The Detroit Tigers began June en fuego, winning seven of their first nine games this month, including series wins over a pair of division-leading teams — a sweep of the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays and taking two of three from the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners. Since taking two of three from the Minnesota Twins at home, however, the team has reverted back to its losing ways.
After that hot start to the month, the Motor City Kitties have dropped four of five, with a de facto two-game sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Guardians and dropping two of three to the Houston Astros. Next up are the Chicago White Sox, who have been rather surprising so far in 2026 and are in a battle with the Guardians for the top spot in the AL Central.
Opening things up at home for a three-game weekend series against their division rivals is ace left-hander Tarik Skubal, whose return from the injured list last time out against Cleveland was a bit underwhelming. The 29-year-old lasted just 4 2/3 innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on five hits (one home run) and a walk while striking out four and hitting a batter in for his third loss in a 3-1 defeat.
For the ChiSox, right-hander Erick Fedde will take the mound on Friday night for just the second start in his last six appearances. The 33-year-old’s previous start came against the Twins on June 3, when he tossed five frames of scoreless ball on two hits and a walk while striking out a pair for his first and only win of the season.
The game before that, Fedde faced the Tigers in relief, throwing four frames of two-run ball, allowing four hits (one home run) and three walks while striking out three in a game Chicago went on to win in extras, 4-3.
Here is how the two match up in the series opener on Friday.
Detroit Tigers (30-44) vs. Chicago White Sox (38-34)
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:South Side Sox Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 75: LHP Tarik Skubal (3-3, 2.81 ERA) vs. RHP Erick Fedde (2-5, 4.50 ERA)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 15: Gabriel Rincones Jr. #17 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits his first career home run in the bottom of the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park on June 15, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to an odd, baseball-less Friday. The Phillies played the Mets yesterday, and they’ll play them tomorrow, and they’ll play them the day after that, but they’re not playing them today.
Jun 16, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) attempts to catch a home run during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Happy Friday everybody,
Today is Juneteenth, an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. This holiday was not recognized until 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.
The A’s are celebrating by making tonight’s first of four home games against the Los Angeles Angels African-American Heritage Night.
While outfielder Lawrence Butler is the only African American on the current A’s roster, the franchise has employed some of the greatest Black players in MLB history, from Rickey Henderson (the Man of Steel) to Reggie Jackson (Mr. October), Frank Thomas (The Big Hurt) and Coco Crisp (Mr. Bernie Lean).
Down on the farm, two of the A’s top 10 minor-league prospects, outfielder Devin Taylor and infielder Kuroda-Grauer, hope to add more of an African-American presence to the A’s roster in the coming years.
Overall, MLB still struggles with roster diversity as squads primarily consist of White and Latino athletes. According to MLB.com, Black players make up 6.8% of active and inactive Opening Day rosters in 2026, marking two consecutive years of growth. This is the highest percentage in nearly a decade, yet more work remains.
The Athletics were deeply ingrained in and involved with the diverse Oakland community during their 57 years spent playing at the Oakland Coliseum. They continue to remain active in the communities of their temporary home of Sacramento and future home of Las Vegas. However, both cities have fewer African American residents than the East Bay, making any community impact there likely less impactful.
Meanwhile, struggling veteran left-hander Jeffrey Springs gets the start tonight, looking to reverse his recent slump and get back in the win column After falling short on Pride night earlier this week, it would behoove the Athletics to secure the win on this special day.
A’s top prospect Leo De Vries continues to hold his own in Double-A. He remains on track to reach Triple-A Las Vegas sooner than later, which would be the last stop on his supersonic ascent through the minor leagues.
The first pitch Leo De Vries saw Wednesday night? Gone.
The A’s pitching staff continues to give up runs at an alarming rate. It is a testament to the team’s offense that they are entering the weekend with a nearly .500 record, which outperforms their expected record of 32-42 based on runs scored and allowed.
Zack Gelof’s re-emergence as an everyday starter and major contributor has arguably been the Athletics’ biggest bright spot so far this season.
If someone told you last season that Zack Gelof would have a 21-game hitting streak this season, you would have looked at them like they had three heads…
What do you think of this draft proposal as well as the corresponding one for international players?
MLB today proposed an overhauled domestic amateur-entry system that removes high school players from the draft, makes college players eligible after sophomore year, shortens the draft from 20 to 12 rounds, and cuts bonus pool from current $358.7M to $200M, sources tell ESPN.
NEWS: MLB has proposed an international draft, just like it did during the last round of talks. This one is for roughly the same money but significantly fewer slots.
Sep 6, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; The Baltimore Orioles honor Cal Ripken Jr.'s 30th anniversary of record 2,131 consecutive games before a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Another series, another series loss. The O’s dropped the opening leg of their three-city road trip with a 2-0 shutout loss to the Mariners yesterday, which you can read about in my game recap if you’re so inclined. If you missed the game, don’t worry; so did the Orioles’ offense. The Birds’ bats have been M.I.A. in two of the first three games of their West Coast tour, and things are only going to get tougher, with a three-game series against Shohei Ohtani and the 48-27 Dodgers up next. Good luck.
