The England white-ball veteran on his post-captaincy career, his Ashes struggles and the recent death of his father
Another summer is over and, for Jos Buttler, life and cricket feel more precious than ever. The fleeting nature of both has been accentuated by the loss of Buttler’s father, John, after his unexpected death in August. The 35-year-old will soon talk movingly about grief and acceptance but, first, he reflects on his venerable place in white-ball cricket after England’s international summer ended in a low-key series in Ireland.
Buttler opened the batting and Jacob Bethell and Rehan Ahmed, who followed him at three and four in the opening match, are both 21. But he had proved his sustained brilliance a few weeks earlier when, against South Africa, he hit 83 off 30 balls in a blistering knock that helped England to become the first team to pass 300 in a T20 international.
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has established his starting rotation for this week’s Wild-Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers’ playoff rotation is so deep that all-world Shohei Ohtani isn’t officially in it, and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw isn’t on the Wild-Card roster.
Ohtani is the “possible” starter for Game 3 on Thursday evening if the best-of-three series goes that far, Roberts said. If it doesn’t, who knows? Kershaw, on the brink of retiring after 18 seasons, would be activated only if the Dodgers reach a National League Division Series, Roberts added. He probably won’t start.
Blake Snell, who missed four months with left shoulder inflammation, gets the call in Game 1 on Tuesday, and Roberts indicated Yoshinobu Yamamoto would start Wednesday’s evening’s Game 2.
So why isn’t Ohtani on the slate?
“The work load, and it’s the proper rest for Snell and Yamamoto,” Roberts said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen with Game 3, but there could be an off day after that. We’re just trying to think through everything.”
Ohtani, of course, will lead off as the designated hitter.
Where does Ohtani fit in as a pitcher? His use as a late-inning reliever wouldn’t seem to work because of the logistics–warming up in the bullpen at a time when he might still be hitting.
“With him being the best player in the world, he’ll fit in wherever he wants to fit in,” Mookie Betts said Monday. “If he wants to pitch, I’m pretty sure nobody in a Dodger uniform would say no.”
Ruth played for the Boston Red Sox in the 1916 and 1918 World Series, making three pitching starts and winning all three, two of them complete games including a Game 1 shutout of the Chicago Cubs in 1918. He also played a little left field in the series. Overall, he had one hit in 10 at-bats, a triple that drove in two runs in the 1918 series. There was no DH in those days; pitchers had to hit.
The Red Sox won those two Fall Classics, and didn’t win again until 2004, long after Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees. He didn’t pitch in any of the six World Series he played for the Yanks.
Ohtani won a World Series last fall when his Dodgers defeated the Yankees in five games. He didn’t pitch in those playoffs as he recovered from his second right elbow surgery and wasn’t actively back on the mound this season until June 16.
The buildup experiment seemed to work. He averaged about four innings a game across his first 13 starts until Sept. 23 at Arizona, when he maxed out at six innings and 91 pitches, allowing no runs on five hits with no walks and eight strikeouts.
At the plate, Ohtani hit 55 homers, drove in 102 runs and scored a Major League-leading 146 more. He’s a slam dunk for his third consecutive league MVP.
It all seemed to be set for Ohtani to open the playoffs on the mound and at DH. Then it didn’t happen. If he’s not hurt, what gives?
“I mean, we have four or five starters now, and we’re a lot deeper than when we went into the playoffs last year,” Betts said. “These guys are pitching well, and they all feed off each other. The front office did an amazing job giving us this kind of staff, and the boys have done an amazing job performing.”
To be sure, the Dodgers went into the 2024 postseason with only three healthy starters: Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler and Yamamoto, with the latter two coming off injuries. Even in winning it all, they certainly could have used a healthy Ohtani.
Last year, Dodgers starters were 18th in Major League Baseball with a 4.23 ERA, which increased to 5.25 in the playoffs.
This year, because of an embarrassment of riches, Dodgers starters were ninth with a 3.69 ERA, and their entire staff was first overall with a 3.95 ERA heading into the postseason.
Last year, Snell was with the San Francisco Giants, but the Dodgers signed him in the offseason for five years, $182 million. He has rounded into shape following the injury, giving up just 14 earned runs across 52 1/3 innings in August and September.
“That’s why I came here,” Snell said. “To get to the postseason and see how good I can be.”
Yamamoto was 12-8 with a 2.49 ERA in 30 starts. Tyler Glasnow had a sore right shoulder at the end of last season but is fine right now. Kershaw came back off the scrap heap on May 17 and finished 11-2 with a 3.36 ERA in 22 games. Emmet Sheehan was 5-2 with a 3.17 ERA in 12 starts. And after struggling as a rookie starter, Roki Sasaki has looked sharper as a reliever since recently returning from a right shoulder injury.
Ohtani as a pitcher is now an afterthought. Just hit, and everything’s fine. The Dodgers are being cautious.
“This is as good a starting staff as I’ve had going into the postseason,” Roberts said recently.
Thus, he has some choices. When asked about his Game 2 and possible Game 3 starters on Monday, Roberts tried to demur. “No Game 3. Yamamoto will start Game 2,” he said.
