NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 8: Cardi B performs during halftime during Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks on June 8, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
New York, New York, the town so nice they named it twice. Madison Square Garden is considered the mecca of sports arena, and the New York Knicks pulled out all the stops for their first Finals home game in twenty-seven years.
The Garden always boasts celebrities and Game 3 of the NBA Finals was no exception. From steadfast fans Spike Lee, Fat Joe, Ben Stiller, and Timothée Chalamet to televison personalities Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni, during each break in play, the camera found well-known faces.
The arena was rife with sports personalities. Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Rick Pitino, Francisco Lindor, John Franco, Juan Soto, Todd Zeile, Woody Johnson, Jonathan Quick, Adam Fox and Vincent Trocheck were seen throughout the game.
Speaking of sports greats, it couldn’t be a Knicks Finals series without former players and legends. Patrick Ewing, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Allan Houston, Gerald Wilkins, Al Harrington, Bill Bradley, Richie Guerin, Baron Davis, Tim Thomas, Charles Smith, Steve Novak, Raymond Felton, Larry Johnson, John Starks, Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby all greeted the crowd. Jeremy Lin brought the “Linsanity” to MSG.
As if Broadway stars, sports legends, and celebrities weren’t enough, the Knicks pulled out all the stops and surprised attendees with a halftime performance by Cardi B.
Of course, the best known celebrity of the night was President Donald Trump. His attendance altered the fan experience considerably. Considering the alterations to schedule, the timing of the game went off without a hitch.
In the end, the most memorable sound was the silence of the over 19,000 fans walking away empty-handed after the Spurs took their first win of the series.
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TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 10: Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock looks on from the bench at an NHL game against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period at the Scotiabank Arena on October 10, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“What is one of the Devils’ biggest needs, if not the biggest? A top-six winger to complement Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. The Devils finished 31st in five-on-five goals last season, and while playing style was part of the reason, Kyrou may be the perfect fit to bolster the Devils’ offense.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
“Only Hischier knows for sure…but maybe — just maybe — all this losing has shifted his priorities. While AFP Analytics projects an eight-year, $11.459 million AAV contract for him, say he takes $9 or $10 million instead. He’d still earn $72–80 million over the life of the deal, on top of the roughly $45 million he’s already earned in the NHL. That extra cap flexibility could make a world of difference when attempting to properly complement the roster.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
We have named Peter Laviolette as the club’s 32nd head coach in franchise history, it was announced today by Vice President and General Manager Ken Holland.
“The Edmonton Oilers are in consultation with the NHL Players’ Association to see if there are objections to potentially hiring Mike Babcock for their vacant head coaching job, according to league sources.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Larkin has a full no-trade clause as part of his contract, and his list was limited to being dealt to Vegas, Minnesota and Florida.” [Associated Press]
Where might Dylan Larkin end up in a trade and what assets might the Red Wings get back? [The Athletic ($)]
Gabriel Landeskog is this season’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy awardee:
Gabriel Landeskog is the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner for the 2025-26 season! 💪
The trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. #NHLAwardspic.twitter.com/hMbgQ8g71B
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 20, 2026: Cooper Pratt #9 of the Milwaukee Brewers bats during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Seattle Mariners at American Family Fields of Phoenix on March 20, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Note: the stats in this article were accurate through Monday; Pratt hit another homer on Tuesday.
When Cooper Pratt signed an eight-year, $50 million contract (with two lucrative option years) on April 3, a clock started. Pratt was no longer beholden to any concerns about team control, super two status, 40-man roster status, any of it. That’s all been sorted out.
This clock was for the players on the left side of the major league Milwaukee Brewers infield.
This was a known weakness coming into the season. When the Brewers traded Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler to Boston before the season, they opened up some holes. Despite offensive concerns, Joey Ortiz was still around to play shortstop, and Seigler, maybe, was never in the plan beyond providing some minor league depth. Monasterio played a utility role, and though he played that role nicely, David Hamilton, who came back in the trade, could probably make up for that loss.
The starting role at third base, though, was a question. Milwaukee’s minor league system is chock-full of tantalizing infield talent, but before the season started, all of Pratt, Jett Williams, Jesús Made, Luis Peña, and Andrew Fischer had a combined 151 plate appearances at Triple-A or higher. All of those belonged to Williams, and his OBP during that stretch was .285.
The problem
The kids weren’t quite ready, so Milwaukee made a move for a temporary solution: Luis Rengifo, a proven commodity, a 29-year-old with six years of MLB experience who was coming off a tough year but had a reasonable track record of success going back to 2022. It wasn’t unreasonable to think it would work fine for a year until someone showed they were ready for the big-league Brewers in 2027. My own analysis told me that Rengifo’s issue was less about hitting the ball hard than about needing to elevate the ball. If he could just hit more fly balls than line drives, he could turn back into a 15-homer guy and provide solid-enough offense for Milwaukee.
Well, it hasn’t happened. Rengifo’s exit velocities are largely in line with his career average, but the launch-angle aspect hasn’t come to fruition at all. There’s somebad luck in Rengifo’s season results: his BABIP is just .226, and his weighted on-base average (.243) is underperforming his expected number (.296) by more than 50 points.
But that xwOBA would still be the worst for Rengifo since he became a regular player in 2022. He has zero home runs. The doubles he was hitting at the beginning of the season have mostly dried up. What’s worse, arguably, is that he’s not offering any defensive value while all of this is happening. Rengifo, depending on whether you prefer looking at DRS or OAA, is either slightly above or slightly below average in the field. He’s passable, but he’s not good.
This might be an issue for the Brewers as a whole. I say “might be” because your preferred defensive stats will influence this conversation. By DRS, the Brewers rank eighth, which is actually a slight step above the 10th-place finish they had in 2025. But by Outs Above Average, Milwaukee, at -5, is 18th; they were thirdin 2025 at +33.
Rengifo is not solely responsible for that drop in OAA. Jake Bauers is way worse in 2026 than he was in 2025. Andrew Vaughn has flipped from +5 to -2. Sal Frelick has gone from one of the team’s best defenders (+7 in 2025, behind only Joey Ortiz) to neutral (0). David Hamilton weighs heavily on the Brewers’ OAA score — at -6, he’s the worst defender they’ve had in the last two years by this measurement. (This should be taken with a grain of salt, though; DRS quite likes Hamilton’s defense, and this accounts in large part for the Brewers’ gap between DRS and OAA).
The thing about all of those other guys (save for Frelick, who might be a discussion for a different time): they’re not all that easily replaceable. The Brewers need offense from Vaughn and Bauers. Hamilton is coming around offensively, offers a lot of value as a base runner, and the Brewers may very well believe that he’s a good defensive player (which wouldn’t be unreasonable at all).
The solution
In Pratt, the Brewers have a replacement.
Will he struggle when he gets the call? Probably. Pratt started the season badly at the plate, and he had just a 107 wRC+ at Double-A last season. But in his last 24 games, which covers exactly the last month, Pratt is hitting .301/398/.516 for a 143 wRC+. He’s striking out only 16.5% of the time and walking almost 13%. His wRC+ for the season was at 74 at the end of play on May 8; it’s now at 105.
And the thing about Pratt is that he could give the Brewers a huge defensive boost, not just because of his own ability but because of how the pieces would fall into place alongside him. His scouting grades give him a 60/60 fielding/arm score. People feel like he’s ready today to be plugged in at shortstop at the major league level. He might not be better than Ortiz, but he probably isn’t much worse.
