Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz pitches against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on March 31. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers announced Monday that Edwin Díaz will undergo surgery to remove “loose bodies” in his right elbow and the closer isn't expected to return until some point in the second half of the season.
Díaz, 32, has a 10.50 ERA in seven appearances this season for the Dodgers, who made a splash signing the high-profile free agent to a three-year $69-million deal, a record for a reliever.
The Dodgers recalled 27-year-old left-handed long reliever Jake Eder to replace Díaz on the roster.
Díaz gave up three runs and failed to get an out in the Dodgers’ 9-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies in a non-save situation Sunday, in what was his first appearance in nine days.
He entered the game and gave up a walk and three base hits, including a two-RBI single to Edouard Julien. Afterward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed concern about Díaz’s performance: “I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”
Before the Dodgers played their final game of the four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, Roberts said that the diagnosis provides some clarity, and that Díaz only began feeling discomfort in his elbow Sunday.
Before that Roberts said the plan was to “tread lightly” with the pitcher’s workload, unsure why the velocity of his pitches was down.
“Obviously, we all saw the stuff [Sunday], and it sent up red flags,” Roberts said. “And so, after the game, he had a conversation with our training staff, and felt that he had some elbow discomfort. So we just wanted to be proactive, and felt that it was smart to get an MRI, get imaging, which we did do, and it showed loose bodies.”
Having experienced the same thing as a player, Roberts explained, “you have loose bodies and they're asymptomatic until they're not.”
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz jogs to the mound during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on March 31. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
A 10-year veteran, Díaz is a three-time All-Star. For his career, he has 257 saves in 300 opportunities with 849 strikeouts.
General manager Brandon Gomes said the Dodgers are “as confident as we can be” that Díaz will return to top form.
"Our understanding is that it's a pretty straightforward procedure,” Gomes said. “We're going to take our time with getting him back and being mindful of the buildup, and make sure he's in a really good position to come out and compete at the highest level of what we expect.
“It's the benefit of having a deeper staff and a talented team that it's never easy to lose somebody like Edwin, but we'll get through it and it'll be a collective effort to keep winning baseball games."
Roberts said he doesn’t plan to name a substitute closer in Díaz’s place, and the manager acknowledged that the news will significantly alter how he’ll use the bullpen.
“It does change it. In a big way,” Roberts said. “I do think being able to deploy guys in their right lanes or pockets has been helpful. But with that, I do think that Alex [Vesia] has been throwing the baseball really well. Tanner [Scott has] been throwing the baseball really well, and outside of last night, Blake [Treinen] was throwing the baseball really well.
“But it does kind of not allow us to work from the back end, which is certainly a luxury."
The Dodgers have had unfortunate luck signing big-name relievers. In 2025 they signed left-hander Scott to a four-year $72-million deal. He then led the league with 10 blown saves last season and the Dodgers removed him from their postseason roster, replacing him with left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who was set to start Monday as the team played for a series split at Coors Field.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 19: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs drives against the Portland Trailblazers in the first half of Game One of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on April 19, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For all the talk of a young team with little experience, the San Antonio Spurs did exactly what contenders should do in the first round of the playoffs: handle a lower seed in front of their home crowd. The Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers in Game One, 111-98.
The Spurs were led by their superstar big man, Victor Wembanyama, who scored a franchise-high 35 points in his playoff debut. The Blazers didn’t have an answer for the MVP candidate while raining threes from deep and dominating inside. He didn’t do it alone. The Spurs’ supporting cast showed up when it was needed. When Portland staged a comeback in the third quarter, Devin Vassell got hot and rebuilt the Spurs’ lead.
Vassell and Wembanyama will lead the player grades for Game One. As a quick reminder, these grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
Cold take here: Wembanyama is pretty good! The narrative that Portland’s bigs could slow him down was obviously overblown. Wembanyama creates an insane mismatch for the Spurs in this series. Not only does he neutralize most of their paint attack, but he has proven he can score against slower bigs like Donovan Clingan or over the top of smaller defenders like Toumani Camara. Oh, and he can casually go coast-to-coast for dunks and drain fadeaway corner threes.
It’s only Game One, but if Wembanyama plays like this in every game, San Antonio is going to be hard to beat. The Spurs are a -700 favorite to win Game Two on FanDuel.
The Blazers struggled to stay in front of Fox in Game One. He had Portland defenders sliding as he pulled up for threes or got to the basket for twos. Most importantly, he was a steadying force with the ball in his hands. If inexperience is this team’s sickness, Fox is the cure. He had 8 assists and 0 turnovers in Game One. These are exactly the type of games the Spurs need from their veteran point guard.
Despite his inefficient shooting, Castle still made an impact on the game. He was relentlessly attacking the basket, and then went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line when he got into the paint. The first interesting strategic move of the series was Portland’s decision to guard Castle with a big man and force him to shoot from deep. He hit one three-ball, but missed a few wide-open ones off the dribble. Castle is going to be forced to hit a few deep shots in this series. We’ve seen him knock down open catch-and-shoot shots this season. It’ll be interesting to see how San Antonio attacks this matchup moving forward.
Champagnie did exactly what great role players should: take advantage of the opportunities that come to you and play strong defense. Champagnie only took three shots, but he hit two of them when he was wide open. He played strong defense on the wing, grabbing three steals and snatching 5 rebounds. The playoffs are all about being exceptional at your role. Champagnie’s is to hit open threes and play solid defense. He did both on Sunday night.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Vassell won the game for the Spurs. When Portland cut a ten-point lead to just two points, it was Vassell who got San Antonio going again. He hit big-time threes in transition, made an impactful block on defense, and secured a tough long defensive rebound that led to a runout score.
Vassell is a real X-factor in this series. When he’s hitting shots and creating turnovers on defense, the Spurs go up another level. That third-quarter run was the perfect example of the value he brings to the team.
Harper was on the floor when the Spurs were at their best, but he wasn’t as impactful as he typically is. Harper was sound defensively and didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes on the offensive end. He just didn’t pop like he typically does offensively. He had a nice stretch in the fourth quarter to help the Spurs build a 20-point lead. Perhaps that stretch will build some confidence for the rookie heading into the rest of the series.
Kornet’s stellar play against Portland this season continued in the postseason. He thrived as a lob catcher and rim protector once again. The drop off from Wembanyama to Kornet, defensively at least, wasn’t all that noticeable. On the other end, it felt like he caught every lob that came his way, including a sick one-hander off a lob. Kornet’s best play was a tough offensive rebound and put-back in the second quarter. It’s the kind of winning play that swings playoff series.
Barnes didn’t make much of an impact in his limited minutes. He grabbed one offensive rebound and went 2-2 from the free-throw line, but otherwise was held in check. As the rotation shrinks, Barnes’ minutes will likely decrease. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him have a big game at some point in the playoffs, especially if he’s hot from three.
Johnson’s one made shot on Sunday was a big one. He hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in the first quarter to give the Spurs a 9-point lead. He didn’t score the rest of the game. KJ lacked the aggression we typically see from him in big games. He was still able to power his way into the paint when he chose to, but couldn’t convert at the rim.
Grade: C+
Carter Bryant
4 minutes, 2 rebounds, 3 fouls, +1
Bryant got limited minutes on Sunday. He was super aggressive while he was on the floor, picking up three fouls in his four minutes.
Grade: Incomplete
Bismack Biyombo
1 minute, no stats
Good for Biyombo for logging a playoff minute in his fourteenth NBA season.
Grade: Incomplete
Kelly Olynyk
1 minute, no stats
Do we think Olynyk was expecting to play on Sunday? He was wearing ankle socks for the game. The broadcast team even called it out. He did buy the team black suits for Game One, so he would get an A+ for that if he had played enough minutes.
Grade: Incomplete
Lindy Waters III
1 minute, no stats
Waters got into the game but logged no stats, just like the rest of the Spurs’ depth players.
Grade: Incomplete
Inactives: Harrison Ingram, David Jones-Garcia, Emanuel Miller
DENVER — Turns out, new Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz did have an injury.
It just wasn’t to his knee.
The Dodgers announced Monday that Díaz, their $69 million offseason signing, had been placed on the injured list with loose bodies in his right elbow. He will undergo surgery on Wednesday to address the issue, and is expected to return during the second half of the season.
“Our understanding is that it’s a pretty straightforward procedure,” general manager Brandon Gomes said. “So we’re going to take our time with getting him back, and be mindful of the buildup. Make sure he’s in a really good position to come out and compete at the highest level of what we expect.”
Edwin Díaz of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after an RBI singe from Ezequiel Duran of the Texas Rangers to score Sam Haggerty, to tie the game 7-7, during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images
The news comes a day after Díaz struggled in his return to the mound — following a nine-day layoff amid concerns over his early-season velocity.
