Left-hander Jackson Wolf continued his excellent run since coming over from the Padres in the Casey Mize trade, while Jace Jung provided the offense on Wednesday.
Wolf located his fourseam and sinker well in this one, and dropped in plenty of good curveballs to baffle the Bats. He scattered five hits and two walks, pitching into the sixth with five strikeouts on the day. His outings tend to feature a fair amount of traffic, but very little damage.
He holds an ERA under 2.00 since coming over, and hasn’t allowed a single home run. It’s only 27.2 innings, but it’s also notable that Wolf’s strikeout rate has spiked from 21.2 percent in the Padres system, to 31.8 percent in Toledo. I don’t really see any outstanding differences in his stuff, but the Padres are pretty poor at developing pitchers so hopefully the Tigers are helping him improving his approach, pitch mix, and location. With pitching depth always a key concern, it feels like the Tigers have a pretty nice sixth starter who can also pitch in as a lefty in relief if Tyler Holton, Brant Hurter, or Drew Sommers need backup in 2027.
The Hens didn’t have much going on offensively in this one, but in the bottom of the third, Andrew Navigato drew a one-out walk. Trei Cruz ripped a single to center field, and Jung launched his 21st home run of the season to right field.
That blow made it 3-0. Wolf gave up a run in the fifth, but came back out to collect two outs in the sixth before giving way to the pen.
Nick Sandlin and Jack Little got the Hens through the eighth. Tanner Rainey walked a batter but closed it out for his fifth save.
Our friends at Tigers Minor League Report voted Max Anderson their minor league player of the year this week. He posted a single and a double in this one. No doubt it’s been a frustrating year for him, as he improved his swing decisions as needed but never got the call to the big leagues. He should get his opportunities in 2027.
Max Anderson belts a double high off the wall in right, missing a homer by a few feet. But it goes as 23rd double and 40th extra-base hit with Toledo. pic.twitter.com/1Stux4YVzW
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 02: Taylor Trammell #26 of the Houston Astros attempts to avoid a tag by Elias Diaz #35 of the Texas Rangers in the third inning at Daikin Park on August 02, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Look, the Yankees are probably cooked in the AL East at this point. They had their opportunities, but the Rays have opened up a 4.5-game AL East lead with 10 games left for the Bombers, and they would need to sweep the four-game set coming up next week—one that features a doubleheader Tuesday—to even have a remote chance since that would give them the tiebreaker over Tampa Bay.
The odds are the odds at this point: a 5.9-percent chance per FanGraphs to win the AL East. Old friend Brandon McCarthy was more likely to get a hit in a given at-bat (.062 career batting average) than the Yankees are to pull this off. Bartolo Colon’s .084 average would be a dream in comparison. Hits did occasionallyhappen for McCarthy! But it ain’t lookin’ pretty for the 2026 Yanks.
So the Rays are almost certainly winning the division and the Yankees and Red Sox will almost certainly duke it out again in a best-of-three Wild Card Series. Great. Fabulous. The rest of the AL is a damn mess:
Yuck! The skinny on the teams still competing for division titles:
The White Sox were once actually coasting a bit to that AL Central crown and even a first-round bye, but they’ve really begun to run out of steam.
The Guardians are now just barely in front of Chicago for both of those, but if it ends in a tie, then the White Sox have the tiebreaker, so how comfortable can Cleveland really feel?
The AL West is even more garbage, with the Rangers’ win and Astros’ loss last night bringing them even at .500 on the dot, in first place. I would say that I cannot believe how much the Mariners beefed this, but, well, they have a history. So does the division itself! All these AL West teams have negative run differentials, by the way.
Back to the matter at hand, the Astros have the tiebreaker between those two, but with Yordan Alvarez looking hobbled … I don’t know.
Shooting from the hip, I trust Cleveland to eke out their third consecutive division title. They have a roster more accustomed to the chase this time of year and the White Sox have been surviving on some magic beans for much of the season anyway. This is not to imply that the Guardians are actually good, mind you; it was just always going to be a tough sell for the Pale Hose to go from 121 losses in 2024 and 102 last year to not only a winning record this year, but a division title as well. It could still happen, sure! I’d think it was more interesting. But my brain says Cleveland.
As for the AL West? Hooboy. Give me the Rangers, whatever. They’re oh-so-quietly getting healthier and Houston’s dropped seven of ten, including a clunker last night to the crappy Royals. Although the Astros get to end the season with four games against the awful A’s, I think Texas will take advantage of a not-so-tough slate of their own. Corey Seager has an OPS over .900 in his past month of play. He would love nothing more than to pants Houston again.
I know the Wild Card is its own mess that could allow for one of the two division contenders that loses out to sneak into October anyway if Toronto and Baltimore can’t heat up. But let’s focus on those two bye contenders. Which teams win the divisions? Who makes it to the ALCS? Sadly, one of them will, while two of the Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox will be stuck at home. Them’s the breaks.
Today on the site, Scott will discuss the RailRiders’ last-ditch effort this week to make the International League playoffs, Matt will run through the Rivalry Roundup, Jonathan will celebrate the 109th birthday of a wartime Yankee who had a film career as well, and John will muse on Giancarlo Stanton’s speed. (Yes, really! It’s a fun piece, I promise.) Later, Peter will break down an excellent strikeout from Max Fried for his Sequence of the Week.
We all remember May 12th, 2025 when Jayson Tatum fell to the floor in Game 4 of Round 2 against the New York Knicks. To that point, it had been one of the been one of the best games Tatum had played in his career with 42 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.
The 2024-25 version of Jayson Tatum is the best Tatum we have seen in his career. He had become the best scorer, passer and rebounder on the Celtics and was playing as well as any player in the league.
That is the Jayson Tatum the Celtics are betting on getting this year, the Jayson Tatum they need this year.
