It was a bittersweet ending for the two-time Stanley Cup champion as the Kings fell 5-1 to the Colorado Avalanche at home in Game 4 and were eliminated in a sweep.
But the 20-season veteran got to have his final moments with Kings fans, who shouted "Kopi, Kopi" as time wound down, gave him a standing ovation and also chanted, "Thank you, Kopi."
"It was hard to keep it together," Kopitar told reporters after the game about the fan reaction. "Being for here for 20 years, more than half of my lifetime, is really special.
He was emotional as he received lots of hugs from the Avalanche during his final handshake line. Then he lifted his stick toward the fans and waved goodbye as his teammates tapped their sticks and on-ice officials applauded. Teammate Drew Doughty, also a member of the Kings' Stanley Cup teams, followed him off the ice.
Kopitar had announced during training camp that this would be the final season of his NHL career so he could spend more time with his family. He became the Kings' all-time leading scorer during the season. And with a five-game winning streak in the season's final weeks, Kopitar was guaranteed an 11th trip to the playoffs.
The Kings avoided a fourth consecutive first-round meeting with the Edmonton Oilers. But they had to face the No. 1 overall seeded Avalanche. Colorado completed the sweep on Sunday with goals by Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Nicolas Roy, Devon Toews and MacKinnon again. The Avalanche will face the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild winner in the second round.
Easily for his championships, defensive acumen and leadership.
The Slovenian native and 11th overall pick in 2005 won Stanley Cup titles with the Kings in 2012 and 2014, and was the leading playoff scorer in both years. He passed a Hall of Famer, Marcel Dionne, to become the Kings' top scorer and finished with 452 goals, 864 assists and 1,316 points. He has been Kings captain since the 2016-17 season.
Kopitar, 38, led the Kings with 107 postseason games and finished tied for second with 89 points.
He won the Selke Trophy twice as top defensive forward and the Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship) three times, including in 2024-25. He also won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2021-22.
HOUSTON â It may only be for a few days, but Jasson DomĂnguez is headed back to the big leagues.
The Yankees are calling up DomĂnguez from Triple-A, a source confirmed on Sunday, with Giancarlo Stanton likely headed to the injured list ahead of Mondayâs series opener against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas.
Aaron Boone said before Sundayâs 7-4 loss to the Astros at Daikin Park that the Yankees would make a decision on Stanton by Monday after the veteran DH injured his calf Friday night.
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DomĂnguez, who was batting .326 with a .893 OPS at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, may only be up for a few days, until Anthony Volpe is ready to return from the IL. The shortstop was expected to need at least a few more rehab games as he finishes off a comeback from October surgery on his left shoulder, though itâs possible he could rejoin the Yankees as soon as Fridayâs series opener against the Orioles in The Bronx.
In the meantime, DomĂnguez will likely get some action â either at DH or in left field â as the Yankees are scheduled to face a trio of right-handed starters against the Rangers.
After the Yankees re-signed Cody Bellinger and had Trent Grisham accept a qualifying offer this offseason, DomĂnguez came into camp needing an injury to open a spot for him on the big league roster. That did not happen, but he still had a strong camp and then went to Triple-A and continued to perform. That includes a quality showing against lefties â against whom he struggled last season â batting 7-for-18 (.389) with a 1.172 OPS against them.
Yankees left fielder Jasson DomĂnguez is being called up. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Stanton, meanwhile, felt some improvement in his right calf Saturday but still spent the weekend getting treatment, as the Yankees played a man short trying to give him time to see how much he recovered. The Yankees believe they got Stanton out of Fridayâs game before it became something more serious, but it was still likely to cost him some time.
As for Volpe, the plan was for the shortstop to play in a few more rehab games after finishing Sunday 8-for-26 across eight games â going a full nine innings in the field in two of them â in what is essentially his spring training.
Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) celebrates with New York Yankees third baseman Amed Rosario (14) and New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) after he scores on his solo home run during the second inning on April 21. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
âStill working on [timing], still getting there,â Boone said. âItâs only been two weeks of games. Still getting there, but I know he feels really good and feels ready to contribute too.â
The Mets have designated veteran outfielder Tommy Pham for assignment, according to multiple reports.
The move came soon after New York lost both games of a doubleheader, managing just one run on 10 hits on Sunday as the Colorado Rockies completed a three-game sweep at Citi Field. Pham went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in the first game, a 3-1 defeat.
A corresponding move had yet to be announced. New York is in the midst of a team-wide slump, and has scored one run or fewer in 10 of the first 28 games of the season, including both games Sunday.
Pham first signed with the Mets in 2023, appearing in 73 games before he was dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks ahead of the trade deadline, slashing .268/.348/.472 with 10 home runs and 36 RBI. Pham has always hit left-handed pitchers well, posting a career .802 OPS with 49 home runs against lefties.Â
Pham played for 10 teams during his 13 big league seasons. In 449 plate appearances over 120 games for Pittsburgh last season, Pham slashed .245/.330/.370 for a .700 OPS (94 OPS+) with 10 homers and 17 doubles.
The NBA announced Sunday, April 26 that Nuggets All-Star center and Most Valuable Player finalist Nikola JokiÄ has been fined $50,000, and Timberwolves forward Julius Randle has been fined $35,000, following a review of the incident.
NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations James Jones oversaw the league investigation and levied the fines.
JokiÄâs fine was for initiating the altercation and shoving Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, and Randleâs is for escalating the event by âforcefully inserting himself into the scrumâ and shoving Nuggets guard Bruce Brown.
