Mboko forced to retire in singles match at Queen’s
Duo are due to play next on Thursday evening
The future of Victoria Mboko’s doubles partnership with Serena Williams was plunged into doubt after the Canadian was forced to retire in her opening singles match at the HSBC Championships in London.
Williams, 44, made her comeback to tennis on Tuesday, securing a win alongside Mboko in their first doubles match.
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It didn’t take long for Chris Russo to go after Victor Wembanyama.
During “First Take” on Wednesday morning, “Mad Dog” ripped into the Spurs’ young superstar for shoving Jalen Brunson in Game 3 of the NBA Finals Monday night in what he described as a “dirty play.”
“This was out of line,” Russo said. “This I don’t like. Brunson did nothing wrong and a very good job of avoiding a technical in this spot.”
“[Wemby’s] a dirty player. … This was out of line. … You’re giving the Knicks a lot of juice tonight, and that’s not what San Antonio needed to do.”@MadDogUnleashed reacts to Wemby not receiving a flagrant foul for shoving Jalen Brunson in Game 3
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 10, 2026pic.twitter.com/Pv2tTlzRLS
Russo’s reaction comes after Wembanyama wasn’t assessed a flagrant foul for shoving Brunson in the back of the head with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter of Monday’s game.
Brunson tried setting a screen on the 7-foot-4 big man near the free-throw line, and once Wembanyama turned around, he shoved Brunson to the ground.
Despite immediate protests from the Knicks, no foul was called on the play.
Even after NBA senior vice president of referee development and training Monty McCutchen told ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Tuesday that at least a normal foul should’ve been called, the league still decided not to give Wembanyama a flagrant foul.
“Let’s take it easy if you’re the Spurs. You’re 2-1 down on the road and still have to win a road game,” Russo added. “The idea now that you’re going to beat them four in a row, Wembanyama’s going to show how tough he is … bring it down. Don’t rile ’em up.”
“And now you have the Knicks all annoyed now because they go and look at the highlights and say the NBA should’ve said it was a flagrant foul … you’re giving the Knicks a lot of juice tonight. And that’s not what San Antonio needed to do.”
With no flagrant foul assessed, Wembanyama remains at two flagrant points this postseason following an ejection in the second round against the Timberwolves for an elbow on Naz Reid.
Four flagrant points trigger a suspension, so if the referees called a Flagrant 2, Wembanyama would’ve missed a game.
After beating the Knicks 115-111 in Game 3, Wembanyama and the Spurs can tie the series at two games apiece Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.
There’s no question that the Giants lost something when they traded away Patrick Bailey now one month ago, but the franchise seems comfortable with their new direction, even if it’s a little unclear in a bad way just how much has been lost. They embarked on it for two reasons: an offensive uptick and more leadership at the position. Have either of these tasks been accomplished since the trade went down 30 days ago yesterday?
Before the trade, Bailey hit .146/.213/.183 (.396 OPS) in 30 games and 86 PA. The Giants’ lineup had a team wRC+ of 81 through the first 38 games of the season while the pitching staff had a 3.63 ERA in his 238.1 innings catching (3.93 overall — 12th).
Now, I’m including the team’s total offensive production here because in looking at it by positional split I came away pretty surprised. Patrick Bailey was completely awful — one of the worst professional hitters on planet Earth — but with Daniel Susac’s .478/.500/.652 line in 24 plate appearances and .300/.300/.500 in 10 PA from Eric Haase, the Giants’ catching position was not the worst in baseball through May 8th. At 83 wRC+ (.244/.297/.345), it ranked 16th, ahead of the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Rangers, Mariners , Guardians, Diamondbacks, Nationals, Blue Jays, and Phillies. So, the notion that the Giants had to get more offense out of the position was sort of… wrong? Remarkably, it was about as bad as the rest of the lineup. But Patrick Bailey’s .146 made him an obvious target.
[He has also hit .220/.276/.324 since the start of last season.]
Since the trade, the Giants’ lineup has a 126 wRC+ in 30 games, the best lineup in baseball. Ditching Bailey has raised the catching position all the way down to 17th in MLB with an 81 wRC+ (.206/.283/.346). The team’s ERA has been the third-worst at 5.16 though the stolen base success rate has dropped a bit, from 76.3% with Bailey to 73.5% without.
Compare to what’s happening over with Cleveland. Prior to the trade, their team ERA of 4.01 was 14th in MLB. Since then, it’s risen to 7th with a 3.45 result. What’s interesting about that is that Bailey’s catcher ERA in the 16 games he’s caught in is just 4.02 in 130 innings. Their catching position has dropped on the hitting side from a 65 wRC+ (23rd) to 55 (25th) “thanks” to Bailey’s abysmal .167/.196/.333 in 17 games (51 PA). I wouldn’t say it has been a slam dunk move, but it has certainly helped Cleveland more than it’s hurt them.
The results were pretty strongly in favor of the Guardians since the early going, prompting many people on social media to immediately respond with “Bailey isn’t starting in Cleveland so this is misleading!” but that’s sort of besides the point because it’s not as though the Giants couldn’t have done the same thing. Their options were to bench him entirely (which is the first thing they did), demote him, trade him, or diminish his playing time. That last option would’ve probably been the most difficult to do given all the success that he’s had and a trade might have been the only way to get him to “accept” the role, but it is pretty clear that the Giants found his value to be more theoretical than tangible, hence trading him for a draft pick and a pitching prospect, both “assets” of theoretical value.
