ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 15: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers bats during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tenley Wright/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for September 16, 2026 against the Boston Red Sox: starting pitchers are MacKenzie Gore for the Rangers and Jake Bennett for the BoSox.
Texas looks to extend their winning streak to four games this evening. They are facing Jake Bennett, whose name reminds me of Josh Beckett, and who I thus feel should be a righthanded pitcher, but who is instead a lefthanded pitcher. The righthanded-heavy lineup is being utilized.
The lineup:
Foscue — 2B
Seager — SS
Jung — 3B
Burger — 1B
Nimmo — RF
Langford — LF
Duran — CF
Diaz — DH
Jansen — C
7:05 p.m. Central start time. The game is a pick ‘em.
Former Australian captain Steve Smith says he is still traumatised and is triggered by camera shutters as he prepares to return for a Test tour of South Africa for the first time since the infamous Sandpaper incident ruined his reputation and cost him the captaincy.
MANCHESTER, NH - AUGUST 09: Mason White #52 of the Portland Sea Dogs celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the fifth inning during the game between the Portland Sea Dogs and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Delta Dental Stadium on Sunday, August 9, 2026 in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Photo by Olivia Faulkner/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
A pair of key members of Arizona’s 2025 College World Series team will be making their return to the Grand Canyon State this fall as they work their way toward the big leagues.
Former UA standouts Brendan Summerhill and Mason White are on rosters for the Arizona Fall League, a 6-week developmental league for Major League Baseball’s top prospects. Summerhill will play for the Scottsdale Scorpions and White for the Mesa Solar Sox.
Summerhill, a supplemental 1st round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025 MLB Draft, hit .251 with five home runs and 45 RBI in 85 games this past season, splitting time between Tampa’s Rookie, Single-A and High-A clubs. He played primarily in center field after being a right fielder at the UA.
White, a 4th round pick of the Boston Red Sox, split time between High-A and Double-A and hit a combined .251 with 18 homers and 55 RBI in 101 games. The Tucson native was used at both second base and shortstop after being Arizona’s everyday SS for three seasons.
The 6-team Arizona Fall League runs from Oct. 3-Nov. 14 with most games in the Phoenix area, but on Oct. 10 a doubleheader is set for Tucson’s Kino Stadium. White’s Solar Sox will face the Peoria Javelinas at 12:30 p.m. PT and Summerhill’s Scorpions take on the Salt River Rafters at 3:30 p.m. PT.
A third prospect with UA connections is also set to play in the Fall League. Infielder Demetrio Crisantes, who was signed to play for the Wildcats before the Arizona Diamondbacks took him in the 7th round of the 2022 draft, is on the Salt River roster.
The last former UA player to compete in the Fall League was catcher Daniel Susac, who played in six games for Mesa in 2024. Susac made his MLB debut this season with the San Francisco Giants, hitting .243 with three homers and 22 RBI in 53 games.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Ethan Del Mastro has agreed to a $1.9 million, two-year contract, the team announced Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Del Mastro, a fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft, had been a restricted free agent.
The Blackhawks start training camp Thursday and play their season opener on Sept. 29 at Vegas.
Del Mastro had one assist in 19 games with Chicago last season. He also posted two goals and 16 assists in 45 games with Rockford of the American Hockey League.
The 6-foot-4 Del Mastro made his NHL debut in April 2024. He has two goals and five assists in 45 career games with the Blackhawks.
PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 24: Eric Nachtsheim #80 pitches during the 2026 Draft Combine at Chase Field on Wednesday, June 24, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
And then there were three. The seasons are over in the Dominican Summer League, the Arizona Complex League, and for the High-A Eugene Emeralds. The seven Minor League Baseball affiliates for the San Francisco Giants has been dwindled down to three. After tonight, it will be down to two.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
AA Richmond made a few transactions in preparation for the playoffs. A pair of players from the 2026 trade deadline were promoted from High-A Eugene to Richmond: LHP Henry Lalane and infielder Kaeden Kent. To make space for that pair, utility player Jean Carlos Sió (No. 44 CPL) and LHP Charlie McDaniel were placed on the Development List.
Somewhat hilariously, the Low-A California League released their All-Star team on Tuesday, and San Jose had no players on it, despite having the best record in the league. Kind of funny, though in no small part due to how many of the team’s best players were either promoted, or joined the team after the conclusion of the ACL season. While they didn’t have any players make the team, Ydwin Villegas was named Manager of the League for the 3rd straight season. Very deservedly so!
AAA Sacramento (78-64)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) 9-2 Box score
Some potent offense for the River Cats in this one. So much so, that it’s kind of surprising that they “only” scored 9 runs, since they ended the day with 17 hits, 3 of which cleared the fence (and those 3 were in a span of 4 batters!).
The biggest days belonged to a pair of right-handed hitters who may be using the end of the year to audition for roles in other organizations: shortstop Aeverson Arteaga and designated hitter Eddys Leonard. Both players hit 3-4 with a home run, with Leonard adding a double and Arteaga striking out once.
Leonard, who was briefly added to the roster earlier this year for his MLB debut, but has since been designated for assignment and outrighted, has shown some serious power in AAA this year, with 17 home runs in 94 games across 2 different organizations. That said, the ability to simply get hits — not just home runs — continues to be an issue, and it’s one of the main reasons that he ran out of options before making his debut. Leonard has just a .267 batting average this year (and that mark is only .211 since joining Sacramento), and that’s despite rocking a sub-20% strikeout rate. He just has a hard time finding hits that aren’t homers.