My solution, then, would be to cut Rengifo, move Hamilton and Ortiz into a third-base platoon, and give Pratt the shortstop job. Hamilton is clearly better against right-handed pitching; Ortiz has reverse splits this season, but has been clearly better against left-handed pitching over the course of his career. If you believe DRS’s measure of Hamilton’s impact is more accurate than OAA’s, then you’ve vastly upgraded the defense at third base. A Hamilton/Ortiz platoon isn’t going to strike fear into opposing pitchers’ hearts, but it’s going to give you more than what Rengifo has this season.
Crucially, it paves the way for Pratt to play every day, which seems to be a major concern of management. It’ll probably be a struggle for a while at the plate, but when the guy being replaced has a 49 OPS+, I’m not all that worried about Pratt’s struggles. This is a rare move that works at two levels: it’s a pivot to the future, but it’s also a move that makes the team better today.
The case for haste
Look: I don’t like doing this. I’m acutely aware of the fact that baseball players are human beings, even if they are lavishly compensated for that work. I feel bad saying this. But the Brewers should cut their losses with Rengifo. They’re already on the hook for a $1.5 million buyout of a mutual option in 2027, and he has a clause in his contract that rewards him an extra $100,000 for every 50 plate appearance he makes at this point in the season (and more if he gets to 400+); that’s not a ton of savings, but there’s no reason Milwaukee should keep paying those bonuses. Rengifo is harming the team offensively, and he’s not helping on defense.
The Brewers are winning. That has afforded them time to wait and see if Rengifo turns it around. With the wins piling up, there’s no harm in that.
But there could be a form of harm later in the season, specifically in the postseason. It seems certain that at some point soon, the Brewers will need to come to the conclusion that Rengifo is not going to be who they want at the hot corner in a postseason series.
Maybe they think the answer is outside the organization. I’m skeptical. I haven’t really done my pre-deadline scan of the league yet, but I’m not expecting the Brewers to trade for a real difference maker at third base when they have the upcoming prospects that they have.
So if the answer is not coming from outside, that means it’s already here, and that means it’s either Pratt or Williams. Williams is struggling. Pratt is improving. The longer the Brewers wait, the less time Pratt will have to adjust to major league pitching, and the less prepared he’ll be for a potential postseason series. It’s time to make this happen.
A quick post-script
Given that Luis Lara signed a contract similar to Pratt’s after I had already done much of the research for this piece, I do feel it’s necessary to address his situation at least a little bit. Lara is now in line to come up to the big leagues if there’s any immediate need, but I don’t see it happening unless something else happens first. For one thing, Lara’s track record is far shorter than Pratt’s.
There’s also an issue of playing time. Garrett Mitchell has been good lately. Frelick hasn’t been, but he’s a favorite of the manager, and he was a three-WAR player last season and a Gold Glove winner the year before. Blake Perkins will be sent back to the minors as soon as Brandon Lockridge is ready to return, and if what Murphy said about Pratt is true — that they don’t want him in the big leagues unless he’s going to play regularly — then one would assume that would also be true of Lara, and he would thus not fill a soft-side platoon role in the majors. (Lara is also a switch-hitter, which complicates things; he’s better from the right side, so could conceivably do a loose platoon with Frelick.)
If Mitchell (or Jackson Chourio) gets hurt again, Lara will be up. If Frelick is still rocking a 70 OPS+ in August, then Lara will probably be up. But I think Mitchell and Frelick have earned some patience here that Rengifo has not, and this is why I’d make the Pratt move immediately and save Lara for later.
1892 – Though Baltimore fails to score after the 6th inning‚ the Orioles explode for 25 hits and swamp St. Louis, 25-4. Wilbert Robinson‚ Orioles catcher‚ goes 7 for 7‚ bats in 11 runs‚ then a major league record.
1998 – Yankee OF Tim Rainessteals the 800th base of his career in New York’s 6-2 win over the Expos. He is the fifth player in history to reach that milestone.
2023 – In only his fourth start since coming back from a serious shoulder injury that cost him the second half of last season, Kyle Hendricks takes a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Mitch Haniger hits a two-out double. Hendricks then retires the next batter and Julian Merryweather pitches the 9th inning to complete the Cubs’ 4-0 shutout win over the Giants, the first victory of the season for Hendricks.
1692 – First victim of the Salem witch trials, Bridget Bishop, is hanged after being found guilty of witchcraft in the Colony of Massachusetts.
1752 – Benjamin Franklin tests the lightning conductor with his kite-flying experiment.
1845 – Andrew Jackson‘s African Grey parrot “Poll” is removed from his funeral for swearing at The Hermitage, Tennessee. Funeral attendee William Menefee Norment records: “Before the sermon and while the crowd was gathering, a wicked parrot that was a household pet got excited and commenced swearing so loud and long as to disturb the people and had to be carried from the house”.
1898 – US Marines land in Cuba during the Spanish–American War.
1933 – Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker flip their car into a ravine. Parker suffers serious third degree burns from the accident which would affect her for the rest of her life.
1933 – John Dillinger robs his first bank, taking $10,600 from the National Bank in New Carlisle, Ohio.
1991 – Final episode of David Lynch‘s “Twin Peaks” television series airs on ABC-TV.
2003 – The Spirit Rover is launched, beginning NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover mission.
2007 – “The Sopranos” series finale on HBO (infamous “cut to black” ending).
Today in music history:
1964 –Rolling Stones record their “12×5” album at Chess Studios in Chicago, Illinois.
1966 –Janis Joplin plays her 1st live gig with Big Brother & The Holding Company, at Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, California.
1966 – The Beatles release single “Paperback Writer” / “Rain” in UK; “Rain” featured experimental studio tricks of slowed down bass and drums tracks, and backwards vocals in the fade out.
1966 – The Mamas & the Papas are awarded a gold record for “Monday, Monday”.
1972 – Elvis Presley records a live album at NYC’s Madison Square Garden.
1972 – Sammy Davis Jr.‘s cover of “The Candy Man” by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse (from the film “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”) goes to #1 on the charts – his biggest single.
1976 – 67,000 fans attends Paul McCartney & Wings concert at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington
FLUSHING, NY - SEPTEMBER 28: Mr. Met entertains fans before the game between the New York Mets and the Florida Marlins at Shea Stadium on September 28, 2008 in Flushing, New York. The Marlins defeated the Mets 4-2. (Photo by Rich Pilling/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
Syracuse initially kept pace with the Herd, but Buffalo began pulling away in the middle innings; with a good two months plus into the season, it is beginning to look more and more apparent that the tinkering the Mets have made with Jonah Tong has made him a worse pitcher than he was last season, so here’s hoping this experiment comes to an end sooner rather than later. It started raining hard in the sixth and the game was delayed, and then eventually ended early; in my mind, no question: Syracuse would’ve come from behind to take this one if given the chance and it would’ve been an epic walk-off win that would’ve been the impetus of a ten game winning streak that would’ve bumped Rochester out of first place.
Binghamton’s modest little five-game winning streak came to an end, falling in game one of the Double-A Subway Series in a laughter. Binghamton had the initial lead, scoring two runs in the top of the first on a Jose Ramirez single, but the Patriots took over in the fourth thanks to the Rumble Ponies’ own carelessness, taking the lead on a wild pitch and adding an insurance run on an error. They continued piling on and piling on, while the Binghamton bats forgot how to hit.
Jose Chirinos had a strong start, allowing three runs over six innings, allowing four hits and walking three while striking out ten, but it wasn’t good enough to avoid getting tagged as a hard luck loser. The Brooklyn bats were mostly shut down, managing only six baserunners on three singles, a double, a walk, and a hit batsman.
