hit .325/.478/.602 with seven home runs, 11 doubles, and a triple, with 37 runs scored, 22 RBI, and eight steals in 35 games for the Loons. His 177 wRC+ ranks fourth among all minor leaguers with at least 150 plate appearances, and he won Midwest League player of the week for the week of April 27-May 3.
Acquired by the Dodgers from the Reds in the Gavin Lux trade in January 2024, Sirota reached base in his final 30 games for Great Lakes, the longest streak by a Loons player since Miguel Vargas in 2021.
— Great Lakes Loons (@greatlakesloons) May 1, 2026
Sirota in the offseason was ranked in five top-100 prospect lists. Among the various Dodgers highly-ranked outfield prospects — including his new teammates Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope in Tulsa — Sirota is the oldest at age 23, but his rise last year was hampered by a knee injury that ended his season in July. Between 2025 and 2026, Sirota played a total of 70 games in High-A, and hit .321/.468/.579 with 19 doubles, 13 home runs, two triples, and 12 steals.
On May 1, Kiley McDaniel at ESPN updated his team top-10 prospects and had Sirota fifth in the system, noting “Sirota is still in A-ball for some reason.”
Los Angeles, CA - April 18: Luke Kennard #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a three point basket against the Houston Rockets in the second half of a Western Conference first-round NBA playoff basketball game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 18, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
For years, the joke amongst Lakers fans has been that good shooters come to LA and immediately forget how to make threes. The list of 3-point marksmen who have donned the purple and gold and became Rajon Rondo-esque shooters is a lengthy one.
Fortunately for this year’s Lakers, Luke Kennard bucked that trend. Technically, his shooting did drop from the ridiculous 49.7% he shot with the Hawks to a measly 44.8% in LA. He found a role under head coach JJ Redick and became a vital role player for the team before the playoffs even began.
Thrust into his new role in the postseason, he responded with one of the best games of his life against the Rockets, creating a special moment for both him and the Lakers. While the rest of his playoffs were up and down, it was still a memorable time in purple and gold.
After the season, Kennard spoke about his season with the Lakers and how it differed from his previous eight seasons.
“When I first got traded here, it was, ‘How can I make an impact?’,” Kennard said. “Like I want to make an impact. I want to go win and be a part of something special. I think just playing for the Lakers and playing with some of the greats of the game, you don’t take it for granted. I sure didn’t and it’s an honor and I’m blessed to be in the position that I was in.
“I think for me as a player, just to be a part of an organi organization like this is something special. You see it firsthand…I’ve been honored and been blessed to be a part of this organization.”
After spending multiple seasons with the Clippers, it’s nice that Kennard got to play with the real team in Los Angeles. He certainly had more memorable moments in his three months with the Lakers than he did in two-and-a-half seasons with the Other Team.
DENVER — Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager was placed on the 10-day injured list because of lower back inflammation, the team announced.
Seager, 32, did not play in a three-game series against Houston and his placement on the IL is retroactive to Friday. The two-time World Series MVP was mired in an 0-for-27 slump that included 11 strikeouts before the injury.
Seager — in the fifth season of a 10-year, $325 million deal — is batting .179 with seven homers, 20 RBIs and a team-high 22 runs over 42 games this season.
The Rangers promoted utility player Michael Helman from Triple-A to take Seager’s place on the roster. Helman, 29, is playing in the big leagues for the first time this season after hitting .232 with five homers and 20 RBIs for the Rangers last season.
Seager is eligible to return to the active roster when the Rangers begin a seven-game homestand.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 28: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics warms up in Game Five against the Philadelphia 76ers in the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoff at TD Garden on April 28, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Jayson Tatum returned to TD Garden 298 days after rupturing his achilles tendon, the unprecedented return generated one of the loudest moments you’ll ever hear from the Garden faithful.
A putback dunk, a corner three, and a crowd just waiting to go berserk. It was a defining moment to an already illustrious career: a testament to his strength, both mental and physical, as the Celtics added the one major piece that could propel them into the contender’s conversation.
That optimism ran through the rest of the regular season, which saw Tatum steadily regain his form as one of the game’s premier two-way talents. Even as the postseason ended on a sour, collapsing note with Tatum cautiously sidelined with the season down to its final lifeline, it’s hard not to look at the bigger picture of Tatum’s 2025-26 return, and just how miraculous his comeback was.
