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Ryan McMahon, Trent Grisham drive in three runs apiece in Yankees' 8-4 win over Astros

The Yankees didn't allow frustrations from Wednesday's meltdown to fester, as they outlasted the rival Astros, 8-4, on a chaotic Thursday night at Daikin Park.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Astros starter Christian Javier entered Friday with a stellar 1.99 ERA in six career appearances against the Yankees, but it didn't take long for that mark to rise a tad. With two on and two outs in the second inning, Ryan McMahon drew first blood with an RBI single to shallow right that gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead. The two-out rally began with a walk to Austin Wells and a single from Anthony Volpe. Solid production by the bottom-third of the lineup.

-- Carlos Rodón kept batted balls in the park last month, allowing just one home run across six August outings (34.1 innings). But his streak of five starts without a long ball was snapped by Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, who smacked a game-tying solo shot to right-center in the third. Injury was then added to insult moments later, when Jazz Chisholm Jr.appeared to hurt his left knee after tagging out a sliding Jose Altuve at second base. Chisholm hobbled off the field and completed his fourth-inning at-bat (a strikeout), but Jose Caballero entered shortly thereafter as his defensive replacement. The Yankees announced that Chisholm exited with knee contusions.

-- McMahon's second battle with Javier was more impressive than his first. With the score still knotted in the fifth, the Yankees' third baseman jumped on a first-pitch curveball that landed over the left-center field wall for a go-ahead solo blast. Javier then fell into further trouble, loading the bases on singles to Trent Grisham and Ben Rice and a walk to Aaron Judge, and from there, Cody Bellinger increased the lead to 3-1 with a one-out RBI single to right. Javier's night ended on that note -- it was naturally his shortest start against the Yankees thus far.

-- The Astros turned to Enyel De Los Santos to clean up Javier's mess, and he didn't improve the situation. He was issued a pitch clock violation before even throwing to Giancarlo Stanton, and while he ultimately won that at-bat via strikeout, his full-count bout with Caballero was lost due to yet another clock violation. The mental error resulted in a costly walk and pushed the Astros' deficit to three. The Yankees sent all nine batters to the plate in the fifth inning.

-- The groove Rodón settled into was disrupted by some chaos in the sixth. After allowing a leadoff double to Alvarez, a line drive from Altuve that was clearly caught by McMahon at third was ruled a drop and error by umpire Brian Walsh. The Yankees argued that his bobble occurred on the transfer, and while TV replays showed this to be the case, there was no official review and umpires stunningly upheld the ruling. Rodón overcame the mess by inducing a routine double-play grounder, but a poor scoop attempt from Rice at first allowed Alvarez to score and cut the Yankees' lead to 4-2.

-- Rodón recovered from Rice's error after a mound visit, striking out Christian Walker and inducing a flyout of Yainer Diaz. It wasn't a pretty effort from the veteran southpaw, but he still delivered six quality innings that the Yankees sorely needed. Overall, Rodón gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts. He also threw 109 pitches, tying his season high. His season ERA now sits at 3.12.

-- Luke Weaver took over in the seventh, but he failed to complete the inning. He served up a pinch-hit leadoff homer to Jesús Sánchez that trimmed the Yankees' lead to 4-3, and despite logging a pair of strikeouts, he proceeded to allow back-to-back singles that forced Aaron Boone to pull the plug. The jam was then handed to Fernando Cruz, who survived a full-count fight against Altuve by striking him out.

-- Any tension the Yankees felt after the seventh waned during the eighth. With two on and two out, McMahon once again came up clutch with an RBI single up the middle that deflected off the shortstop's glove and trickled into right field. Then, two pitches later, Grisham gave the Yankees an even greater sigh of relief by crushing a three-run blast down the line in right to extend their lead to a more comfortable 8-3. Grisham became the seventh center fielder in Yankees history to produce a 30-homer season -- suffice to say, nobody could've predicted him achieving this feat.