Tatum’s return from his Achilles tear was an overwhelming success. Sure, the end was disappointing with the blown 3-1 and him sitting out Game 7 but for Tatum to look as good as he did coming off of that major an injury under a year after it happened shows that Jayson Tatum is ready to reach the levels he once did.
Tatum’s play improved as the season went along and his numbers were vastly better in the playoffs than the regular season. His points, rebounds, assists and shooting percentages were all up in the first round series against the 76ers than they were in the 16 regular season games he played.
He got stronger as his return to the court went along and he really started to find himself before a knee issue held him out of Game 7.
I do think him missing Game 7 is notable, he was recovering from a major injury which likely lead to the new injury. That is something that should be addressed but I am not worried about it entering this year.
The subtraction of Jaylen Brown means that Tatum is the guy in Boston. There no more Jays and no more duo, this is the Jayson Tatum and friends show. His ‘friends’ are very good but that doesn’t matter if Tatum doesn’t preform to his highest capabilities.
His tools are very important to this team.
Tatum’s rebounding has reached a level where it isn’t underrated anymore. Everyone knows that Jayson Tatum is awesome on the glass. He was awesome on the glass in his return averaging 10.0 rebounds per game in the 16 regular season games he played and 10.7 in the six playoff games. The Celtics should be really good on the defensive glass this year and Tatum is going to be a big part of that.
His passing has gotten astronomically better since he entered the league and his playmaking is going to be a huge part of this team. The Celtics don’t have a ton of lead ball handlers on this team and Tatum is a big reason for that. He is going to have the ball in his hands more than any other player on the team and it will likely be by a wide margin. They’ll need his passing to be top notch. This team has a lot of good shooters, it will be up to Tatum to get them the ball a lot of the time.
Tatum’s pick and roll partnerships with Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson are also going to be really fun this year. His leap in passing has also lead to a leap in his pick and roll partnerships as he and Luke Kornet were one of the most efficient pick and roll pairings during the 2024-25 season. His ability to play out of that should be something the Celtics really take advantage of this year. I have really enjoyed watching him come off a screen leading to an opening between the screener and the big, which Tatum quickly spits and gets to the cup with ease.
The Celtics defense is supposed to be among the best in the league this year because they have a lot of really good defensive players. At his peak, Jayson Tatum is as good defensively as any of them. Both on the ball and off of it. His ability to guard one through five was the leading reason as to why Boston’s defense was so good in during their 2024 championship season. His switching ability is a big part as to why I think Boston’s defense can be so dominant.
Last but not least is how important Tatum’s scoring ability is. The three point shot has been long scrutinized but he really did start to find it as last season ended, shooting 36.5% in the playoffs from beyond the arc. His pull-up has always been one of his biggest weapons and that shot was a big part of his arsenal last season.
His 2 point scoring is where he has really thrived over the last few years as well as he has gotten stronger. Jayson Tatum’s ability to put the ball in the basket will never be questioned by me because he has always been special at that.
The Celtics have a chance to be really good this year. That starts and ends with Jayson Tatum. If he can find somewhere between 90 and 100% of his peak form, the Celtics are going to be a legit threat in the Eastern Conference this season and I have every confidence he will do just that.
The Islanders open training camp — which are now shorter than past camps per the new CBA — with news that Mathew Barzal will not skate for all of it “due to aggravation of a prior injury that has caused some inflammation.”
So we are starting the season with Barzal out, and on Health Watch. That’s, that’s a bummer, man.
Islanders News
Here is the Isles’ PR statement announcing Barzal’s status, which amusingly includes the uncharacteristic and unattributed line, “There is nobody more committed than Mathew to getting his body to the level where he thrives on the ice.“ [Isles]
Here’s the full training camp roster. No alarms and no surprises, please—oops, too late. [Isles]
The beatwriters try to add a bit more context on Barzal. [Newsday | Post]
Andrew Gross also got the ol’ “5 questions” treatment as the Isles begin camp. [Newsday]
Or call it a “bevy” of questions from Sears. [Post]
Kashawn Aitcheson spent some time this summer training with Bo Horvat, the new captain who will presumably one day be cashing some on-ice checks that Aitcheson writes, so to speak. [Isles]
The Islanders are doing another season of their docuseries (more on that below). [Newsday]
So yes, On The Island, Season 2 has begun. This one covers Kyle Palmieri’s offseason recovery and the Single Malte draft. (Does not cover Anders Lee’s departure, alas.) The prospects’ interactions with kids is pretty heartwarming, too. The title references a scout who’s been here nearly 50 years, who’s dad (passed away in 1979) helped convince Bill Torrey to pick Mike Bossy (How have we not heard this before? Have we heard this before?). Also, Eric Boulton looking like your beer league teammate and Trent Klatt like Ray Liotta:
Elsewhere
Ooooh the drama in Winnipeg escalates, as Connor Hellebuyck does not report to camp, gets suspended. (Come on, man. Understand that your position and the huge contract you signed just a couple years ago might take a while to trade.) [NHL]
In totally unrelated news, fellow trade requestor Dylan Larkin will miss the start of Red Wings training camp due to an injury with “no timeline.” [NHL]
Gabriel Landeskog is old school, says he’s not sure all these trade demands are good. [Sportsnet]
The Leafs have enlisted a couple former first-overalls, a future free agent and a robot, to help mentor Gavin McKenna. [NHL]
But one of them, Auston Matthews, is totally committed to the Leafs, I swear. [NHL]
Here’s the jukebox treatment on why Matthews is still a Leaf and will be one forever, I swear. [Sportsnet]
Brent Burns has a new beard and is 57 games away from matching Phil Kessell’s ironman record. [NHL]
A general primer on the Houston or Austin expansion situation, including info on the multi-club owner. [ESPN]
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 13: Carter Sanderson #62 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his goal against the Detroit Red Wings with teammates during the first period of the 2026 NHL Prospect Camp at Belfor iced rink inside Little Caesars Arena on September 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) Carter Sanderson | Getty Images
The Penguins get to work today officially for the start of the franchise’s 60th season. Pens Points is back to catch up on news and notes for the occasion.
