George Raveling, a Hall of Fame basketball coach who played a role in Michael Jordan signing a landmark endorsement deal with Nike, has died. Raveling's family said Tuesday in a statement that he had “faced cancer with courage and grace.” “There are no words to fully capture what George meant to his family, friends, colleagues, former players, and assistants — and to the world,” the family statement read.
Five-Time AHL All-Star Cal O'Reilly Signs In Swiss NL
Five-time AHL All-Star and two-time Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award winner Cal O'Reilly has signed a contract with the SCL Tigers of the Swiss NL until the end of October with an option to extend.
One of the most prolific players in AHL history, O'Reilly recorded 177 goals, 606 assists, and 783 points in 1022 games over parts of 18 seasons. He has the eighth most games played in league history, sits sixth all-time in assists, and is 18th all-time in points.
The 38-year-old recorded 11 goals and 49 points in 68 games to lead the Milwaukee Admirals in scoring last season and was an assistant captain.
A fifth round selection of the Nashville Predators in 2005, O'Reilly has 16 goals and 49 points in 145 career NHL games with the Predators, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Minnesota Wild.
O'Reilly is known as a fantastic leader and won the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award as the AHL player who best exemplifies sportsmanship in 2021 and 2025. He served as captain with four different AHL franchises over his career.
An AHL All-Star in 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, and 2019, O'Reilly led the Calder Cup Playoffs in assists in 2015.
While he is only signed until the end of October there is a good chance we have seen O'Reilly's Hall of Fame AHL career come to an end.
Check out our AHL to KHL signing tracker and AHL Free Agency signing tracker.
Two Giants prospects highlighted in Baseball America's weekly Hot Sheet ranking
Two Giants prospects highlighted in Baseball America's weekly Hot Sheet ranking originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Giants’ farm system has had an impressive 2025 season, making the largest jump of any organization in MLB.com’s August rankings.
This past week, two Giants prospects particularly showed out to earn recognition in Baseball America’s Hot Sheet, which highlights the 20 hottest players in the minor leagues.
The hype around Marco Luciano has faded after he was a mainstay among the MLB’s top 100 prospects for several years. But the 23-year-old slugger had a huge week with Triple-A Sacramento to earn the No. 20 spot on this list.
Now primarily playing in left field, Luciano went 9-for-22 with four extra-base hits and eight runs across five games. His massive home run to center field on Sunday only went 436 feet (not 508 feet as initially listed by Statcast) for his 23rd of the season.
“With weeks like this, it’s easy to still hold out a flicker of hope for Luciano, the Giants’ former top prospect whose star has faded in recent years as he’s scuffled at Triple-A,” Baseball America’s Josh Norris wrote. “He hasn’t torn it up this year, but his last two months have provided reason for optimism. Since July 1, Luciano, who is days away from turning 24, has hit .252/.411/.585 with eight doubles, 11 home runs and nearly as many walks (34) as strikeouts (36).”
At No. 9 is a new face in the Giants’ organization, outfielder Parks Harber. The 23-year-old was acquired at the MLB trade deadline when San Francisco sent Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees.
Playing with the Giants’ High-A affiliate in Eugene, Harber batted 9-for-24 with a whopping five home runs in just one week.
“Harber, acquired from the Yankees in the Camilo Doval trade, brings a power-first profile to the organization,” Jesús Cano detailed. “He launched 20 homers during his senior season at North Carolina, and that raw strength has continued to translate in pro ball. That power erupted this week with a five-homer outburst. If he can build on that momentum, Harber could become a slugging threat.”
Though Harber currently isn’t listed among the Giants’ top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline or Baseball America, the organization will hope he can continue this momentum through the rest of the season and beyond.
Three NHL Calder Candidates Flying Under The Radar
The NHL's Calder Trophy race is always one of the most unpredictable storylines heading into the NHL season.
While much of the spotlight tends to shine on hyped rookies and high draft picks, history has shown that lesser-discussed players can emerge as serious contenders.
Artemi Panarin, Kirill Kaprizov and, most recently, Dustin Wolf, are just a few of the stars who have proven that opportunity, situation and timing can be just as important as raw talent.