-- Cruz returned to the mound for the eighth, and while the inning began with a single to Correa, the veteran right-hander needed only 11 pitches to retire Walker (strikeouts), Diaz (strikeout), and Sanchez (flyout) and eliminate any chance of a rally. The ninth inning belonged to David Bednar, in a non-save situation, and once again, disorder only baseball can create arrived. After a double from Taylor Trammell that set the Astros up with two runners in scoring position with no outs, the Yankees questioned whether Trammell's bat met league rules. The umpires looked at the bat, which had a patch of white/tan on the barrel, but it wasn't deemed illegal. Perhaps black paint had chipped off. A league official seized the bat for review.

-- The pair of early hits and the confusing delay hampered Bednar, who proceeded to give up an RBI single to Alvarez and a walk to Altuve. But the bases-loaded jam with the tying run at the plate didn't escalate -- the veteran righty regrouped and induced two clutch strikeouts of Correa and Walker to seal a much-needed rubber game victory.

Game MVP: Ryan McMahon

McMahon's first three-hit game as a Yankee couldn't have come at a better time. He set the tone and finished 3-for-4 with a homer, two singles, and two runs scored. But credit goes to Grisham, who reached a career milestone with his valuable three-run blast.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees (78-62) will fly back home and begin a critical three-game weekend series with the division-rival Blue Jays on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

RHP Cam Schlittler (2-2, 2.61 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite RHP Kevin Gausman (8-10, 3.75). New York currently trails Toronto by three games for first place in the AL East.

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Mets activate Francisco Alvarez off IL ahead of series-opener with Reds

The Mets are getting a reinforcement for a big series with the Reds this weekend.

New York activated C Francisco Alvarez from the IL ahead of Friday's series opener in Cincinnati.

Alvarez had been sidelined since Aug. 18 with a right thumb UCL sprain. He's also playing through a broken left pinky he suffered when he was hit by a pitch during his rehab assignment.

The 23-year-old completed five rehab games with Triple-A Syracuse. In that span, Alvarez went 4-for-19 with the backstop launching a grand slam in his final rehab start on Wednesday. He was also playing catcher, including all nine innings in his last few games.

"I feel really good catching and throwing with the thumb," Alvarez. "When I did rehabs, I didn't feel almost anything."

He added: "I'm very excited. I always feel excited when I go to play baseball, it can be anywhere. I feel really excited to play baseball again."

Before the injury, Alvarez was finding his groove at the plate. In his last 15 games in the big leagues, Alvarez was slashing .326/.383/.628 with three home runs and 11 RBI. All three of those long balls came in his last six contests.

With Alvarez's return, Hayden Senger has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. 

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Dodgers dominated by Paul Skenes as Pirates complete sweep: 'It's embarrassing'

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 04: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani walks back to the dugout after striking out in the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. (Justin Berl / Getty Images)

Over three nights in Pittsburgh this week, the Dodgers didn’t win a game, despite playing a last-place Pirates club.

They didn’t grow their division lead, despite the second-place San Diego Padres suffering their own three-game sweep. 

And, as veteran infielder Miguel Rojas stressed Thursday night, they simply didn’t look like a team capable of sharing in any joy, despite their constant insistence that better play will materialize.

“I feel like ever since we started playing poorly a couple months ago, the pressure and frustration has been building up on the team,” Rojas said. 

“We know what we’re capable of. We’re playing under the threshold, the goal that we have. But at the end of the day, we gotta put all that aside ... and we have to find some joy and some motivation to come to the ballpark. Not just, ‘I gotta do my job.’ We have to come here and enjoy ourselves around the clubhouse, regardless of the situation.”

The situation, of course, looks bleak, with Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the Pirates sealing a confounding three-game sweep.

Read more:'We need to start playing better.' Slumping Dodgers lose again to the lowly Pirates

“It’s frustrating. It’s embarrassing,” Rojas said. “But we have to be able to turn the page and come tomorrow with a better attitude. ... We have to find a way to enjoy the game a little bit more.”

This loss, granted, was the easiest to explain.

In six scoreless innings, Cy Young frontrunner Paul Skenes was his typically dominant self. Already the major-league ERA leader, the second-year right-hander stuck out eight batters, gave up just two hits, escaped his only real threat by stranding a pair of two-out baserunners in the third inning, and otherwise overpowered the Dodgers with a seven-pitch repertoire headlined by his upper-90s mph sidearm fastball.