For six-and-two-things inning, Cam Tilly was phenomenal. Not perfect, but pretty close, walking three and striking out four while not allowing a hit. He ran into some trouble in the seventh, walking a pair of batters and was replaced by Elwis Mijares, who wiggled out of trouble, inducing a flyball and groundball to end the inning. Mijares pitched a clean eighth and ran into a little trouble himself in the ninth, but once again got out of trouble, completing the no-hitter, the second in the Florida State League this year and the ninth in all of Minor League Baseball. For St. Lucie themselves, it was the franchise’s first no-hitter, and for the Palm Beach Cardinals, it was the first time ever that they got no-hit.
· SS Elian Peña: 0-3, 3 R, BB, K, HBP, SB (19), E (11)
Where would the Yankees be without Cody Bellinger? Even before the Aaron Judge injury, Bellinger was by far the Yankees’ third-most productive and perhaps the most consistent hitter at the plate. Now with Judge on the shelf for at least another month, the Yankees rely on Bellinger’s steady approach perhaps more than ever. On top of that, it is hard to name a hitter who has provided them more clutch hits this season, Monday night’s game-winning single in the 10th inning the latest example.
We join Bellinger with one out in the 10th, the score tied at five apiece. A one-out intentional walk of Ben Rice and an ABS-assisted walk of Max Schuemann have loaded the bases, placing automatic runner Ali Sánchez on third 90 feet away from scoring the go-ahead run. Bellinger lined a single up the middle in his last AB and faces a similar look in the 10th, Shawn Armstrong like Hunter Gaddis a righty reliever who leans on his mid-90s four-seamer.
True to form, Armstrong starts Bellinger with a first-pitch four-seamer at 95.
This is an excellent pitch from Armstrong, over the plate but elevated just above the zone. It’s a pitch that’s too close to take for Bellinger, who also appears to be hunting a first-pitch fastball that he can pull for power, and he fouls it back to the screen. The swing is on time, but just a little under the pitch.
After showing Bellinger a fastball that maintains its vertical plane and gets the chase and foul he was looking for, Armstrong switches to the sinker hoping to fool Bellinger with a pitch that has almost a foot more break down and away than the four-seamer.
Instead, he sails this sinker high and wide. The pitch looks like a ball out of his hand and never looks like a strike on its path toward home, making for a straightforward take from Bellinger.
Armstrong introduces another wrinkle with the 1-1 pitch, throwing his third different fastball in the cutter. The cutter come in about four mph slower than the four-seamer or sinker, but with late diving movement down and in.
Fortunately for Bellinger, the pitcher tugs this pitch badly and he has to maneuver out of the way to avoid being hit.
Given that he exhibited very little feel for the previous sinker and cutter, Armstong shelves those two pitches and sticks with the four-seamer for the rest of the encounter. Patrick Bailey flashes a similar target to the four-seamer Armstrong successfully executed above the zone first pitch.
It’s clear this is the only pitch Armstrong can command, and he nails his target centrally located over the plate but elevated above the hitting zone. Just like with the first pitch of the AB, Bellinger is right on time but can’t lift his barrel to match the four-seamer’s elevation and nicks a foul tip for strike two.
Now we get to see Bellinger’s two-strike approach, where he shortens his swing, lets the ball travel, and stays on his back side looking to shoot a base hit to the opposite side.
Bellinger’s superpower in these situations is his elite bat-to-ball that allows him to foul off pitchers’ pitches and stay alive until a mistake is made that he can jump on. Indeed, we see how he’s somehow able to get wood on this four-seamer that handcuffs him in off the plate and almost keeps it fair down the line in right for what would have plated at least two runs.
Bellinger finally seems to have figured out the movement profile of Armstrong’s four-seamer, getting a fatter piece of the bat to the previous pitch after previously swinging underneath for a foul to the screen and a foul tip. He should have no trouble finding the barrel should Armstrong give him something to hit.
That’s just what happens, Bellinger lining this four-seamer on the outer half through the hole on the left side to plate Sánchez and Rice as the go-ahead runs. Bellinger gets exactly one pitch in the zone in this encounter, and he makes sure he doesn’t miss it, that’s what I call clutch hitting.
Bellinger has been an absolute godsend for the Yankees since re-upping over the winter, with Gold Glove defense in left field and a 138 wRC+ that places him in the top-30 qualified hitters league-wide. He put all facets of his offensive profile on display in this AB, including zone awareness, bat-to-ball skills, and two-strike hitting. The Yankees will continue to lean on the possible All-Star’s all-around contributions while awaiting Judge’s return further down the stretch.
Jun 9, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) reacts during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Batted ball luck, when going against the team you choose to root for, is the worst thing to watch. The Blue Jays had quite a bit of luck in that final frame against Jhoan Duran, but the guy was simply going to show a crack in the armor at some point.
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights by a 5-3 final score in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. With this, the Hurricanes have tied the series up at 2-2 as they head back to Raleigh for Game 5.
Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jordan Staal certainly played a role in the Hurricanes' Game 4 win. This is because the veteran center scored two goals in the contest, including the game-winner.
This was just the latest strong performance from Staal during the Stanley Cup Final. The former Penguins forward has been playing some excellent hockey for the Canes, as he has five goals in four games this series. He also has scored at least one goal in each of the Hurricanes' four games against the Golden Knights this Stanley Cup Final.
With this, there is no question that Staal is heating up at the perfect time for the Hurricanes. The 37-year-old forward now has seven goals, four assists, 11 points, and a plus-6 rating in 17 games this post-season.
It will now be interesting to see if Staal can keep this kind of play up from here. It is clear that the former Penguins forward is red-hot right now.
It’s not even officially summer and Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla is piling up the frequent flier miles in his relentless offseason quest to be near his players.
During the first week of June, Mazzulla was spotted in both Omaha, Nebraska, and Lisbon, Portugal, while supporting Baylor Scheierman and Neemias Queta, respectively. That’s roughly 4,400 air miles between the two spots — with no direct flights — and is only the start of Mazzulla’s worldwide travels aimed at nurturing relationships.
For Mazzulla, that shared time is key to getting the Celtics where they want to go next. And that wild itinerary reminded us of something poignant that president of basketball operations Brad Stevens told us right before the 2025-26 season.
“I had a guy that has been around [Mazzulla] working out — he’s been here doing individual work and small group work for a couple of weeks — and he just said, ‘That guy can say anything to me because of the amount of time he spends with me,'” Stevens said. “And I think that that speaks to — you have to build a relationship, you have to get to know people.
“You just don’t get to throw a whistle around your neck and wear a shirt that says, ‘Coach’ and just be able to coach people. You have to really learn to meet them where they are and then hopefully motivate them, or find the intrinsic motivation and motivate them to use their strengths.”
For Mazzulla, that trusts begins with trying to find out what makes a player tick and often examining the roots of their NBA journeys.
In previous summers, Al Horford marveled at Mazzulla’s willingness to trek to the Dominican Republic to help run basketball camps after Boston’s championship season. When offseason signee Chris Boucher mentioned last year that he was returning to Montreal to be baptized, Mazzulla excitedly asked if he could attend.
While the outside world tends to focus on Mazzulla’s unique personality and the odd ways he choses to motivate himself and his team, his players have bought in largely because of his old-fashioned relationship building.
“He is very unpredictable. People see all these other things. But there’s also, I feel, like the caring factor from him, and it’s a real thing,” Horford told us after Mazzulla’s Dominican visit.
