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Sabres To Host Four NHL Clubs In Prospects Challenge

The Buffalo Sabres announced that they will host the 2025 Prospects Challenge at the LECOM Harborcenter from September 11th to 15th. The tournament will feature youngsters from the Sabres, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, and Pittsburgh Penguins, with only the Ottawa Senators not returning to the lineup from last season. 

The roster for the tournament will not be released until September, but it will likely include most of the 2025 draft class, including first round selection Radim Mrtka, who is slated to play for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds next season, as well as 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius.

Other Sabres Stories

Byram Situation Leaves Sabres In Limbo

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

First-rounders Ryan Johnson (2019), Isak Rosen (2021), and Noah Ostlund could participate, since they did not see significant playing time in the NHL last season, but a number of the club’s prospects (Adam Kleber, Brodie Ziemer, Luke Osburn, Jake Richard) who took part in the club’s development camp earlier this month, will not be available due to them being collegiate prospects.   

Schedule

Thursday, September 11

New Jersey vs. Columbus, 7 p.m.

Friday, September 12

Pittsburgh vs. Boston, 3:30 p.m.

New Jersey vs. Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Saturday, September 13

Columbus vs. Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Sunday, September 14

Boston vs. New Jersey, 12 p.m.

Columbus vs. Pittsburgh, 3:30 p.m.

Monday, September 15

Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo, 12 p.m.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

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Paul George undergoes procedure on left knee after offseason injury

Paul George undergoes procedure on left knee after offseason injury  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The 2024-25 Sixers’ injury woes have bled into the offseason.

The team announced that Paul George “underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure on his left knee” Monday to “treat an injury sustained during a recent workout.”

George’s procedure was performed by Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow, who also did Joel Embiid’s arthroscopic left knee surgery in April.

“George will now begin a rehabilitation program and his progress will be monitored regularly,” the Sixers said in their statement. “He will be re-evaluated prior to the start of training camp.”

The nine-time All-Star forward dealt with injuries throughout his first season as a Sixer and wound up playing in 41 games. He averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists. George was ruled out for the season in March because of left knee and left adductor muscle issues. The 35-year-old also picked up a left pinkie injury during the Sixers’ 24-58 season.

“I think we were just in a scramble all year,” George said at his exit interview. “To be honest, I think we were just in a scramble. One player comes in, one player goes out, and it kind of was just that cycle all season long. I give Coach (Nick) Nurse a ton of credit for just picking up pieces … trying to figure things out as we were going throughout the year.

“But I think, again, there was no consistency in terms of lineups, personnel and who was on the floor in general. … There’s no consistency with just the guys being on the floor together.”

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told reporters Friday in Las Vegas that Embiid is on track to be ready for training camp. Morey said Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery) is on track, too. 

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Former King, Flyer, Islander Signs Multi-Year Deal In Switzerland

Canadian forward Andy Andreoff, 34, has signed a two year contract with the ZSC Lions, the Zurich-based National League team announced on Monday.

“With Andy Andreoff, we're gaining a physically strong forward who knows where the net is,” said Lions’ sports director Sven Leuenberger. “Just as important for me is that Andy can be used to kill penalties and is strong on faceoffs, because that’s where we needed more after the departures of Juho Lammikko and Vinzenz Rohrer.”

Leuenberger continued, “Andy can also play on the power play and operate as both a center and a wing. Our quota of six import players is now complete.”

Born in Pickering, Ont., Andreoff played junior hockey for the OHL’s Oshawa Generals and was chosen by the Los Angeles Kings in the third round, 80th overall, in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Between 2014 and 2023, Andreoff played 188 NHL regular-season games for the Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders, recording 27 points and a whopping 225 penalty minutes. He also played one playoff game with Los Angeles in 2016.

Rohrer & Lammikko Leave Zurich For NHLRohrer & Lammikko Leave Zurich For NHLA pair of forwards who have been members of the Zurich Lions back-to-back championships in Switzerland and the team’s Champions Hockey League title this past season have signed contracts with NHL clubs this weekend.