The top storylines we’re tracking for the start of camp, which just so happens to be about the exact same questions as last year. [PensBurgh]
And here’s the opening camp roster with an early schedule through the weekend. [PensBurgh]
Sidney Crosby hasn’t signed a contract extension yet, but is feeling no rush to do so with his agent and the team handling talks. [Tribune Review]
A look at the philosophies and personality behind how Kyle Dubas works at re-shaping the Penguins. [Post-Gazette]
The Penguins have signed a deal with US Steel to jump on board as the team’s new helmet sponsor. Perhaps wisely it’s only for a promotional sticker and not for the manufacture of said equipment. [Penguins.com]
Cheers to former Penguin Ryan Reaves, who announced his retirement yesterday after 16 NHL seasons and 962 career games. [TSN]
With Reaves hangin’ the skates up, only three players remain for next season in the NHL who don’t wear a visor with that rule grandfathered in. Can you guess without clicking (answer below) [Reddit]
Speaking of grandfathered equipment changes, there’s only one new rule change for players in the NHL in 2026-27: any player who makes their NHL debut this season and beyond are required to wear a neck guard. Such protection remains optional for all players who already have played at least one prior NHL game. [Toronto Sun]
A list of players who must clear waivers for the first time in 2026-27 in order to be sent to the AHL. Pittsburgh entries: goalie Taylor Gauthier and forward Ville Koivunen. [Puck Pedia]
Good guy Marc-Andre Fleury didn’t forget his billet family, reaching out to invite them to be included with his QMJHL Hall of Fame proceedings. [CBC]
Former Penguin Jordan Staal has extended his contract in 2027-28 with Carolina for a $4.9 million cap hit with up to $5.1 million (!) more in performance bonuses. [Hurricanes.com]
New Utah teammates Vincent Trocheck and Logan Cooley have a long history dating back to their days in Pittsburgh. [NHL.com]
After shoulder surgery last month, Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins has failed a physical and isn’t expected back ‘anytime soon’. The Blue Jackets have recently added 39-year old goalie Cam Talbot to join Jet Greaves in net. [X – Portzline]
Mat Barzal’s status for the start of the regular season is in question after the announcement he won’t be skating at all for the next two weeks due to ‘inflammation’. (The Pens and Islanders don’t meet for the first time until January though, if you were wondering). [Islanders.com]
Drew Doughty is the new captain of the LA Kings. [NHL.com]
Connor Hellebuyck, who made a trade request public, decided not to show up to the start of Winnipeg’s training camp. The Jets have now suspended Hellebuyck, who won’t be getting paid in the regular season until he reports to the Jets or gets that trade in a situation that might get even uglier and messier in the coming weeks. [Sportsnet]
A handful of players got polled at media day about hot topics around the NHL like expansion, trade requests and what coach they would like to play for. [The Athletic $]
Trivia answer from above – the three remaining visor-less players signed to the NHL this year: Ryan O’Reilly, Zach Bogosian and Jamie Benn.
Mike Conley’s biggest contribution to the Boston Celtics during the 2026-27 season is unlikely to be found in the box score. But we wouldn’t sleep on what the soon-to-be 39-year-old guard can bring to the court this season as well.
For Day 8 of our Ramp to Camp series, we asked our panel to predict Conley’s biggest impact on this year’s team. Not surprisingly, as Conley prepares to enter his 20th NBA season and is regarded as one of the best teammates in the league, much of the focus will land on the leadership he can bring to a team that should benefit from the veteran additions made this offseason.
It’s hard not to be invigorated just listening to him talk about his desire to pass his knowledge onto the other players on the roster, especially fellow guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.
“I’m at that stage where I can pass that [experience] along,” Conley told NBC Sports Boston. “I can give that to Payton and Derrick, to Baylor [Scheierman], to Sam [Hauser], everybody that’s going to be expected to carry the load and the weight of this team. And it’s going to be fun.
“It’s going to be fun because, like for me and Payton, we’re similar-sized guards, smaller guards. So it’s easy for me to relate with him on different shot opportunities, what I’m thinking when I get into the paint, and how our games complement and how they’re different, and in what way can I kind of translate that to make it work for him.
“[White and Pritchard are] killers, man. They really are. Derrick White, I’ve played against him for a long time, both while he was here, he’s in San Antonio, and admired the way that he approaches every game. He’s one of the better defenders in the league, and the way that he plays, individually, but as a team guy, just getting back on defense, doing the right things … Payton, I think he’s just gotten better and better, with more given to him, more opportunities given to him. I think he’s just gonna continue to get better. And I’m excited to see that growth in that jump that he’s gonna make this year, because I think it can be special.”
The Celtics lost a lot of veteran leadership in the aftermath of Banner 18. From Jrue Holiday to Al Horford to Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet, some key locker room voices and guys with extensive basketball resumes went out the door. The additions of Conley, Paul George, and Mitchell Robinson can help restore a bit of that leadership.
The Celtics shouldn’t need to lean too heavily on Conley on the court. But we could see a very Blake Griffin-like role. While Griffin’s primary contribution was leadership at the tail end of his playing days, he still logged 41 games, including 16 starts. Mazulla will trust Conley given his NBA resume. Maybe that gives Boston some flexibility in how it deploys Pritchard at times, too.