The NBA conducts its investigations by reviewing footage from inside the arena and speaking to parties involved.
Although the NBA has rules for players drawing automatic suspensions for leaving the bench area during altercations, the league weighs the role those individuals play in any fight. That allowed players like Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, who clearly left the bench area despite not being checked into the game, to avoid a suspension.
The fight started with just 1.3 seconds left in Game 4, an eventual 112-96 Timberwolves victory Saturday, April 25, when the outcome was already decided. But the Timberwolves, looking to burn the clock, tossed the ball up to forward Jaden McDaniels. Rather than dribble it out for the end of the game, McDaniels put up an uncontested layup to push Minnesotaâs lead to 16 points.
JokiÄ took exception to the layup and rushed over from half court to confront McDaniels, eventually getting in McDanielsâ face and shoving him.
McDaniels grabbed JokiÄ by the jersey as the two got tangled up, leading to teammates and assistants getting in between the pair to break it up. The incident took place right in front of the Timberwolvesâ bench.
Eventually, both players were separated, and both JokiÄ and Randle were ejected.
âBecause he scored when everybody stopped playing,â JokiÄ said after the game when asked what upset him. âCome on, guys, you saw it, what happened.â
The altercation, though, somewhat marred what was a physical, hard-fought game, one in which backup Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu dropped a career-high 43 points.
âObviously, I didnât like what McDaniels did,â Nuggets coach David Adelman told reporters after the game. âThe game was over. The game was conceded both ways. In 2026 that stuff just doesnât happen anymore. That stuff happened in the â80s, where teams would continue to score. But thatâs who he is. And so if thatâs what they want to do, thatâs what they want to do. It has nothing to do with the win or the loss.â
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - APRIL 25: General view of Estadio Alfredo Harp HelĂș prior the MLB Mexico City Series game between San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks at Estadio Alfredo Harp HelĂș on April 25, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) | Getty Images
[Editorâs note] Due to an incorrectly constructed Google form, I donât know whose responses are who! So enjoy this game of âGuess the Snakepitterâ! LOLExcept for Mak. Thanks for still putting your name, Mak.
So what did the disappointing series against the White Sox tell us?
Response 4: I think it says more about the Chicago White Sox than it does about the Arizona Diamondbacks. The White Sox arenât the historically bad team that theyâve been the last couple seasons is the main take home here. As far as the Dbacks go, I think this roster is going to need a revamping. You have three position players in Ryan Waldschmidt, LuJames Groover, and Tommy Troy who almost certainly could contribute more than some of the other position players on the roster. There are several veteran relief arms and a few pitching prospects I think it would be a huge improvement over some of the arms currently in the bullpen.
Makakilo: The White Sox series showed excellent batting will often prevail over average pitching.
Response 2: That the bullpen weaknesses we all feared really are still there. But it also showed that this team is more resilient than last seasonâs. Also, Merrill Kelly is still rusty.
Response 1: That the pitching is still Arizona pitching. And the offense needs to be more consistent. It also told us that Murakami is far more likely to be a Dodger in 2027/2028 than we wouldâve thought 2 months ago.
Perhaps more importantly, what did it not tell us?
Response 4: I donât think it tells us how either teamâs 2026 season will go. The White Sox could very well slip and finish with a losing record, and that applies to the Dbacks as well
Makakilo: The White Sox series did not tell us anything about the Diamondbacks chances to reach the playoffs.
Response 3: It still didnât tell us what sort of pitching we actually do have and it also is still looking like the team is not firing on all cylinders on offense. So what we still donât know is how this offense is going to fare moving forward. Would the real versions of roster members please stand up?
Response 1: That the season is over. We had a bad series. Ok. Get up, shake it off, move on. Bigger fish to fry.
What is our level of concern with Merrill Kelly and Ryne Nelson?
Response 4: Theyâll both be fine. Not going to stress about a sub-4 ERA in Merrill Kellyâs case, and an ERA barely over 4 in Ryne Nelson case. Even Paul Skenes has had a bad start this year, so it happens, and I wont stress or worry about it until this becomes an extended trend.
Makakilo: Iâm optimistic that the problem can be fixed. Perhaps it was the mix of pitches. For reasons that are unclear, in their two recent starts, Kelly and Nelson pitched a much higher than normal percentage of four-seam fastballs (MLB com and Baseball Savant). Before he left the game, Kelly had about half four-seam fastballs, when a quarter is his normal. In his first four batters, Nelson pitched 8 four-seam fastballs and one slider, when 60% is his normal.
Response 2: With Merrill Kelly, right now it is around 3-4 out of 10. He looked mostly decent but rusty in his season debut. Oddities galore muddied his second performance where rust and said oddities led to the game spiraling out of control. But he needs to start looking sharper moving forward or that concern is going to escalate quickly. With Ryne Nelson, itâs somewhere around a 7 out of 10. When he is on his game, he is getting the swings and misses. But it really seems like he isnât trusting his defense to make plays and is trying to strike everyone out, which is leading to him getting swatted around. It really looks like he is grinding through a bit of a confidence problem all around. Those can snowball into nightmare seasons in a hurry and he is still learning to adapt to the Majors. I would be less concerned if he had another full season of decent performance under his belt. If he has another blow-up or two in his next two starts, it might be time to look at piggy-backing a tandem starter situation with Pfaadt on days when Nelson would be the starter.
