LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers added to their outfield depth by acquiring Alek Thomas in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
Thomas was batting just .181 with two homers and 10 RBIs when he was designated for assignment by Arizona last week. But the speedy Thomas is a solid defender, and he could be used by Los Angeles as a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch runner.
The Dodgers sent outfield prospect Jose Requena to the Diamondbacks. To make room for Thomas on the 40-man roster, outfielder Michael Siani was designated for assignment.
Thomas was selected by Arizona in the second round of the 2018 amateur draft. He made his major league debut in 2022.
Thomas had his share of big moments with the Diamondbacks, particularly during the team’s run to the 2023 World Series. He hit four homers during the postseason, including a tying two-run shot against the Phillies in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series.
The 26-year-old Thomas is a .230 hitter with 31 homers, 143 RBIs and 28 steals in 448 career games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins should be looking to add to their roster this off-season after taking a nice step in the right direction during the 2025-26 season. One of their top needs is more defensive depth.
When looking at this year's pending unrestricted free agents, one player who the Penguins should consider making a push for is Buffalo Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley.
If the Penguins signed Stanley, they would be bringing in a hard-nosed, 6-foot-7 defenseman who showed this season that he is capable of providing some offense from the point. In 76 games this regular-season split between the Winnipeg Jets and Sabres, he had nine goals, 17 assists, 26 points, 110 hits, and 128 penalty minutes. With numbers like these, he would have the potential to be a solid pickup for the Penguins.
Stanley's age also adds to his appeal. This is because the 2016 first-round pick is turning only 28 later this month. With this, Stanley is right in his prime and would be a strong fit on a team that is focused on the future, like the Penguins.
If the Penguins signed Stanley, he would be a strong fit on their bottom pairing and on their penalty kill. However, he could move up Pittsburgh's lineup if needed due to his versatility.
It will be interesting to see if the Penguins sign Stanley, but the fit looks strong on paper.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 11: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball against Caris LeVert #8 of the Detroit Pistons during the third quarter in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Rocket Arena on May 11, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s been pointed out to me that you wild and crazy kids are using the MMB Lounge thread to also talk playoffs and perhaps we should have a distinct discussion post for that.
I couldn’t agree more.
So here we are. The Oklahoma City Thunder have advanced as of this writing, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0. The San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves are tied 2-2. The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers are deadlocked at 2-2 as well. The Knicks swept the 76ers 4-0 in their match up.
I have no preference who wins either open series. I think the Spurs playing the Thunder would be better basketball, but also think the Spurs losing to the Wolves is funny. The East is ugly but if I had to choose a winner to advance, I’d go Pistons.
I am curious to read what you all have learned about how this season of basketball has played out and what Dallas needs to do next to get back into playoff contention.
His NBA career began as the No. 21 overall pick in 2019 out of Gonzaga. Clarke proved to be a strong rotation piece for the Grizzlies in his first three seasons until a series of injuries limited his on-court contributions.
Brandon Clarke #15 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 17, 2025 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NBAE via Getty Images
In October 2022, he inked a four-year, $52 million contract extension with Memphis, but his season ended early due to a torn left Achilles in March 2023.
That injury and a lengthy recovery process kept Clarke to just six games during the 2023-24 season.
In the following season, he played 64 games before sustaining a high-grade PCL injury in his right knee.
Brandon Clarke #15 of the Memphis Grizzlies drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 17, 2025 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NBAE via Getty Images
As a result, Clarke missed the start of the 2025-26 season and returned for two games in December before a right calf injury put him on the shelf again.
“Just keep playing basketball,” Clarke said in December of his plans after coming back from his knee injury. “I’m kind of used to just expecting nothing else. I can jump higher than I did last year, according to the trainers. I’m feeling good. Just keep working and everything is going to come together nicely.”
Memphis announced on March 24 that the Vancouver native would not return for the remainder of the season.
He was facing charges of trafficking a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing in a vehicle exceeding the speed limit and improper passing.
Per TMZ, the case was still open before his death on Monday.
Brandon Clarke #15 of the Memphis Grizzlies dives for a loose ball during the game against the Houston Rockets on January 30, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images
“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Brandon Clarke,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement on Tuesday. “As one of the longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved teammate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Brandon’s family, friends and the Grizzlies organization.”
