SARASOTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Ryan Mountcastle #6 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts during the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium on March 11, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Along with near-daily injuries suffered by the Orioles comes daily roster moves. The team made another flurry of moves to keep a healthy set of players up on the MLB roster ahead of Monday’s game against the Diamondbacks, with two players landing on the 60-day injured list, one getting selected from Norfolk to MLB, and another being acquired from outside the organization and sent to Triple-A.
The full set of moves:
Ryan Mountcastle placed on 60-day injured list
Weston Wilson contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk
Christian Encarnacion-Strand acquired from Reds for cash considerations and optioned to Norfolk
Yaramil Hiraldo transferred to 60-day injured list
Mountcastle going straight to the injured list due to his broken metatarsal shows that the team knows he will be out for quite a while. It’s uncommon even for serious injuries to have a guy go straight onto the 60-day, but in this case the team needed to make room on the 40-man roster just to add any infielder into the mix.
Wilson, 31, has appeared in parts of the last three seasons with the Phillies, playing a variety of infield and outfield positions while batting .242/.328/.428. It’s not a bad overall batting line, though his worst season was last year, the year that he played the most. He made enough of an impression in spring training for the Orioles to give him the chance here. Since he has a bit more defensive flexibility than Mountcastle, he might even play a bit more often. He was not hitting well in Norfolk at the time of this roster move.
Encarnacion-Strand, 26, was in “DFA limbo” after having been cast off by the Reds. He has also appeared in parts of the last three seasons, totaling a .233/.275/.404 batting line. In this instance, the Orioles probably grabbed him just to have a semblance of infield depth in case there’s another freak injury, because with Wilson in Baltimore, there’s basically nobody down there worth bringing up. Not that either Wilson or Encarnacion-Strand are guaranteed to prove to be worth bringing up.
Hiraldo had been on the 15-day injured list since April 5 due to shoulder inflammation. Moving him to the 60-day injured list opens up a spot on the 40-man roster, which they needed to bring in Encarnacion-Strand as infield depth. The 30-year-old righty had a rough first few outings this year before landing on the injured list.
Additionally, earlier on Monday, the Orioles recalled Dean Kremer from Norfolk and optioned Cade Povich to Norfolk. Everyone can stop wondering why Kremer is still in the minors now. Tough luck for Povich, who pitched quite well yesterday. It seems the team is not planning to do a six-man rotation after all.
One player who did not get added to the active roster is catcher Sam Huff, who is around on the taxi squad from Norfolk. It probably does not matter all that much whether Huff or Maverick Handley is the backup catcher for as long as Adley Rutschman is out.
Series defeat in Australia ‘a chance so blithely spurned’
Indian dominance and Starc’s sacrifice recognised
The latest edition of Wisden is unsparing in its criticism of England’s Test team, describing their Ashes defeat in Australia as a “wing-and-a-prayer” campaign that ended up “feckless, reckless and legless”.
Published this Thursday, the sport’s longstanding bible has a strong Indian flavour to its awards. Haseeb Hameed, captain of title-winning Nottinghamshire, is the sole Englishman among the five players of the year, with Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj recognised for their roles in last year’s memorable 2-2 Test series draw in England.
CHICAGO (AP) — Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar lost two of his top front teeth when he was hit by a puck in the second period of Saturday’s 5-3 loss to St. Louis.
Nazar planned to play Monday night against Buffalo with a protective cage over his face.
“Got it pretty good, but could be a lot worse,” Nazar said. “So pretty thankful.”
The 22-year-old Nazar was sidelined for a month after he broke his jaw when he was hit in the face by a puck during a 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Dec. 20. He returned on Jan. 22 at Carolina.
Nazar, a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, has 15 goals and 26 assists in 64 games in his third NHL season. He agreed to a $46.2 million, seven-year extension with Chicago in August.
Defenseman Ethan Del Mastro also is expected to play against the Sabres. The 23-year-old Del Mastro was scratched on Saturday because of an unspecified injury.
Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick celebrates after leading his team to the 2012 Stanley Cup championship. The three-time title winner, now with the New York Rangers, announced his retirment Monday after 19 NHL seasons. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
New York Rangers goalkeeper Jonathan Quick is calling it a career after 19 NHL seasons and three Stanley Cup championships — with 16 of those seasons and two championships as a member of the Kings.
The 40-year-old goalie told reporters Monday that he would be playing in his final game that night when the Rangers visit the Florida Panthers. It will mark Quick's 921st game appearance, counting playoffs.
"Tonight will be my last game in the league, and I am looking forward to it," Quick said following the morning skate ahead at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. "My wife flew down with the kids, my parents will be here. I am looking forward to this last one, try to get one more win here."
He added of his decision: "It just felt right. Felt like the right time. I put some thought into it."
Selected by the Kings in the third round of the 2005 draft, Quick became a fixture in front of the net for L.A. during the 2008-09 season. He was a key member of the Kings' Stanley Cup champion teams in 2012 and 2014, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs with a 16-4 record, a .946 save percentage and 1.41 goals-against average.