“You can see that he cares about his players, he cares about you as a person, and that’s somebody that you can respect. We can rally around him, he’s genuine, and when he speaks, we listen.”
Horford suggested Mazzulla might even go to great lengths to hide that more human side.
“One of the coaches that was [in the Dominican] told Joe that he wanted him to give another session, another practice,” explained Horford. “So, the next day, we go see the president and we have our moment and everything. And then Joe kind of afterwards, we drive separately, we go our separate ways.
“And he went back to the neighborhood in the Dominican, in La Romana specifically, it’s a city there. And he went back and gave — he’s not gonna talk about this, nobody knows this — but he gave like a two-hour clinic to a bunch of kids down there.
“There were no cameras, there was no anything. And he just went down there with the people and just gave a free basketball clinic and just talked about fundamentals of the game. So, it just speaks of the type of great person and leader that he is.”
Mazzulla, who’s been known to wander off into the Costa Rican jungle on his own summer refresh, was spotted working with Scheierman on the Creighton campus, then accompanied Neemias Queta to Portugal to see two of the teams that Queta played for to start his own basketball journey.
Players like Scheierman and Queta both made big strides last season. If the Celtics are to shuffle closer to title contention next season, they might need both players to take another leap.
For Mazzulla, that process starts long before the Celtics even get back on the floor.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 25: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics and Jrue Holiday #4 of the Boston Celtics celebrates during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on May 25, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Beside the lack of anyone who could stop Joel Embiid, one of the Boston Celtics’ most glaring flaws in its first-round exit from the 2026 playoffs was its lack of an experienced, steady-handed veteran to right the ship when seas got choppy.
During the Celtics’ 2024 championship run, one of the team’s biggest strengths was the reliability and composure of its two players over the age of 30: Al Horford and Jrue Holiday.
Horford, who was 38 by the Finals, stepped up when Kristaps Porzingis went down and started 15 of 19 playoff games. His efficiency dropped from the regular season, but Big Al still put up 9.2 points, 7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 stocks over 30.3 minutes per game on 47.8% field goal shooting and 36.8% three-point shooting. All while anchoring Boston’s defense despite the fact that his lateral quickness had noticeably declined.
Beyond the averages, Horford provided a calming locker room presence and stepped up in some of the run’s biggest moments. That includes putting up a classic performance (22 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks) in the closing game of the Celtics’ second-round series against the Cavaliers and exploding in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers for 23 points on a career-high 7 three-point makes.
Indianapolis, IN – May 25: Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday and center Al Horford react towards the bench as they defeat the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Jrue Holiday, who was 33, was arguably Boston’s third most impactful player during the run. He averaged 13.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.7 stocks per game while shooting 50.3% from the floor and 40.2% from three-point range.
Despite sharing the floor with the Jays, there was a legitimate argument that Jrue deserved the ECF MVP award. He averaged 18.5 points per game while feasting on open shots created by the Celtics’ spacing, creating quality looks for himself, and playing elite, timely defense that led to a game-sealing steal in Game 3.
Boston has struggled in some high intensity moments over the Jays era, but the steady hands of Horford and Holiday brought a level of poise and dependability that took the 2023-24 team over the top.
The Celtics’ current roster simply lacks those tertiary veteran pieces. Nikola Vucevic, 35, was a bust on the court for Boston and it doesn’t look like he’ll return next year. Derrick White, 31, contributes on many levels, but it’s hard to call him steady-handed when his shot has become so unreliable.
So, who could Boston target to fill such a role? While there may not be many — or any — savvy, two-way veterans on the level of Horford or Holiday, there are a few vets the Celtics can realistically pursue this offseason who could contribute to another deep playoff run.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 20: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics is guarded by Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Chase Center on January 20, 2025 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Andrew Wiggins
The thought of acquiring Wiggins, 31, may leave a bad taste in the mouths of Celtics fans. He played a crucial role against Boston in the 2022 Finals for the Golden State Warriors, ending a magical run that eclipses even the 2024 championship run for some fans.
Nevertheless, Wiggins has continued to mature into a solid veteran who would immediately slot in as a starter on the Celtics in place of Sam Hauser, who has consistently struggled in the playoffs for Boston as defenses dial in and focus on taking away his lone offensive strength: his three-point shooting.
Wiggins has also struggled to match his regular season three-point shooting numbers over his playoff career, but his offensive versatility and defensive chops allow him to impact the game in other ways. This season for the Miami Heat, Wiggins averaged 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.1 stocks per game on 47.5% shooting from the field and 41.4% shooting from three-point range (and a whopping 48.2% from the corner).
Despite beginning his career with expectations of superstardom, the stringy Canadian has settled into more of a supporting role since joining the Warriors during the 2019-20 season. His 19.7% usage rate in 2025-26 was the lowest of his career and, while he still creates more than half of his own shots within the arc, 94.2% of his three-point makes were assisted. Between his elite efficiency on catch-and-shoot opportunities, ability to drive to the rim (6.8 drives per game) and low usage demand, he’d easily fit into Mazzulla’s offensive system without stepping on any toes.
“Two-Way Wigs,” as his Warriors teammates called him, would also provide a solid defensive presence between the Jays on the perimeter. While Wiggins has yet to replicate the 109 defensive rating he put up in 2021-22, he is a strong athlete with length and impressive lateral quickness. He is no OG Anunoby, but his addition would undoubtedly strengthen Boston’s perimeter defense.
While it may not be likely, it is possible for the Celtics to acquire Wiggins this summer. He has a $30,169,644 player option he could decline in order to seek a new deal before he turns 32. Boston only has a $15 million full mid-level exception to spend on free agents, but it can also pursue Wiggins via sign-and-trade with the Heat. That would allow his salary to be absorbed into the Celtics’ $27.7 million traded player exception created by the Anfernee Simons trade.
BOSTON, MA – DECEMBER 29: Norman Powell #24 of the LA Clippers dribbles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on December 29, 2022 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Norman Powell
Norman Powell, another member of the 2025-26 Heat, just put up what may be his best season yet — and first All-Star appearance — at the ripe age of 33.
If the Celtics decide to trade Derrick White and elevate Payton Pritchard to a starting role, the team will be in need of another bench scorer to help carry the offensive load when one or both of the Jays take a breather. That is a role Powell, a top-4 Sixth Man of the Year candidate in 2022-23 and 2023-24, would be more than equipped to excel in.
Over the 2025-26 regular season, Powell averaged 21.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game on 47% shooting from the field and 38% from three-point range despite taking on the largest offensive role of his career. He had a shaky jumper when he entered the league, but has become an elite shooter in the latter half of his 10-year career: Powell hasn’t shot below 38% on three pointers since 2017-18 (his third year in the league).
This season, Powell started 52 of 58 games played for the Heat and became one of the team’s offensive lynchpins. His 27.2% usage rate was the highest mark among all Miami’s players with at least 10 games played. As part of Erik Spoelstra’s latest offensive system, Powell learned to create off-the-dribble opportunities from the top of the key and feast on one-on-one matchups — a useful trait for a sixth man.
While he can lead an offense in need, he can also slot in as a tertiary scorer alongside the Jays. During his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, Powell operated as an elite off-ball scorer, often running around pindown and flare screens for open looks. Even in Miami, he was assisted on the vast majority of his buckets (58.1% of his made field goals and 85.9% of his three pointers).