Some consideration must be given to how the relationship between the team and the player could’ve frayed so much. It’s not as though the catching position has been a traditionally important part of a lineup and as a general scapegoat for the likes of Devers, Chapman, and Adames woefully underperforming (and let’s throw Jung Hoo Lee in there for good measure) it’s more of a bad look for the team than the player, but let’s put ourselves on the organization’s side here.
Like all of Buster Posey’s big moves (Adames, the Devers trade, dumping Bob Melvin and replacing him with a college coach), the trade was defensible in the moment. The relationship between player and team had hit a wall and there was a move to be made that netted them a meaningful draft pick and a pitching prospect who could boost a thin part of their farm system. And like all of these big moves, it sort of needs 2-3 years to really play out before we can say whether or not it was “good.”
In the podcast discussion between Roger Munter and Kerry Crowley that I linked to before, Crowley suggested that Buster Posey might have his idea of what a team’s starting catcher should be like in terms of personality. Someone a little more outgoing and leader-like. Roger was quick to point out that a Rule 5 pick and minor leaguer (at the time, Jesus Rodriguez was the de facto backup catcher) might not slip right into that role. Everything that we’ve seen suggests that the Giants just wanted different energy in that position and figured that the slumps of a Rule 5 pick, a prospect, or a journeyman backup couldn’t be worse than the full-time work Patrick Bailey offered with the bat. In terms of the defense? Maybe they thought that the ABS Challenge System would be a way to shore up whatever defensive deficiencies there might be in going from Bailey to Susac and backup.
The other part of this, of course, is that Patrick Bailey wasn’t one of Buster Posey’s successes. Farhan Zaidi gets credit for that. And that made it even easier to move him once he became a problem — which, to be clear, the front office and coaching staff affirmed that he had become a problem. But now the Giants have to live with the consequences of such a big move and a month out, it’s unclear if it’s one that’s worked out.
The Giants were 15-23 (.395) when Patrick Bailey was on the team. They’re 12-18 (.400) without him. Seems like a wash. Sure, the lineup got better, but the pitching staff seems to have gotten worse. But maybe this season was always destined for failure. So, let’s be real fair and revisit this in 2 years to see how that draft pick and Matt Wilkinson worked out for them.
D-man with ‘unbelievable maturity to his game' could be option for Flyers at No. 21 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
For the first time in a while, the Flyers are coming off a playoff run.
That, of course, makes life a little different for the club’s amateur scouting staff leading up to the 2026 NHL draft. Barring a trade, the Flyers will pick at 21st overall. It’s their lowest first-round spot since 2020.
But that was when the Flyers drafted a foundation piece, grabbing Tyson Foerster at 23rd overall.
So the Flyers know the draft is still critical to what they want to do, even when they’re lower in the order.
“We’ve said it for a long time, we wanted to build a team that was going to be here for a long time; not just to go for it for a year or two,” general manager Danny Briere said last month. “That’s still the same approach on my end.”
The Flyers have only five picks in this draft, which will be held June 26-27. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at 11 a.m. ET.
“I’ll tell you how I feel about drafts and I’ll be totally blunt with you,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said last Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think it’s f—ing bulls–t when I hear about, ‘Oh, this draft isn’t as good.’ Here are the numbers. Approximately 45 players from any draft will play 350 games or more in the NHL. It might be 47 one year, 42 another year. That’s the number — you get 45 players that’ll play 350 games or more with varying degrees of success.
“And I know this about the draft. The teams that get good players from the draft say it was a good draft. The teams that don’t get good players from the draft say it wasn’t a good draft. So when people start telling me about a draft ahead of time, I call bulls–t.”
Last summer, the Flyers made nine selections, with six coming over the first two rounds. Porter Martone was their headliner at sixth overall. Now the Flyers will try to hit on a pick in the 20s.
“What you’re trying to do is find a player that you feel has the potential to be an NHL player,” Button said. “That might be a third-line center, that might be a second-line scoring winger. Hey, listen, maybe you get David Pastrnak, who’s a superstar (drafted 25th overall in 2014).
“But the focus has to be on, ‘OK, what type of player do we like, what type of player do we think the guy can be?’ And then get after it and understand what the development path is, and then try to help that player be the best he can be. Put a stake in the ground and celebrate who you’re drafting.”
Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.
Next up:
Juho Piiparinen
Position: Defenseman
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 204
Shoots: Right
Team: Tappara
Scouting report
The 17-year-old is a proficient defender, one you can trust and rely on to keep the puck out of your net.
He stays within himself with calculated reads and execution. He knows the right play can sometimes be better than the outstanding play. And when he’s in his own end, he’ll lock things down.
“He’s heavy, he’s hard, he’s smart, he’s effective and he doesn’t try to be anything but that,” Button, a former NHL GM and scout, said. “I’ve watched Juho for a couple of years now and I watch a guy that doesn’t make mistakes.”
Playing against men in Liiga, Finland’s top pro league, Piiparinen didn’t have a goal this season through 29 games. He recorded three assists, 46 shots and a plus-6 rating.
The age and strength of his competition definitely factored into his offensive numbers. But Piiparinen is not a guy that will light up the box score. At the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, he had an assist, four shots and a plus-6 rating in four games for Team Finland.
“Is he going to produce tons of points? No, I don’t think he will,” Button said. “But you cannot be a good offensive team unless you’ve got guys that can make plays under pressure in the defensive zone, get the puck moving the other way, get the puck into the hands of the right players at the right times. I think he has got such unbelievable maturity to his game at a young age.”
Piiparinen is slotted at No. 19 on Button’s May 20 draft list.