Quick won a silver medal as a backup goaltender for the U.S. at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, although he did not see any playing time. At the 2014 Sochi Games, Quick went 3-2 as the starting goalie for the fourth-place U.S. team.
Quick saw a decent amount of playing time down the stretch in the regular season because of injuries to the Golden Knights' goaltenders. He didn't make it into any games during the team's championship run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
After spending the last three seasons in New York, Quick is set to make his 70th and final start with the Rangers and add the final numbers to a stat line that currently includes 20,315 saves (18th most all time), 410 wins (12th most) and 65 shutouts (17th).
“He earned the respect of his teammates, coaches and staff members through his work ethic and dedication to his craft,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said in a statement posted on social media. “Jonathan is a special person and player, and the entire Rangers organization wishes him — along with his wife, Jackie, and three children, Madison, Carter and Cash — all the best in retirement.”
The Rangers are 33-38-9 and will miss the playoffs for the second straight season. They finish the year Wednesday night at Tampa Bay.
Another key member of the Kings championship teams, Anze Kopitar, also is retiring after this season, following 20 years in the NHL, all with L.A.
Well, folks, Houston Rockets fans (finally) have one. Why finally?
It’s been a challenging 2025-26 season.
Fred VanVleet was down from the onset. Steven Adams didn’t take too long to follow. Without a pair of players whom the Rockets saw as integral to their game plan, there were times when it didn’t seem like they’d be happy with their final record.
Somehow, they won two more games than they did last year, anyway.
Enough digressing. The best-case scenario is their playoff matchup. The Rockets are facing the Los Angeles Lakers:
One of the few teams that’ve had worse luck than them this year.
Rockets’ first-round matchup suffers major losses
Luka Doncic is out. He’s not expected back for the first round. Neither is Austin Reaves. The timeline isn’t clear for either, but the safest money says that neither will see the Rockets in this year’s playoffs.
That leaves the Lakers armed with LeBron James and a platoon of role players. James is – somehow – still an All-Star caliber player at 41, but it would take a Herculean effort for him to drag this group past the Rockets.
For what it’s worth, Houston has been the better team all year. The Lakers will have homecourt advantage, having won an extra game, but those wins and losses can be deceiving. Houston’s 5.4 Net Rating finished sixth in the regular season, while the Lakers’ 1.5 mark finished 14th.
Do the Lakers have any chance?
Rockets cannot take the Lakers lightly
Sure.
Any team can beat any team in the National Basketball Association. When the team in question rosters LeBron James, it’s never entirely safe to bet against them.
That said, the Rockets are heavily favored heading into this matchup. Kevin Durant has been more productive than James all year. For that matter, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun both arguably had better seasons. Outside of James, the Lakers’ rotation without Doncic and Reaves largely consists of role players.
If the Lakers win, the Rockets will have difficult existential questions to answer. Major changes could be on the horizon. This is Houston’s series to lose:
In other words, it’s a best-case scenario.
Got a sneaky feeling about the Lakers? Feel like making a smart wager on the Rockets? In either case, head over to Fanduel, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation. As it stands, the Rockets are +5500 to go all the way and win the NBA championship
Lakers guard Luka Doncic is rejoining the team after seeking treatment for his hamstring injury in Europe. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Luka Doncic will be back for the beginning of the Lakers' playoff run. Just not on the court.
The Lakers' superstar will rejoin the team by Friday after traveling to Spain to receive specialized treatment on his Grade 2 hamstring strain, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to The Times, but there is no timetable for Doncic’s return to the lineup.
Doncic suffered the injury in a game against Oklahoma City on April 2. A Grade 2 strain typically requires four to six weeks of recovery, but Doncic traveled to Europe to receive injections on his left hamstring with the hope of speeding up the recovery process.
The Lakers (53-29) face the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the first round on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. The fourth-seeded Lakers are looking for their first playoff series win since 2023.
They are underdogs without Doncic and guard Austin Reaves, who suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain in the same game. Doncic led the league in scoring with 33.5 points per game. Reaves, the team’s second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, was initially expected to miss four to six weeks with his injury, and is working hard to come back, a source told The Times. There is still no official timetable for his return.
The Lakers finished the season with three consecutive wins to hold onto home-court advantage in the first round. LeBron James reasserted himself as the team’s top player, averaging 25.5 points, 11 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals in the games since Doncic and Reaves were injured. He was named Western Conference player of the week Monday after leading the Lakers to a 3-1 record in the final week of the regular season.
The Lakers went 2-1 against the Rockets (52-30) during the regular season, but Doncic played a major role in the two wins. He scored 76 points in the victories, which came in a two-game series in Houston that resembled a playoff atmosphere in March.
The Rockets finished the season with nine wins in their last 10 games.
Staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.
The Sharks aren’t headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, but they are so close, they can taste it.
Despite San Jose’s 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday night at Bridgestone Arena, the Sharks officially were eliminated from playoff contention with the Los Angeles Kings’ 5-3 win over the Seattle Kraken later in the evening.
