Barkov injured his left leg Oct. 1, during a game against the San Jose Sharks. He was playing in his second NHL regular-season game since missing all of the 2025-26 season after having ACL surgery on his right knee.
The Panthers originally hoped to have an answer on Oct. 2, but the team was on the road and the center went to see a doctor on Monday, Oct. 5 after returning home.
"He's in with the doctors today, and we hope to have a more solid answer for you tomorrow," Coach Paul Maurice told reporters.
Aleksander Barkov heads STRAIGHT off the ice after falling awkwardly on his leg 🤕
Barkov missed all of last season after receiving right knee surgery for a torn ACL and MCL... pic.twitter.com/t4Vh9OGKTe
Maurice didn't put credence in a report that Barkov would miss 10 to 12 weeks.
"Do not bet your hard-earned money on that one," Maurice said. "I know you can bet on everything these days, but hang onto your cash, truly. If I don't don't know, nobody else does."
Aleksander Barkov injury update
Barkov, a three-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward, was seeing a doctor on Monday.
Maurice said an announcement should be made on Tuesday.
"We need a certain amount of information before we can make our best estimate, and we don't have that information yet," Maurice said.
It will be hard for the 1-0-2 Panthers to adjust to Barkov's absence, but they're a deep team. Plus, Brad Marchand, who was expected to miss October rehabbing from an injury, returned on Oct. 4.
TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 20: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners is greeted by Josh Naylor #12 after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game seven of the American League Championship Series at the Rogers Centre on October 20, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Seattle Mariners announced Monday that both Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor have undergone surgery to address nagging injuries that impacted them throughout the 2026 season. Both players are expected to be fully healthy and ready for the start of Spring Training.
Raleigh underwent surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder for debridement of his AC joint. The injury was just another ding on Raleigh’s disappointing 2026, which saw him make his first trip to the injured list for an oblique strain he’d attempted to labor through. Raleigh looked far better in the season’s second half, mustering a 120 wRC+ after a dismal 72 during the first half, so this seems to have been a more genuinely manageable ailment than the oblique issue in the early parts of the year. While foreknowledge of the shoulder trouble was not known, it may have played a role in some of Raleigh’s defensive difficulties in 2026, and hopefully a winter of proper rest will see the Big Dumper back in better stead.
For Naylor, the surgery was TFCC (triangular fibrocartilage complex repair) on his right (non-throwing) wrist, which the Mayo Clinic describes as “minimally invasive” and carrying a recovery timeframe of at least 1-2 months before returning to normal activity and utilization. The wrist issue was more well-known from an early point in the year, and impacted Naylor obviously in his swing and approach at the plate. Adopting a more slap-hitting style and hitting the final two of his 10 home runs on August 8th, Naylor attempted to compensate with his knack for base stealing and improved glovework at first base, but still failed to meet the mark in his first full year with the M’s.
Both players managed 95 wRC+ on the year, down 15-25 points from their career lines as comfortably above-average bats, and Seattle will need them to return to those lines for next year to offer a proper bounce back to form.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JANUARY 29: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket against Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center on January 29, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We can finally put contract drama behind us and focus on some honest-to-goodness, doesn’t quite count, but it’s still great because it’s basketball basketball. In other words, the preseason starts tonight as the Detroit Pistons face the Phoenix Suns.
This game will be at Little Caesars Arena and will feature zero blown coverages by the Detroit Lions’ secondary, so we can all take a little comfort in that. The game will also feature the Detroit Pistons, including superstar Cade Cunningham and the newly signed duo of Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, who received a collective $355 million from the Pistons this offseason.
This is also the first year of our post-FanDuel lives, so remember that the Pistons have transitioned to games being on local, free channels in many Michigan markets. That includes TV20 in Detroit. For those looking at a streaming option, the team also signed a deal with DAZN to carry games (and replays) digitally.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan Watch: TV20 Detroit (TV), DAZN (Streaming) Odds: Pistons-3.5
Analysis
Tonight’s game will also be a chance to see just how different this offense and defense will look. Detroit has added some serious shooting. While Duncan Robinson was one of the best, most prolific, and most reliable shooters in the NBA last season, he was just one man. What if two?