TORONTO, ON - MAY 11: Agent 00 delivers the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Monday, May 11, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Peter Sarellas/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
There isn’t much for news today.
Jake Bloss pitched for the first time this year, after UCL surgery a year ago. He threw 2.1 innings, with four strikeouts. He allowed 2 hits, with no walks and no runs, pitching in the FCL. We could use him now, but it will be late June before he’ll be an option for the Blue Jays.
It looks like Max Scherzer would be the first of the injured pitchers, he had cortisone injections, one in his thumb yesterday, so he won’t be throwing for a few days. And Shane Bieber is to throw a bullpen session today. It will be June before he can help the Jays. José Berríos is meeting with a doctor about the changes in his latest MRI.
The Jays have an off-day Thursday, so they won’t need a fifth starter until May 19th. I thought Spencer Miles did a great job, the other day, I’d lean to seeing if he can be stretched out beyond three innings.
Today’s lineup against the lefty. Andrés Giménez gets the day off despite the two home runs yesterday. Giménez doesn’t hit lefties well and has been nursing an sore hamstring. I got an email saying Andrés had the best day at the plate of any MLB player yesterday.
Sooner or later some of the other guys are going to have to start hitting.
Lakers coach JJ Redick talks with LeBron James along the sideline during Game 4 against the Thunder on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
There was a moment when the Lakers were humming along near the end of the NBA's regular season, when they went 16-2 in the month of March as Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James found their groove together as a dynamic threesome.
But on April 2 at Oklahoma City, Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain) went down with injuries and it was left to James to lead the group.
James did, leading the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Reaves joined James in Game 5 of that series and the two of them led the charge into the Western Conference semifinals against the Thunder, a series in which Los Angeles got swept, 4-0.
Through it all, Doncic was and still is the center of the Lakers’ universe.
So with James and Reaves looking at free agency, Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said Tuesday at the team’s exit interviews that the organization wants both players back to team up with Doncic.
James, 41 and in his 23rd season, made $52.6 million last season but will be a free agent this offseason, when he can retire, return to the Lakers or play for another team.
“I think in terms of LeBron, we probably haven't seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he's honored the game. He's given so much to his teammates, to this organization,” Pelinka said. “And the thing we want to do more than anything else is honor him back. And I think the first order of business there is allowing him to spend the time he needs to decide what his next steps are.
"Does he want to play another year in the NBA? And that'll be, as he said to you guys last night, family time [and] I think time with his inner circle. And we just want to honor that for him. Of course, any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster. That's a blessing in itself just with what he does.”
Reaves is expected to opt out of his contract that will pay him $14.8 million next season and become a free agent. The Lakers can pay Reaves the most, a maximum deal of $241 million over five years, with a starting salary of about $41.5 million next season. Reaves could sign with another team that has cap space, but that deal would be for four years and about $178 million.
"He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said. “And we feel the same way. We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold. As you know, there's rules and timing to all of that, but I think both sides have made it abundantly clear that we want to work something out where he continues his prolific career here."
The Lakers have their star in Doncic and will collaborate with him going forward.
He led the NBA in scoring (33.5 points per game), was third in assists (8.3) and was a most valuable player candidate.
Doncic, who missed the last five regular-season games and all of the playoffs, signed a three-year extension last summer for $165 million.
The Lakers want to build on that.
“He's an incredible partner,” Pelinka said of Doncic. “His basketball IQ on the court is something we get to see as fans. [Lakers coach] JJ [Redick]) and I get to see his basketball knowledge in terms of other players in the league and the way he wants to play and who he wants to play with.
"His knowledge-base is vast and so those collaborations with him are really inspirational. He also does it in a way that he wants to do his job great, and he wants to let JJ do his job great and let me do my job great. So, they really are productive conversations through that lens.”
Several notable players, including former UConn star Tarris Reed Jr., will participate in the 2026 NBA Draft Combine five-on-five scrimmages.
While these scrimmages do not include big stars or players projected to hear their name called at the top of the draft next month at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, there is typically first-round talent broadcast on national TV for fans to watch and for front offices to evaluate.
