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'Poor wedding planning?' 4 Minnesota Twins' weddings are on Nov. 14

Regardless of how the regular season turns out, the Minnesota Twins are going to have a busy offseason. And some players are going to make a tough call.

Four different players – second baseman Luke Keaschall, shortstop Ryan Kreidler, third baseman Brooks Lee, and pitcher Cole Sands – have weddings scheduled on the same day: Saturday, Nov. 14. So friends and teammates will have to decide which wedding to attend.

"Poor wedding planning?" joked Major League Baseball on X.

But the date makes sense, Lee says. Players have to keep their schedule clear until after October, as the World Series can run until the end of the month. The Twins are also in contention for a wild card playoff spot.

"You don't want to be too close to the end of October. … and don't want to be too far (into November) because Thanksgiving is coming up. Seemed like everyone is going to choose that date," Lee told Matthew Leach, the Twins Beat writer on MLB.com.

A birthday worth savoring: Max Scherzer, 42, makes appreciative return to mound

The players and significant others all planned their nuptials without each other's knowledge, then found out about their synonymous wedding dates at spring training, they told Leach.

November nuptials are not unusual, noted Twins manager Derek Shelton, who knows from experience. His anniversary is the following day, and he will be celebrating that in Napa, California, so he won't have to choose which of his players' weddings to attend. Still, "I gave them a bunch of (grief),” Shelton told Leach. “'How am I going to get to each wedding?'"

“I also told them, you guys need to be smart enough to just invite people that aren't going to come to get gifts," Shelton continued. "You guys should invite me to all (four) because then I've got to send all of you gifts."

Minnesota Twins' quadruple wedding play

Lee and Keaschall's weddings will be held close to one another in central California. The two players share the same agent and financial advisor, so they "will be double dipping," Lee said in a Twins TV interview video posted on Instagram. Maybe some teammates "will do the same," he said.

"It's a great clubhouse," Kreidler, who joined the Twins in October 2025, told Twins TV. "Hopefully nobody feels pressured to hit one or the other. In my case, I'd be happy if anybody goes."

Minnesota Twins shortstop Ryan Kreidler (5) waits for the ball as Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) steals second base during the first inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on July 23, 2026.

The best part of wedding day? "Just seeing her (fiancé Madeline Matlock), I think that's the best part," Keaschall told Twins TV.

Lee echoed the sentiment. "I'm getting emotional right now. I'll be crying the whole time," he said. "I'll have a sweet handkerchief."

Minnesota Twins shortstop Brooks Lee (22) celebrates a three-run home run during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland on July 22, 2026.

Minnesota Twins engagement news hits Instagram

Kreidler and Gigi Hernandez posted the news about their engagement on Instagram in June 2025

Then, in December, Keaschall and fiancé Madeline Matlock posted their engagement on Instagram on Dec. 14, 2025.

A week later, Lee and fiancé Delanie Dunkle shared their good news on Dec. 21, 2025, on Instagram, too.

Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at  mikegsnider  &  @mikegsnider.bsky.social &  @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Poor wedding planning?' 4 Minnesota Twins' weddings are on Nov. 14

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New York Yankees @ Chicago White Sox: Gerrit Cole vs. Anthony Kay

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 08: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees walks back to the dugout following the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 08, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The week leading up to the MLB trade deadline has come with a lot of interesting storylines (derogatory) for the Yankees. Cody Bellinger joined Aaron Judge on the injured list on Saturday, forcing New York to once again put together a lineup with severe Scranton vibes in their series opener with the White Sox.

But the Bombers came to play, even when a poor start from Max Fried saw them stare down a 3-0 deficit after the first. They even got some rare production from the catcher spot, as Ali Sánchez finally cracked his first MLB home run. When the smoke cleared from a bizarre battle on the South Side, the Yankees had Dolly Parton’d the Pale Hose 9-5. What a way to make a livin’.

That will be the test for this team in the second half: how will they respond when their best-laid plans go awry?

Gerrit Cole is planning to pick up Fried on the mound and spot the bullpen some rest in the second game of this four-game series. Cole was sharp against the Pirates his last time out, allowing three runs across seven innings in his last start facing the team that drafted him. He retired the side in each of the first four innings, but a pair of home runs muddied his line a bit from there. Still, his 11 strikeouts were a season high.