Pressed on his plans for Ohtani, Roberts said, “If there’s a Game 3, he’ll probably start Game 3.”
It wasn’t a full-throated endorsement, but as Betts said, if Ohtani wants to pitch, nobody in a Dodger uniform is likely to say no.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith sprints to first base after hitting a double off Colorado Rockies pitcher German Marquez on Sept. 9. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Despite missing the last three weeks of the season with a fracture in his right hand, catcher Will Smith was included on the Dodgers’ roster for their best-of-three wild card series against the Cincinnati Reds this week, the team announced ahead of Game 1 on Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear if Smith would be able to start Game 1 at Dodger Stadium. Ben Rortvedt was also on the roster, and is expected to start behind the plate if Smith can’t go.
Still, even having Smith’s presence as a potential pinch-hitter will be a boon for the team, which was bracing to begin the playoffs without the two-time All-Star before he made late progress this week in his recovery from his hand injury.
Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, who both missed time last week with minor injuries, were also on the roster as expected.
The other big development from Tuesday’s roster announcement was the absence of outfielder Michael Conforto, the $17-million offseason signing who struggled mightily for much of the regular season but had continued to get playing time through the end of the schedule.
Conforto hit only .199 this season, the lowest mark of any hitter with 450 plate appearances. He also managed just 12 home runs (a full-season career-low), 36 RBIs and struck out 121 times (albeit while drawing 56 walks and keeping his on-base-percentage above .300).
Conforto did finish the season better, batting .228 with a .678 OPS after July 1 and going 15-for-61 (.246 average) in September. As a left-handed hitter, he also appeared to have potential value off the bench.
However, the Dodgers elected to roster trade deadline acquisition Alex Call and defensive specialist Justin Dean (who finished the season in the minors) on their wild card roster. They also kept infielder Hyeseong Kim, who is a speed threat but has been equally inconsistent from the left side of the plate down the stretch.
There were few surprises among the Dodgers’ pitching staff, which included only 11 arms (not including two-way player Shohei Ohtani) for this abbreviated opening-round series.
Rookie phenom Roki Sasaki, who returned from a shoulder injury and impressed in two late-season relief appearances, was on the roster as manager Dave Roberts had hinted the day before.
So too were right-handed veteran Blake Treinen and embattled left-handed closer Tanner Scott, who were major disappointments in late-inning roles this year but flashed some improvement in the final days of the regular season.
The rest of the Dodgers’ bullpen includes converted right-handed starters Tyler Glasnow (who will likely return to the rotation if the team advances to the division series) and Emmet Sheehan, hard-throwing rookie right-hander Edgardo Henriquez, and three other left-handed options in addition to Scott: Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer and Justin Wrobleski.
Anthony Banda was the only snub from the team’s regular-season roster. Clayton Kerhsaw was also left off the roster as expected, but could have a role in future rounds if the Dodgers advance.
The 22-year-old forward agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract with the Warriors on Tuesday, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson. The agreement first was reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
BREAKING: Sources confirm to @NBCSWarriors Jonathan Kuminga is signing a two-year, $48.5 million contract with a team option on the second year to return to the Warriors
Warriors and NBA fans together expressed relief at the end of the months-long standoff.
the warriors and jonathan kuminga are the annoying couple in high school that always threatened to break up but never did. just do it. or don’t. leave your classmates out of it
Given the circumstances and how the saga has gone over the last few years, the player option for Kuminga simply was not going to happen. It wouldn’t make sense for the Warriors if they planned on keeping him, and it wouldn’t be attractive to teams who could trade for him
Kuminga became a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2024-25 NBA season. Back-and-forth negotiations dragged for what felt like an eternity for Warriors fans.
For now, the contract agreement gives Dub Nation some much-needed relief.
The 2025-26 NHL regular season is now one week away, and roster outlooks league-wide are becoming clearer.
With Mason McTavish signed and under contract for the next six seasons, the Anaheim Ducks now have a full top-nine forward group, with some likely combination of Jansen Harkins (when healthy), Ross Johnston, Ryan Poehling, Nikita Nesterenko, and Sam Colangelo making up the fourth line and healthy scratches.
The Ducks' goalie room is also full, with Petr Mrazek as the likely backup to Lukas Dostal, and Ville Husso potentially behind Mrazek.
The outlook of the Ducks’ blueline is all but set, as it’s relatively clear who the starting six defensemen will be on opening night, barring injury. However, the one question that remains is who will fill the role of the 7th defenseman.
Following the last round of roster cuts on Sunday, the Ducks kept ten defensemen on their training camp roster: Jackson LaCombe, Radko Gudas, Olen Zellweger, Jacob Trouba, Pavel Mintyukov, Drew Helleson, Stian Solberg, Tristan Luneau, Tyson Hinds, and Ian Moore.
Of those ten names, the first six are assumed to have their opening night spots locked up. One of the latter four names will likely serve as the 7th defenseman, and another can be added if the team decides to start the season with 13 forwards and eight defensemen.
Working under the assumption that the Ducks open the season with the standard 14 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders, they’ll have to make a tough decision on who that 7th defenseman will be.
After Tuesday’s 3-2 preseason win over the San Jose Sharks, the Ducks may have a “leader in the clubhouse.”