The 2025-26 NHL rookie class is stacked with potential difference-makers, such as Ivan Demidov and Zeev Buium. But let’s look at three players who may be flying under the radar for potential Calder Trophy consideration.
Sam Rinzel, D, Chicago Blackhawks
Calder Trophy winner odds on BetMGM: 41.00 (+4,000)
Sam Rinzel is joining a crowded dressing room of young defenders within the Chicago Blackhawks organization.
The Blackhawks have eight defensemen who played NHL games last year under contract heading into the 2025-26 season, not including RFA Wyatt Kaiser. Seven of them are younger than 25. It’s far too early to cement anyone’s role within the lineup, but Rinzel possesses the skill set to be the team’s top offensive defenseman this season.
Rinzel joined the Blackhawks for the team’s final nine games of last season and showed some real offensive promise, finishing with five assists, three of which came on the man-advantage. He led the Blackhawks in ice time per game in that stretch (23:22) and was immediately thrust onto the team’s top power-play unit.
It’s a short sample size, but that level of production would give Rinzel 45 points over an 82-game season, which would likely put him near the top of rookie defenders in scoring.
Unfortunately, the Blackhawks will likely not be near playoff contention this season, making it difficult for him to make a case for himself to have improved a franchise as much as other rookies. While it will be difficult for him to stand out, it shouldn’t rule out his chance completely.
Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, St. Louis Blues
Calder Trophy winner odds on BetMGM: 18.00 (+1,700)
Jimmy Snuggerud made his NHL debut on April 1 and played in seven regular-season games with the St. Louis Blues, where he recorded a goal and three assists.
However, the Minneapolis, Minn., native was also an integral part in all seven of the team’s first-round playoff games against the Winnipeg Jets, picking up two goals and two assists in the series.
Snuggerud was slotted on the Blues’ top line alongside Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, and that role appears to be his to lose heading into training camp this fall. He even took some shifts on the top power-play unit, which could give him every opportunity to be a top offensive contributor for the Blues this season.
Snuggerud, 21, enters the season as one of the older rookies eligible for the Calder Trophy, putting him in a much more advantageous position over this rookie class of forwards. He’s also already earned the trust of coach Jim Montgomery with his offensive instincts and scoring ability, as he was playing just over 17 minutes per game in the playoffs.
There’s not a ton of competition for Snuggerud’s role with Jordan Kyrou being glued to the wing of Brayden Schenn on the team’s second line. If he can replicate the same level of production over 82 games and solidify himself as a top-line player, there’s a strong chance he’ll be a finalist for the Calder when the season concludes.
NHL Prospect Pool Overview ’25-26: Catch Up On Every Team’s PipelineThe NHL prospect pool overview series is our annual summer series breaking down every team's prospect pipeline.
Leevi Merilainen, G, Ottawa Senators
Calder Trophy winner odds on BetMGM: 61.00 (+6,000)
The goaltending situation in Ottawa will be intriguing this season.
Leevi Merilainen, a third-round pick in 2020, suited up 12 times for the Senators last season and had an impressive .925 save percentage and 1.99 goals-against average. His 8-3-1 record in that span helped the Senators end a losing skid and put them back on course for a playoff spot.
That short stint would indicate that he’s undoubtedly earned himself the chance to play a larger role throughout the regular season, now that backup Anton Forsberg signed with the Los Angeles Kings.
Obviously, the Senators have a commitment to Linus Ullmark for the next four years with a hefty $8.25-million cap hit, but his injury history, age and overall durability would suggest that Ottawa may have a tandem this season as opposed to Ullmark carrying a heavy workload.
In his 10-year NHL career, Ullmark’s career high in games played is 49, coming with the Boston Bruins in the 2022-23 season. His statistics have been remarkable within the 40-to-50 game range. But if Merilainen continues to have positive outings, then there’s less pressure on coach Travis Green to have Ullmark overwork himself in favor of having him well-rested for a potential playoff run.
