WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 27: Gabriel Hughes #43 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Thursday, August 27, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 31: Alex Bregman #3 of the Chicago Cubs hits a home run in the second inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on August 31, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 31: Max Clark #15 of the Detroit Tigers bats during a game between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers on August 31, 2026 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Detroit Tigers (63-74) vs. Minnesota Twins (66-72)
Time/Place: 7:40 p.m., Target Field SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Troy Melton (7-3, 1.86 ERA) vs. LHP Connor Prielipp (3-7, 5.55 ERA)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 29: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros hits a double against the New York Mets during the ninth inning at Citi Field on August 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (70-68), who have won four of their last five games, will play the second game of their four-game series with the Chicago White Sox (72-65) tonight at Daikin Park.
RHP Ronel Blanco (0-1, 7.71 ERA) was recalled from Triple A Sugar Land today to make tonight’s start for the Astros opposite RHP Sean Burke (7-6, 3.32 ERA) and the White Sox.
SLOW AND STEADY RECOVERY: Since starting the season with a 20-31 record after 51 games, the Astros are 50-37 (.575) in their last 87 games (since May 22). That is the second-best record in the AL in that span, behind only the Red Sox (53-36).
MEASURING UP: Last night, the Astros began a streak of playing four straight teams with winning records (CWS, ARI, PHI, TB). The Astros are an American League-best 27-19 (.587) vs. teams currently at .500 or above. Some clubs that they have winning records against include BOS (5-1), CHC (3-0), CWS (3-1), CLE (4-2), MIA (3-0), and TB (2-1).
VS. THE WHITE SOX: The Astros are 3-1 against the White Sox on the season, which includes winning two of three in Chicago from July 24-26. The Astros are 23-14 vs. CWS over the past six seasons (2021-26), posting winning records in each of those years. Houston is 56-47 all-time vs. the White Sox.
BAGGY IN THE BOOTH:Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell will be on the Space City Home Network telecast for the first three games of this series, alongside play-by-play man Todd Kalas and sideline reporter Julia Morales. Geoff Blum will return to the telecast for Thursday’s day game.
ROAD WARRIORS: On Sunday, the Astros completed a 4-2 road trip to New York, where they went 2-1 against both the Yankees and Mets. Since posting a 1-9 record on the first road trip of the 2026 season, they have gone 35-24 (.593) on the road since April 14, which is the second-best record in the Majors in that span. More recently, they are 19-12 (.613) on their last five road trips combined.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have recalled RHP Ronel Blanco and OF Jake Meyers from Triple A Sugar Land. Blanco will start tonight’s game for the Astros.
ON THE OFFENSIVE: Among AL teams, the Astros rank first in total bases (1,902), first in slugging (.410), second in HR (183), third in runs scored (630), and fifth in OPS (.726).
TRIPLE THREAT: DH Yordan Alvarez, who is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award, currently owns at least a share of the lead in all three Triple Crown categories. He enters tonight leading the AL in batting avg. (.317) and RBI (94), while ranking tied for first in HR (37).
Rare Feat: Since Carl Yastrzemski won the AL Triple Crown in 1967, there has been just one Triple Crown winner in the Majors, Miguel Cabrera in 2012 (AL).
MATCHING HIS BEST: DH Yordan Alvarez has matched his career high by smacking 37 home runs on the season, reaching his total from 2022. His career-high in RBI is 104, set in 2021 (currently has an AL-best 94 RBI).
THE HIT MAN: Jose Altuve enters tonight’s game needing just six hits to reach 2,500 for his career. Among active players, Altuve ranks second in hits, trailing only 1B Freddie Freeman (2,584).
BLANCO’S BACK!: Tonight’s Astros starter RHP Ronel Blanco missed the first few months of the year while recovering from right elbow surgery, returned to the Majors in July, and spent the last two weeks down at Triple A. Blanco was a mainstay in the Astros rotation prior to his injury, making 45 starts from 2023-25, going 18-11 with a 3.36 ERA (94ER/251.2IP) and a .200 opponent average.