LEONARDS LAUNCHES ONE
Eddys Leonard gets us on the board tonight with a 2-run homer!
Still, there’s plenty of talent in the bat, and he can play multiple spots on both the dirt and the grass, and he’ll only turn 26 this offseason. That’s the perfect type of player to have in AAA as emergency depth and a low-stakes breakout candidate, and Leonard will have no shortage of suitors when it comes time to sign a Minor League deal with a team in the coming months.
As for Arteaga, he’s putting the bow on what has to feel like a pretty successful season. The 23-year old, who is still very talented with the glove, basically lost all of 2024 due to injury, and when he returned it was as though he had never swung a bat before in his life. In 134 games with AA Richmond in 2025, Arteaga had a paltry .508 OPS and a 49 wRC+.
But he hit the brakes off the ball in the 1st month this year after returning to Richmond, and was quickly rewarded with a bump up to AAA. He’s struggled in AAA, which isn’t surprising for a glove-first 23-year old whose sample size of success in AA was just 23 games. But his struggles still represent a dramatic improvement over where he was this time last year, and they’re certainly something to build on for 2027. Last year he looked like a player with no offensive abilities whatsoever; this year he looks like a player who is trying to figure out a new level, and the jury is still out on if he ever will.
MAKE THAT THREE 🫨
Aeverson Arteaga hits our THIRD homer this inning!
The swing is damn pretty when it connects, though.
Like Leonard, Arteaga — who signed in 2019 out of Venezuela — will be a Minor League free agent, and I’m guessing he’ll have plenty of suitors. It’s a long shot that the bat will ever play enough for him to be an MLB regular, but young defensively-talented shortstops are always in high demand to stash in AAA with a “break glass in case of emergency” sign strapped to them.
Rounding out the home run party was someone who we will hopefully see make an MLB debut before the end of the year: catcher Zach Morgan. The 26-year old, who was taken in the 7th round of the 2022 draft out of Fresno State, went 2-4 on the day, and smashed a solo home run.
Morgan has really struggled with the bat this year and, if we’re being frank, his entire Minor League career. But he’s risen the ranks on the back of decent defense, tremendous intangibles, and being liked and respected by his peers and coaches. That earned him a late-season spot on the 40-man roster when Daniel Susac suffered an injury, and while Morgan has been called up twice, he’s yet to get into a game on either side of the ball.
Hopefully the Giants change that. With the team’s massive roster crunch meaning they need to designate for assignment/non-tender 20+ names this offseason, Morgan will almost certainly be cut when the season ends. He’s not the type of prospect where a return to the roster is ever guaranteed, so there is a chance that this is his lone shot at getting into an MLB game. Hopefully the Giants make it happen; it’s more important than getting a few extra at-bats for veteran Andrew Knizner.
That trio accounted for all of Sacramento’s extra-base hits, but other players hit well too. Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) is starting to swing a better bat again after a brutally cold stretch, and he went 3-5 in this game. While Harber did strike out twice, he once again hit the ball hard, with singles that left the bat at 105.1 and 99.3 mph. Also having a 3-hit game was rehabbing left fielder Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL), who went 3-5 with a strikeout. Hopefully he gets back into the Majors before the year ends, but we’ll see.
On the mound, it was another mostly-excellent start from LHP Seth Lonsway. Like Morgan, Lonsway was added to the roster late in the year for some emergency depth, and will almost certainly find himself getting an unfortunate phone call when the season ends (though both players are likely to clear waivers and be outrighted to AAA). But unlike Morgan, Lonsway did make it into a game for his MLB debut. And while the 27-year old, who was taken in the 6th round in the 2021 draft, hasn’t put up good numbers in AAA this year, he’s been on a tear since getting optioned.
This was another such game, as Lonsway threw 6 innings while giving up just 1 hit, though that hit was admittedly a home run (the only run he allowed). It wasn’t an elite display of strike-throwing, as Lonsway threw just 57 of 97 pitches for strikes and walked 4 batters, but any time you give up 1 hit in 6 innings, while also striking out 6 batters, you’ve done something very well.
Since getting optioned, Lonsway has made 3 starts and pitched 17.2 innings, allowing just 10 hits and 4 runs, albeit with only 12 strikeouts and 9 walks. Like Morgan and Arteaga and Leonard, he’s a good player to have as emergency depth in AAA: southpaws who can eat innings always are!
After Lonsway it was a pair of rostered RHPs whose time in the organization may be coming to and end: Ryan Walker and Tristan Beck. The Giants might choose to keep Walker, given how nasty his stuff is and that he has 2 more option years remaining, but it’s no sure thing. He’s been dreadful in the Majors this year (after struggles last year), and his time in AAA hasn’t been particularly encouraging, either. That included this game, where he allowed 3 hits and a run in 2 innings, with 2 strikeouts.
As for Beck, he’s been repeatedly passed over for MLB opportunities, and is out of options, so the writing would seem to be on the wall. He’s still got a lot of talent to offer someone, though (maybe he’ll clear waivers and get outrighted), and he showed it in this game, as he struck out the side in the 9th inning, with just a walk allowed.
AA Richmond (0-1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) 18-6 Box score
The Squirrels ended the regular season scuffling, and that has, unfortunately, carried over into the playoffs. Richmond lost 9 of their final 10 regular season games, and they started the playoffs with a blowout loss in the best-of-3 division series. They now need to win back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday to keep their season alive, and advance to the championship.
The good news: both of those games are at home, and RHP Jackson Flora is expected to start on Thursday.