In Tuesday’s win, Tyson Hinds (22) logged 16:41 TOI, killed penalties for 3:11, and notched a dazzling assist on Frank Vatrano’s game-winning goal, joining a rush, cutting back, and firing a dart to Vatrano on the far post.
“We like what we’re seeing,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said following the game. “I think he does some good things, I think he’s steady on the back end. He’s got some size to him; he’s got play recognition to a different level that we saw there.
“His goal the other night was pretty special as well. I think he’s helped himself in a lot of people’s eyes and minds. We’ll see how it all plays out, but certainly he’s been good.”
Hinds has a goal and two assists in three preseason games during this exhibition season and has translated his energetic defensive prowess while displaying subtle offensive details that have aided in clean breakouts and regroups for the Ducks.
“I'm just trying to prove my game, prove that I have a spot on the team,” Hinds said during his post-game scrum. “Just prove that I can play in the NHL. That’s what I want to do, and that's the goal.”
Luneau and Solberg are the two most high-profile defensemen in the Ducks' pipeline. Luneau notched nearly a point per game in his rookie AHL season, scoring 52 points (9-43=52) in 59 games. Solberg plays an easily translated brand of hockey and has been playing against grown men in Europe (and in North America at the end of 2024-25) for the past four seasons.
However, it seems Luneau and Solberg may be better suited to play consistent top minutes in the AHL rather than having to spend extended time in the press box, serving as a healthy scratch.
Similarly, Moore can be considered part of that group needing consistent minutes at a lower level due to being in the early stages of his professional career. Moore has only played 12 games of professional hockey (nine with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL and three with the Ducks in the NHL) following a post-draft year in the USHL and four in the NCAA.
A former third-round pick, Hinds (76th overall in 2021), has now played two full seasons in the AHL with the Gulls and has notched 28 points (6-22-28) in 142 games, spent 84 minutes in the penalty box, has regularly killed penalties, and assumed a heavy defensive role for the club.
He seems poised and ready to take the next step in his journey to regular NHL minutes, and that may come in the form of serving as the Anaheim Ducks’ 7th defenseman for at least the early parts of the 2025-26 season, playing however sporadically, and logging predictable, reliable minutes as the team looks to make a push for the 2026 NHL playoffs.
Seth Curry, the younger brother of NBA superstar Steph Curry, has signed a one-year free-agent contract with Golden State, the team announced on Wednesday.
The news comes one day after the Warriors signed Jonathan Kuminga to a two-year, reported $48.5 million contract in restricted free agency — a months-long standoff that had Golden State’s offseason in a chokehold.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported Tuesday that Seth will join the Warriors on an Exhibit 9 contract, since Kuminga’s deal prohibits Golden State from signing a 15th player until Nov. 15.
The Warriors, I’m told, are expected to sign Seth Curry to an Exhibit 9 deal as noted below, so they can have him for all of training camp.
He would then have to be waived and re-signed a month or so into the regular season when Golden State has the requisite apron flexibility. https://t.co/slHNDfUayI
It will be the first time the brothers play on the same team in the NBA.
After going undrafted in 2013, Seth signed a non-guaranteed deal with Golden State but was waived and later signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors will be his 10th NBA team as he enters Year 12 in the league.
Like his big bro, Seth widely is regarded for his sharpshooting, and in 550 career games (224 starts), has averaged 10.0 points on 47.1-percent shooting from the field and 43.3 percent from 3-point range, with 2.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per 22.5 minutes.
He last played with the Charlotte Hornets during the 2024-25 season, and he averaged a career- and league-best 45.6 percent from deep on nearly 3.0 attempts per game.
Back in July, Seth sat down with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Warriors insider Monte Poole at the American Century Championship and discussed the possibility of teaming up with his brother in Golden State.
“I always have to do what’s best for myself,” he said. “Obviously, Steph would love me to come over there and play with him. And the fans showed me a lot of love at all times. [Our] family would love it. I’ve obviously I’ve always embraced the Warriors and their system and love the way they play. And you never know what can happen.”
Well, it has happened.
As the Currys approach the tail ends of their respective careers, they’ll at least get to do so together, living the dream of siblings around the world.
Seth Curry, the younger brother of NBA superstar Steph Curry, has agreed to a one-year free-agent contract with Golden State, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday, citing sources. Seth will join the Warriors in NBA training camp on Wednesday, per Charania.
Free agent guard Seth Curry has agreed to a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, sources tell ESPN. Seth and Stephen Curry team up on the Warriors beginning with training camp on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/mun12axOzw
The news comes just after sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson that Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors have agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract in restricted free agency — a months-long standoff that had Golden State’s offseason in a chokehold.
It will be the first time the brothers play on the same team in the NBA.
After going undrafted in 2013, Seth signed a non-guaranteed deal with Golden State but was waived and later signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors will be his 10th NBA team as he enters Year 12 in the league.
Like his big bro, Seth widely is regarded for his sharpshooting, and in 550 career games (224 starts), has averaged 10.0 points on 47.1-percent shooting from the field and 43.3 percent from 3-point range, with 2.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per 22.5 minutes.