The professional scorer would not provide the same defensive impact as Wiggins, but his adaptive offense would surely benefit the Celtics’ attack, which can stutter when shots aren’t falling. He may be easier to acquire than his teammate, too. Powell’s current contract currently expires this offseason, so Boston could sign him to the full mid-level exception — which may not be too little for a 33-year-old coming off a $20,482,758 annual salary — or pursue him via sign-and-trade.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MARCH 12: Alex Caruso #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 12, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Alex Caruso
This is more of a pie-in-the-sky idea since Caruso, 32, is entering the second season of a four-year deal and has expressed a desire to stay in Oklahoma City. Additionally, the Thunder’s front office reportedly feels the same way, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Since it would take a trade for the Celtics to acquire Caruso, that may take such a trade off the table, or at least make it prohibitively expensive for Boston.
Regardless, it’s not an impossibility. Caruso’s age is an outlier on OKC, which is on track to become a second apron team next season. As Celtics fans know, the second apron brings with it hefty restrictions and forces any team in it to make hard decisions. If it wasn’t for the second apron, Horford and Holiday (and Porzingis and Luke Kornet) might have still been playing for Boston this year. So, if the Thunder make the tough decision to part ways with Caruso in order to pay the youth, the Celtics should jump at the opportunity to add the veteran.
Caruso has won two rings, one with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and one with OKC in 2025, and was instrumental in the success of both teams. He is one of the best defensive guards in the league, who is often tasked with slowing down the opponent’s greatest offensive weapon using his 6’5” frame, tireless motor and exceptional basketball IQ. Caruso’s decent size and impressive strength make him one of the most versatile defensive guards in the league. That versatility inspired the Thunder to charge him with guarding Victor Wembanyama, who stands about a foot taller than Caruso, early on in this season’s Western Conference Finals (admittedly to mixed, if not poor, results).
Caruso is not only an elite defender, though. He is a proven playoff riser who is usually at his best when the lights are brightest. In 38 playoff games over the past two seasons in OKC, Caruso averaged 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 stocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field and 42.7% from three-point range. While he has not been used as a primary scorer, he is also capable of exploding on offense — proven by a 31-point performance in Game 1 of the WCF this year.
As he has for the young and talented Thunder, Caruso would provide the Celtics with as steady-handed a presence on the court and in the locker room as anyone could ask for.
BALTIMORE – J.P. Crawford has held the Seattle Mariners’ shortstop position for the past eight seasons and would prefer that continue, though is prepared for change.
Cole Young was selected in the first round by the Mariners in 2022 and moved quickly through the system to fill that position - until Seattle drafted a kid just down I-70 from him who turned out to be even better.
Colt Emerson is the one with certainty – in the form of an eight-year, $95 million contract, largest ever given a player before his major league debut – yet realizes unlocking his dream job long term requires soaking up the wisdom of those who came before him.
There is an undercurrent of humanity within what could be an awkward situation – three guys, one job – and it is the Mariners who are benefiting. The defending American League West champions were 23-27 after losing on May 17, the day they summoned Emerson for his major league debut.
They’ve since won 13 of 18 games, seized first place in the West and reestablished the World Series hopes that accompanied this season after they fell two innings shy of that goal in 2025.
Along the way, they’ve fully integrated two cogs of their future – Young and Emerson – into their present. Both are benefiting from Crawford, the clubhouse sage that many have described as the Mariners’ de facto captain.
“He’s an open book. And I’m really grateful for that,” Emerson, still just 20 years old, tells USA TODAY Sports. “Him showing us support and showing us the ropes and being accepting of me is everything I could ask for.
“It’s really good to have him on this team and have his support and as a teammate.”
Crawford, 31, is in the final year of a five-year, $51 million contract. Shortly after Emerson’s arrival, he professed his willingness to move to third base, taking grounders there and expressing his desire to be a “Mariner for life.”
Off-season machinations are still months away, and the club still has prized winter trade acquisition Brendan Donovan – currently on the injured list with a groin injury – under control for another season, though Donovan can play the outfield, as well.
For now, though, he’s a de facto piece of a Mariners development machine that seems to grow more impressive every year.
“It’s his ability to relate to me and to Colt as well,” says Young of Crawford. “He knows how hard it is once you get called up. All the emotions and thoughts that come with that. He does a really good job guiding us in that direction – whether it’s on- or off-field stuff.
“He’s such a good leader and I’m so thankful to have someone like that. He’s had a huge impact on me.”
Cole Young and Colt Emerson: Same road to Seattle
While Young and Emerson feature different facets to their game, their professional indoctrinations were near carbon copies.
Young was drafted 21st overall in 2022 out of Pittsburgh’s North Allegheny High School, cracked the top 100 prospect lists a year later and reached No. 37 by 2024.
He didn’t hold the title as the Mariners’ definitive shortstop of the future for very long.
Emerson was drafted 22nd overall in 2023, emerging just down the I-70 corridor from Young out of New Concord, Ohio’s John Glenn High School. He, too, was a top 100 guy by his first full pro season, reached the top 20 two years later and was a consensus top 10 guy before this season.
As projected late first-round picks, both describe a similar journey: Exhaustive two-hour interviews over Zoom with Andy McKay, then the Mariners’ assistant general manager; Young also had a meeting with the Mariners at the MLB draft combine.
The questions only had so much to do with baseball.
“Character’s a big thing,” says Emerson. “It was a two-hour meeting of asking personal questions and character questions and what would you do in this situation, and stuff like that.”
Says Young: “They take a lot of time to know you as a person. That’s the most important thing in this game – being a good person and a good teammate goes such a long way. They really care about you as an individual and that helps you a lot as a player.”
Young’s team-first mentality would undergo a test of sorts as Emerson rumbled through the system, needing just 40 games to graduate low A ball as an 18-year-old in 2024 and vaulting two levels to finish at Class AAA Tacoma last year, posting an .842 OPS and 16 homers at the three levels.
Young was already on the varsity, making his Seattle debut May 31, playing in 77 games and sitting wide-eyed in the dugout, though not on the roster, for the Mariners’ two wild playoff series against Detroit (a five-game ALDS conquest) and Toronto (a gutting seven-game ALCS defeat).
Yet it was hard to ignore the freight train behind him in the minors. And Young hadn’t conceived that there’d be room for both he and Emerson someday.
“For me, it was just like, I’m going to try my hardest and whatever happens, happens. I’m going to come to the field every day and put in the work,” says Young. “I never imagined we’d play together – when he got drafted I was like oh, that’s cool, he’s from pretty close to me. That’s awesome.
“But I just worked really hard and once I got to know him it was like, ‘I want to play with him. I think it’d be fun.’”
Jorge Polanco’s free agent departure opened up second base for Young; he’s played in every game this season, producing a respectable 2.2 WAR in 67 games, with four homers and a .675 OPS just shy of league average.
When Donovan hit the IL in mid-May, there was a lane to third base for Emerson, who at 6 feet, 195 pounds possesses greater power potential than Young and began the season polishing his skills at Class AAA even after signing his $95 million guarantee.
Big league pitching has not daunted Emerson: He’s hit four homers in just 19 games, with an .867 OPS.
And suddenly the three shortstops comprised almost the entire infield – Emerson at third, Crawford at short, Young at second.
Funny how things work out: After Crawford was hit in the hand by a pitch June 5 in Detroit, he was placed on the IL three days later with a contusion and Emerson was penciled in at shortstop. Yet shortly before their June 8 game against the Orioles at Camden Yards, Emerson’s back spasmed.
And there was Young, making his first career start at shortstop.
“He said it’s kind of like riding a bike,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said of Young making his first start at short since AAA ball. “It’s great to have that flexibility from him.”