Well, I’ve prevaricated long enough. I suppose now I need to actually talk about the game that happened, and not just future outings and the current situation. We’ll start with the offense, because there actually were some good things there … in fact, there were some great things there. Namely, there were great things from the 2025 draftees who received midseason promotions to Richmond, shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) and center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL).
2026 will go down as strong full-season debuts for both players, drafted in the 1st and 3rd round, respectively. Kilen, a 22-year old lefty from Tennessee, had steady performance at both High-A Eugene and Richmond, posting a matching 112 wRC+ at each level. He followed that up with a stellar showing to open the playoffs, as he hit 4-5 with both a triple and a double, though he did commit an error.
Cohen, a 22-year old lefty from Rutgers, showed off tremendous contact skills with plus defense and baserunning this year. After having an .803 OPS and a 117 wRC+ in High-A, he cooled off to a .736 OPS and a 99 wRC+ with Richmond … but even that “cooling down” came with a .300 batting average and a 9.6% strikeout rate. Across the 2 levels, he stole 46 bases in 58 attempts. He positively showed out in his AA playoff debut, hitting 3-5 with both a home run and a double, while also recording an outfield assist at home. What a day!
Not too much else on offense. Second baseman Kaeden Kent got promoted when Eugene’s season ended, and the 2025 3rd-rounder, acquired in the Heliot Ramos trade, went 1-5 with a strikeout in his AA debut. Third baseman Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL), first baseman Sabin Ceballos (No. 43 CPL), and designated hitter Dayson Croes all had 2-hit days, while right fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) had a tough game, hitting 0-5 with 2 strikeouts. Left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) had the only non-Kilen/Cohen extra-base hit, as he went 1-4 with a triple and 2 strikeouts.
But the pitching. Oh goodness, the pitching. On the one hand, it was an exciting pitching day, because it featured some exciting names. On the other hand, it was an awful pitching day, because … well … it was awful.
It was particularly awful for the pair of Richmond pitchers who were acquired at the trade deadline. Getting the start was RHP Miguel Mendez, who was brought over in the Robbie Ray trade. It’s been a struggle for Mendez, who posted an 8.44 ERA and a 4.91 FIP in 4 regular season starts with the Squirrels after the trade. Kilen and Cohen will be sad that postseason games don’t impact their season stats, but Mendez will be quite happy, because Tuesday was a day to forget. The 24-year old righty, who is a rostered player and headed to the AFL next month, got knocked out in the 1st inning. Here’s how it went down:
Single Walk Kilen error Strikeout Hit by pitch Grand slam Fly out
And with that, Mendez had thrown 30 pitches, given up 5 runs (4 earned), and recorded 2 outs. And his day was over.
After Ryan Vanderhei recorded the final out of the inning (but not before giving up 4 baserunners and 3 runs), the Giants turned to LHP Henry Lalane for the 2nd.
For Lalane, an extremely intriguing 6’7 prospect who came over in the Heliot Ramos trade, it was his AA debut. He opened the season with New York’s Low-A affiliate, where he was dominant, posting a 2.73 ERA, a 2.64 FIP, and 11.7 strikeouts per 9 innings before getting promoted to High-A shortly before the trade. It wasn’t the smoothest transition, as Lalane, a 22-year old, had a 3.86 ERA, a 4.78 FIP, and just 8.0 strikeouts per 9 innings in 8 starts between the 2 franchises.
But with Eugene’s season over — and with the Giants needing to make a Rule 5 protection decision with Lalane — they sent him to Richmond for a playoff outing.
And there he quickly learned that it’s a harder league. Like Mendez, Lalane was unable to get through an inning. Here’s how his night went:
Walk Double Balk Single Strikeout Single Double Single
Believe it or not, Lalane’s final line — 0.2 innings, 5 hits, 1 walk, 4 runs, and 1 strikeout — could have looked notably worse. The leadoff walk was out at the plate on a nice defensive play by Cohen, otherwise it would have been 0.1 innings and 5 runs, instead of 0.2 innings and 4 runs. Small victories.
Either way, Lalane has had a strong year and is one of the organization’s top pitching prospects. But this was certainly a reminder that development takes time.
I would love to say that the bullpen settled in after those disasters by Mendez, Vanderhei, and Lalane, but in reality, they were only good by comparison. RHP Shane Rademacher ate up some innings, but gave up 2 runs in 3.1 frames. LHP Esmerlin Vinicio gave up 3 runs while pitching just 1 inning. RHP Mitch White gave up 4 baserunners in just 0.2 innings, though he somehow only gave up 1 run. The only bright spots were RHP Marques Johnson, who pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout, and LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL), who struck out the only batter he faced.
Low-A San Jose (1-1)
San Jose Giants beat the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) 9-1 Box score
You knew they wouldn’t go down without a fight. The Baby Giants ended the regular season having won 20 of their last 22 games, and then kicked off the playoffs with a 2-game sweep over the Stockton Ports in the division series. But then they got crushed by the Storm 12-1 on Sunday, and suddenly were facing elimination in the best-of-3 championship series.
But after Tuesday’s win, they now get the best thing in sports: a winner-take-all championship game tonight.
And my goodness did San Jose get there in exhilarating fashion. They may not have pitched a shutout on Tuesday, but they did something even rare: a no-hitter!
It was a thrilling no-hitter, accomplished by one of the organization’s top pitching prospects and a pair of selections from July’s draft. It was RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) who got the start, and not only did he play a huge role in a huge accomplishment in a huge win, but he did it while celebrating his 20th birthday! What a day!