THE CLOSER: LHP Josh Hader has worked 18 consecutive scoreless appearances, spanning 19.0 innings. This is the longest streak by an Astros hurler this season and the second-longest active streak in the Majors. Opponents are just 5×62 (.081) vs. Hader during the streak. Hader is also 21-for-21 in save opportunities in 2026. Hader in August: 1-0, 13 G, 0.00 ERA, 14.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 15 SO.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2019 – RHP Justin Verlander tosses the 13th no-hitter in Astros history, blanking the Blue Jays by a score of 2-0 in Toronto. He fans 14 Blue Jays on the afternoon, issuing just one walk. Tied 0-0 entering the 9th, the no-hitter was only possible thanks to a two-out solo homer by 3B Abraham Toro. This marked Verlander’s third career no-no.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, September 1, 7:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Former great Michael Hussey is set to sign a part-time coaching deal with Cricket Australia, slamming the door on a move to England, according to reports.
Well, it's officially Sept. 1, and that means the NHL regular season officially begins at the end of the month, and training camps will kick off in just a few short weeks.
For some Pittsburgh Penguins fans, it's understandable - to an extent - that this offseason may have been a bit of a disappointment. Despite "big-game hunting" being advertised, nothing seismic happened in the trade market, even if pretty big efforts were put forth to make a big splash (see the Jason Robertson saga).
Smaller moves were made to offset roster losses from last season, and even if tiny improvements were made to the margins of the roster, it's fair to wonder whether those improvements will be enough to offset improvements by other teams - most notably, the Washington Capitals - in the Metropolitan Division next season.
And one point of contention that is still a hot-button talking point is the fact that all of the Penguins' aging veterans are still on the roster.
Had Kyle Dubas and the Penguins been successful in hauling a big fish this summer, it more than likely would have involved at least one of their talented veterans going the other way. But Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang are still in the mix, and it appears likely they will all still be in the mix once the puck drops against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sept. 30 for opening night.
Some will call it a failure that the Penguins are still holding on to all of these players - the youngest among them being Rakell at age 33 - and some will call it "nostalgia." While the merits of failure on the front office's part can be argued when weighing in the lack of a true youth movement, the nostalgia argument simply doesn't add up.
Keeping valuable older players around too long can often set a franchise back from those goals, as the assets acquired for those players can be leveraged for younger, more forward-oriented talent. Rust and Rakell - both 30-goal, 70-point players - each have two years left on their very team-friendly deals at $5.1 and $5 million average annual value, respectively, while Karlsson is entering the final season of his $11.5 million contract that the Penguins pay out $10 million for.
But the important thing to keep in mind here is that Dubas and company aren't exactly going about the Penguins' rebuild in a way that's been done before. Sure, other teams like the Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes have attempted to rebuild and sustain contention without bottoming out, but the methodology behind each case is different.
And if we're looking case-by-case at the Penguins' six core veteran players, the claim that Dubas and the front office are clinging to nostalgia doesn't hold water when you consider how most of the veterans are faring in their mid-late 30s:
- Crosby, 39, is coming off of his NHL-record 21st consecutive season above point-per-game, and although his defense has seen decline over the past several years, he still remains one of the league's elite first-line centers capable of producing at a high level. He had 29 goals and 74 points in 68 regular season games in 2025-26.
- Malkin, 40, was re-signed for one year, and the primary reason he was re-signed is because he produced 19 goals and 61 points in 56 games last season. He may be 40, but he was above point-per-game - and if anyone out there said, "Hey, I can get you a point-per-game top-six forward for $5.5 million next season," any reasonable GM would take that in a heartbeat. And, by the way, he very marginally bested Crosby's point-per-game output (Crosby was at 1.088, Malkin at 1.089).