“He knows who he is, he knows what he is,” Button said. “In the offensive zone, he’ll play on the power play. But he’s a thinker, he knows, ‘OK, I’ve got to get the puck in these spots.’ He doesn’t try to be a catalyst specifically; he tries to be somebody that’s a cog in the wheel. I love him.”
NHL Central Scouting has Piiparinen as the sixth-best international skater, but he’s ranked No. 33 overall by Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis and No. 40 on EliteProspects.com.
Button likened Piiparinen’s defensive-minded approach to Rasmus Ristolainen. After being drafted eighth overall in 2013 by the Sabres, Ristolainen was given an all-situation role at an early age.
“They asked him to be a big-time point producer, big shot and everything,” Button said. “I think Rick Tocchet, what he did with Rasmus this year, the way that Rasmus played in the regular season and the playoffs, I think it’s almost like Rasmus just said, ‘I can just be myself, I don’t have to be this big offensive guy.’ And he was incredibly effective.”
Fit with Flyers
Players like Piiparinen are valuable pieces to a team’s back end. But at No. 21, it would be understandable if the Flyers wanted a defensemen with more offensive upside.
The Flyers have recently made an effort to replenish their system with some bigger, right-handed blueliners in David Jiricek, Oliver Bonk, Spencer Gill and Carter Amico. So Piiparinen probably isn’t the ideal fit or need.
But there’s absolutely some intrigue with Piiparinen, who already plays like a pro before the age of 18.
More targets
• Could Lawrence’s early jump to college have him fall to Flyers in draft?
• Will Flyers eye 6-foot-4 forward with ‘goal-scoring hands’ at No. 21?
• Palmieri ‘type of player’ may be available for Flyers at No. 21 in draft
• Russian center with pro build has interesting case for Flyers at No. 21
• Lin has ‘Brandon Montour profile,’ but will he be there for Flyers at No. 21?
It is no secret at this point that the Philadelphia Flyers don't need more wingers, at least on their current NHL roster.
Their prospect pool, however, might be a different story, so long as the value adds up for the Flyers when they go to pick at 21st overall later this month.
In the NHL, because players are so young when they get drafted, it can take non-blue chip prospects anywhere from two to five years to start contributing.
Well, five years from now, Owen Tippett will be 32, Travis Konecny will be 34, and Tyson Foerster will be 29. Their replacement(s), if drafted by the Flyers, will be 23.
We all know that the Flyers badly need a center and a left-shot defenseman, but they have no incentive to force a pick, especially at center, with middle-six potential players like Jett Luchanko, Jack Nesbitt, Matthew Gard, Heikki Ruohonen, and Jack Berglund already in the fold.
Instead, the Flyers must remain patient, even after a successful season, and go for the best value, whether that's at winger, goalie, or otherwise.
Some players worth keeping an eye on include power forwards Maddox Dagenais and Oscar Hemming, the dynamic Nikita Klepov, and CHL sniper Liam Ruck (and twin brother Markus Ruck).
Dagenais, a center/winger hybrid, looks set to become a winger full-time at the next level, and his combo of size (6-foot-4), speed, and skill will make him an alluring choice for NHL teams.
The Flyers, especially, have a penchant for targeting these types of players, and Dagenais could one day be a logical successor to Tippett.
Flyers Must Consider Top Goalies in 2026 NHL DraftThe Philadelphia Flyers badly need some new blood in their goalie prospect pool, and the 2026 NHL Draft awaits.The Ruck brothers fit the vibe the Flyers are building in Philadelphia, and while Liam is probably one or two rounds better than Markus, they may go closer than that.
Those two, paired with a Porter Martone or Matvei Michkov, could be extremely interesting as a trio if their development goes well.
As for Klepov, he's extremely skilled, but his skating is closer to average. The Michigan State commit will come from the same collegiate pipeline as Flyers prospects Martone and Shane Vansaghi, and that will boost his case.
The OHL scoring champion is a workhorse, too, and could be a prolific add to the Flyers when paired with more or similarly-skilled players.
I also wanted to touch on Hemming, a beastly Finn who played in the NCAA for Boston College this past season, scoring a goal, seven assists, and eight points in 19 games.
The 18-year-old is extremely quick going north-south for the 6-foot-4 size at his age, and he uses that size as a weapon at both ends of the ice.
The agility needs work, and some teams will frown upon that more than others, but the Flyers have shown a willingness to tackle such weaknesses in the past.
A No. 1 center is clearly a priority, but these kinds of talents at Pick 21? The Flyers can't get greedy like they did with the Luchanko and Nesbitt picks the last two drafts.
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Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gets a favorable matchup tonight against Philadelphia Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo, and his underlying metrics suggest a breakout performance at the plate may be imminent.
Read on for my Blue Jays vs. Phillies predictions and MLB picks for Wednesday, June 10.
Jesus Luzardo owns a 4.35 ERA while ranking in the 59th percentile in opponent expected batting average this season. He also hasn't done a great job limiting quality contact, ranking in just the 58th percentile in barrel suppression.
That spells trouble against Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who matches up well against Luzardo's arsenal (four-seamer, changeup, sweeper). He owns a .340 batting average against those pitches along with a 24.4% line-drive rate this season.
He's also displayed an excellent approach at the plate this season, ranking in the 91st percentile in expected batting average.
More so, Vladdy's hard-hit rate against Luzardo's pitch mix has jumped to 57% in June, up from his 45.8% season average. Given his naturally low launch-angle profile, that increase in hard contact should translate into more line drives and sharply-hit balls finding the outfield grass. I'd bet this up to -150.