Response 1: Medium for both. Nelson was supposed to be the next Mainstay. And the old Mainstay is old. I trust and believe in both. Trust the process (and keep an eye on Reno pitching lines).
The Diamondbacks are playing in Mexico as this is being written. What are your thoughts on MLBâs attempts to grow the sport beyond the US/CA borders?
Response 4: I think MLB needs to do a lot more like this to grow the sport. Mexico has been a market that could be tapped into much more, so having series there is a start. Iâd like to see more regular season games hosted in WBC countries. What MLB really needs to do though is get games back on free, over-the-air television. Games being broadcast on local television is what got me into baseball for the long haul. New fans arent going to plunk down money on a sport they arenât even sure they like! If over-the-air TV isnt an option, then my suggestion is for MLB to broadcast a game each day, rotating so every single team gets a couple games available for free with no blackouts each season. THAT would do more to grow the game than having games in random non-American/Canadian countries.
Makakilo: Baseball Reference shows this season there are 8 players in the Majors who were born in Mexico. With two players, the Blue Jays have more than any other team. Baseball shows what team cooperation and healthy competition can look like. The world would benefit if more countries followed the model of baseball.
Response 3: I love the motivation for the Mexico City series. I am getting sick and tired of such international exhibitions costing AZ home games. At the same time, it puts AZ out there more than other teams. I expect the balls to be flying at that altitude, which could get interesting.
Response 1: Itâs fine. I wish there was more of this. Iâm confused why itâs two games with days off on either side though. I thought the excuse for why international series were so difficult was jet lag, but the series takes place in US Central time zone so that doesnât add up. Neither does travel time since itâs closer than NYC to Phoenix. As for there only being two games⊠idk I guess this is just MLB being MLB. Honestly I just hope we fare better than when MLS teams have to go down to play âtournamentâ matches in Mexico. They almost always seem to get sick. For a soccer team thatâs a minor blip on the schedule. For a baseball team? Huge ramifications for end of season record.
Apr 26, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Athletics left fielder Carlos Cortes (26) hits a two-run triple during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Last time the Athletics played the Texas Rangers, the teams split a four-game series in Sacramento. This time, the Aâs emerged victorious in a best-of-three battle in Arlington. The two runs they scored in the first inning proved sufficient to win a game in which they overcame an injury to their starter and a 1-for-13 performance with runners in scoring position.
Facing Rangers right-hander Kumar Rocker, the Aâs offense got going early. With two outs in the first inning, Rocker walked Aâs left fielder Tyler Soderstrom and designated hitter Brent Rooker. Hot-hitting right fielder Carlos Cortes stepped up to the plate and promptly smoked his first triple of the season over the head of the Rangers center fielder Evan Carter, scoring those two runners to give his team an immediate 2-0 lead. That would be the first of three hits in this game for Cortes, who capped off an incredible week at the plate.
Athletics starting pitcher J.T. Ginn only needed to throw six pitches in a scoreless, shutdown first inning. After giving up a leadoff single, he got Joc Pederson to ground into a double play before retiring the dangerous Corey Seager on a line out snagged nicely by first baseman Nick Kurtz.
In the second inning, Aâs center-fielder Lawrence Butler came close to hitting a two-run home run. However, it went just foul near the foul pole and he ended up lining into an unlucky double play. Rangers third baseman Josh Jung, who hit the go-ahead home run last night, led off the home half of that inning with a double. Ginn escaped the jam unscathed, striking out Texasâ catcher Danny Jansen to strand Jung and another runner on base.
The next inning, the Aâs somehow went scoreless despite the final three batters smoking the ball. Soderstrom crushed a two-out double to the right-center gap, but was left stranded when third baseman Jung made a nice play to field Rookerâs hard-hit grounder and then threw him out.
With Ginn through three scoreless, the Aâs sought to give him more of a cushion. Cortes and shortstop Jacob Wilson led off the fourth with back-to-back singles. Rocker got out of the jam by retiring the next three Aâs hitters. He got some help from his first baseman Jake Burger, who made a diving stop to rob Butler of a hit.
With one out in the fourth inning, Ginn left the game with right arm soreness, abruptly ending his outing and forcing the Aâs to turn to their bullpen earlier than expected. Reliever Joel Kuhnel came out of the bullpen on short notice and got the final two outs of that inning.
The Athletics wasted another scoring opportunity in the fifth. Catcher Shea Langeliers was left at second base after hitting a double down the left field line. Despite all of the baserunners he allowed, Rocker only gave up those two first-inning runs over six innings of work.
The team was planning to skip left-hander Jacob Lopezâs next turn in the rotation as right-hander Aaron Civale is scheduled to start the first game of the home stand against the Kansas City Royals. So, in the wake of Ginnâs injury, Lopez entered this game out of the Aâs bullpen in the fifth inning.
Making his first relief appearance of the season, Lopez pitched a scoreless first inning. The sixth inning did not go as well. Jung hit a lead-off double and then Lopez fielded Carterâs bunt, but threw wildly to first, allowing Carter to reach safely and Jung to score the Rangers first run.
Right-handed reliever Justin Sterner replaced the rattled Lopez and came up huge! He pulled a Houdini to escape a bases loaded, no outs jam, striking out two-straight Rangers before getting right fielder Brandon Nimmo to fly out to end the inning.
Seeking insurance runs, the Aâs got a two-out rally going against Rangers left-handed reliever Tyler Alexander in the seventh on back-t0-back singles by Kurtz and Langeliers. Unfortunately, Soderstrom flew out to end the inning and stop another scoring opportunity.