He faced four batters in Sunday’s loss to the Colorado Rockies and didn’t retire any of them, allowing three runs.
Most concerning: His fastball velocity remained down, averaging just over 95 mph and bottoming out with a 92.8 mph heater — one of the 10 slowest of his career.
“Obviously, we all saw the stuff last night, and it sent up red flags,” manager Dave Roberts said.
The alarms grew louder when, after the game, Díaz reported elbow discomfort to the club’s training staff, according to Roberts. That prompted the team to send the 32-year-old for an MRI. The imaging found the loose bodies, but no other ligament damage.
“Given you’re losing your (closer) to a surgery,” Roberts said, trying to be optimistic, “this is, I would say, the best-case scenario.”
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After all, at least the team now has an explanation for the decline in Díaz’s stuff, after he had previously insisted he felt fine physically –– outside of some discomfort in his surgically-repaired knee following a blown save on April 10.
Still, losing the three-time All-Star for such a prolonged stretch represents a major blow to the bullpen, which will now go closer-by-committee in Díaz’s absence.
“I do feel comfortable with a handful of guys, really, that I feel that can close out games for us,” Roberts said. “So right now, I’m not gonna name a closer.”
Before Monday’s news, Díaz’s decline in stuff had mystified the team. His knee checked out fine following that April 10 outing, when he blew a three-run lead and suffered a drop in fastball velocity. He had thrown a bullpen and multiple flat-ground sessions during his nine-day layoff after that, all of them without experiencing (or, at least, reporting to the team) any pain.
But Sunday renewed concerns over Díaz’s health again.
“That was the first time he felt anything, or there was any signs of (an elbow problem),” Roberts said, with Díaz having already left Denver to return to Los Angeles for this week’s procedure.
“I was hoping more of a dead arm situation,” the manager added.
Gomes echoed those sentiments.
“The elbow popping up was definitely surprising,” he said. “But when the performance had been fluctuating the way we were seeing, it makes sense that there was stuff going on.”
Gomes expressed confidence that, once Díaz returns, his performance won’t be impacted.
When the Dodgers signed the right-hander this offseason, he was considered one of the best closers in baseball, with more than 250 career saves and a 1.63 ERA in 2025.
“This shouldn’t change anything going towards the end of the season and into October,” Gomes said, “when we’ll need him and he’ll be fresh.”
Of the Dodgers’ potential closing options in the meantime, a few of the more logical candidates include right-hander Blake Treinen (who has 82 career saves and hadn’t allowed a run this season before a three-run clunker at Coors Field an inning before Díaz on Sunday), left-hander Tanner Scott (the $72 million signing who was just 23-of-33 in save opportunities during a disappoting debut campaign last year, but has a 1.04 ERA in 10 outings this season) and left-hander Alex Vesia (who has yet to allow a run this year, and collected two saves while Díaz was down last week).
“I think we have a lot of guys capable of pitching in the ninth inning,” Gomes said. “It is a different three outs, but we also have multiple guys that have done it at a high level in the past.”
The Dodgers are hoping to get other bullpen reinforcements in the coming weeks and months, too. Right-hander Brock Stewart is currently on a rehab assignment. Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol are also making progress in their recoveries (though probably won’t be options until closer to the second half of the season, too).
One potential option for the bullpen that Gomes ruled out definitively: Roki Sasaki, who will remain in the rotation despite his 6.11 ERA.
The biggest impact of Díaz’s injury could be how the club handles its bullpen leading up to the ninth inning.
Before, they could optimize match-ups for each of their middle relief arms, knowing they had Díaz waiting in the ninth.
But now, that luxury is suddenly gone, leaving the bullpen unsettled until Díaz returns.
Fort Myers, FL - February 21: Northeastern outfielder Cam Maldonado catches a fly ball for an out. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
It’s time again for the mega Monday San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball roundup. The Giants have an off day today, so why not spend it reading about what happened to their A-ball affiliates on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday?
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
No transactions over the last few days, but one fun bit of news: Low-A San Jose outfielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) was named Player of the Week in the California League. Read on to find out why (spoiler: it’s because he did some absurd things with the bat).
AAA Sacramento (11-8)
Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Tacoma Rainiers 7-6 [box score] Saturday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Tacoma Rainiers 6-4 [box score] Sunday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Tacoma Rainiers 1-0 [box score]
Quite an uninteresting weekend for the River Cats. The offense was fairly uninteresting — they had just 6 extra-base hits in the 3 games, and in their highest-scoring game they still struck out 15 times. The pitching was also fairly uninteresting, in part because their impressive Sunday shutout was a bullpen game, rather than the result of a star showing from a starter.
The biggest swing of the bat over the weekend came at the start, in the 1st inning of Friday’s game, when Eric Haase launched a 3-run home run, his 2nd big fly of the year.
While the home run was the best thing Haase did, it might not have been the most impressive. With Drew Gilbert and Will Brennan called up to San Francisco, the River Cats are shy on outfielders, and Haase — normally a catcher — was called into left field duty on Friday, which isn’t a position he’s entirely unfamiliar with (he even played a little there during Spring Training). And he showed off that catcher arm from the grass, recording an outfield assist!
Unfortunately, other than that home run, Haase did the same thing as his teammates: struggled, as he finished the weekend hitting 2-8 with 3 strikeouts.
Like Haase, Sacramento’s highest-profile hitters also had strong Fridays and rough weekends. First baseman/designated hitter Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL) hit 2-5 with a double and 2 strikeouts in Friday’s loss, but went 0-8 with 4 strikeouts in the other games. Eldridge’s numbers have fallen from gaudy to still really good (.905 OPS, 147 wRC+), but I think it’s very safe to say he’s not forcing the issue right now given the swing-and-miss issues, and the holes in his zone. The update there: 21st percentile in strikeout rate, 19th percentile in whiff rate, 36th percentile in in-zone contact rate, and 34th percentile in swinging strike rate.
Catcher/left fielder Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) went 3-4 with a walk on Friday, but over the next pair of games hit just 0-6 with 2 walks and a strikeout. Rodríguez has a .900 OPS and a 142 wRC+, but what probably is really enticing to the Giants is his .344 batting average and his 8.5% strikeout rate. Among the 88 Pacific Coast League hitters with at least 50 plate appearances this season, those numbers rank 9th and 4th, respectively. It certainly feels like the soon-to-turn 24-year old is also soon-to-turn into a Major Leaguer.
A really tough weekend for first baseman/designated hitter Jake Holton, who hit 0-7 with 6 strikeouts. After 3 years of really good results in AA for the Tigers’ affiliate, Holton is getting his first taste of AAA and it’s been an up-and-down experience, as he has a .703 OPS but a 115 wRC+, with sky-high strikeout (31.9%) and walk (23.4%) rates.
It was an uninteresting weekend for starting pitchers, and a great weekend for relievers.
With all due respect to LHPs Seth Lonsway and John Michael Bertrand, the River Cats didn’t use any of their high-profile starters over the weekend. Lonsway pitched on Friday, and couldn’t really fool anyone: he only struck out 1 batter in 4 innings, while allowing 7 hits, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and 5 runs. He has a 5.73 ERA and a 5.97 FIP through 3 starts and, if you can believe it, has only struck out 2 of the 49 batters he’s faced in 11 innings. Bertrand handled Saturday’s outing, and he was hit very hard, giving up 6 hits (which included 2 home runs and 2 doubles) in 4 innings, while walking 2, striking out 3, and ceding 4 earned runs. That pushed his ERA to 6.32 and his FIP to 7.55, as he’s really struggling with both his strikeout and walk rates but, more critically, has allowed 21 hits (and 4 dingers) in 15.2 innings.
The bullpen was a different story, and the exciting news is that all of the players who could figure into the Major League plans soon pitched well, as the only runs the ‘pen allowed came from prospects who are still a ways off (RHP Braxton Roxby and LHP Nick Zwack). Most notably, Major League LHP Sam Hengtes opened Sunday’s game and tossed a perfect inning with a strikeout. Hentges is now 3 games and 3 innings into his rehab assignment, which has spanned San Jose and Sacramento, and has yet to allow a baserunner. He’ll be a very welcome addition to the Major League club.
RHP Joel Peguero (No. 27 CPL) also had a nice rehab appearance, allowing just 1 walk in 1.1 shutout innings with a strikeout on Saturday, and needing just 13 pitches. Unlike Hentges, Peguero’s spot in the Majors isn’t guaranteed, as he has Minor League options, so he’ll need to pitch his way back onto the roster, and might stay in Sacramento after his rehab ends.