His counterpart, two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, was nowhere near top form, giving up five runs in five innings despite largely limiting much hard contact.

The Dodgers (78-62) did finally show some life offensively in the top of the ninth, scoring three times (their first runs since the eighth inning of Tuesday's game) and putting the tying run on base. But by then, it was too little, too late — with the game ending on a three-pitch strikeout by newly called-up catcher Ben Rortvedt, the latest hair-pulling moment in a season of deflation.

“We’re just not playing good baseball, that’s really it,” Snell said. “We’ve got to figure that out. That’s on us to do that. We’ve got to get it going. It’s crunch time right now. Can’t really have excuses.”

Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes delivers against the Dodgers on Thursday.
Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes delivers against the Dodgers on Thursday. (Justin Berl / Getty Images)

Indeed, the Dodgers lead the NL West by only two games — having missed a chance to create distance in the standings after the Padres unexpectedly dropped three straight against the Baltimore Orioles earlier in the week.

They also trail the Philadelphia Phillies by three games for a top-two seed in the NL playoff picture, placing themselves in danger of facing a three-game wild-card series rather than a first-round bye.

With 22 games remaining, the Dodgers would have to be perfect the rest of the way to reach the 100-win mark. At this point, even 90 victories feels far from a certainty, given the team’s 4-12 record in their last 16 against teams with losing records. 

“I want to say it's uncharacteristic, but I think we've done that a lot,” manager Dave Roberts acknowledged afterward. 

And when facing the current best pitcher in the sport, they certainly never seemed poised to change that trend.

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: The 10 best starting pitchers in Dodger history

Skenes set the tone immediately on what had been a rainy evening in Pittsburgh. Shohei Ohtani struck out on a 99-mph heater in the game’s first at-bat. The next seven Dodgers who came to the plate all recorded outs, flailing at Skenes’ mix of four-seamers, sweepers, curveballs and changeups to allow him to quickly find a comfortable rhythm.

It wasn’t until Dalton Rushing — who started in place of an injured Will Smith, as the team’s starting catcher awaited results on a CT scan for a bruised hand he suffered the night before — hit a third-inning fastball high off the center-field wall for a double that gave the Dodgers their first baserunner. But, after an Ohtani walk, Mookie Betts grounded out to retire that threat.

From there, the only other damage Skenes allowed was a fifth-inning single from Rojas. And though the Dodgers’ ability to at least foul off two-strike pitches — they fought off 15 in all — at least got him out of the game after six innings, it was already too late to mount a comeback.

That’s because, unlike the Dodgers, the last-place Pirates (64-77) actually managed to build rallies against another of the game’s other top pitchers.

Snell’s outing was a grind from the start, with Rushing misfiring to first base for an error in the first inning and Betts reacting slowly to a ground ball at shortstop to extend the second.

Snell worked around those jams. In the third, however, he followed a leadoff single by Bryan Reynolds with a pair of wild pitches that got by Rushing. With Reynolds suddenly on third, and the Dodgers’ infield forced to play in, Tommy Pham slapped a single through the dirt for the night’s opening run.

Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell delivers in the second inning Thursday against the Pirates.
Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell delivers in the second inning Thursday against the Pirates. (Justin Berl / Getty Images)

Two innings later, the Pirates broke it open.

In the fifth, Snell gave up three consecutive singles that doubled Pittsburgh's lead. Then, after an intentional one-out walk to Andrew McCutchen, Nick Yorke went after a first-pitch curveball for a two-run double down the line. McCutchen later scored from third on a grounder. 

“It just seemed like today there was some seeing-eye single, balls finding the outfield grass,” Roberts said. “I thought he was good, not great. But again, a little bit unlucky. When you're facing Paul Skenes, you just can't afford to give up runs."

If all that wasn’t enough, the game ended with another regrettable sequence in the ninth. Betts broke up the shutout with a leadoff home run. Singles from Teoscar Hernández, Michael Conforto, Andy Pages and Rojas brought around two more runs with the Dodgers down to their last out.

Then, however, Rortvedt came up as their ill-fated final hope. 

A career minor-leaguer whom the Dodgers acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline, then called up Thursday after Smith took a foul ball off his hand the night before, Rortvedt struck out after having replaced Rushing an inning earlier. 