Following scoreless innings from Hogan Harris and Jack Perkins to maintain the Aâs advantage, the Aâs loaded the bases in the ninth looking to extend their lead. In that inning, Kurtz was intentionally walked, overtaking Rickey Henderson for the most consecutive games drawing a walk in franchise history. Alas, Rooker struck out on three pitches to send it to the bottom of the ninth with the Athletics still clinging to their one-run lead.
Perkins finished off the Rangers in the ninth, setting them down in order to complete his second two-inning save of the road trip and lock up the series win for the first-place Athletics.
As a result of their win, the team gets to enjoy a happy flight home and an off day tomorrow before beginning a new series against the Royals. On Tuesday, Civale will look to pitch better than he did in his first Sacramento start during the Aâs previous home stand. He will be opposed by left-hander Kris Bubic, who is 2-1 with a 4.08 ERA through his first five starts this season.
Brett Baty | (Photo by Heather Khalifa/Getty Images)
If you had any doubt about the 2026 Mets being a terrible baseball team, surely it was erased this afternoon as the team scored just one run across two games of a doubleheader against the Rockies at Citi Field. In the second game, the Mets were shut out, a recurring theme early of a season that feels like itâs ending right before our eyes even though the calendar hasnât yet turned to May.
As was the case in the first game of the doubleheader, the Rockies scored three runs, and it was once again more than enough as Colorado won by a 3-1 score. The fact that the Metsâ pitching staff only gave up three runs was a minor miracle, as Kodai Senga shit the bed for the third-straight start. He lasted just two-and-two-thirds innings, gave up three runs, struck out one, walked three, and allowed three hits. If not for admirable work by Carl Edwards Jr. in relief of him in the third, he mightâve been charged with more runs. And even with the assist that he got, Senga has a 9.00 ERA and looks like a pitcher who shouldnât be getting major league starts.
Edwards wound up pitching three-and-a-third innings without allowing any runs, and Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, and Devin Williams each threw a scoreless inning. Youâd typically say that they kept the game within reach by doing so, but the Metsâ lifeless lineup really meant that three of the teamâs high-leverage relievers were simply able to get some work.
As for those Mets hitters, they had six hits on the day, only one of which went for extra bases. The team is not competitive, and itâs hard to imagine that will change. The Mets are 9-19. Their season is very likely over.
You could look back at what we were writing here just shy of two years ago and point out that itâs possible to turn a miserable season around. Itâs still only April, but barring a major turnaround, the Mets could get to mid-June with the worst record in baseball over the past twelve months. That is a massive failure for a team that spent over $300 million on its roster both last season and this.
Thankfully, the Mets are off tomorrow. Theyâll begin a three-game series against the Nationalsâtheir first series against a National League East opponent this yearâon Tuesday night at Citi Field. Tickets are still available.
Heading into a critical Game 4 at home against Boston, Philadelphia star center Joel Embiid returned to the lineup.
Embiid had been out since before the end of the season following an emergency appendectomy. The former MVP returned 17 days after the injury was announced, sooner than is usual for this injury. He slid right into the starting lineup.
The 76ers have been carried in this series by their backcourt of Tyrese Maxey (27 points, 7.7 assists a game) and VJ Edgecombe (17.1 points, 7.7 rebounds), with Paul George adding 18 a night.
On paper, the foursome of Maxey, Edgecombe, George and Embiid should be a force, but they barely played together this season due to injuries. Embiid played in just 38 games this season due to a variety of injuries. When he did get on the court, he didn't look like he had lost a step, averaging 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. The 76ers have a +5.1 net rating this season when he is on the court.
Any optimism the Mets carried into the weekend after snapping a 12-game losing streak and winning two straight was completely siphoned over six hours Sunday.
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Manager Carlos Mendozaâs beleaguered bunch managed only one run over 18 innings in getting swept by the hapless Rockies in a Citi Field doubleheader.
The three-game series sweep by Colorado was complete with the Metsâ 3-0 loss in the nightcap. The Mets fell 3-1 in the doubleheaderâs first game.
With Mondayâs off-day, questions will continue to swirl about Mendozaâs job security. Mendoza isnât the one swinging to weak contact at the plate, but Mets owner Steve Cohen canât fire the entire team.
Chase Dollander and his 100 mph heat provided the resistance in the nightcap. It was quite the contrast to journeyman Jose Quintanaâs assortment of junk in Game 1.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) reacts in the dugout during the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
In the nightcap, Kodai Senga continued his free fall by lasting only 2 ÂČ/â innings and allowing three earned runs on three hits with three walks. It was a third straight start in which the right-hander failed to complete even four innings.
Hunter Goodmanâs two-run homer in the third that gave the Rockies a 3-0 lead suggested Senga might be facing short work. And after Senga walked two batters in the third inning, manager Carlos Mendoza removed him.
Carl Edwards Jr., in his Mets debut, gave the team a chance with 3 Âč/â scoreless innings in relief. Edwards, who struck out five, walked three batters without allowing a hit.
Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) reacts on the mound in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POSTets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) reacts after striking out during the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The Mets had a chance to rally in the fifth after Carson Benge and Ronny Mauricio delivered consecutive singles to begin the inning. But Tyrone Taylorâs ensuing line drive was snagged by first baseman TJ Rumfield and was turned into a double play.