Andreoff spent the past two seasons in the KHL playing for Sibir Novosibirsk, where he talllied 81 points and 89 penalty minutes in 137 regular-season and playoff games.

Zurich has been Switzerland’s most successful team in recent years, winning back-to-back National League titles and also winning the Champions Hockey League final on home ice last season. Andreoff joins a roster that includes ex-NHLers Yannick Weber, Derek Grant, Denis Malgin, Sven Andrighetto, Rudolfs Balcers, Dean Kukan and Mikko Lehtonen.

Photo © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

Zurich Lions Win Champions Hockey League Final – Back-To-Back Titles For SwitzerlandZurich Lions Win Champions Hockey League Final – Back-To-Back Titles For SwitzerlandFor the second year in a row, a Swiss team has defeated a Swedish team in the Champions Hockey League final. On their home ice, the ZSC Lions defeated visiting Färjestad 2-1 before a sell-out crowd of 12,000 at Swiss Life Arena in Zurich.
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Brent Rooker stunningly eliminated by hard-to-believe Home Run Derby tiebreaker

Brent Rooker stunningly eliminated by hard-to-believe Home Run Derby tiebreaker originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Athletics slugger Brent Rooker just experienced a level of heartbreak that has never been seen before on the MLB Home Run Derby stage.

Rooker officially got eliminated in one of the closest calls you’ll ever see in the competition, after losing a tie-breaker with Seattle Mariners catcher and 2025 MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh, who also finished the first round with 17 dingers.

Per the rules of the competition, if two players finish with the same first-round total, the player with the farthest home run advances.

It was determined both players’ longest home run traveled 470 feet, but an official ruling declared Raleigh’s went 470.61 feet, while Rooker’s fell just .08 inches short at 470.53 feet. Yes, you read that right, .08 inches officially slammed the door on the A’s slugger’s chances of advancing to the next round of the competition.

Rooker came out on fire in the opening round, launching 17 home runs into the stands at Truist Park, immediately passing Washington Nationals phenom James Woods who kicked off the competition with 16 long balls of his own.

That momentum wouldn’t last long, however, as Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (21), Minnesota Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton (20) and Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (20) all surpassed Rooker’s first-round total.

Rooker appeared to maintain a path to the semifinal round by hanging onto the fourth and final spot needed to advance, but a late surge by Raleigh brought the pair of AL-West sluggers even, triggering an inconceivable tiebreaker scenario.

While Rooker can hold his head high after putting up a strong performance in the competition, the process by which he was eliminated likely will sting for years to come.

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MLB Draft: Landon Hodge of Crespi goes to the White Sox in the fourth round

Catcher Landon Hodge of Crespi.
Catcher Landon Hodge from Crespi, an LSU commit, was the first pick of the White Sox in the fourth round. (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Landon Hodge, the Mission League player of the year from Crespi, was selected with the first pick of the fourth round by the Chicago White Sox in Monday's MLB amateur draft. The catcher is an LSU commit.

Day 2 involved rounds four through 20. Pitcher Riley Kelly from Tustin High and UC Irvine went to the Rockies with the 107th pick. Shortstop Colin Yeaman from Saugus and UC Irvine was a fourth-round pick (No. 124) of the Orioles. Pitcher Sean Youngerman, who attended Chaminade, Westmont College and Oklahoma State, went to the Phillies at No. 131.

Outfielder Josiah Hartshorn from Orange Lutheran went to the Cubs in the sixth round (No. 181). USC pitcher Caden Hunter was a sixth-round pick (No. 184) by the Orioles.

In the eighth round (No. 237), Tampa Bay took former Burroughs and Fresno State pitcher Aidan Cremarosa. Outfielder Nick Dumesnil from Huntington Beach and California Baptist went to the Tigers are No. 249.

In the ninth round (No. 279), the Tigers selected pitcher Trevor Heishman, who helped St. John Bosco win the Southern Section Division 1 title.