Last season, during Minnesota’s playoff run, Conley made 12 appearances and posted a 6.4:1 turnover ratio (32 assists, 5 turnovers). He can still be a steadying presence who creates opportunities for others. He’s had a long history of playing with elite scorers — from Marc Gasol to Donovan Mitchell to Anthony Edwards — and we’re intrigued to see how Jayson Tatum can benefit from his presence.
It’s a bonus if Conley’s 3-point shot perks back up (dipping to 33.7 percent last year after being north of 40 percent during the rest of his Minnesota tenure). But it’s undeniable that his biggest contribution will be simply nurturing the players around them and trying to help Boston’s younger players step into bigger roles of their own.
Kevin Miller: Vice President, Content Creation & Strategy
Helping with overall team vibe and professionalism, and a couple sneaky key games where his minutes are noteworthy.
The Celtics lost arguably their most prominent leader in Jaylen Brown, and while Jayson Tatum is a bona fide superstar, he hasn’t exactly been a vocal leader throughout his career. The respected veteran Conley can be that guy both on the court and inside the locker room, and his presence will be invaluable even if he doesn’t have much left in the tank in his age-39 season.
Josh Canu: Editor
Leadership.
Conley’s best days are behind him, clearly. His shooting numbers last year were not good. But he’s always been a leader and a positive impact in the locker room. With Jaylen Brown gone, there is a void for a veteran voice to help lead this team. Conley should be part of that.
The Celtics have a bunch of young guards and wings, and Conley’s leadership will have a great influence on them. He could also help Tatum improve as a leader following Jaylen Brown’s departure. Conley is a true professional and highly respected throughout the league.
It’s a basic answer here, but it’s cool to have a guy on the roster who was in the NBA when Hugo Gonzalez was a one-year-old. Rookie Chris Cenac Jr. was a newborn when Conley had 10 points and nine assists against the Utah Jazz. I would expect the on-court impact to be minimal, honestly, but for a team with a lot of youth, Conley should be a useful presence along the journey.
Adam Hart: Executive Producer, Content Strategy
My suspicion: positive voice in the ear of young players, like Hugo Gonzalez, as they shape their talent into NBA savvy. What kind of savvy? How to take care of your body, tactical knowledge, etc.
Max Lederman: Content Producer
Vibes. Everything I’ve ever heard about Mike Conley is he’s a great person. That fits nicely on this team and having a savvy vet like him can only help.
Jason Levine: Executive Producer, Content Integrations
The Boston Bruins exceeded most expectations last season by winning 45 games and earning 100 points to make the playoffs after finishing with the NHL’s fifth-worst record the year before.
It was an impressive turnaround by the B’s, but now the hard part has arrived. Can they build on that success and maintain their status as a playoff team?
The Atlantic Division figures to be ultra competitive, especially with the Florida Panthers — who were decimated by injuries last season — healthy again and having a better roster after trading for Brady Tkachuk.
The Bruins also have an improved roster, but is it enough to get the franchise into the playoffs? Let’s break down five burning questions that will define the Bruins’ upcoming season.
How much of an impact will JJ Peterka make offensively?
The Bruins needed another top-six forward this summer to take some of the scoring burden off David Pastrnak. Pastrnak has tallied 100-plus points each of the last four seasons. No other Bruins player has eclipsed the 70-point mark during that span.
The B’s paid a steep price — two first-round picks — to get JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth in a draft day trade in June.
Peterka had a bit of a disappointing 2025-26 season with the Mammoth, but he still tallied a respectable 25 goals with 22 assists in 82 games. He also plays with a lot of speed — something the B’s have sorely lacked in recent years. Can he take the next step and become a 30-goal, 70-point player in Boston?
“He’s got an elite shot,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told reporters at the draft in June. “Probably gives us another look on the elbows in a power-play situation. His power-play minutes dipped a little bit last year. His 5-on-5 production has been really good. Plays both wings. Could probably play with a couple different types of centers, help drive a line, but also complement the better guys in situations that we’re certainly trying to improve.”
Peterka has scored 25-plus goals in each of the last three seasons. He should be able to get to 30-plus if he plays with Pastrnak on the Bruins’ top line. Pastrnak is one of the league’s top goal scorers, but he’s also a tremendous playmaker. His 71 assists last season ranked sixth among all players and set a new career high.
The potential for Pastrnak and Peterka to be a very effective duo is high. If that happens, the Bruins should be much better equipped to score goals in the playoffs (assuming they qualify). They averaged just 1.25 goals over the last four games of their 2026 first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.
Is there a No. 1 center on the roster?
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Fraser Minten signed a seven-year extension last last week.
The biggest weakness on the Bruins’ roster remains the lack of a No. 1 center. They haven’t had one since Patrice Bergeron retired in 2023.
Elias Lindholm was supposed to be a top-six center when he signed a seven-year, $54.25 million contract as a free agent in 2024, but he has been a huge disappointment so far. He is, at best, a No. 3 center right now. Pavel Zacha is coming off a great 2025-26 campaign during which he set career highs with 30 goals and 65 assists, but he’s entering the final year of his contract. Is he even part of the team’s long-term plans?
Maybe a younger center such as Fraser Minten or James Hagens could step into the No. 1 role at some point, but that’s unlikely to be this coming season. Hagens has far more offensive upside than Minten, but he only has four games of NHL experience at the moment.
No. 1 centers almost never get to free agency anymore. So teams must draft and develop them, or find one on the trade market, which is obviously expensive to pull off.
The Bruins cashed in two first-round picks to acquire winger J.J. Peterka at the 2026 NHL Draft. If no one shows No. 1 center potential this season, the B’s might have to make another major move to bring in that kind of player. If you look at the last 15 teams that won the Stanley Cup, nearly all of them had a bonafide No. 1 center (and some of them had two).