Cayama took down the 1st 5 innings of the game, and was borderline flawless. He needed just 68 pitches to get through those 5 innings, and walked just 2 batters, while striking out 7. Just a stunning performance.
Despite that dominance, Cayama did give up a run, though it was an unearned run, and it happened through quite a sequence of small-ball events: Cayama walked the leadoff runner in the 3rd inning, then moved him to 2nd on a balk. After Cayama struck out a pair of batters, the runner moved to 3rd on a passed ball by catcher Rod Barajas Jr.
Cayama then walked his 2nd batter, at which point the runners at the corner executed a successful double steal, resulting in a stolen home. Funnily enough, at the time it gave Lake Elsinore the lead, so it looked like quite a harmful (and bizarre) series of events!
But of course, it would not be harmful. Those were the only baserunners Cayama would allow in his 5 innings, and when his season finale ended, he handed it off to a pair of youngsters who kept the good times rolling.
First up was RHP Ian Korn, the team’s 10th-round pick in July. Korn was unhittable for 2 innings, giving up just 1 baserunner on a hit by pitch, while striking out 1. He gave way to 6th-round RHP Eric Nachtsheim, who was thoroughly dominant. Nachtsheim threw 16 of 24 pitches for strikes, retired all 6 batters he faced, and struck out 3 of them.
Cayama, who had a 4.87 ERA, a 4.27 FIP, and 11.5 strikeouts per 9 innings for San Jose this year, will certainly be in High-A Eugene when the 2027 season starts, and I’ll be curious to see if Korn or Nachtsheim join him there. Neither did more than get their feet wet post-draft: counting the postseason, Korn pitched 8.2 innings, and Nachtsheim just 4.2.
The pitchers were obviously the heros in this game, but there were some good hitting performances as well. Second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) and center fielder Andy Polanco had the best days in the batter’s box, with the former hitting 1-3 with a double, a walk, a hit by pitch, and a strikeout, and the latter going 3-5 with 2 stolen bases. Both players struggled at times to hit this year, before really turning it on in the 2nd half of the season. Meola, a 3rd-round pick a year ago, was particularly successful in the 2nd half, as he absolutely dominated in July and August, which allowed him to finish with an above-average line (.821 OPS, 103 wRC+). With a fantastic middle-infield glove, and 135 Low-A games to his name, it’s all but guaranteed that Meola will open 2027 in High-A.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Conor Essenburg #34 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the first inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The official post-season All Star teams for A-ball have been released by Minor League Baseball, and five Atlanta Braves prospects made the teams for the Carolina League and the South Atlantic League – though you could also argue for one snub.
In Low-A Augusta in the Carolina League, Conor Essenburg and Luis Guanipa took two of the three outfield positions, while Daniel Brooks took one of the two reliever positions. Essenburg hit .286/.427/.564 with 14 homers in his first professional season, while Guanipa bounced back from two injury plagued seasons with a .303/.365/.452 slash and 11 homers to go with 37 steals.
Brooks, who has become one of the stories of the second half of the season in the Braves organization, had an 0.65 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts in 27.2 innings as he made 12 of his 13 appearances with Augusta as a reliever. Tate Southisene, who posted a .929 OPS in only 39 fewer plate appearances than Essenburg, was left off the team in favor of a player with a .844 OPS in more at bats, as was Davis Polo.
For High-A Rome in the South Atlantic League we saw Eric Hartman take one of the outfield positions and Cam Caminiti had one of the four starting pitcher spots. Hartman enjoyed a breakout that took him from sleeper prospect in the Braves system to Top 50 prospect nationally, hitting .273/.364/.525 with 24 homers and 38 stolen bases. Caminiti had a 3.89 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 93 strikeouts in 83.1 innings during his time in Rome.
DETROIT (AP) — Dylan Larkin will not skate with the Detroit Red Wings when training camp starts on Thursday due to an upper-body injury, according to interim general manager Shawn Horcoff.
Horcoff said Larkin was hurt earlier this week during off-ice training.
Larkin's future with the franchise is in limbo because he asked to be traded during the offseason.
"Our focus is getting Dylan healthy," Horcoff said Wednesday when asked about the timetable to potentially make a move with Larkin.
The Red Wings announced last week that Larkin would report to training camp, adding that he's no longer the team's captain.
Horcoff was named interim general manager on Tuesday, when former GM Steve Yzerman was moved into his new role as a senior advisor. Yzerman abruptly stepped down in mid-July, and the Red Wings said any decisions about Larkin's future would be made by the next person in charge of hockey operations.
Larkin has five seasons left on the eight-year, $69.6 million contract he signed in 2023. That deal includes a no-trade clause and he initially told the Red Wings he would only accept a move to Florida, Minnesota or Las Vegas.
The 30-year-old center has played his entire NHL career in Detroit, which took the former Michigan star with No. 15 pick in 2014. Larkin ranks 10th in franchise history in scoring with 643 points.
Larkin was an important role player for the U.S. when it won Olympic gold at the Milan-Cortina Games in February.
The Yankees announced later that he left with lower right leg tightness and was replaced by Heliot Ramos for his sixth-inning at-bat.
The Yankees are easing him back after being out since May 31, but Judge had Tuesday off and generally when they are taking him out early for rest, the team waits until after his at-bat.
Judge entered Wednesday hitting .243 with 18 home runs and 41 RBIs in 65 games. He missed 84 games with a fractured right rib, an injury he had suffered before in 2019 and then apparently reinjured in April of this season.
With less than two weeks left in the season and the Yankees chasing the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East, New York can replace Judge in right field. They cannot replace his bat.