The Kings’ win gives them 89 points on the 2025-26 NHL season, while the most the Sharks can get now is 88.
The Kings, meanwhile, earned the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot.
After six tough years, the fruit of the Sharks’ labor finally started to show this season, as they nearly doubled their win total (37, entering the final two games) from last year (20).
Celebrini, the 2024 NHL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick, blossomed into a must-see star and Hart Trophy contender. With two games left in the season, he has a chance to break the franchise’s single-season points record (Joe Thornton — 114 in 2006-07).
Now that the Sharks are on the brink of the postseason, it will be up to general manager Mike Grier and the front office to add veteran pieces who can get the team over the hump.
Considering the Sharks were winless in their first six games of the season (0-4-2), they should be proud that they got things on the right track and gave themselves a shot to make the playoffs.
But in need of every point possible, the Sharks lost four of their last six games, crushing any chance of catching the teams ahead of them in the standings.
With Celebrini and Smith at the top, the sky is the limit for the Sharks, and next season should go a long way to showing if they are capable of climbing to the mountaintop.
The Sharks aren’t headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, but they are so close, they can taste it.
Despite San Jose’s 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday night at Bridgestone Arena, the Sharks officially were eliminated from playoff contention with the Los Angeles Kings’ 5-3 win over the Seattle Kraken later in the evening.
The Kings’ win gives them 89 points on the 2025-26 NHL season, while the most the Sharks can get now is 88.
The Kings, meanwhile, earned the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot.
After six tough years, the fruit of the Sharks’ labor finally started to show this season, as they nearly doubled their win total (37, entering the final two games) from last year (20).
Celebrini, the 2024 NHL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick, blossomed into a must-see star and Hart Trophy contender. With two games left in the season, he has a chance to break the franchise’s single-season points record (Joe Thornton — 114 in 2006-07).
Now that the Sharks are on the brink of the postseason, it will be up to general manager Mike Grier and the front office to add veteran pieces who can get the team over the hump.
Considering the Sharks were winless in their first six games of the season (0-4-2), they should be proud that they got things on the right track and gave themselves a shot to make the playoffs.
But in need of every point possible, the Sharks lost four of their last six games, crushing any chance of catching the teams ahead of them in the standings.
With Celebrini and Smith at the top, the sky is the limit for the Sharks, and next season should go a long way to showing if they are capable of climbing to the mountaintop.
Chants of “Daniel Farke, Daniel Farke” rang out from the travelling faithful after this seismic Leeds win lifted them six points clear of Tottenham, whose plight darkens further after the visitors pulled off a first league win at Old Trafford since February 1981.
It means Michael Carrick has lost a home game for the first time as Manchester United’s interim manager. His team lacked control throughout, a state not aided by Lisandro Martínez’s silly 56th-minute red card for yanking Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s ponytail, and he is now suspended for three matches, though the club may appeal.
MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 28, 2026: Bo Davidson #91 of the San Francisco Giants takes a lead at first base during the eighth inning of a spring training game against the Athletics at Hohokam Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It’s that time again: the mega roundup to recap Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates. There will be a lot of words, so proceed with caution! Monday is an off day in the Minors, so all four teams will get back in action on Tuesday.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Only one piece of news: AA Richmond RHP R.J. Dabovich was placed on the 7-Day IL. That’s a big bummer, as injuries have really hurt the career of the 2020 4th-round pick. Dabovich, who is 27, had a healthy 2022, but has pitched just 18.1 innings since.
AAA Sacramento (9-4)
Friday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Las Vegas Aviators 11-0 [box score]
When all was said and done, Sacramento ended up playing just 1 game this “weekend,” and no games during the actual weekend. The storm that blew threw Northern California postponed Saturday’s game to Sunday, and then cancelled that doubleheader altogether. So it goes.
The River Cats made the most of their solo game, though, earning their 2nd consecutive shutout — a very impressive thing anywhere, but especially in the Pacific Coast League. That gave them a sweep in their truncated series against the A’s affiliate, and ran their winning streak to 6 games. Good times on the feeder team!
It was a boisterous day with the bats, as the River Cats bashed 16 hits and drew 7 walks. All eyes in Sacramento are on designated hitter Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL), and I’m pleased to report that he had the best day of them all. Eldridge has started to catch fire, and that certainly was on display on Friday, when he went 4-5 with a double and a strikeout.
The contact was extremely loud for Eldridge, as his hits were, in order, a 99.2-mph single, a 109.4-mph single, a 101.9-mph double, and a 103.6-mph single. Goodness gracious!
Eldridge had a little bit of a slow start to the season, but in his last 3 games, he’s hitting 9-14 with 3 extra-base hits, which has pumped his OPS up to 1.012, and his wRC+ to 182. Will that be enough for the Giants to bring him up to help an offense that is on life support? I still think the answer is likely “no,” especially since Casey Schmitt is hitting so well while DH’ing in San Francisco. Ultimately, the Giants likely want to see Eldridge’s contact improve a little before he comes back to the Majors: he has a 30.2% strikeout rate, a 16th-percentile whiff rate, and a 19th-percentile in-zone contact rate.