Is Jeremy Swayman a top-five goalie again?
Swayman really struggled in the 2024-25 season after missing all of training camp due to a contract dispute. But to his credit, he bounced back with a fantastic 2025-26 campaign that resulted in him being voted a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time in his career.
The Bruins were a poor defensive team for much of last season, but they still overcame those mistakes and reached the playoffs largely because of Swayman’s brilliance in net. He finished with a 31-18-4 record, a .908 save percentage and a 2.71 GAA. But the real story can be found in the analytics below:
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There were reasons to believe that his disappointing 2024-25 season would be an outlier. He had been a very good goalie before that. But can Swayman play at a top-five or even top-three level going forward on a consistent basis?
The Bruins will need that kind of performance from him if they’re going to make the playoffs in a very competitive Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. It’s a lot to ask of Swayman, but it’s the reality based on the construction of the roster. The Bruins don’t have enough elite offensive talent to get away with average or worse goaltending for long stretches of the regular season or in the playoffs.
Which young player(s) will step up and play bigger role?
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
James Hagens is poised for a larger role as a rookie in 2026-27.
Fraser Minten had a very good first full season as an NHL player last year and posted 35 points (17 goals, 18 assists) in 82 games, while also shining defensively and playing a meaningful role on the penalty kill. After signing a seven-year, $50.4 million extension last week, how much improvement will we see from him next season? Can he hit the 25-goal mark? He might end up being the first-line center, which is a big responsibility for a 22-year-old but the B’s don’t have a ton of options for that role. The Bruins outscored opponents 23-7 when Minten and Pastrnak played together at even strength last season. It would be wise of Sturm to go back to that duo to begin the season.
Hagens also could make a meaningful impact as a rookie. He’s a great skater, his playmaking skills are top tier and his shot is both powerful and accurate. He got some NHL-level experience (two regular season games, three playoff games) last season, which will definitely help him entering camp. Hagens played on the wing for Boston, where his defensive responsibilities would be less than if he played center. But long term, it would be best for both Hagens and the Bruins if he shifted to center ice at some point. Hagens’ impressive offensive skill set could make him a key component of Boston’s power play, too.
Marat Khusnutdinov enjoyed a breakout 2025-26 season, tallying career highs of 15 goals and 18 assists. His scoring production, speed and versatility made him a valuable player. Can he take another step offensively and hit the 20-goal mark, or was last season’s scoring uptick more a product of luck and an unsustainably high shooting percentage (19.2 percent)?
Matthew Poitras has shown potential at both the NHL and AHL levels in recent seasons. Can he show enough consistency offensively to earn a regular role for the Bruins?
Unless the B’s make an in-season move for a veteran forward, one (or multiple) of these young players will need to play a larger role in 2026-27.
How does the blue line logjam shake out?
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Mason Lohrei is entering the final year of his contract.
The Bruins have nine defensemen signed to one-way contracts: Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Mason Lohrei, Will Borgen, Connor Clifton, Jonathan Aspirot, Jordan Harris and Henri Jokiharju.
It’s nice to have so much depth, but there’s not enough ice time for all of these guys. Frederic Brunet, the Bruins’ top defenseman prospect, has also earned a chance to make the team after a strong 2025-26 season for the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Brunet, and the nine players listed above, are all waiver-eligible, which makes figuring out this logjam even more difficult.
“I think the competition is going to play out,” Sweeney said at a press conference Wednesday when asked about the blue line. “Clearly, we had an eye toward the fact that Charlie wasn’t going to start the year for six games. … You could run into injury troubles, last year we did, and we tested that pretty quickly. We’re in a good spot there. Will we have to make a move? Time will tell in that sense, in how the players play, how their health is. At some point in time, we will have to get to the waiver question and make smart decisions as a result.”
We know McAvoy, Lindholm, Zadorov and Borgen are likely going to make up the top four. Aspirot, who played well alongside McAvoy last season, could again be a consistent part of the lineup. Clifton was signed in free agency and probably will get every opportunity in camp and the preseason to be on the third pairing (maybe second pairing during McAvoy’s six-game suspension to start the season) come Opening Night.
So where does that leave Lohrei, Harris and Jokiharju? Lohrei is in the final year of his two-year deal with a salary cap hit of $3.2 million. Jokiharju has two more years left on his contract with a $3 million cap hit. He was a healthy scratch in four of the six playoff games versus the Sabres. Harris returned in free agency on a one-year deal after missing most of last season due to injury.
If the Bruins could trade Lohrei or Jokiharju and thus clear some cap space and maybe get an asset in return, that would be ideal. If there aren’t any trades to be made, it will be fascinating to see how this logjam plays out.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 16: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on after an at-bat against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field on September 16, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yahoo Sports: As you likely know by now, Aaron Judge exited yesterday’s game early when Heliot Ramos pinch-hit for him in the sixth. The Yankees announced it midgame as “lower leg tightness.” It’s some relief I suppose that Judge didn’t re-aggravate the rib fracture that kept him out for over three months, and Judge himself downplayed the seriousness of the ailment after the game.
“We’re still trying to ramp up so there’s still going to be little things like this that come up,” Judge said after the Yankees 13-inning loss to the Twins. “I just thought it would be best instead of pushing through it like I normally do.” Judge seemed to view his exit from the game as precautionary, and likened it to the type of thing that would happen in spring training when small, nagging things pop up as players get back into playing shape.