The Regular SeasonReturn
Tatum’s first two games back against Dallas and Cleveland showed an understandable level of rust, but it was his 24-point effort in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs where we saw his takeover tendencies begin to reshape. His point totals went from 15 to 20 to 24 in those first games back, and his 15-point, 12-rebound statline against the Mavericks was one of 10 double-doubles in his 16 regular season games.
It took some time for Tatum to develop confidence in certain respects, particularly firing pull-up threes around the screen and finishing hard at the rim, but certain areas of his game didn’t skip a beat. He was immediately one of the league’s most impactful defensive rebounders, an exceptional playmaker with an ever-expanding grasp of how his gravity opens up the game for others, and he became more and more confident as a scorer as his minutes increased.
As a rim-finisher, his 69% finishing within 3 feet was the first time under 70% since his first All-Star season in 2019-20. He did however shoot a career-best 46% from 10-16 feet during his 16-game sample, topping his previous best of 44% from his rookie year.
Things came together in his last six games, where he averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists on 45/37/78 splits. In Charlotte, he scored a season-best 32 points on 52% shooting, following it up three days later with a 25/18/11 triple-double in a 147-129 beatdown over Miami.
For the regular season, he averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, shooting 41% from the field and 33% from three.
Postseason Promise, and Postseason Pain
Out of the gate, Jayson’s Game 1 performance was as well-rounded an outing as you’re going to find in his playoff career. He dropped an efficient 25 points, grabbed 11 boards for another double-double, and finished with 7 assists with just a single turnover to his name during a blowout 123-91 win.
Even as Philly’s offense caught fire from three in the second quarter of Game 2, Tatum’s performance was trending in the right direction to keep Boston within striking distance, though he shot just 3-of-9 from the field in the second half while the team as a whole was just 35% as the 76ers ran away with it to tie the series at 1-1.
In their next two games, we saw him deliver two elite second halves, first in a clutch win in Game 3, where he drilled two massive threes late and hit four of his five fourth-quarter shots to send Philly off their home floor with a 108-100 defeat. Tatum and Jaylen Brown both scored 25 points in that game and stepped up as they hit the 5-under-5 mark with a scrappy Embiid-less 76ers team. If there’s a game to rewatch with fond memories this postseason, it’s this one.
In Game 4, he bounced back from a 1-of-7 shooting start with 25 second-half points as Boston again blew out the 76ers, knocking down seven of his nine shots and five of his six 3-point tries. He finished the 128-96 win with 30 points and 11 assists, putting Boston just a game away from advancing to what would have been an Eastern Conference Semifinals rematch with the Knicks.
But things quickly fell apart.
Both Games 5 and 6 were double-digit defeats, the first a particularly tough pill to swallow as Boston let a 13-point third quarter lead slip away as the 76ers muddled their offense and relied on the interior dominance of Embiid to come back and win.
Boston relied heavily on the Jays just to maintain that third quarter lead, with the two stars scoring 19 of the team’s 29 points in that period, though neither managed a single bucket during a horrid fourth quarter that saw Boston shoot 14% from the field while a potential series-clincher slipped away.
Game 6 was an even worse experience, trading a blown lead for a near wire-to-wire loss led by a combined 53 points between Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. Tatum had rare positive efficiency in the game, though on just 6-of-13 shooting for 17 points to go with 11 rebounds.
The worrying defeat set Boston up for what would be their first blown 3-1 lead in franchise history, a game in which Tatum was put on the injury report shortly before tip-off.
It wasn’t up to Tatum to sit for Game 7 with what was called left knee stiffness, but his absence was felt, even as the Celtics put themselves in position to win during a stunning 109-100 season-closing loss.
A Look Ahead
A full, healthy offseason awaits Jayson Tatum this summer, a major victory despite a bitter end to a season of overachievement.
With a step back to look at the full picture, Tatum’s return was in itself a major milestone, but how he played in that return further displayed how moldable his playstyle is for a player of his caliber, slotting right into an ecosystem of mostly new rotation players that had the Celtics fighting for homecourt advantage in the playoffs.
That smooth ride didn’t stop when Tatum worked himself back into his usual role as a showrunner, and early in the first round, it truly felt like we were seeing Tatum back at full strength.