He last played with the Charlotte Hornets during the 2024-25 season, and he averaged a career- and league-best 45.6 percent from deep on nearly 3.0 attempts per game.
Back in July, Seth sat down with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Warriors insider Monte Poole at the American Century Championship and discussed the possibility of teaming up with his brother in Golden State.
“I always have to do what’s best for myself,” he said. “Obviously, Steph would love me to come over there and play with him. And the fans showed me a lot of love at all times. [Our] family would love it. I’ve obviously I’ve always embraced the Warriors and their system and love the way they play. And you never know what can happen.”
Well, it has happened.
As the Currys approach the tail ends of their respective careers, they’ll at least get to do so together, living the dream of siblings around the world.
The blueprint had been laid out by Dave Dombrowski of how he wanted to build this Phillies team and, as he believes, it has pretty much been followed to a T. Of course, come playoff time there are no guarantees, but when talking about his club, the president of baseball operations seems as confident as he can be about the immediate future.
The postseason will begin for his Phillies Saturday at Citizens Bank Park when they take on the winner of the Wild Card Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. While there is the obvious feeling of “anything can happen,” there is an air of confidence surrounding this team that is palpable.
Most of that building process during the offseason was to bring back the core players of the team, basically re-rack a group that lost in the National League Division Series to the Mets last year, with some tweaks here and there. That all seemed to be fine, but when the trade deadline approached at the end of July, Dombrowski and company felt two real needs faced them – a closer and a right-hand hitting outfielder. They got both of them with Jhoan Duran now ending games for the Phils and Harrison Bader manning centerfield on a daily basis.
Now the question will be, is it enough?
“We have a good club,” said Dombrowski Tuesday. “We probably have as good a club, to me, as anybody. We’re a well-rounded club. We’ve been there before. We’ve had experience now for a couple of years. We have some really good players who have had really good seasons, in the (Kyle) Schwarber’s and the (Trea) Turner’s. The supporting cast is deeper in the lineup. I think a guy like Bader brought a lot to us. I think when you look at our lineup, I don’t think you look at one spot and say, ‘There’s an out there.’ We play solid defense. Our starting pitching is deep. And I think right now our bullpen’s probably a little bit better than it’s been at various times.
“I think we have a legitimate closer and then we’ve built around that. Our bullpen guys have thrown the ball well from the left-hand side and the right-hand side. Now, when I say that, you have to play well at the right time, and you have to be in a position where you don’t want to be three and done. It can happen to anybody, really. You have to play well at the right time but I think we’re more equipped to do that.”
In Bader, the team not only secured the centerfield position, but they also brought a character into the clubhouse that seems to be accepted and enjoyed by all. For a team that has taken backward steps in the playoffs since making it to the World Series in 2022, that could prove significant.
Bader shows up in boot leg jeans and cowboy boots before games, even when the temperature is hovering near 90. He then gets into his cutoff shirts with baseball pants rolled up to knees with colorful arm sleeves and batting gloves. The bandana is ever-present around his semi-mullet. When he arrives, smiles around the clubhouse are soon to follow.
“We thought he was a good player and we thought he could play, for sure, defensively in center field,” Dombrowski said. “He could hit right and left-hand pitching. We knew he was an energy guy and would handle the situation and Philly would not be a problem based upon playing in New York in the past. I think the way he meshed in the clubhouse with our players was really good for our club. I think he was just a real fit with them. They all seem to build on his energy. His offense has been really good, especially early. I don’t think you could ever predict a guy to be that hot at the beginning. He’s a good hitter. He’s a good all-around player. He’s a threat to hit the ball out of the ballpark. He’s given us a lot. I didn’t know if he would play every day for us or not when we got him. We knew he had a chance to do that. But he’s really developed into our everyday center fielder, and he’s earned that. He’s done a lot.
“Really, the reason behind it was we needed a right-handed hitter to play in the outfield. It was an advantage to play centerfield, too. (Johan) Rojas could play defensively in center field and we like a lot of things about him. But from an offensive perspective he wasn’t contributing much. So, for us, it was a position to add somebody like that was the most important part of it. Also, we did think that he would handle the atmosphere and pressure well, which was important. We didn’t bring him in from the energy perspective, it’s just an added plus that he’s brought along and fit in well.”
And the addition of Duran has made manager Rob Thomson’s job so much easier in handling the bullpen. With the Phillies starting pitching having been so good, Thomson should be looking at only having to handle a couple of bullpen innings before getting to Duran. That is the hope, anyway.
“Any time you have somebody that’s a dominant ninth-inning guy, it’s helpful for you because then you can script around that,” Dombrowski said. “But I’ve also been in the postseason where we haven’t had that and been able to work around and manipulate some of your starters to your bullpen. You never know how it’s going to be. You never know how a starter’s going to pitch out of the bullpen. It has worked at times, too. I think anytime you have that guy that you just give the ball to and everybody goes out there and they feel good about, it’s good.”
The Phillies will have an intrasquad game on Wednesday before another voluntary workout Thursday and a mandatory one Friday. How the team handles the week and whether it’s good for a team has been a big topic around the club, and Dombrowski had to perfect answer on what the week off means.
“It’s an advantage if you win the first series and it’s a disadvantage if you don’t.”