Robinson will be joined by Isaiah Joe, and while they won’t start alongside each other, I wouldn’t be surprised if they share plenty of minutes on the floor. Joe joined Robinson as one of the NBA’s premier movement shooters last season, and the hope is that the threat of those two shooting from deep opens up the floor for Cunningham, Duren, and Thompson.
Those weren’t the only shooters Detroit added to its roster, however. New starting power forward John Collins is a perimeter-shooting upgrade over Tobias Harris, and Taurean Prince offers some corner shooting off the bench. Heck, it’s preseason, the time when we can still dream that Kevin Huerter is going to rediscover the deadly shooting stroke that has somehow abandoned him for the past few years.
Defensively, the team has many more questions than answers. Not that they still shouldn’t be a very good defense, but they were one of the best last year. But the team lost its interior defensive anchor in Isaiah Stewart, and while Thompson is perhaps the league’s best perimeter defender, there are concerns about how vulnerable the paint could be. That means that Duren needs to take his game to yet another level. He went from awful and a bit lost on defense in his first few years to passable last season. This year, passable just won’t be good enough. He needs to read and react quicker and put much more mental energy into that side of the floor for the Pistons to have the kind of success they’re hoping for.
Elsewhere, we’ll get our first looks at things like Ausar’s offensive responsibilities, rookie Ebuka Okorie, and what Daniss Jenkins can do after coming out of nowhere as a two-way player last season.
Projected Lineup
Detroit Pistons (0-0)
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Jalen Duren
Phoenix Suns (0-0)
Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, Oso Ighodaro
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 03: Bryan Baker #47 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after the Rays defeated the New York Yankees in Game One of the American League Division Series presented by Booking.com at Tropicana Field on Saturday, October 3, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Yesterday’s action in the NL saw the Braves pull even with the reigning champion Dodgers and the Brewers take a comanding 2-0 lead over Manny Machado and the and Padres. Today, we shift back to the AL, with the White Sox and Rays looking to extend their series leads.
From a former Orioles perspective, neither the White Sox nor Guardians have any former O’s in the lineup. Cleveland was the organization that gave us current manager Craig Albernaz, so let that sway your rooting as it may. In the nightcap, the Rays are a pretty easy root for against the Yankees. As is well documented, Tampa is littered with former O’s like Cedric Mullins, Jorge Mateo, Brian Baker and Tyler Wells—though neither of the position players get the start tonight.
Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians, Game 2, 5pm ET
Probable pitchers: LHP Anthony Kay (10-9, 4.44 ERA) vs. RHP Gavin Williams (14-8, 3.76 ERA)
Where to watch: TBS/HBO Max
The White Sox won Game 1 behind a two-run, left-on-left home run from Munetaka Murakami against Guardians All-Star Parker Messick. Perhaps the win will give Chicago confidence to complete the upset. Perhaps its a sign that the regular season is repeating itself, as the White Sox went 1-2 in Cleveland during both road trips to Progressive Field this year.
The Guardians’ 26-year-old right-hander Gavin Williams will look to lead Cleveland to a tied series between the AL Central rivals. Williams made four starts against the White Sox this year, posting a 3.98 ERA across 20.1 IP while striking out 28—though the Guardians only went 1-3 in those games. Opposing Williams is 31-year-old lefty Anthony Kay. In his first season back in the big leagues after spending two years in Japan, Kay only faced the Guardians once, posting a line of 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB and 4 Ks in a 9-5 White Sox win.
New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays, Game 2, 8pm ET
After almost being not hit by Drew Rasmussen in Game 1, the Yankees will turn to presumptive AL Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler to try to keep their season alive. Schlittler faced the Rays twice in Tropicana Field this season; the first time he delivered one of his “poorer” starts of the season, allowing 3 runs over 5 innings while punching out 8 in a 5-4 Rays win. The next time, at the beginning of July, Schlittler was his usually dominant self—tossing 8 innings of one-run ball with another 8 Ks in a 5-1 Yankees win.