The Mets took a shot at a late rally in Game 1, but it fizzled in the eighth. After Juan Soto walked to load the bases with one out, Luis Robert Jr. popped out and Mark Vientos struck out, eliciting boos from the crowd.
Nolan McLean was removed after five innings in which he allowed two runs, one unearned, on five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.
The start matched McLeanâs shortest of the season â he also went only five innings against the Pirates in his initial outing.
McLean allowed an RBI single to Troy Johnston in the fourth, but the inning could have gotten much worse. With the bases still loaded and nobody out, McLean struck out Kyle Karros before getting Brett Sullivan to hit a soft comebacker that started a 1-2-3 double play. The rally started with two straight singles before Rumfield walked to load the bases.
Two fans sit among empty seats during the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field, Sunday, April 26, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Taylorâs homer leading off the bottom of the fifth tied it 1-1. Quintana had retired 11 straight batters before Taylor cleared the fence in left-center for his second homer this season.
Vientosâ throwing error helped the Rockies score an unearned run in the sixth. Vientos, at first base, fielded Rumfieldâs grounder and attempted a throw to second to nail Mickey Moniak. But the throw hit Moniak, leaving the bases loaded and nobody out. Huascar BrazobĂĄn replaced McLean and induced a double-play grounder from Johnston, with the run scoring.
BrazobĂĄn surrendered an RBI single to Jake McCarthy in the seventh that widened the Mets deficit to 3-1. Sullivanâs double started the rally. Luis Torrens nailed McCarthy attempting to steal second before Jordan Beck reached on a pitch clock violation for ball four. BrazobĂĄn retired Edouard Julien for the final out.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 26: Jasson DomĂnguez #24 of the New York Yankees bats against the Philadelphia Phillies during their game at Yankee Stadium on July 26, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Earlier today, the Yankees optioned Luis Gil to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after taking the loss in the series finale in Houston. In a corresponding move, the Yankees are reportedly calling up outfielder Jasson DomĂnguez from Triple-A.
A path to playing time for DomĂnguez opened up on Friday night when Giancarlo Stanton exited mid-game due to a calf injury. The Yankees havenât placed Stanton on the injured list, but the 36-year-old DH will presumably still need some more time to recover even if he doesnât ultimately hit the IL in the coming days, potentially giving DomĂnguez his first chance at major-league at-bats this season.
DomĂnguez had gotten off to an excellent start at Triple-A, posting a .306/.404/.471 slash line with three home runs and eight stolen bases. He may be the primary option to take over DH duties against right-handed pitchers for now, with Paul Goldschmidt on hand to enter the lineup against lefties.
Itâs possible this isnât a long stint back in the majors for DomĂnguez; his role in the organization at the moment seems to be to stay ready for times exactly like this, when a veteran goes down and the Yankees have a need for another bat in the lineup. Though this kind of job isnât exactly what DomĂnguez or the club had in mind a few years ago as the outfielder shot through the minor league ranks, itâs representative of the depth the Yankees have right now that when injury hits, they can just plug in a competent young bat still with loads upside.
NEW YORK (AP) â Denver's Nikola Jokic was fined $50,000 and Minnesota's Julius Randle was fined $35,000 for their roles in an altercation near the end of Game 4 of the teams' playoff series, the NBA announced Sunday.
Both will be eligible to play when the series resumes Monday with Game 5 in Denver.
The incident was evidently sparked when Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels took an uncontested layup with 2.1 seconds left and the Timberwolves already leading by 14 â a play the Nuggets took exception to, given how the game had been decided.
Jokic, the NBA said, âinitiated the incident by confronting and shovingâ McDaniels in reaction to that play. Randle, the league said, âescalated the incident by forcefully inserting himself into the scrum and shoving Nuggets guard-forward Bruce Brown.â
Jokic and Randle were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game.
âHe scored when weâd stopped playing,â Jokic said. âYou guys saw what happened.â
The teams are meeting in the postseason for the third time in the last four years. Minnesota leads the series 3-1, but will be without guard Donte DiVincenzo for the rest of the season because of a torn Achilles and will be without fellow guard Anthony Edwards indefinitely because of a knee injury. DiVincenzo and Edwards both got hurt on Saturday.
Apr 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chase Dollander (32) pitches in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
After rain bumped the Saturday matchup from the MLB schedule, the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets played two on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
Game 1: Rockies 3, Mets 1
The Rockies started the day with a victory to lock up a series win on the road.
Putting the âKâ in New York
Strikeouts were a key theme across the first few innings.
A Mark Vientos single loaded the bases with one out. Quintana responded by striking out Marcus Semien. Brett Baty proved to be a difficult final out, working his at-bat to a full count. The sixth pitch was initially called a ball to walk in a run, but a successful Brett Sullivan ABS challenge overturned the ruling, sparing the Rockies with a third strikeout for Quintana.
McLean continued to pile up the strikeouts as well, including the 1,000th strikeout of his career. He matched his first inning total, striking out two more each inning in the second and the third. McLean looked sharp mixing his pitches for those six strikeouts, with two Ks coming on curveballs, two on four-seam fastballs, one on a sinker, and one on a sweeper. He also picked off Jake McCarthy at first base in the bottom of the third.
Ducks on the pond, only one gets home
The Rockies found their spark in the fourth inning. With only one hit through the first three innings, they got to work with three more.
Edouard Julien hit a line drive leadoff single, before Mickey Moniak moved him to third with a single of his own. McClean would then walk TJ Rumfield to load the bases with no outs. Troy Johnston seized the opportunity, hitting an RBI single to right.