MLB.com | Patrick Donnelly: Clarke Schmidt came off the 60-day injured list yesterday, something we saw coming; he allowed two hits but got two strikeouts while facing four batters in his first MLB action since July 3, 2025. What we didn’t see coming was who was pushed off the roster to make room for Schmidt: fan favorite Oswaldo Cabrera. The utilityman Cabrera had spent most of the year at Triple-A, hitting .288 with 19 homers and a .790 OPS, but hasn’t spent much time with the big club ever since suffering a brutal ankle injury in a play at home plate last May. Cabrera seems likely to be claimed on waivers, meaning his time in the Bronx is likely to come to an end after being a member of the organization since signing at age-16 in July 2015.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: ($) Spencer Jones has been a bit of a revelation for the Yankees this year, producing at a high level across the outfield throughout the summer. He’s benefited from shadowing another big lefty swinger in the outfield: Cody Bellinger. Bellinger is only 31, but has a very long and decorated track record for a player his age, something Jones has tried to tap into during his time with the Yankees. “As a young guy, I can’t help but watch every time he’s up there,” Jones said of Bellinger. “When we are in the dugout,” Jones said, “he’s one of those people I can go up to and ask, like, ‘Yo, what did you see?’ He’ll tell me bluntly what he saw, how he saw it, and essentially what he’s going to do next time.”
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Ryan Weathers cleared a key hurdle in his rehab earlier this week, tossing 15 pitches in a bullpen session and sitting 87-90 mph on his fastball. The hope, if things go right, is for the lefty to get into game action before the regular season ends. It’s a tight timeline, but with Weathers set to throw another bullpen on Friday before perhaps facing live hitters early next week, it’s doable. The Yankees could certainly use his arm in the bullpen as they try to sort out what their playoff relief corps will look like.
FanGraphs | Davy Andrews: This here isn’t news, but it is fun. Andrews discusses the Amazon TV show Reacher, in which the titular character tries to maintain a low profile by checking into hotels under aliases, which are always Yankees second basemen. The problem, of course, is that Reacher’s cover is often blown, because Yankee second basemen are frequently famous people with recognizable names (don’t choose “Starlin Castro” as your alias if you’re trying not to attract attention!). So, Andrews endeavors to help Reacher by finding players who played second base for the Yankees who would help Reacher stay undercover. Good aliases include second basemen from New York’s Higlander days, like Joe Ward, and Otis Johnson. The worst possible aliases Andrews found? Robinson Canó and Mickey Mantle.
The Giants have struggled in 2026 and are out of the postseason chase for the fifth consecutive MLB season. Looking ahead to next season, the team is eager to bounce back and bring glory back to the diamond in San Francisco. But when the Giants take the field in 2027, longtime broadcaster Mike Krukow will not be a part of the journey after announcing that he will retire from the role at the end of this year.
And now that his retirement is official, Krukow has taken time to reflect on his storied broadcasting career — with multiple prestigious opportunities coming along the way. Sitting down with NBC Sports Bay Area Giants insider Alex Pavlovic, Krukow talked about the time he and Duane Kuiper provided commentary for the “MVP Baseball” video game series.
“We were really proud of that,” Krukow told Pavlovic. “It was a good project and we were involved with a bunch of engineers that put this thing together that really had a real passion for this project, and we had fun when we did it. And I found out what your voice is capable of because they give you a phonebook worth of dialogue that you had to talk about.
“A little tougher for Kuip because every time there was a line, it had to be inclusive of all the 600 players in the game. But you had about four hours of voice, and then you were done. That was it; you couldn’t go anymore. But they were so creative. We had one project where they gave us a game on TV, and it was like a video game with no sound. And the whole concept was just do the game, they set up the situation, talk about the game like you would talk about it. Talk about the elements of the weather, I mean, whatever. Talk about it like it’s a regular game.”
Doing commentary for the game required Kruk and Kuip to really channel their love for baseball, but the project gave the two a chance to add their own flair and give a whole new set of fans the chance to truly understand how the pair called games.
“It took us about 40 minutes to do nine innings,” Krukow told Pavlovic. “And it was really fun. But there were a lot of things that they did that were cutting edge. We would have chalk talks, and they would say ‘okay, what can we bring into this?’ And we would talk ball, we would talk ball for hours, and the next time we would gather, which would be in about a week or so, we’d come back and all these things we talked about were in the game.”
Krukow and Kuiper provided commentary for all three MVP Baseball titles stemming from 2003-05. While EA Sports stopped making the series ahead of the 2006 MLB season in favor of the MLB 2K franchise, the game left a lasting impact on Krukow’s legacy, cementing his status as one of baseball’s best announcers.
Krukow, who has been a Giants broadcaster for 36 years, has dealt with health related issues in recent seasons– most notably inclusion body myositis that has caused him to use a wheelchair. And while the disease has forced him to cut back both on his travel schedule and overall workload, he has continued to capture the hearts of many and provide moments that will live forever on in Giants history.
Club legend Steve Fletcher reflects on the wild rise over two decades to playing Real Sociedad in the Europa League
It is 13 years since Bournemouth, a couple of months after finishing runners-up to Doncaster in the third tier, hosted Real Madrid. It was a balmy summer’s day, officially Carlo Ancelotti’s first match in charge, and, a few hours after checking into the Haven hotel on the Sandbanks peninsula, a wave of galácticos took to the pitch: Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Kaká, Karim Benzema, the list goes on.
An early, wayward Ronaldo free-kick broke the wrist of an 11-year‑old boy before Madrid ran out 6-0 winners in a bucket-list friendly.
PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 16: Gabriel Moreno #14 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates during the game between the Miami Marlins and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Brendon Baranov/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
I’m fairly convinced that baseball fans are a special breed. There aren’t that many sports fans that can watch their team lose in heartbreaking fashion and then show up less than 24 hours later to support the team. It’s just too bad those special fans weren’t rewarded with a better result or better play. Instead, they were treated to another tense, frustrating affair that ended with another one-run loss against a team that is functionally playing out the string of the season.