The most interesting players are often the ones who declared as early entry candidates because if they perform well, they can skyrocket on draft boards (like Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams did in 2022) or return to college and make more money in the modern NIL era.
Here’s how the NBA draft combine scrimmage pool breaks down entering this week based on consensus rankings across major draft boards.
Early entry candidates with collegiate eligibility remaining
These players have the most on the line because they will use feedback to determine whether they return to school or stay in the draft. Kentucky big man Malachi Moreno, who is also an early entry candidate, was originally included on scrimmage rosters but opted not to participate.
Potential first round picks
Cameron Carr (Baylor)
Dailyn Swain (Texas)
Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt)
Potential early-to-mid second round picks
Rueben Chinyelu (Florida)
Flory Bidunga (Kansas → Louisville)
Billy Richmond III (Arkansas)
Potential mid-to-late second round picks
Matthew Able (NC State → North Carolina)
Jeremy Fears Jr. (Michigan State)
John Blackwell (Wisconsin → Duke)
Jacob Cofie (USC)
Players who could play their way into guaranteed long-term deals
These players are ranked relatively near the first-round cutoff and can potentially move up with especially strong showings during scrimmage reps. They fall between No. 30 and No. 50 on the consensus rankings. Guaranteed contracts are signed if a player is picked in the first round and sometimes negotiated for early second-round picks, too.
Tarris Reed Jr. (UConn)
Ryan Conwell (Louisville)
Braden Smith (Purdue)
Trevon Brazile (Arkansas)
Jaden Bradley (Arizona)
Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia)
Baba Miller (Cincinnati)
Izaiyah Nelson (South Florida)
Notable second-round prospects to watch closely
These players have shown occasional NBA traits and are being evaluated on whether they can translate into consistent roles. They fall between No. 50 and No. 65 on the consensus rankings.
Otega Oweh (Kentucky)
Bruce Thornton (Ohio State)
Emanuel Sharp (Houston)
Ja'Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee)
Keyshawn Hall (Auburn)
Milos Uzan (Houston)
Maliq Brown (Duke)
Rafael Castro (George Washington)
Dillon Mitchell (Texas)
Tyler Nickel (Vanderbilt)
Under-the-radar names to know
These players are currently outside most consensus rankings but earned combine invites and could raise their profiles this week. These players rank beyond No. 65 on consensus rankings.
Nick Martinelli (Northwestern)
Tobi Lawal (Virginia Tech)
Kylan Boswell (Illinois)
Felix Okpara (Tennessee)
Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue)
Peter Suder (Miami Ohio)
Bryce Hopkins (St. John's)
Nick Boyd (Wisconsin)
Aaron Nkrumah (Tennessee State)
How to watch the NBA Draft Combine scrimmages
The 2026 NBA Draft Combine scrimmages are on Wednesday, May 13, at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and on Thursday, May 14, at 2 p.m. ET on NBA TV.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 14: Shotaro Morii #18 of the Athletics bats during the eighth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the San Diego Padres at Peoria Stadium on March 14, 2025 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The biggest name in baseball right now is Shohei Ohtani, the two-way star for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But could the next big name in baseball be a three-way player?
Shotaro Morii is hoping to be that next big name, and the young prospect embarks on his journey tonight with the Athletics’ Single-A affiliate in Stockton. But what makes Morii different is the fact that he’ll be pitching, hitting, and playing the field for the Stockton Ports.
Morii signed with the Athletics in January of 2025, signing at age 18 for just over $1.5 million. That was the largest bonus ever for a Japanese amateur player outside of Nippon Professional Baseball.
The plan for Morii is to appear in three or four games each week as a hitter, either as the designated hitter or as Stockton’s second baseman. Then on Thursdays, Morii will take to the mound, starting with one inning of work and slowly building up to three innings per appearance.
In addition, the Ports plan for Morii to rest on Fridays, and throw bullpen sessions on Saturday.
“He is attempting to do something that is very difficult,” A’s farm director Ed Sprague said. “His offensive game is ahead of his pitching, but he has a great arm and is committed to doing both. I think he could have stayed at shortstop for a while if he just played on one side of the ball, but we both felt like second base would lessen the workload.”