COVERS INTEL: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s singles make up for 79% of his 67 total hits this season.Kazuma Okamoto matches up very well with Luzardo’s three-pitch mix, owning a .417 average and a 16% barrel rate against them when facing southpaws. I’ll add Over 0.5 hits for Okamoto to my SGP.
Jays starter Max Scherzer has faced J.T. Realmuto 64 times in his career and owns a 31.2% strikeout rate against him. The Phillies catcher also owns just a .184 average against the four-seamer with a 19.6% K-rate, which is Scherzer's top pitch.
Luzardo gave up three homers in his last outing, but went four straight starts prior without allowing one, so we’ll just make this a half-unit wager.
However, Okamoto’s hitting profile matches up extremely well against the Philadelphia Phillies starter, making him the best bet to go yard tonight for the Jays.
Okamoto barrels the baseball well against left-handed pitchers, resulting in a .417 average against Luzardo’s three most-used pitches with an .833 slug and a 57.9% hard-hit rate.
The Blue Jays have gone Over the total in eight of their last 11 games for +4.8 units and a 41% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Blue Jays.
| Location | Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON |
| Date | Wednesday, 6-10-2026 |
| First pitch | 7:07 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC Sports Philadelphia, Sportsnet 1 |
| Phillies starting pitcher | Jesus Luzardo (4-4, 4.56 ERA) |
| Blue Jays starting pitcher | Max Scherzer (1-3, 9.64 ERA) |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
The NHL Players’ Association has asked the league to investigate Mike Babcock’s ill-fated tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets before Edmonton or any other NHL team can hire him as coach, two people with knowledge of the discussions said.
The request followed reports that the Oilers expressed interest in hiring Babcock. Both people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.
It was not clear whether the league had resumed or restarted an investigation of the veteran coach who has drawn criticism in recent years for his approach with players. All coaching hires are subject to league approval.
Babcock resigned from the Blue Jackets in September 2023, less than three months after taking the job. At the time, Babcock’s requests for personal photos from players in an attempt to get to know them drew criticism as an invasion of privacy.
“Our players deserve to be treated with respect in the workplace,” NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said then. “Unfortunately, that was not the case in Columbus. The club’s decision to move forward with a new head coach is the appropriate course of action.”
The union reviewed the situation, but the NHL dropped its planned investigation of the situation when Babcock stepped down.
Babcock, who turned 63 on April 29, has not coached a game in the league since being fired by Toronto 23 games into the 2019-20 season. He coached Detroit to the Stanley Cup in 2008, reached the final with the Red Wings in ’09 and Anaheim in ’03, and helped Canada win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2010 and ’14.
Once considered one of the best in the profession, former players have spoken out about Babcock’s old-school tendencies that some say can be considered bullying.
A report surfaced after the Maple Leafs fired Babcock that he had asked a player to share his ranking of teammates from hardest- to least-hardest working and then shared that with the rest of the group. Former Red Wings player Johan Franzen told a Swedish outlet that Babcock was the worst person he had ever met and said at one point he was terrified to go to the rink.
The Oilers are looking for a replacement for Kris Knoblauch after firing him following their first-round playoff exit, despite back-to-back trips to the final before that. They asked Vegas for permission to speak to recently fired coach Bruce Cassidy, but the Golden Knights rejected that request because he remains under contract through next season.
The NHL Coaches’ Association expressed dissatisfaction over the matter. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Vegas was not in violation of any rules for denying permission.
“We don’t find it unreasonable because we’re allowing it to happen,” he said. “I do think Vegas is clearly within their contractual rights to do what they’re doing.”
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A deadlocked 2-2 series means everything is on the line tonight at the Lenovo Center. As the Hurricanes look to capitalize on home-ice advantage against Vegas, all eyes are on Brandon Bussi to see if the rookie can repeat his Game 4 magic.
Look for the Golden Knights to test him early—making Bussi a major focal point in my Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes predictions and NHL picks for Thursday, June 11.
Hurricanes: Carolina has won two of the past three games in the series with a 54.9 expected goals percentage, and the Hurricanes turning to Brandon Bussi in net paid off in Game 4.
The Hurricanes have also won the 5-on-5 possession battle with a 57.3 Corsi For percentage, and Vegas starter Carter Hart sports a confidence-shattering .861 save percentage with 3.86 goals allowed below expected.
While the Vegas Golden Knights have been on the losing end of the five-on-five possession battle with a 42.0 Corsi For percentage, they’ve consistently pushed back, and their 47.5% shot share paints a far clearer picture of how the series has played out through four games.
As a result, I’m anticipating the Golden Knights showing up on time and with an emphasis on testing Carolina Hurricanes rookie goalie Brandon Bussi in Game 5.
Bussi has only faced 22.76 shots per 60 minutes since taking over the crease in Game 3, and Vegas has recorded 25.2 shots per 60 this postseason, so a slight uptick from the Golden Knights is all it will take for Bussi to clear this low total.
I recommend this Over down to -110 odds.
The Hurricanes have flipped this series in their favor the past three games with an overall 54.9 expected goals percentage, in addition to a dominant 57.3 CF% at 5-on-5. Additionally, Golden Knights No. 1 Carter Hart has struggled to the tune of an .861 save percentage with 3.86 goals allowed below expected.
Turning to the go-to duo of Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven, they have combined for 33 points during the playoffs while being on the ice for a dominant 4.88 goals and 5.08 expected goals per 60 minutes. Skating to a 65.5 CF% and 72.5 xGF% at 5-on-5 further reinforces their elite play this postseason.
This SGP is in play down to a +380 price.