Most OT points all-time:
Sidney Crosby - 48 Evgeni Malkin - 46 Connor McDavid - 46 Leon Draisaitl - 45 Patrick Kane - 43 Erik Karlsson - 41 Patrick Kane - 41 John Tavares - 39 Kris Letang - 37
- Rust, 34, had 29 goals and 65 points in 72 games and continues to be a valuable player in both the top-six and on special teams, particularly on the penalty kill. Akin to the Malkin argument, you'd be hard-pressed to find a 30-goal, 70-point, Swiss army knife-type player making just $5.1 million, and there are currently no younger guys internally who are ready to replicate or replace that production.
- The same can be said of Rakell, who had 24 goals and 48 points in 60 games last season despite an early-season broken hand that kept him out two months and led to a slow start when he did return. He was one of their best, most valuable players down the stretch run of the season when he produced at a point-per-game pace while playing center, something he hadn't done with consistency in a decade-plus. His contract value, positional versatility, and production make him highly valuable to the Penguins.
- Karlsson, 36, put together the best season of his three-year Penguins' tenure last year, notching 15 goals and 66 points in 75 games and playing some of the best three-zones hockey of his NHL career. He was one of the very best players in the NHL during the month of March and was named the Penguins' Team MVP at the end of the regular season, which speaks to his irreplaceable value and his impact on the team.
Defenseman, and I repeat DEFENSEMAN, Erik Karlsson is on a goal-per-game pace since March 16.
- Letang, 39, is perhaps the only one of the six in a tangible state of regression, but he did return to form late in the season and during the playoffs when it counted. The Penguins also managed Letang's minutes last season, docking nearly two minutes average ice time (21:41) from his previous 2024-25 campaign (23:32). Letang might not be a top-four defenseman anymore, but in more sheltered and calculated minutes, he is still capable of being a serviceable NHL defenseman.
At the end of the day, for five of these players, their 2025-26 seasons coupled with their career outputs and trajectories in the last three years are what is keeping them on this team, not nostalgia. And Dubas knows this. In fact, he said at the conclusion of last season that the Penguins would be faced with some tough decisions regarding veterans at some point and that he's ready to face those decisions when that time comes, even if the Penguins are a special case of "nostalgia" with the big three.
"I think, at some point, I knew when taking the job that it's me that's going to have to make somebody or fans unhappy with different decisions as they come. And I knew that when I agreed to come here," Dubas said back on May 12. "For me, the key is we always have to do what's best for the Pittsburgh Penguins, even if that's unpopular or makes people unhappy, that's the way we have to operate.
"So, we'll continue to field the team in the formation that we feel gives us the best chance to move ahead. If there are players that begin to pass by them, regardless of who they are and how long they've been here, it's incumbent upon me to make those decisions and do what's best for the Penguins in the long run."
Right now, Crosby certainly isn't blocking anyone. Malkin isn't blocking anyone. Right now, Rakell and Rust aren't, either, as none of the Penguins' young forwards - though some are more promising than others - are ready to leap into a top-six NHL role. But if that point arrives this season, Dubas and the Penguins will take action.
If dynamic right defenseman Harrison Brunicke comes into camp, picks up where he left off during the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, and blows everyone out of the water, Dubas and the Penguins won't hold him back on Letang's account or anyone else's account. Same goes for Owen Pickering on the left side.
In order for these guys to be supplanted and truly be expendable, the young guys the Penguins have need to prove they can fill those spots. Until that begins to actually happen - whether that's earned opportunity through sheer performance or through opportunity due to injuries - if the team truly desires to keep winning and building simultaneously, they're going to keep these guys around.
And if we're being real, the only untouchable player because of nostaglia to an extent is Crosby. And if anyone is even entertaining jettisoning a top-five player of all-time who is still one of the best, then "nostalgia" isn't actually the issue.