It will be a crowded field of players for the Calder Trophy, and with only three goaltenders winning in the last 25 years, the odds are stacked against Merilainen. However, if the Senators can build off their 2024-25 campaign and remain in post-season contention, there’s a good chance he played a big part in that success and could be a worthy candidate for the award.
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Where Jonathan Kuminga's contract saga with Warriors stands entering September
Where Jonathan Kuminga's contract saga with Warriors stands entering September originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The ongoing saga between the Warriors and restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has persisted past Labor Day. NBA training camp is in four weeks, and the Oct. 1 deadline for Kuminga to accept the qualifying offer is under a month away. So, where are the two sides?
Still miles apart it appears.
The one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer remains the most attractive offer to Kuminga at the moment, sources continue to tell NBC Sports Bay Area. The Warriors have offered a two-year contract worth roughly $45 million, but are holding strong to a team option for the second year, while Kuminga and his camp have made it clear they want a player option for Year 2.
To ensure Kuminga doesn’t sign the qualifying offer, which essentially would eliminate any option of trading him this season and severely hurt roster building, the Warriors will have to convince him what they’re proposing is that much better than the last resort. The first way to do that is ceding the team option for a player option. The second is simply to give him more money up front, making the team option less of a sticking point in the end.
Year 1 of the Warriors’ offer is $21.75 million, per sources, but because of the base salary compensation rule, Kuminga’s outgoing salary is equal to half of that. So, much of this entire situation comes down to control.
Through four years, Kuminga and the Warriors have yet to find common ground on who he presently is as a player, who he can be with more opportunities and who he will be in the future. The way this offseason has played out only has furthered Kuminga’s desire to control his own destiny and how his future plays out. Kuminga wants to make sure that no matter who his next employer is, he’s comfortable and confident he is being set up for success from the start.
There has been confusion as to why Kuminga would hold steady to the inherent no-trade clause of a qualifying offer, as well as a player option for the second year with the assumption he wants to be somewhere else aside from the Warriors. Kuminga doesn’t want to be used as a “pawn” for a team where he has seen himself as the scapegoat, and he still doesn’t fully know what his role will be going into his fifth NBA season with the likelihood that he still isn’t a starter and might not close games.
Signing the qualifying offer is a risk for Kuminga. His agent, Aaron Turner, isn’t discrediting that. However, the risk is much more on the Warriors.
With an aging core of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, letting Kuminga sign the qualifying offer would take away the Warriors’ best asset at the NBA trade deadline for another big-time name. Kuminga then would have zero trade value because no team can extend off that. Golden State loses his Bird Rights, Kuminga’s Warriors tenure would be done after this next season without getting anything back for him after spurning multiple trade offers for him in previous years, and the situation would make Kuminga a distraction, at least in a media sense, all season because of the nature of the qualifying offer.
The nightmare scenario the qualifying offer presents digs a far bigger hole for the Warriors than it does for Kuminga.
The main example of the qualifying offer risks for Kuminga is Nerlens Noel. The Dallas Mavericks in the summer of 2017 initially offered Noel a four-year, $70 million contract that he spurned in hopes of signing a maximum contract offer that never came. He then instead signed a $4.1 million qualifying offer with the Mavs, but greatly disappointed in an injury-filled season where Noel only played 30 games and averaged 4.4 points.
Noel signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder the next offseason on a two-year, veteran’s minimum contract.
Here’s the difference: Noel already missed his entire rookie year because of a torn ACL, and missed 31 games the season going into his contract dispute. At the time of turning down $70 million, Noel had averaged 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while averaging 27.6 minutes. He never was the scoring option Kuminga is and was in a different contractual world than him.
Kuminga doesn’t have a $66 million gap between the contract he’s being offered and the qualifying offer. The gap really is a little more than $13 million when looking at the one-year qualifying offer and the first year of the contract the Warriors currently have on the table. He surely would have insurance policies to lessen the risk, too. The former No. 7 overall pick turns 23 years old on Oct. 6 and is confident his next contract easily will exceed $13 million annually.
The Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns both offered Kuminga long-term contracts, empowering him with a starting role and making it known he’d be their power forward of the future. Contracts from the Kings and Suns included a player option, according to sources, but both were dependent on the Warriors agreeing to a sign-and-trade that never enticed their front office enough to do so.