The Orioles continue to be stuck in quicksand, gradually sinking deeper into the muck without making any real progress toward freeing themselves. They’re back to six games under .500 with 76 games in the books. That’s barely improved from where they were after 50 games, at a season-worst eight games under .500 on May 20. Improving by just two games over nearly a month’s worth of action is probably not the best way to vault the Orioles into contender status…although, with the current sorry state of the American League, who knows?
In the meantime, there’s some changes going on behind the scenes, where Orioles legend and part owner Cal Ripken Jr. is set to take on a larger role in player development, as reported by both The Athletic and The Baltimore Banner. The idea is for Cal, who grew up under “The Oriole Way” during his Hall of Fame playing career, to help emphasize fundamentals throughout the organization. The O’s, as you might have noticed, aren’t a particularly good defensive team, and they’ve been sloppy at some aspects of baseball that don’t necessarily show up in the box score — failing to turn double plays, missing cutoff men, etc.
At first glance, the idea of a team owner becoming heavily involved in on-field operations could spark unsettling flashbacks to the late-90s era of the Orioles. But then again, this is Cal Ripken, not Peter Angelos. If there’s anyone who knows the finer points of baseball and is qualified to dispense such wisdom, it’s the Iron Man. And as the Banner article notes, Ripken will be just one part of a larger group of coaches and personnel who are tasked with establishing best practices in the minor leagues regarding defense and fundamentals. He’ll have his say, but he’s not taking over the whole operation himself.
There’s a sizable contingent of O’s fans who have been clamoring for years for Ripken to take on an on-field role, with some even suggesting the Orioles should hire him as their manager or general manager. I’ve never quite understood that sentiment, and I say that as someone who considers Cal my all-time favorite player. It’s been 25 years since he retired and he’s never held so much as a coaching role since then, so I don’t see any reason to believe he’d be capable of taking on such a prominent position as skipper or GM.
But this? Working behind the scenes, offering tips to young players on how to prepare, how to position themselves, how to focus on the minute details of playing defense? That’s up his alley. Whatever work that Ripken and the development team do might be too late to save this Orioles season — akin to closing the barn doors after the horses have gotten out, and all that — but if there’s a chance that it can have a positive impact on the future of the ballclub, them I’m all for it.
The hard-throwing lefty’s rocky 2026 season has dropped him off some prospect lists, but the Orioles insist his struggles will only make him stronger in the long term. Uh, sure. Let’s go with that.
Adding injury to insult yesterday, Adley Rutschman might be hurt after taking an errant throw off his head. If this team didn’t have bad luck, they wouldn’t have any luck at all.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! A whopping seven former Orioles were born on June 19. They include right-handers Cody Sedlock (31), Logan Verrett (36), and Willis Roberts (51); outfielders Val Majewski (45) and Butch Davis (68); and lefties Bruce Chen (49) and the late Don Ferrarese (b. 1929, d. 2024).
On this date in 1962, the Orioles signed 18-year-old shortstop Mark Belanger as an amateur free agent out of Pittsfield HS in Massachusetts. It was a good decision. Belanger debuted in the majors three years later and developed into an all-time elite defender at shortstop, manning the position for 17 years with the Orioles and winning eight Gold Gloves.
Random Orioles game of the day
On June 19, 1969, the Orioles blanked the Washington Senators, 2-0, to notch their seventh straight win. Dave McNally improved to an incredible 10-0 on the season by throwing his second consecutive shutout and fourth of the season, holding the Senators to a meager two hits, both singles. McNally would finish the season with 20 wins and 11 complete games. Washington righty Jim Hannan countered with seven shutout innings of his own before the O’s broke a scoreless tie with two runs against reliever Dennis Higgins. The aforementioned Mark Belanger reached base three times on two hits and a walk.
Sep 10, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; General view of the helmet used by the Milwaukee Brewers before the start of the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The Brewers bounced back this week with a strong homestand that featured a pair of series wins over the Phillies and Guardians, keeping a hold atop the NL Central. The Brewers are now in Atlanta as they’ll face off with another one of the best teams in baseball thus far in the Braves. They’ll then face a stretch of NL Central opponents in the Reds, Cubs, and Reds (again).
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.
Happy birthday to Blake Parker, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1846 – First officially recognized baseball game (played by Cartwright Rules) – NY Nine defeats the NY Knickerbockers 23-1 in Hoboken, New Jersey, and other stories as well.
2019 – One day after fouling a bunted ball in his face during batting practice and breaking his nose, Max Scherzer takes the mound for the Nationals against the Phillies sporting a prominent black eye. He still stymies the opposition with seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 win. “Trust me, this thing looks a lot worse than it actually feels,” he explains to journalists.
1865 – Union General Gordon Granger declares slaves free in Texas, now the date the end of slavery is celebrated across the US as Juneteenth.
1917 – The British Royal Family, which has had strong German ties since George I, renounces its German names and titles and adopts the name of Windsor.