40-man RHPs Spencer Bivens, Tristan Beck, and Dylan Smith all pitched well, as did depth options LHP Juan Sánchez (No. 41 CPL), RHP Gregory Santos, and RHP Wilkin Ramos. Sánchez pitched a perfect inning on 8 pitches, which maintained his 0.00 ERA through 6 appearances, though he has walked too many batters this year.
The Squirrels, it seems, are allergic to losing streaks. They started the year with a loss, and then rattled off 10 straight wins. After seeing that streak come to an end on Thursday, Richmond responded with back-to-back wins on Friday and Saturday, before a storm took out Sunday’s contest. For many years, the Flying Squirrels struggled to put together wins, but that is emphatically not the case this year!
There were a lot of good performers, but there were a standout trio on offense: shortstop/designated hitter Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL), third baseman/first baseman Charlie Szykowny, and right fielder Jonah Cox.
Ahuna left the yard for the 1st time in his AA career … and liked it so much he did it a 2nd time. The 24-year old lefty hit 3-7 over the weekend, with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts, and bashed solo home runs in the 9th inning of both games.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 18, 2026
The Giants gave Ahuna, their 4th-round pick in 2023, an aggressive assignment this year, half because they’re high on the defensive ace, and half because of roster logistics with reigning 1st-round selection Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) playing the six in High-A. Ahuna entered this year with limited experience — he played just 11 games in High-A, after just 60 in Low-A — and also a sizable swing-and-miss issue. But there’s life and potential in his bat, and that’s been on display in Richmond, where he’s posted an .822 OPS and a 116 wRC+ through 13 games.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 19, 2026
Ahuna, who played for Tony Vitello at Tennessee, still has a big strikeout issue — his 29.1% K rate underscores the problem, if we’re being honest, given his 17.6% swinging strike rate — but he’s hitting for average, he’s hitting for power, and he’s drawing walks. Add some excellent shortstop defense, and it’s not hard to see why the Giants are so high on this kid!
As for Szykowny, he went 5-8 over the weekend while smashing a home run and a double, getting hit by a pitch twice, and striking out twice.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 18, 2026
The sweet-swinging lefty was one of the hardest prospects in the system for me to evaluate entering the season. His 2025 statistics had no red, or even pink flags. He hit for average (.276) and power (21 home runs, .202 isolated slugging), while suppressing strikeouts (18.6%), en route to a strong season (.816 OPS, 122 wRC+) in High-A. But it was also his age-25 season, which carried a pair of warning signs for the 2023 9th-round pick: he should have been beating up players he was 2.5 years older than, and it felt telling that the Giants kept him at the level all year long, despite his age and numbers.
Ultimately, however, results matter most, and Szykowny is putting on a show with the Squirrels: through 13 games in AA, he has a 1.019 OPS and a 166 wRC+, and has improved — dramatically, in most cases — his average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, isolated slugging percentage, strikeout rate, and walk rate year-over-year. He’ll probably have to keep hitting like this given that he profiles mostly as a first baseman, but it’s pretty exciting seeing such gaudy numbers.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 19, 2026
Speaking of gaudy numbers, that’s exactly what Cox has. The hair-on-fire outfielder hit a dazzling 6-8 over the weekend with both a home run and a double, while stealing 2 bases and striking out twice.
Like Szykowny, Cox spent the entirety of the 2025 season in High-A, though less because the Giants kept him there and more because his numbers mandated it, as he was distinctly average offensively (.731 OPS, 103 wRC+). But a new challenge has brought out the best in Cox, who has been beyond dynamic with the bat in his hands this year, posting a 1.119 OPS and a 195 wRC+, while stealing 9 bases in 10 attempts already. While the numbers will come down eventually — he won’t sport a .531 BABIP forever — the approach is very encouraging. Despite moving up a level, Cox has dropped his strikeout rate from 22.4% (already decent) to 18.0% (very good), the result of his swinging strike rate being cut from 12.0% to 9.9%. Those are very tangible improvements!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 18, 2026
Just like Ahuna, Cox is a player who can make the Majors on the back of his defense, which is excellent at all 3 outfield positions (and it helps that he’s a menace on the base paths … a Jared Oliva-type role could very well be in his future). And it’s always exciting to see defense-first players hit well. It certainly allows you to dream!
The actual starting pitching was poor, as RHPs Trystan Vrieling and Cesar Perdomo both got rocked (Vrieling gave up 10 baserunners and 2 runs in 3.2 innings, while Perdomo allowed 8 baserunners and 4 runs in 3.1 frames), but the piggy-backing starter in Saturday’s game was an absolute stud, as RHP Darien Smith continued his stellar season. Smith replaced Perdomo and proceeded to throw 5.2 shutout innings, while allowing just 3 hits (all singles) and no walks, with 3 strikeouts.
Smith, a 26-year old undrafted free agent in his 2nd season in the pros, has been utterly sensational this season. He’s given up just 5 hits and 4 walks through 14 innings, with 14 strikeouts. He’s been especially great over the last 2 games, allowing just 4 baserunners in 10 innings, with 12 strikeouts. He’s done an excellent job suppressing walks at every step of his career, and if he keeps that up, he could find himself in AAA at some point this season.
A pair of nice relief efforts on Friday: RHP Brad Deppermann, a 29-year old who signed as a Minor League free agent, made his organizational debut and struck out 2 batters in a perfect inning, while RHP Tyler Vogel threw a perfect 9th inning with a strikeout. Vogel has a 0.00 ERA through 6 appearances this year, with 4 hits, 4 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 6 innings.
High-A Eugene (11-4)
Friday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Everett AquaSox 7-4 [box score] Saturday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox 9-3 [box score] Sunday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Everett AquaSox 10-4 [box score]
The Emeralds lost the weekend, but they certainly showed you the varied attacks they can present. In Friday’s loss, for instance, Eugene hitters stole a tremendous 8 bases, without being caught. But in Saturday’s victory they stole no bases … but hit 4 home runs. Many ways to win (or fall short of winning, as the case may occasionally be).
There were a lot of stars, particularly on offense, as the Ems ended the weekend with 6 dingers. But the biggest weekend belonged to arguably the biggest prospect, both in status and stature: center fielder/designated hitter Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL). After a rough introduction to the level, Jordan has really settled into Northwest League life, and put on a show over the final 3 games of the series, hitting 6-12 with 2 home runs, 2 walks, 1 sacrifice fly, 2 stolen bases, and 3 strikeouts. And let me tell you: they are loud home runs that Jordan hits.
The 2024 4th-round selection had his strikeout issues firmly on display in the 1st week of the season, as he hit 3-17 with 1 home run, 2 doubles, 0 walks, and 11 strikeouts through 4 games. Since then? 15-40 with 2 home runs, 3 doubles, 6 walks, and just 8 strikeouts in 10 games. My goodness!
Those stellar games have brought Jordan’s season numbers to a .931 OPS and a 146 wRC+, and while the strikeout rate will take a while to recover (it’s at 29.2%), it is certainly headed in the correct direction. He also has 4 stolen bases now, without yet getting caught.
I’ve long felt that Jordan is arguably the most exciting prospect in the system. His combination of speed and power is intoxicating, and if he overcomes the swing-and-miss issues, it’s not unrealistic to think he could be a big time star in the Majors. But that’s a long way off. For now, let’s enjoy him catching fire in High-A.
Also catching fire over the weekend was right fielder/center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL), who has had an up-and-down start to his 1st full season. Last year’s 3rd-round pick was a menace in the box and on the bases this weekend, though, hitting 5-11 with a triple, a double, 4 walks, 4 stolen bases, and 2 strikeouts.
Cohen is such a fun player, with the bat-to-ball skills that we know the front office covets, the ability to play all 3 outfield spots well, and the disruption on the basepaths that we’ve all been wanting the Giants to have more of in recent years. His numbers aren’t great, given that this nice weekend ended a stretch where he’d gone 2-20 over 5 games, but still: a .725 OPS, a 110 wRC+, a higher walk rate (17.6%) than strikeout rate (14.7%), and 9 stolen bases, plus good defense, paint the picture of someone who is very adeptly handling an aggressive assignment.
He’s sharing that assignment with shortstop/designated hitter Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) who has really cooled off after a blistering introduction to the level. Kilen had a quiet weekend, hitting 2-14 with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts, which dropped his OPS to .822 and his wRC+ to 120. After hitting 10-20 with 2 homers, 3 doubles, 3 walks, and just 2 strikeouts in his 1st 5 games, Kilen has scuffled a bit in his next 9, hitting 7-40 with 0 homers, 3 doubles, 2 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Still an excellent 1st full season for last year’s 1st-round pick, but a reminder that red-hot starts usually don’t stay red hot!