Vegas center Jack Eichel finally got more pucks through to the net in Game 4, but he’s still searching for his first goal against Carolina. He’s also only scored twice with a 4.1 shooting percentage all postseason despite racking up an impressive 6.59 individual expected goals and 19 high-danger scoring chances.
So, with a go-to offensive role that includes jumping the boards with the No. 1 power-play unit, Eichel is set to snap his scoring slump in Game 5 given the quality opportunities he continues to generate. This prop also shows value all the way down to +200.
The Hurricanes have covered the puck line in 12 of their last 20 games for +8.00 units and a 31% ROI. Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes.
| Location | Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC |
| Date | Thursday, June 11, 2026 |
| Puck drop | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ABC |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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PITTSBURGH –– With plastic cups full of sparkling wine raised in the air around him, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts led a toast to Freddie Freeman in the visiting clubhouse at PNC Park on Tuesday night.
First, Roberts congratulated the team’s star first baseman on reaching 2,500 career hits –– the latest distinguished milestone in Freeman’s future Hall of Fame career.
Then, as Freeman later recounted with a laugh during his postgame address with reporters, Roberts turned to the 36-year-old veteran and took a peek down the road.
“You’d better get 500 more,” Roberts joked.
“That’s a challenge, a tall order,” the skipper later added. “But I’m not gonna bet against him.”
Entering this season, that had been Freeman’s plan following a rejuvenating and fully healthy winter: Play three more years. Retire at the age of 40. And, injury- and performance-permitting, join MLB’s exclusive 3,000 career hits club at some point along the way.
He knew it wasn’t a certainty. As he joked this spring, “Father Time is going to catch up.”
What he didn’t expect, however, was for his latest foray into fatherhood to so quickly change his perspective first.
“I would love to get to 3,000 hits. I would love to. I’m not going to deny that,” Freeman said Tuesday night. “But do I know if I’m going to get there? I don’t know.”
Indeed, while 3,000 hits remains a goal for Freeman –– who would be just the 34th player all-time to accomplish the feat –– the journey still required to get there has raised newly conflicting feelings for the nine-time All-Star and former National League MVP.
In April, Freeman and his wife Chelsea welcomed their fourth child and first daughter London Rosemary Joy into the world. In a family of all sons previously, having a baby girl in the house was like stepping into a whole new world for Freeman himself, too.
“We just stare at her all day,” he said upon returning from the paternity list two days after London’s birth. “It’s been special the last couple days. We got to take her home last night. So we had one night with her. And I already miss her.”
Over his 17-year career, of course, Freeman has long become accustomed to the trade-offs of being both a dad and a big-league ballplayer; to all the little moments that get missed, and all the FaceTime calls that only compensate for so much, amid long seasons spent largely at the ballpark or on the road.
Still, this year, the toll of it all has impacted Freeman more than he expected.
“It’s just hard when you’re seeing her growing up on the phone,” he told The California Post later Tuesday night, in a quiet moment of reflection from his locker after the plastic cups had been put away and the bottles of celebratory champagne re-corked. “She’s already moved up to bigger diapers, and I didn’t really get to see it. So that’s the hard part … It weighs on my heart.”
Freeman first noted such emotional complexities in an interview with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal last month.
Unlike with his three sons, who have become fixtures around Dodger Stadium during the slugger’s five-year tenure with the club, he pointed out then how his daughter won’t be old enough to remember his playing days, even if he hangs on until his 40th birthday.
“I’m missing things for something she’ll never know,” he said. “She’s not going to know I missed these things either.”
With each passing week and each new road trip, he reiterated on Tuesday night, that feeling has gnawed at him even more.
“If you would have asked me three days ago, I’d have said, ‘Oh, I’ve got three more years,’ because I had just been home and taking the kids to school,” he said. “But if you ask me [at the end of this trip] against the White Sox on Sunday, after five days on the road, I’d be like, ‘Next year is good.’”
That doesn’t mean the pull of 3,000 hits has gone away.
On Tuesday, when he eclipsed the 2,500 mark with an RBI single in the Dodgers’ 10-run seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he relished the reception he got from teammates and coaches in the clubhouse, and let his mind wander to what another 500 knocks would mean.
“The next one,” he said, “is the big one.”
The closer he gets, though, the more difficult the pursuit will become.
“When you get up there [in career hits], everyone is talking about it,” he said. “And I get it. I get how special it is, I do. But if that’s the only reason I’m still trying to play and leaving my family every other week, to go get a round number, is that really gonna change how people view it?”
Some of this might wind up being out of Freeman’s control.
There’s the threat of a lockout next season, which would likely dash his 3,000-hit dreams if much (or, in a worst-case scenario, all) of the 2027 schedule is wiped out by a work stoppage.
“I’m not gonna be 41 [and still] playing,” he quipped.
There’s also his uncertain long-term contract situation, with the Orange County native –– who has repeatedly stated his desire to retire with his hometown Dodgers –– set to become a free agent at the end of 2027.
“I’m not gonna go play with another team just to chase a round number,” he said.
That’s why, for now, Freeman is simply grateful to still be playing at a high level, to still be competing for World Series titles with a dynasty Dodgers club, and to still be experiencing other milestone moments like Tuesday’s.
“There’s always another goal to get to,” he said. “But to step back and realize how long you have to play, the consistency over that –– to play at a high level over many, many years –– to get there, it does mean a lot.”
As for where it leaves his pursuit of 3,000 hits?
“I’ve been blessed to play a long time, so if it didn’t happen, I would be OK with it,” he said. “I never played for individual numbers to begin with. So if I’m all of a sudden chasing individual numbers, then I’ve lost what baseball means to me. And baseball has meant everything to me. I’ve already accomplished a lot. So if I’m doing it for individual things, then I think I’ve lost what I set out to do this for.”