1936 – German boxer Max Schmeling KOs up-and-coming American heavyweight Joe Louis in 12 rounds at Yankee Stadium, New York.
1937 – Second of two legendary recording sessions by Delta Blues musician Robert Johnson with producer Don Law at the Vitagraph Studios, Dallas, Texas.
1946 – First TV sports and boxing spectacular, Joe Louis KOs Billy Conn in a match broadcast across New York.
1960 – Loretta Lynn records “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl”.
1964 – Ameican folk singer Bob Dylan completes his first UK tour.
1970 – Jim Bouton’s controversial baseball diary “Ball Four” is published.
1971 – Carole King starts a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with the double A-sided single “It’s Too Late / I Feel The Earth Move.”
1973 – “The Rocky Horror Show” stage production first opens in London written by Richard O’Brian and directed by Jim Sharman and starring Tim Curry.
1978 – Garfield, created by Jim Davis, first appears as a comic strip.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 5-7 at Columbus Clippers — also note that George Lombard Jr. went on the seven-day IL yesterday due to his sprained fingers
C Austin Wells 2-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI — homered twice (first went 376 feet; the second went 392) and caught the full game, so great rehab appearance 2B Marco Luciano 1-3, BB SS Oswaldo Cabrera 2-4, 2B, SB — swiped home on double steal with Ornelas in the eighth RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-3, BB, RBI, 2 K 1B Tyler Hardman 0-3, BB, fielding error 3B Jonathan Ornelas 1-4, SB DH Payton Henry 0-3, BB CF Duke Ellis 2-4, 2 K, SB, CS LF Kenedy Corona 0-2, BB PH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-1
Alexander Cornielle 4 IP, 7 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 6 K, 2 HR, pickoff (loss) Zach Messinger 1 IP , 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Carlos Lagrange 1.2 IP 2 H, 4 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, HR — the runs might have been unearned, but the homer was tattooed; just a reminder to be patient with his bullpen conversion Yerry De los Santos 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 6-7 at Portland Sea Dogs
CF Jace Avina 2-3 BB, K PH-3B Kevin Verde 0-1 RF-CF Garrett Martin 2-3, 2B, BB, RBI, K, SF DH DJ Gladney 0-4, RBI, 2 K, SF LF Jackson Castillo 2-5, RBI, K, outfield assist 1B-RF Nicholas Torres 1-5, 2 K 3B-1B Coby Morales 1-4, HR, BB, 3 RBI, 2 K — 12th homer in 62 games C Manuel Palencia 1-4, 2 throwing errors PH Miguel Palma 0-1, K 2B Connor McGinnis 0-3, K SS Owen Cobb 1-3, 2B, BB
Jack Cebert 4 IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, HR, HBP (loss) Kelly Austin 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, WP Tony Rossi 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, HBP, WP Harrison Cohen 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Coby Morales BLASTS his 12th HR of the season to get Somerset within one with two outs in the ninth! pic.twitter.com/ohvpBwPOXy
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:Rained out at Rome Emperors (will not be made up)
Low-A Tampa Tarpons:L, 5-16 vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels — Tarpons allowed nine combined in the seventh and eighth as Mussels took control
DH Jackson Lovich 1-4, 2B, BB, 2 K, CS CF Brando Mayea 0-1, BB — first game off the IL CF Willy Montero 1-2, 2B SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — dingered in garbage time 3B Hans Montero 0-4, 2 K RF JoJo Jackson 2-4, CS LF Logan Maxwell 0-2, 2 BB, K, SB C David McCann 1-4, K, throwing error — Fort Myers went 7-for-8 on steals, including home on a double steal 1B Austin Green 0-4, RBI, 2 K 2B Luis Escudero 2-3, 2B, BB, RBI
Wyatt Parliament 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, throwing error (loss) — oh no J.T. Etheridge 2.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R (8 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, HR, 2 HBP, pickoff — OH NO Jordarlin Mendoza 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, HR — threw the game’s 19 fastest pitches, topping out at 99.1 mph and averaging 98 with the fastball and sinker Parker Seay 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K — fine aside from allowing Fort Myers’ 20th hit on the day
Florida Complex League Yankees:L, 4-7 and W, 10-4 (7) vs. FCL Phillies
Game 1 — completion of June 16th game that was suspended in the top of the third
3B Richard Matic 1-4, HR, RBI, 2 K, throwing error — led off June 16th with a bomb DH Queni Pineda 0-4, 3 K 2B Leni Done 0-3, BB, K, 2 SB CF Jose Castro 2-4, HR, RBI, K — had a solo shot of his own the other day, his fifth in 17 games RF Francisco Vilorio 1-4, 2 K SS Dexters Peralta 2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2 K — saved his extra-base hits for yesterday as FCL Yanks built 4-0 lead through six, which didn’t hold LF Estivenzon Montero 0-1, K (June 16th) LF Wilberson De Pena 0-3, SB C Justin Capellan 0-3, 2 K, passed ball 1B Christofer Reyes 0-3, K
Brian Hendry 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K (June 16th) Stanly Alcantara 3.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, HR, HBP Anthony Mena 1.2 IP 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K (loss) — he and Alcantara fell apart in a six-run seventh that zoomed the Phils from a four-run deficit to a two-run lead Marco Manzano 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Game 2
3B Richard Matic 2-4, 2 2B, BB, K, throwing error C Queni Pineda 1-3, 2B, BB, RBI, 2 K C Diego Flores 0-0 2B Leni Done 3-3, HR, 2 RBI, HBP, 2 CS — perfect “nightcap” at the plate, beginning with a two-run dinger in the first; his knock in the third then gave Yanks a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish DH Jose Castro 0-3, 2 K, HBP CF Francisco Vilorio 2-4, 2B, K SS Dexters Peralta 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, K — also went deep LF Robbie Burnett 0-2, BB, 2 K, HBP RF Estivenzon Montero 1-4, 2B, 2 K 1B Christofer Reyes 1-4, RBI
Jerson Alejandro 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, WP — bumpy stateside debut, but bullpen picked him up Manuel Cruz 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 4 BB, 5 K, 2 WP, pickoff error (win) — steadied the ship, even with some walks Sunayro Martina 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, WP
Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 14-7 (7) at DSL Miami — this was actually a 6-3 deficit going into the final frame … before the DSL Yanks scored 11; what a league!