The future Cy Young winner will be opposed by trade deadline acquisition Freddy Peralta. After struggling to a 4.99 ERA across 22 starts with the Mets, Peralta has looked like a different pitcher since heading south to Tampa. In 10 starts for the Rays, the 2x All-Star has a 3.25 ERA with 43 Ks in 55.1 innings. He was even better across the month of September, pitching to a 0.96 ERA over 28 innings last month. Peralta faced the Yankees only once this season, posting a line of 5 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 6 BB and 4 Ks back in May with the Mets. The longtime former Brewer has a 1.69 ERA and .116 average against in the Trop this year.
Oct 7, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A general view of the ALDS logo on the field in game three of the 2019 ALDS playoff baseball series between New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Probably safe to say that both results in the National League Division Series went in the way most readers of the SnakePit wanted, with the Padres and Dodgers both losing. The NL gets a travel day today, as the series relocate to San Diego and Atlanta respectively, before resuming on Wednesday. So, today, it’s the American League’s time to shine, with the Rays and White Sox both seeking to build on their victories in Game #1. The latter was probably more of a shock, but Chicago appear so far to be taking inspiration from the 2023 D-backs. They are currently 3-0 in the post-season, all their games on the road and against teams with more wins in the regular season. Maybe it’s a papal thing?
Here are the games on order today
Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Guardians 2:00 pm (1-0), TBS
New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays 5:00 pm (0-1), TBS
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Walt Weiss #22 of the Atlanta Braves talks to players on the mound during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 04, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are now in Atlanta in what his whittled to a best-of-3 National League Division Series, with the Braves suddenly in the driver’s seat as the home team on Tuesday and Wednesday.
That’s a winnable game, but the offense wasn’t up to the task, facing a slew of Atlanta relievers with standout performances over the two days.
Prior to Game 1, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked how the Dodgers could capitalize on facing a slew of Braves relievers instead of starting pitchers.
“The advantage for us is we have an opportunity to not let their pitching staff come up for air, and how do you do that? You have to exhaust the starter. You have to get in their pen, and you have to have them deploy arms as soon as possible and get that carousel going and continue to beat starters. Then you can suffocate them,” Roberts said Friday. “We have an opportunity to really expose them if we take the right at-bats and the right approach.”
Atlanta used bullpen games in each of the first two games but the Dodgers haven’t faced any of the 10 Braves pitchers in more than one appearance yet, so the exposure hasn’t yet materialized. But they did get shut down by three different Braves pitchers over extended stretches on Saturday and Sunday.
Let-hander Dylan Dodd pitched three scoreless innings to start Game 1, and struck out four of his 11 batters faced. Dodd totaled 49 2/3 innings in his 48 appearances this season, and the three innings matched his career high, also done on April 12 and May 23.
Ray Kerr, another left-hander, has impressed mightily since returning to the Braves in August, after missing over two years following Tommy John surgery. Kerr got 10 outs to start Atlanta’s wild card closeout win over the Phillies on Thursday, then followed up with 2 2/3 innings to start Game 2 against the Dodgers. Kerr left with two runners on base in the third inning, but Will Smith followed with a first-pitch groundout against Grant Holmes to end the inning, part of the Dodgers’ 0-for-8 performance with runners in scoring position.
None of those runners in scoring position came against Didier Fuentes, who retired 11 Dodgers in a row before Max Muncy homered against him with two outs in the ninth inning, pulling the Dodgers to within a run. They did not bring across the equalizer.
The only exposure the Dodgers got were within the same game of these bulk outings, as Dodd and Kerr each faced 11 batters and Fuentes faced 12. In the seven combined plate appearances the second time seeing these pitchers, the Dodgers got two hits (Mookie Betts single off Dodd in Game 1, Muncy home run) and a walk (Betts in Game 2 against Kerr).
Boogeyman
The specter of Chris Sale loomed over this series from the start, even though he hasn’t yet thrown a pitch. The Braves 37-year-old ace pitched into the seventh inning in Game 1 of the Braves’ wild card series on Tuesday — and was on the hook for a loss before Austin Riley rescued Atlanta with a three-run homer — and then got four outs on Thursday in Game 3 to close out the Phillies.
Sale starting in Game 2 against the Dodgers was a possibility, however remote, because the left-hander going in Game 2 could also conceivably start again in Game 5 on four days rest. A Game 2 start would have also been on four days rest, in a loose definition considering he got four outs on a “throw day” on Thursday in between. Sale hasn’t pitched on four days rest since April.