— Celtics Performances (@BestOfCeltics0) May 13, 2026
But his workload was perhaps too big to place on someone who had a little over a month to acclimate to essentially a new team from the one he last led.
Next year’s roster will see some changes, but however big or small they end up being, one constant is Tatum getting a full offseason to ramp up with that group. What was once considered a career-killing injury now has an example in Jayson that a return to play is possible within the next season, a concept that felt truly foreign in the days following his devastating injury.
Tatum’s story faced the most difficult chapter of his career, but the page has turned, the future feels bright, and the Celtics will have their franchise player ready to go for opening night next October.
Spaniard had already pulled out of the French Open
Carlos Alcaraz has been forced to withdraw from Wimbledon as he continues his recovery from the wrist injury that will force him out of action for at least three months during the most significant part of the tennis season.
Alcaraz has not competed since withdrawing from his second-round match at the Barcelona Open last month after feeling pain in his right wrist in his opening match of the tournament. The 23-year-old had already been forced to withdraw from the rest of the clay-court season, including the French Open, which begins on Sunday.
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 15: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves runs after hitting a solo home run in the first inning during the game against the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park on May 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Despite the wonderful start that the Braves are off to here in 2026, the one lingering nuisance from the past two seasons has been the team’s absolutely horrible run of luck when it comes to injuries. The injury bug has now apparently come for Drake Baldwin, who will be heading to the 10-day IL with a strained right oblique muscle that he apparently sustained during Monday night’s debacle against the Marlins.
The #Braves today selected C Chadwick Tromp to the major league roster and placed C Drake Baldwin on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique muscle. Atlanta also returned LHP Dylan Dodd from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list…
This is just one day after Ronald Acuña Jr. was activated from the IL after he strained his hamstring and this isn’t even the first time that we’ve seen one Braves player get activated either shortly before or after another one lands on the IL. It’s just one of those things that kind of elicits an “Are you kidding me” type of reaction every time it happens at this point.
Anyways, Baldwin will be heading to the IL with a .303/.389/.543 slash line with a .407 wOBA, 160 wRC+ and 13 home runs. He is going to be sorely missed for however long he’ll be gone and considering it’s an oblique injury, there’s no telling how long he’s going to be gone and how long it’ll take him to get back to full strength.
For now, the Braves will have to deal with an injury crisis at a position that seemed to be very well fortified at the end of last season. Sean Murphy has a fractured finger and likely won’t be back any time soon and now the Braves will be missing arguably the best-hitting catcher in the game for a very nebulous period of time. Frustration continues to abound when it comes to this team staying healthy.
Fortunately, the Braves are getting a player back from the IL, as Dylan Dodd will be returning to the fold after a rehab assignment. This is also apparently the end of the road for Aaron Bummer’s time with the Braves, as the corresponding move in activating Dodd was releasing Bummer.
Bummer has always been a controversial figure around here due to the fact that his steady numbers were seemingly outweighed by the fact that he had a knack for giving up hits at the most untimely moments. In 2026, however, Bummer just got hit left and right and ended up with a 7.63 ERA (187 ERA-) and an 8.65 FIP (216 FIP-) over just 15.1 innings of work — good for -0.8 fWAR on the season so far. Things were clearly trending in the wrong direction and Bummer will be leaving the team on a sour note after the Marlins absolutely tore him to pieces on Monday night.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 19: Chase Call #17 of the Houston Astros hits an RBI single in the seventh inning during the game between the Miami Marlins and the Houston Astros at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Who’s Hot At The Plate?
Chase Call – Call was selected by the Astros in the 16th round of the 2025 draft. The outfielder had a monster week for Asheville hitting .556 with 3 doubles, 3 home runs, 10 runs batted in and 3 stolen bases in just 4 games. He has a .857 OPS this season.
Jason Schiavone – Another hotlist and another week with Schiavone on the list. This week was another big week for the catcher as he hit .417 with 5 doubles, 2 home runs, 9 runs batted in and 6 walks over 6 games. He also earned a promotion to Double-A.
Zach Daudet – Daudet was a 10th round pick last year and after a solid debut, he got off to a slow start this season. This week he turned it around though batting .381 with 5 doubles, a home run and 3 stolen bases. He also has 22 walks to 22 K in 30 games.