CF Isaias Castillo 0-4, BB, RBI, K — bases-loaded walk put DSL Yanks ahead late SS Stiven Marinez 1-3, 2 BB, RBI, K, 3 SB RF Yostin Pena 3-5, HR, 4 RBI, K, 2 SB — solo shot in the first and late had RBI in separate at-bats in the seventh DH Juan Torres 1-4, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, 2 K LF Manuel Aguilar 2-4, HR, BB, 2 RBI, 2 K — his first career pro homer plated two and made it an 11-run frame in the seventh 1B Juan Martinez 1-3, 2B, BB, RBI PR Kendry Diaz 1-1 — scored tying run in the seventh after consecutive wild pitches from Junior Pina 1B Edgar Jimenez 0-0 C Cesar Lopez 3-4, 2B, HBP 3B Abrahan Pichardo 0-1, 4 BB, fielding error 2B Alfred Ciriaco 0-3, 2 BB
Dominican Summer League Bombers:W, 14-2 vs. DSL Rangers Blue — had 14 runs of their own to match their other DSL team, albeit in a regulation game; 10 were scored in the last two innings to take a 4-1 ballgame to the final score
DH Daniel Santana 1-4, BB, K, 2 SB SS Mani Cedeno 0-4, BB, 3 K, fielding error 2B Carlos Bello 0-4, BB, 2 K RF David Carrera 1-3, HR, BB, 3 RBI, outfield assist — first pro homer made it a 3-1 ballgame in the fourth C Alessandro Rodriguez 2-4, RBI, K, SF — all three runners scored on his eighth-inning sac fly with the bases loaded because the Rangers made multiple errors, hell yeah 1B Poly Ojeda 2-5, RBI — the 4-6 hitters all have an OPS that starts with nine 3B Germayhoni Beltre 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K, SB LF Richard Meran 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K — RBI triple started the six-run party in the eighth LF Eddison Charles 0-0 CF Alfiery Matos 0-1, BB, 4 SB, 2 HBP — go go, go Alfiery go, go; Alfiery B. Goode
Cesar Acosta 9 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 4 BB, 11 K, 2 WP, pickoff (win) — damn, I don’t know when I last saw a minor-league, nine-inning complete game at this level but his pitch count must have been great (the 11 punchies sure were)
BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 6: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks look on during the game on December 6, 2024 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors are swirling and there are people talking about how the Celtics could make a deal without including Jaylen Brown.
That is not something that the Boston Celtics should be doing.
Yes, a Big 3 of Antetokounmpo, Brown and Jayson Tatum would be awesome but in this 2nd apron era, it would be too difficult to build a true contender around those three players for a lot of reasons.
Let’s start with what Boston would need to give up. Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser would all need to go out in the deal to make it legal and even still, the Celtics would be taking in more money than they’d be sending out. That means Boston would be hard-capped at the first apron of $209 million.
It would also send out all of their remaining future draft capital and probably one or two of their young wings of Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh or Baylor Scheierman, which limits all flexibility they have to get better around those three players.
It would really limit their ability to get better around the three stars. Having three guys making $174 million with a $209 million hard cap would put them at a disadvantage that would be close to insurmountable. This isn’t football where they can push money into future years. Boston would be trapped with those three players at those salaries.
Sending out three of your most important role players without the ability to replace them is not a business that the Celtics should be getting into.
We have seen a team try and build around three players making 35% of the cap in the apron era, the 2023-24 and 2024-25 Phoenix Suns. It was an epic failure, the Suns didn’t win a single playoff game over those two years and missed the Play-In Tourmanent in 2025 before breaking up the team last summer.