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Of all the sportscasters I have known over the years, the man who calls the Rangers play-by-play for MSG Networks and splendidly does NHL for TNT, is the one you are most likely to call your best friend if you ever got to know him.
That's a handsome double-dip; being the best in the business and just about the nicest guy in a tough-tough industry.
At the moment you must know that Sir Kenny Albert is busy at work covering one of the most gripping Stanley Cup playoffs of this or any other era dating back to the NHL's birth in 1917.
Play on the ice will dictate how far the rest of this series will go. But play has been so gripping that all certified hockey nuts are rooting for Golden Knights and Hurricanes to push this tourney to a Game Seven.
Not surprisingly Pal Kenny is among those who savor a Game Seven as much as any savant from here to the Aleutian Islands.
"Game Seven," says Albert, "are the greatest two words in sports because everything is on the line. You can feel the tension through the entire arena. Every shift matters."
Over the years Kenny has had the great, good fortune to have worked 26 NHL Game Sevens either on the tv or radio side -- including seven that required overtime.
Albert: "The most memorable happened to have been the first I ever did, 1994, when the Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. That one I did for NHL Radio."
Other Albert favorites: 1. Alex Martinez scoring in overtime to beat Chicago in the 2014 West Final; 2. Derek Stepan in 2015 and Artemi Panarin 2022, Game Seven OT winners at The Garden.
"Then," notes Albert, "there was Pat Maroon sending his hometown Blues to the West Final in double OT in Game Seven against Dallas in 2019 and Game Seven in Winnipeg in 2025. The hometown Jets trailed St.Louis by two goals with under two minutes remaining in regulation.
"The crowd exploded when Adam Lowry deflected the series-winner past Jordan Binnington in double overtime."
Asked to pick one of the most exhilarating days of his career, Albert recalls that time in the Edmonton bubble in 2020 when he had the opportunity to call not one but two Game Sevens in the same day!
"It was Dallas vs. Colorado and Vegas vs. Vancouver. In the Stars-Avs match Joel Kiviranta
completed the Seventh game seven hat trick in NHL history with the overtime game-winning goal!"
Who knows? With the Canes-Vegas Final tied at two games apiece, we just could be heading for a Game Seven finale of all finales!
Matt Larkin released his latest trade board for Daily Faceoff. Six Buffalo Sabres were among the players listed, as Devon Levi, Jordan Greenway, Michael Kesselring, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis all made the cut.
Levi has been the subject of trade rumors for a while now, and it is easy to understand why. The young netminder has dropped to the fourth spot on the Sabres' goalie depth chart and did not make a single NHL appearance for Buffalo this season. Yet, when noting that he is a former top prospect, there could be some teams out there willing to take a gamble on him.
With the Sabres needing to free up cap space, it makes sense that Greenway is being viewed as a trade candidate. His cap hit is high for what he provides as a bottom-six forward. While this is the case, he could generate some interest from teams with good cap space that are looking for more toughness in their bottom six.
Kesselring has been a very popular name in the rumor mill since the Sabres' playoff run ended. The fit has not been there between the Sabres and Kesselring, so it would make sense if Buffalo traded the pending restricted free agent. Despite having a tough season, he could get the Sabres a decent return because he is a big right-shot defenseman who has had past success.
As for Luukkonen, Lyon, and Ellis, they were included in Larkin's "Names to watch based on roster surpluses" tier. With the Sabres having three goalies on their NHL roster, it makes sense that they have each been included. However, when looking at how well this trio performed for them this campaign, the possibility of the Sabres running it back with them again next season is there.
Gregg Popovich is no longer the Spurs’ head coach, but his voice still carries inside the organization.
That became clear before San Antonio’s Game 3 win over the Knicks, when the legendary former coach delivered a surprise message to the team before its trip to New York, according to The Athletic.
The Spurs trailed 2-0 in the NBA Finals after losing the first two games at home and faced the possibility of their season ending in a sweep at Madison Square Garden.
Popovich, who now serves as San Antonio’s basketball president after his coaching career was cut short by a stroke in November 2024, did not make the trip to New York with the team.
But before the Spurs’ charter left Texas, he boarded the plane and spoke to the group.
The moment came during an unexpected delay on the runway, caused by a flat tire on another plane ahead of San Antonio’s flight.
Popovich, 77, used the extra time to remind the Spurs that the series was still within reach.
De’Aaron Fox told The Athletic that Popovich’s message was that San Antonio had dug itself into a hole, but could still climb out of it.
Fox added that Popovich urged the team to be “confident” and reminded them “there’s a reason why we got here.”
The speech landed at the right time.
San Antonio responded by beating the Knicks 115-111 in Game 3 at the Garden, cutting the series deficit to 2-1.
Fox helped seal the victory, hitting a midrange jumper over OG Anunoby with 12.2 seconds left to put the Spurs ahead by five points.
Popovich spoke to the team for close to 10 minutes before spending additional time talking individually with players and coaches, per The Athletic.
He reportedly was also seated next to Victor Wembanyama during part of the visit before leaving the plane.
Fox said Popovich’s words still matter because he does not address the full group without purpose.
“It’s always good when he comes around,” Fox told The Athletic, adding that Popovich “doesn’t just address the group just to talk.”
Popovich, who coached the franchise to five championships between 1999-2014, was at least in attendance for Game 1 of these finals.
That presence remains significant for a young Spurs team trying to win a title sooner than expected.