Justin Thomas– Thomas, another selection from the 2025 draft, also put together a big week for Asheville. The 22-year-old hit .333 with 3 doubles, a home run, 5 runs batted in while drawing 7 walks. Overall he is hitting.300 with a .951 OPS this season.
Yamal Encarnacion – Encarnacion has always seemed like a prospect who is flying under the radar but he is making some noise in 2026. The 22-year-old hit .300 with 3 doubles, a home run and 5 stolen bases for the Hooks. He’s hitting .279 in 35 games this season.
Who’s Hot On The Mound?
Javier Perez – Perez has been one of the best pitchers in the Astros system this season and ends up on this list again. This week the right-hander had a dominant start tossing 8 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts. He has a 2.15 ERA over 37.2 innings this season.
Parker Smith – Smith has been up and down a bit this year but put together a good outing for Asheville this week. In his one start, he went 6 innings allowing 1 unearned run while striking out 3 batters.
Jackson Nezuh – Nezuh, like Smith, has been up and down so far this year. This week he was great tossing 5 scoreless innings with 3 strikeouts. Overall he has a 3.86 ERA over 25.2 innings this season.
Kellan Oakes – Oakes was drafted by the Astros in the 9th round of the 2025 draft and turned in his best pro outing this week. In one outing for the Woodpeckers, he tossed 5 scoreless innings while striking out 6 batters.
Jose Serrano – Serrano has had his struggles this year for the Woodpeckers but was really good this week. In one outing, the right-hander tossed 5 no-hit innings while striking out 6 batters. He has 16 K in 13.1 innings this season.
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 16: Martín Pérez #33 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the ninth inning during the game against the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park on May 16, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The brightest side of a 4:10 pm ET start? Not wallowing in the absolute stinker that was last night’s game for a full day.
The Braves will be looking to play a Normal game of baseball to deny the Fish a guaranteed series split. Here’s hoping the gloves and bats that didn’t make an appearance yesterday actually made it down to Miami for this one.
Martín Pérez (2-2, 2.25 ERA) has been an absolute professional whenever he has been given the ball. Whether it’s stints of different lengths out of the bullpen or as a starter, he has been immensely valuable to the Braves and is making the most of a constantly-fluctuating situation.
He’ll make his sixth appearance as a starting pitcher, which will be his first since going 5.2 innings against Seattle on May 6. He was on the hook for the loss that night after giving up five hits, two earned runs, a homer, one walk, and matching his season-high in strikeouts with five. He tossed a perfect inning in each of his two relief appearances last homestand versus the Cubs and the Red Sox.
Opposing Pérez for the Marlins is the lefty Braxton Garrett, who will be making his second start this season since being recalled from Triple-A on May 14th. Prior to that, you have to go back to June of 2024 to find the last time he pitched on a Major League mound before losing the rest of his season to left forearm flexor strain. He would land on the IL again in February 2025 after needing UCL surgery.
As expected from such a long layoff , he struggled in his season debut versus the Twins. He only recorded four outs before being yanked and allowed four hits, five earned runs, walked five, and struck out three on 64 pitches. He didn’t have a feel for his slider and the command issues were too much to overcome. Garrett will be looking to find his form again and substantially lower that 33.75 ERA.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, May 19, 4:10 p.m. ET
Location: loanDepot Park, Miami, FL
TV: BravesVision
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
Brett Squires of the Omaha Storm Chasers | Minda Haas Kuhlmann
This Week in the Minors is our weekly look at notable performances from all over the system, from big-name prospects and less-heralded guys alike. The mission is to answer this simple question: “Who had a good week?”
Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (21-23, 5.5 games back)
It was a good week for the Storm Chasers; they took 4 of 6 from the Toledo Mud Hens. At the dish, the big story of the week was Brett Squires, who just recently got promoted from Northwest Arkansas to Omaha. Squires, who can play both corner infield spots, mashed the ball all week. He was 7-for-23, with 3 homers, 2 doubles and 8 runs batted in. In his first ever week in Triple-A, Squires was up to the task. Across the two levels, Squires is slashing .296/.377/.577. Elsewhere, John Rave was 8-for-22 on the week, with a homer and 2 doubles.