In the 10th round, former Sierra Canyon and UC Irvine closer Max Martin win to the Royals at No. 308. CJ Hughes, a shortstop from Gardena Serra, was taken in the 11th round (No. 335) by the Brewers. Catcher Rod Barajas Jr. from Saddleback College went to the Giants (No. 326). In the 12th round, former Windward and Harvard pitcher Truman Pauley went to the Mets (No. 373).

In the 13th round (No. 377), former Bishop Amat and Mt. SAC pitcher Izeah Muniz was chosen by the Rockies. Pitcher Gavin Lauridsen from Foothill went to the Brewers (No. 395).

The Brewers selected first baseman Dominic Cadiz from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the 15th round (No. 455). He's a UCLA commit. He's the 29th former Notre Dame player taken since 1993.

Former Calabasas and UC Irvine outfielder Chase Call went to the Astros in the 16th round (No. 486).

Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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WNBA Preview: Mercury faces tough test, WNBA All-Star Game

The 2025 WNBA season has officially hit its halfway point. And besides the upcoming All-Star break, general managers made some decisions at the end of last week in preparation for the August 7 trade deadline. GMs had until Sunday, July 13 at 5 p.m. ET to waive any players on unguaranteed contracts before those unguaranteed salaries became guaranteed.

Players like the Mercury’s Kiana Williams, the Lynx’s Alissa Pili, the Sparks’ Mercedes Russell, the Liberty’s Marquesha Davis and the Sun’s Haley Peters and Jaelyn Brown were all waived prior to this midpoint deadline.

Why do GMs do this? It usually is a mechanism that allows for teams to maintain salary cap and roster flexibility. Once the midpoint date passes and players clear waivers—it takes 24 hours to do so— teams can sign players to 7-day contracts. In most cases, the teams who waived players can re-sign those same players to these 7-day contracts. A player can only be on a 7-day contract three times until a team then has to sign them to a rest of the season contract. The midpoint also marks a change for hardship contracts as those will also be just 7-day deals until that player reaches the limit of three 7-day contracts.

Meanwhile, the Valkyries waived wing Stephanie Talbot, who was on a protected deal so that they could make room for the expected July 15 arrival of French center Iliana Rupert. To be clear, this wasn’t a move done with the midpoint deadline in mind since Golden State has boat loads of cap space. The Valkyries needed to create another roster spot for when Rupert officially arrives.

WNBA: JUL 13 Dallas Wings at Indiana Fever
Clark, Fever get best of Bueckers, Wings in first pro matchup of WNBA stars
The highly anticipated matchup between Clark and Bueckers was originally supposed to take place on June 27 in Dallas.

The Week Ahead

This upcoming week is a shortened one because of the All-Star break that begins on Thursday July 17 and runs through Monday July 21 with games picking back up on July 22.

While there are only three days of regular season games this week, that doesn’t mean there aren’t great matchups to watch right before the break. The Phoenix Mercury have a really difficult schedule leading into the break and as do the Golden State Valkyries. All of their matchups are must-see. Also, the Indiana Fever’s first trip to the loud and rowdy Brooklyn crowd at Barclays Center to take on the Liberty on Wednesday night will for sure be a game to circle.

The WNBA All-Star Game itself probably won’t be super competitive on Saturday night, but expect the three-point contest and skills contests on Friday night July 18 to be super-competitive. Insurance company Aflac is giving $60,000 to the winner of the three-point contest and $55,000 to the winner of the skills contest in addition to the much smaller purse that the WNBA provides to the winners of those contests.

Sabrina Ionescu and rookie Sonia Citronare currently the only confirmed participants in the three-point contest, although it wouldn’t be shocking if Caitlin Clark joins the fun with All-Star weekend taking place at her team’s home in Indianapolis.

Phoenix Mercury @ Golden State Valkyries

(Monday July 14 at 10 p.m. ET on League Pass)

The Valkyries will be going into this game coming off a tough 104-102 loss on Saturday on the road to the Aces. The Mercury, however, will play for the first time in five days. Phoenix will be without Kahleah Copper (right hamstring) and Satou Sabally (right ankle) but will continue to integrate recent signee DeWanna Bonner into their schemes. Can Mercury point forward Alyssa Thomas continue her hot streak which included a 29/8/5 statline in their last game, defeating the Lynx, the league’s top team, 79-71? Thomas will likely have to contend against the physical defense of first time All-Star Kayla Thornton in addition to the raucous Golden State crowd also known as “Ballhalla” to extend their edge in the WNBA standings over the Liberty.