Now, Antetokounmpo, Tatum and Brown is a better trio than Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but unlike Boston would be able to, the Suns spent into the 2nd apron to try and build around those three players. Boston, meanwhile, would only be allowed to spend $35 million to fill out the last 12 players on the team.
If you look at the past two NBA champions, the Knicks and Thunder, those two teams were built around their stars and a bunch of high level players around them. Even the 2024 Celtics had Tatum and Brown making 35% maxes but Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis were all great support players. Swapping Brown for Antetokounmpo allows for Boston to continue building that way; trading three of their top 6 players does not.
In conclusion, if you are hoping that the Celtics could trade for Giannis while keeping Jaylen Brown, don’t hold your breath. It is complicated to pull off and it would limit the Celtics team-building so extremely that it could close any championship window they would be hoping to have.
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 12: Darryn Peterson participates during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 12, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards are less than a week away from the NBA Draft. Hell, it’s next Tuesday, June 23! And the Wizards are rattling sabers behind closed doors. NBA Insider Marc Stein reported on his newsletter last night that they are taking a closer look at Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.
With only a few days to go before Tuesday night’s first round of the NBA Draft, multiple draft experts have passed along that they legitimately believe Washington could select Kansas’ Darryn Peterson over BYU’s AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick.
“Increased consideration” is the way one well-placed insider put it.
Just so everyone is aware, if we haven’t said it a million times already, consideration doesn’t mean that the Wizards WILL do something. But it is food for thought.
Meanwhile, the NBA world still seems to be focused more on the New York Knicks winning the 2026 NBA Finals. Good for them. The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are the early favorites to win the 2027 Finals per FanDuel. In our national SB Nation Reacts survey, fans are more keen on the Thunder.
SB Nation reacts' national results are focused on the Knicks NBA championship. We're still more focused on the draft. Still, here are the national survey results. pic.twitter.com/Mmj8nfkbpC
So if you ask me right now if I think Dybantsa is going to the Wizards? My answer is yes. And yeah, I’m happy that the Knicks won an NBA title once in my lifetime. I’ll be even happier to see the Wizards win a title in my lifetime.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 25: Cooper Flagg (R) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) after being drafted first overall by the Dallas Mavericks during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 25, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 22: Justin Brazeau #16 of the Pittsburgh Penguins moves the puck in front of Mike Reilly #6 of the Carolina Hurricanes at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 22, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins are likely looking at replacing a defenseman from last season. Pierre LeBrun dropped a not unexpected nugget that it looks like Ryan Shea will be headed to the free agency market on July 1 since the Pens aren’t interested in giving a contract with the term (likely 3-4 years) that Shea can command after a breakout season in 2025-26.
One possible name for a Shea replacement could be found via Dom Luszczysyn’s look at free agency in Mike Reilly.
From Mason Marchment to Vincent Desharnais, 10 free agents teams should target this summer based on their expected contracts from @AFPAnalyticshttps://t.co/ReXsFil2P8
No player confounds models on an annual basis more than Reilly. Every year, his on-ice numbers dazzle, and every year, he struggles to get much playing time out of it. C’est la vie.
While I don’t think Rielly is anywhere near as good as last year’s 60 percent xG (!) would indicate — he plays extremely sheltered minutes — I do think he’s capable of third-pair duty. At 6-2, there’s no issue with size either. Reilly is projected to cost about a million bucks and should deliver a bit more value above that with his puck-moving ability.
The description of Reilly sounds similar in some regards to the scouting report on Parker Wotherspoon, before he enjoyed a breakout season in Pittsburgh as a player who did good things with limited opportunities but never fully got established. The salary range of $1 million bucks annually fits the bill too.
Granted, there are some key differences in these two profiles as well. Wotherspoon always carries a better defensive impact. He’s also four years younger than Reilly, who has played NHL games for a decade and bounced around through seven different NHL teams without finding much traction. In Wotherspoon’s case, he was a player that mostly bided his time in the AHL in two organizations and failed to make much headway. Reilly is much different being a journeyman who has been all over the place.
It would be a major reach to project that Reilly could step into top-pair responsibilities like Wotherspoon did and perform that well. The base of his game is too different, Reilly has averaged 40 NHL games over the last five seasons. He has been more a guy to come in and play a part for a period of time, but seldom become a lineup regular. He HAS been able to do it at times (Boston 2022 and 2023, NYI in 2023-24) but often tends to slip back into a depth position, like he did with Carolina this year (42 regular season games, two in the playoffs).
So while it’s a nice thought for a Wotherspoon-esque glow up if given a chance, the fact is that Reilly’s had several chances over the years and never quite latched on, for whatever reason(s) that might be. However, when shifting the focus back for the matter of replacing Ryan Shea, Reilly aligns well style-wise based on that.
Mike Reilly wouldn’t be a hugely glamorous add, but then again neither were the free agent signings of Wotherspoon, or Shea for that matter. Whether or not Reilly, who will have his name etched on the Stanley Cup, gets any additional shine for his free agency prospects remains to be seen, though at this point (and with his 33rd birthday coming up this summer) it seems unlikely the market will heat up an extreme amount.