Speaking of giving a boost to the Major League offense, the Giants sure are struggling to find hits from their outfielders. It seems unlikely that a roster move is going to be the fix there, since the team isn’t going to bench Harrison Bader, Jung Hoo Lee, or Heliot Ramos anytime soon, but right fielder Will Brennan just keeps hitting in Sacramento. On Friday he hit 3-5 with a double and a strikeout, which boosted his OPS to .938 and his wRC+ to 148. Brennan is certainly staying ready in AAA and is on the 40-man roster, though he is a 28-year old with a large MLB sample of being a below-average hitter, so I’m guessing the Giants are proceeding with caution there.
Second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) and first baseman Jake Holton both had 3-hit days, with the former bopping a double and the latter drawing a walk. Each player is off to a tremendous start to the year in their debut AAA seasons: Furman has a .996 OPS and a 182 wRC+, while Holton is sporting a .929 OPS and a 177 wRC+.
But the biggest swing of the bat belonged to veteran catcher Eric Haase, who only hit 1-5 with 3 strikeouts, but drew a walk and smashed a 3-run home run.
Suffice to say, the Giants are not going to be looking to replace Daniel Susac (No. 20 CPL) with a more veteran option anytime soon, but the next team that only uses 2 catchers in a season will probably be the 1st, so Haase is great depth.
Another rough day for center fielder Grant McCray, who shockingly doesn’t have a hit since April 1, though he did draw 2 walks and steal a base in this game, while going 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. Since that April 1 game, the lefty is 0-20 with 9 strikeouts, though he’s drawn 8 walks.
It was a great pitching game, as the score would suggest, and it was entirely handled by players who are either on the 40-man roster, or were in play to make the Opening Day roster. Kicking things off was RHP Carson Seymour, who had a tremendous showing, tossing 4.2 shutout innings while allowing just 2 hits and 1 walk, and striking out 2. Seymour needed just 63 pitches to get his 14 outs, and threw 43 of those for strikes.
The typical strikeout stuff hasn’t really shown up for Seymour this year in his 1st 3 starts, as he’s K’d just 7 batters in 10.2 innings. But more importantly, he’s only allowed 6 baserunners (3 hits and 3 walks) during that time, and is still rocking a pristine 0.00 ERA. Given the Giants noted hatred of issuing walks, it’s fair to wonder if Seymour has temporarily surpassed LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 8 CPL) on the 6th starter depth chart, as Whiz has walked 9 batters in 11.2 innings.
Then it was RHP Spencer Bivens, who had a dynamic bullpen outing, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings with 2 hits, 0 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Bivens has just a 3.52 ERA and a 6.23 FIP through 5 appearances, but this was his 2nd straight excellent game, so perhaps he’s finding the stuff that landed him on the MLB roster for the entirety of the 2025 season. Notably — and very impressively — Bivens threw 25 of 31 pitches for strikes.
Finishing out the game was the duo of LHP prospect Juan Sánchez (No. 41 CPL) and veteran RHP Michael Fulmer. Each tossed a scoreless inning with a strikeout.
Like their big brothers in Sacramento, the Squirrels entered Friday’s game with a 5-game winning streak, scored 11 runs, and pushed that winning streak to 6. Unlike their big brothers, they played again on Saturday and Sunday … and extended the streak to 8 games (the poor Pirates’ affiliate, on the other hand, fell to 0-9 on the year).
It was not without drama, though, as Richmond ceded 2 runs in the top of the 10th inning on Saturday, before mounting a rally in the bottom half of the inning, which ended in a walk-off Dayson Croes fielder’s choice. Anything for the win!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 12, 2026
The weekend was well-balanced for Richmond, with almost all their players contributing in some form or fashion, and nobody really having a star weekend. There was a star game, however, which came from the top prospect suiting up for the squirrels: center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL).
Davidson had an utterly dynamic Friday, hitting a solo home run in the 7th inning, and following it up with a 3-run blast just 1 inning later. Talk about a big day!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 11, 2026
BO DID IT AGAIN!!!
THE FIRST TWO FLYING SQUIRRELS HOME RUNS AT CARMAX PARK BELONG TO BO DAVIDSON 💣 pic.twitter.com/CZHbwYPcnz
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 11, 2026
The undrafted lefty didn’t do too much over the weekend other than those big flies, as he went 4-12 with a sacrifice fly, an outfield assist, and 2 strikeouts … but that’s still a mighty fine weekend, and one that gives him an .854 OPS and a 113 wRC+ through 6 games this year. So far he’s picking up where he left off last year, and that’s a tremendous sign … doesn’t hurt that he can play defense pretty well, too!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 12, 2026
Davidson wasn’t the only player to have a multi-XBH day, as his fellow outfielder Scott Bandura carried the team to victory on Sunday, hitting 2-3 with 2 doubles, a sacrifice fly, and a strikeout, while accounting for 50% of their hits, 100% of their extra-base hits, and 100% of their runs batted in.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 12, 2026
Bandura, a 7th-round pick in 2023 out of Princeton, has been fairly tied at the hip to Davidson in terms of where they’re playing, as they were promoted at the same time last year. Their performance is mirroring each other, as well: after a 5-9 weekend that also included a stolen base, the 24-year old has an .804 OPS and a 120 wRC+. Will we see that pair handling the Sacramento grass at some point this season?