Phoenix Mercury @ Minnesota Lynx

(Wednesday, July 16 at 1 p.m. ET on League Pass)

The Mercury's schedule only gets harder before the All-Star break as they then jet off to Minneapolis for a rematch against the Lynx, a team they beat just a week prior in Phoenix. As of now, the Lynx remain undefeated at home, but their recent struggles against the Chicago Sky at home and on the road prove that the Lynx might have hit a mid-season lull after rolling through the majority of the first half of the regular season. Since losing wing Karlie Samuelson to a Lisfranc injury for the rest of the season on June 29, the Lynx have had to play six games since, the most games in that stretch of time across the league.

Golden State Valkyries @ Seattle Storm

(Wednesday, July 16 at 3:00 p.m. ET on League Pass )

Both the Storm and the Valkyries have been incredibly inconsistent in the past couple of weeks of play. In that span, the Storm have lost to the Mystics, the youngest team in the league with the second-worst overall offensive rating. The Valkyries defeated the Fever handily 80-61 last week but then also fell in close games to both the Dream and the Aces. The last time these two teams battled, the Valkyries clobbered the Storm 84-57 and then previously in mid-June Golden State defeated Seattle 76-70. Golden State has struggled to win on the road, only winning three games on the road, including two against the Sparks in Los Angeles. Their first road win outside of the state of California came on July 9 against the Fever.

Indiana Fever @ New York Liberty

(Wednesday July 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET on CBSSN)

The Fever will play at Barclays Center for the first time this season after splitting their two home games against the defending champs in the Liberty previously. In the first game between these two teams, Jonquel Jones powered the Liberty with a 26/12 double-double. But then once Jones had gone down with a sprained right ankle, the Liberty struggled without her, and Caitlin Clark exploded scoring 32 points in a 102-88 win over New York that kept the Liberty out of the Commissioner’s Cup Final. While Jones most likely won’t play on Wednesday as she continues to recover and ramp up her conditioning, the Liberty have found ways to win without her since the Fever last played them.

2025 WNBA All-Star Game: Team Collier @ Team Clark

(Saturday July 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC)

Both Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark are All-Star captains for the first time in their careers for the 2025 WNBA All-Star game. Collier’s team on paper looks a lot more balanced with much more size and versatility including Breanna Stewart, Nneka Ogwumike and Paige Bueckers. Clark’s is a team that probably will shoot a ton of threes especially with Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally joining Clark from teams that put up a tad under 30 three-balls a game.

When both Clark and Collier chose their teams, they agreed to trade their coaches so that Cheryl Reeve could coach her own player in Collier. Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello will coach Clark, Ionescu and her former player and first-time All-Star Kayla Thornton. Expect this game to be less competitive than the one from last year since Team USA won’t be put up against the WNBA All-Stars. When that happens during Olympic years, players who don’t make Team USA usually have a chip on their shoulders and show out. This year’s game will be much more about entertaining the fans who tune-in instead of trying to beat the players on the other side.

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Two new teams emerge in Al Horford sweepstakes: Report

Two new teams emerge in Al Horford sweepstakes: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Al Horford remains unsigned more than two weeks into NBA free agency, but not due to a lack of suitors.

The 2024 NBA champion reportedly has drawn interest from multiple contenders, including the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. The Boston Celtics showed interest in bringing back their prized big man, but president of basketball operations Brad Stevens called Horford’s return “unlikely.”

Two additional teams since have joined the list of potential Horford landing spots. According to ESPN’s Marc Spears, the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks have expressed interest in the 39-year-old, but he is still mulling retirement.

“Golden State obviously expected him to sign last week, he didn’t (sign),” Spears said Monday on ESPN’s NBA Today, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “(The) Lakers, Milwaukee, and Atlanta, I believe are also interested in a nearly 40-year-old guy who also has retirement on the table.