“I know him at 80 percent is really good, but that’s what it came down to,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said Sunday afternoon. “We’ve given him extra rest all year, and it’s served him very well. It allowed him to do what he did the other night, I think all the extra rest he’d gotten.”
Sale started on five days rest 13 times this season, and with six or more days rest 12 more times. In those 25 starts, the left-hander had a paltry 1.89 ERA and 31.3-percent strikeout rate. The Dodgers are well aware of Sale’s prowess, having faced him twice this season.
Los Angeles actually beat Sale on May 8 at Dodger Stadium, with run-scoring hits by three different left-handed batters, which felt like cashing in a winning lottery ticket. Freddie Freeman, who homered off Sale that night, captured the conundrum that comes with facing the 6’6 lefty.
“I would have taken a broken-bat bloop against Chris,” Freeman said. “He’s one of the toughest left-handed pitchers you can face. He’s coming from behind you.”
That was the Dodgers’ only regular season win against the Braves, with Atlanta winning each of the next five matchups, including three one-run wins in Atlanta three and a half months later. On August 27, Sale turned back to the clock to hit triple digits on the radar gun while shutting out the Dodgers with 11 strikeouts for his first complete game in seven years.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the tough-luck end of that Sale shutout, having only allowed a solo home run to Drake Baldwin to open the game, but otherwise kept the Braves off the board into the seventh inning. That same pitching matchup returns in the pivotal Game 3 at Truist Park on Tuesday night.
The Braves entered the postseason in the position some semi-recent Dodgers teams have endured, simply running out of healthy and effective starting pitchers by the end of September, and into October. Right now, Atlanta essentially has two starting pitchers in Sale and Tyler Mahle, the latter an acquisition from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline.
Mahle while with the Giants pitched seven scoreless innings in a win over the Dodgers in San Francisco on April 22. Since joining the Braves, the right-hander allowed two or fewer runs in nine of his 10 starts, with a minuscule 1.91 ERA with 54 strikeouts against only 10 walks. That includes seven innings with just one run allowed last Wednesday in Game 2 of the wild card round against the Phillies.
After Saturday’s Game 1 loss in the NLDS, it sounded at the time like Weiss was trying to talk himself into the Braves having enough depth to survive the series.
“Look, you’ve got Sale and Mahle still, a much more rested bullpen,” Weiss said Saturday night. “I don’t have any worries about that, about having enough pitching. We’ve got plenty of pitching.”
Now in a tied series and his two actual starting pitchers rested and ready to go, Weiss is looking more and more correct. The Dodgers have their work cut out for them in Atlanta.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 03: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees during the first inning in game one of the American League Division Series at Tropicana Field on October 03, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have just two games today.
White Sox @ Guardians 5:00 Eastern: White Sox are up 1-0.
Lineups:
Today’s Lineups
WHITE SOX
GUARDIANS
Sam Antonacci – LF
Steven Kwan – CF
Kyle Teel – C
Jose Ramirez – 3B
Miguel Vargas – 3B
Chase DeLauter – RF
Munetaka Murakami – 1B
Jo Adell – DH
Andrew Benintendi – DH
Nathaniel Lowe – 1B
Tristan Peters – CF
Angel Martinez – LF
Braden Montgomery – RF
Travis Bazzana – 2B
Chase Meidroth – 2B
Patrick Bailey – C
Colson Montgomery – SS
Brayan Rocchio – SS
Sean Burke – RHP
Gavin Williams – RHP
Yankees @ Rays: 8:00 Eastern. The Rays are up 1-0.
Cam Schlittle 14-6, 1.95 ERA vs, Freddy Peralta (10-11, 4.42).
After an odd little off day Sunday (largely because of NFL games that MLB didn’t want to compete with on TV), the American League Division Series resume today.
4 p.m. CT: White Sox at Guardians (White Sox lead series 1-0)
TV: TBS, truTV, HBO Max (streaming). Announcers: Alex Faust, Ron Darling and Lauren Jbara.