Speaking of outfielders, Turner Hill had yet another nice game, as the speedster attempts to play his way into the Major League depth chart in a Jared Oliva-esque role. The just-turned 27-year old UDFA, who played both corners this weekend but also can handle center well, hit 4-7 with 3 walks, a hit by pitch, a stolen base, and a strikeout.
It does feel like Hill, a lefty, will get a cup of coffee at some point, though he has to be a little frustrated that he’s still grinding away in AA. He posted a 107 wRC+ in 222 plate appearances at the level back in 2024, and then raised it to a 114 wRC+ in 314 plate appearances last year, with more walks than strikeouts. He’s back in Richmond for a 3rd stint and, for now at least, would seem to be the next man up if the River Cats need another outfielder.
One other note on Richmond’s hitters: Aeverson Arteaga started at third base twice, in addition to a game at shortstop. Once considered the best defensive shortstop in the system, Arteaga is now ceding much of the time at the position to Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL). That’s because Arteaga had a miserable 2025 and Ahuna is now just a better prospect, but it’s also worth noting that Arteaga took some steps backwards defensively a year ago.
Thankfully, Arteaga’s having a bounce-back year so far, as he went 3-9 with 2 hit by pitches and 2 strikeouts over the weekend, bringing his batting average to .286, his OPS to .730, and his wRC+ to 124. Great numbers? No. But after having a .189 average, a .508 OPS, and a 49 wRC+ a year ago, certainly a welcome sight. Arteaga’s story is far from being complete: he only just turned 23 (he’s a full year younger than Ahuna), so there’s plenty of time for him to recover from his miserable 2025.
On the pitching front, it was all about Sunday’s starter, RHP Darien Smith. A 26-year old undrafted free agent in just his 2nd pro season, Smith was utterly dynamic in his 2nd Richmond appearance, throwing 4.1 no-hit innings, while striking out 9 batters.
It was a case of being effectively wild for Smith, as he largely lived outside of the zone, with just 38 of 60 pitches going for strikes. Yet despite that, he only issued 1 walk … though that walk scored when LHP Cesar Perdomo gave up a rally after coming into the game, so Smith was left with the unfortunate 0-hit, 1-run outing.
Smith took a little bit of time to get his feet wet last year in Low-A, but really exploded in High-A, where he had a 2.59 ERA and a 3.12 FIP in 7 games, with 9.6 strikeouts and just 1.9 walks per 9 innings. The Giants have used him in a hybrid role throughout his brief tenure, and it doesn’t seem outside of the realm of possibilities that he could make the Majors in a year or two as a long reliever, especially if he can keep suppressing walks so gracefully.
The other starters had fairly uninteresting days. On Friday it was LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL), who gave up just 5 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs in 5 innings of work, with 5 strikeouts. Pretty solid all around, though 3 of the 5 hits went for extra bases, including a home run. Still, that’s an encouraging outing for Whitman, who threw 44 of 65 pitches for strikes, as the 69th overall pick in the 2023 draft looks to pitch his way out of AA, after spending all of 2025 there. Through 2 starts, the 24-year old has just a 6.23 ERA, but a 3.24 FIP …. that’s not unusual for Whitman, who last year had a 5.29 ERA and a 3.61 FIP.
As was the case a year ago, Whitman’s issue is with giving up too many hits: he has 12 strikeouts against just 2 walks in 8.2 innings this year, which is phenomenal. But he’s allowed 9 hits, 4 of which have gone for extra bases.
On Saturday it was RHP Trystan Vrieling, who allowed just 2 hits in 5 innings, but walked 4 batters and gave up 2 runs, with 4 strikeouts. That set the stage for a funny day for the Squirrels pitchers, who only gave up 5 hits in the 10-inning game, but issued a dozen walks.
Like Whitman, Vrieling — the 100th pick in 2022 by the Yankees — is trying to work his way out of AA after spending (virtually) all of 2025 there. Not a great start to his 1st full year in the organization, though, as he has a 6.75 ERA and a 5.20 FIP through 2 starts.
Really nice relief appearances by a pair of older arms that the Giants signed out of indy ball: RHP Dylan Hecht, signed last season, threw 2 perfect innings with 2 strikeouts, while RHP Mitch White, who was signed this past offseason, gave up 1 walk in a shutout inning, with 2 strikeouts.
High-A Eugene (7-2)
Friday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians 6-5 (10 innings) [box score] Saturday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians 3-2 [box score] Sunday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians 8-5 [box score]
The Emeralds won 2 of their 3 weekend games, though it was fairly mild-mannered. The team was lacking in standout days and didn’t hit a home run … blame that cold Northwest air!