Unfortunately, that would be all the Rockies could muster. McClean bounced back to strike out Kyle Karros, before fielding a Sullivan grounder to turn a 1-2-3 double play to get out of trouble.
The pitchers (mostly) settled in
Coming into the game, the question was how Quintana and McClean might respond after they both struggled in their last outings. The answer was a low-scoring pitchers duel, plenty of quick innings, and several jams navigated.
Getting out of his rough first inning, Quintana would cruise, sitting down 11 straight batters in a masterful performance.
Bad news: he couldnât make it 12 straight. Tyron Taylor kicked off the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer to left center to tie things up at 1-1.
Good news: That would be the only run Quintana would give up all day.
The Rockies got to McClean in the sixth, ending his day by putting him in a pickle. A Julien leadoff double, a Moniak walk, and a throwing error to put Rumfield on first would load the bases and force the Mets to go to the bullpen. McLeanâs day ended at 5.0 innings pitched, with five hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts.
Huascar BrazobĂĄn entered and gave up a run â charged to McLean â on a double play ground ball. He and the Mets would get out of the inning trailing just 2-1 after Karros hit a grounder for the third out.
Quintana would also call it a day in the sixth after 5.1 innings pitched, with one run given up on just two hits alongside five strikeouts and two walks.
Late ups and downs
Leadoff hits were a common theme for the Rockies today, and it worked out for some seventh inning insurance. Sullivan hit a double out to right field and was brought home by a McCarthy RBI single, giving the Rockies a 3-1 lead. Juan Mejia, who came in to relieve Quintana, kept things clean by sitting down Semien, Baty, and Taylor to end the inning.
Things got a little too close for comfort in the eighth. It was three straight outs for the Rockies offense in the top, followed by three straight baserunners for the Mets offense in the bottom.
Jaden Hill replaced Mejia and, after getting the first out, quickly found himself in trouble. He surrendered back-to-back singles to Francisco Alvarez and Bichette, before walking Soto to (once again) load the bases. But (also once again) the Rockies would prove resilient. Hill would get Robert Jr. to pop out on a 1-2 count and lock in to strike out Vientos, getting him to swing on a slider down in the zone.
Start spreadinâ the news!
The Rockies went on the road and secured their third series win of the season behind Quintanaâs best outing of the year. Quintanaâs first win in 2026 came with season-lows for hits and runs given up. He had more strikeouts today (five) than he had thrown all year (four across three games).
Both teams had plenty of chances, including multiple bases loaded opportunities, but neither could fully capitalize. Each team left 13 runners on base. The game ultimately was a classic Citi Field showdown, decided one run at a time in a low-scoring affair with the Rockies getting runs across when they needed them most.
Game 2: Rockies 3, Mets 0
Less than an hour after game one, the Rockies were back on the field to face the Mets again. With a series win already locked down, the Rockies rode a dominant day from their pitching staff to a sweep in Flushing.
Dominant Dollander
For the first time this season, right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander started a game. After operating largely as a bulk reliever with an opener through his first six appearances, Dollander was given the nod for the second game in todayâs doubleheader.
He then made a case to stay in the rotation.
Dollander was a little shaky with his command early. However, he ended up only giving up two hits and two walks through his first three innings of work. He then settled into a powerful rhythm. Dollander ended up pitching seven shutout innings on 105 pitches while giving up five hits and two walks while striking out seven hitters. The seven innings were a career high for Dollander.
It looked like manager Warren Schaeffer was coming to get Dollander when he gave up a two out single in the bottom of the seventh. However, Dollander gestured to the dugout as if to ask for one more batter to end the inning. Dollander then induced a pop-out to end the inning.
With Ryan Feltner out for an unknown period of time with right ulnar nerve inflammation, it might be time for Dollander to take his place in the rotation.
The Rockiesâ offense wasnât exactly dominant, nor was it the real reason the Rockies won this game. In fact, the Rockies had just one total hit after the third inning. That hit came off the bat of Mickey Moniak, who extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
Tyler Freeman wore a pitch and TJ Rumfield drew a walk to set up the Rockies in the top of the second inning. Kyle Karros grounded into a force-out to advance Freeman to third, and Freeman then scored on a single off the bat of Troy Johnston.
In the top of the third, Edouard Julien singled to star the inning before Hunter Goodman gave the ball a ride over the fence for his seventh home run of the season.
Thanks to strong outings in the first game of the doubleheader and Chase Dollanderâs seven inning start, the Rockies bullpen had just one job in this game: get it done in two innings.
Seth Halvorsen came in first, making his second appearance with the Rockies this season. He allowed no hits, but did issue a walk in a scoreless eighth inning. He then gave way to Zach Agnos, who gave up a double but kept the Mets off the board and earned his second save of the season.
Now the bullpen gets an additional day of rest tomorrow before the Rockies start their next series.
The Rockies get a day of rest Monday before heading to Ohio for a three game series with the Cincinnati Reds. Tomoyuki Sugano (2-1, 3.42 ERA) and Chase Burns (2-1, 2.57 ERA) are expected to start the first game of the series on Tuesday at 4:40 p.m. MDT.
The Chicago Blackhawks had a lot of great playoff success from 2009 to 2015. During that span, they had five trips to the Western Conference Finals and three Stanley Cup championships. They also created some great rivalries with teams from within the West.