Left fielder/designated hitter Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL) continues his inverse production of last season. After breaking out as a high-contact, low-power player in Low-A in 2025, Gutierrez added a whole lot of muscle (perhaps to help combat the injuries that have plagued him in his career), and to this point in the season, his profile has reversed. He played twice over the weekend and hit 3-9 with a home run and 3 strikeouts. Last year, Gutierrez had a .351 average, a 13.7% strikeout rate, and a .101 isolated slugging. But this year? Just a .209 average with an 18.0% strikeout rate, but a .233 isolated slugging. I would expect those numbers (which this year result in a .762 OPS and a 109 wRC+) to find a happy home in the middle of last year and this year, and that could be a pretty nice package for Gutierrez, who is a strong baserunner and defender.
Third baseman Walker Martin had a pretty good weekend, as he hit 4-11 with a home run, 1 walk, 3 stolen bases, and 2 strikeouts.
Martin, a recently-turned 22-year old who was taken in the 2nd round in 2023, has really shown some notable improvements with his contact. The lefty posted a terrifying 41.0% strikeout rate in his debut season in 2024 (which included a 46.3% K rate during his Low-A stint), but lowered that number to a still-very-bad-but-not-as-bad 28.4% clip in Low-A a year ago. So far after moving up a level, Walker has slashed the number further, to just 24.0%, all while posting a career-best .178 isolated slugging, en route to a .784 OPS and a 117 wRC+. Those are really encouraging signs.
The flip side is that part of what made Martin a high draft pick was his athleticism and ability to play the middle infield, but it quickly became apparent that he could not play shortstop at the professional level. He got moved to third base last year, and so far the results haven’t been very good there, either. He committed 2 errors this weekend, which gives him 6 already on the young season.
Also homering: left fielder/right fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) who went 2-13 with a solo shot and 3 strikeouts, and first baseman/second baseman Zander Darby, who hit 2-6 with a solo blast, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts, plus a stolen base. Diaz, a 20-year old righty, has a .525 OPS and a 39 wRC+ as he adjusts to a new level; Darby, a 23-year old lefty, has a .933 OPS and a 153 wRC+ as he is shining following a rough introduction to the level a year ago.
On the pitching front, it was another rough go of it for LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL), who continues to struggle to adapt to a new level following a breakout 2025. De La Torre took the mound on Sunday and simply could not find the strike zone, as he threw just 32 of 68 pitches for strikes, while walking 5 batters in only 3 innings of action, and only striking out 2. When he did find the zone, things were also bad, as LDLT ceded 4 hits — which included a home run — and got tagged for 4 earned runs, raising his ERA to 8.64 and his FIP to 7.49.
I’d stop well short of calling that worrisome, given that it’s only been 3 starts for someone who is not only getting their first taste of High-A, but who only had a very brief stay in Low-A, where he officially made just 8 appearances (though he also pitched twice in the playoffs). Still, while it’s far from entering concern territory, it is jarring to see: after having 13.2 strikeouts and 3.3 walks per 9 innings in the ACL and Low-A last season, De La Torre has just 7.6 strikeouts against 10.8 walks per 9 innings this year. Hopefully it’s just early season small sample shenanigans!
There were no such shenanigans for Friday’s starter, RHP Hunter Dryden, though he also struggled to find the zone a bit. The soon-to-turn 24-year old only threw 44 of 71 pitches for strikes, and walked 3 batters in 4 innings, but he also didn’t allow a single hit. We always like no-hit appearances here! And Dryden backed it up with 5 strikeouts, too. The 2024 17th-round pick has struggled with walks this year, as he has 7 of them in 10 innings through 3 starts, but he also allowed just 3 hits and 1 run, while striking out 14 batters, which gives him a 0.90 ERA and a 3.61 FIP. A really nice start to his 2nd season in the pros, even though the Giants will certainly be keeping a close eye on the strike-throwing abilities.
It was mostly a bad weekend for the bullpen, with all 3 relievers on Friday — and 3 of 4 relievers on Sunday — giving up runs. Saturday was excellent, though, as the extremely contrasting duo of LHP Esmerlin Vinicio and RHP Gerelmi Maldonado (No. 21 CPL) went back-to-back with excellent results. Vinicio, a recently-turned 23-year old who is built like a chopstick and has funk, gave up neither a hit nor a walk in 2.2 innings, with 1 strikeout, while throwing 21 of 31 pitches for strikes. That kept his ERA at 0.00 and brought his FIP to 2.92. Most importantly, after walking 7.8 batters per 9 innings in Eugene last year, the Dominican pitcher has walked just 1 batter in 7.1 innings. Maldonado who, on the other hand, is built like a tank and throws harder than anyone in the organization, struck out a pair of batters in a perfect inning, lowering his ERA to 4.50 and his FIP to 3.51. For better and for worse, only 4 of the 20 batters Maldonado has faced this year have put the ball in play: in 4 innings he’s issued 6 walks, but struck out 10 hitters.
Low-A San Jose (11-4)
Friday: San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6-2 [box score] Saturday: San Jose Giants lost to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 4-3 [box score] Sunday: San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 8-6 [box score]
We’re still in the small sample size theater portion of the season. I’m not sure when it ends. But I’d like to know so we can start counting down to it, and see if right fielder/center fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) is still doing this when we get there.
No one had a better weekend than Maldonado, and no one was particularly close. He got Friday off, but on Saturday hit 1-3 with a home run, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. What a good day!
But it was nothing compared to his Sunday, when the right-handed hitter, taken in the 7th round of July’s draft, went a mesmerizing 4-5 with not 1, but 2 home runs. Maldonado also threw in a double for good measure, knocked 5 runs home, and was caught stealing once.
You want to see the spitting image of a guy who has started to figure things out? Last year, after getting drafted, Maldonado played 17 games for San Jose and hit .237/.352/.339 with 0 home runs. Through 9 games this year, the 22-year old was hitting 6-34 with 0 extra-base hits.
And in the last 4 games? He’s 10-17 with 6 home runs and 2 doubles. And in case you missed the news portion of this article, he won Cal League Player of the Week. No duh.
With that absurd string of games, the Northeastern product is up to an 1.123 OPS and a 170 wRC+. It’s earlier than early, but the 2025 draft class is sure looking rosy for the Giants right now.
While Maldonado was the biggest star, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) remains the top prospect on the team, and while he didn’t have his most dynamic pair of games (he sat on Sunday), that’s only because he’s set the bar impossibly high. Because my goodness did he still have a phenomenal weekend, hitting 2-8 with a grand slam and 2 strikeouts.
Second career grand slam for Jhonny Level is a moonshot! 🌕
The just-turned 19-year old continues to look too good for a level that he is very young for. That doesn’t mean the Giants will be promoting him anytime soon, but if you’re a prospect the best thing you can do is dominate a level, and he is thoroughly and unquestionably doing exactly that. There are 68 Cal League hitters with at least 40 plate appearances, and Level is 1st in batting average (.412), 4th in on-base percentage (.455), 1st in slugging percentage (.804), 1st in isolated slugging (.392, tied with Maldonado), 1st in OPS (1.258), 1st in wRC+ (205, with the next-closest player being 179), and 19th in strikeout rate (20.0%). Just an absurd season thus far.
It was a star weekend for San Jose, as there weren’t a lot of notable performances, but there were a few absolute standout showings, namely from Maldonado, Level, and one pitcher: RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL).
Cayama, who had a breakout 2025 in the Complex League but ran into some standard troubles upon a late-season promotion to San Jose had a spectacular start on Friday, tossing 5 shutout innings with just 2 hits and 0 walks allowed, while striking out 4 batters. That’s the Cayama we’ve been waiting to see!
The 19-year old looks noticeably more physical this year, and the results are starting to reflect it. He got knocked around a bit in his season debut, but in the last 2 games has pitched 9 innings with 6 hits, 0 walks, 1 run, and 12 strikeouts. The 2025 breakout players on offense have done much better to start the year than the 2025 breakout players on the mound, so it’s nice to see Cayama holding it down for the arms. He could get a whole lot of attention this year if he keeps this up.
LHP Braydon Risley, last year’s 19th-round selection, started on Saturday and had some good and some bad. In the former category was the 6 strikeouts he had in 4 innings, against just 1 walk. In the latter category was the pair of home runs he allowed, though he only gave up 3 hits and 2 runs total. Risley has started his debut season with 13 strikeouts against just 3 walks in 9.1 innings.
One really nice relief appearance in each game: on Friday, RHP Alix Hernandez struck out a batter in a 9-pitch perfect inning, keeping his ERA at 0.00 with a 2.44 FIP, and giving him 9 strikeouts against 1 walk in 6.1 innings; on Saturday, RHP Mauricio Estrella tossed 3 perfect frames with 4 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 3.38 and his FIP to 1.81, while giving him 12 strikeouts in 8 innings … and 0 walks; and on Sunday, RHP Garrett Langrell needed just 10 pitches to retire all 4 batters he faced, dipping his ERA to 2.84 and his FIP to 3.71, with 8 strikeouts and 1 walk in 6.1 innings.