Merrill Kelly took the bump looking to bounce back from a shortened outing against the Rangers. Unfortunately, he looked like he needed another hour to warm up as the first two innings were a real slog. The first two runners of the game reached before he struckout the side in the first and he loaded the bases in the second inning on a double and a pair of walks. Heriberto Hernandez then grounded a ball sharply down the third base line that Nolan Arenado reached and then made a heroic attempt to throw Hernandez out that took Pavin Smith off the bag and allowed two runs to score. There’s certainly an argument to be made that Arenado could have held the ball, but there’s no other fielder I trust to make that judgement than Arenado who has been a revelation this season in the desert. The Marlins would tack on two more runs in the third when Jakob Marsee, who had an excellent series, launched a two-run shot into the right field bleachers to extend the Miami lead. Kelly would last into the fifth inning and collected a season-high nine strikeouts, but another short outing from their starting pitcher was one of the last things the team needed. Thankfully, the Arizona bullpen continues to shine with 4.1 scoreless innings from Ryne Nelson, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Dennis Santana to keep the team within striking distance.
Meanwhile, the Arizona offense continues to sputter. Yes, they scored three runs, but they were all solo home runs as the struggles with runners in scoring position. Tonight they were an inexcusable 0-for-6 in such situations and even when they loaded the bases with less than two outs in the home half of the first, Corbin Carroll couldn’t find a way to get the ball in play to even give the team the chance to score the runner from third. The team was particularly dependent on the home run ball in the series, scoring all but two of their 13 runs via the long ball. That’s not how the team is particularly constructed and it helps to explain why the offense was so mediocre.
It’s easy to point to the final play of the game with Jordan Lawlar’s unsuccessful attempted steal of second base as the reason the D-Backs lost this game, but there’s plenty of blame to go around for this loss. Kelly looked shaky early on and struggled to put hitters away at times which shortened his start, the top half of the lineup besides Moreno went a combined 2-for-15 with a couple walks, and the team failed to get a single hit with runners in scoring position. That last point is worth emphasizing again as it also includes an at-bat with a runner at third with less than two outs that wasn’t cashed in either. Yes, it’s frustrating that the attempted steal “took the bat out of Marte’s hands,” and it’s possible Lawlar scores from first on an extra-base hit anyway, but having a runner in scoring position is always preferable. And it took a near-perfect throw and tag from a rookie catcher in order to nab Lawlar. I’d prefer the team stick to its identity and roll the dice on something like that than rely on a home run or a double that could theoretically score Lawlar all the way from first base.
This was a particularly frustrating series to watch. It was against a team that has little more than pride left to play for on the road versus a team very much in the postseason hunt. And yet, the starting pitching for the D-Backs struggled to a 5.66 ERA and covered just 14.1 innings, forcing the bullpen to cover that much more of the game. Meanwhile, the offense scored just 13 runs, nearly all of them coming via home run as they went a pathetic 6-for-31 with runners in scoring position for the series. As a result, the team finds themselves going into their off day 3.5 games back of the Padres for the final Wild Card spot with just nine games to go. If they fail to make the playoffs, going 1-5 against a mediocre Marlins team on the season will be just one of many reasons. We can only hope that they have better things to think about instead.
ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: J.P. Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Tony Macon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After dropping the first two games of the series against the worst team in the American League, the Mariners bounced back to win the series finale over the Angels, 7-2.
It was Jo Adell Home Run Robbery Bobblehead Night, despite Adell no longer being an Angel of Anaheim. You might remember, the Angels scheduled this promotion after a win over Seattle earlier this season. Yes, Jo Adell robbed three home runs in a 1-0 win against the Mariners this year, and yes, I did almost forget that this happened until Aaron Goldsmith and Angie Mentink brought it up on the broadcast because this season has pretty much been one big nightmare that I’ve been trying to forget.
The Mariners jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first off of their former All-Star Yusei Kikuchi. Back-to-back singles by J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena, plus a walk to Dominic Canzone, loaded the bases with nobody out. Cal Raleigh opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left that plated Crawford. Then, with two outs in the inning, Josh Naylor grounded a single through the right side to put the M’s up 2-0.
The bottom of the first started as a near-mirror image of the top half. George Kirby loaded the bases with nobody out by allowing a single to Zach Neto and walking the next two hitters. Vaughn Grissom then cut the Mariners’ lead in half with a shallow sacrifice fly to left that successfully tested Randy Arozarena’s arm; his throw came a bit up the line, allowing Neto to score. Unlike the top half of the inning, however, the Mariners were able to limit the damage. With one out, Moisés Ballesteros hit a liner right at Crawford at short, who was able to step on second to double up Mike Trout and end the inning.
The Mariners may have worked out of trouble in the first, but their hold on the lead was brief. In the bottom of the second, the first two runners reached — Denzer Guzman skipped a base hit to left and Josh Lowe singled with a bunt that Kirby had trouble barehanding. Former Mariner Adam Frazier would dump an RBI single just in front of Arozarena to tie the game, but Kirby again avoided disaster in the second, striking out the side and leaving the bases loaded.
After a quiet couple of innings for both sides, the Mariners hopped back in front in the top of the fifth. Kikuchi walked a pair of hitters with one out, and even though his pitch count was at 96, Angels manager Kurt Suzuki elected to stick with him. Three more pitches and three runs later, Kikuchi was chased from the game; Cal Raleigh roped a double down the right field line to score a run, and even though Grissom was able to snare a Josh Naylor grounder on the next pitch, he threw his double-play attempt into left field, allowing two more runs to come across.
The Angels immediately threatened to get back into the game. With one out in the bottom half of the fifth, Grissom himself reached on an error by Crawford, who sailed a throw to first on a routine ground ball. Kirby walked a career-high fifth hitter to end a 4.1-inning start where he wasn’t his sharpest, but managed to limit damage anyhow. I suppose we’ll take it — can’t be too choosy at this point, can we? Carlos Vargas took over in relief, and he K’d a couple of hitters to get out of a jam. After five innings, the Mariners had a 5-2 lead.