There was a really strong performance on the mound, thanks to Saturday’s starter, RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL). The 22-year old, whom the Giants acquired last year in the Mike Yastrzemski trade, made his 2nd High-A appearance and it went swimmingly, as he tossed 4.2 no-hit innings with 5 strikeouts. Marte was fairly wild, which has been a little bit of an issue for him in his short career: he walked 2 batters and also hit someone, while throwing just 46 of 74 pitches for strikes. That, combined with an error by his defense, put an unearned run on his ledger.
That certainly points to an area where the Giants will want and need Marte to improve, but it’s also abundantly clear that his fastball/slider combo plays very well. He’s not the most touted prospect that the Giants grabbed at last year’s deadline, but he sure was a nice addition who could end up being a really intriguing arm.
The other starters really struggled. LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL) is hitting some bumps in the road as the 2025 breakout arm adjusts to a higher level. He pitched on Sunday and couldn’t find the strike zone, with just 33 of 64 pitches being strikes, while issuing 3 walks in as many innings. Still, LDLT showed off some of what makes him one of the top arms in the system, as he only allowed 2 hits (both singles) while striking out 4 batters in his 3 innings, though he gave up 2 earned runs.
Continuing the theme — or starting the theme, given that he pitched on Friday — RHP Hunter Dryden threw just 33 of 59 pitches for strikes, while allowing 3 walks and a hit batter in just 2 innings of work, though he only allowed 1 hit and 1 run, and struck out 3. Needless to say, there are some adjustments to make for the pitchers trying to tackle High-A for the 1st time!
A few relievers had nice games: RHP Trey Dillard, a 27-year old Minor League free agent, threw 3 no-hit innings with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts, while RHP Cade Vernon, a 10th-round pick in 2024, struck out 2 batters in 2.2 no-hit, no-walk innings, though 3 baserunners reached while he was on the mound, all via errors. RHP Austin Strickland pitched a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts, as the Giants hope he can blossom into a quality reliever so that they have something to show from the Joey Bart era. Unfortunately, RHP Liam Simon once again struggled to find the strike zone, as he gave up 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 hit batter, and 2 runs in an inning of work. Through 3 outings this year, Simon has allowed 7 walks, 2 hit batters, 10 runs, and 7 earned runs, while recording just 6 outs. He just can’t find his command following a string of injuries.
In the batter’s box, the stars were a pair of fairly unheralded infielders with 80-grade names: shortstop/second baseman Zane Zielinski, and second baseman Zander Darby. Zielinski, a 9th-round pick in 2024 who is repeating High-A after spending his entire debut season there, hit 5-10 with 1 double, 2 walks, 1 sac fly, 2 strikeouts, and 2 errors. After having a .642 OPS and an 89 wRC+ with Eugene last season, the 24-year old is sporting an 1.101 OPS and a 199 wRC+ through 7 games this year.
As for Darby, a 23-year old who was taken in the 12th round in 2024, he went 3-10 with 2 doubles, though he struck out 4 times. The left-handed hitter spent most of 2025 with Low-A San Jose, and struggled mightily during his month with the Emeralds. That’s not the case this year, however, as he’s rocking a 1.033 OPS and a 175 wRC+ through 7 games.
Quiet weekends for the top hitting prospects at the level, and they each got a day off. Shortstop/designated hitter Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) hit 3-9 with a double, a sacrifice fly, and 2 strikeouts, and now has an 1.101 OPS and a 183 wRC+; center fielder/designated hitter Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) went 0-8 with 2 walks and 1 strikeout, dropping his OPS to .628 and his wRC+ to 81; and center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) hit 2-8 with 1 walk, 1 strikeout, and 1 stolen base, moving his OPS to .797 and his wRC+ to 105.
Low-A San Jose (7-2)
Friday: San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide 5-2 [box score] Sunday Game 1: San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide 3-2 (7 innings) [box score] Sunday Game 2: San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide 4-2 (7 innings) [box score]
Like Sacramento, San Jose had their Saturday game rained out … but unlike Sacramento, they were actually able to play the Sunday doubleheader.
Still, it was a relatively mild weekend, as the 7-inning doubleheader deprived us of 4 additional innings and, most notably, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) didn’t play at all. No word on what’s going on with Level though, thankfully, Roger Munter makes it sound like there’s likely nothing at all to worry about.
In Level’s absence, the standout offensive weekend belonged to first baseman/designated hitter Jeremiah Jenkins, who had one hell of a run over the 3 games, hitting 3-8 with a home run, a double, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts.
A 14th-round pick in 2024, Jenkins — who turns 23 next month — struggled in San Jose last year, though he did a great job limiting his strikeouts. He’s off to a red-hot start this year, and has really been showing off his power, with 4 extra-base hits in 6 games.