There is no update on Aaron Judge as of this moment
The Colorado Avalanche thought they had solved their goaltending problem when they signed Mackenzie Blackwood to a five-year, $26.25 million contract.
Then Scott Wedgewood went out and made the decision a whole lot harder.
What happened last season isn’t likely to happen again, at least not to the same extent. Wedgewood and Blackwood shared the net for much of the year, but the Avalanche now have a pretty clear idea of how they want things to look.
They want Blackwood to establish himself as the starter.
Head coach Jared Bednar made that clear Wednesday during Avalanche media day ahead of training camp, although he also made sure to emphasize that nothing is being handed to anyone.
“Clean slate, to be determined,” Bednar said Wednesday at the Michelob ULTRA Mountain House. “I think the offseason — injuries, surgery, missing training camp — that kinda set Mackenzie back a little bit last year, and he worked extremely hard to get back on top of his game. This year he had an incredible offseason. Our staff has been in touch with him through the summer and he put in a tremendous amount of work to come in the best shape of his life. He’s excited about the season and we’ll see where it all goes. But I’m excited for him and the season he has the potential to have.”
On the surface, the situation is pretty straightforward.
The Avalanche acquired Blackwood on Dec. 9, 2024, and after just four starts, they committed to him long-term, signing the goaltender to a five-year, $26.25 million extension carrying an average annual value of $5.25 million.
Wedgewood, meanwhile, has spent most of his career as a backup but has developed into one of the NHL’s more reliable goaltenders. He is making $2.5 million this season and is entering the final year of his contract.
That’s where things get complicated.
Colorado clearly envisioned Blackwood as its No. 1 goaltender for the foreseeable future. Otherwise, there would have been little reason to hand him a five-year extension so soon after acquiring him.
The problem is that nobody could have expected Wedgewood to play the way he did last season.
And he didn’t just play well. He forced the Avalanche to reconsider a decision they thought they had already made.
Wedgewood has spent eight seasons in the NHL, but the early part of his career was spent bouncing between the New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes and Dallas Stars. During that stretch, his numbers looked more like those of a typical backup, with a goals-against average around 3.23.
That began to change during the 2022-23 season in Dallas, when Wedgewood posted the first sub-3.00 GAA of his career in a significant workload. He went 9-8-3 in 21 appearances with a .915 save percentage.
That started to change during the 2022-23 season in Dallas, when Wedgewood posted the first sub-3.00 GAA of his career in a significant workload. He went 9-8-3 in 21 appearances with a .915 save percentage.
He then played just five games for Nashville before arriving in Colorado, where the expectation was fairly straightforward: Wedgewood would be a dependable veteran backup who could give the Avalanche quality minutes when they needed them.
Instead, his two seasons in Colorado have been anything but ordinary.
Wedgewood has posted a 2.00 GAA and .919 save percentage during his time with the Avalanche. When Blackwood was unavailable to start last season, Wedgewood was given the opportunity to hold down the crease.
He did much more than that.
Wedgewood established himself as Colorado’s starter, making a career-high 45 starts and finishing with a 31-6-6 record. Along the way, there were countless highlight-reel saves and plenty of nights when he bailed the Avalanche out of trouble, stopping goals that very easily could have changed the outcome of games.
As outstanding as “The Woodshed” has been, though, all good things eventually come to an end.
Here’s the reality: The Avalanche didn’t invest $26.25 million in Blackwood for him to get outplayed — or, in this case, out-goalied — by a goaltender making roughly 110 percent less than him. Blackwood is also the younger of the two, turning 30 on Dec. 9, while Wedgewood turned 34 last month.
The Avalanche have made their investment in Blackwood, and now they need to see a return on it.
The Hockey News was told by someone close to Blackwood in recent months that he is in the best shape they have ever seen him in and is coming into the season determined to reclaim his spot.
Of course, there is a difference between saying it and doing it.
But when Blackwood’s own head coach is emphasizing how much work he put in over the summer, there could be something to it. And based on what we’ve seen during the optional skates, Blackwood has looked significantly better than he did at this time last year.
That’s encouraging for the Avalanche.
Because if Wedgewood once again outperforms Blackwood by anything close to the margin we saw last season, Colorado could eventually be forced into an uncomfortable decision.
One of them may have to go.
For now, however, the Avalanche are giving Blackwood every opportunity to prove that the contract they gave him was justified.
There’s no doubt about it: Colorado needs its money man to play like a money man this season.
Mat Barzal will be sidelined two weeks with an injury and could miss the start of the Islanders' season.
The Islanders will open training camp without Mat Barzal — and it looks like the season as well.
Barzal won’t skate for the next two weeks after aggravating a prior injury, casing inflammation, the Islanders announced on the eve of training camp.
Given that opening night in Toronto is Sept. 30, exactly two weeks from Wednesday’s announcement, and that beginning to skate does not equate to returning to play, it seems that he will miss time to start the year as well, though how much is not clear.
Mat Barzal will be sidelined two weeks with an injury and could miss the start of the Islanders’ season. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“He is actively working to get back to full health. There is nobody more committed than Mathew to getting his body to the level where he thrives on the ice,” the Islanders said in a statement. “We expect him to continue getting healthy and back in the lineup as soon as possible.”
Regarding the immediate impact on camp and the start of the season, Barzal’s absence punches a hole in the Islanders top six, and disrupts coach Pete DeBoer’s plan to move No. 13 back to center. Someone else — likely Brayden Schenn or Calum Ritchie — will have to fill the second-line center job in Barzal’s stead.