“He’s still considering retiring, he’s not in any hurry. He’s got a sixth kid coming on the way, he lives in Atlanta and Boston in the offseason. I’m hearing that whether it’s Golden State and a lesser extent to the Lakers, being away from the family that far isn’t going to be in that decision.”

Horford has spent the last four seasons with the Celtics (seven in total across two stints) and has played a critical role in their success, especially on the road to Banner 18. He remains a valuable player despite his age with his ability to shoot 3-pointers and defend at a high level. Assuming the Celtics don’t re-sign him this offseason, they will greatly miss his veteran leadership.

Horford won’t be the only big man Boston misses going forward. Luke Kornet left in free agency for the San Antonio Spurs, and the Celtics traded Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta as part of their effort to get under the second apron of the luxury tax.

As of Monday, Boston’s only centers on the roster are Neemias Queta, offseason addition Luka Garza, and second-round rookie Amari Williams.

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MLB Power Rankings: Red Sox crash top 10 going into All-Star break

Featured in the All-Star break edition of MLB Power Rankings, Jacob Misiorowski and Aaron Judge make history for different reasons, the Phillies do Cristopher Sánchez a solid, the Red Sox are suddenly the hottest team in the majors, the Angels surprise with their decision for the No. 2 pick, and the Rockies absolutely nail it.

(Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook)

Let’s get started!

Syndication: Detroit Free Press
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Yu Darvish is back, Colt Keith is figuring it out
Eric Samulski breaks down some of the top waiver wire adds for the upcoming week of fantasy baseball

Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, July 14. 

1) Detroit Tigers

Last week: 1

Even after getting swept by the Mariners over the weekend, the Tigers enter the All-Star break with the best record in baseball. Tarik Skubal is set to become the first Tigers’ pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Max Scherzer in 2013.

2) Los Angeles Dodgers ⬆️

Last week: 3

After losing seven straight, the Dodgers righted the ship by taking two out of three against the division rival Giants over the weekend. Tyler Glasnow made his return last week, and Blake Snell and Blake Treinen aren’t far behind, so the Dodgers are about to get stronger.

3) Chicago Cubs ⬆️

Last week: 4

Including an excellent outing in a win over the Yankees on Sunday, Shota Imanaga holds a 2.31 ERA over four starts since returning from the injured list.

4) Houston Astros ⬇️

Last week: 2

Given the Astros moved on from Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman this offseason and they’ve been without Yordan Alvarez for most of the first half, it’s pretty remarkable that they own the fourth-best record in baseball going into the All-Star break.

5) Milwaukee Brewers ⬆️

Last week: 8

The Brewers continue to surprise. Winners of seven straight — with a sweep of the Dodgers along the way — Milwaukee sits just one game behind the Cubs for the NL Central lead.

The debate over the Jacob Misiorowski All-Star selection is dominating the conversation around MLB in recent days — and understandably so — it got me to thinking of the best players who never went to the All-Star Game. Kirk Gibson is absolutely shocking to me, but also familiar names like Tim Salmon, Tom Candiotti, and Eric Chavez.

6) Toronto Blue Jays

Last week: 6

The Blue Jays have cooled off a bit since their 10-game winning streak, but they go into the All-Star break in first place in the American League East. We should see them target a starting pitcher as the trade deadline approaches.

My favorite thing that happened this weekend was Blue Jays manager John Schneider getting ejected after a potential Davis Schneider home run was ruled foul, only to have the outfielder hit a home run immediately following the ejection. Baseball is so weird and fun.

7) Philadelphia Phillies ⬇️

Last week: 5

Pretty cool gesture by the Phillies, as Cristopher Sánchez activated the $50,000 All-Star bonus in his contract despite him being a notable snub for the midsummer classic. Sánchez responded by throwing a gem on Sunday, as the club salvaged the series finale against the Padres to go into the All-Star break with a half-game lead in the NL East.

8) New York Mets ⬇️

Last week: 7

Kodai Senga made a successful return from a hamstring injury on Friday and Sean Manaea looked great despite taking the loss in his season debut on Sunday, so things are looking up for the Mets as they move into second half.