So, let's go ahead and put the "nostalgia" to bed. The veterans will be phased out when it's time for each of them to go, and that time has simply not arrived yet - especially since they're still pretty darn good hockey players.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 20: Randy Dobnak #62 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the first inning against the Athletics at Kauffman Stadium on August 20, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today, the Kansas City Royals and Miami Marlins are playing baseball on the surface of the sun. It is triple digits and humid here at Kauffman Stadium today. Even in the shaded dugout, I was wilting as I stood listening to the Matt Quatraro and JJ Picollo press conferences.
There are a couple of interesting pieces of news. Quatraro revealed that Carlos Estevez, who has been out since April with a shoulder injury, will have surgery soon. That wasn’t so surprising.
The other interesting piece of news is Kansas City’s September roster expansion. The Royals are calling up Nolan Hoffman for the first time, recalling Euston McGee, and selecting the contract of Drew Waters. What is interesting is who was not called up: Gavin Cross, Carson Roccaforte, or Brett Squires, all of whom were hitting very well in Omaha as of late.
But I asked JJ about this, and if the looming lockout impacted who they decided to call up. He said it didn’t, and that they didn’t want their outfield to be too left-handed heavy. To be fair, they do have John Rave, Kyle Isbel, and Jac Caglianone as their de facto starting outfield, with Isaac Collins a significantly better from the left side, too.
Miguel Vargas is searching for his 30th home run while riding a 17-game on-base streak and leading MLB with a .534 OBP over the last two weeks. | (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
After falling flat in Monday night’s series opener, the White Sox will aim to improve their situational hitting in an effort to provide run support for their ace Sean Burke. With yesterday’s loss, the Good Guys still hold a three-game lead in the AL Central, but Chicago needs to take care of business in Houston this week to secure the head-to-head tiebreaker in case it comes to that for playoff seeding and a first-round bye.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, the White Sox announced three roster moves. The moves were anticipated after Monday’s announcement that the South Siders acquired Tommy Pham in a minor league trade. As expected, Pham’s contract was selected from Triple-A Charlotte, and right-handed pitcher Tanner McDougal will also return to the big leagues. In a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster, lefthander Tyler Gilbert was designated for assignment.
The last time Burke faced the Astros, he took the loss despite striking out 10 over six innings and allowing just three runs, two earned, on four hits. Ideally, tonight Burke isn’t left without run support, and after the last few games, the South Siders are well overdue to tally a bunch of runs on the board. In their last three games, the Sox have gone 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position (.130 average) and left 26 on base, and on top of that, they hold the second-highest strikeout rate with RISP in MLB at 28.2% over the last two weeks. In that same time frame, however, the South Siders also have the fifth-highest walk rate, meaning they are getting runners on base but essentially choking after that — not that we need the numbers to tell us what we are seeing with our own eyes.
Despite his 7-6 record on the season, Burke has maintained a strong 3.32 ERA and 1.154 WHIP across 149 innings while striking out 161, tied with Parker Messick for the eighth-most in the American League. He’ll have a fairly standard lineup behind him as the Astros will have a right-handed pitcher on the mound with Ronel Blanco making his fifth start of the season. The lineup is nearly identical to last night’s, except Braden Montgomery will be off today, so Randal Grichuk is slotting into right field in his place and batting sixth, and Drew Romo will take over behind the plate.
Blanco was dealing with injuries earlier this season, but has otherwise struggled through five games for the Astros, accumulating a 7.71 ERA and 1.457 WHIP across 23 1/3 innings. In those five outings, Blanco surrendered 20 runs on 22 hits, including seven home runs, leaving him with an elevated 2.70 home runs per nine innings (HR/9). For reference, the league-average HR/9 is usually between 1.10 and 1.20, so it could be a great night for Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas or Colson Montgomery to mash his 30th home run of the season … or maybe all three if we’re lucky!