There is now a clear spot open as well for Victor Eklund, who is expected to push for an NHL job at training camp after a superb week at rookie camp. Eklund’s game looks like it fits best in the top six or perhaps the third line, and at least for the time being, the Islanders are in need of someone who can produce points in Barzal’s absence.
Eklund, then, has a golden opportunity to prove himself irreplaceable.
Barzal’s situation, though, might be more worrying than merely missing two weeks.
Though Barzal played 81 games last year and was never injured enough to miss games, he dealt with issues behind the scenes related to a left kneecap problem that required surgery, ending his 2024-25 season. He did occasionally miss practices or morning skates due to maintenance.
slanders center Mathew Barzal (13) looks for the open man as Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) defend. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“Obviously with my injury there was stuff all year that I had to work through,” Barzal said on breakup day. “But every second of my day, really, off days or when we weren’t playing was just about managing my body. That’s just how I am.
“Injuries like I had usually take a year or two years to really start to settle in and feel normal again. I definitely had my own program of staying healthy. I could have played every game this year.”
The Islanders did not indicate in their statement whether this is related, and in response to a text asking, a team spokesman said only that it is “a previous injury.”
Barzal initially committed to play for Team Canada at World Championships last spring, but pulled out in what Hockey Canada said was “a precaution due to a minor, preexisting injury.” At that time, the Islanders released a statement saying Barzal was expected to be ready for camp.
The nature of that injury was undisclosed as well, making it unclear whether it was related to his knee.
In 2023, Barzal also missed the last seven weeks of the regular season with what was suspected to be a right knee injury.
Barzal’s production last season, at least, did not appear impacted. He scored 19 goals and assisted 53 — the total of 72 points was the third-highest of his career. He was the Islanders’ leading points-getter, with no one else breaking 60.
After an offseason in which the Islanders did not make any major additions, instead hoping that Kyle Palmieri’s return from an ACL injury would help buttress their scoring, Barzal is too critical a piece of the puzzle to lose for an extended period.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 15: Daniel Duarte #54 of the New York Mets throws to first for the out in the tenth inning during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Hailey Leonard/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mets are placing Robert Stock and Daniel Duarte on the injured list today and recalling Xzavion Curry and Jefry Yan from Triple-A Syracuse. Stock will be placed on the 15-day IL, retroactive to September 13, due to numbness in his fingers. Duarte will also be on the 15-day IL due to a left hamstring strain.
Stock last started against the Marlins on September 9. He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks in the four innings that he pitched. His ERA currently sits at 5.93, and his WHIP is 1.75 through seven starts and one relief appearance. Stock previously had surgery in March for thoracic outlet syndrome, which delayed the start of his season as well.
Duarte pitched last night in the tenth inning against the Orioles, and while trying to prevent a run on a wild pitch, jumped over Christian Encarnacion-Strand sliding into home plate and landed awkwardly. However, he finished the tenth inning without allowing any more runs to score. His ERA is 2.12, and his WHIP is 0.81 in 29.2 innings pitched in relief for the Mets this year.
Curry has worked out of the bullpen previously for the Mets, and he will get the start tonight in place of Stock. His ERA is 3.44 in 18.1 innings pitched, and his WHIP is 1.31. Yan will return as a relief option, having pitched 12.2 innings in his previous major league stint. His ERA sits at 5.68, and his WHIP is 1.89.
Sep 15, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson hits a double against the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (72-79) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (75-77)
Outfielder Scott Bandura's first games in Major League Baseball this week included a reunion with the player who made him part of Little League World Series history.
“This has always been his dream, to be in the bigs,” Davis said, according to MLB.com. “So for me to come watch him play is pretty cool.”
Bandura's father, Steve, first started coaching Davis in several sports when she was seven years old, and eventually coached the Taney Dragons Little League World Series team a dozen years ago. Davis later lived at Bandura's home for five years when her family moved to New Jersey from the Philadelphia area.
Twelve years after playing as teammates in the Little League World Series, Mo'ne Davis came out to support her former catcher, Scott Bandura!
Davis went on to play softball at Hampton, while Scott Bandura played baseball at Princeton and became a 7th-round pick for the Giants in 2023. He began this year with the franchise's AA affiliate in Richmond, Virginia before being promoted to AAA in Sacramento early in the season.
He was in the lineup as San Francisco's right fielder when the team faced the Cardinals again during an afternoon game on Sept. 16. He has two hits in his first eight MLB plate appearances.
From Williamsport to the Major Leagues.
12 years after Scott Bandura caught for Mo’ne Davis during the Taney Dragons’ unforgettable Little League World Series run, Davis was at Busch Stadium tonight to watch her longtime friend live out his big league dream. pic.twitter.com/ds0gBrzi3F
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 8: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout during the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on September 8, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images) | Getty Images
gambit – noun
a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position
Now, if your mind immediately went to the Marvel Comics character and you were confused, fair enough. Here’s the clip you likely thought of, so we can all feel better and get to the heart of the essay.
And for the record, Freddie Freeman is hardly a minor piece, but giving up a major piece for tactical advantage is called a sacrifice, which wouldn’t be appropriate given the circumstances here, as Freeman returned to the lineup for the September 15 game against the Cincinnati Reds.
A funny thought occurred to me while watching Freddie Freeman these last few months:
“Where did his power go? He sure seems like he’s hitting into more double plays than I remember.”