That remains to be seen. But there’s no doubt in his mind, this team is built to advance.
NOTES
•About an hour before the team workout, Trea Turner was on the field doing some sprints, high-steps and change of direction things for his healing hamstring and seemed fine.
•When asked about pitcher Zack Wheeler and his surgery, Dombrowski said: “Everything went well, everything went very efficiently. He’s supposed to be here today or tomorrow. Surgery went great. He’ll go back in another month to get rechecked, but so far so good.”
•Dombrowski said reliever Matt Strahm had been guaranteed his contract for next season. “Had a provision in his contract that at the end of the season he would need to take a physical to have his contract guaranteed for next year, we did that yesterday so we have advised him that his contract is guaranteed for next year so we have done that. We’ve filed all the official notifications in that regard.”
•The Phillies 26-man roster for the NLDS is due on Saturday, Dombrowski said. He gave no indication of what it will look like.
ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced on Tuesday that forward Brett Leason has been released of his professional tryout (PTO).
The Wild had signed both defenseman Jack Johnson and Leason to PTO's for training camp. When Leason was signed to a PTO the thought was he had a great chance to make the team out of camp.
Leason, 26, has played in 220 NHL games over the last four seasons. He spent one year with the Washington Capitals and three with the Anaheim Ducks.
After playing in every preseason game, Leason just hasn't showed the Wild enough. He has now been cut from his PTO and is now a free agent.
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ST. LOUIS -- It’ll
be the first true test for the St. Louis Blues this preseason when
they entertain the Dallas Stars on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (stlblues.com,
Blues app, ESPN 101.1-FM).
The
Blues (0-2-1) will see a Stars squad (3-1-0) that will resemble quite
a bit of their opening night lineup, which includes Mikko Rantanen,
Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen and Roope Hintz, among others.
“You’re
getting toward the end of camp, so you’re seeing more and more NHL
players in everybody’s lineup,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said.
“I think for guys who are battling for spots, whether to make the
team, whether to establish themselves in some roles, there’s some
guys, this is an important game for them.”
The
Blues will put to the test three players seeing their first preseason
action, including the debut of Pius Suter, who will center Dylan
Holloway and Jordan Kyrou to see if this is a fit for the start of
the season.
“Looking
forward to seeing them playing together,” Montgomery said. “Suter’s
biggest strength is his brain and his puck support offensively and
defensively. He seems to come up with pucks or be available for pucks
from teammates, and I think that ability to connect a line is going
to lead to more possession time whoever he plays with. But we look
forward to seeing him with Holloway and Kyrou.”
Kyrou
and defenseman Justin Faulk will also be making their preseason
debuts.
-
- -
With
the Stars bringing a loaded lineup, this will be a tremendous test
for some of the younger guys trying to either earn a job or establish
footprints for when they do get the call up down the road.
That
includes Otto Stenberg, the No. 25 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, who
will play on a line with Jake Neighbours and Nick Bjugstad.
“It’s
been fun,” Stenberg said. “Game is so much quicker, like all the
players I play against, it’s so much better and the D’s are
heavier.”
Montgomery
has really come to appreciate the forward’s game throughout camp.
“I
have found in the beginning he complemented (Robert) Thomas and
(Jimmy) Snuggerud well and now he seems to be complementing everybody
well,” Montgomery said of Stenberg. “I have really grown to like
him more and more throughout camp.”
“I
think it’s always been my type of game,” Stenberg said. “I
think I can play in different roles on the team and different lines
(and) execute it pretty well. I think I can change my game if I’m
playing fourth line or first line. I think that’s one good thing.
You can battle for a spot on four lines instead of I guess one line
or two lines.”
Also,
fellow 2023 first-round pick, Dalibor Dvorsky, the No. 10 overall
pick who scored his first preseason goal on Saturday in a 4-2 loss
against the Chicago Blackhawks, he’s continued to impress.
“I
think he’s gotten better and better,” Montgomery said. “I
thought last game was better than the first two, and I think in
practice he’s become more noticeable to understanding to how we’re
wanting to play and he’s playing faster.”
-
- -
Tonight,
it’ll be Mathieu Joseph’s turn to take a crack on a line at
center.
Joseph,
who primarily plays wing, will center Alexandre Texier and Milan
Lucic.
“If
you have the ability to play all three forward positions, that puts
you definitely in a little bit of an advantage,” Montgomery said.
“’Mojo’ has that ability, Texier has that ability, Stenberg
looks like he has that ability, (Aleksanteri) Kaskimaki comes to mind
as well. That just gives you more flexibility as a coach so you can
plug and play a guy. And if you have the hockey sense and the
determination to play up, say, on the second line or the third and
fourth, that adds to your value to the team.”
-
- -
Speaking
of Neighbours, who has been Brayden Schenn’s wing man throughout
camp, he’s getting himself caught up after missing the first few
days due to personal reasons and will play his second straight game.
“I
think it’s been long enough now where you get your footing back,
your timing back, things like that,” Neighbours said. “Obviously
game speed’s a whole another level. Looking forward to being back
in the lineup tonight and continuing to build off the first one.”
And
where does he put his game currently?
“Maybe
a six out of 10, but that’s why you have preseason,” Neighbours
said. “Just continue to get better. It’ll be a good test tonight.
I think Dallas is bringing a pretty good lineup. It’ll be an
NHL-type game and I’m excited for that. You’ve just got to keep
building and ultimately have your game where it needs to be by
October 9th.
Just continuing to work towards that.”
While speaking for over a half hour, Stearns repeatedly cited run-prevention as the main reason the Mets will spend October at home.
He also didn't shoot down the possibility that the offensive core could be broken up, made no assurances about the future of the coaching staff, and touched on a whole lot more.
As Stearns and the front office get to work attempting to fix a roster that underwhelmed in a huge way in 2025, here are the five biggest questions they're facing...
Will there be a big shakeup with the core?
It's fair to say the Mets' unofficial offensive core is Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor,Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo, with Jeff McNeil being another long-tenured player who has been a lineup mainstay.
With Alonso a free agent, he's no longer a part of that core -- at least for the moment.
Regardless of the Alonso situation, could big changes be coming?
"I think we’re going to have to be open-minded on our position player grouping so that we can improve our run prevention," Stearns said on Monday. "Does that mean there are robust changes? I don’t know. Does that mean people could be playing different positions? Maybe. Does it mean we ask people to play different roles? Maybe."
Soto is obviously going nowhere, as should be the case. And it's impossible to envision a scenario where it makes sense to trade Lindor, who is a perennial MVP candidate who provides plus defense at shortstop.
That means that for the Mets to "shake up" the core, they would have to trade Nimmo and/or McNeil.
New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo (9) rounds the bases after his solo home run during the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta - Imagn Images
Nimmo is still a plus offensive player (he had a 114 OPS plus this season), but he's entering his age-33 season, is under contract through 2030, and has a full no-trade clause. He's also not a plus corner outfielder and has a subpar arm.
As far as McNeil, 2026 is the final guaranteed year of the extension he signed ahead of the 2023 season (the Mets have a club option for 2027 that's worth $15.75 million). The versatile McNeil had a solid season in 2025, with a .746 OPS (.111 OPS+). So it's possible to envision a scenario where the Mets find a market for him.
The Diaz decision should be a much easier one for the Mets than the Alonso one.
Diaz will be entering his age-32 season in 2026, but he was utterly dominant in 2025. And his stuff remains filthy.
He has also proven able to handle the pressure cooker that is in New York and has expressed a desire to stay. Meanwhile, the Mets have a bullpen that needs to be rebuilt and has no replacement closer waiting in the wings. Quite simply, they need to get it done with Diaz if he opts out as expected.
Regarding Alonso, things aren't simple.
The negotiations between the team and agent Scott Boras last season became so contentious that Cohen spoke about them in an exasperated way before things came to a head, with Alonso returning on a two-year deal with an opt-out.
And with Alonso looking for the payday he didn't get before this season, it's fair to wonder if the Mets' value of him will be aligned with where his contract ultimately lands.
It's also reasonable to believe the Mets could want a better defender at first base, which would obviously complicate things further unless Alonso is prepared to become mainly a designated hitter.
Throwing a bit of a wrench in the Mets' desire to change things up is the fact that Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson are all under contract for next season. But with Stearns saying it would be "foolish" to rely on Senga for 30 starts next year, it's hard to envision him being counted on as part of a five-man staff.
Aug 8, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) looks on during a mound visit in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. / Benny Sieu - Imagn Images
Another part of this calculation will be the kids, with Nolan McLean belonging in the 2026 rotation from the jump, Jonah Tong likely beginning the year with Triple-A Syracuse, and the plan for Brandon Sproat perhaps up in the air a bit.
In order for the Mets to add help to the rotation externally while also fitting McLean and perhaps other young homegrown pitchers in, they're going to have to trade some of its current members and/or change their roles.
As far as which top of the rotation pitchers the Mets could target...
The free agency crop is underwhelming, so they should turn their attention to the trade market. Tarik Skubal (one year from free agency) and Sandy Alcantara (two years from free agency) could make sense. As could Paul Skenes, who might not ever be truly available and would cost a King's ransom.
The bullpen must be rebuilt
With Diaz, Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, Gregory Soto, and Ryne Stanek all free agents -- and with Reed Garrett likely missing the entire 2026 season due to Tommy John surgery -- the Mets are going to have lots of work to do when it comes to assembling the bullpen.
Stearns' shrewd signing of Brooks Raley (who inked an inexpensive two-year deal while finishing his Tommy John surgery rehab), means he's under contract for 2026. The same can be said for fellow lefty A.J. Minter, who was terrific early in 2025 before being lost for the season due to a lat muscle tear.
Apr 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Mets pitcher A.J. Minter (33) reacts during the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
If Diaz is re-signed, the Mets will have a nice nucleus in the back end. But much more will be needed, including a legitimate right-handed setup man.
It's possible New York could view hard-throwing prospect Dylan Ross as a serious option for the 2026 bullpen, but he's going to have to cut down on his walks after walking 6.2 batters per nine in his stint this year with Triple-A Syracuse.
Free agent relievers who could make sense include Robert Suarez and Emilio Pagan.
Given the inconsistency of the offense, it will be a surprise if the Mets don't move on from hitting coach Eric Chavez.
Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner is highly-regarded, and it's not reasonable to place much blame on him for the pitching staff woes given what he had to work with.
The Mets have interesting decisions to make on third base coach Mike Sarbaugh and bench coach John Gibbons.
Regarding Gibbons, could the team think it makes sense to have a different voice sitting next to Mendoza next season?
Every season, NHL teams go through some adversity, whether that’s a loss of personnel from injury or a trade that sends a key roster player from a falling team to a contender.
Nonetheless, there will be a handful of players who will be given a bigger role than their team might’ve planned for.
Here are three NHL players who will likely become more important to their teams than they initially expected this season.
Anton Lundell, C, Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers have already encountered a couple of obstacles, and the regular season is yet to begin.
Earlier in the off-season, news surfaced that left winger Matthew Tkachuk would be out until December-ish with a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia.
That wasn’t the last of bad news that the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions would receive before opening night.
Over the weekend, the Panthers announced captain Aleksander Barkov suffered MCL and ACL injuries during practice and is expected to be out for seven to nine months.
He’s been a consistent player who can score between 40 and 50 points next season, or even more in an elevated role. He put up a career-high 45 points in 79 games last season while averaging 16:43 in ice time.
Considering Calgary is projected to miss the playoffs in the final season of Andersson's contract, he could be dealt for futures, including draft picks, or young players who may not be ready to be a full-time NHLer.
Nonetheless, if Andersson gets traded, someone else will have to step up on the blueline. That could be 19-year-old D-man Zayne Parekh.
Aside from MacKenzie Weegar, Parekh is the brightest spot on Calgary’s defense. He only featured in one NHL game last season, but he scored a goal and finished the evening with a plus-three rating and 20:31 of ice time.
With one goal in three pre-season games so far, Parekh has drawn positive reviews and could earn a full-time spot in the NHL lineup. If Andersson gets moved, the fellow right-handed Parekh could even be relied upon to produce from the back end.
At any rate, the rookie blueliner could become a lot more important than he expected for the Flames this season.
Ivan Demidov, RW, Montreal Canadiens
Like Parekh, Ivan Demidov is entering his rookie campaign for the Montreal Canadiens this season. He was exposed to the NHL last year for two regular-season games and the first round of the playoffs against the Washington Capitals.
Demidov showed great promise offensively, scoring four points during his short stint last season. Building on that campaign, Demidov is set to start this season on the second line.
The right winger will likely be accompanied by center Kirby Dach and left winger Patrik Laine, which may lead to Demidov’s workload being a little heavier than expected.
Dach has struggled with injury issues during much of his career so far, and he had 22 points in 57 games besides starting last season on the second line. While Laine is a veteran goal-scorer and is effective on the power play, he isn’t as consistent during 5-on-5 play, scoring just five times at even strength in 52 games last year.
The linemates should complement each other, but Demidov may have to be a serious line-driver in his first full NHL season instead of being the supplementary piece.
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Exactly three months since the opening of NBA free agency, Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors finally came to a resolution on his restricted free agency. Take a breath, Dub Nation, it’s over.
Kuminga is signing a two-year, $48.5 million contract, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report the news.
BREAKING: Sources confirm to @NBCSWarriors Jonathan Kuminga is signing a two-year, $48.5 million contract with a team option on the second year to return to the Warriors
Kuminga’s desired player option never came to fruition. The second year of his contract will have a team option. Kuminga turned down a three-year, $75 million contract with a team option on the third year to have more immediate control over his future.
The team option on the second year of Kuminga’s contract can be wiped away by the Warriors or another team, if an in-season trade happens, to make room for a completely new contract next offseason, sources also confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area.
The first four seasons of Kuminga’s Warriors tenure have been a battle of what’s best for the team and player. The Warriors won a championship that surprised many in Kuminga’s rookie year, throwing a wrinkle into team owner Joe Lacob’s highly-debated two-timelines plan. There have been multiple instances over the years when the Warriors could have traded Kuminga for a player that was more aligned with where veteran stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green are in their careers, but Lacob wouldn’t sign off on any of those deals.
Nor would he and the front office on the sign-and-trade options the Warriors were presented over the offseason from the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. All this brought was more drama and finger pointing, while the two sides came to an agreement the same day Warriors training camp opened.
But now that Kuminga is back with the Warriors, there’s a real argument they need him more than ever. With certain conditions, of course.
The Warriors have shown they can win without Kuminga’s style of play compared to coach Steve Kerr’s philosophy, and also have clearly seen the potential and talent he has, or else they already would have let him go by now. There even was a point last season where Kuminga was handed the keys and Green agreed to come off the bench. That plan lasted one game, a 143-133 loss against the Dallas Mavericks, where Kuminga scored 20 points as a starter and Green scored 21 in a reserve role.
Bringing Jimmy Butler aboard at the trade deadline as Kuminga still was nursing a badly sprained ankle signaled a full shift in direction, especially with how successful of a fit Butler proved to be. Kuminga returned after being out for more than two months, was never fully healthy and had a hard time playing next to Butler – an older star who has the same positional role on the Warriors.