The window to enter the transfer portal closes on Tuesday, April 21, although numerous top-tier players remain uncommitted in men's college basketball.
The transfer portal opened at midnight on Tuesday, April 7, just a few hours after Michigan won the national championship game over UConn. Nearly 4,800 players have entered the transfer portal since, according to a USA TODAY Network source.
Former Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic is USA TODAY's No. 1-ranked player to have entered the transfer portal this offseason, although the sharpshooter could be off to the NBA draft. Momcilovic entered the 2026 NBA Draft while retaining his eligibility and entering the transfer portal simultaneously.
Players can still sign with their new school outside of the two-week transfer portal window, although only if they entered their name during the period. It could still be a few days before the top players are wrapped up.
Here's a look at our top uncommitted players in the men's college basketball transfer portal:
John Brice contributed to this story.
Transfer portal rankings: Top uncommitted players in men's college basketball
Rankings as of 4:46 p.m. ET on Monday, April 20
1. Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Iowa State forward Milan Momicilovic entered the transfer portal on April 12, and instantly became the top player available thanks to his length and 3-point shooting ability. The 6-foot-8 junior averaged 16.9 points per game last season while shooting an NCAA-leading 48.7% from distance, which was 1.6% better than Liberty's Brett Decker Jr., who had the second-best mark.
Momcilovic has 101 starts in 102 career games for the Cyclones, and led the No. 2-seeded team in scoring this season. He's also entering his name in the 2026 NBA Draft while in the portal.
2. Juke Harris, Wake Forest
Sophomore guard Juke Harris took a massive leap in 2025-26, going from 6.1 points per game off the bench as a true freshman to one of the ACC's top scorers at 21.4 points per game as a sophomore. The 6-foot-7 guard also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, and shot 33.2% from 3-point range on 7.5 attempts per game.
Harris offers elite length at guard and also top-tier scoring ability, making him one of the top available players. He has been linked to Michigan, having taken a visit to the national champions, but has yet to commit, at least publicly.
Santa Clara forward Allen Graves previously declared for the NBA draft before later entering the transfer portal April 10.
The 6-foot-9 true freshman averaged 11.8 points with 6.5 rebounds per game this season off the bench, but he established himself as one of the best mid-major players late in the year. He scored 17 points with seven rebounds and a block in Santa Clara's NCAA Tournament loss to Kentucky, even making a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds before Kentucky's Otega Oweh forced overtime.
Graves has three seasons of eligibility left and is already on the NBA draft radar, making him an enticing prospect.
4. Massamba Diop, Arizona State
Arizona State center Massamba Diop emerged as one of the top rim-protecting big men in the Big 12 this season despite being a true freshman, averaging 2.1 blocks per game. The 7-foot-1 former 3-star prospect from Senegal also averaged 13.6 points with 5.8 rebounds per game.
The market for top-tier big men is expensive, and Diop will be near the top.
5. Paulius Murauskus, Saint Mary's
Paulius Murauskus was one of the most productive-scoring big men in college basketball last season, averaging 18.4 points with 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a second-year starter for Saint Mary's. He also shot 33.3% from 3-point range.
The 6-foot-8 former Arizona transfer started 67 games across two seasons with the Gaels, helping lead the program to No. 7 seed selections in the NCAA Tournament in both years. His former Saint Mary's coach, Randy Bennett, is now at Arizona State, which could be an option for one of the top uncommitted players.
He's also reportedly an option for Louisville, who's looking to pair Murauskus with Flory Bidunga, the No. 1-ranked center to enter the portal this offseason.
6. John Blackwell, Wisconsin
Another productive scorer, former Wisconsin guard John Blackwell has a long list of suitors thanks to his offensive prowess.
The All-Big Ten third-team selection last season averaged 19.1 points with 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season, despite playing second fiddle to Nick Boyd, Wisconsin's leading scorer. The 6-foot-4 junior has one season of eligibility left, and scored 22 points in the Badgers' NCAA Tournament upset loss to High Point.
7. Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati
Former Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam has elite size and shot-blocking ability, making him one of the best bg men available. The 7-foot-2, 250-pound center averaged 12.8 points with 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game last season for the Bearcats after transferring from UCF.
Thiam has 65 career starts and still has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
8. Donnie Freeman, Syracuse
Former five-star recruit Donnie Freeman opted to not return to Syracuse after it fired Adrian Autry and hired former Orange legend Gerry McNamara as his replacement.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 16.5 points with 7.2 rebounds per game last season, and is one of the top power forward options in the transfer portal. He's been tied to numerous blue-blood programs, with St. John's reportedly making a push for him to help replace Bryce Hopkins and Zuby Ejiofor.
9. Terrence Brown, Utah
Terrence Brown showed he can score at the Power Four level last season at Utah, averaging 19.9 points per game in his first season after leaving Fairleigh Dickinson.
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 20.6 points per game at FDU as a sophomore, and brings one season of eligibility to his new team. He has been linked with numerous top-tier programs like North Carolina and others.
10. Paul McNeil, NC State
Paul McNeil is one of the best shooters in the transfer portal, as he shot 42.7% from distance last season on 7.2 attempts per game. The former NC State guard also averaged 13.6 points per game.
The 6-foot-5 sophomore scored a career-high 47 points in a nonconference game against Texas Southern in December, making 11 3-pointers while securing 10 rebounds. He'd be an elite shooting option next to an established point guard at his next school.
Former NC State coach Will Wade left the Wolfpack for LSU, and it'll be interesting to see if McNeil is an option for the Tigers.
While Brooklyn has won just 46 games across the last two seasons, coach Jordi Fernandez has impressed. He motivated players and got them to play hard, he ran clever sets to utilize the talent he did have, so much so that general manager Sean Marks had to keep trading away players so they wouldn't win so much. If Fernandez were made available, he would jump to the top of the list for almost every coaching search.
Which is why the Nets locked down Fernandez and his entire coaching staff with multyear extensions, the Nets announced Monday.
OUR COACH
The Brooklyn Nets have signed Head Coach Jordi Fernández and his entire coaching staff to multi-year contract extensions. pic.twitter.com/nyJiUsZM6d
"Jordi is a tremendous leader who, along with his coaching staff, put his stamp on this franchise from the moment he arrived in Brooklyn," Marks said in a statement announcing the extension. "Over his first two seasons, Jordi has built a strong foundation rooted in player development, a competitive spirit and honest communication, all of which have been embraced throughout our roster. The energy and passion the entire staff relentlessly pour into our players reverberates throughout the organization, and we are excited to have this group continue to lead our franchise into the future."
Fernandez, a native of Spain, got the Brooklyn job following 15 years working as an assistant coach in Cleveland, Denver and Sacramento.
Brooklyn's front office is looking to turn the ship around, which starts with this year's NBA draft. While it was a rough 20-62 season, Brooklyn ended it with the league's third-worst record, meaning it has a 14% chance of the No. 1 pick and a 52.1% chance of landing in the top four. The Nets used all five of their first-round picks a year ago, but the rookies' seasons were a bit disappointing, with the possible exception of Egor Demin, who showed promise. That said, the Nets need a foundational talent to build around and are counting on the draft to provide it.
SLAMMING THE DOOR: The Cubs allowed 13 runs at Philadelphia last Monday. Since then, they have allowed 13 more in five games. Yesterday was the first game of the season in which they have up one run. They have given up two in nine games and had one shutout, for a total of 11 games with two or fewer runs. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE MOISES FILES: In his 38 big league games, Moises Ballesteros has a batting average of .327, with 33 hits in 101 at bats. Only seven players who made their debuts as a Cub since 1898 have had a higher average through 38 games with at least 101 AB — just one of them in the last 78 years: .370: Bill Everitt, 1898; .358: Dwight Smith, 1989; .355: Bill Lange, 1898; .348: Ray Grimes, 1921; .344: Bobby Mattick, 1938-39; .333: Hal Jeffcoat, 1948, and Andy Pafko, 1943-44. Geovany Soto also batted .327 (37 for 113). (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
HEY, THIS GUY’S BEEN PRETTY GOOD: Hoby Milner, last seven games since March 31: 0.00 ERA, 0.818 WHIP, faced 25 batters and retired 20 of them.
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Sammy Sosa’s ninth-inning grand slam put the exclamation point on an 8-2 win over the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Jon Lieber threw eight scoreless innings. It happened 25 years ago today, Friday, April 20, 2001.
This is essentially a pitching rematch of last Tuesday in Philadelphia, although Colin Rea didn’t start that game, Riley Martin did as an opener.