In the series opener, it felt like the bottom of the order for the Astros was causing the most trouble while Yordan Alvarez (thankfully) wasn’t as explosive as he tends to be. That could change tonight, however, as Alvarez tends to mash righties, posting a 1.116 OPS and 28 homers in 439 PAs against them this season. After beating up on the South Siders Monday, Nelson Velázquez will take the night off, and José Altuve will rejoin the lineup for Houston, batting fourth.
It’s Hello Kitty Night out in Houston, and the first pitch will be tossed at 7:10 p.m. CT at Daikin Park. Tune in to the usual locations for tonight’s broadcast: CHSN on TV and ESPN Chicago AM 1000 on the radio. I’ll see you later tonight with the recap, hopefully writing up someone’s 30th home run.
One of the biggest questions moving forward: Who will be the Lakers’ fifth starter once the 2026-27 season starts?
If Kuminga was on the roster, he would’ve been in the first unit alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler and presumed starter Quentin Grimes.
But with Kuminga headed to Minnesota, there’s a glaring hole in the depth chart with a month before training camp starts.
Who should be considered for the final starting spot, and who should ultimately have the edge?
Lakers’ options
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Along with Reaves, Grimes and Kessler, Mamukelashvili was one of four players who the Lakers signed to four-year deals with player options for the 2029-30 season, which highlights how much the Lakers value him.
And it’s easy to see why.
Mamukelashvili has emerged as a reliable three-level scorer, good passer and strong rebounder after playing for the Bucks, Spurs and Raptors since being the No. 54 pick in the 2021 draft.
Sandro Mamukelashvili joined the Lakers in free agency on a 4-year, $52 million contract. NBAE via Getty Images
Coming off of a career-year with the Raptors in which his scoring average (11.2 points), field goal percentage (52.3%), assists average (1.9), steals average (.8) and blocks average (.5) with Toronto in 2025-26 were all career-best marks, Mamukelashvili has a blend of offensive skills that’s unique for his size (6-foot-9, 240 pounds).
Coach JJ Redick said after the 2025-26 season ended that the Lakers needed to be better with dribbling, passing and shooting. Mamukelashvili helps in all of those areas as a big man who can pass, run the floor, dribble and shoot at a high level.
At 27 years old and entering his sixth season in the NBA, Mamukelashvili should be entering the prime of his career.
Jake LaRavia
LaRavia, along with Doncic, Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt, is one of just four players who finished in the top-11 in total regular season minutes played from the 2025-26 team that’s on the roster entering this season.
Even when he struggled (he shot a career-low 32.1% on 3-pointers), LaRavia still received consistent playing time (career-high 25.1 minutes per game in 82 games).
Jake LaRavia’s 3-point shooting is his swing skill. NBAE via Getty Images
He brings value as a connector with his passing, cutting and defensive versatility without needing consistent offensive touches.
At 24 years old (he turns 25 in November) and entering his fifth season in the league, LaRavia should have room to grow in multiple areas.
Ziaire Williams
Williams’ appeal starts with his physical profile: he’s 6-foot-9 with a good lateral quickness for his size.
In light of Williams telling the Southern California News Group that he’s bulked up to “about 215 pounds” after being listed at 185 pounds last season, he should be able to credibly guard bigger forwards better compared to previous years.
Perimeter defense and versatility is Williams’ calling card.
But his 3-point shooting is the swing skill, after he knocked down a career-high 34.3% of his 3s last season.
Matisse Thybulle
Thybulle is the best perimeter defender among these four players.
His 2 steals per game last season was tied for the second-most in the league with Hawks wing Dyson Daniels and Pistons wing Ausar Thompson among players who appeared in at least 20 regular season games despite averaging just 16 minutes.
And he led the league in steals (4.5) and deflections (8.7) per 36 minutes in 2025–26 among players who appeared in at least 20 games.
His length (7-foot wingspan on a 6-foot-5, 202-pound frame), motor and reflexes at his size has helped him remain one of the league’s most disruptive perimeter defenders despite being limited to 45 regular season games over the last two seasons.
And he’s worked to become an improved 3-point shooting, shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc after he joined the Trail Blazers in February 2023.