Center fielder Andy Polanco had a nice weekend, continuing his strong start to the season. The soon-to-turn 21-year old, who was an 11th-round selection in 2024, hit 4-7 with a stolen base and 2 strikeouts, and now has a .924 OPS and a 145 wRC+ through 7 games. That’s quite a nice start given that he only had an 85 wRC+ in the Complex League last year in his debut. Critically, Polanco plays strong defense (though he committed an error on Friday), and has 4 stolen bases on the year.
Andy Polanco drives in a pair with a single up the middle, and the Giants take a 3-1 lead! pic.twitter.com/4dbPjulsVQ
But the star performance came on the mound, where RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) had his best performance since a late promotion to San Jose last year. Cayama took the mound on Friday and showed why the organization — and people outside of it — are so high on him, as he tossed 4 innings with 4 hits, 0 walks, 1 run, and a whopping 8 strikeouts. It was a tremendous display of strike-throwing, as Cayama threw 44 of his 55 pitches for strikes.
Cayama broke out in the Complex League last year with a brilliant 10.3 strikeouts and just 3.4 walks per 9 innings, numbers that took a huge hit upon his promotion to the Baby Giants. But this year? Through 2 starts he has 12 strikeouts in 7.2 innings …. and 0 walks. He did get hit hard in his 1st outing of the year, but that will happen occasionally. The Giants have to be thrilled with this start to the season for the hot prospect.
Argenis Cayama struck out 8 over four innings of work to pace San Jose to victory over Visalia on Friday.
But while Cayama’s performance was the most exciting long-term, the most meaningful in the short term came on Sunday, when Major League LHP Sam Hentges kicked off a rehab appearance. You can’t really learn anything about someone rehabbing in Low-A, but it’s always better to be … well … better, and Hentges did that, retiring all 3 batters he faced, needing just 10 pitches, and recording a strikeout. San Francisco’s bullpen will look better when he’s in it, that’s for sure.
Finishing off the weekend was RHP Alix Hernandez, who had another fantastic game, striking out 4 batters in 2.1 no-hit innings, while issuing 1 walk. Hernandez, a 21-year old who was signed in 2022 out of Venezuela, has some mesmerizing stuff, but has struggled with both command and health. He’s off to a great start this year, with 8 strikeouts against 1 walk in 5.1 innings, and a clean 0.00 ERA through 3 outings.
Home run tracker
2 — Bo Davidson x2 — [AA] 2 — Jeremiah Jenkins — [Low-A] 1 — Eric Haase — [AAA]
Sixteen teams – 20, counting those participating in the Play-In Tournament – will now have the chance to make their pushes in the postseason with the hopes of an NBA title up for grabs. The final week of the season saw teams jostling for seeding, as they tried to improve their path forward.
The end of the regular season also meant that the 10 teams that were officially eliminated from postseason contention can formally plan for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Here are the final USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings of the 2025-26 regular season:
USA TODAY Sports NBA power rankings
Note: Records and stats through April 12. Parentheses show movement from last week’s rankings.
There wasn’t very much movement in this group as teams at the top of the Eastern and Western Conferences more or less bunkered in. The Spurs got some good news with Victor Wembanyama’s rib injury, and the days off before the start of the postseason should provide invaluable rest.
Two teams out West, however, who finished the season strong were the Nuggets, who ended the campaign on a 12-game winning streak, including a victory over San Antonio to preserve the No. 3 seed, and the Rockets. Houston went 9-1 over its last 10 and now has a first-round matchup against the Lakers, who could be in trouble with the extended absences of NBA leading scorer Luka Dončić (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique strain).
Composed mostly of teams in the Play-In Tournament, this group will need to prove their worth by advancing in that bracket and then battling against the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the two conferences. One of the teams in the Play-In who finished strong was the Trail Blazers, winners of 10 of their last 14.
On the opposite end was the Magic, who inexplicably lost to a Celtics team that was sitting its top seven players in their rotation. As a result, the Magic dropped to the No. 8 seed and now have to travel to Philadelphia for their matchup in the play-in against the 76ers.
The season of tanking has mercifully ended, and now the lottery awaits. Practically all teams in this section of the list were playing for draft positioning, with the exception of the Pelicans, who don’t own their first-round selection. Yet, the biggest news out of this group is Doc Rivers stepping down as the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. This raises questions about the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and whether the team can salvage its relationship with the star. Whom the Bucks eventually hire could be an indicator whether Antetokounmpo is put on the trading block this offseason.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 07: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez (61) walks to the dugout after being pulled from the game during a MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants on April 07, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Trinity Machan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 18: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns shoots the ball during the game Portland Trail Blazers on November 18, 2025 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We are finally here. The Play-In bracket is set, and the Phoenix Suns have their opponent in the 7/8 game after a long 82-game season with many ups and downs.
Here are the main questions for Week 25 we want your thoughts on as the Suns head into postseason play:
Facing the Blazers
The Suns will be facing the Portland Trail Blazers in the 7/8 game. Phoenix won the season series, but Portland has been the better team the last two months; they went 10-6 in their last 16 games. Devin Booker only played in the first matchup, but Jrue Holiday was not in the lineup for Portland in the second matchup. Both teams are set to come into the matchup the healthiest they’ve been all season. The Blazers are in the top-10 in defensive rating and are fifth in the last two months, as they leapfrogged the Los Angeles Clippers for the ninth seed.