None of the NBA’s four restricted free agents – Kuminga, Josh Giddey, Cam Thomas and Quinten Grimes – have signed a contract yet. The first domino must fall soon. Nothing is close between the Warriors and Kuminga, sources say, with both sides waiting for someone to blink first.
As only team with cap space, Brooklyn remains open to taking on salary for future picks
Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks has been doing this all summer long: He took on the contracts of Denver's Michael Porter Jr., Atlanta's Terance Mann and Miami's Haywood Highsmith this summer and got a couple of first-round picks — one used in June to select Drake Powell — and what is expected to be a high second.
Marks may not be done, reports Brian Lewis at the New York Post.
The Nets are the only team with remaining cap space, about $14.3 million, and Lewis said don't be surprised if the Nets use that space to take on a player and contract another team does not want at the price of another first-round pick. The problem is the Nets are pushing up against the 15-player limit once Day'Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams' contracts are inked, and if the team signs Ricky Council IV, as rumored, that would have them up against the limit.
The one potential hurdle is the ongoing restricted free agency dance with Cam Thomas. The Nets would use up most of that cap space if Thomas took the two-year, $24 million offer the team put on the table, however, he thinks that is insultingly low and could play for his $6 million qualifying offer to become a restricted free agent next summer. Either way, that would eat into the team's cap space and roster spots.
Marks and the Nets surprised the league by using all five of their draft picks back in June, rather than trading one or two, but the Nets are all in on their youth movement, and adding more picks as part of that could happen.
Which means don't think the Nets are done.
Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving And Darren Ferris Discuss Free Agent — Could It Be Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk?
Even after the Mitch Marner saga, player agent Darren Ferris says it’s business as usual with Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving.
The agent appeared on the 100% Hockey Podcast with Daren Millard and John Shannon last week to discuss Marner’s departure from the Maple Leafs and his arrival with the Vegas Golden Knights after a sign-and-trade in late June.
Toronto and Marner agreed to an eight-year, $96 million contract before sending him to Vegas in exchange for Nicolas Roy. Marner’s exit from the Maple Leafs was, and still is, a massive talking point amongst fans within Toronto.
However, during the interview with Millard and Shannon, Ferris indicated that nothing had changed within the relationship between the agent and GM, adding that the two had spoken about a free agent recently.
“[The relationship is] still cordial. I’ve known Brad quite a while. He’s a good man, and he’s got a tough job in front of him. Toronto’s not an easy organization to work in with all the noise on the outside, but he seems to weather it. Everything’s fine between us,” said Ferris.
“We were talking about a free agent that I have currently that’s still out there, just recently acquired, and we just had a discussion, and we continue to, I mean, it’s business as usual.”
Among the free agents still available under Ferris is defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. The 31-year-old is coming off a full season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he tallied one goal and 40 points while averaging 20:37 of ice time on the blue line.
Grzelcyk had the second most points among Penguins defensemen, and if he were on the Maple Leafs, he’d have been one point off Morgan Rielly for the team lead. This past season with Pittsburgh was his best year to date, as he registered career highs in assists and average ice time.
Would bringing in Grzelcyk make sense for Toronto?
If there’s anything different about the upcoming season for the Maple Leafs, it’s the amount of quality defensemen they already have within the organization.
Any team, of course, would love to have as many defenders as possible, just in case injuries pop up, and the Maple Leafs have that. They’ve got the six defensemen (Rielly, Brandon Carlo, Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Simon Benoit) who just helped push the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers to seven games.
Toronto has also brought in Henry Thrun from the San Jose Sharks in the Ryan Reaves trade, plus they have Matt Benning, Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers, Marshall Rifai, and William Villeneuve waiting in the ranks.
The only reason Toronto should bring Grzelcyk in is if they’re afraid of losing a couple of defensemen to waivers at the beginning of the season, which could very well occur.
Benning has mentioned he’d like a chance in the NHL with the Maple Leafs, or elsewhere. He could be a candidate to move if he has a strong training camp with Toronto and doesn’t make the team.