On the hill, Eli Morgan, who just got called up for Kris Bubic, appeared three times, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings and striking out 4 batters. At Omaha this season, Morgan hasn’t allowed a run in 11.1 innings. Mason Black tossed 3.1 scoreless innings as well. With the starting pitching injuries adding up, Mitch Spence would probably be the best guess at making a spot start if needed. Spence threw 6 innings of 3 run ball this week against the Mud Hens. On the season, he has made 5 starts for the Storm Chasers, going 26 innings, with a 4.85 ERA, allowing just one homer, walking 10 and striking out 16. Right hander Ben Sears made two appearances, including one start, he totaled 5 innings, allowing one hit and striking out seven.
— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) May 17, 2026
The Storm Chasers will travel to take on the St. Paul Saints this week. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.
Northwest Arkansas Naturals (19-19, 4.5 games back)
The Naturals had a very rough week, losing 5 of 6 at home to the Arkansas Travelers. On the mound, Justin Lamkin, who was just promoted from Quad Cities, made his first Double-A start. The 21-year-old lefty went 5.1 innings, allowing 7 hits, 4 runs, walked 3 and struck out 7. It was a mixed bag result for the 2025 draft pick out of Texas A&M. Frank Mozzicato made two starts, giving up 8 hits and 8 runs over 7 total innings, walking 6 and striking out 9. The seventh overall pick in 2021 has had a tough time in Double-A so far this season, with a 7.86 ERA over 26.1 innings pitched. Hunter Patteson threw 4.1 scoreless innings, striking out 4.
At the plate, Carson Roccaforte was 6-for-24 with another homer, he also struck out 11 times, however. Roccaforte is slashing .242/.350/.517 this season. He has struck out 59 times in 149 at bats. Jack Pineda was 9-for-16 on the week. Pineda is a 26-year-old middle infielder, out of Baylor in 2022. He is slashing .349/,397/.508 in 63 at bats this season. Colton Becker hit .429 this week, with a pair of doubles and walks. The utility man was named the Naturals standout of the week at the plate.
— Northwest Arkansas Naturals (@nwanaturals) May 16, 2026
The Naturals are on the road this week, taking on the Amarillo Sod Poodles. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.
Quad Cities River Bandits (17-19, 3.5 games back)
The River Bandits had a tough week, losing 5 of 6 to the Lansing Lugnuts. On the mound, Blake Wolters made his first High-A start after being promoted from Columbia last week. The 21-year-old right hander went 3 innings, allowing 3 hits, 4 runs (all unearned), walked 1 and struck out 4. 22-year-old Emmanuel Reyes, a right hander, threw 6 innings of 1 run ball, striking out 8. Reyes was signed out of the Dominican Republic. On the season, Reyes has a 2.18 ERA over 7 starts, amassing 33 innings. He has struck out 29 hitters.
At the plate, infielder Derlin Figueroa was named the standout of the week for the River Bandits after hitting .500 on the week, with two doubles, three homers and 10 runs batted in. On the season, Figueroa is slashing .321/.398/.616. Blake Mitchell had a good week as well, going 7-f0r-23 at the plate with a homer, 4 doubles, 4 walks, and a stolen base. His 8th on the season.
Derlin Figueroa absolutely launches this heater up in the zone. It’s his 7th home run on the season and his first hit against LHP in 2026. pic.twitter.com/kzCl8UeW0p
The River Bandits are back home this week for the Beloit Sky Carp. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.
Columbia Fireflies (18-21, 4 games back)
The Fireflies split their 6-game series against the Hickory Crawdads. Kendry Chourio went 4.1 innings in his one start, allowing 1 run on 4 hits, striking out 4 batters. The 18-year-old out of Venezuela kept his season ERA under 2. Jordan Woods, who threw 6 perfect innings last week, threw 4 innings of 1 run ball this week, striking out 3. 22-year-old righty, Jose Gutierrez threw 5 scoreless innings, in his start, striking out 5 batters. On the season, Gutierrez has a 3.52 ERA over 30.2 innings pitched.
At the plate, 21-year-old catcher Brooks Bryan slashed .462/.563/.615 on the week, including a pair of doubles. The 8th round pick in last year’s draft out of Troy is hitting .308 on the season. Josh Hammond was 6-for-22 at the plate this week, with a homer and a stolen base. Sean Gamble was 3-for-20 with a pair of runs batted in and a walk.