Cole picked up a win shortly after his return against the White Sox back in June: six innings, two runs on three hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. His opposing pitcher tonight, Anthony Kay, also took the mound in that series. The left-hander struggled through four innings, giving up four runs in an eventual 10-5 Yankee win. He’s had an up-and-down year overall, with a 4.21 ERA in just under 100 innings. Something to monitor: he leads the league in hit batters, with 19 of them. (And yes, one of those is a Yankee. He hit Caballero in that June start.)

How do you know that the Yankees are facing a left-handed pitcher? Your first clue is that Paul Goldschmidt is leading off, and your second is that Amed Rosario is batting third after Ben Rice. Of course, Rosario hasn’t really been doing that whole ‘smash lefties’ thing lately; it’d be nice to see him get back to it. Jasson Domínguez hits cleanup and plays right field, with Trent Grisham manning center and batting fifth. It’s the middle infield duo of Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. after that, followed by Max Schuemann in left field and Austin Wells behind the plate.

How to watch

Location: Rate Field, Chicago IL

First pitch: 7:40 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES Network, Chicago Sports Network

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM, 107.9 La Ley (CWS)

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

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GUARDIANS AT REDS: Cincinnati Pen vs Williams, discussion

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 28: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians scores a run past Tyler Stephenson #37 of the Cincinnati Reds in the eighth inning during game one of a doubleheader at Great American Ball Park on July 28, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Here’s the Reds lineup:

Let’s go, Guardians!

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Heriberto Hernández, Andrew Vaughn and Michael Petersen

FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS

Heriberto Hernández (OF Marlins): Rostered in 11 percent of Yahoo leagues

Although he did a nice job in 87 games as a 25-year-old rookie in 2025, expectations weren't high for Hernández coming into 2026. The Marlins planned to play him mostly against lefties and then wound up sending him down at the end of April after he opened the year 10-for-63 with no homers. As it turned out, it was only the briefest of stints in Triple-A. Hernández returned on May 7 and has since hit .275/.325/.588 with 13 homers in 55 games. He's been an everyday player the last three weeks with Owen Caissie hurt.

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Hernández's exit velocity numbers have been pretty impressive all along; he currently boasts a 93rd percentile hard-hit rate and an 86th percentile barrel rate. He does swing and miss plenty, and his production has tailed off some of late during the Marlins' 12-game losing streak, which ended Monday, but the total package still looks pretty good. A nice surprise is that he's gone 7-for-9 stealing bases (plus 3-for-3 in his five Triple-A games). He has plenty of speed — he's in the 86th percentile in sprint speed — but he never stole more than seven bases in seven minor league seasons.

Caissie will soon return from his calf strain to start against right-handers, which could negatively affect Hernández's playing time. The Marlins, though, might want to send down Jakob Marsee to make room for Caissie. It's also quite possible they'll trade a bat before the deadline, keeping things open for Hernández to continue to play regularly. That they're hitting him third even against right-handers at the moment seems like a good sign.

Andrew Vaughn (1B Brewers): Rostered in 23 percent of Yahoo leagues

Sometimes procrastination pays off, such as when you're slow writing your Waiver Wire article because it's 85 degrees in your office and you find out at 5:50 p.m. EDT, a time by which you've typically posted said article, that Jake Bauers has a fractured toe after fouling a pitch off himself during Monday's game. That definitely makes it time to add Andrew Vaughn in all leagues in which he's available.

Just by observing his .310/.391/.491 line, it seems obvious that Vaughn should have been playing regularly for the Brewers already. However, he has really taken to his platoon role this year, hitting an incredible .379/.474/.667 versus lefties but a far more modest .267/.336/.381 against righties. He had rather normal splits over the course of his career coming into the season; his career OPS was .787 against lefties and .702 versus righties, and Vaughn seems like an improved player on the whole, even if it's mostly showing up against lefties. For instance, his strikeout rate this year against righties is just 14 percent, down from 21 percent for his career. He's also sacrificed very little bat speed in greatly improving his strikeout and walk rate. It seems like he should be just fine as a regular.

Vaughn might only be a short-term pickup, depending on how much time Bauers misses, but regularly batting in the middle of one of the league's most productive lineups should make him particularly valuable for the short term. Bauers' injury might also make Luis Lara relevant in mixed leagues for a spell until Sal Frelick returns.

Michael Petersen (RP Marlins): Rostered in seven percent of Yahoo Leagues

With the Marlins likely to sell and Pete Fairbanks certainly one of their first choices to go, Petersen makes for a worthy stash. The journeyman has emerged as the team's top setup man with Anthony Bender hurt and is up to 17 holds for a team whose closer has just 13 saves. A 17th-rounder in the 2015 draft who didn't reach the majors for the first time until 2024, Petersen has busted out at age 32, posting a 2.84 ERA and a 29 percent strikeout rate in 44 1/3 innings out of the Marlins pen. He has a 1.84 ERA in his last 20 appearances.