The Maple Leafs kept Myers as depth for most of last season, which I’d assume they’d do again after signing him to a two-year, $1.7 million contract in January. I could see them doing that with Thrun instead, depending on which player has a better training camp.
Adding Grzelcyk wouldn’t necessarily be a bad move, especially if he comes in on a professional tryout, similar to how Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz did last training camp. As it stands currently, though, the Maple Leafs have $1,919,722 in cap space, according to PuckPedia.com.
Would you rather see Toronto spend that on another depth defender like Grzelcyk, with the chance of losing a couple of defensemen at the start of the season to waivers? Or would you like to see Treliving keep that money for an addition at the trade deadline?
Either way, these last few weeks before training camp could be fascinating to watch if you’re a fan of the Maple Leafs.
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Padres' Jason Adam, the pitcher the Dodgers can't score against, is out for the season
San Diego Padres pitcher Jason Adam is out for the season after he ruptured a quad tendon Monday when planting his left foot while trying to field a comebacker.
Now we know what can tilt a pennant race between two teams whose performance has been roughly even with a month to go before the playoffs.
An injury is never celebrated, but it can prompt a feeling of relief, which is probably the Dodgers' unspoken reaction.
Adam, you see, is untouchable when pitching against the Dodgers. He has never given up a run to them in 15 appearances dating back to 2019.
A 6-foot-3, right-handed reliever with a funky, short-armed delivery, Adam hasn't been scored on in six appearances against the Dodgers this season, five appearances last season — including three in the National League Division Series — two more in 2023 and two in 2019.
Dodgers hitters are seven for 51 (.137) with one double, two walks and 16 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings against Adam, who usually pitches the seventh or eighth inning, although he does have 24 career saves.
Read more:What's behind Clayton Kershaw's pitching revival in his 18th season? 'The bowl'
Adam is tough for anyone to hit, despite being particularly dominant against Los Angeles. Acquired by the Padres from the Tampa Bay Rays at the 2024 trade deadline, he is 11-4 with a 1.37 earned-run average in 92 appearances since then.
Now, though, he is sidelined until 2026, and the Padres recognize that the loss is profound.
“When that happens, you focus on the big picture, his health, what it means to the team,” Padres outfielder Gavin Sheets told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “It definitely puts a dark cloud over the day for all of us.”
The Padres — like the Dodgers — have lost key players to injury. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts is on the injured list with a fracture in his left foot. All-Star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. pulled his right hamstring Sunday and did not play Monday.
General manager A.J. Preller fortified the roster at the trading deadline, and Adam told him after the injury Monday that he was grateful for the addition of dynamic reliever Mason Miller.
Read more:Dodgers Dugout: What to do about Tanner Scott?
"I told A.J., I’m really glad he went out and got Mason," Adam told reporters. "I’m excited to cheer those guys on.
"Knowing this group, the mental toughness they have, the skill, there is everything in this clubhouse to win the World Series. You want to be a part of that.... That’s the hardest part."
The Dodgers figured they had tilted the bullpen balance in their direction when they signed Padres closer Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72-million free-agent contract during the offseason.
But Scott has been disappointing, posting a 4.44 ERA with eight blown saves for the Dodgers, including giving up a three-run home run Sunday.
Miller, meanwhile, has a 1.64 ERA in 11 appearances with the Padres. All he could think about Monday was his teammate Adam.
"Really heartbreaking.... obviously, it sucks losing him, not only for what he does on the mound but the type of person he is," Miller said.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Kyle Harrison getting called up to Red Sox, likely to debut Wednesday: Reports
Kyle Harrison getting called up to Red Sox, likely to debut Wednesday: Reports originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Though the Red Sox have thrived since trading away Rafael Devers in June, they haven’t had much to show for the deal in terms of the players they acquired making meaningful contributions in Boston.
The team is hoping that will change this week, as left-hander Kyle Harrison reportedly is due to make his Red Sox debut.
Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported Tuesday that Harrison is being called up to Boston. MassLive’s Christopher Smith added shortly thereafter that Harrison is likely to make his Red Sox debut on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians.