Josh Hammond goes oppo taco for his third home run of the season.
The Cubs have now dropped seven of nine after opening their recent trip with their 10th straight win. We are allowed, even at a crummy time to pull the camera back and say that the team has won 22 of 32 and that remains an incredible stretch of baseball. And without any parsing of numbers, the team is 29-19. That’s an excellent stretch of baseball. The kind that if prolonged over a whole season leads to division titles frequently. Even right now, the Cubs sit in first place, even if only by an eyelash.
Have I quoted lyrics from Tom Petty in this space before? Because this team is certainly free fallin’. I’m going to go out on a limb with “no” because I’m not much of a Petty fan. But that’s what this team feels like right now. Staring down Brewers phenom the Mis and another excellent opposing pitcher the next day, this is a tough spot. Of course, you look around and there aren’t a lot of NL teams circling the drain. There are just three NL teams with a winning percentage below .450. The Cubs have played just one of those teams and A) the Cubs did take advantage of that matchup and B) that team is 21-23 when not playing the Cubs.
I think we have to focus on part A of that last thought. This team did pounce on teams like the Mets and Phillies while they were playing poorly. They will get back to catching teams more favorably and they will groove again. Right now, everything is a slog and they just have to weather this storm. Again, both parts of that thought are true. They pounced when things were there for them, but they are presently struggling. None of this is permanent and be comforted that they built a real cushion. It’s way too early to fixate on it, but the Cubs have a three-game lead on the Phillies for the last playoff spot. Even if the Brewers leave town in first place, there is still cushion and still a whole lot of baseball to be played.
One of these days, we’ll have a lot more to talk about in this space. But, right now the Cubs rotation is off. The bullpen is erratic. The offense is struggling. They did manage seven hits and three walks and turned that into three runs. But all in all, it just wasn’t good enough. None of it is good enough right now. On this night, the Cubs two hitter, their five hitter and their seven hitter all had good games. But they got almost no contribution from the hitters around those guys. And on a night when the Brewers were pounding Shōta Imanaga, the game was almost entirely non-competitive.
Three Positives:
Michael Busch had a pair of doubles, drew a walk and was hit by a pitch. He drove in a run. Busch, relatively quietly, has raised his OPS to .750.
Dansby Swanson had a long two-run homer for the only real interesting moment in the game for the Cubs.
Ty Blach threw three scoreless innings. It saved the rest of the pen and kept alive whatever nominal hope there might have been for a miracle comeback.
Game 48, May 18: Brewers 9, Cubs 3 (29-19)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Michael Busch (.113). 2-2, 2 2B, BB, HBP, RBI
Hero: Nico Hoerner (.020). 0-3, 2 BB, R
Sidekick: Ty Blach (.005). 3 IP, 9 BF, H, 2 K
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Shōta Imanaga (-.301). 4.1 IP, 24 BF, 9 H, 3 BB, 8 ER, 2 K (L 4-4)
Goat: Ian Happ (-.099). 0-4
Kid: Alex Bregman (-.077). 0-4
WPA Play of the Game: With runners on first and third with two outs in the fourth inning, the Brewers up two, Sal Frelick doubled and two runs scored. (.141)
Cubs Play of the Game: With a runner on first and no outs in the bottom of the first, Michael Busch walked. (.054)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 47 Winner: Michael Conforto received 151 of 158 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 +16
Michael Conforto +15
Shōta Imanaga +10
Alex Bregman +7.5
Nico Hoerner +6.5
Ryan Rolison -8
Phil Maton -9
Matt Shaw -10
Dansby Swanson -11
Seiya Suzuki -18
Current Win Pace: 97.88 wins
Up Next: Game two of the three-game series with the Brewers. Ben Brown (1-1, 1.60, 33.2 IP) makes his third start of the season as the Cubs continue to try to stretch him out as a starter. In his two prior starts, he’s thrown eight innings, allowed one hit, two walks and struck out 10. Both of those starts were on the road, so this will be his first Chicago start of the season.
24-year-old Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski (3-2, 2.12, 51 IP) will make his 10th start of the season. He has an amazing 80 strikeouts in those 51 innings. The former second round pick (#63 overall) is coming off of a no decision in his last start against the Padres. That despite allowing only four hits and no walks in seven innings. He struck out 10. This is as big a challenge as the Cubs will face.