San Antonio missed the playoffs last season, but it finished 62-20 this season behind Wembanyama, Fox and a young roster that has come together quickly under head coach Mitch Johnson.
Johnson replaced Popovich on an interim basis before getting the job full time.
The New York Knicks are known for rolling out the celebrity carpet for those who sit in the famed courtside seats, and they continue to bring out the big guns for NBA Finals halftime entertainment.
For Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, the halftime entertainment at Madison Square Garden was Cardi B, a Bronx native.
Game 4's halftime show will be Staten Island's own Wu-Tang Clan.
The iconic rap group with members the RZA, the GZA, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killah and Method Man, along with Masta Killa and Cappadonna, will take the court on Wednesday, June 10 before heading back on their tour in late August.
Once they conclude their final stop of Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber in Phoenix, Arizona, on Oct. 4, the group will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Finals: Wu-Tang Clan performing halftime of Game 4 at Madison Square Garden
After news broke that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade, hockey insiders had to tweak their NHL Trade Boards, launching him to the top. Ultimately, with a new No. 1, most of the players already on the board slide down a spot, or saw their values increase and decrease based on potential landing spots for Larkin.
In The Athletic's latest NHL Trade Board (subscription required), released on June 8, 2026, Blake Coleman remains the only Calgary Flames skater to make the list, ranking 14th.
The 34-year-old Coleman is entering the final year of a six-year deal he signed back in 2021, with a cap hit of $4.9 million per season. As a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Coleman is entering his sixth season with Calgary and is coming off a 20-goal, 35-point performance in 2025-26.
Interestingly, Coleman's best season has come with the Flames, when he tallied 30 goals and 54 points in 2023-24, to rank second in goals behind Yegor Sharangovich and third in points behind Nazem Kadri and Sharangovich.
Since taking over as General Manager, Craig Conroy hasn't been afraid to deal big names, including Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin, Jacob Markstrom, Andrew Mangiapane, Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and Tyler Toffoli, to name a few.
As the only player in the Flames dressing room with multiple Stanley Cup wins on his resume, Coleman brings invaluable experience, especially to the next generation of Calgary stars like Dustin Wolf, Zayne Parekh, Connor Zary, and Matt Coronato.
Already an alternate captain, any deal involving Coleman would give the Flames a decent return, whether it's prospects, draft picks, or a young player looking for a new opportunity.
The return for Coleman won't be anything like what the Red Wings could get for Larkin, or what the Vancouver Canucks got for Quinn Hughes. Still, if Conroy is moving out veterans and looking for young talent hungry for a future battling for the Stanley Cup in the new Scotia Place, then he'll pull the trigger on a deal at the 2026 NHL Draft, or at some point during the season.
Coleman's next goal will be his 100th in a Flames sweater. Since joining the club in 2021, his stat line reads 99 goals, 100 assists, and 199 points in 392 games with a plus-54 rating. Through 10 NHL seasons, Coleman has scored 170 goals with 155 assists and 325 points in 693 games. In 65 playoff games, he's bagged 12 goals and 31 points with a plus-17 rating.
Where the Flames Rank Among NHL's Longest Stanley Cup Droughts
Hart Trophy, Selke Trophy Among NHL Awards Never Won by a Flame
Where Are They Now? Revisiting Conroy's Flames Draft Picks
Ranking Cliff Fletcher's 5 Biggest Trades as Flames General Manager
A Brief Flames Stint Is Keeping Jagr's Wild Stanley Cup Final Teammate Streak Alive
With the Phillies finally on track and playing better baseball, it seems clear the fanbase won’t have to endure an All Star Game as dreary as the last one played in Philadelphia.
In 1996, Veterans Stadium was on the verge of falling down. Stray cats ruled the concourses. The scent or urine hung high in the air. All the bunting in the world couldn’t make the dark, cavernous Vet look like it deserved to host the sport’s premier mid-summer event.
Even worse, the ‘96 Phils were flat-out awful. By June 18, they had fallen into last place in the NL East and never emerged from the basement. They were 37-49 at the break, 16 ½ games out of first place, and would eventually fall 29 games out with 95 losses.
They had one All Star named to the team, closer Ricky Bottalico.
This time around, the country will be celebrating its 250th birthday, with the stars of MLB centered in the cradle of Liberty. It’s only fitting that the Phillies be well represented at Citizens Bank Park next month.
As of now, there are six Phillies who can make strong cases for a spot on the team – Christopher Sanchez, Kyle Schwarber, Jhoan Duran, Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler and Brandon Marsh.
The problem with saying “Brandon Marsh should be an All-Star” is that, yes, in a vacuum, Marsh is having an All-Star season. There’s no two ways around it.
By virtually every metric, Marsh’s career year should land him on the NL roster for the Midsummer Classic. But as history has taught us, deserving players get left off of All Star rosters every year.
It’s a numbers game. Each roster will consist of 32 players, 20 position players and 12 pitchers.
The mandate remains that every one of the 16 teams have at least one representative. There also needs to be a certain number of players at each position to give managers some flexibility. You can’t have 10 outfielders and one first baseman.
The fans will also have their say. Fans get to vote on who the position player starters will be. This is a wonderfully American and democratic thing, but it sometimes allows players who are having lesser seasons earn an All Star nod they might not otherwise deserve.
So when considering whether a player has a realistic chance at making the team, one must take these factors into consideration.
Let’s take a look at the six Phillies mentioned above and rank them from most likely to least likely to make the All Star squad.