After that, though, Rea threw six really good innings, his only mistake a home run ball to Edmundo Sosa. Rea didn’t walk anyone and struck out five. One more like that, please.
The Cubs hit Aaron Nola pretty well last week in Philadelphia, eight hits, two walks and three runs in five innings. I’d say another one like that, plus a good Rea outing, would equal another win.
Please visit our SB Nation Phillies site The Good Phight. If you do go there to interact with Phillies fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially underway. While the Vancouver Canucks will not be taking part in the post-season — unsurprisingly — there are quite a few former Canucks who will look to make their mark as they pursue the Stanley Cup with their current teams. Here are the former Canucks taking part in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference.
A Canuck for nearly seven full seasons, Myers’ upcoming post-season with the Dallas Stars will be his first stint in the playoffs since Vancouver’s run in 2023–24. The defenceman was one of two long-time members of Vancouver’s roster who were traded ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, with Conor Garland being the other.
Myers has made the post-season seven times through his NHL career, with two of these occasions coming as a member of the Canucks. The defenceman also took part in playoff runs with the Buffalo Sabres (2009–10 and 2010–11) and Winnipeg Jets (2014–15, 2017–18, and 2018–19) through his career. Prior to the Sabres’ first playoff game on Sunday, Myers was the only active NHL player to have played in a playoff game for the Sabres.
Casey DeSmith, Dallas Stars
Also on Dallas’ playoff squad is DeSmith, whose lone season with the Canucks resulted in a playoff run. The Stars goaltender has played in three different post-seasons — one for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2021–22, the Canucks in 2023–24, and the Stars in 2024–25. He has registered a combined five games played in through these three playoff runs.
Vancouver first acquired DeSmith via trade at the start of the 2023–24 season, with the goaltender posting a 12–9–6 record during the regular season. An injury during the playoffs forced Artūrs Šilovs into the net and resulted in the Latvian leading the way through the rest of Vancouver’s run. DeSmith later signed with the Stars in free-agency.
Once the franchise’s hope for a better future, a mid-December trade resulted in Hughes becoming the next big thing for a Minnesota Wild team that is looking to do some damage heading into the playoffs. The Wild have not made it past the first-round in the playoffs since 2015; with Dallas as an opponent in the opening-round of this year’s post-season, this task will be a difficult one.
Vancouver made the playoffs twice in Hughes’ time as a Canuck — in 2019–20 and 2023–24. Through both post-seasons, the defenceman averaged nearly a point per game, putting up two goals and 14 assists in 17 games in 2020 and 10 assists in 13 games in 2024. In both playoff runs, Vancouver was eliminated in Game 7 of the Pacific Division Finals.
Cole is one of two Utah Mammoth defencemen who previously played for the Canucks and will now help Utah succeed in their first playoff appearance in franchise history. Cole joined Utah the season after his one-year stint with the Canucks, then re-upping his contract with the Mammoth for another year. This season, he put up near career-high totals with three goals and 20 assists in 82 games.
In Cole’s lone season with the Canucks, Vancouver scraped together a division-leading season that saw them lose in Game 7 of the second-round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Cole was a massive factor in the team’s success early-on for his sharp defensive play and previous playoff experience. He’ll be a player Utah will rely heavily on heading into the post-season.
Nate Schmidt, Utah Mammoth
The other one-year Canuck who now plays for the Mammoth is Schmidt. Traded to Vancouver back in October of 2020, Schmidt’s tenure with Vancouver lasted only one season — 2020–21 — during which he put up five goals and 10 assists in 54 games played. The defenceman was then traded at the end of the season, this time to the Winnipeg Jets.
Schmidt’s most recent playoff run went about as successfully as any player could ask for, as the defenceman joined the Florida Panthers in winning their second-straight Stanley Cup and the first in his career. Previously, Schmidt had come close, joining the Vegas Golden Knights for their inaugural-season Stanley Cup run back in 2017–18.
Apr 16, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Mammoth left wing Michael Carcone (53) celebrates with center Alexander Kerfoot (15) and defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) after scoring a goal against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Podkolzin appears to have fit with the Edmonton Oilers like a glove since being traded there in August of 2024. The forward had a strong 24-point season the year prior and has now hit career-highs in goals (19), assists (18), and points (37) in his sophomore season with the Oilers. Were he playing at this rate while still on this year’s Canucks team, the forward would be fifth on the team in points.
Podkolzin has made the post-season in his past three seasons, starting with the Canucks’ 2024 Stanley Cup Playoff run. While he only got into two games during this run, the season after, he was a much more noticeable force for Edmonton. Through 22 playoff games with the Oilers, he had three goals and seven assists.
Jason Dickinson, Edmonton Oilers
Dickinson has seen some of his best NHL seasons as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, who acquired him from the Canucks in July of 2021. With Vancouver, on the other hand, Dickinson put up five goals and six assists in 62 games played. The forward followed that up with back-to-back 30-point seasons with Chicago, including a career-high 22 goals and 13 assists in 82 games during the 2023–24 season.
The Oilers acquired Dickinson and prospect Colton Dach at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline in exchange for Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional first-round pick in next year’s draft. Since joining Edmonton, Dickinson has a goal and three assists in 17 games. The forward’s last playoff appearance was in 2019–20, when he and the Dallas Stars lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.
Curtis Lazar, Edmonton Oilers
Lazar was only a Canucks for 45 games, during which he scored three goals and two assists, before he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in March of 2023. He stayed with the Devils for two seasons after that before signing a one-year deal with the Oilers this season. With Edmonton this season, Lazar scored four goals and two assists in 45 games.
This will be the sixth NHL post-season that Lazar participates in. His first playoff run came as a member of the Ottawa Senators in 2014–15, followed by a one-game performance with the Calgary Flames in 2016–17. The bulk of his post-season experience comes from his time with the Boston Bruins in 2020–21 and 2021–22, during which he played in 10 and seven games respectively.
Due to a meniscus tear suffered on February 25 against Vegas, Kuzmenko’s season ended early as the forward required time to adjust after undergoing surgery. Prior to the injury, the forward put up 13 goals and 12 assists in 52 games played. He has since appeared to recover and is now available to play for his team, though he did not end up skating in Game 1 of Los Angeles’ series against the Colorado Avalanche.
Kuzmenko has only been to the post-season once while in the NHL — in 2024–25 with the Kings. Despite Los Angeles being eliminated in the first round in Game 6 against the Oilers, the forward scored three goals and three assists.
Hutton seems to have found a great fit with the Golden Knights since departing from Vancouver. After bouncing around from Los Angeles, to the Anaheim Ducks, to the Toronto Maple Leafs, he found himself in Vegas where he has since spent the past five seasons. He hit a new season-high in points with the Golden Knights, putting up six goals and nine assists in 55 games this year.
All of Hutton’s career post-season experience has come as a member of the Golden Knights. He played in two playoff games with Vegas in their Stanley Cup-winning effort in 2023, also taking part in one game the season after.
Nic Dowd, Vegas Golden Knights
Once a Canuck for only 40 games, Dowd’s eight-year tenure with the Washington Capitals ended at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, when he was moved to Vegas in exchange for goaltender Jesper Vikman, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick. Through 20 regular season games with the Golden Knights this season, Dowd put up a goal and four assists.
Aside from this season, Dowd has taken part in the Stanley Cup Playoffs six times throughout his career, all with Washington. In 40 total playoff games with the Capitals, Dowd scored four goals and two assists, with his highest single-season numbers being registered in 2020–21 (2 G, 5 GP) and 2021–22 (1 G, 1 A, 6 GP).
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HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 30: Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti (41) throws a pitch in the top of the first inning during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros on August 30, 2025 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Houston Astros (8-15) begin a 3-game series vs. the Cleveland Guardians (13-10) tonight at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.
RHP Spencer Arrighetti (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will make his second start of the season as he takes on CLE RHP Slade Cecconi (0-2, 5.03 ERA).
SPENCER’S GIFTS: Tonight will be the 2nd start of the season for RHP Spencer Arrighetti.
He earned the win in his first start on April 15 vs. COL, allowing just one run and thee hits in 6.0 innings of work with 10 strikeouts. It marked his 5th career game with 10+ strikeouts and his 1st since punching out 11 on Aug. 28, 2024 at PHI.
VS. CLE: Tonight will be Arrighetti’s 3rd app. and 2nd career start vs. CLE. He has had some success vs. the Guardians in limited action (0-0, 2.25 ERA, 2 G, 1 GS, 8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 10 SO). His last app. vs. CLE was in relief on Sept. 27, 2024 (hurled 2.1 scoreless frames).
VS. THE LAND: Tonight is the first of six scheduled meetings vs. the Guardians in 2026.
After this 3-game set at Progressive Field, the two clubs will play a 3-game series at Daikin Park, June 19-21.