MLB.com’s Ian Browne further clarified that while the starting pitcher for Wednesday’s game has yet to be decided, Harrison projects to be pitching either as a starter or in relief in the series finale against the Guardians.
When rosters expanded on Monday, the Red Sox called up pitcher Zack Kelly and catcher Ali Sanchez. Kelly, who has a 5.56 ERA and 1.456 WHIP in 17 appearances for Boston this season, could be the choice to send back down to Worcester to make room for Harrison on Wednesday.
A 24-year-old lefty, Harrison does have big league experience, having made 39 appearances (35 starts) with San Francisco since 2023. He’s just 9-9 with a 4.59 ERA and 1.297 WHIP in those outings. Since joining the Red Sox organization, he’s pitched for Triple-A Worcester, going 4-2 with a 3.65 ERA and 1.561 WHIP in his 11 starts.
Walks have been an issue, with Harrison issuing 26 free passes in his 49.1 innings of work, limiting him to a 1.85 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He also hasn’t been able to go too deep into games, averaging just over 4.1 innings per start.
Yet Harrison has been solid for Worcester after a shaky adjustment period, when he allowed 11 earned runs over 13 innings (7.62 ERA) in his first three starts. Since then, he’s allowed just nine earned runs over 36.1 innings (2.23 ERA) over his last nine starts.
Alex Cora and the Red Sox have been monitoring that progress, with the manager telling the media in mid-August that Harrison was part of the team’s potential solutions to issues with the rotation.
Since then, the team released veteran starter Walker Buehler and promoted top pitching prospect Payton Tolle, who electrified Fenway Park last Friday night — albeit in what turned out to be a painful loss to the Pirates.
Given his ample major league experience, Harrison does not qualify as a prospect. Nevertheless, the Red Sox are hoping for another positive injection of youth to the rotation as they continue their push toward a postseason berth.
As for the rest of the return for Devers, Jordan Hicks has a 6.38 ERA and 1.800 WHIP in 20 relief appearances. The Red Sox traded the outfielder acquired in the Devers trade (James Tibbs III) as part of the package to acquire Dustin May (1-4, 5.68 ERA in five starts), while 20-year-old Jose Bello has been pitching for Single-A Salem since being acquired.
When Harrison joins the Red Sox, he’ll do so in the midst of a heated playoff race in the AL East. Boston enters Tuesday tied with the Yankees for the top wild-card spot in the American League, while both teams also sit just 2.5 games behind Toronto in the AL East.
While facing a big-league team is never “easy,” Harrison shouldn’t have the roughest welcome back to the majors against the Guardians, who own an MLB-worst .223 team batting average and 29th-ranked .660 team OPS. Those numbers are even worse against lefties, with the team batting just .219 with a .631 against southpaws.
It's time for Mets to add Brandon Sproat to the starting rotation situation
Before the Mets outlasted the Tigers on Monday in Detroit, Sean Manaea had another disappointing outing, allowing five runs on eight hits in just 3.2 innings.
In nine starts this season, Manaea -- who has a 5.60 ERA and 1.24 WHIP -- has pitched into the sixth inning just once. And he has failed to complete five innings in three of his last six outings.
Pitching the day before Manaea, Kodai Sengaallowed five runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings against a bad Marlins team.
It's been a tale of two seasons for Senga, who has a 5.90 ERA (5.75 FIP) in 39.2 innings over nine starts since returning from his hamstring injury -- and who has been trying to get his mechanics right for quite some time.
Against the backdrop of Manaea and Senga struggling (while often putting the team behind the eight ball and taxing the bullpen) is the Mets' new six-man rotation, which also features David Peterson, Clay Holmes, and rookies Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong.
After Senga's recent start, manager Carlos Mendoza seemed to hint that he might not make his next one. But following Monday's game, Mendoza said both Senga and Manaea remain part of the rotation.
What that means specifically is anyone's guess. Perhaps one of them will have a start skipped. Maybe one or both will be used in a piggyback situation.
What doesn't seem to be happening is either one landing on the IL.