The Verdict
Among these four options, LaRavia is the best for the final starting spot.
LaRavia may not bring the offensive versatility that Mamukelashvili does, and may not be as good of a perimeter defender as Thybulle, but he’s a better defender than Mamukelashvili and has more experience guarding bigger forwards than Thybulle.
He has the size and defensive versatility the Lakers need from their fifth starter while also adding the connective offensive skills the Lakers need from his position.
The familiarity of playing alongside Doncic and Reaves is a bonus.
After LaRavia, Williams would be the next-best option in the first unit.
But entering camp, LaRavia should be penciled in as the Lakers’ fifth starter.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 31: Brandon Nimmo #24 of the Texas Rangers swings at a pitch during the fifth inning against the Athletics at Globe Life Field on August 31, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Aug 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Brady Basso (66) delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Today marks the start of the final month of the 2026 regular-season. The Athletics went 8-20 in August, ending the month tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the worst record in the American League. To make matters worse, the team’s pitching staff surrendered 174 runs—the most in Major League Baseball over that stretch.
After concluding their recent homestand with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles—three games in which the A’s had a chance to win— the Green and Gold dropped their fourth straight game in yesterday’s road-trip opener against the Texas Rangers. Vintage Jacob DeGrom held the A’s to one hit over seven innings as Texas controlled the game from the first pitch.
Roster Moves
As a result, the A’s need to win tonight to avoid the possibility of suffering another series sweep in tomorrow’s finale. Before the game, the team received some roster reinforcements as teams are allowed to carry 28 players in September.
It is good to see Denzel Clarke back in the majors following an extended injury absence that deprived him of the opportunity to improve offensively through everyday at-bats. Clarke is the better defender, but his replacement Henry Bolte, has proven to be more durable and the better hitter. It is up to Clarke to make the most of the playing time he receives over the final few weeks of the season.
The same applies to Yunior Tur, who needs to make the most of his third big-league opportunity this season. His 32.79 ERA cannot possibly go up any higher. As for Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, hopefully he returns next season with a cup in place to protect his private parts.
Game Preview
Right-hander J.T. Ginn, who has thrown a career-high number of innings this season, was initially scheduled to start for the A’s. However, the team is giving him a few extra days of rest between starts to manage his workload.
In his place, the team will go with a bullpen game, starting with Brady Basso. The 28-year-old left hander enters his 21st appearance and fourth opener start with a 0-1 record, a 4.50 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 28 innings pitched. Basso pitched twice against the Orioles, rebounding with a scoreless inning Sunday after taking the loss Friday night when he allowed Baltimore to score two runs in the top of the 10th inning.
The left-hander will likely pitch the first one or two innings before giving way to the rest of the team’s bullpen. Can the A’s league-worst bullpen somehow keep the team in the game, or will manager Mark Kotsay’s decision to use a bullpen game fail miserably?
Here’s how the A’s lineup looks for this evening’s matchup:
Denzel Clarke immediately returns to center field, with Henry Bolte serving as the designated hitter to give his legs a rest. The Athletics need catcher Jonah Heim to contribute offensively and serve as a steady presence behind the plate, especially when it comes to keeping the pitching staff under control.
A better defensive setup would be to move Bolte to left field, with Zack Gelof at third base and Max Muncy on the bench. However, the A’s seem intent on continuing to give starts to Muncy and first baseman Tommy White, two hackers at the plate and liabilities in the field.
The A’s offense will face Rangers left-hander MacKenzie Gore. The 27-year-old enters his 29th start of the season with a 7-10 record, a 4.40 ERA and 165 strikeouts over 149 1/3 innings. In his last outing against the Chicago White Sox, Gore took the loss after allowing four runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings.
Gore is plenty familiar with A’s hitters, as tonight will be his fourth start against the Green and Gold this season. He went 1-1 in his first three starts, allowing no more than three runs each time. With the Rangers pushing to overtake the Houston Astros for the division title, they will look to Gore to deliver a second straight quality start against the struggling, injury-depleted Athletics.