Kerr stuck with what was working and pushed Kuminga’s talents to the back of the bench, not using him at all in the regular-season finale, a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers that put the Warriors in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Kuminga was a DNP in the Warriors’ play-in tournament win, as well as three games of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets. The writing appeared to be black Sharpie written on the wall in all caps.
The Warriors still will be run by Kerr’s ways on the court, and led by Curry, Butler and Green. That’s a given. And all three players, in one way or another, need the best out of Kuminga.
Father Time’s shadow is bearing down on Curry (37 years old), Butler (36) and Green (35), even though Curry continues to clearly be a top-10 player in the league. With Buddy Hield (32) and the return of Gary Payton II (32), plus the presumed signing of Al Horford (39) and possibly Seth Curry (35) the Warriors could have seven players in their 30s who are an average age of 35 going into the regular season. And that number should be slightly higher knowing that Payton turns 33 on Dec. 1, as does Hield a few weeks later on Dec. 17.
The elder Curry has played at least 70 games in back-to-back seasons. Is it fair to assume he reaches that mark again? Butler hasn’t played 65 since the 2018-19 season, and Green, who played 68 last season, is bound to need rest for all his battles against much bigger players. The entirety of the season doesn’t have to be the focus for Kuminga and the Warriors, Jan. 15 does.
Kuminga, who turns 23 on Oct. 6, can’t be traded until Jan. 15, the same day the Warriors will play their 40th game of the season. In a loaded Western Conference, the Warriors can’t be swimming upstream in the standings by then. Kuminga clearly is their biggest trade asset, and the Warriors will need his stock to rise and value to go up by then if they do decide to move him by the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
The schedule to start the season also suggests a need for Kuminga. The Warriors have two sets of back-to-backs in their first five games, and five in their first 17. They play eight by the end of the calendar year, nine by the first day Kuminga could be traded and 10 at the trade deadline. Those are ample opportunities for an older team to lean more on a 23-year-old who at the very least can score 20 points.
Questions will continue to be asked about Kuminga’s desire to have the ball in his hands while combating the Warriors’ ball movement offense, as well as other flaws like rebounding, 3-point shooting and team defense for one of the top athletes in the game. He’ll be under the microscope if he holds onto the ball and misses Curry. He also played 37 games with Curry last season and had the third-best net rating among Warriors who spent at least 500 minutes next to him, putting together a 118.7 offensive rating and 109.3 defensive rating for a 9.4 net rating.
Kuminga averaged 19.6 points in 10 regular-season games Curry missed. The Warriors went 5-5 in those games. Overall, the Warriors were 28-19 with Kuminga last season, and 20-15 without him.
Those numbers obviously don’t tell the whole story, since so much changed after the Butler acquisition. The Warriors’ season completely turned once Butler was wearing their colors, going 23-7 in the regular season after the trade. How Kuminga can play with Butler, if at all, is the bigger question than Curry. Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, believes the two can co-exist, and showed so in the final four games of the playoffs.
“He figured out how to play off Jimmy,” Turner said to NBC Sports Bay Area on the Dubs Talk podcast. “It was going to take JK, with no training camp, time to figure out how to play off Jimmy. Jimmy’s different than what was there before. When JK left, he was the guy who was getting to the paint and creating advantages for his teammates. … JK had to accept that. JK figured it out in the Minnesota series.”
Butler and Kuminga only played 15 games together for a total of 125 minutes in the regular season. After Curry went down to a hamstring injury in the second round of the playoffs, Butler and Kuminga became the Warriors’ main scoring options. Butler averaged 20.3 points on 45.8/33.3/76.7 shooting splits, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, while Kuminga put up 24.3 points per game on 55.4/38.9/72.0 shooting splits, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
The Warriors lost all four games, and Butler and Kuminga were a minus-6.8 together in another very small sample size. Seeing how they can complement each other is one priority. Using Kuminga as a focal point in games Butler needs off might be even more important for preserving his health in the playoffs.
Nothing in Kuminga’s contract says Kerr has to give in and play him more minutes than he believes is best for the team. From a talent standpoint, getting the best out of Kuminga, for however long he remains on the roster, is only going to benefit all parties.
Ironically, if the Warriors want to make a real run at another championship, after all that’s gone on in a marriage where divorce papers have been collecting dust and waiting to be signed, this season – or at least the first few months of it – is when they’ll need the best version of Kuminga most.
So, who could the Blue Jays, Mariners, Brewers and Phillies draw first this postseason? Here’s how the Division Series bracket will take shape:
Do the MLB playoffs reseed teams?
The MLB playoffs follow a bracket format and do not reseed teams. That means, for example, the top-seeded Blue Jays will face the winner of the No. 4 New York Yankees-No. 5 Boston Red Sox series even if the No. 6-seeded Detroit Tigers were to advance.
What is the Division Series bracket in the 2025 MLB playoffs?
Here’s a look at the Division Series bracket possibilities:
The first round of the MLB playoffs features a best-of-three format where the higher seed has home-field advantage for the entire series.
How many games are in the Division Series?
The postseason then moves to a best-of-five format for the Division Series. The higher seed has home-field advantage for Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.