Manaea, who is pitching with loose bodies in his left elbow, says he's fine. And there is seemingly nothing physical ailing Senga.
No matter how the Mets attempt to get Senga and Manaea back on the right track, though, it's time to add the flamethrowing Triple-A Syracuse right-handerBrandon Sproatto the rotation situation.
Sproat, who watched both McLean and Tong reach the majors before him (with Tong needing just two Triple-A starts before being deemed ready), made an emphatic statement in his latest start following a blip last week when he was used in relief.
While firing 7.0 shutout innings on Saturday, Sproat allowed just three hits while walking two and striking out nine.
Since making a change ahead of his start on June 28 -- basically deciding to be more aggressive and let it fly -- Sproat has a 2.44 ERA in 59.0 innings.
He's also been missing bats at a higher clip, racking up eight or more strikeouts on five occasions since then after not doing so at all over his first 15 games of the season.
There are two big questions regarding Sproat.
The first is when to possibly insert him into the rotation, while the second obviously revolves around how he'll perform in the majors.
With New York in the heat of a pennant race and facing the Tigers, Reds, and Phillies during a current 10-game road trip, there really isn't a safe landing spot to toss Sproat into the mix.
But that should not be a deterrent for a team that has watched Senga and Manaea struggle, has seen Peterson wobble a bit lately, and is smartly treading carefully with Holmes as he continues to add more innings to a season total that is already more than 70 past his prior career-high.
As far as how Sproat will fare if given the chance, there's only one way to find out.
McLean has been dominant since being called up and Tong showed moxie in his strong debut, but -- as Mendoza explained last week before Tong's debut when he was trying to smack down any Tong/McLean comparisons -- these prospects should not be compared to one another.
In any event, it could make sense for the Mets to have Sproat start Friday's series-opener against the Reds in Cincinnati, use Tong on Saturday, have Peterson go on Sunday, and skip Senga's turn to allow him time to work on some things.
In order to fit Sproat on the 28-man roster, the Mets could conceivably choose one of Brandon Waddell or Justin Hagenman to be sent back to Triple-A.
As far as how to fit Sproat in for the remaining three weeks or so of regular season games, that might be a bit of a juggling act. But it's an act worth doing as the Mets attempt to secure a postseason berth. They cannot simply keep trotting Senga and Manaea out there every sixth day and hope for different results.
If the Mets do indeed make the playoffs, Sproat can easily be added to the roster if he's deemed to be a fit.
The first step, though, is getting Sproat to the majors. And it's a step that should be only a few days away.
Canadiens: New and Improved Joshua Roy Is An Intriguing Breakout Candidate
When St-Georges native Joshua Roy turned up at the CN Sports Complexe in Brossard for training camp last season, he was pencilled in to make the Montreal Canadiens’ roster. But when the players hit the ice, it became apparent that the likes of Emil Heineman and Oliver Kapanen were outperforming him. A couple of weeks later, he landed in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, where he spent much of the last season, putting up 35 points in 47 games. In the 12 games he played in the NHL, he added two goals and failed to make much of an impact.
TVA Sports’ Nicolas Cloutier published an article on Tuesday morning about Roy’s training this Summer, including quotes from the man he put in charge of his very own rebuild: John Chaimberg. The trainer has worked with big names in the past, such as Georges St-Pierre and Kristopher Letang. Roy had to audition for Chaimberg to agree to train him.
Cloutier reports that the training has borne fruit; Roy’s weight has gone from 204 pounds to just 190, and he feels much better for it. He was told at the end of the season that he needed to bring more pace to his game, and he took the comments to heart. His summer coach raves about his work ethic and his improvement in the gym over the offseason, calling him the MVP of their summer.
It will be interesting to see how the leaner version of Roy performs at training camp. Getting a roster spot won’t be easy. While the man who pushed him out of the lineup last season is gone (Heineman was sent to the New York Islanders in the Noah Dobson trade), he has since been replaced by sophomore Zachary Bolduc (in a trade with the St. Louis Blues), who comes to town with an impressive resume and high expectations.