How do you think the Suns match up against the Blazers? Would you have preferred that they play the Clippers or the Golden State Warriors?
Struggling to end the year
It was not a strong end to the season for the Suns. The team lost 10 of their last 16 games and quickly lost any opportunity they had to climb the standings and avoid being seeded in the play-in. Credit, Phoenix was dealing with injuries, Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams were out a lot during that span, but the team did not do any favors down the stretch in games against the Spurs, Celtics, and Raptors, and Collin Gillespie had his worst stretch of the season to end the year.
The team is now healthy heading into the playoffs, but how do they make sure their struggles to end the season do not carry them into the play-in?
Did the Suns hit their Regular Season ceiling?
Before the year, Suns fans said the team’s regular ceiling was 40-59 wins. They achieved that.
After seeing the Suns play a whole 82 games, seeing how the rest of the Western Conference competition turned out, do you think the Suns hit their ceiling?
On the Suns’ Plate this Week
Phoenix will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night in the 7/8 game. If they win, they’ll face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. If they lose, they’ll host the winner of Clippers/Warriors, the 9/10 game on Friday, and if they win that game, they’ll play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. If they lose, they’ll be eliminated.
Jonathan Quick’s retirement announcement will have a profound impact on Dylan Garand.
With Quick set to retire at the end of the 2025-26 season, the New York Rangers’ backup goaltending position moving forward is up for grabs, and there’s no doubt that Garand is the best positioned to land the job.
As Quick served as Igor Shesterkin’s backup over the past three seasons, Garand was making a name for himself in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack, emerging as the Rangers’ top goalie prospect.
Since being selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Garand has played in 165 AHL games.
He established himself as one of the premier goaltenders in the AHL, to the point where he was named to represent Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in the American League. I’ve played a lot of games down there,” Garand said. “They say if you play more than 100 games in the American League, that’s a good amount of experience, and I’ve played 165, so that helped me just keep developing, and not rush my development, and be more ready for the transition when that time comes.
“It's the second-best league in the world, so to spend a lot of time down there, and the World Championship, was a really good experience for me too. My experience for sure has helped.”
The Rangers recalled Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack on March 20 since Quick was dealing with an upper-body injury, as he finally got his first taste of NHL action.
The 23-year-old goaltender has started in two games, posting a 1-0-1 record, 1.44 goals against average, and .954 save percentage.
While two games are a short sample size, Garand showed his readiness to take on an NHL role in the future.
Garand hasn’t started a game since notching his first NHL win on March 27 against the Chicago Blackhawks, but the Rangers have still opted to keep him around despite not giving him any more starts, which has raised some confusion.
Quick’s retirement announcement puts all the pieces together, and it explains why the Rangers decided to keep Garand around.
“Obviously, I want to be here, and that's got to be earned,” Garand said. “It's been great to get an opportunity. Like I said, I've been waiting a long time for it. It’s been great to be here right now, kind of getting familiarized with the guys, with the coaching staff, and things like that. Hopefully that helps me move forward.”
The Rangers could still realistically go out and sign another goaltender in the offseason to serve as the backup, but Garand has perfectly positioned himself to take over that role, and he should be given an opportunity to earn a spot on the roster come training camp.
Dick Vitale's latest biopsy has brought some bad news.
In a statement shared by ESPN's PR account on X (formerly Twitter), the legendary college basketball analyst announced on Monday, April 13 that results from his biopsy last week confirmed a diagnosis of melanoma in both his lung and liver cavity.
"I've beaten melanoma. I've beaten lymphoma. I've beaten vocal cord cancer. I've beaten lymph node cancer. I'm four-for-four and I'm fully confident I'm going to make it five-for-five," Vitale wrote in the statement.
Vitale said he'll soon be starting immunotherapy treatment and plans on "winning" this latest health battle of his. He also said he is "feeling fantastic" amid the diagnosis. Last week, Vitale shared that he underwent a biopsy at a hospital in Sarasota to look into some of the "abnormalities" that his doctors found on a series of recent routine tests, which included a PET scan, a CAT scan and two MRIs.
He shared in a social media post late Sunday night that he hasn't been able to sleep recently, he has been "so worried about the report," adding that his PET scan last week "shocked" him.
Vitale has had multiple health issues, including several types of cancer, over the last few years. He was declared cancer-free last year and made his return to broadcasting, most recently in the First Four game between Texas and North Carolina State.
"I am truly overwhelmed by the love, support, prayers and messages I've received from so many people," Vitale said in his statement on Monday. "I'm incredibly blessed to have my family beside me, and my ESPN family — led by Chairman Jimmy Pitaro — has been absolutely terrific. Their support has inspired me to keep fighting and I will do everything in my power to win another battle."
Dick Vitale health update
Here's a look at Vitale's full health update statement:
