The New York Yankees stormed out to the best record in the American League without Anthony Volpe. And now that their shortstop is healthy enough to return, they've decided to carry on without him.
The Yankees returned Volpe from his minor league rehab assignment and assigned him to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, May 3, a moderately surprising move for a player that was once seemingly a part of the club's core.
Volpe, who turned 25 on April 28, underwent off-season surgery on his left shoulder and missed all of spring training, and a lengthy rehab assignment was always in the offing. Yet the club has received pleasantly surprising production from backup Jose Caballero, who has four home runs and a career-best .711 OPS.
For now, he will hold down the spot for the 23-11 Yankees, who can sweep a four-game series from division rival Baltimore on Monday. In the bigger picture, Volpe also faces significant competition from top prospect George Lombard Jr., who was recently promoted from Class AA to AAA and is batting .304 with a .913 OPS and four homers across the two levels.
That would mark a precipitous fall for Volpe, who was drafted 30th overall in 2019 and emerged from a crowded field of prospect shortstops to win the full-time job over Oswald Peraza. He hit 21 home runs and finished eighth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 but his lifetime .283 on-base percentage and defensive misadventures lowered his stock.
The start of Monday's Mets-Rockies game has been bumped up due to potential inclement weather.
First pitch is now scheduled for 5:40 p.m. ET.
New York will be looking to keep the good times rolling after their series win over the Angels.
Manager Carlos Mendoza announced following Sunday's victory that lefty David Peterson will pitch behind an opener.
There had been suggestions that would be Tobias Myers, but his availability is unknown after throwing 2.2 innings during Saturday night's loss.
Whoever it is will be countered by right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who has pitched to a strong 2.84 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over his first six starts this season.
Colorado has lost four in a row, and are coming off a sweep at the hands of the red-hot Braves.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 03: Luis Castillo #58 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals was ruled safe after sliding into home plate during the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at T-Mobile Park on May 03, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was bad. It was boring. It was a third straight loss.
The Mariners lineup snoozed through a 4-1 loss on Sunday as the Royals completed a sweep in Seattle. The short-side of the Mariners platoons, once again, frankly stunk, sending the minimum-plus-one to the plate over the final five innings.
Lefty Kris Bubic took the ball for the Royals. He was excellent last year, with a 2.89 FIP in 20 starts, so this wasn’t expected to be an easy task. The Mariners seemed to agree, allowing Bubic to work through seven innings with minimal effort. The Mariners began the day 22nd in baseball with an 86 wRC+ lefties, in what’s been perhaps the most discouraging sign from the early going. The lineup Sunday looked especially suspect, as Cal Raleigh sat out with soreness in his side region.
To their immense credit, the Mariners scratched across the first run of the game in the third inning. Leo Rivas fell behind 1-2 but drew an eight-pitch walk. Julio Rodríguez later singled him over to third, and Josh Naylor plated a run on a fielder’s choice.
That was it. They picked up two singles and a walk the rest of the way.
Luis Castillo got the start, looking to bounce back after getting shelled in Minnesota last week. It’s been a tough go since he went six scoreless in his first outing of the season against the Yankees, with a couple middling starts sandwiched between blowouts. With Emerson Hancock pitching well and Bryce Miller progressing in a rehab stint, there’s been some question about Castillo’s spot on the depth chart.
He seemed to make a case for sticking around early. He struck out Bobby Witt Jr. in the first inning on three pitches, getting a chase on a slider out of the zone. Then he struck out Vinnie Pasquantino, getting three more swings out of the zone. In the second, he got Carter Jensen to punch out on three straight fastballs, elevating each more than the last until Jensen swung at his eyes.
Castillo gave up a single to leadoff the third, but quickly got Michael Massey to chase a fastball in for a fourth strikeout. On the next pitch, Jhonny Pereda — making his first start for the Mariners with Cal out — gunned down Isaac Collins trying to steal second.
Things immediately went down hill for Castillo on the second turn through the order. Witt and Pasquantino lead off with hard-hit singles. Castillo then hit Salvador Perez to load the bases with no outs. He walked the next batter to plate a run, got a ground out to plate another, and gave up a sac fly to make the game 3-1.
This has been the story for Castillo most of the season. He entered the day with a 2.59 FIP on the first trip through a lineup, and a 6.33 FIP on the second.
Castillo settled down with minimum strife in the fifth, but a two-out walk and a sharp double off the wall in the sixth made the game 4-1. He struck out his final batter of the game — his first since the initial pass through the order —to finish six innings with five strikeouts, two walks, six hits, and 11 hard hit balls allowed.
The Mariners are now 16-19. They are still the favorites in the AL West, given nobody else wants to win the division, either. But we’ve seen the flaws of this roster create inconsistency, at the very least. The loss to the Royals is the third time the Mariners have been swept this year, and it’s come after they clawed their way back to .500 at the end of April with back-to-back series wins. It doesn’t get any easier with the 25-10 Braves in town next.
Apr 20, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts during the second half during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers need a win to keep their season alive. We’ll see if they can bounce back from an ugly Game 6 loss to defeat the Toronto Raptors in Game 7.
Share your thoughts as the game unfolds. If you aren’t a member of the community, sign up so you can talk to your fellow Cavalier fans and make your voice heard!
A fan poses next to the National Basketball Association logo before the NBA pre-season basketball game between the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets at the Venetian Arena in Macau on October 12, 2025. (Photo by Eduardo Leal / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
While fans in Philadelphia and New York prepare for what looks like a classic Eastern Conference playoff series this week, Brooklyn fans will be looking forward to next Sunday’s NBA Lottery in Chicago. Their third worst record gives them a 14.0% shot at the overall No. 1, a 52.1% shot at a top four pick … a 14.8% at No. 5, a 26.0% at the No. 6 and (ugh) 7.0% at No. 7.
There is mystery, of course, not just about where the Nets will pick after the nationally televised (ESPN) selection process but how they see the top seven candidates. It is as closely held a “state secret” as there is at the HSS Training Center.
Anyone who watched the SCOUT docu-series last summer could see just how secret: every screen from the team’s big board to the scouts’ computers at HSS Training Center was scrubbed — fuzzed out — before it aired. And it is not above Sean Marks & co. to engage in a disinformation campaign. While most pundits thought Brooklyn had its eyes on Khaman Maluach at No. 8 last June, the Nets instead were focused on Egor Demin. Indeed, as some video from the Hornets war room showed, Charlotte execs, several of them former Nets staffers, were shocked that Brooklyn had passed on Maluach who they had coveted. (How’d that work out?)
This year, a number of pundits like Cam Boozer of Duke, as we noted earlier in the week. One even called him the “perfect Net,” with his fundamental skillset, maturity and leadership potential. Any comparison with Tim Duncan is going to get Marks’ attention considering how much he reveres his former Spurs teammate. Many may see Boozer as boring, but a lot of people saw Duncan that way too … as he won five NBA championships.
Any of the top four — Boozer, A.J. Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Caleb Wilson — would fill a Nets need either in the short term, long term or both. After that, the Nets would likely have a choice of guards who would duplicate skillsets of the young players already on the roster — Kingston Flemings, Mikel Brown, Keaton Wagler and Darius Acuff. Draftniks have opined that teams picking between Nos. 5 and 8 are likely to have a difficult time sorting them out.
Do we even know who the Nets have brought in for workouts and interviews? Nope. That’s not going to be public either. (One thing to spy if you want more info: who the 76ers and Knicks are working out. Agents often arrange workout schedules to take advantage of geography, save time and money.)
One thing we think we can plan for next Sunday, the dreaded commercial break at the Lottery. Normally, ESPN lets deputy GM Mark Tatum call out picks Nos. 14 through 5 before going to commercial. Assuming the Nets have enough luck to avoid falling to Nos. 6 or 7, that break will test our patience before the big moment.
Possibly, we will know more by the end of the week? Likely not. Know this, though: once the Lottery is done, no matter how things work out, things will change. Would Nets try to move up? One NBA decision-maker says tells NetsDaily he thinks that with all their assets, Brooklyn has a shot at moving up a couple of slots. They tried last year, but a number of potential trade partners wanted the 2026 first which the Nets had no interest in trading. Would they try to get a second first? They might, again using their assets. But any move like those won’t likely happen till closer to the Draft.
Another league source noted to ND this week the bottom line: “Man, they have a lot of options.” As one player in the Nets Draft War, Simone Casali, the director of international scouting, told an Italian interviewer 18 months ago that Draft Night can be quite intense.
“In the NBA, a lot can change from one moment to the next, I cannot know when we will have a choice available and how high,” said Casali whose overall interview is quite revelatory about scouting culture. “It can happen, for example, that on the night of the Draft you suddenly find yourself with choices available as a result of a trade: you cannot afford to improvise. Scouting always follows the same rules, the same attention to detail.”
We still have six weeks till the Draft, of course. In the meantime, we can only wait and pray.
Early Free Agency Rumors
What about free agency? That same anonymous league source who spoke about options told us that while he loves the Nets current situation, he wonders how they will transition from rebuild to build. He can recite all the team’s assets an added that the tanking reforms are yet another positive for them.
“The league getting rid of tanking in some ways has really helped them but also is going to cause them to have to quickly pivot in terms of their day to day,” he said. “They have to play to win, but I don’t know if they know how to do that.”