If there's an issue with picking up Petersen at this point, besides the seemingly minor forearm contusion he suffered Sunday, it's the possibility that no contender will want Fairbanks. Still, the Marlins will probably pay down his salary (he has about $5 million left on his $13 million contract) in order to make something happen. Fairbanks has a hideous 7.18 ERA this season, but his strikeout rate stands at 30 percent, and his velocity has held steady from last year, when he had a 2.83 ERA for the Rays. A deal should happen, putting Petersen in line for saves at least until Bender gets back. Bender, out since the end of June with a stress reaction in his shin, is back throwing and might return in mid-August. Still, he's probably a trade candidate, too, in spite of the injury. After all, he has a 2.35 ERA since the start of 2025, and the big contenders are all about loading up on relief arms for October.

Of course, Petersen could always go, too. That he's making the minimum and won't even be arbitration eligible next year means the Marlins are under zero pressure to move him. However, given his age, they'll surely be open to the possibility if the right offer come along. Those looking for saves could always try waiting and seeing what happens at the deadline before making a move here. However, Petersen has been effective enough that he might not last in the free agent pool.

Waiver Wire Quick Hits

- Pittsburgh's Mason Montgomery almost got the RP slot over Peterson, and he is probably the better use of a roster spot at this very moment. However, there's a good chance the Pirates will pick up a veteran closer-type reliever before the deadline. It's probably for the best, since Montgomery is the team's best weapon to come in and face tough lefties prior to the ninth.

- Two Orioles position players were also considered here, but while I was originally leaning towards featuring Christian Encarnacion-Strand, the team just kept him out of the lineup for a second straight game on Tuesday. A .370/.414/.741 line with three homers in seven games hasn't earned him much just yet. Dylan Beavers might make more sense as a pickup at the moment, as the Orioles have him leading off against righties. He's not going to excel in any one category, but he can do a little bit of everything if the playing time is there. Unfortunately, though, he has been caught on three of his four steal attempts while batting .298/.377/.362 in 53 plate appearances this month.

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Gamethread 7/28: Phillies at Marlins

MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 27: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with teammate Brandon Marsh #16 after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of the game at loanDepot park on July 27, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here are the lineups for game two in Miami. Let’s discuss.

For the Phillies:

For the Marlins:

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LaMelo Ball sued for allegedly being nightmare tenant weeks after shock trade to Timberwolves

LaMelo Ball is allegedly leaving Charlotte with some unpaid debts.

Court records viewed by The California Post on Tuesday show Ball was sued Monday — just weeks after he was traded from the Hornets to the Timberwolves — over accusations he owes a North Carolina landlord more than $100,000 in missed rent checks.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) dribbles up court against the New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to a copy of the lawsuit, Ball and Agape Property Management Group entered into an agreement in December 2020 for the NBA player to rent two swanky units in a fancy uptown Charlotte condominium complex.

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton used to own the spots, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. 

LaMelo Ball #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves poses for a photo during a press conference on July 14, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NBAE via Getty Images

Agape Property Management Group, which is reportedly partly owned by Newton, alleged in the suit that while Ball lived in one of the residences, he subleased the other to his manager and mentor, former NBA player Jermaine Jackson.

The two lived in the units for years, and in May 2024, Ball agreed to buy his place. However, according to the suit, he continued to sublet the second place to Jackson.

Agape Property Management Group alleged in the lawsuit that in ensuing months, Ball and Jackson fell way behind on rent payments for the unit.

Minnesota Timberwolves newly-acquired point guard LaMelo Ball is introduced at a press conference at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Alex Kormann/Minnesota Star Tribune via AP

“As of July 1, 2026,” Agape Property Management Group wrote in its lawsuit, “the Defendants owed the Plaintiff rent exceeding $181,500.00.” The company also alleged the Ball and Jackson “accrued over $90,000.00 in unpaid HOA compliance fines.”

Agape Property Management Group previously sued Jackson over the matter, and according to The Charlotte Observer, Jackson and his attorney, Christi Hunoval, claimed at a hearing related to the case that the apartment “needed repairs and mold treatment,” and “that’s why he’s lagged in rent payments.”

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That lawsuit, which did not mention Ball, was dismissed on June 3, court records show.

In the latest suit, Ball and Jackson are both named as defendants who are being sued for breach of contract.