Young believes it’s simply embracing the ethos that percolates through the organization.
“Everyone just wants you to grow,” he says. “As a person and a player.”
Fantastic voyage
Nowadays, that growth seems to happen at warp speed for elite players.
Emerson’s shadow in the latter portion of his amateur career was Kevin McGonigle, now an American League Rookie of the Year candidate for the Detroit Tigers. They were travel adversaries – Emerson on Team Elite, McGonigle, from neighboring Pennsylvania – for the Canes National team – and eventually Team USA teammates who won an 18U World Cup title in 2022.
Since then, they’ve traded milestones.
Emerson was picked 22nd overall by the Mariners in 2023, while McGonigle went 37th overall to Detroit. Emerson got his $95 million guarantee March 31 – but McGonigle debuted on the Opening Day roster, and then signed a nine-year, $150 million contract.
He’s also probably headed to the All-Star Game, raising a floor Emerson’s accustomed to reaching.
“That draft class was really good. A lot of great people. I don’t know any different,” says Emerson of the Class of ’23. “I think iron sharpens iron. Having those guys around, ultimately playing with them and seeing them go about their business, taking tips from them makes an impact.”
Emerson and McGonigle crossed paths last weekend when the Mariners played in Detroit; the two hung out before a game and no, there was no discussion of who’d pick up the check.
Detroit and Seattle squared off in last year’s ALDS. The titillating five-game set – Seattle prevailed in the winner-take-all Game 5 in 15 innings – and the seven-game setback that followed in Toronto unlocked a level of baseball that Young, watching from the dugout, could not fathom.
“It made me see, there’s so much to this game that I didn’t realize,” he says. “The atmosphere of those games – it’s what you play for. It’s why you work so hard.
“To play in that atmosphere. To play to win a World Series. And also, made us realize, hey, we can play in the World Series. We’re a really good team.
“Having that vision every single day is so important.”
Wilson, in his second full season as Mariners manager, presides over a 36-32 club. He appreciates that today’s young player seems uber-prepared, both due to their amateur pedigree and the good work of the Mariners’ player development arm, among other factors.
“It’s also a huge credit to those guys in the clubhouse,” says Wilson. “I know all the veterans have taken both those guys under their wing some and those guys pouring into them oftentimes makes a huge difference.
“It’s a tremendous effort on everybody’s part, but the end product is those guys come here and are able to settle in quickly and become pretty polished.”
There’s still nearly 100 games for Emerson to acclimate. He anticipates the rest of the journey to be similarly smooth.
“I feel like that’s why we have a lot of success - we ride for each other,” says Emerson.
The Hens scored early and didn’t stop all night as they beat down the Twins’ affiliate on Tuesday.
They got going right out of the gate. Max Clark drew a leadoff walk in the first, Hao-Yu Lee, who has impressively taken the demotion and gone down and mashed for Toledo, singled, and Gage Workman blasted a three-run homer. Easy game.
Gage Workman crushes a 3-run bomb 444 feet to center to put the Mud Hens up early. pic.twitter.com/yy9qfwFa0V
Lefty Lael Lockhart Jr. got the start, and he was reasonably solid, leaking single runs in the third and fourth innings.
In the bottom of the fourth with a 3-2 lead, Ben Malgeri got the Hens going again with a leadoff double. Max Anderson singled in the run, then scored on an Eduardo Valencia double. Jace Jung lined out, but Corey Julks pulled a drive to left center field for a two-run homer. 7-2 Hens.
In the sixth, Trei Cruz smoked a 107 mph drive for a double, and Jung singled him in to make it 8-2. Nick Sandlin gave up a two-run homer in the seventh, but the Hens came back for four more in the bottom half. Anderson walked, Cruz and Valencia singled, and Jace Jung launched a grand slam the opposite way to really blow this one open.
Kenny Serwa threw a good game, and Brett Callahan and Izaac Pacheco continued their reign of terror with the long ball in a convincing victory at UPMC Park on Tuesday.
Seth Stephenson started the SeaWolves off right with a leadoff bunt single in the bottom of the first, and an errant throw on the play let him reach second. John Peck drew a walk from Ducks’ starter Josh Hartle, and an error on a Callahan ground ball allowed Stephenson to score. A wild pitch then scored Peck as well, and Thayron Liranzo drew a walk. An Andrew Jenkins scored Callahan to make it 3-0 SeaWolves after one.
In the bottom of the second, Stephenson led off again with a single. Peck flew out, but Callahan smoked a ball to deep center for a double. Justice Bigbie doubled in both runners to make it 5-0.
Serwa allowed a run in the third, and one in the sixth, but two runs over six innings of work will do everytime.
E.J. Exposito hit a solo shot in the third. In the fifth, Jenkins led off with a walk and Pacheco drilled a hot grounder for a single. Bennett Lee, back in Erie after a brief detour to West Michigan to catch Tarik Skubal over the weekend, drew a walk to load the bases. They only got one run, as Stephenson grounded out and Peck flew out to center.
Pacheco blasted his 10th homer to leadoff the bottom of the seventh.
Izaac Pacheco’s power surge continues with this monstrous oppo blast. It’s his 10th home run of the year, and his 6th in the last 7 games. pic.twitter.com/wU0nXM3lfr
In the eighth, Peck singled, and Callahan launched his 10th long ball to right to make it a 10-2 game. That’s three homers in fourth games for the outfielder, and his OPS is now pushing .900. Pacheco has six homers in his last seven games, and while he continues to strike out too much to get real excited about him, he is giving some signs of a breakout at 23 years old.
Brett Callahan yanks a 2-run homer over the wall in right. It’s his 10th home run of the season, and Erie’s 10th run of the game. @ZachSurdenik calls it. pic.twitter.com/chcac08VKX
If you’re curious about Erie reliever Moises Rodriguez, here’s his outing from Sunday, in which his fastball was clocked up to 102 MPH. pic.twitter.com/OHLWoRt87W
Lake County Captains 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 2 (box)
Andrew Sears gave the Whitecaps a pretty good outing and looks ready to head back home to Erie, while the bats just stranded too many runners in this one.
Sears allowed a run in the second, but he also struck out six over three innings of work.
Luke Shliger tied the game in the third with a leadoff solo shot. In the fifth, Junior Tilien singled with two outs, and Woody Hadeen doubled him in to make it 2-1.
Beyond that the ‘Caps just couldn’t cash in their chances. Because of Sears rehab start, Hayden Minton, who struck out 10 in his last start, didn’t enter this one on his normal start day until the fifth. He started off strong, but got a little wild, allowing a run in the seventh and a two-run shot in the eighth, and the ‘Caps couldn’t answer back. They are tracking to get healthier with Nolan McCarthy, Stephen Hrustich, and now Patrick Lee all rehabbing in the FCL.
Shliger: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, BB, K
Rainer: 1-3, 2B, BB, K
Tilien: 3-4, R
Sears: 3.0 IP, ER, 5 H, BB, 6 K
Minton (L, 2-4): 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s an 11:05 a.m. ET start on Wednesday.
Casey Mize’s rehab start went off without a hitch. Assuming he recovers normally with no more issues with the adductor strain, he may be ready to go. The bullpen leaked a few runs, but the offense finally showed up in a big way in the seventh and eighth innings for a come from behind victory.
Mize threw 36 of 55 pitches for strikes over five innings of work. He allowed a solo home run to Nathan Humphreys and wasn’t that sharp, but this is mostly about handling and recovering from the workload. He struck out five and walked one on the outing.