Morii appeared in 43 games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League last season, where he slashed .258/.399/.384 with three home runs. This year in four games in the ACL Morii slashed .308/.385/.742.
He also made one appearance as a pitcher in the ACL this year, facing four batters and striking out two while allowing just one hit.
Here’s Morii from last summer in the ACL, showing quick hands through the zone at the plate:
Here’s a base hit from Shotaro Morii last summer in the Arizona Complex League 🎥⬇️
“He has been hampered with some minor injuries to start his career, so we will take it slow as he progresses to pitching and playing a position in the pro game,” Sprague said. “We are excited to see him get out to an affiliate and get started.”
The Montreal Canadiens are facing off against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 4 on Tuesday. The Habs will be looking to stay hot after winning each of their last two games against Buffalo in a dominating fashion.
With the Canadiens having the Sabres' number right now, Buffalo is understandably making some notable changes to their roster in Game 4. Konsta Helenius and Luke Schenn will be in the lineup for the Sabres, while Sam Carrick and Logan Stanley are being scratched.
The Sabres will also be going with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as their starting goalie over Alex Lyon.
Helenius is the Sabres' best prospect, so it is notable that he will be playing in Game 4. In his first nine NHL games this season with Buffalo, the 2024 first-round pick recorded one goal and four points.
Seeing Schenn entering the lineup for the Sabres is definitely notable as well. The 36-year-old blueliner has yet to play a game this post-season for the Sabres, but will now be getting his first chance to in Game 4.
Seeing the Sabres make a change between the pipes is not necessarily surprising. Lyon allowed five goals on 36 shots against the Canadiens in Game 3, so Luukkonen will now be looking to help the Sabres get things back on track.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs square off in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinals series. The Timberwolves won Game 4 114-109 to even the series 2-2 after Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was ejected. Wembanyama will be back for Game 5, but Spurs guards De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper are questionable.
How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. San Antonio Spurs
May 10, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) and pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) slap hands after winning against the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images
The teams last clashed on Sunday for Game 4. The Ducks scored first, and the Golden Knights spent the rest of the night chasing the game. They scored a 6-on-5 goal to cut Anaheim’s lead to one, but ultimately fell 4-3.
Carter Hart starts in goal for the Golden Knights. Hart has a record of 6-4 and an average save percentage of .908 in ten games this postseason.
Lukáš Dostál starts in goal for the Ducks. Dostál has a record of 6-4 and an average save percentage of .874 in ten games this postseason.
Mark Stone, who exited Game 3 with a lower-body injury after playing just 4:24, has been officially ruled OUT for Tuesday’s game against the Ducks.
Golden Knights Lines
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad — Tomáš Hertl — Colton Sissons
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar
Defense
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton — Dylan Coghlan
Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill
Ducks Lines
Chris Kreider — Leo Carlsson — Troy Terry
Alex Killorn — Mikael Granlund — Beckett Sennecke
Mason McTavish — Ryan Poehling — Cutter Gauthier
Ross Johnston — Tim Washe — Jeffrey Viel
Defense
Jackson LaCombe — Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov — John Carlson
Tyson Hinds — Radko Gudas
Goaltenders: Lukáš Dostál / Ville Husso
Special Teams
VGK power play: 21.9%, 5th
VGK penalty kill: 90.3%, 4th
Ducks power play: 32.3%, 2nd
Ducks penalty kill: 73.1%, 14th
Game Notes
The Golden Knights are 9-8 in Game 5s in their franchise history.
Tonight’s game could decide the fate of the Golden Knights’ season. Historically, teams that take a 3-2 series lead go on to win 79.8% of the time.
Mitch Marner is on an absolute tear right now. He has six goals and 12 points in his last five games, and is the postseason leader in scoring with 16 points.
Brett Howden’s second-period goal in Game 4 pushed him into sole possession of the lead in that category with seven.
Jack Eichel leads the league in assists this postseason with 12.
The Golden Knights’ penalty kill gave up two goals in Game 4 after allowing just one goal on their last 27 kills.