The Penguins are likely seeking a low-cost, short commitment to players who can join the blueline, Mike Reilly is just the sort of under-the-radar name that would fit the bill and carries some traits to suggest he could provide value to an NHL team next season. It probably wouldn’t end up as much of a success story as the Parker Wotherspoon experiment did, but an NHL team could do a lot worse adding Reilly to the mix, especially since it appears they’ll be watching a defender depart via free agency in Shea.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 04: Ben Rice #93 of the New York Yankees hits his first career home run during the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Yankee Stadium on July 04, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A four-game winning streak came to an end last night thanks to Andrew Benintendi’s late grand slam. Whatever. It’s not news that the bullpen needs work (Tim Hill and Camilo Doval were the villains on Thursday), and even the best teams will take their lumps in that department. The Yankees remainl 8-2 in their last 10 games and already had the series win in the bag.
Next up: the Yankees face the Reds beginning today. For one reason or another, they’ve proved to be a tougher opponent than expected every time they’ve gone head-to-head since 2022, when MLB teams began playing every other club for at least one series on an annual basis. Cincinnati has one three of the four sets, going 7-5 against them with the Yanks’ only triumph coming in a sweep from the otherwise-underwhelming 2023 team. The Reds memorably returned the favor the following year, sweeping the Yankees in the Bronx during their pennant-winning 2024. The only real highlight for the Yanks in that one was Ben Rice’s first career homer. Cincy won two of three last year at Great American Ballpark.
Today on the site, Jeremy will offer an expanded series preview against the Reds, Sam will run through the Rivalry Roundup, and Matt will celebrate the 123rd birthday of one of the greatest and most beloved players in MLB history: the “Iron Horse” himself, Lou Gehrig. (Donate to your favorite ALS research organization in his memory!) Later, Peter will break down an at-bat against Cam Schlittler for his Sequence of the Week, Josh will discuss why MLB’s latest CBA proposal to the players is horrible for the game on multiple fronts, and Madison will answer your mailbag questions.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds
Time: 7:05 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, Reds.tv
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Questions/Prompts:
1. The Yankees’ best three relievers right now are (in some order) David Bednar, Fernando Cruz, and Brett Headrick. Who is next on the depth chart for you?
2. Will you watch any of the Team USA vs. Australia World Cup match in the afternoon today before the Yankees game? If so, any pregame thoughts?
Pride Night signage is displayed before a 2023 game between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. (Meg Oliphant / Getty Images)
Amid the first days of grief after Alex Vesia and his wife lost their newborn daughter last fall, Vesia noticed something as he watched the World Series on television. He paused the broadcast, then checked the video, then texted another player to make sure.
51.
Dodgers teammates wore his number on their caps. So did players from the Toronto Blue Jays.
“It was awesome,” Vesia said. “It was a very heartwarming moment.”
Who knew, really, until this week? Three pitchers from the San Francisco Giants wrote the name of a Bible verse on their Pride Night caps and, amid an uproar, Major League Baseball said it had warned the players that “writing of any kind, with any message” on any playing apparel is not permitted. The issue, the league said in a statement, was not what they wrote on their caps but simply that they wrote on them at all.
Said MLB in the statement: “We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad’, ‘Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom’ and names of family members.”
To its credit, the league did not enforce the rule when Vesia’s number started appearing on caps in the World Series. But, if you’re going to draw a line on enforcement, where should you draw it?
In San Francisco, the actions of the Giants’ pitchers were widely condemned.
“They were in for a rude awakening with the response, and it wasn’t just from the gay community,” Giants broadcaster and former pitcher Mike Krukow told KNBR, the team’s flagship radio station. “It was from the Northern California community that supports the gay community.”
In response to media inquiries, and as first reported by Outsports, MLB confirmed it had warned the three players. I asked the league whether warnings had been issued in two other instances in which players had written on their caps, including Clayton Kershaw last year writing the same Bible verse on his Pride Night cap that the Giants’ pitchers wrote this year. MLB declined to comment.
“I got chastised by the league when I put Charlie [Kirk]’s name on my hat last year, because a man was murdered in cold blood,” Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen told me, “and now these gentlemen who are relievers in San Francisco are getting chastised by the league for putting a Bible verse on their hat. It’s crazy to me.”
Treinen said league officials had told him the rule is strictly enforced.
“I straight up asked Clayton last year, ‘Did they call you when you put that on your hat?’” Treinen said. “He said, ‘No.’”
The Pride caps feature team logos decorated in the colors of the rainbow, a symbol long associated with the gay community. In the Bible verse cited by the pitchers (Genesis 9:12-16), the rainbow represents “the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures.”
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley fired off a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, alleging apparent discrimination “against baseball players who profess their Christian faith” and threatening the league’s antitrust exemption. Assistant U.S. Atty. Gen. Harmeet Dhillon said on national television that players might be able to file a claim for employment discrimination.
That is complete nonsense. This is what you want: When employees raise an issue to their employer, the employer listens and addresses their concerns.