9) New York Yankees

Last week: 9

While the Yankees lost to the Cubs on Saturday, Aaron Judge became the fastest player in MLB history to reach 350 career home runs. It’s one thing to write that sentence, but the thing is, he’s absolutely obliterated the record book in this regard.

10) Boston Red Sox ⬆️

Last week: 16

I was high on the Red Sox coming into the year, and while things haven’t exactly worked out the way I thought they would — Rafael Devers trade included — they’ve won 10 straight games to put themselves in a strong position leading into the trade deadline.

Ceddanne Rafaela now has five homers and 14 RBI over his last eight games.

11) San Diego Padres

Last week: 11

Jackson Merrill was down in the dumps with a 3-for-43 (.070) stretch before his two-homer game against Zack Wheeler and the Phillies on Saturday. He’s had a bumpy (and injury-riddled) first half, but something closer to his rookie performance would be a huge development for the Padres.

12) San Francisco Giants ⬆️

Last week: 13

While 33-year-old Robbie Ray will not pitch in the All-Star Game — he was replaced by Mets left-hander David Peterson — he earned his first selection since his age-25 season in 2017.

13) Seattle Mariners ⬇️

Last week: 12

A great weekend for the Mariners, who swept the Tigers before taking LSU left-hander Kade Anderson with the No. 3 pick in Sunday’s draft. Many considered Anderson to be the best player in this year’s class. Now it’s time for “The Big Dumper” to get his close-up in Monday’s Home Run Derby.

14) St. Louis Cardinals

Last week: 14

Iván Herrera made his return to the Cardinals on Sunday after missing just about a month with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He’s been great when healthy this season with eight homers, 34 RBI, and a .320/.394/.529 batting line, but he also missed time in the first half with a knee injury. The Cardinals plan to mostly use him out of the DH spot the rest of the way.

15) Cincinnati Reds

Last week: 15

Congratulations to Terry Francona, who became the 13th manager in MLB history to reach the 2,000-win club on Sunday. Does his team love him or what?

16) Tampa Bay Rays ⬇️

Last week: 10

While the Blue Jays and Red Sox are rising, the Rays continue to fall. They’ve lost four straight and 12 out of their last 15 games. One positive? Shane McClanahan is nearing his return to the Rays’ rotation.

17) Texas Rangers

Last week: 17

A frustrating first half for the Rangers, where they just can’t seem to get over the hump, but it ended on an encouraging note this weekend as they took two out three from the Astros. You can squint and see how this club could go on a run in the second half. You could also see them spiraling. The next couple of weeks will be fascinating.

18) Arizona Diamondbacks

Last week: 18

Losers of nine out of their 13 games, the Diamondbacks increasingly look like sellers and they have a bunch of interesting players with Eugenio Suarez,Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, and Josh Naylor all reportedly on the block.

19) Minnesota Twins ⬆️

Last week: 20

What a first half for Byron Buxton. The apex? He accomplished the first triple in Target Field history on Saturday and did it on his own bobblehead day, to boot.

Buxton is my pick for Monday’s Home Run Derby. Let’s keep this feel-good story going!

20) Kansas City Royals ⬆️

Last week: 21

Noah Cameron wrapped up a brilliant first half by spinning 6 2/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts as part of Sunday’s win over the Mets. It’s going to be hard for him to stand out in the AL rookie field which also includes Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz, but he’s been a lifesaver for the Kansas City rotation with a 2.31 ERA across 12 starts.

21) Los Angeles Angels ⬇️

Last week: 19

The Angels’ approach to the draft is always interesting, and of course they surprised by taking UC Santa Barbara right-hander Tyler Bremner No. 2 overall. There were other college pitchers who were considered better by most experts, but the Angels clearly thought there wasn’t a true standout in this year’s class and they could manipulate their draft pool in other ways. But if we know anything about the Angels, we’ll probably see Bremner in the majors sooner rather than later.