Anthony Kay, LHP vs. Gavin Williams, RHP
Kay pitched 1.1 innings on Saturday and threw 22 pitches so he’s likely an opener here.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 03: A general view during the national anthem prior to Game One of the American League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Saturday, October 3, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Ali Overstreet/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today, we switch to the American League Division Series. Two games:
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: The sneakers worn by Nick Sang during the game between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 01: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the seventh inning in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on October 01, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The author of some of baseball’s most beautiful swings has not gone unnoticed for his 2026 campaign: Matt Olson has been named a finalist for the 2026 Hank Aaron Award. Established in 1999, this honor recognizes the most outstanding regular season offensive performer in each league.
Congratulations to Matt Olson for being our 2026 Hank Aaron Award Finalist!
Matt slashed .251/.321/.507 with his second straight 40-homer season, 93 RBI and an .823 OPS. He is in a tie for sixth in MLB in homers with 41, just four shy of the pair leading the league (fellow NL finalists Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Schwarber with 45). He was last nominated in 2023, where he lost to fellow teammate and unanimous MVP Ronald Acuña Jr.
Winners are determined by a fan vote and panel of Hall of Famers and announced on Wednesday, November 11 at the MLB Awards – you can see the full list of nominees and vote for Olson here. Congrats, Matt! Hoping for more of this Matty O to resurface in the postseason as the NLDS continues at Truist Park tomorrow night.
LOS ANGELES — Atlanta ace Chris Sale not only told his bosses he was available, but that he felt strong.
He volunteered to pitch in Game 1 of the National League division series on short rest Saturday against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I really felt confident in myself in starting Game 2," Sale said. "I felt confident in my ability to go out there and be able to perform at a high level. I reiterated that plenty of times to them."
Alex Anthopoulos, Atlanta's president of baseball operations, and Atlanta manager Walt Weiss listened to him after their Game 1 loss, knew that he was willing to do whatever they wanted, but sorry, it made no sense to take that kind of gamble. Sale had pitched on four days' rest only twice the entire season.
"If you have Sale in Game 2 and Game 5, as people were screaming about," Weiss said, "we saw it as you're getting a diminished Chris Sale twice at that point. We wanted to get a full-strength Chris Sale, and that's Game 3. Then, possibly impacting the game in Game 5 like we saw in the Phillies series.
"That's what it came down to. We didn't want to have a somewhat diminished Chris Sale twice because it would have been regular rest, but he had the (relief) outing in between, and it just didn't make sense to us."
Now, they have a fully-rested Sale, the former Cy Young winner and still one of the finest lefties in the game, starting for the first time in a week Tuesday in Game 3 against the Dodgers and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto at Truist Park (6 p.m. ET on FS1).
"As we sit here today, it's the best-case scenario that we could possibly have," Weiss said. "Now we win the bullpen game, and now we have a fresh Chris Sale ready to go."
And now they silence all of the keyboard warriors and critics, who somehow believe they know Atlanta better than the folks who make a living running the team, and know their players better than anyone.
"Look, I know it's professional sports, man, and in professional sports, you're only a success really in the moment that you're having success," Weiss said. "That's it. Then you have to do it all over again.
"That's why you've got to be mentally tough, man, if you want to sit in my seat, Alex's seat, because it can get pretty vicious out there."
Certainly, no one is putting champagne on ice, or even hinting that they might now have an advantage over the powerful Dodgers, but Weiss and company know that a fresh Chris Sale is a dangerous one. He pitched an old-fashioned shutout against the Dodgers the last time he faced them in August. Sale has a 2.13 ERA this season when having six days of rest.
And if there’s a Game 5, guess who’s ready to come out of the bullpen? Yep, just like 2018 when Sale came in relief and closed out the World Series title for the Boston Red Sox.
"I think it just reiterates the all-hands-on-deck mentality," Sale said. "It's really where I learned it. I've never been in the postseason before I got to Boston. When you get there, and you're around winners and that mentality and that kind of culture, you see what winning at all costs looks like.
"I even got a text from (former Red Sox manager Alex Cora) that night of Game 3 of the wild-card game, and even just getting a text from him was awesome because he was someone I learned a lot from as a manager. Talk about a winning mentality and all hands on deck and just the love for your teammates, the willingness to sacrifice yourself to do whatever it is for the team.