“The Defendants’ failure to pay rent while failing to leave the premises has caused the Plaintiff substantial and potentially long-lasting harm,” Agape Property Management Group wrote in the suit, “including HOA non-compliance fines, lost rental income, and other monetary damages.”

Attempts on Tuesday to reach representatives for parties involved in the case were not successful.

Ball was picked by the Hornets in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft. He went on to play for the team until he was jettisoned to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade that was agreed to on June 25.

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Game 108: Royals at Twins

First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT

TV: Twins.TV

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App, LosTwins.com

Know thine enemy: Royals Review

After winning a series against the A’s, the Twins welcome the Royals to town. Like the A’s, they are near the bottom of the league in terms of wins and losses. Saying that, the expectation is the same, this is a series the Twins should win or sweep, lest they drift more towards sellers than buyers.

Today’s starters are Seth Lugo and Taj Bradley. Bradley has been great lately, posting a 2.90 ERA in July. Lugo is having a mediocre season, with a 4.36 ERA. In his last start against the Twins on June 4th, he gave up 3 homers and 5 runs but the Royals lineup bailed him out for a win. Kody Clemens should be happy to see Lugo, because in his 6 at bats against him, he’s taken him deep 3 times.

Today’s Lineups

ROYALSTWINS
Carter Jensen – CTrevor Larnach – LF
Lane Thomas – CFByron Buxton – CF
Jac Caglianone – RFRyan Jeffers – C
Salvador Perez – DHKody Clemens – 2B
Vinnie Pasquantino – 1BJosh Bell – DH
Nick Loftin – 3BVictor Caratini – 1B
Michael Massey – 2BLuke Keaschall – RF
Isaac Collins – LFBrooks Lee – 3B
Josh Rojas – SSRyan Kreidler – SS
Seth Lugo – RHPTaj Bradley – RHP

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Blue Jays @ Nationals Game Thread

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 10: A general view of balls stacked in the Washington Nationals dugout near two bats before the game against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park on July 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The start of the game will be delayed because of ‘inclement weather’. So Ernie will be called inclement today?

Yesterday’s game was very entertaining, and the good guys won.

Hopefully, tonight will be more of the same.

And it is Canada-US Friendship Day. We steal your team, and put tariffs on your products, but let’s have a friendship day.

Lips is at the top of the order tonight. And Kirk gets the day off.

Today’s Lineups

BLUE JAYSNATIONALS
Yohendrick Pinango – LFJames Wood – DH
Nathan Lukes – RFLuis Garcia – 1B
Vladimir Guerrero – 1BDylan Crews – RF
George Springer – DHCJ Abrams – SS
Brandon Valenzuela – CKeibert Ruiz – C
Daulton Varsho – CFDaylen Lile – LF
Ernie Clement – 3BNasim Nunez – 2B
Andres Gimenez – SSJorbit Vivas – 3B
Luis Urias – 2BJacob Young – CF
Shane Bieber – RHPCade Cavalli – RHP
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GameThread: Detroit Tigers vs. Baltimore Orioles, 6:40 p.m.

DETROIT, MI - APRIL 22: Javier Báez #28 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring a run in the fifth inning during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Detroit Tigers (50-56) vs. Baltimore Orioles (52-55)

Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site:Camden Chat
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Troy Melton (5-1, 1.95 ERA) vs. RHP Dean Kremer (1-3, 5.06 ERA)

PlayerGIPK%BB%GB%FIPfWAR
Melton1060.023.38.143.14.060.8
Kremer632.026.26.234.55.79-0.2

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Game Thread: We doing a trade or what?

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 18: Ian Seymour #61 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Boston Red Sox during a game at Fenway Park on July 18, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Go Rays!

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Washington Nationals vs Toronto Blue Jays Game Thread

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 27: Kazuma Okamoto #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays steals second base in the fourth inning ahead of a tag by Nasim Nuñez #26 of the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After dropping last night’s contest, the pressure is back on the Nats. They were riding high after the series win against Arizona, but the bats did not show up last night. Now, they will need a bounceback performance to stay above .500. With the deadline looming and this club in a playoff race, every game matters so much.

The Nats are making a couple changes to the lineup. Jose Tena is out, with James Wood replacing him at DH. That means the outfield consists of Daylen Lile, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews, who is notably hitting third against a righty. Jorbit Vivas will stay in there at third, which indicates that he and Brady House will likely be a platoon. Cade Cavalli has been sharp of late, and is on the mound tonight.