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe continued his rehab assignment with the Somerset Patriots at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater on April 17, 2026. | Alexander Lewis / MyCentralJersey / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Man proposes, and the baseball god disposes. While the Yankees seemed content to let former top prospect Anthony Volpe re-discover himself with Triple-A Scranton, an injury to incumbent shortstop José Caballero means that Volpe is heading back to the major-league roster. Cabby was sent back to New York for secondary screening on a finger on his right hand yesterday, and now one of the sparkplugs for this Yankee team will see time on the IL with a broken middle finger.
Caballero was on pace for a four-win season at the time of his injury, with a 105 wRC+, 13 stolen bases and a +2 FRV fielding value per Statcast. He also seems to be a bit of a pest to play against, already costing opposing pitchers multiple clock violations with his personal style of gamesmanship in the batter’s box. In totality José has been as valuable in 41 games than Volpe was in 153 games last season, and critically a notably better hitter.
For Volpe, he has an opportunity to re-establish himself as a key piece of the franchise, even if his .570 OPS while in Double and Triple-A this season leaves a lot to be desired. With the Yankees hitting a speed bump after a great first six weeks of the year, the pressure is on the still-25-year-old to hit the ground running and help stop this little skid his club is on. While I want Tony Fox to succeed as a fan of the team, nothing in his performance over the last 14 months makes me overly confident that the team is upgrading with the recall.
For those curious, top infield prospect George Lombard Jr. is only 6-for-30 with all singles since being promoted to Triple-A. If he had been scalding the ball, this might have been a more interesting decision, but the Yankees weren’t pushed, so they’re simply recalling Volpe.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves: •Placed INF/OF José Caballero on the 10-day injured list with a right middle finger fracture. •Recalled INF Anthony Volpe (#11) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 07: MacKenzie Gore #1 of the Texas Rangers walks on the field prior to the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, May 7, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for May 12, 2026 against the Arizona Diamondbacks: starting pitchers are MacKenzie Gore for the Rangers and Zac Gallen for the D-Backs.
The Rangers play the D-Backs this evening. The Rangers will try to score at least one run in this game. It will be challenging, I know, but if we all think positive we can maybe will it into happening. Oh, and Joc Pederson is leading off.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Nimmo — RF
Seager — SS
Jung — 3B
Carter — CF
Duran — 2B
Osuna — LF
Burger — 1B
Higashioka — C
7:05 p.m. Central start time. The Rangers are -125 favorites.
EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 12: President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks to the media during a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on May 12, 2026 in El Segundo, 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 Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Considering how Mark Walter transformed the Dodgers when he took over, a similar evolution has been expected for the Lakers now that he is the majority owner.
While Walter has had only a few months to work on this, progress has already begun. The Lakers hired Lon Rosen as the new President of Business Operations and during his exit interview on Tuesday morning, Pelinka said they will also be hiring two assistant general managers.
“The two biggest positions is we will hire two assistant general managers,” Pelinka said. “That’s the plan. One of those general managers would oversee sort of player of player, draft and evaluation processes. That’s pro scouting, draft scouting, player development. The other [assistant general manager] would be more on the strategy side which is cap, analytics and data.
“Again, it’s not that we’ve had holes in those places. We have a great team of people that works incredible hard. It’s just we want to add more to that. For both those [assistant general manager] positions, we have started a wide search and have begun interviews but haven’t hired out either of those.”
While Pelinka won’t say that the team has been lacking in the front office, it’d be hard to find many fans or people around the league who thought Los Angeles had a jam-packed department.
These additions will be a huge step in the right direction. By bringing in two different assistants and having one focusing on player development and scouting, and the other on the salary cap, analytics, and data, it means the Lakers should be able to dot the i’s and cross the t’s.
Pelinka won’t be asked to do it all, and others won’t be stretching themselves thin trying to cover all the bases. He also mentioned during his exit interview that plenty of other roles around the team have been filled that the franchise never discloses.
“We don’t list and won’t start the precedent of listing of all the hires we do within data and strategy and analytics and scouting and medical scouting,” Pelinka said. “We’ve made numerous hires already that just aren’t one that we publicly disclose but there’s been a build-out going on.”
It’s safe to say change is already underway and will continue this summer.
Once we find out who the Lakers hire as assistants, we will have a better understanding of their vision and principles. For now, the good news is the front office will be growing, and there will be more brainpower at the table shaping the roster and the franchise moving forward.