Read more:‘Want to see that edge.’ How Dodgers hope Teoscar Hernández turns around difficult season

As Roberts explained postgame, he was trying to get Rushing (a rookie who has been a backup this season, but will likely start the next three games as Smith recovers from his bruised hand) off his feet. Given the way the game had gone, he wasn’t expecting Rushing’s spot in the order (which was due up eighth in the ninth inning) to come back up again.

“Obviously, in a separate world, I would've loved to have had Dalton up there,” Roberts said. “But when you have three hits through eight [innings] and you're down 5-0, just kind of trying to figure out how to preserve him for the next few days, too."

So it goes for the Dodgers right now. Their inconsistent lineup continues to scuffle. Their supposed strength of a rotation hasn’t been able to dominate. And, with their record an incomprehensible 22-30 since July 4, there remains no end in sight to their second-half slide — nor visible signs of anything other than frustration.

“I feel like, as an offense, we’re putting a little bit too much pressure on ourselves, because we feel the necessity of winning. And we’re really forgetting about the most important part, which is playing for each other and having some joy when we play this game,” Rojas said. 

“We all know, when you’re losing baseball games it’s not that fun. But I feel like we have to find a way to put everything in perspective. We’re still in first place. We’re still two games ahead of the Padres. We should be able to have some fun while we’re playing the game, and kind of relax a little bit more. Because I think when this team is together like that, we’re really hard to beat.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Kings 2025-26 Player Previews: Anze Kopitar

Los Angeles Kings captain and all-time great, Anze Kopitar is set to lace up his skates on opening night for the 20th time in his illustrious NHL career. Although it seems like he still has plenty of gas left in the tank, the 38-year-old forward has hinted at a potential retirement in 2026. In an interview with Sport Central LA's Jaime Maggie, Kopitar said "I'd be lying if I said I haven't thought about it" in regards to retiring. He also went on to say "even if this is my last year, I'll give it my very best and lead it all out there."

So with that said, let's continue on with our player preview for Anze Kopitar's 2025-26 NHL season. 

2024-25 Season

Last season, 'Kopi' played in 81 of 82 games, recording 21 goals and 46 assists for 67 points. This was the 16th time that he has registered 60 or more points in a seasons, as well the 14th time he's scored 20+. Kopitar put up those productive numbers while averaging a career low 18:57 TOI (Time On Ice). The veteran centre only recorded 98 shots on goal. The lowest since the 2012-13 48 game season where he also recorded 98 shots. 

Kopitar only registered four penalty minutes last season and the NHL rewarded him for his discipline with the Lady Byng Trophy. This is his third time (2016, 2023, 2025) receiving the award.

The two-time Frank J. Selke Award winner (2016, 2018) finished eighth in voting last season, picking up two first place votes. His face-off winning percentage of 57.2% is likely the reason he received votes for the award. 

In the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Kings faced off against the Edmonton Oilers for the fourth straight year. Even though the Oilers got the best of the Kings once again, the L.A. captain was terrific. Kopitar scored two goals along with seven assist for nine points in his six postseason games.

2025-26 Expectations & Stat Predictions

PuckPedia has Kopitar playing first line centre with Adrian Kempe and Andrei Kuzmenko on his wings. However, I wouldn't be entirely shocked if he lost first line centre duties to Quinton Byfield, I wouldn't be shocked if he manned line one all year either.  

With Kempe and Kuzmenko on his line, expect the playmaking centre to capitalize off of two players who have proven they know how to put the puck in the net. 'Kopi' will also play centre on the Kings top power player unit all season. 

I'm anticipating Anze Kopitar to basically replicate his 2024-25 campaign. Playing with two snipers, he will get his chances to pass the puck, but it will also give him opportunities to find twine. I will say he scores 23 goals and has 49 assists to go with it for 72 points. I also expect him to finish in the top 10 of Selke voting once again, which isn't exactly a boiling hot take. 

It's unfortunate that his home country of Slovenia does not have enough talent to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics. If any NHL veteran deserves a chance to compete in the games, Kopitar might just be number one on that list. 

End of an Era?