The Astros were 2-4 vs. CLE last season, going 2-1 here at Progressive and 0-3 at Daikin Park.
ON THE STAND: The Astros went 2-4 on their just-concluded homestand, going 2-1 vs. COL and 0-3 vs. STL, respectively. HOU is 7-6 at home overall in 2026.
QUICK ROADSTOP: The Astros will play just these three games in CLE on the current road trip before returning home for a weekend series vs. NYY.
NEED A WIN: The Astros need a win tonight to snap an 8-game road losing streak.
A PERFECT 10: In yesterday’s game, Yordan Alvarez contiued his torrid start to the 2026 season with his ML-leading 10th HR.
He has now homered in 3 consecutive games for the 4th time in his career (last: July 1-3, 2024). Additionally, his 10 HR match the club record through a player’s first 23 games of a season with Lance Berkman (2002).
Alvarez has also matched his career high by recording an RBI in his 6th consecutive game, doing so for the 3rd time (last: Aug. 6-12, 2024).
ON THE LEADERBOARD: Alvarez currently leads the AL in WAR (1.6), RBI (21), XBH (17) and TB (64), and is 2nd in SLG (.790), OBP (.471) and OPS (1.261).
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have placed IF Nick Allen on the 10-day IL (retro 4/19) due to mid-back spasms.
To take his place on the active roster, the Astros selected IF Braden Shewmake to the Major League roster.
To make room for Shewmake on 40-man roster, the Astros transferred RHP Cristian Javier to the 60-day IL.
RHP J.P. France has been outrighted to Triple A Sugar Land.
NEW ARRIVAL: OF Dustin Harris was claimed off waivers from the White Sox on Saturday and joined the club yesterday.
Harris entered yesterday’s game as pinch-hitter and ended up getting two AB’s (0x2 with two lineouts).
Harris was 3×12 (.250) in six games for the White Sox with 4 walks and 2 SB (.438 OBP).
BEHIND THE DISH: C Christian Vázquez is hitting .375 (12×32) with a .444 OBP and a 1.132 OPS.
He has also tallied 10 RBI in just 10 games (8 starts) and has four catcher caught stealings on the season.
HARD TO HIT: Opponents are just 7×48 (.146) vs. RHP Kai-Wei Teng, who is just the 2nd Taiwanese-born player to appear with the Astros in their history.
Among AL relievers, Teng ranks T-2nd in innings (13.2) and T-8th in strikeouts (14).
Yesterday was his 4th scoreless appearance of at least 2.0 innings this season, tied for the most among AL relievers.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2005 – Craig Biggio collects his 1,000th career RBI in a 6-1 win over the Brewers at Minute Maid Park. Biggio ends up going 2×4 in the game with HR and 2 RBI. RHP Roy Oswalt goes the distance to pick up the win, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits with 8 strikeouts and no walks.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, April 20, 5:10 p.m. CST
Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland OH.
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
SAN FRANCISCO — The direction of the Warriors’ offseason waits on Steve Kerr, so with the coach still undecided about his future, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. also put his traditional postseason news conference on hold.
With Steph Curry and Draymond Green already addressing their futures following Friday’s play-in loss to the Suns that ended their season, that meant there wasn’t much of any consequence left as the remainder of the roster took the podium one-by-one Monday inside Chase Center.
Still, here’s one thing we learned about each player in the last time we hear from them before they regroup at the end of summer for a training camp that could look different from years past.
Al Horford of the Golden State Warriors three point basket against the Phoenix Suns during the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on April 17, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Al Horford: Still contemplating future
Horford described his first year with the Warriors as a “positive experience,” despite not getting the chance to chase a championship like he had hoped when he decided to leave the Celtics.
Horford, 39, possesses a player option for next season but said he’s undecided about his future. He did not rule out retirement and said he would talk it over with his wife, Amelia.
“Fortunately for me, I’m healthy. I feel good. I still feel like I can contribute and play at a very high level still. Those are all things that I’m going to look at,” Horford said. “Now that everything kind of gets quiet, you know, it’s something that I’ll reflect on all that.”
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Horford isn’t the only player with a decision to make, with Melton also holding a $3.45 million player option for next season.
The 27-year-old guard said he would “love to come back,” but he will take time to weigh his options, which should be more lucrative after re-establishing himself in his first year back from knee surgery.
“You’ve got to give yourself time to kind of decompress and see everything that’s going on, kind of let the dust settle,” he said. “I think that type of stuff is what I’m going to worry about next week.”
Brandin Podziemski: Hopes to sign contract extension
Melton’s backcourt partner won’t be a restricted free agent until after next season, but now that he is eligible for an extension to his rookie deal, the 23-year-old hopes it can get done this summer.
Podziemski, who took on more responsibility with Curry sidelined, said he look lessons away from watching the different ways Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody handled their contract situations.
“I want to be here for the long-term,” he said. “I think both seeing (Kuminga) and Moses do two different things for me helped, just seeing the goods and bads to both sides. I don’t think one is better than the other, but seeing that as a teammate and seeing how they handled both situations, I think is going to help me.”
Podziemski also walked back comments from before the season, when he said his goal was to be better than Curry. The brashness earned criticism inside and outside the organization.
“I know I’m not going to be better than Steph. He’s the only person that can be Steph,” Podziemski said. “So for me it’s just having that confidence, but understanding that I’m just trying to be the best version of Brandin Podziemski I can be, and wherever that kind of takes me in this career.”
Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors points during the game against the Sacramento Kings on April 10, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Quinten Post: Foot injury won’t prevent him from playing with Dutch national team
An injury to his right foot prevented the 26-year-old center from appearing in all but one of the Warriors’ final 13 games, but he said he was gearing up to be ready for a potential first-round series.
“I kept trying to play through it, and I put myself back,” he said.
Post also lost playing time once Horford was healthy and the Warriors had added another big man in Kristaps Porzingis. Post and Porzingis are set to be unrestricted free agents.
In the meantime, Post said he hopes to continue to improve his defense, get leaner and “play a bunch of basketball.” That includes suiting up for the Dutch national team.
“I think I’ll be back in about two weeks and start ramping it up from there,” Post said of his health. As far as his future with the Warriors, he added: “I would love to be here for as long as possible.”
Will Richard of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on April 12, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Will Richard: Plans to play Summer League despite hitting ‘rookie wall’
The Warriors looked like they found a diamond in the rough with Richard, the 56th overall pick in this past draft, but the rookie guard admitted he wasn’t the same player from about the All-Star break onward.
“It’s been a long season just from playing in the (NCAA) National Championship to predraft workouts, Summer League, training camp,” Richard said. “It’s been nonstop.”
Still, Richard said he planned for only a little downtime before getting back to work. He confirmed that he plans to play in the NBA Summer League this July for a second year in a row.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 17: Brendan Donovan #33 of the Seattle Mariners fields the ball against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on April 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners will be without one of their biggest off-season acquisitions for at least the next week, placing INF Brendan Donovan on the 10-day IL with a groin strain.
Roster moves:
🔹 Will Wilson (#7), INF, selected from Triple-A Tacoma. 🔹 Brendan Donovan, INF/OF, placed on 10-day IL (left groin muscle strain, retro. 4/18). 🔹 Miles Mastrobuoni, INF/OF, transferred to 60-day IL.
Will Wilson gets the call up from Tacoma and will take Donovan’s roster spot. Wilson appeared in 34 games with Cleveland last season, slashing .192/.267/.244.
For those wondering why the Mariners didn’t select Colt Emerson after signing him to a then record-breaking extension, Emerson is currently dealing with a wrist injury that will keep him out of Triple-A Tacoma’s next couple of games. Mariners GM Justin Hollander said they will reassess Emerson on Thursday and see how he’s doing.
Joseph Savarino, the grandson of former Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, faces a misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired in a crash that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy in North Carolina.
According to WRAL News — an NBC TV affiliate in Raleigh, North Carolina — Savarino is accused of hitting a cyclist riding their electric bike at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 18, at the intersection of Cole Mill Road and Wyndham Lane in Durham, North Carolina. WRAL reports that the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to online records from the Durham County Sheriff's Office, Savarino, 26, was booked into jail at 2:45 a.m. ET on Sunday, April 19, before posting out on $100,000 bond on Monday, April 20.
According to a public report of the incident obtained by WRAL News, Savarino told police he had been drinking earlier in the night, and that his blood alcohol content level registered at 0.11 on a breathalyzer test. WRAL also reported that a judge issued an order to revoke Savarino’s driving license.
Savarino is the son of Krzyzewski's daughter, Debbie Savarino, according to a 2024 article from the Raleigh News & Observer.