One of these teams, the Los Angeles Kings, was as good as any they faced. During the same span, the Kings reached three West Finals and won the Stanley Cup twice. The two organizations won a total of five Cups from 2010 to 2015.
Leading the way for LA through that era of championship success was forward Anze Kopitar. He was as admirable a playoff foe as the Blackhawks faced during that time. As their best forward, he was a key part of their core, which included stars like Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty, Jeff Carter, and Dustin Brown.
On Sunday, the Colorado Avalanche completed their first-round sweep over Kopitar and the Kings, putting an end to Kopitarâs 20-year NHL career, all with LA. He was their 11th overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, and he has exceeded every expectation since.
Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Toews drew a lot of comparisons to one another as they were very similar players. They could each contribute offensively at a high level, but both put emphasis on being great two-way forwards. There were multiple Selke Trophies, Stanley Cups, and leadership awards won between the two of them.
In 59 regular-season games played against the Blackhawks, Kopitar had 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points. There were some incredible battles, including all of those postseason matches where he was the most impactful forward.
Now and again, a player is so great both on and off the ice that they will receive praise and respect from everyone, even their biggest rivals. Kopitar is one of those players.
There is a chance that this is not the last that hockey fans will see of Kopitar. For one, he is going to have his number retired, be in the Hall of Fame, and have many other accolades thrown his way.
He may also be someone interested in front office or coaching work. He is a smart hockey man who has the knowledge needed to be involved one way or another down the line.
Blackhawks fans will remember him amongst the greatest individual rivals to ever play against them, especially since he was prominent during such a successful stretch for both teams.
Anze Kopitar makes his way through the handshake line after his final NHL game đ„č pic.twitter.com/gdmM1f5mcm
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The Los Angeles Kings have been fighting all season long to get into the playoffs, but today that fight ended as the Colorado Avalanche completed the sweep with a 5-1 win in Game four.
After debating whether they should shuffle the top line, D.J. Smith finally pulled the trigger, opting to put Artemi Panarin, Quinton Byfield, and Trevor Moore in the top line and moving Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar to the second line with Alex Laferriere.
The early results were encouraging in the second period, when the changes were made; it was the best shift of the period by Laferriere, with Kopitar and Kempe together on the line, setting up Joel Edmundson right away to score and cut the deficit to one goal.
But, as they've done all series, the Avs responded. A three-goal burst in the final period by Colorado quickly put the Kings in a three-goal hole. Things only snowballed from there as the Kings' offense went stagnant and Colorado began to dominate the neutral zone and convert on their open looks.
It was safe to say that with their backs against the wall, the Kings were going to play with desperation to open the game. Ten minutes into the match, LA was very aggressive on offense, outshooting the visiting team 6-2, and, once again, the opportunities to score were there.
Kings' forward Alex Laferriere has had the most scoring chances out of every player in the playoffs who hasn't yet scored a goal. The 24-year-old had a great look in the slot, but came up short, and so did forward Adrian Kempe, who overshot the puck above the net and went wide right.
Add 2 more to that total for Alex Laferriere on his first shift of the game. He's been around it all series, has two assists, but can't buy one himself. https://t.co/5eL7Gvw4ki
Not only that, but the Kings got onto the power play twice in the early parts of the opening period and failed to convert a goal in both instances. The energy and hostility were there for LA fighting for their lives to force a game 5, but they couldn't overcome Avs goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
With that, LA left the door open again for the Avs to score, who got onto the power play after Kings defenseman Brian Dumoulin got caught for interference. Colorado would convert on the interference, scoring its first power play goal of this series after going 0-for-9 in the first three games.
Nathan MacKinnon capitalized on the one-timer shot, converting on the nice setup to score his first goal of the playoffs. That's been the story of this series, Colorado taking advantage of the Kings' missed shots and getting on board first to hold the one-goal lead.
Things got physical in the final two minutes of the first period after Kings forward Jeff Malott and Avs Center Jack Drury got in a fight, which resulted in another power play opportunity for Colorado.
Los Angeles, though, did a good job of killing the power play and avoiding going down by two goals after Colorado got a little bit of momentum late in the period.
1-0 Avalanche after 20 minutes.
Big late kill from the Kings. Could feel Colorado taking over a bit, see if that helps stop the momentum a bit at the intermission.
At the 14:12 mark of the second period, Avs defenseman Cale Makar beat Kings forward Taylor Ward 1-on-1 with an impressive drive to the net while getting fouled and still scored to bury the goal on the short side, giving Colorado a two-goal advantage.
Colorado was doing a good job keeping possession of the puck to start the second period, limiting shots on goal by the Kings, who went nearly 11 minutes without getting a shot on goal.
It was a very bad period for the Kings, who hadn't sustained much of anything since that second power play in the first period. Colorado was in control of the game from that point on, with a 2-0 lead.
Just two shots on goal for LA through nearly eleven minutes until Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson stepped on the blue line and scored the goal, picking up Kempe's backhand pass, squeezing the shot past Wedegwood.
LAK Goal - And it pays off!
Best shift of the period by Laferriere with Kopitar/Kempe and the Kings convert. Edmundson crashes down and buries one. 2-1.
Huge goal for the Kings, who were very stagnant and slow on offense to start the second period, now getting some momentum with that goal and cutting the deficit to one goal.
Other than scoring that goal, it wasn't a good period at all for Los Angeles, only generating seven shots on goal. But the Kings did a solid job at keeping the Avalanche at two goals and not further extending the lead after 40 minutes.