If this ends up being Anze Kopitar's final season in the NHL, it would mark the. end of one of, if not the greatest career in Los Angeles Kings franchise history. Drafted with the 11th overall pick in the 2005 draft, Kopitar has played in 1,454 games while scoring 440 goals and 838 assists for 1,278 points, and let's not forget about the two Stanley Cup's (2012, 2014) that he lead the Kings to. 

Stay tuned in with your Los Angeles Kings here at The Hockey News, as the 2025-26 season inches closer.

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Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. exits Thursday's game vs. Astros with knee contusions

Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited Thursday's game against the Astros with an apparent knee injury.

In the bottom of the third inning, Jose Altuve tried to advance to second base after a passed ball. Catcher Austin Wells recovered the baseball and threw to second, where Chisholm slapped down his tag on Altuve, who slid into the infielder's left knee.

Chisholm would take his at-bat in the top of the fourth inning, but after he struck out, he gingerly walked back to the dugout. The YES broadcast caught Chisholm in the dugout signaling to the coaching staff that he needed to come out of the game.

The Yankees announced that Chisholm was pulled with knee contusions in both knees. They happened on different plays. The team replaced Chisholm with Jose Caballero in the bottom of the fourth.

Chisholm was 0-for-2 with a strikeout before he left the game.

After the game, manager Aaron Boone gave a short update on Chisholm. 

"I don’t think it’s anything major, that’s the sense right now," he said. "We’ll see how he’s doing tomorrow."

Boone clarified that the first incident happened when Chisholm went down on his right knee for a groundball hit his way. The Yankees skipper believes Chisholm slammed his knee into the ground too hard. 

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Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Star Thompson Could Have A Special Season For Buffalo, Team U.S.A.

Tage Thompson (Timothy T. Ludwig, USA TODAY Images)

The NHL’s 2025-26 season is just about here, and there’s no better time here at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site to keep putting together this player-by-player series breaking down expectations for every Sabres player this coming year.

Every Sabres player has one singular goal  – getting the Sabres into the Stanley Cup playoffs. But as individuals, every Sabre has their own expectations. 

We’ve just finished moving through Buffalo’s goalies and defensemen. And in this file, we’re starting with the Sabres; top-talent at forward – winger Tage Thompson. 

Thompson had a down year last season, putting together 19 fewer assists and 22 fewer points than he had in his peak season of three years ago. But at 27-years-old, Thompson is far from over the hill, and the Sabres need him to rebound on offense this coming season and be the tip of the spear punching holes in other teams’ defensive tactics.

Let’s break it down and make an educated guess as to how his upcoming season plays out.

Player Name: Tage Thompsom

Position: Right Wing

Age: 27

2024-25 Key Statistics: 76 games, 44 goals, 72 points, 18:45 average time-on-ice

2025-26 Salary:$7.14 million

2025-26 Expectations: Thompson led the Sabres in scoring, at nearly a point-per-game clip. But as was the case with everyone on the team last year, it felt like it wasn’t enough from Thompson. This is two straight seasons of sub-par assist numbers, and while some of the blame for that goes to Thompson’s linemates, he also has to own it.

Although he’s a relative bargain at slightly more than $7.1 million per season, Thompson has the added weight of being one of Buffalo’s highest-paid players. While that pressure is going to be on him to do at least as much in 2025-26 as he did last year, Thompson is going to be on Buffalo’s first line with center Josh Norris, but if Norris can’t stay healthy, Thompson is still going to be judged by (a) whether he’s the Sabres’ best weapon on offense, and (b) whether he leads Buffalo to end its playoff drought at 14 years.

If either of those things don’t develop in the Sabres’ favor, it could be a very long season for Thompson. We’re not here to tell you Thompson is going to be traded – he’s got five years left on his contract, and he does have some no-trade protection (although only protection that allows him to veto a trade to five teams oh his choice). He can absolutely be part of the solution in Buffalo, but that has to start right away.

But something will have to give if this season doesn’t play out the way the Sabres hope for, and while that will likely start with the firing of coach Lindy Ruff and/or GM Kevyn Adams, it could eventually lead to a point where Thompson and Buffalo find it mutually beneficial to go in different roads,

Thompson could be in for a special year, if he does as expected and makes the U.S.’s team at the 2026 Winter Olympics and gets his first taste of playoff hockey in hockey’s top league. But make no mistake – even if he wins gold at the Olympics, if Thompson fails to get into the playoffs, it will be a long and slow agony for him. 