Once they finally got some separation, the Mariners went for the jugular. They got right back to work in the sixth, scoring two more on successive RBI singles by Canzone and Raleigh to make it 7-2.
With some breathing room in the late innings, the Mariners felt safe enough to return to their Mariner-ing. Naylor was doubled up on a play that, if it had occurred in any sort of consequential situation earlier in the season, it likely would’ve drawn some sort of aversive response from me, but now it didn’t even prompt me to bat an eye.
Luckily, the Mariner-ing in question remained inconsequential, as the Halos failed to get anything going in the late innings. The Mariners bullpen had one of its better nights of late, allowing no runs over 4.2 innings with contributions from Vargas, José Ferrer, Cooper Criswell and Andrés Muñoz.
M’s get a day off Thursday as they head to Colorado to face the Rockies in the final road series of the year. With the Astros losing to the Royals, the Mariners’ elimination number remains at five.
NEW YORK — Pete Alonso homered against the New York Mets again, a solo shot in the first inning that sent the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-1 victory Wednesday night and a three-game sweep at Citi Field.
Jeremiah Jackson, a former Mets farmhand, went deep in the second before Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Samuel Basallo hit back-to-back homers in the third. Chris Bassitt pitched into the seventh for the Orioles (75-78), who moved within 2 1/2 games of the Chicago White Sox for the last American League playoff berth.
Alonso tied the score in the ninth inning Tuesday with his 300th career homer and took a rare curtain call on the road to acknowledge adoring Mets fans still unhappy about his departure for Baltimore last December.
This time, he connected off fill-in starter Xzavion Curry (0-1) to begin an early power display by the Orioles. They launched nine homers in the series after totaling seven in their previous nine games before arriving in Queens on Monday.
Alonso rounded the bases to another warm ovation Wednesday night — albeit not as raucous as the one he received Tuesday night.
The popular slugger hit a franchise-record 264 home runs and made five All-Star teams in seven seasons with the Mets. But they didn’t attempt to re-sign him as a free agent last offseason and Alonso agreed to a $155 million, five-year contract with Baltimore.
Basallo added an RBI single in the ninth for the Orioles. Bassitt, who won 15 games for the Mets in 2022, allowed five hits — including Marcus Semien’s fourth-inning RBI single — and struck out six over 6 2/3 innings.
The start matched the longest this season for Bassitt (8-5), who underwent back surgery in June.
DENVER — Ethan Salas hit his first two major league homers and became the youngest catcher in history with a multi-homer game Wednesday night as the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3.
Salas led off the second inning with a first-pitch shot off Rockies starter Mason Adams (0-1) that went 426 feet over the wall in center field, becoming the youngest catcher to homer in the majors since 19-year-old Iván Rodríguez in 1991.
Salas added a two-run homer that capped San Diego’s four-run fifth and made it 8-1. At 20 years, 107 days, he broke the record held by Butch Wynegar, who was 20 years, 192 days when he hit two home runs for Minnesota on Sept. 22, 1976.
San Diego (83-69) has won nine of 10 and entered the night with a 2 1/2-game lead over Arizona for the final NL wild-card spot. The Padres also prevented the rival Los Angeles Dodgers from clinching the NL West.
Robbie Ray (13-8) allowed three runs and three hits with six strikeouts in six innings for the Padres.
Samad Taylor and Ty France each drove in two runs for San Diego and Jackson Merrill had three hits.
France hit a sacrifice fly that drove in Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth added an RBI single to give the Padres a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Kyle Karros hit a two-run homer in the sixth for the Rockies and Adael Amador had an RBI groundout in the first.
Taylor singled to lead off the fourth, stole second base and scored on a triple by Dustin Harris to make it 4-1 and added a two-run single in the fifth.
Adams allowed six runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Robert Stock’s season ended Wednesday with the disappointment of his placement on the injured list but relief that his situation doesn’t appear serious after he experienced finger numbness.
Earlier this season, the Mets right-hander underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.
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Stock said an MRI exam determined poor circulation in his hand and that he’s begun treating the condition with medication.
He was scratched from his scheduled start against the Orioles because the Mets did not want to risk overextending the bullpen if he wasn’t feeling right on the mound.
Xzavion Curry was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse and started in Stock’s spot.
Stock, 36, completed his season with a 5.93 ERA in eight appearances (seven starts) for the Mets.
“I have proven that my name should be in consideration for being a major league pitcher,” Stock said before the Mets’ 7-1 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday night at Citi Field. “There are a million things I want to do better.”
Stock, a career journeyman, called it a “dream come true” to pitch for the Mets.
“It’s my dream to be an established major league starter and go pitch for the next two decades in Major League Baseball,” Stock said. “To do that requires an absurd amount of work and success and this was a half-step in what is 50 steps.”
Mets starter Robert Stock’s season is over after was placed on the injured list. Jason Szenes for New York Post
Stock didn’t misspeak in saying his plan at 36 is to pitch another two decades.
“Aside from the lack of circulation, my arm, when we got all the other imaging done, it looked great,” Stock said. “I feel great. I am throwing fast for someone that throws from a low slot and I have no reason to think that will decay anytime soon.”
Daniel Duarte was placed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain.
The right-handed reliever pitched to a 2.12 ERA in 24 appearances this season. Lefty Jefry Yan was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
Carson Benge, with his homer Tuesday, joined Gregg Jefferies (1989) as the only rookies in franchise history with at least 40 extra-base hits and 20 stolen bases in a season.
Benge began the night with 18 homers, 19 doubles and three triples along with 22 stolen bases.
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Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
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