Just when the game felt like the Kings' season was nearing an end with a shots-on-goal drought and the visitors in control, that goal helped bring momentum and left one more period to extend the season.
In the third period at the 16:47 mark, the Avalanche won the battle in the neutral zone against the Kings, creating a 2-on-1 led by Avs forward Artturi Lehkonen, whose shot was stopped by Anton Forsberg but was cleaned up by Nicolas Roy, giving Colorado the two-goal lead back.
No matter how hard the Kings played in this game and throughout the series, Colorado just has too many weapons and playmakers on offense for LA to compete with.
The damage was being done to the Kings. Nearly three minutes after the Avs scored, the visitors once again got on the scoreboard. This time, defenseman Devon Toews made his mark on the game, scoring on the high glove over Forsberg to make it a three-goal lead.
The Avs' ability to do what they want in the neutral zone against the Kings was very evident in Game 4; Colorado's depth and offense were just dominating LA's defense.
Colorado put the nail in the coffin after scoring on the empty net at the 5:38 mark to run away with this game and close out the Kings on the courtesy of a sweep.
The @LAKings season comes to an end in four games.
Emotional moment in the building for Anze Kopitar. Credit to the fans for showing their love.
Joel Edmundson scored the loan goal for the Kings late in the second period, cutting the decicit to one goal, but the offense struggled to generate any more shots from that point on.
Anton Forsberg had another solid game under the crease, finishing with 28 saves on 32 shots. Despite giving up five goals today, credit Forsberg for playing hard all series long and making every shot tough for the Avalanche.
There will be plenty of time to discuss roster construction and coaching decisions, especially with this being Anze Kopitar's final game. What direction will the Kings move into?
Disappointing way for the Kings to go out, especially for Kopitar, who was looking to extend his season. All good things come to an end, and it was a great career for Kopitar, with the legacy he left for nearly 20 years with the silver and black.
Stay tuned for the offseason, free agency and beyond.
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Kings players pay tribute to Anze Kopitar as he skates off the ice to a standing ovation from the crowd following the team's season-ending playoff loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Seven times in the past 12 seasons the Kings have advanced to the Stanley Cup playoffs, only to leave after the first round.
Theyâve changed coaches five times, general managers twice, even the team captains have changed over that span. But the results have not.
The Kings will begin the offseason for the first time in two decades without Anze Kopitar, who played the final game of his Hall of Fame career Sunday.
Kings captain Anze Kopitar acknowledges the crowd after playing in his final NHL game Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Fans at Crypto.com Arena chanted "Thank you, Kopi!" in the final minute of the game, giving him a standing ovation. Kopitar received another standing ovation after the team handshakes, acknowledging the cheers from the crowd.
If anything, the Kings are heading backward because they won at least one game in their last five playoffs appearances. Against the Avalanche they not only failed to win, they led just once, for three minutes and 24 seconds late in Game 2.
Colorado, the best team in the NHL during the regular season, was clearly the best team in this series as well, going ahead to stay Sunday on MacKinnonâs power-play goal with less than seven minutes left in the first period. That spoiled what had been the Kingsâ special-teams advantage in the series.
The Kings, who had a power-play goal in each of the first three games of the series, were shut out with the man advantage twice in the first 12 minutes of Game 4. Then their penalty kill was beaten for the first time in 10 tries when MacKinnon lined home a slap shot in from the center of the left circle 16 seconds after Kings defenseman Brian Dumoulin was sent off for interference.
For MacKinnon, who led the NHL with 53 goals during the regular season, the score was his first of the postseason.
And those werenât the only penalties in the opening 20 minutes. Just more than two minutes before the first intermission, the physical nature of the series boiled over in a series of scuffles that ended with referee Graham Skilliter meeting with the captains of both teams.
Kings center Anze Kopitar warms up before Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)Kings captain Anze Kopitar stands on the ice during the national anthem before Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Skilliter then handed out four penalties, a two-minute misconduct to Coloradoâs Jack Drury while the Kingsâ Samuel Helenius received a two-minute roughing and a 10-minute misconduct and teammate Jeff Malott got a two-minute roughing.
And with that, D.J. Smithâs game plan went out the window.
âWe have to be disciplined,â the Kings interim coach had said before the game. âTwo [penalties] or less.â
The Kings doubled that total in the first 18 minutes.
Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson, left, battles Colorado forward Gabriel Landeskog for the puck in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Speaking of doubling, Makar gave Colorado a 2-0 lead 5:48 into the second period, collecting a bouncing puck at the blue line, then skating around Kingsâ forward Taylor Ward to score on a wrist shot from the edge of the right circle.
But the Kings, less than 35 minutes away from the end of their season, refused to quit with Edmundson cutting the deficit in half about eight minutes later, sending a wrister from the top of the left circle on goal. Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood appeared to stop the puck, only to have it fall to the ice and trickle across the goal line.
Roy got that one back for Colorado 3:13 into the final period, banging the rebound of an Artturi Lehkonen shot between the pads of Kings goalie Anton Forsberg. When Toews scored less than three minutes later, the Avalanche had the biggest lead of the series and the rout was on.
MacKinnon added the final score into an empty net.
And with that another disappointing postseason ended for the Kings and another long offseason began, one the team and general manager Ken Holland will enter with more questions than answers, beginning with the status of his interim coach and the aging core of his roster.
Kings captain Anze Kopitar raises the Stanley Cup as he floats across Lake Bled in Slovenia with family and friends in 2012. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