Krzyzewski has been retired from coaching since the end of the 2021-22 season. He served as the Blue Devils' coach for 42 seasons and posted a career overall record of 1,129-309.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 12: Dallas Mavericks have officially won the in NBA Draft Lottery with 1.8% pre-lottery chance to win the pick in Chicago, Illinois, United States on May 12, 2025. San Antonio Spurs got the second pick, Philadelphia 76ers got 3rd and Charlotte Hornets got the 4th pick in the lottery. (Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
The NBA held its draft tiebreaker drawings on Monday, April 20. It is worth clarifying what this process actually is, as this is not the Draft Lottery itself. Instead, the league uses these drawings to establish the order among tied teams before the lottery takes place, ensuring each team receives the appropriate odds (for lottery bound teams) or settles tiebreakers accordingly (for the 16 teams picking outside the lottery).
The Sixers do have a first-round pick in play, one that was directly affected by Monday’s tiebreaker. Philadelphia holds Houston’s first-round pick, acquired as part of the Jared McCain trade, and the Rockets finished the regular season at 50-32. Houston found themselves in a tiebreaker situation with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who finished with an identical record. Following a coin flip, the NBA awarded the Rockets the 22nd pick, which belongs to Philadelphia.
While it is only one slot, winning this tiebreaker is a win. Every position matters, especially in this draft. Most talent evaluators consider this class to run particularly deep, with viable prospects expected to be available as far down as picks 20 to 25. With the Sixers slotted at 22, it is a good place to be whether they keep and use the selection or ship it out for immediate help.
As for the Sixers’ own first-round pick, it will be conveying to Oklahoma City as part of the Al Horford deal that sent him to OKC for Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson. Philadelphia finished the regular season in a three-way tie with the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns, prompting a coin flip to determine picks 16, 17 and 18. While it was always known this pick would head to OKC, Monday’s drawing officially locked in exactly where it will land, slotting in at 17. With that, the long running obligations stemming from the Horford trade are now fully resolved.
Armed with the 22nd pick, the Sixers will have some significant decisions to make in the coming weeks and months. They are right in range to pounce if a coveted name slides down the board, but having a first-round selection also opens the door to moving up or down in ways that simply would not have been realistic without it.
Trading the pick outright remains on the table as well. In the past, I have been bullish on Philadelphia’s ability to move first-round picks mid-draft despite speculation to the contrary. This time around feels different, however. The league has taken notice of this draft class’s talent, and there will be no shortage of teams looking to shuffle their positions and lock up their preferred prospects. The Sixers may find the market for this pick more active than ever.
However it plays out, the 22nd pick gives Philadelphia a legitimate asset and real flexibility heading into one of the more compelling drafts in recent memory. The next few months should be interesting to see play out.
SURPRISE, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Asa Lacy #33 of the Kansas City Royals poses during Photo Day on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The draft can be a bit of a crapshoot. Injuries derail some players, while others have trouble adjusting to the professional level. Asa Lacy experienced both problems. Six years after the Royals made him the fourth overall pick, the team is finally cutting ties, releasing him outright.
Lacy was an absolute stud at Texas A&M University. In 2019, he had a 2.13 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 88 2⁄3 innings, and he pitched for the U.S. Collegiate National team that summer. He was a lefty who filled out his 6’4” frame, throwing regularly in the mid-90s with a wipeout slider.
The pandemic halted the 2020 college baseball season just as it was getting started, depriving scouts of an opportunity to see amateur talent. Baseball still held its draft in June, but the information felt incomplete. Teams at the top of the draft elected to go with safer college talent – the first seven picks were all collegiate players. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America ranked Lacy as the #3 prospect, so the Royals appeared to be getting a terrific prospect when they selected him fourth overall, signing him to a $6.67 million bonus.
There was no minor league season in 2020, but the Royals felt so confident in Lacy, they sent him to make his pro debut in High A Quad Cities in 2021. He made 14 starts there and had eye-popping striking out numbers, with 79 punchouts in 52 innings, or one-third of all hitters he faced. But he also struggled with control, walking 41 hitters and putting up a 5.19 ERA. He was shut down in July with a shoulder and lat injury, but returned that fall to pitch in the Arizona Fall League with impressive results.
The Royals promoted him to Double-A in 2022 at the age of 23, but after just two starts he was shut down with a back injury. When he returned, he completely fell apart. Overall, he struck out 35 but walked 42 in just 28 innings – a real-life “Nuke LaLoosh”. After a 10.61 ERA in 15 games, the Royals shut him down. He didn’t pitch the entire 2023 season due to back injuries, and had Tommy John surgery in 2024. He has not pitched in a game since 2022, and was released with a total of 80 minor league innings under his belt.
Looking back, the top of the 2020 draft class looks rather cursed. Top pick Spencer Torkelson has a couple of 30+ home run seasons, but overall has had mixed results. The #2 pick Heston Kjerstad, #3 pick Max Meyer, and #9 pick Zac Veen have been hit by injuries. The #5 pick Austin Martin and #7 pick Nick Gonzales look like utility players. Emerson Hancock, the #6 pick, may finally be coming through at age 27. Meanwhile, the #8 pick Robert Hassell is still in the minors. Still, there were two All-Stars in that draft – #11 pick Garrett Crochet and #19 pick Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Lacy’s release is a reminder that even the most polished amateur arms come with real risk, especially in a draft shaped by uncertainty. The Royals didn’t make an unreasonable bet at the time. Many teams would have done the same. Injuries robbed Lacy of development time, and likely contributed to his command issues. What once looked like a potential cornerstone instead becomes a cautionary tale, another example of how quickly promise can unravel, and how even the “safe” picks are anything but.
Knicks two-way center Trey Jemison III and his fiancée Alex Jean Glover are a sports power couple, which is why she can't support him in person during New York's first-round playoff series against the Hawks.
Knicks two-way center Trey Jemison III and his fiancée Alex Jean Glover are a sports power couple.
In a recent TikTok video, Glover, who is a professional volleyball broadcaster for numerous networks, explained that she can’t make it to the Knicks’ first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks because “mama’s gotta work” — and she doesn’t want to be a stay-at-home WAG.
“Dont kill me but I’m not gonna be able to make it to those playoff games. Working in sports, I would say, is one of my biggest blessings, but with my fiancé playing in the NBA, I can’t make it to all of the big accomplishments,” Glover, who is a former Division 1 athlete for the SMU women’s volleyball team, said in a “get ready with me” video posted before New York’s 113-102 Game 1 victory at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Glover explained that she scheduled herself to work volleyball games before the Knicks clinched a playoff berth.
“That poses the question of, ‘If you knew it was during playoff time, why would you take it?'” she said. “If I waited for every single time the NBA had something come up… I wouldn’t work at all.”
Alex Jean Glover, fiancée of Knicks two-way center Trey Jemison III, explained that she will miss the Knicks-Hawks first-round playoff series due to work. TikTok/ Alex Glover
Glover added that she missed Jemison’s first NBA G-League start with the Westchester Knicks, as well as the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, where the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 in the championship game in Las Vegas in December.
“Before Trey got with me, he knew he was getting a working baddie,” she said. “But that doesn’t make it any easier.
“That being said, we’re OK with it. I absolutely love my job down. It actually allows me to see him more than I would if I had a normal 9-5 with being I able to do something that I love, being able to travel and see Trey for weeks at a time. I don’t have complaints. I want to be there… But a girl’s gotta work.”
Knicks two-way center Trey Jemison III and his fiancée, Alex Jean Glover, on the court at Madison Square Garden. Instagram/Alex Glover
Glover also explained that she often gets asked why she works so much.
“Because I want to work. It’s OK if you don’t want to work… I will also say this with my full chest: People glamorize the life of a stay-at-home WAG. That is a hard job to have. Basically your whole life is revolving around someone else’s schedule and then you can add another component if you have children.
“It’s not as easy as it looks. Running a household while you’re trying to keep everything together is difficult and it can be so easy to lose yourself in the midst of it all… It’s a lot harder than these women are making it look from the outside.
Trey Jemison III #50 of the New York Knicks boxes out during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on April 12, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NBAE via Getty Images
“… Props to all the girlfriends and the WAGs and everybody holding it down for these men. Happy playoff season and go Knicks.”
Glover and Jemison got engaged last August
She previously shared that they met when he slid in her DMs in the fall of 2024.
Glover graduated from SMU in 2023. She finished her SMU volleyball career playing 92 sets and recording 80 kills with a .367 hitting percentage and 93 blocks — and finished tied for seventh all-time for most matches played as a Mustang with 126.
Glover added that she’ll be watching the Knicks while on the road at work.
“Mama’s gotta work, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be SAT during the games,” she captioned her post. “As always GO NY GO.”
Game 2 of the Knicks-Hawks best-of-seven first-round series is set for Monday night at MSG.