Anything less than 40 goals and 80 points will be a problem for Thompson next year. The Sabres aren’t going to be good or bad based strictly on the performance of one star player, so it all can’t be laid at Thompson’s feet if things do go sideways for him and Buffalo’s team. 

But when you’re in the midst of this playoff drought, somebody has to step up and be the engine on a winning team. That’s the challenge ahead for Thompson, and the way he responds to it will go a long way toward determining how far the Sabres go.

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Former Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman Has Pressure To Sign NHL's Best Player

The Chicago Blackhawks have pressure on them to get Connor Bedard extended. That is going to take some time and thoughtful decision-making on both sides. Bedard, however, is an RFA, so a deal with Chicago will ultimately get done. 

This pales in comparison to what former Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman is dealing with up in Alberta. The Edmonton Oilers only have superstar Connor McDavid locked in for one more season. 

After two straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers know that they must get their captain signed to have a chance of continued sustained success.

Entering the 2025-26 season, McDavid is the best player in the NHL. In 712 career games, he has 361 goals and 721 assists for 1082 points. For being 28 years old, those are legendary numbers. 

At the Team Canada Olympic Orientation Camp, McDavid was asked about his upcoming contract. He made it clear that "all options are on the table". 

The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) on XThe Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) on XConnor McDavid finally spoke about his contract situation with the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. @SpectorsHockey has the latest: https://t.co/MkGljSVDfP

McDavid's comments don't force optimism that he is going to stay in Edmonton on anyone, so the pressure is on the management team led by Stan Bowman to not let one of the greatest players ever walk away for nothing. 

Is McDavid worth trading if he doesn't extend before the deadline? The problem with that is the fact that the Oilers are good enough to win the Stanley Cup while he's on the roster, playing at a high level. 

If they hang onto him and he leaves for no return with no Stanley Cup to show for it, they will see it as nothing short of a disaster. This would set them back half a decade or more. It is on Stan Bowman to make sure that Edmonton makes the correct decision for the franchise, which is getting McDavid extended to another long-term deal. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Shohei Ohtani will pitch Monday for Dodgers; Will Smith sidelined at least through weekend

PITTSBURGH — Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani will make his next start as a pitcher on Monday against Colorado in Los Angeles.

Ohtani was scheduled to start Wednesday at Pittsburgh. However, because of a chest cold, he was limited to designated hitter duties, and Emmet Sheehan started in the Dodgers’ 3-0 loss.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith was not in the lineup for Thursday night’s game against the Pirates. The three-time All-Star sustained a bruised right hand on Wednesday when a foul ball hit him.

Manager Dave Roberts said Smith was unlikely to play in the three-game series at Baltimore that begins on Friday.

Roberts said the decision to move Ohtani’s next start until next week was to give him ample time to recover. The 2024 National League MVP will continue to DH.

“You want him to give him his best chance to give up five innings in his next start,” Roberts said.

Ohtani did not pitch last season, his first with the Dodgers, while recovering from his second Tommy John elbow surgery. Ohtani made his mound debut this season on June 16 and has a 1-1 record and 4.18 ERA in 11 starts.

Ohtani is hitting .280 with 46 home runs in 136 games. He leads the NL with 125 runs scored and a .610 slugging percentage.

X-rays of Smith’s hand on Wednesday night were negative. He underwent imaging on Thursday, and the results were not immediately available. Smith has a .296 batting average and 17 homers in 109 games.

Rookie catcher Dalton Rushing will get the bulk of the work behind the plate while Smith is sidelined.

The Dodgers selected the contract of veteran catcher Ben Rortvedt from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned infielder Alex Freeland to the same club. Right-hander Alexis Diaz, an All-Star in 2023 with Cincinnati, was designated for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot for Rortvedt.

Rortvedt has spent all or parts of four seasons in the major leagues with Minnesota, the New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay. He is a .186 career hitter in 209 games.