"The conversation just always kind of comes back to the feeling we have with this team is a very similar feeling I have to that '18 Red Sox team."
Who knows, with a rested Sale, a rested Tyler Mahle, who has a 1.99 ERA since being acquired at the trade deadline, and a lights-out bullpen, no wonder why Atlanta now believes they might have something special going on, and could shock the baseball world.
"We have a lot of work to do," Sale said. "It's not over yet. You can't start getting ahead of yourself, but we're confident in who we have in our clubhouse, and we're confident moving forward."
Oct 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Chicago White Sox fans display a sign after the game against the Cleveland Guardians in game one of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Yesterday, the National League (NL) commanded the spotlight, as the four remaining American League (AL) teams received the day off. The Milwaukee Brewers engineered a dramatic walk-off rally against San Diego Padres elite closer Mason Miller to move one win away from the NL Championship Series. In the second game of the day, the Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 to even the best-of-five series.
Today, attention shifts to the AL Division Series, with two high-stakes Game 2s on the schedule.
Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians (5:00 PM EDT)
The upstart White Sox continued their hot start to the postseason by shutting out the rusty Cleveland Guardians 3-0 in Game 1 of this intradivisional matchup. With the series shifting to Chicago for the next two games, another win this afternoon would give the White Sox an opportunity to sweep their division rivals in their first home playoff game since 2021. As a result, the Guardians must find a way to win this contest to avoid facing elimination on the road.
Left-hander Anthony Kay will open the game for the White Sox. He will likely pitch the first couple of innings before giving way to fellow season-long rotation mate right-hander Sean Burke, who will serve as the bulk relief pitcher.
Aaron Judge’s absence limits the potency of the Yankees’ offense. Rays ace Drew Rasmussen and closer Bryan Baker combined for a one-hit shutout in Tampa Bay’s 1-0 series-opening victory. Now, New York will look to bounce back and even the series before it shifts to the Bronx.
AL Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler will look to win his first two playoff starts of 2026. The Yankees right-hander earned the win in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox after striking out ten over 6 1/3 innings.
The Rays will counter with right-hander Freddy Peralta, who went 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts after the New York Mets traded him to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline.
EL SEGUNDO, CA - SEPTEMBER 28: Sandro Mamukelashvili #54 of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrait during NBA Media Day on September 28, 2026 at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
One of the Los Angeles Lakers’ most intriguing offseason pickups was Sandro Mamukelashvili. Once struggling to find his NBA footing through four seasons after stints on the San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks, he broke out in 2025-26 as a key reserve for the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, and helped juice their offense with his shooting (38.9 percent from deep), driving and playmaking.
The Lakers rewarded his career-best campaign with a four-year, $52 million deal in free agency. That lucrative contract provides Mamukelashvili a chance to play for one of the few teams he could watch on TV as a kid in Eastern Europe. Back then, he was drawn to Kobe Bryant’s determination and mindset as an athlete, both of which have shaped how he approaches his own dedication to the craft.
“Growing up, I really respected Kobe as a player, as a mentor. I didn’t know him. I wish I did. Always read his interviews, always watched his videos” Mamukelashvili told reporters at Media Day. “I always kind of tapped into his mentality and understanding there’s no Plan B. There was only Plan A. You got to execute until there was nothing you could do. He’s an amazing player.”
Mamukelashvili’s versatility could complement Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves quite well to help render Los Angeles among the league’s most potent offensive units. He can space the floor off the ball for them, attack closeouts and form nifty two-man games with them as a screener, roller and handoff hub. If he thrives in his new home, it’ll harken back to his roots, when he was well aware of Los Angeles’ global reach as a franchise and first drew inspiration on how he should look to improve his own game.
“The Lakers organization, I think, is the biggest organization in the world when it comes to basketball. Even in Georgia where I could rarely find an NBA game on TV, you would only see Lakers games,” Mamukelashvili said. “Growing up, I was a big fan of Kobe. I think that’s what influenced me to get his tattoo because I really work hard. I think Mamba Mentality is important in this sport and the dedication, passion and everything that comes with it. I love being a Laker and I’m really excited.”