It wasn’t so much a criticism of Marks, Tsai, etc.‘s ability to get things done but rather how big they want to go and how soon. “I don’t understand how they don’t see Giannis or Kawhi as their big swing … shoot even bring KD back to finish his career.”
Moving on any of those 30+ superstars would be risky and at this point, fans seemed to be patient (enough) to continue the organic rebuild. Barclays Center attendance numbers seem to reflect that with the arena selling out 99.2% of capacity over 41 home dates. (We can’t speak to the TV ratings. They’re not public, but are almost assuredly ugly. We will find out soon enough.)
Bringing back the soon-to-be 38-year-old Kevin Durant would create headlines and with some well-crafted P.R. engender nostalgia for what might have been. There are people in the organization who’d like to see him back, citing how he changed the franchise culture his first time around. Remember the good times! There are others, however, who are not so enamored of a reunion, recalling his ugly exit, criticism of teammates, lack of leadership particularly re his superstar teammates, and his push for short term solutions whether it was advocating for DeAndre Jordan over Jarrett Allen, signing short-term fixes, demanding front office firings, pushing his business partner Rich Kleiman for a top job or demanding Ime Udoka be hired as head coach despite his suspension from the Celtics. Did we miss anything? Probably.
How does KD, who did average 26/6/5 on near 50/40/90 shooting, feel about a reunion? We don’t know but things are not good in Houston. After missing only four games in the regular season, he sat on the bench in all but one game of Houston’s first round flameout due to a nagging ankle injury. He is simply not that popular in Texas. Many Rocket fans see him as a “mercenary” after his stays in OKC, Golden State, Brooklyn, Phoenix and now Houston. He has also gotten beyond the first round only once leaving New York. The scandal surrounding his burner comments re his young Houston teammates never got resolved and again, his leadership got questioned. He will be meeting soon with Rockets brass about his now uncertain future.
He did have provide some comments in 2024 and 2025 expressing his love of the franchise (that he helped blow up) …
What might a reunion cost the Nets … beyond psychically? He is owed $44 million next season, then has a $46 million player option in 2027-28 at age 39. Acquiring him would almost certainly require the Nets to give up Michael Porter Jr. who will be an expiring at $41 million next season. Would Brooklyn be required to add picks? Or would they require some in return?
Bottom line: the KD reunion may sound intriguing, but without polling fans, it seems from social media that the base is more “been there, done that,” than “welcome home.” He is still a great player but exhausting.
Beyond the choice between going for a superstar or building organically through the draft, there is the intriguing third path, adding a young piece who might not be a superstar but damn good and did we say young? We’re talking about 6’8” 23-year-old Peyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets. Jake Fischer wrote this week what fans have known: that the Nets along with the at least the Lakers and Bulls have interest. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game on 41.1% shooting.
He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, the Nugs having decided last summer to sign Christian Braun to a five-year, $125 million deal instead of him. Part of the windfall for Braun came from money the Kroeneke family saved by trading Michael Porter Jr and an unprotected first in 2032 for Cam Johnson. Ironic much?
Fischer wrote a lot about the Nuggets quandary in keeping him. To avoid the pain of the second apron, the most likely scenario has them dealing CamJ away to make room for a big deal for Watson. Easier said than done. Johnson is 30 and hasn’t played 60 games in any of the past four seasons. Still, that could help Denver avoid a Nets offer sheet that could 1) contain poison pills the Nuggets might not want to swallow or 2) begin talks on a sign-and-trade at a disadvantage. That speculation is all well and good, but this weekend saw something easier to digest than CBA provisions… an exchange between Watson and MP….
Well now! The two players are known to be close from the time when Porter mentored a young Watson and as he told N3ON this weekend, MPJ thinks Brooklyn is going to get better soon. We are always a bit skeptical of how friendships affect free agency. Money usually talks loudest but the Nets have, as our source noted, a number of options.
Expect to hear other names, of course. Free agency is even further away than the Draft. It opens June 30.
Who’s in charge here?
By the way, if you are wondering who makes the final decision on big things like trades, signings and picks — whether it’s the GM or owner — Sean Marks shed some light about how that process works on a podcast with Boki Nachbar and Ric Bucher. Their Fullcourt Passport, is focused on the NBA’s wider world, Read closer and you can see that while Joe Tsai and Mikhail Prokhorov had “advised,” “helped” and “influenced” him over his tenure, he’s the guy.
“Having two different owners in my time in Brooklyn, obviously from my current owner, Joe Tsai, to our previous Russian owner,” Marks began. “I always ask those guys their advice, their help. I mean these guys are doing multi-billion dollars deals and I’m doing trades with guys who will a half million bucks or three million dollars or five million dollars.
“It’s still their baby and I want to make sure … how they can influence me in my negotiating skills or what have you. I’d be a fool not to involve them. They’ve come from a completely different backgrounds but also to empower them to understand why we’re doing to these deals and what it means down the road. I’m very fortunate in that regard.”
Of course, the owner and GM talk near daily even if the owner is flying over the Pacific a lot of the time and in the case of the Draft, the owner will be in the room.
Draft Sleeper of the Week
We love having a high second rounder, particularly in a deep draft. Teams are not required to give second round picks a guaranteed deal. Often, as the Nets did in the case of No. 31 pick Nic Claxton in 2019, they will, generally agreeing to a deal near or at the level of the last pick in the first round. This year. per Salary Swish, that would amount to roughly $3 million.
The Nets currently hold two picks in the second round, their own at No. 33, thanks to the tank, and the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 43, a product of last year’s trade of the No. 36 pick — part of the Mikal Bridges trade — to the Phoenix Suns for two future seconds. (The Suns later sent the 36th pick to the Lakers who chose Adou Thiero.)
Assuming the Nets keep the picks and assuming they follow their recent history, they’re likely to sign the 33rd pick to a standard deal and the 43rd to a two-way. One prospect we have been intrigued by at the top of the second is Joshua Jefferson, a 6’9”, 240-pound point forward out of Iowa State who in our most recent mock draft update has been ;inked to the Nets by two outlets, the Athletic and NBADraft.net. (It should be noted, however, in the weeks since those mocks, JJ has moved up quickly, now being touted at No. 25 by Tankathon.)
Although a little older than most prospects at 23 years old, he would seem to fit neatly into Jordi Fernandez’s position-less system. Here’s what NBADraft.net wrote of him recently.
One of the most statistically unique players in the country, becoming the only player nationally (and first in Big 12 history) to post 450+ points, 250+ rebounds, 100+ assists, 70+ steals, and 25+ blocks in a single season … Strong basketball background with family ties to high-level football … Known for toughness, IQ, and all-around production.
And here’s some highlights as well…
Does scream Nets to us.
Summer Games
We love the idea of playing in two summer leagues. The Nets announced this week that before the Las Vegas Summer League which runs between July 9 and July 19, in which the Nets will play a minimum of five games, they will also be in Sacramento at the Garden 1 Center for three games on July 4, 5 and 6. So that’s eight games in 15 days, a mid-season schedule for the NBA.
There’s a lot of good reasons for double duty, starting with their continued youth. The Nets will have seven players on rookie deals next year, Noah Clowney, the Flatbush 5 and the lottery pick plus maybe a second rounder as well as the three rookies who played this year without a standard deal: Chaney Johnson, Malachi Smith and Grant Nelson who of whom are likely to be available plus two-ways E.J. Liddell and Tyson Etienne etc. etc. Might Josh Minott play? He’s 23 but not many fifth year players spend time in Vegas … or Sacramento
Final Note
We hear Mr. Whammy, aka Bruce Reznick, is all set for his debut as the Nets lucky charm at the Draft Lottery next Sunday. He and his grandson will be taking the train to Chicago we are told — he is 90 — and on arrival will be treated as a guest of honor by the Nets. As we’ve noted Whammy can’t sit on the dias. League rules, you know, but he will be in the audience, presumably hexing away. We don’t yet know who will be sitting on the dias, but we expect to know sometime mid-week. Good luck to all.
Next week, we expect our report will be late. We will either be celebrating or lamenting.
As first reported by The Post’s Joel Sherman, Volpe was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday after being reinstated from the 10-day IL.
The Yankees had to make a roster move with Volpe by Tuesday, as his 20-day rehab window ended after his hitless day with Double-A Somerset.
In his comeback from offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, Volpe has not hit well in the minors, and the Yankees have seen his replacement, José Caballero, exceed expectations.
So what was once considered almost a formality — that Volpe would reclaim his starting job at shortstop with the Yankees as soon as he was able — is now on hold.
Anthony Volpe swings during Somerset’s April 17 game. Charles Wenzelberg
And the player, who appeared in just 22 Triple-A games before winning the starting shortstop job out of spring training in 2023, is headed back there.
Before Sunday’s 11-3 win over Baltimore in The Bronx — another victory with another solid showing from Caballero — Aaron Boone said no decision had been made, in part because the Yankees have been playing as well as any team in the majors and Caballero had been a significant part of that success.
“Caballero is playing the heck out of the position and is playing really well,” Boone said. “That complicates it. … José has [earned] himself more playing time. I love the idea of José being in a super-utility role because he’s so good at it, but you also can’t ignore he’s played so well defensively at shortstop [and] been a real spark for us offensively.”
Boone also noted they’d have to figure out the best role for Volpe, who the manager said “is getting ready to play shortstop” and not preparing for a utility spot.
José Caballero is pictured during the Yankees’ April 19 game. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
That they can have Volpe in the minors is a luxury for the Yankees, who have won 13 of their past 15 games even without their starting shortstop of the past three years.
And it’s a change from the stance they had just a few weeks ago.
On April 10, shortly before Volpe’s rehab assignment began, general manager Brian Cashman said of Volpe returning to his everyday job, “That’s always been the plan. But ultimately, that’ll be the manager’s call.”
Caballero entered Sunday with a .935 OPS in his previous 19 games with seven stolen bases — while also in the midst of a 17-game errorless streak.
In the minors, Volpe has just one extra-base hit in 49 plate appearances, and the Yankees haven’t skipped a beat without the 25-year-old, who disappointed on both sides of the ball last year while playing with the injured shoulder.
“We’re off to a really good start,” Boone said of the team. “[Caballero] has been right in the middle of that defensively [and] offensively. So he’s earned some opportunities there. It’s really as simple as that [and] then weighing what’s the best thing for our team moving forward.”
Boone also noted, “It’s a long season” and “there are gonna be so many opportunities for different guys. The fact is, we’re probably as deep as we’ve ever been. We have real competition for real spots and real roles on the team that we haven’t had in some portions of seasons.”
That will almost certainly include Volpe, but not yet.
Detroit Tigers designated hitter Jace Jung (17) bats against Texas Rangers during the second inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, May 2, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (17-17) vs. Texas Rangers (16-17)
Time/Place: 7:20 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: Lone Star Ball Media: NBC Sports Network/Peacock, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: LHP Tyler Holton (0-1, 5.54 ERA) vs. RHP Jack Leiter (1-2, 5.17 ERA)
Enter Tobias Harris. The Pistons' veteran wing was solid this season (13.3 points per game) but stepped it up in the playoffs, averaging 20.2 points a night. In Game 7 on Sunday, he found another level. He had 19 points in the first half, including scoring 11 straight in the final 2:30 of the first half, when Detroit took over the game. He would go on to score 30.
"Nobody can say s*** to me about Tobias," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said about a player who has heard his share of criticism over the years. "He's dependable, reliable, prepared for the moment. He's a leader, he's a great teammate, he's a great human being.
In the third quarter, Cade Cunningham took over and made sure Detroit finished the job, quickly turning an 11-point halftime lead into 20, and Game 7 was never in doubt after that.
Detroit cruised to a 116-94 win, and with that, the No. 1 seed Pistons came back from 3-1 down to win a much tougher series than expected against the Orlando Magic, who pushed them to the brink.
Detroit now advances to the second round for the first time since 2008 and will face the winner of Game 7 between Toronto and Cleveland later on Sunday (on NBC). Orlando heads into an offseason where they will face questions about just how well their stars fit together, whether they have the right coach, and whether they should make sweeping changes or run it back.
Paolo Banchero did everything he could for the Magic, finishing with a game-high 38 points including four 3-pointers. The problem is, all the other Magic combined to shoot 34% for the game and 6-of-23 (26.1%) from beyond the arc. It just wasn't enough.
Especially with Cunningham making plays on his way to 32 points and 12 assists for the night.
Detroit's Motor(CADE) came through in Game 7!
️ 32 PTS ️ 12 AST ️ 2 BLK ️ 4-6 3PM ️ 10-18 FGM
Pistons become the 15th team in NBA history to come back from down 3-1 deficit in a postseason series!
Jalen Duren had his best game of the series with 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Daniss Jenkins had 16 off the bench for the Pistons. For the Magic, Desmond Bade added 16 points.
This game looked like a Game 7 early, with both teams a little tight in the first quarter — except for Banchero, who had the first 11 Orlando points, including going 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Despite that, the Magic shot 8-of-21 (38.1%) in the first, but that was good enough for a 22-20 lead over a Pistons team that was 7-of-20 (35%), including Duncan Robinson starting 1-of-7 from 3-point range, and most of those were quality looks.
In the second quarter that changed, especially for Detroit, which shot 56.5% as a team, knocked down five 3-pointers, and scored 40 in the frame. The Pistons were out and running — Detroit had 12 points off Orlando turnovers in the second quarter, which was aided by Ausar Thompson's three steals.
The Pistons broke the game open when they closed the first half on a 20-6 run, which included an 11-straight points from Harris (he had 19 for the half), and Detroit led 60-49 at the break despite 23 from Banchero.