Third baseman Max Muncy is also expected to begin a rehab assignment with Oklahoma City on Thursday night. Muncy was placed on the IL with a strained right oblique on Aug. 15.

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Binnington Ranked No. 7 In NHL Network's Top 10 Goalies for 2025-26

ST. LOUIS -- NHL Network released its list for the top 10 goalies in the NHL heading into the 2025-26 season, and St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington came in at No. 7:

Tony Luftman, Mike Rupp and former NHL goalie Cory Schneider counted down the best goalies based on player performance over the past several seasons, with an emphasis on the 2024-2025 regular season and 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs while also considering future upside.

The Top 10 Goalies Right Now list collectively features 17 All-Star Game appearances, eight Vezina Trophies, six Stanley Cups, three William M. Jennings Trophies, one Hart Trophy, one All-Rookie Team honor and one Conn Smythe Trophy.

Binnington, who is 173-116-36 with a 2.78 goals-against average and .907 save percentage for his career, was 28-22-5 with a 2.69 GAA and .900 save percentage in the regular season last year; he 2019 Stanley Cup champion is 23-24 with a 2.70 GAA and .909 save percentage in 48 playoff games. 

On Binnington's ranking on the countdown, Schneider said, "If I had to win a game tonight, who would I choose, and he’s at the top of that list."

Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets was ranked No. 1, followed by Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers, Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers, Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders, Binnington, Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild, Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings and rounding out the top 10 is Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators.

Do you agree with this list? Do you agree with Binnington's ranking? Voice your opinions in the comment section below: 

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Canucks Eliminated In Second Round Of 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Five Years Ago Today

Five years ago today, the Vancouver Canucks were eliminated from the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite a heroic effort by goaltender Thatcher Demko, Vancouver lost 3–0 in Game 7 of the Pacific Division Finals, marking the end of their 17-game playoff run. 

While Vancouver was expected to make the 2020 playoffs during the regular season, the COVID-19 pandemic shut the year down early. As a result, teams that weren’t at the top of their divisions played in a qualifier round to earn their spot in the postseason. Despite losing their opening match in this series against the Minnesota Wild, Vancouver strung together three straight wins to officially clinch their spot in the playoffs. One of the most memorable parts of this playoff run came as a result of their 5–4 Game 4 overtime win, during which grizzled veteran Chris Tanev scored from the blueline to send the team off the bench and on the ice in celebration. 

Despite their success, the Canucks’ opponents only got more and more difficult. In the first round of the 2020 playoffs, Vancouver was matched up against the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues. With the odds somewhat against them, Vancouver stormed their way to a 2–0 series lead. However, the Blues tied things up by the end of Game 4, proving to Vancouver that there would be no easy route during the playoffs. The Canucks took this challenge head-on, winning Game 5 by a narrow 4–3 score, and ultimately defeating the Blues in Game 6 to advance to the second round.  

Vancouver seemed to have met their match in the second round, with the Golden Knights opening the series with a dominant 5–0 win. Despite winning Game 2, the Canucks dropped Games 3 and 4 to give Vegas a 3–1 series lead. Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner tallied two shutouts in this span of time, and would later add a third after Game 7. 

At the time, it felt as though Game 5 would be Vancouver’s last in the 2020 Playoffs. Things only looked worse when it was announced that Jacob Markström would miss time due to injury, leaving the door open for Demko to take the starter’s crease. There weren’t many who expected Vancouver to claw back and force a Game 7 — but sure enough, they did. Demko stopped all but one of the 43 shots piled onto him by Vegas in Game 5, cutting the Golden Knights’ series lead to one game. 

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As great as Demko was in Game 5, he was even better in Game 6. He made 48 saves to secure his first career playoff shutout, simultaneously extending the Canucks’ playoff run by one more game. To add to this milestone, Canucks captain at the time, Bo Horvat, scored his 10th goal of the 2020 playoffs, holding the lead a round past Vancouver’s elimination and finishing tied for fourth overall in the postseason. 