With a right handed starter, the Blue Jays are making some tweaks. We are seeing Yohendrick Pinango for the first time, and he is leading off. Andres Gimenez will also be in the lineup, playing shortstop. Jays breakout catcher Brandon Valenzuela will also make his first start of the series. A lot of eyes will be on Shane Bieber tonight, who is a trade candidate. He has been sharp his last couple of starts.

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Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

Last night was about Max Scherzer’s return and the vibes were high. However, after losing that game, the focus is squarely on the playoff race again. The Nats did not lose any ground, so that is a positive. However, they need to keep winning to stay in the hunt. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

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Tuesday night game thread: at Tigers, 6:40

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 08: Dean Kremer #64 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 8, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Orioles are one victory away from having their winningest month of the season. So far in July, they are 13-7. With only three games left, including tonight, until the calendar flips, they have already guaranteed themselves their first month above .500 and their best winning percentage of any month. Another win will push them past the 13 wins they collected in both April and May. That would be pretty neat! Good timing too with the trade deadline less than a week away.

Based on run differential, the Orioles are the seventh-best team in the AL, which is three spots better than where they sit in the win-loss standings. They have been outscored by their opponents by 11 runs this year. That’s six runs better than the Cleveland Guardians, who currently occupy the final AL Wild Card spot with a 55-53 record. If they are going to inch any closer, they need to keep beating teams like these Tigers, who themselves are slipping closer and closer to selling.

Tonight’s task is a surprisingly tall one. Troy Melton is a 25-year-old, former fourth-round pick that has been very, very good this year. He has allowed more than two runs in a start just once this year, and it came back on June 9. He doesn’t usually go super deep into a game, failing to get out of the sixth inning in each of his last six starts. But the quality is undeniable. Each month has seen him post an ERA of 2.88 or better. So far in July he has a 1.21 ERA.

We will get to see the Orioles debut of Yohel Pozo behind the plate. He replaces Sam Huff on the team’s active roster after being claimed from the Cardinals a few days ago. He owns a .515 OPS this season and a .637 OPS for his career. The sooner one of Adley Rutschman or Samuel Basallo can get back behind the plate the better.

Orioles lineup

  1. Dylan Beavers, DH
  2. Pete Alonso, 1B
  3. Gunnar Henderson, SS
  4. Taylor Ward, LF
  5. Leody Taveras, RF
  6. Jackson Holliday, 2B
  7. Coby Mayo, 3B
  8. Colton Cowser, CF
  9. Yohel Pozo, C

RHP Dean Kremer (1-3, 5.06 ERA)

Tigers lineup

  1. Kevin McGonigle, SS
  2. Gleyber Torres, 2B
  3. Riley Greene, LF
  4. Dillon Dingler, DH
  5. Colt Keith, 3B
  6. Spencer Torkelson, 1B
  7. Zach McKinstry, RF
  8. Eduardo Valencia, C
  9. Javy Báez, CF

RHP Troy Melton (5-1, 1.95 ERA)

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Former Jets Goalie Announces Retirement After 11-Year NHL Run

Former Winnipeg Jets goaltender Michael Hutchinson has played his last game in the NHL. 

The 36-year-old is retiring after 11 seasons in the league, the Jets confirmed Monday, closing the book on a career that began, and was defined, in Winnipeg. Hutchinson will return to the city this October, when the Jets host him at their Alumni Game.

Hutchinson's NHL journey started with Winnipeg in 2013, after he signed with the club as an unrestricted free agent following three seasons splitting time between the AHL and ECHL in the Boston Bruins' system, the team that had originally drafted him in the third round of the 2008 NHL Draft. 

He made his NHL debut with the Jets that year and went on to spend five seasons with the franchise, the longest stretch of his career with any team. Those five years in Winnipeg produced Hutchinson's best professional numbers, serving as a reliable backup netminder with a 43-39-11 record, a 2.65 goals against average and a .910 save percentage in 102 games. Hutchinson was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month in December of 2014.

He served behind then Jets starter Ondřej Pavelec before eventually settling in as the backup to Connor Hellebuyck, giving the Jets a dependable presence in net as the franchise built toward its playoff runs later in the decade. 

After leaving Winnipeg, Hutchinson entered a well traveled stretch of his career, suiting up for the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings. 

The signature moment of Hutchinson's career outside Winnipeg came during his time with Colorado, inside the 2020 NHL postseason bubble. With Avalanche starters Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz both sidelined by injury in the second round against Dallas, Hutchinson was thrust into a Game 5 start with Colorado trailing 3-1 in the series. 