22) Baltimore Orioles ⬆️

Last week: 23

The Orioles had seven picks in the top 93 players during the first day of the MLB Draft and they received high marks for their haul which included Auburn C/OF Ike Irish, Coastal Carolina C Caden Bodine, Arkansas SS Wehiwa Aloy, and prep OF Slater de Brun. They also finally got around to taking some pitchers with lefty Joseph Dzierwa out of Michigan State and right-hander JT Quinn out of Georgia.

23) Cleveland Guardians ⬆️

Last week: 25

The Guardians have won six out of seven since their 10-game losing streak, but it might be too little too late.

24) Miami Marlins

Last week: 24

It was the Kyle Stowers Revenge Game on Sunday, as the former Orioles prospect went 5-for-5 with three homers, six RBI, and four runs scored in a blowout victory over Baltimore on Sunday.

25) Atlanta Braves ⬇️

Last week: 22

The latest blow for the Braves is Austin Riley hitting the injured list with an abdominal strain. It would be surprising if he’s back by the end of July, so this continues to look like a lost year for Atlanta.

26) Athletics ⬆️

Last week: 28

One year ago, Nick Kurtz heard his named called on draft day. On Sunday, he hit his 17th home run of the season and his 12th in 30 games since returning from the injured list. Folks have begun to put the Jim Thome comp on Kurtz recently. One you spot it, it’s hard to unsee it.

27) Pittsburgh Pirates ⬇️

Last week: 26

Paul Skenes and MLB history have become synonymous. He’s adding another first to the list on Tuesday, as he’ll become the first pitcher in baseball history to start the All-Star Game in his first two MLB seasons.

28) Washington Nationals ⬇️

Last week: 27

Interim Nationals general manager Mike DeBartolo had the weighty responsibility of making the No. 1 pick in Sunday’s draft and they ultimately went with 17-year-old switch-hitting shortstop Eli Willits. Willits is the youngest No. 1 overall pick since Ken Griffey Jr. in 1987. No pressure, kid.

29) Chicago White Sox

Last week: 29

2025 is the year of the high school shortstop and the White Sox played into the trend with the selection of Billy Carlson. In doing so, Corona (California) HS became the first high school in history to have two top-10 picks n the same year, as right-hander Seth Hernandez was selected sixth overall by the Pirates.

30) Colorado Rockies

Last week: 30

Say what you will about how the Rockies have operated over the past decade or so, but the Ethan Holliday pick just makes so much sense for all parties.

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Bruins announce new jersey numbers for recent free agent signings

Bruins announce new jersey numbers for recent free agent signings originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins were one of the busiest NHL teams on Day 1 of free agency.

The team’s moves mostly consisted of signing bottom-six forwards. They also acquired veteran left wing Viktor Arvidsson in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers.

A new group of players means a new set of jersey numbers, and the Bruins announced new digits for seven players on Monday.

  • Matej Blumel: 13
  • Alex Steeves: 21
  • Victor Soderstrom: 29
  • Jordan Harris: 43
  • Viktor Arvidsson: 71
  • Mikey Eyssimont: 81
  • Tanner Jeannot: 84

Jeannot will be just the second player in the 100-year history of the franchise to wear No. 84, joining Jarred Tinordi (2021).

Arvidsson has worn No. 33 since 2017 while playing for the Nashville Predators, Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers during that time. But since that number belonged to Bruins legend Zdeno Chara, Arvidsson has picked a new one to begin his Boston career.

“I don’t think I’m gonna touch that number in Boston,” a smiling Arvidsson told reporters during a video conference call on July 1. “We’ll see where I end up. I’m gonna ask my daughters for advice, too.”

The Bruins also announced Monday that defenseman Andrew Peeke had traded his No. 52 to newly signed forward Sean Kuraly. Peeke will wear No. 26 going forward.

Kuraly wore No. 52 during his first stint with the Bruins from 2016-17 through 2020-21.

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Kobe Bryant not in NBA's all-time top 10? Shaq thinks that ranking is 'criminal'

Kobe Bryant leans in to listen to Shaquille O'Neal as they sit onstage. They are both wearing suits, Kobe without a tie.
Shaquille O'Neal, left, and Kobe Bryant, shown in 2017, won three NBA titles together as Lakers teammates. (Mark J. Terrill / AP)

Shaquille O'Neal has an issue with a recent ranking of the all-time best NBA players.