If Roy can bring the same dedication to the ice as he showed in his training session in the gym this summer, he could certainly put up a good fight. With Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia moving on, there will be roles available up front, but the 22-year-old will also need to outperform Joe Veleno and Samuel Blais, two players who are older and desperate to show that they belong in the NHL.
Veleno is a former first-round pick who was tagged with “exceptional status” back in 2015, which allowed him to play in the QMJHL at just 15 years of age. He willingly confesses that he might have taken his foot off the pedal at that point. In the NHL, he failed to make an impact with the Detroit Red Wings, who eventually traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks in March 2025. His stay in Illinois was short-lived, however, since he was traded to the Seattle Kraken this offseason before being bought out. He came to Montreal as a free agent on a one-year, one-way deal with a $900,000 AAV, which is a significant pay cut, and he’ll be eager to prove that he’s better than that.
As for Blais, he has played part of eight seasons in the NHL and even won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2018-19, but has never been able to establish himself as an NHLer and play a complete season. He spent the entire last campaign in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks, winning the AHL Playoffs and scoring 19 points in 23 games on top of being assessed 70 penalty minutes. He also joined the Habs on a one-year, one-way deal, but on a league minimum $775,000 AAV.
Roy will be desperate as well, though. He’s about to embark on the last year of his ELC contract, and he needs to show that he belongs, if not in the Canadiens’ organisation, at least in professional hockey. At the end of the upcoming season, he will be an RFA with a $813,750 qualifying offer, according to Puckpedia. If he wants to secure a more valuable contract, he needs to make an impact now. It appears he has taken the necessary steps to do so this summer, but it remains to be seen how all that work will translate on the ice.
Of course, he’ll also need to outperform youngsters like Oliver Kapanen and Owen Beck. Kapanen started the season in Montreal last year before being loaned back to his European team, Timra IK in Sweden, where he played a significant role, getting plenty of ice-time not only at even strength, but also on special teams. He took part in three playoff games with the Canadiens, picking up an assist in minimal ice time.
As for Beck, he skated in 12 games with the Canadiens last year, all in the regular season, and grabbed a single assist. At 21 years old and with two years left on his ELC, he has time on his side, and there’s no need to rush his development.
As Martin St-Louis would say, there are chairs available in his lineup, and it will be interesting to see which of the players mentioned above manages to step up and not only grab one, but keep it.
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Maple Leafs Sign Dennis Hildeby To 3-Year Deal—Is He Their Third Goalie This Season?
The Toronto Maple Leafs put pen to paper on a new contract for prospect goaltender Dennis Hildeby. The 24-year-old signed a new three-year deal that carries an average annual value of $841,667 at the NHL level.
The 24-year-old restricted free agent will be on a two-way contract for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons before shifting to a one-way deal in 2027-28. Hildeby made his NHL debut last season, starting in six games with the Leafs while posting a 3-3-0 record with a 3.33 goals-against average and .878 save percentage.
The 6-foot-7 Swede also got a taste of the NHL when he was called up during the 2023-24 season amid an injury to goaltender Joseph Woll and Ilya Samsonov's performance issues. Drafted by the Maple Leafs in the fourth-round (122nd) overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, Hildeby has spent most of the last two seasons playing with the Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies, where he’s likely to spend most of the upcoming season.
The goaltender still has a lot to prove at the professional level. In 73 career games with the Marlies, Hildeby has a 37-21-11 record with a 2.53 goals-against average, along with a 1-3 record in five AHL playoff appearances with a 3.25 goals-against average and .895 save percentage.
Is Hildeby Toronto’s third goalie going into the season?
It appears so. With Hildeby getting some experience at the NHL level and Toronto looking solid with Anthony Stolarz and Woll, the Leafs appear comfortable promoting Hildeby as the No. 3 whenever he is needed. Unlike acquiring veteran goalies, Hildeby is also exempt from waivers, which has historically been a problem for Toronto.
The structure of Hildeby’s deal allows for the goaltender to know exactly where he is on the organization's depth chart. He is a young No. 3 who has an opportunity in the long run to earn a spot with the big club down the road if he can continue to develop at the professional level.
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