“We have told teams, in terms of actual uniforms, hats, bases that we don’t think putting logos on them is a good idea just because of the desire to protect players: not putting them in a position of doing something that may make them uncomfortable because of their personal views,” Manfred said then.
Teammates congratulate Freddie Freeman after his walk-off home run gave the Dodgers a 1-0 win on June 5, when the Dodgers held their annual Pride Night. Blake Treinen, the winning pitcher that night, elected to wear his regular Dodgers cap instead of the Pride version. (Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
Manfred said the Pride Night celebrations could go on, however a team wished to stage them — or not, in the case of the Texas Rangers, the only one of the 30 MLB teams that declines to hold a Pride Night. And the league still sells Pride gear on its website for all teams, including the Rangers.
In the cases of the Giants and Dodgers, MLB grandfathered each team’s long-running use of a rainbow logo on the cap, with this accommodation to players: If you don’t feel comfortable wearing the Pride cap, just wear your regular cap.
That is what Treinen and outfielder Alex Call did when the Dodgers celebrated Pride Night. That is also what a fourth Giants pitcher did.
“My job is to abide by the rules,” Treinen said. “Ultimately, the only rule we have is to wear our team-issued uniform. So that’s what I chose to do.”
To Treinen, the decision over whether to wear a Pride cap is not about passing judgment on anyone else but about what he sees as the push “to force something on people that you know that is controversial to their faith — and, in fact, straight up against their faith.”
“Kudos to those men over there who are standing strong in their faith,” he said. “It’s a sad thing to corner someone and try to make them feel bad about their convictions.”
I respect Treinen for explaining his viewpoint. To me, wearing a Pride cap for one night does not diminish your faith at all. It might sharpen your convictions. More important, it signals a welcome to everyone in the community that buys the tickets and broadcast subscriptions that help pay your salary.
“I think a few people made it about themselves and not about the community,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie told the Bay Area Reporter.
We always proclaim the life lessons of sports. One of them: Sometimes you have to put the team’s interests ahead of your own.
Sawyer Gipson-Long gave the Hens a decent start, and the offense did the rest. Jace Jung has been running hot in June, and he led the way with a double and a home run.
Gipson-Long allowed three runs, but he went 5.2 innings, striking out seven.
Jung opened the scoring with a blast to center field for his 12th long ball of the season. Max Clark singled and scored on a Ben Malgeri single in the third. From there, Rochester chipped away at Gipson-Long to take a 3-2 lead until the Hens broke through in the seventh.
Jung started things off with an opposite field double and Tyler Gentry was hit by a pitch. Tomas Nido and Andrew Navigato walked, forcing in a run, and after the Red Wings went back to the bullpen, new reliever Zach Penrod walked Max Clark to force in a run. A Max Anderson ground out plated another, and a Gage Workman sacrifice fly brought in Navigato to make it 6-3. Two more walks made it 7-3 in a pretty ghastly display from Red Wings’ pitching.
In the eighth, Navigato and Clark hit singles with one out, and then they pulled off a double steal that produced a pair of errors that allowed them both to score. 9-3 Hens.
Ricky Vanasco collected four outs in relief of Gipson-Long. Nick Sandlin allowed a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth. Jung walked and scored on a Navigato sacrifice fly in the ninth. Sandlin allowed two more runs trying to put this one to bed, and Konnor Pilkington had to come on to get the final out, which he did.
Jung: 2-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR, 3 BB
Clark: 2-4, 3 R, RBI, BB, SB
Malgeri: 1-4, RBI, BB
Gipson-Long (W, 3-3): 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 7 K
Coming Up Next: The Hens have a 2-1 lead heading into a 6:45 p.m. ET start on Friday.
Lefty Carlos Peña threw a pretty good game, but the Senators pitching kept the SeaWolves in check all evening.
Peña gave up single runs in the first, fourth, and fifth innings, but he only allowed five hits and no walks. The Senators managed to sequence their hits well, as they also struck out eight times.
Justice Bigbie cracked a solo shot in the seventh inning for the SeaWolves only run.
Bigbie: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, K
Peña (L, 3-3): 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 8 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Friday.
West Michigan Whitecaps 16, Lansing Lugnuts 0 (box)
It’s been a rough first half for the Whitecaps, but on Thursday they were the hammer.
Ben Jacobs fired four scoreless innings with six strikeouts, though he did walk three and battled his command a little bit. He also spent a lot of time waiting between innings as his teammates piled up the runs. Lucas Elissalt was rained out this week, so he was about to get in four innings as well, and he looked great, showing off some good sliders and curveballs as well as a pretty dominant heater. He struck out six, allowing just two hits and a walk.
Of course, the story was the offense. Bryce Rainer and Garrett Pennington led the way as they each homered and collected three hits in this one. Everything Rainer hit seemed to be 112 mph or better, including a pair of screaming singles.