On Monday, Bleacher Report released its list of the "top 100 NBA players ever," based on a compilation of rankings from a "legion of B/R NBA experts, writers and editors."

O'Neal finished just outside the top five. He didn't seem to have an issue with that.

Shaq's beef was with the placement of his former Lakers teammate, the late Kobe Bryant, who landed outside of the top 10.

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"Kobe at 11 is criminal," O'Neal wrote on X in the comments of a Bleacher Report post that revealed the list's top 20. He left his comment a little more than an hour after the original Bleacher Report post went live.

Here are the 10 players ranked ahead of Bryant, in order from the top: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Stephen Curry.

Bryant is followed on the list by Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Durant, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West.

O'Neal has made no secret of his feelings on where Bryant ranks among the league's all-time greats. In 2023, the Diesel told The Times that his "first team" on such a list would be himself, Bryant, Jordan, Johnson and James.

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(Coming off the bench for O'Neal on that hypothetical team were Curry, Allen Iverson, Duncan, Karl Malone, Isiah Thomas and Abdul-Jabbar.)

Last month, in connection with the Netflix docuseries "Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal," Shaq revealed another personal top 10 list in which he ranked Bryant at No. 2, behind Jordan and just ahead of James.

Bryant ranks fourth in all-time NBA scoring (33,643 points) and his "Mamba Mentality" work ethic is still cited as a major influence on current athletes. He spent the first eight years of his career as Lakers teammates with O'Neal, with L.A. winning three NBA titles during that span.

Read more:Finally a postseason force, Julius Randle credits Kobe Bryant for instilling 'Mamba Mentality'

Those Lakers also lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Soon after, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat, with tension between the two superstars seen as one of the main reasons for the move. O'Neal won another NBA title with the Heat in 2006. Bryant won two more with the Lakers, in 2009 and 2010.

Over the years, O'Neal and Bryant acknowledged their rocky relationship as teammates but also insisted that they actually were close friends.

“I just want people to know that I don’t hate you, I know you don’t hate me. I call it today a ‘work beef,’ is what we had,” O'Neal told Bryant on “The Big Podcast with Shaq” in 2015.

"We had a lot of disagreements, we had a lot of arguments," he said later. "But I think it fueled us both.”

Years later, when it appeared their feud might be heating up again, the two NBA greats took to social media to nip that notion in the bud.

"Ain’t nothin but love there," Bryant wrote of his relationship with O'Neal.

“It’s all good bro,” Shaq responded.

Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among the nine people who died in a Jan. 26, 2020, helicopter crash in Calabasas. O'Neal was one of the speakers at the Feb. 24, 2020, memorial service for "my friend, my little brother Kobe Bryant and my beautiful niece Gigi."

"Kobe and I pushed one another to play some of the greatest basketball of all time and I am proud that no other team has accomplished what the three-peat Lakers have done since the Shaq and Kobe Lakers did it," O'Neal said. "And sometimes like immature kids, we argued, we fought, we bantered, we assaulted each other with offhand remarks on the field. Make no mistake, even when folks thought we were on bad terms, when the cameras are turned off, he and I would throw a wink at each other and say let’s go whoop some ass.

"We never took it seriously. In truth, Kobe and I always maintained a deep respect and a love for one another."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Yankees claim reliever Rico Garcia off waivers from Mets

The Yankees have claimed right-handed reliever Rico Garcia off waivers from the Mets.

Garcia was DFA'd by the Mets on Friday to make room on the roster for Kodai Senga.

Garcia tossed 2.2 perfect innings against the Orioles during Game 2 of the Mets' Thursday's doubleheader.

In his only other appearance for the Mets this season, he fired 2.0 scoreless innings against the Yankees on July 6, allowing one hit and striking out two.

Garcia, 31, has a 6.47 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in parts of five big league seasons with the Mets, Nationals, Athletics, Orioles, Giants, and Rockies.