Cunningham looked like an All-NBA player in the third quarter and that was it. Game over.
Even if the Pistons had to sweat the first round a lot more than they expected.
Austin Reaves loses the ball in front of Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Alex Caruso during a Lakers loss in April 2025. The Lakers and Thunder open their best-of-seven playoff series Tuesday. (Joshua Gateley / Getty Images)
The Lakers understand the daunting challenge they're about to face against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.
Lakers coach JJ Redick referenced the great Chicago Bulls teams that won back-to-back championships in 1996 and '97 and the Golden State Warriors teams that won titles in 2015 and '17 when talking about the Thunder after practice Sunday.
“The Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history,” Redick said. “It's just the reality. They're that good. I think our guys recognize that and respect that, and we know what kind of task we have in front of us.”
The Thunder had the best record in the regular season at 64-18. They were ranked first in defensive field-goal percentage (43.7%), first in defensive rating (106.5), first in net rating (43.7) and second in points given up per game (107.9).
They have the league's reigning most valuable player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the leading candidate to repeat as MVP. He was second in scoring this season (31.1 points per game) and leads the postseason in scoring (33.8).
This season the Thunder beat the Lakers by an average of 29.2 points per game in sweeping the four-game set. So the Lakers are facing long odds to win this series, but they say they aren't intimidated heading into Game 1 on Tuesday night.
“You can respect the team but you can't fear them,” forward Jake LaRavia said. “You can't come into the game fearing the opponent and then you're just gonna come in and get punked. So, we respect how good this team is, but our goal is to win — win the games and win the series. So, our mindset stays the same.”
The Thunder have a reputation as a stingy defensive team — they were called for the seventh-fewest fouls per game (19) this season.
“They're top five in every category that's disruptive-base: steals, blocks, turnovers forced, all that stuff. And they don't foul,” Redick said. “They somehow do all of that without fouling, which is one of the most remarkable things, I think, in NBA history."
Gilgeous-Alexander is famous for drawing fouls. He took nine free throws per game this season, third-most in the league.
“Nobody’s been able to stop him all season,” Redick said. “So, you can hope and pray.”
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives against the Lakers during a Thunder win on April 2. (Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
The Lakers had their own weapon at the free-throw line, but it's unclear when Luka Doncic might return from injury. The All-Star point guard hasn't played since sustaining a Grade 2 left hamstring strain against the Thunder on April 2.
Doncic was coming off a magical month, becoming the only player in history other than Michael Jordan to score 600 points in March.
Redick had no update on Doncic's status — he remains out indefinitely.
But the Lakers got by the Rockets with LeBron James leading the way. He averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the six games. And star guard Austin Reaves, who also was injured in the April 2 game against the Thunder, returned to help beat the Rockets.
Still, few think the Lakers, who advanced past the first round for the first time since 2023, can get by the deep and talented Thunder.
“You could say nobody thought we were going to get past Houston, but everybody in this building believed,” Reaves said. “It's the same mindset going into this. We obviously know the team that we're about to face and how good they are and the problems that they can create for 48 minutes. So, we'll have to lock in every single day, film, whatever it could be, to continue to get better and and pay attention to all the little details like they do.”
The Yankees have officially reached a decision on Anthony Volpe.
New York optioned the shortstop to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre upon his activation from the IL on Sunday.
Sunday, of course, marked the 20th and final day on Volpe's minor league rehab assignment which is what led to the club having to make the difficult decision.
While Volpe put together a strong showing on his road back from offseason shoulder surgery, Jose Caballero has been tremendous in all aspects of the game for the Yanks in his absence.
Caballero's hitting .259 with four homers, five doubles, 12 RBI, 13 stolen bases, and a .711 OPS.
“You also can't ignore that he's played so well defensively at shortstop, been a real spark for us offensively, especially after kind of getting off to a slow start probably the first 10 days, two weeks of the season,” Boone said. “He's really picked that up and been in the middle of us winning games.
“At the end of the day, we're going to try and do what's best for our team and then individual players that we care about too and know that are going to be important contributors to our team -- we weigh all that."
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 14: JJ Wetherholt #26 (R) celebrates with Iván Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals after hitting a solo home run against the Cleveland Guardians in the third inning at Busch Stadium on April 14, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We all love the stock market, right?! Yeah, I figured that’s probably not true, but it is a good way to retire with a nice 401K plan. That mini-Econ lesson aside, we asked a series of Buy or Sell style questions to figure out our positions on certain players and circumstances in the Cardinals organization in our latest episode.
Kaden Joggerst, the human behind the viral @CardinalSTLMuse twitter account joined us to consider just how much of our stock portfolio we should be putting in JJ Wetherholt’s ceiling. We consider what type of sustained success it would take to get fans back to Busch in familiar numbers, ask whether Michael McGreevy can keep outpitching his batted ball metrics, and how to think about the Nathan Church – Victor Scott II situation.
As always, it was a fun conversation, and Kaden was a great guest. He was full of insight and maintained an interesting “buy or sell” portfolio over the course of the episode.
Also, from the whole Redbird Rundown team, the support for our show in the VEB community has been great. Thank you for listening! It would be fantastic if you could subscribe as you listen on your platform of choice!
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 03: Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals reacts after he was called out after sliding into home plate during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 03, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Two weeks ago, the Royals had just lost their seventh straight game, it dropped them to 7-15 on the season. Now they just got done sweeping the Mariners in the Pacific Northwest with a 4-1 victory. The Royals wrapped up a 4-2 trip out west and are now winners in 7 of their last 9 contests. They are 15-19 on the season, and 2.5 games out of first place. They are 3-0 in the month of May.
After doing next to nothing through three innings, the Royals found themselves down 1-0. Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino hit back-to-back singles to start the 4th. Salvy got hit by a pitch, and the bases were loaded for Carter Jensen with nobody down. Jensen worked back from a 1-2 count to earn an RBI walk to tie it up. Jac Caglianone was up next, and he hit into a forceout, making it 2-1.
Isaac Collins next, skied a ball into medium deep right center, Julio Rodríguez got underneath it and threw a three hopper to the plate, Salvy was initially called out, but empathically told the dugout to challenge, they did and Salvy was safe on a fantastic slide to make it 3-1.
Collins doubled off the center field wall to score Cags with two outs in the 6th, to make it 4-1 as well. For a guy that didn’t have a hit on the road on as of Tuesday, Collins swung the bat very well on the trip, even a good amount of his outs were hit hard.
John Schreiber started the 8th inning, he walked one but got a pair of groundouts as well. Daniel Lynch IV came in to face Josh Naylor with two outs, with a runner on first. He promptly struck him out on four pitches. Lynch stayed in for the 9th, striking out two more and getting a grounder to Vinnie to complete the sweep. It’s Lynch’s first save of the season, Bubic’s third win.
The Royals have a huge next 10 games, they open a seven game homestand against Cleveland tomorrow night, who they are 2.5 games back of at the top of the division, for four games. The Tigers are in town next weekend, and then it’s off to the southside to face the streaking White Sox for three games. A chance to gain ground and get some divisional wins awaits the Royals. The stretch starts tomorrow night at 6:40 p.m. CT, with Michael Wacha getting the start. The game can be streamed on Royals.TV.
DETROIT — Cade Cunningham had 32 points and 12 assists, Tobias Harris added 30 points and the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 116-94 in Game 7 on Sunday to win a playoff series for the first time in 18 years.
Cunningham averaged 32.4 points for Detroit, which last won a postseason series by beating Orlando in the second round in 2008. The Pistons advance to play the winner of Sunday night’s Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. Game 1 will be Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.
“We were pushed to the limit,” Cunningham said. “And it made us really reflect on how we were playing, what got us to this position and what made us win as many games as we won in the regular season. And it got us back to playing the basketball that we knew we were capable of.”
Duncan Robinson (55), Daniss Jenkins (24), Cade Cunningham (2) and Javonte Green (31) of the Detroit Pistons react during Game 7 against the Orlando Magic. NBAE via Getty Images
The Pistons became the 15th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit and the second in the last two nights, after the Philadelphia 76ers came back to eliminate Boston.
“I mean, it’s expected,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of his team’s resiliency. “And that’s the amount of belief that we have in this group. This is a special group. And you can’t count us out. No matter the circumstances, no matter the situation, I like our chances to fight our way back.”
They trailed by 24 points in Game 6 in Orlando before rallying to take the series at home. Orlando only scored 113 points in the final six quarters of the series — an average of 18.8 per period.
Cunningham and Harris became the first Pistons teammates to score 30 points in a playoff game since Bob Lanier (33) and Howard Porter (30) against the Golden State Warriors on April 17, 1977.
“We really bonded this season,” Cunningham said. “This group is super tight. We think we can do anything. We’ve had our backs against the wall at times in the regular season, but we stuck together and we found our way out of it.”
Paolo Banchero scored 38 for the Magic.
Each team needed a second scoring option in Game 7. Cunningham had carried the Pistons while Banchero was Orlando’s only weapon after Franz Wagner was injured in Game 4.
Harris filled that role for Detroit, but Orlando only had one other player reach double figures in the first three quarters, as Desmond Bane had 10.
Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons dunks the ball against the Orlando Magic during the third quarter in Game Seven of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Getty Images
“We just couldn’t find the basket,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We were playing well on defense, but we couldn’t put the ball in the hole.”
The Pistons also got a big game from All-Star center Jalen Duren. He was outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr. in the first six games, but put up his first double-double of the series with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
Harris scored 17 points in the second quarter as the Pistons finished the half on a 9-2 run to take a 60-49 lead.
The Pistons’ surge continued into the second half, as they opened the third quarter with a 11-2 run to go up 71-51. Nine of the points came from Cunningham and Harris.
The Magic finished the third quarter with 15 points — the third time in their last five periods they couldn’t reach 20 points.
Daniss Jenkins hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give Detroit a 83-64 lead going into the fourth, and the Magic never threatened down the stretch.
“They fought and battled the whole way,” Mosley said. “We just didn’t get the job done.”
For just the fourth time this season, the Mets won a series, as they beat the Angels by a 5-1 score in the rubber game of their series this afternoon in Anaheim. No matter what happened today, the Mets were destined to retain sole possession of the worst record in baseball come tomorrow morning, but a series win sure is a sight for sore eyes for a team that had won just three of its previous twenty games coming into the weekend.
Most of this game was close. The Angels opened the scoring on an RBI single by Jorge Soler in the bottom of the first, but that was the only run Clay Holmes gave up in six-and-two-thirds innings of work. He threw 99 pitches, struck out six, walked three, and gave up four hits, and he has a 1.69 ERA on the season.
The Mets took the lead in the top of the fourth when Mark Vientos hit a two-run home run. And while Vientos continues to struggle with routine plays at first base, his bat turned out to be the best one the Mets had on the afternoon.
After Carson Benge drove in an insurance run with a double in the top of the eighth, Vientos hit another two-run home run to extend the lead to four. And thanks to Luke Weaver throwing one-and-one-third scoreless innings in relief of Holmes before Luke Raley threw a scoreless ninth.
None of the Mets’ pitchers did it alone, as outfielder MJ Melendez and Carson Benge and shortstop Bo Bichette, who played just his second game this season at his old position, each made a great defensive play along the way.
When the game was closer in the early going, the Mets once again didn’t challenge a play that could’ve made a big difference in the game and looked like it would’ve easily gone in their favor. With a runner on first in the top of the third, Juan Soto hit a ground ball to first base that got stuck in the webbing of Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel’s glove as he went to make a throw to second base. He instead took off his glove and tossed it to Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz at first. He bobbled the glove as Soto crossed first base, but the first base umpire called him out.
Fortunately, that wound up being a moot point, and weather permitting, the Mets will attempt to win another series as they travel to Denver to play the Rockies in a three-game series that’s set to get underway tomorrow night.
Big Mets winner: Clay Holmes, +32% WPA Big Mets loser: Marcus Semien, -13% WPA Mets pitchers: +42% WPA Mets hitters: +8% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Mark Vientos hits a two-run home run in the fourth, +22% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jorge Soler hits an RBI single in the first, -9% WPA
TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs hired former captain Mats Sundin as senior executive adviser of hockey operations and John Chayka as general manager Sunday.
The moves mark a reset of the club’s front office after a season that ended with Toronto missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The team said Sundin will provide support across hockey operations, with a focus on team culture, player development and leadership support.
“This fan base deserves greatness and I am grateful for the opportunity to help this team, organization and city achieve that,” Sundin said in a release.
Toronto fired GM Brad Treliving in March, near the end of the disastrous campaign for the Maple Leafs, who entered the season among the Stanley Cup favorites.
The club also did not replace president Brendan Shanahan after he was let go in May 2025.
Sundin and Chayka arrive with the organization still searching for its first Stanley Cup since 1967.
The Maple Leafs’ career points leader, Sundin had a complicated Toronto exit in 2008 before a brief stint with the Vancouver Canucks, but remains a fan favorite for his 13 seasons in blue and white.
The 55-year-old Swede, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012 and returned home to start a family after retiring, has never held a formal management position in the game.
The 36-year-old Chayka became the NHL’s youngest GM when he was hired by the Arizona Coyotes a decade ago. His time in the desert was marked by an analytics-heavy push and bold trades.
“I’m honored to join the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and excited to work alongside Mats and the entire organization,” Chayka said in a statement. “This is one of hockey’s most historic franchises, with a passionate fan base who want to win."
Chayka abruptly resigned in July 2020 on the eve of the league’s pandemic restart and was subsequently suspended by commissioner Gary Bettman for one year in 2021 for “conduct detrimental to the league and game” after pursuing job opportunities with other teams while still employed by the Coyotes.
Arizona was also docked first- and second-round picks for holding unauthorized workouts with draft prospects under his watch, in breach of the league’s scouting combine policy.