Lefty Grayson Grinsell’s start was pushed back to accomodate Mize, and it went poorly for him when he took over in the sixth. He allowed four runs over three innings of work.
Meanwhile, the Flying Tigers wasn’t doing much, squandering a few chances and hitting a few hard-hit at’em balls. Finally in the seventh they broke through when Nick Dumesnil led off with a walk, and Jesus Pinto singled to right field. The duo pulled off a double steal, and Carson Rucker got them on the board with a sacrifice fly. That made it 2-1 Clearwater, before Grinsell gave up two more in the bottom half.
In the eighth, the Flying Tigers took over. Jude Warwick led off with a single, and Jordan Yost lined a double to center field. Beau Ankeney singled in Warwick, and Edian Espinal remained hot, singling in Yost. Two batters later, Carson Rucker mashed a three-run shot to left that made it 6-4 Lakeland.
Carson Rucker with an absolute bomb of a 3-run homer to left center to out Lakeland up 6-4. Left his bat at 110.2 MPH and went 458 feet. 👀💣 pic.twitter.com/hhC8OMuTEv
An automatic double from Zach MacDonald followed, and Hunter Dobbins doubled him in to make it 7-4.
Grinsell allowed a run in the eighth, but Jose Guzman spun a 1-2-3 ninth inning, punching out Humphreys to earn his second save.
Espinal: 2-5, R, RBI, K
Rucker: 1-2, R, 4 RBI, HR, BB, K
MacDonald: 1-3, R, 2B, BB, 2 K
Mize: 5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 5 K
Grinsell (W, 4-2): 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Wednesday. There was one unfortunate bit of new over the weekend, as Kelvis Salcedo returned to the injured list. The right-hander is one of the Tigers top arms on the farm, but his last outing saw his velocity dip before he was pulled from the game. Probably not a good sign.
Jhonan Coba was a little wild for the first time this season, but the bats were hot as a rehabbing Nolan McCarthy and Maikol Orozco both went yard in this one. Cris Rodriguez chipped in with a pair of hits, while Steven Madero and a rehabbing Patrick Lee each doubled.
Johnathan Rogers, a 2023 prep pick of the Tigers who left the org last year only to recently re-sign with the club, gave up a run in 1.2 IP, walking two and striking out two. The one downer was that shortstop prospect Angel de los Santos was hit in the head by a pitch and had to leave the game. Hopefully that was just precautionary.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 5-2 vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs
SS George Lombard Jr. 1-4, RBI, K, SF RF Jasson Domínguez 3-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI, SB — excellent rehab appearance, and his first look at right field, where he could play with Aaron Judge out (only ball hit to him was a routine fly in the sunny second); the homer came on his typically weaker right-hitting swing 1B Seth Brown 0-0, BB 2B Marco Luciano 0-3, BB, 2 K, GIDP CF Duke Ellis 0-1 LF Oswaldo Cabrera 2-4, 2 K — very feast-or-famine day for Scranton hitters, as they had just two hits outside of Jasson, Waldo, and Ornelas DH Yanquiel Fernández 0-4, K, CS 1B-3B Tyler Hardman 0-3, BB, K 3B-2B Jonathan Ornelas 4-4, 4 2B, RBI — double, double, toil and trouble CF-RF Kenedy Corona 1-4, 2 K, SB C Abrahan Gutierrez 0-2, BB PH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-1, K C Miguel Palma 0-0
Elmer Rodríguez 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 4 K (win) — pitched into seventh, lowered Triple-A ERA to 2.74; sinker and fastball both averaged just over 95 mph Carlos Lagrange 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K — second relief appearance since shift to bullpen, pretty good; averaged 100.6 mph on the fastball, though his slider and changeup generated more whiffs
Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 10-2 vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies — Bartolo apparently threw the first pitch because lol why not
LF Jackson Castillo 2-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 K — socked a pair of late homers to help turn this into a laugher RF Garrett Martin 0-3, 2 BB, K 1B Nicholas Torres 2-4, 2B, RBI CF DJ Gladney 1-4, K, GIDP 3B Coby Morales 1-3, 2B, BB, K C Manuel Palencia 2-4, 2B, RBI — tied game with his double in the fourth 2B Connor McGinnis 1-4, RBI, SB SS Owen Cobb 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB DH Cole Gabrielson 0-4, 3 K
Trent Sellers 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 6 K (win) Michael Arias 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K Chris Kean 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K — very effective relief from the Somerset bullpen, but especially Kean Tony Rossi 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Action Jackson HAMMERS his second homer of the night! 💪
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:W, 5-0 vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws — Renegades pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout
3B Kaeden Kent 0-5, throwing error SS Core Jackson 1-4, 2B, SB 1B Kyle West 1-4, HR, RBI, 2 K — eighth homer of 2026 doubled lead to 2-0 in the fifth and went off the batter’s eye DH Eric Genther 1-3, BB LF Wilson Rodriguez 1-4, HR, RBI, K — like West, belted a solo shot; his dinger made it 3-0 2B Roderick Arias 2-4, 2B, SB — both he and Jackson are exactly 15-for-20 in steals C Josue Gonzalez 2-4, RBI, SB, picked off CF Camden Troyer 0-3, BB, 2 K RF Luis Durango 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, fielding error — plated final two runs with double in the eighth
Bryce Cunningham 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (win) — rebounded from some rough outings with his best start thus far Andrew Landry 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K — struck out all three hitters he faced Hansel Rincon 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K — and so did he! Wilmy Sanchez 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3B Jackson Lovich 3-5 — three singles and a 105.6-mph lineout SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-5, RBI RF Logan Maxwell 1-4, BB, RBI, GIDP LF Luis Puello 1-4, BB, K CF Willy Montero 1-4, 2B, BB, 3 RBI, 2 K — hit bases-clearing double to give Tampa 3-0 lead in first DH Ediel Rivera 2-4, 2B C David McCann 0-3, RBI, SF, GIDP, passed ball C Engelth Urena 0-0 1B Austin Green 0-3, BB, K 2B Luis Escudero 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, throwing error
Justin West 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 5 K Greysen Carter 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (win) — 2024 fifth-rounder converted to bullpen this year averaged 97.7 mph on the fastball, with three over 100 and peaking at 101.2 Matthew Tippie 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, HR Parker Seay 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, HBP, balk Pedro Rodriguez 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Jackson Lovich collects his 3rd hit of the day; his 3rd single shoots through the left side
100.7 mph off the bat🔥
1st multi-hit effort of the month for Lovich (had 8 multi-hit efforts in May) pic.twitter.com/Bc6MDGEJOh
Florida Complex League Yankees: W, 6-5 vs. FCL Phillies — a 5-1 lead in the eighth vanished over the final couple frames with five unearned runs, oops
1B Richard Matic 2-4, 2B, BB, missed catch error — the E3 began the Phils’ game-winning rally RF Wilberson De Pena 1-5, 2B, RBI, outfield assist DH Queni Pineda 2-5, 2 K 3B Leni Done 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, SB, CS, throwing error — good day at the plate CF Jose Castro 1-1, 2B, 2 BB, RBI, SB, CS CF Isael Arias 0-2, K SS Dexters Peralta 0-3, 2 K, HBP, throwing and fielding errors — painful, and his E6 kept the eighth alive for two unearned runs LF Estivenzon Montero 1-3, HR, BB, RBI — first homer of 2026 C Justin Capellan 1-4, K 2B Christofer Reyes 1-4, picked off
Blake Gillespie 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 5 K, balk Brian Arias 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, HBP Danny Flatt 1.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 3 K Edinzo Marquez 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 0 K (loss) — allowed bases-clearing triple in the ninth to put Phils ahead
Dominican Summer League Yankees:L, 10-14 at DSL Twins