It's been a rough week for Calgary Flames around the globe. Not only did fans flood social media with memories of Johnny Gaudreau, who passed away on August 29, 2024, but they also turned that sorrow into anger when single-game tickets to the final game at the Scotiabank Saddledome were sold out within minutes. With only limited opportunities to see the Flames on home ice for the final time, fans who planned to travel to Calgary for one final experience were shell-shocked. But that's not even the worst news about the club to make its way into the headlines lately.
A few days ago, the NHL released its national broadcast schedules for ESPN and TNT, and much to the chagrin of Flames fans in the United States, their rebuilding club, led by Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato, and Zayne Parekh, will not be featured for a single game on TV outside of Canada.
Flames, Canucks, and Senators shut out by ESPN and TNT
Surprisingly, it wasn't a total shutout for Canadian markets on U.S. TV, since the Montreal Canadiens have six games across both networks, followed by the Toronto Maple Leafs with three. The Winnipeg Jets get in by default, since they are hosting the Canadians at this year's Heritage Classic. Meanwhile, the Canadian team with the most games is, of course, the Edmonton Oilers, since the NHL continues to market Connor McDavid to casual fans south of the border.
However, the Flames, along with the Ottawa Senators and last-place Vancouver Canucks have no games this season on ESPN and TNT. It seems weird that the league couldn't find a spot for any of those clubs, especially when they travel to Vegas, Colorado, Chicago, Boston, or even Tampa Bay. At least the Senators qualified for the playoffs last year, while the Flames and Canucks battled for a spot in the Draft Lottery.
Still, NHL fans and voters will never get to see Wolf make acrobatic saves or Elias Pettersson score a highlight-reel goal. Ultimately, the NHL loses by not showcasing all its teams on national TV at some point. But what makes this season's schedule even odder is the fact that this is the final season at the Saddledome. It's the last time the Canadiens will visit the 'Dome, the place they won their 1986 Stanley Cup title. It's the final bow for Matthew Tkachuk, who was a star here and bolted for the Florida Panthers. Finally, if Ovechkin scores a goal in his final appearance on December 5, it could very well be the final goal he ever scores in Canada.
Of course, fans who want to watch Calgary are upset that Sportsnet raised their subscription prices, and for diehards in the United States, it won't matter which service they subscribe to since the Flames will not be on the air. It's been a frustrating summer for Flames fans, but once the puck drops on opening night, the focus will shift back to what happens on the ice.
The calendar has flipped to September, meaning that the Detroit Red Wings are officially less than three weeks away from the start of Training Camp, which opens at the BELFOR Training Center inside Little Caesars Arena on Sept. 17.
As of now, the Red Wings remain without a general manager following the leadership transition announced in mid-July, while captain Dylan Larkin remains with the organization despite his trade request, which he reportedly has not had a change of heart about.
The Red Wings, who lost 57 points of offense upon the departure of forward Patrick Kane, did sign UFA forward Viktor Arvidsson, who tallied 54 points (25G, 27A) with the divisional rival Boston Bruins last season.
But amid their front-office void, the Red Wings have missed an opportunity to add some badly needed secondary scoring to their lineup.
UFA forward Eeli Tolvanen has reportedly agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the New York Rangers, removing another name from the free-agent market whom the Red Wings could have pursued to supplement their offense.
Not finalized just yet, but closing in. #NYR adding 27-year-old Eeli Tolvanen to the mix. https://t.co/3xMAs02X7U
Tolvanen, who has spent the last several seasons with the Seattle Kraken, now joins a Rangers team that was shut out on home ice a whopping seven times last season. He's just one season removed from a career-high 23 goals scored in 2024-25.
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 4, 2024
While his production dipped to just 12 goals in 2025-26, signing Tolvanen would have represented a low-risk, high-reward proposition for Detroit.
According to a report earlier this offseason from NHL insider David Pagnotta, the Red Wings were interested in the Finnish forward, although it wasn't specified whether that interest was before or after Steve Yzerman vacated his role as general manager on July 15.
The Red Wings, who did not utilize the NHL's buyout window earlier in the summer, will have to hope that players like Michael Rasmussen, J.T. Compher, and Mason Appleton can provide more consistent production than they did last season.
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SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 5: Devin Vassell #24, Stephon Castle #5 & De'Aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs look on during the game against the New York Knicks during Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 5, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Expectations are difficult to deal with. There are many stories of young teams arriving too early and then never reaching the heights they overachieved to get to. Look at Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder, who lost in the NBA Finals in 2012 and then disbanded 4 years later. It’s hard to keep a linear trajectory that leads to a championship and then a dynasty.
The San Antonio Spurs will be counting on linear improvement after losing to the New York Knicks in last season’s Finals. The Spurs are firmly in championship-or-bust mode, with a roster filled with key players who are barely old enough to order a drink at the bar. Those expectations come with a lot of weight. But Spurs fans think the team can handle that.
According to our last SB Nation Reacts survey, just over half of Spurs fans think the team will improve on their 2025-26 record of 62-20. Every team in the NBA will be pushing harder than ever to make sure they don’t accomplish that. Being the new shiny young team will draw every other franchise’s best effort. And, with fewer teams tanking due to a change in the league’s rules, there will be even more nights where they’ll face a team really going for it.
Of course, a lot of players will be gunning for the Spurs’ best player, too. Victor Wembanyama drew a lot of criticism for his overaggressive play in the playoffs. Teams are going to be coming at him and hoping they can get under his skin as a way to combat the impact he makes on both ends. It will take a lot of maturity for him and the rest of the team to respond to this onslaught from the rest of the league.
Luckily for the Spurs, they brought in some reinforcements that should help them stay level-headed. Tobias Harris is one of the league’s most respected veterans. While Harris hasn’t necessarily won a lot of playoff series, he has consistently been a member of winning teams. Those are the kinds of players who can raise the floor of a team during the dog days of the regular season, improving the overall record.
San Antonio is also now one of the deepest teams in the NBA. The addition of Tarris Reed Jr. gives them the third big man they desperately needed last season. The team is loaded with wings and guards that can fill in if injuries arise or a player needs a rest. That is a major key to matching the 62 wins they had last season.
FanDuel has the Spurs’ win total at 60.5, just slightly under what they had last season. Even without beating their 2025-26 record, San Antonio is still one of the favorites to win the NBA Finals at +230 on the site.
Baseball in September is the perfect time to get healthy, return to action and get some swings in before the October playoff push. On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Los Angeles Dodgers returned multiple players to the active roster who have been battling lingering injuries.
Catchers Will Smith and Dalton Rushing were activated, the team announced. Smith missed nearly the previous three months with an inflamed disc in his neck. He was batting .249/.338/.382 before the injury.
Rushing returns after missing practically the last month of baseball with a slight ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear in his right elbow.
In addition to their catcher tandem, the Dodgers also saw LHP Justin Wrobleski jump back into the fold after inflammation in his left forearm. He's 11-5 through 21 games played (20 starts) and has a 3.56 ERA and a 1.1 WHIP in 126.1 innings pitched. He's struck out 100 batters this season and given up 19 homers and 28 walks.
Infielder Alex Freeland was also added to the active roster in his third stint with the team, where he's put up slash stats of .231/.309/.313 with three homers and 19 RBI in 72 games with the Dodgers.
In order to make room for their returns, the Dodgers opted outfielder Alek Thomas to Triple-A Oklahoma City and designated catcher Ben Rortvedt to assignment.
The Dodgers have a home game on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals. First pitch begins at 7:10 p.m. PT on Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles has the best record in the National League West division at 82-55.