Even with the magical play of Demko, the Canucks’ playoff run came to an end on September 4, 2020. The game’s final score may have been 3–0, but for almost 50 minutes, neither team had found the scoresheet. Vancouver had ample chances at taking the lead, including a golden 2-on-1 opportunity from Horvat and Brock Boeser that was ultimately stopped by Lehner, as well as a five-minute power play that came as a result of a dirty play committed by Ryan Reaves. However, Shea Theodore scored on the power play to give Vegas a 1–0 lead, and after two empty-net goals for the Golden Knights, the rest was history. 

Sep 4, 2020; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Vancouver Canucks talk with Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) after the loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in game seven of the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

The events that followed the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs may have changed the course of the Canucks organization as a whole. During the 2020 free agency period, Vancouver opted to let go of key locker room staples in Markström, Chris Tanev, and Troy Stetcher. Alex Edler departed from the team the season after, and two years later, the Canucks traded Horvat. While it’s unknown what could have happened had Vancouver approached the 2020 off-season differently, this 17-game playoff run in August and September brought entertainment to fans when they needed it most. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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Mets' Reed Garrett strikes out two in first rehab game with Double-A Binghamton

The Mets are hoping to fortify their bullpen before the start of the postseason, and Reed Garrett is hoping to be part of the team's plans when he returns from his rehab assignment.

Garrett began his first step toward returning to the club when he took the mound for Double-A Binghamton on Thursday.

Starting the game against the Akron RubberDucks, the right-hander started off hot, striking out the first hitter he faced on three pitches. After a five-pitch lineout, Garrett allowed a single before striking out his final batter on four pitches.

It was a dominant performance for Garrett, who allowed one hit and struck out two batters in his one inning of work. He was also very efficient, tossing just 15 pitches, 11 for strikes.

Garrett was placed on the IL back on Aug. 25 with right elbow inflammation. To make sure Garrett is healthy enough to return, Thursday's outing is the first of likely a few starts in the minor leagues. The minor league regular season does end in September, so there's not too much time for the 32-year-old to get in his reps.

This season, Garrett has produced up-and-down results. He pitched to a 0.73 ERA through May but has since seen his effectiveness wane as the months have gone on. In 54 appearances, Garrett owns a 3.61 ERA with three saves and a 1.22 WHIP.

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Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky Ranks Fourth In NHL Network's Top 10 Goaltenders Rankings

Florida Panthers Sergei Bobrovsky landed at No.4 on the NHL Network's top 10 goaltenders list heading into the 2025-26 season.

The Panthers have had representatives on each position list released by the NHL Network, beginning with Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart on the wingers list, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett on the centers list, and Gustav Forsling on the defensemen list. 

Bobrovsky adds to that number.

The 36, soon to be 37-year-old, was outstanding once again during the Panthers' playoff run, recording a .914 save percentage and a 2.20 goals against average, while tending the goal for all 16 post-season wins. 

The regular season saw Bobrovsky start 54 games, notching a .906 SP and a 2.44 GAA, picking up 33 wins. 

"In helping the Panthers win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, Bobrovsky has gone 32-15 with a 2.26 GAA, .910 save percentage and five shutouts in 47 playoff games. The 36-year-old veteran has won at least 30 games eight times in his 15 NHL seasons, including 33 last season (33-19-2, 2.44 GAA, .906 save percentage, five shutouts). Bobrovsky's 429 career wins are the most among active goalies and 10th all-time," said the NHL Network.

Sergei Bobrovsky (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Finishing ahead of Bobrovsky were Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck, Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy and New York Rangers' Igor Shesterkin. The six goalies ranked after Bobrovsky were Dallas Stars' Jake Oettinger, New York Islanders' Ilya Sorokin, St. Louis Blues' Jordan Binnington, Minnesota Wild's Filip Gustavsson, Los Angeles Kings' Darcy Kuemper, and Ottawa Senators' Linus Ullmark.

Bobrovsky will face additional challenges this season. He isn't getting any younger, and he's played a lot of hockey the past three seasons, so fatigue could catch up to him. With that being said, he really hasn't shown any signs of slowing down and could be poised for another stellar season.

Panthers New Goaltending Tandem Have A Unique History Which Could Benefit Both PartiesPanthers New Goaltending Tandem Have A Unique History Which Could Benefit Both PartiesThe Florida Panthers enter the 2025-26 season with their superstar goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky between the posts, but his backup netminder will be different this season, and the pair share a unique history.