In his outing Monday night in Toronto, Sanchez gave up two runs. I mean, this kind of decline is really unacceptable. After a 50 ⅔ inning scoreless streak that ran 5th-longest in MLB history was the most for any left-handed pitcher ever, it’s really galling to see him spiral downward like this, isn’t it?
The only real question is whether Sanchez will be named the starter for the NL All Star team. One would think manager Dave Roberts would give Sanchez the nod, given the game is in Philadelphia. Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski is the leading challenger, they are 1-2 in fWAR (3.8 to 3.2), and while Miz edges Sanchez just a bit in ERA (1.50 to 1.54), Sanchez has thrown 93 ⅓ innings to Misiorowski’s 78.
There’s still time for this to change, of course, but whether Sanchez starts or not, he’s a lock for selection.
Only Shohei Ohtani has been a more valuable DH in the National League than Schwarber, and Schwarbs is the NL’s home run king at the moment. He leads with 23 bombs. The next closest players are Matt Olson, James Wood and Hunter Goodman, with 17. His .573 slugging percentage also leads the league, and his .932 OPS is second.
Plus, you’d think Roberts would want him around in case something like this were to come up again.
After converting each of his first 16 saves this season, Jhoan Duran finally blew one.
Yep, he couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead and allowed the first three hitters to reach via singles, leading to a 3-2 Phils loss.
Yet, Duran’s 16 saves are third-most in the National League and, until last night in Toronto, had not allowed a run in any of those 16 opportunities. His overall 2.08 ERA is 3rd among closers and among qualified relievers, his 40.7% strikeout rate is 2nd.
There’s not much to overthink here. The thought of the Durantula entrance from the bullpen in the 9th inning of the Midsummer Classic at Citizens Bank Park is already giving folks goosebumps. He’ll be there.
Harper’s case is less open and shut, but I think there’s a strong chance he’ll be included.
If you look at fWAR, you’d think Harper was having a very “non-elite” season. He’s currently ranked 9th in fWAR (1.1). Here are the players ahead of him entering Tuesday’s action.
There’s no world in which Harper is not making the team because Stewart, Hicks, Horwitz, Burleson, or Busch have higher fWARs. Not happening.
Among NL first basemen, Harper’s 14 homers are 2nd-most (Olson, 17), his 41 runs scored are also 2nd, and his .866 OPS is 3rd. But there is a numbers crunch here.
If the National League only takes three first basemen, there’s a chance Olson, Freeman and Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers could be the three to make the team. Bauers’ .911 OPS and 154 wRC+ are tops among all NL first basemen, his 12 home runs are 3rd-most, and he has six more RBIs than Harper.
Of course, there are still a few weeks until rosters are decided, but while I feel it’s likely Harper would get selected ahead of Bauers, Roberts could decide to select Bauers if he feels Milwaukee needs another representative and the Phils are otherwise well accounted for. But then again, can they really tell Bryce Harper he’s not going to play in an All Star Game being hosted by his hometown Philadelphia?
There is no doubt Marsh is having an All-Star worthy season. His .333 batting average is tops in baseball, and he’s become one of the game’s most lovable young stars. His power is coming around too, with three home runs in his last four games, pushing his total up to 8 for the season.
But like with Harper, Marsh could be facing a numbers game and, in this case, fan vote could make it very difficult for him to get in.
Marsh’s fWAR ranks tied for 9th in the NL, but that’s not the big worry. Juan Soto, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Kyle Tucker all have lower WARs. Tucker has barely been better than a league average hitter this year (104 wRC+) and Acuna (126) hasn’t been as productive as Marsh (142). Soto, however, has been a touch better (147). All three of these players are exceedingly popular and could all be voted in despite none of them being in the top-10 in NL WAR among outfielders.
There are also other outfielders having as good, if not better, seasons than Marsh. The Cardinals’ Jordan Walker is having a breakout season, too, leading all outfielders in wRC+ (158). That’s tied with Washington’s young superstar James Wood. He’s definitely making the team. Corbin Carroll is third (154).
Michael Harris II, Andy Pages, Ian Happ, San Francisco’s Casey Schmitt, and Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong are also extremely strong candidates.
Much of this will come down to who gets voted onto the team. Marsh has a good chance if one of Acuna, Soto or Tucker is not voted to start, and an even better chance if two of them are not. Generally, seven outfielders make the roster, although there have been as few as six and as many as eight in years past.
We discussed Marsh’s candidacy in depth on the latest Hittin’ Season podcast. Check it out!
Wheeler got a late jump on the 2026 season, but he’s more than made up for it since re-joining the Phils’ rotation.
Wheeler pitched another gem last night in Toronto, giving up just one run on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks in six innings, lowering his ERA to 2.22. Among NL pitchers with at least 50 innings, that ranks 5th, and he’s allowed opponents to hit just .181 off him. That’s tied for 3rd in the NL among pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched. He’s been extremely good.
Like Marsh, the issue could come down to numbers. You see, it’s an insane year for starting pitching in the National League.
There are four starters with a better ERA right now: Chase Burns, Sanchez, Misiorowski, and Ohtani. Now, Ohtani is getting in as a DH, so we don’t have to count him among the pitchers Wheeler will contend with. Paul Skenes will make the team. Chris Sale is having another phenomenal year. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Justin Wrobleski have been incredible for the Dodgers. Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez is having his best season, Milwaukee’s Kyle Harrison is 2nd in the NL in K/9, and even the Mets’ Clay Holmes, with only nine starts this year, has a 2.39 ERA.
If he continues to pitch like he did in Toronto on Tuesday night, he may very well get selected, despite missing the first month of the season.
In short, I think the Phillies will be well represented at this summer’s All Star Game.