Looking at Freeman’s stats for the year, apart from the power and RBI numbers being down a bit, nothing looks amiss. Honestly, I originally dismissed the feeling that something was wrong because Freeman was hitting up a storm for about a month after the All-Star Break.
There wasn’t much power behind it, but when someone has a slash line of .367/.402/.411 over 24 games starting from the All-Star Break, pointing out fault feels like searching for a fly in the ointment. Yes, Freeman only had four doubles, eight RBIs, and nearly three times as many strikeouts as walks, but the overall body of work looked pretty good.
Freeman had a solid couple of games in Denver where he hit for doubles power and used the entire field. However, since the Denver series, where Freeman was hitting for average, he’s just not.
When you aren’t hitting for either average or power, alarm bells tend to finally ring.
Power drained
On September 9, Freeman was kept out of the lineup for right knee soreness and was considered day-to-day. To his credit, Dave Roberts did mention Freeman’s slump on September 9.
Roberts said there was no one incident that caused Freeman’s knee soreness, but he believes it has impacted his performance at the plate lately.
“Freddie does a really good job of hitting against his front side, and then when you can’t do that with your front side, your right knee, then you’re compromised,” Roberts said. “I see there’s a lot more swing-and-miss the last few days. That’s just not who he is.”
In the 18 games since the Colorado series until the start of play on September 15, Freeman has a slash line of .215/.338/.292. He does have his only home run of the second half, and his strikeouts-to-walk ratio is about 1.5/1 instead of 3/1 earlier in the year.
The problem is more of the eye test: Freeman is starting to finally look, and maybe move, like his age.
I’m not a hitting expert, but having a diminished knee would make it harder to rotate to hit stuff middle in. On the September 13 broadcast of the finale against the Miami Marlins, Dontrelle Willis pointed out how Freeman is compromised rotationally generally, as pitches he would normally drive the other way are being weakly hit.
Even after Freeman hit a career-high and now league-high in double plays on Sunday, the Dodgers are not seriously entertaining putting Freeman on the injured list, per Katie Woo of The Athletic:
“I think it’s one of those things where we’ve got to manage it … just pick spots to give him an off day here or there,” Roberts said. “Again, we’ve just got to make sure he’s at optimal health when we finish the season. So I think that he might not love it, but giving him a day off here or there might be beneficial.”
The Dodgers don’t believe an IL stint is necessary. Instead, Roberts is working in frequent off days. That’s rare for Freeman, who hasn’t played in fewer than 147 games in any season as a Dodger. Freeman had a scheduled day off over the Dodgers’ previous nine-game homestand and also served as the designated hitter twice in that span. He wasn’t in the lineup in the last game of the homestand on Wednesday, and following a team travel day, he also sat out Friday’s game.
[Emphasis added.]
Freeman insists he feels fine.
Freeman hitting into two double plays and having a key miscue that contributed to the season and series loss to the Miami Marlins seems to indicate otherwise. It’s worth noting that Freeman hit another tailor-made ground ball to second on a pitcher’s pitch in his final at-bat that likely would have turned into another double play had Mookie Betts not doubled earlier in the frame.
“Just talking to him today, he said he felt good,” Roberts said. “Obviously, the swings don’t indicate that, don’t validate that. On the defense, he’s obviously not moving as well as he’s used to.
“I think that he’s doing anything and everything he can to prepare. But yeah, the last week, it’s pretty obvious that he’s not himself in the box.”
Freeman won’t be in Monday’s starting lineup, Roberts said, but should play Tuesday…
[Emphasis added.]
Much like the sense one had when watching the Americanized remake of the original 1954 classic Gojira, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, one would expect a sense of deja vu right now, even with character actor Raymond Burr long dead.
Japanese Original, American Remake
I am typically not one to mince words, and I shall not do so here. Along with Dustin Nosler of Dodgers Digest, I was dead on the money regarding the Dodgers’ malpractice in not acting decisively on Ohtani and his reluctance to admit injury in the face of personal dogma of success.
I argued that the Dodgers had bungled spectacularly, and events worked themselves out to prove my initial hypothesis correct on all fronts. Now the team has backed itself into a corner regarding Ohtani.
Contrary to what some might think, I did not enjoy being right. Frankly, I am correct often enough that I do not need the constant validation, unless it comes from either the Dodgers broadcast team or national media. (In which case, gimme.)
Nobody is blameless in the Shohei Ohtani injury saga. Not the Los Angeles Dodgers’ front office, which should have been more proactive in protecting the team’s biggest star. Not Ohtani, who downplayed the severity of his symptoms. And while hindsight is always 20-20, there were warning signs throughout the last few weeks that suggested a stint on the injured list was the safest course of action if the organization wanted to give its prized star the best possible chance at healing in time to begin the Dodgers’ quest to win three straight World Series.
As the Dodgers prepare to be without Ohtani until Sept. 23 at the earliest, their biggest concern has become a reality. When Ohtani — who is expected to be placed on the injured list on Friday — does return, there is no guarantee he’ll be in optimal condition for the postseason.
[Emphasis added.]
Um, excuse me? To quote one of the finest bits of media from the 2010s, I get to channel Chris Taylor for once and declare the following:
I know, Ms. Woo means nobody relevant, but words matter, and any excuse for referential comedy is a good one.
“I think that if it were a postseason game tomorrow, (Ohtani) would be in the lineup,” manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday afternoon, hours before announcing Ohtani would be placed on the IL. “I think that now you’re talking about two weeks, 14 days. I feel that that’s substantial. He’ll be in a much better place than he was today. Is it going to be to 100 percent? Probably not. But I do think that with this time that we’re taking now he’ll be in an adequate spot to finish the season.”