CF Isaias Castillo 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, RBI, K, SB — double cut into Twins’ lead during late ninth-inning rally DH Stiven Marinez 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K, SB RF Yostin Pena 1-3, 3B, 2 BB, outfield assist 2B Juan Torres 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, K, SF, CS — double gave Yanks a quick 3-0 lead in the first LF Eliezer Adames 1-3, 2 BB, SB, CS SS Abrahan Pichardo 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, RBI, 2 K, SB, fielding error C Cesar Lopez 0-1, K, HBP — departed mid-inning in the bottom of the fifth, seems like an injury (HBP was a couple innings prior) 1B Jose Peralta 0-1, BB, K, throwing error 1B-C Edgar Jimenez 0-4, RBI, GIDP, missed catch error 3B Emmanuel Orozco 0-2, 2 BB, RBI, K, SB — Yanks scored two to take a 7-6 lead in the sixth on two walks, a wild pitch, and two groundouts
Dalvin Taveras 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 3 K, 3 HBP, 2 WP, balk — pro debut for 2026 IFA signee, welcome to DSL pitching Sebastian Rivas 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, balk — pro debut for 2026 IFA signee, lost 4-1 lead Varis Villarreal 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 2 WP Brandon Rodriguez 1.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R (6 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, HBP, 2 WP, 2 balks (loss) — fascinating 29.70 ERA through first two games; the DSL Yanks were good yesterday but the five-run sixth was too much Jose Vargas 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K
Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 1-8 (7) vs. DSL Marlins — blanked on two hits
DH Dariel Santana 0-3, K, GIDP SS Mani Cedeno 0-3, fielding error 2B Carlos Bello 0-3, K 1B David Carrera 1-2, BB, K, SB, CS, throwing error — the lone hit aside from Pinto’s dinger 3B Germayhoni Beltre 0-3, K C Jesus Guerrero 0-2, K, pickoff error RF Sebastian Pinto 1-2, HR, RBI, K — first career pro homer for 2026 IFA signee, only Bombers offense LF Eddison Charles 0-2, 2 K, fielding error — tough day CF Alfiery Matos 0-2
Junior Tavera 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, HBP, WP (loss) Andre Avila 2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K Josue Silvestre 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Assuredly, the New York Knicks will respond with vigor after their first loss since April, but the San Antonio Spurs have their own adjustments to make.
My Spurs vs. Knicks props and NBA picks lean into a few playing-time adjustments for Game 4 on Wednesday, June 10.
Best Spurs vs Knicks props for Game 4
Player
Pick
Dylan Harper
Over 3.5 assists
+120
Karl-Anthony Towns
Over 1.5 threes
+160
Mikal Bridges
Over 12.5 points
+100
Game 4 Prop #1: Dylan Harper Over 3.5 assists
This may sound bold, but the San Antonio Spurs need to play rookie Dylan Harper more and star guard Stephon Castle and/or veteran De’Aaron Fox a little bit less. Play Castle and Fox plenty still, but Harper has been the best ballhandler for the Spurs in this series, while Castle and Fox have been loose with the ball and at times played with less of a plan and more pure aggression.
Harper has remained in control and is very much a mismatch for even the New York Knicks.
He dished out four assists in Game 3 despite lagging in minutes behind those two, nearly five minutes behind Fox and six behind Castle. More time watching the film should lead the San Antonio coaching staff to the same conclusion. Putting the ball in Harper’s hands more often will only help the Spurs.
Game 4 Prop #2: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 1.5 threes
Expect the Knicks coaching staff to lay into Karl-Anthony Towns a bit after Game 3. Not in a way of tearing him down, but in a way of encouraging him to be more liberal with his shots.
Towns simply cannot go the first three quarters without taking a 3-pointer, as he did in Game 3. While his drives helped dictate the first two games of this series, it is his shooting that turns Towns from a strong offensive piece to a walking mismatch.
And yet, he took only six total shots in the first three quarters on Monday, and none of them were 3-pointers.
Towns has hit 46.3% of his threes this postseason. At the risk of overcorrecting from his reluctance on Monday, New York should encourage him to heave at least once per quarter in Game 4.
Game 4 Prop #3: Mikal Bridges Over 12.5 points
Of New York’s six players to see at least 15 minutes of action in Game 3, only two had positive integers in the plus/minus column of the box score: Towns (+11 in 38 minutes) and Mikal Bridges (+6). Yet, of the Knicks’ starters, only Bridges played fewer than 35 minutes, falling short of 29 minutes.
It was only one game, but it seems worth noting that Landry Shamet played 23 minutes off the bench and posted the worst plus/minus of those six players, logging an ugly -20.
Not to be too blunt, but hey, Mike Brown, perhaps play Bridges more.
His 1-of-5 shooting was ugly and, frankly, not aggressive enough. That needs to be the adjustment included within this adjustment. But a look at Monday’s tape makes it clear: Mikal Bridges helps the Knicks win.
After all, he cleared this prop in five of his previous six games and in nine of New York’s 13 straight wins.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 01: Craig Porter Jr. #9 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on March 01, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Craig Porter Jr. hoped to take the next step forward as a consistent rotational player for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. How close did he get?
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Regular Season Stats
4.5 points
3.4 rebounds
3.2 assists
45% FG
35% 3PT FG
60% FT
Cleveland leaned on Porter during the first half of the season when injuries decimated their roster. He quickly made himself useful as an energizer off the bench who could pass, dribble, and defend. His improvements on the defensive side of the floor were especially helpful.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson challenged Porter before the season to get into the best shape of his life. Increased stamina and endurance became the priority. Porter aced those tests, accepting the challenge and entering the season in better shape than ever.
This helped turn Porter from a liability on defense into someone who could actually make an impact. Darting into passing lanes and picking pockets are examples of this. Porter finished this season with career-highs in block and steal percentage.
Coaches love when players heed their advice. Porter was rewarded for his hard work with more minutes this season (1,148) than in his first two combined (1,162). Injuries, of course, also helped open the door for Porter to play more often.
On offense, Porter’s experience is making him a more polished playmaker. He dished 205 assists to just 59 turnovers, placing in the 97th percentile for assist-to-usage ratio. Porter also made an impact on the offensive glass, ranking fifth on the roster in offensive rebounds behind only Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson and Nae’Qwan Tomlin.
Still, some things will always work against Porter.
He’s an undersized point guard who isn’t impactful without the ball on offense. That’s because he’s a limited shooter who doesn’t feel confident in his outside shot. He took just 1.5 three-pointers per game, ranking in the 27th percentile for three-point volume relative to his position. He won’t be able to co-exist with Donovan Mitchell or James Harden until he can reliably space the floor.
Furthermore, positional versatility is king in today’s NBA. Porter might have multiple skills, but he lacks the size to truly maximize any of them. His defense, for example, can only be so impactful when he isn’t capable of switching onto bigger opponents.
I’d rate this season as a partial success for Porter. He should be proud of improving physically and taking a step forward on defense. He’ll need to continue working on his jumper, but he can find solace in knowing that his mechanics are not totally broken. He’s got a fine enough shot to believe that marginal improvements are possible for him.
Moving up from his current place in the rotation will be a challenge. But there are worse things than being a third-string guard in the NBA.
Dylan Harper
Karl-Anthony Towns