He stopped 31 shots to pick up the first playoff win of his career, then backstopped the Avalanche to a Game 6 victory to force a decisive Game 7, making him just the seventh goaltender in NHL history to win his first two career starts while facing elimination.

He closed out his playing days overseas, joining SaiPa Lappeenranta of Finland's Liiga in November 2024, where he appeared in 24 games and posted a .886 save percentage and a 3.02 goals-against average in what proved to be his final professional season.

Across six organizations, Hutchinson built a career on consistency and trust, and it was in Winnipeg, where it all started, that he found his most productive years, and where he'll be welcomed back this fall.

Image

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D-backs @ Pirates Discussion

PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 25: Pittsburgh Pirates fans walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge prior to the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday, June 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Today’s Lineups

DIAMONDBACKSPIRATES
Corbin Carroll – RFJake Mangum – CF
Geraldo Perdomo – SSBrandon Lowe – 2B
Gabriel Moreno – DHBryan Reynolds – LF
Ketel Marte – 2BEsmerlyn Valdez – RF
Max Kepler – LFRyan O’Hearn – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3BNick Gonzales – 3B
Tim Tawa – 1BEndy Rodriguez – C
James McCann – CMarcell Ozuna – DH
Ryan Waldschmidt – CFJacob Gonzalez – SS
Brandon Pfaadt – RHPBubba Chandler – RHP

The Diamondbacks bullpen has reverted to regular form since the All-Star break – and that’s not a good thing. Over 45 innings in the second half, they have a 4.60 ERA, which ranks them 23rd in the majors. That compared to an ERA exactly at four before the break, good enough for 13th – there hasn’t been a better ERA by the D-backs bullpen since 2018. That number was more or less in line with the peripherals: FIP 3.92, xFIP 4.12 and xERA 3.96. None of them great, but compared to what we’ve seen in previous season, mere competence from the Arizona relief corps feels like a breath of fresh air.

But since then, the peripherals have all taken a turn for the worse. Home-run rate, only marginally – up from 0.96 to 1.00 per nine innings. But the walk-rate has increased from 3.01 to 3.40, and they haven’t been striking out nearly the number of batters they were. It wasn’t great before: a K-rate of 7.86 per nine innings is tied for 25th in the majors by a bullpen. But that has plummeted to just 6.40: the Nationals (6.33) are the only other team with a K-rate below seven since the break. Kevin Ginkel has faced 26 batters with just three K’s. Taylor Clarke has faced 27 and struck out two. And Ryan Thompson? 23 batters without a single strikeout in the second half.

This matters, because fewer strikeouts = more balls in play, which will almost inevitably lead to more hits. That’s why we have a FIP of 4.56, xFIP of 4.76 and xERA of 4.56 – all up by approaching two-thirds of a run in the second half. Now, we are still in the somewhat small sample size range, but I do have to wonder if the heavy work-load in the first half for Arizona’s A-bullpen is leading to fatigue. We have six relievers with more than forty appearances (including all three of the pitchers mentioned above): no other team has more than that in 2026, with only the Yankees, Cardinals and Blue Jays having more than four such arms.

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Atlanta Braves rained-out chat and discussion

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 27: A tarp covers the infield as a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets has been postponed due to incoming storms at Citi Field on May 27, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Well, tomorrow’s going to be a busy one! The Braves and Mets played through a little bit of rain during Monday night’s debacle and even though tonight has already been declared a washout, there’s a chance that they may have to dodge some more raindrops tomorrow as well. The weather is looking really bleak either way, so hopefully they’ll be able to complete the doubleheader just so that won’t cost Atlanta another off day down the stretch.

For now, we’ve got a rain-induced off night so what are y’all getting into? If you’re planning on watching baseball (outside of the hate-watch down in Miami) then I’d suggest tuning in to see the Yankees and White Sox since that seems like an intriguing series going on at the moment.

If you aren’t going to watch baseball and you have Apple TV then I suggest that you actually put it to use for something other than watching the Atlanta Braves. I’ve really enjoyed the Cape Fear miniseries, even if it was a head-scratcher as to why we needed a remake (2026) of a remake (1991) of a movie that originally came out in 1962. Still, it’s been pretty fun and if you enjoy extremely-messed up stories then it’s worth a watch. The finale is in a few days so you’ll be getting in at the best part.

Also, here’s a Feed post to get into as well if you want to just hang out here on Battery Power with your ol’ internet pals. We’ve got a lot going on here. Anyways, the floor is now yours!