Adequate is a far cry from healthy. It is fair to question how Ohtani was handled in the second half. Should he have attempted a pitching comeback, knowing his physical health was limited? Should the Dodgers have stopped that push sooner, or placed him on the injured list earlier? In their first season of managing Ohtani as a full-season two-way player, there was always going to be some trial and error. That was acknowledged from the start of the season by both Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. And in fairness, there was a cognizant effort to keep Ohtani as rested as possible, including a season-long six-man rotation and an attempt to maneuver Ohtani’s starts to line up on games prior to a team off day, when possible.
Hindsight is generally 20/20. I am sure if the Dodgers were armed with foreknowledge in a do-over, they would not have Ohtani’s best pitching starts of the year be in Houston and San Francisco … in May.
At the risk of retreading previously covered ground, we shall conclude this portion with Roberts’ regret, especially considering that Ohtani tweaked his arm in his last played game and did not immediately tell anyone about it:
Looking back, it is something Roberts wish happened a week ago.
“I think if we look right now, here today, I would love to go back and put him on the IL,” the manager said. “But I did feel at that moment in time, we all felt that giving him four days was sufficient. He was agreeable. Getting him out there on Monday with the hope that he would be able to play tonight. But where we’re at right now, sure.”
The Dodgers should have followed their own advice or learned from their handling of Ohtani to send Freeman back to Los Angeles for ten days before arriving in Cincinnati.
They didn’t.
The Dodgers have calculated that whatever value Freeman can generate in the waning days of the season is greater than the potential benefit of having Freeman recuperate for ten days, having three days against the already-eliminated San Francisco Giants to use as a tune-up. Hence, the title of this essay: the Freeman Gambit.
Yesterday’s game showed promise, even with a couple of moments that made one grimace. Freeman talked about how his three-hit performance likely ensured he would play on September 16.
Fabian Ardaya of The Athleticreported Roberts’ comments on the health issues of players like Ohtani, Freeman, and Edgardo Henriquez after the Dodgers clinched their fourteenth consecutive postseason appearance:
“I think right now it’s front of mind, it’s not great,” Roberts said. “But I will say this: Once you get to October, athletes have a magical way of feeling better. It happens every single year, where there’s that extra adrenaline that athletes get when you get to the postseason.”
The Dodgers still boast what is likely baseball’s most talented roster and an established track record of postseason success that might be enough to make history. That was the heart of Roberts’ toast: that the Dodgers have not yet played their best baseball.
They still can.
“We just haven’t really gotten everyone all synced up at the same time,” Muncy said. “So it is a scary thought to think what we could possibly do if we did that. So hopefully that’s still ahead for us at the right time.”
Whether the Freeman Gambit pays off over the next two weeks before the upcoming postseason tournament is an open question. Gambits are risky, even when they work.
Apr 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) looks down the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Training camp is approaching, which means we’ve reached the end of our preseason administrative duties and completed the process of ranking every member of the Phoenix Suns based on who we believe the best players are right now.
To everyone who took the time to vote throughout the process, thank you. These rankings give us a baseline for how we view this roster before the games begin. And once the season is over, we’ll come back, do it all again, and see how much those perceptions have changed based on what actually happened on the court.
So, without further ado, here is your final preseason SunsRank:
#
Community SunsRank
1
Devin Booker
2
Jalen Green
3
Dillon Brooks
4
Collin Gillespie
5
Miles Bridges
6
Mark Williams
7
Jordan Goodwin
8
Oso Ighodaro
9
Khaman Maluach
10
Rasheer Fleming
11
Luke Kennard
12
Haywood Highsmith
13
Koa Peat
14
Ryan Dunn
15
Pat Spencer
16
Jamaree Bouyea
17
CJ Huntley
18
Koby Brea
One of the most interesting aspects of the final rankings is where everyone ultimately landed on the Cornerstones. You want to talk about narrow margins? In the community rankings, the difference between Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks came down to one hundredth of a point, with Green barely edging him out. That’s about as close as it gets.
Here’s how the final Cornerstone rankings shake out:
Personally, I had Jalen Green comfortably ahead of Dillon Brooks. Again, this is all subjective, but if I’m looking purely at skill set, I think Green is the better basketball player. That doesn’t diminish what Brooks brings to Phoenix. The culture shift. The identity. The toughness. The attitude. The example he sets for younger players. A lot of that is unquantifiable.
But if I’m asking myself which player I would rather have on my team, regardless of contract, I’m taking Green. And I think the larger point is what each player means for the Suns’ ceiling. If Jalen Green is your second-best player, I believe Phoenix can go further and accomplish more. If Dillon Brooks is your second-best player, you’re probably looking at a much lower ceiling. You know, like getting swept out of the postseason.
I also factor upside into the equation with Green. If he can finally turn the talent and athleticism we’ve seen in flashes into consistent production, it changes everything. It raises the Suns’ ceiling and creates some interesting decisions for the front office when it comes to his future and a potential extension.
For anyone who ranked Brooks ahead of Green, I don’t fault them at all. What Brooks brings to this team is incredibly valuable and hard to quantify. I just don’t know if I see him as the second-best player on a team that wants to seriously compete.
And that’s ultimately what SunsRank is supposed to capture. Not who has the better contract or who we appreciate more, but who we believe is the better player today. Green has more to prove, while Brooks has already shown exactly how valuable he can be. Now the rankings are locked, the debates are documented, and the baseline is established. The fun part comes next. Basketball gets to tell us how wrong we were.