Bryce Rainer smashes a 113-MPH single to center to put West Michigan up 12-0. pic.twitter.com/uDmBYIcl2M
Ricardo Hurtado homered and had two hits. Woody Hadeen had two hits and two walks, while Jackson Strong had two hits and a walk of his own. The Whitecaps piled up 16 hits and four walks, scoring four in the first, two in the second, and then eight runs in an endless bottom of the third in which the Lugnuts also made a couple of errors.
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps are up 2-0 in the now five-game set, with first pitch set for 6:45 p.m. ET on Friday.
Lakeland Flying Tigers 11, Dunedin Blue Jays 3 (box)
The Flying Tigers bounced back with an impressive showing behind Malachi Witherspoon on Thursday to get back into this series with the Blue Jays.
Witherspoon’s consistency remains an issue, because the stuff remains undeniable. He had everything under control in this one, including his changeup, and the Blue Jays had no answers. The right-hander fired five innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts against three hits and a walk allowed. He racked up 13 whiffs, averaging 95 mph with his fourseamer. He allowed a single and a double in the first to produce the run he allowed, and then was dominant the rest of the way.
Malachi Witherspoon with one of his best outings of the year: 5IP 3H ER BB 7K 13 Whiffs
It looks like he broke out his changeup for the first time this season. Some were mischaracterized as sinkers, but we count 11 changes, 7 swings, 2 hits, 4 whiffs. Full video later. pic.twitter.com/dJZHPXDriQ
The Flying Tigers took control in the second when Carson Rucker led off with a walk and Anibal Salas blasted his sixth home run. Salas remains interesting with plus raw power, plate discipline, solid speed, and a strong throwing arm.
In the fourth, Nick Dumesnil, Rucker, and Salas singled in order to produce a run. Zach MacDonald smoked a line drive single to left to plate Rucker, and then Jack Goodman singled in Salas. Beau Ankeney and Edian Espinal got into the act with RBI singles as the inning continued and they batted around with an 8-1 lead.
In the seventh, Espinal led off with a single and Espinal walked. A wild pitch with two outs advanced the runners and MacDonald and Goodman walked to push across another run.
Joe Ruzicka allowed a two-run homer in the top of the eighth, but his teammates came right back for two more in the bottom half as Dumesnil launched a two-run homer.
Nick Dumesnil crushes a 2-run homer to left to put Lakeland up 11-3. It’s his 4th home run of the season. @AaronArnstein on the call. pic.twitter.com/LiKaKt6Lmz
Jack Bushell was lit up in a shorter start this time out after punching out 10 last time out. Johnathan Rogers did even worse, and the Blue Jays just poured it on from there.
What was notable in this game was the return of the Tigers’ 2025 competitive balance round A pick, Michael Oliveto, returning from a broken toe to make his pro debut. He walked twice and struck out once in this one.
Feb 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) celebrates with guard Sam Merrill (5) during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have some tough decisions to make this summer. Anything they choose to do will come with a risk. From making another blockbuster trade to simply running back the same squad. The latter feels like something they can’t afford to do.
That’s because reality has caught up with the Cavs. They’ve built this roster on speciality players that fill specific roles. And while the rest of the NBA is thriving on versatility, Cleveland’s Jenga Tower of one-dimensional skillsets is starting to teeter.
You can dissect the roster and find overlapping talents at every position. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley share the frontcourt. James Harden and Donovan Mitchell dominate the backcourt. There isn’t a whole lot that separates those duos from their counterpart.
The stars of this team aren’t multifaceted. Neither is the supporting cast. They’re a layered collective that looks to be greater than the sum of its parts. That can lead to wonderful things when everything is going right. But relying on that many moving pieces is nearly impossible.
The Cavs need to consolidate.
And since all indicators suggest that the front office is committed to the core four, that turns our eyes to the supporting cast. Flipping one of their three-point specialists for a player of greater variety could help them find long-term solutions in the playoffs.
Max Strus and Sam Merrill come to mind.
Now, I want to be clear. Both Merrill and Strus have been positive contributors. This is not meant to be a knock on either of them. They are fantastic role players to have on your squad, and you can never have enough shooting. Parting with them isn’t easy.
But a team that lacks size and athleticism can not continue to overindex on two three-point specialists who play the same position (even if they’ve refined other aspects of their game).
Look at the teams that have made it to the Finals this decade. You’ll see a clear pattern of length and mobility on the wing. Switchability and versatility enable them to meet any challenge thrown their way. They have players who can provide a counter option when the three-point shot isn’t falling. Cleveland doesn’t.
The Cavaliers’ front office hasn’t successfully added those types of players this decade. That’s not Merrill or Strus’s fault, but moving one of them might offer the clearest path towards finally addressing that this summer.
Of course, this is easier said than done.
It’s one thing for me to tell you the Cavs need to upgrade at a specific position. It’s another thing to actually suggest a realistic deal that will appease both sides. That’s why I’m a blogger, not a GM. I can point out flaws better than I can fix ‘em.
Still, the Cavs should have a clear goal this offseason: get more athletic and versatile. That likely comes with the difficult decision to part with one of their more helpful role players. Making the tough choice should result in a deeper roster that has more answers to problems that can emerge in the playoffs.
