Jun 23, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Mets are moving Kodai Senga to the bullpen, manager Carlos Mendoza announced before Wednesday’s doubleheader. Mendoza said that Senga could be used in a variety of roles, including multiple-inning bulk relief or high-leverage spots on back-to-back days.
Senga has struggled to the tune of a 10.08 ERA in seven starts this season. Since returning from the injured list with lumbar spine inflammation on June 16, Senga has allowed eleven runs in 7.2 innings. Tuesday night’s start got off to a scintillating start, with Senga touching 98.9 mph and striking out a pair in the first inning — but things swiftly came crashing down, as the Cubs pounced for five runs in the second and two more in the fourth. That seems to have been the final straw in pushing Senga out of the rotation.
“We saw what he’s capable of doing,” Mendoza said in a press conference before Wednesday’s games. “We’ve seen flashes of it. You see the first inning yesterday, and he comes out throwing 98, 99, just throwing the fastball by people.”
With Christian Scott on the cusp of returning from an IL stint with a right hip impingement, Senga’s next turn in the rotation is likely accounted for. Scott, Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Sean Manaea, and David Peterson will be the Mets’ starting five — at least for now. If Senga can replicate Tuesday night’s high-velocity, high-command first inning a few times per week, perhaps he’ll be a valuable piece of the 2026 Mets’ pitching puzzle once again.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 08: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers chase a loose ball during the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena on March 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 109-98. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga was the narrative of the summer. Rumors swirled about whether or not the Milwaukee Bucks would prefer the four quarters on the dollar trade from the Miami Heat or the star-for-star swap from the Boston Celtics. Once the Bucks decided to accept Miami’s trade offer over Boston’s for Giannis, the narrative shifted from one star to another.
Now, Jaylen Brown has shifted into the forefront as one of the league’s best players looking for a change of scenery. There have been teams linked to Brown even when it appeared the Bucks might move Brown to a third team if they received him in a Giannis return.
“The name and team that came back to me is Evan Mobley and the Cleveland Cavaliers.” Mannix went on to describe how Mobley is the archetype of a player that Boston is currently interested in. There would also be some tough money matching that would need to be accomplished as the Cavaliers are currently in the second apron.
Then, once this news started swirling, it required some insight from Cleveland’s best Brian Windhorst. On his regularly scheduled call with ESPN Cleveland, Windy poured some water on this rumor: “I don’t think they are looking to move him (Mobley) right now.”
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A Mobley for Brown trade could be a disaster on multiple fronts. In terms of talent acquisition, it is a real argument that Brown is more talented than Mobley. Obviously, they are two different archetypes of players, so it’s an apples-to-oranges situation. However, the basketball fit is more of a problem when it comes to Brown. Hypothetically, in a world where the Cavaliers make a version of this deal, the nucleus becomes James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Brown vying for possessions and shot attempts.
Brown is not a connective tissue kind of player; I would argue that the way he impacts offenses is similar to the way Mitchell does. We already saw what Mitchell looked like with Darius Garland, someone who also plays their best when they are on ball all the time, and there was strife there. Harden makes more sense next to Mitchell because Harden’s passing, even at this late stage of his career, is a step above the rest.
While Harden can make Mitchell’s shot portfolio easier, Brown would mostly be on ball to generate his own looks. The quotes coming from Brown in recent months about how this is his favorite season he has ever had would also shine a light on the fact that he wants to be the guy on his next team. Mitchell is the guy in Cleveland. Harden knew Mitchell was the guy in Cleveland, which is what made the pairing work offensively.
The situation in Cleveland could become toxic quickly and could become a “your turn, my turn” kind of offense. Kenny Atkinson’s preferred system of ball and player movement doesn’t exactly fit with what a trio of Harden, Mitchell, and Brown would likely turn into.
If the Cavaliers were serious about Brown, it would actually balance the roster more, as well as the offense, to look at a deal around Mitchell for Brown. Although that doesn’t seem like the direction the team is looking for now. At this moment, it seems like the core four group will be back together in some form.
Obviously, things can change; however, for now, it appears that even though the Cavaliers have attractive players, they are equally as attractive to Cleveland.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 21: Brayan Rocchio #4 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on June 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here’s the Guardians’ lineup at the halfway point of the MLB season today, game 81:
With the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on the horizon, there is growing concern among Canadian fan bases surrounding American-born prospects. This concern is valid considering recent trends of American players demanding trades out of Canada. While there is always a future risk that a player will eventually want to head back to the USA, it should not deter the Vancouver Canucks from selecting American players in this year's draft.
While it's true that some players don't want to play in Canada, there are examples in almost every Canadian city of Americans who have committed long-term to their organizations. Last off-season in Vancouver, Brock Boeser signed a seven-year deal while Thatcher Demko re-signed for three more seasons. As for other examples, Kyle Connor is set to begin an eight-year extension with the Winnipeg Jets, while Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson have made long-term commitments with the Montréal Canadiens.
One of the best ways to prevent players from asking out, regardless of nationality, is to build a winning organization on the ice. If a Canadian team becomes a contender, players will be more likely to stay or sign in that city. The Canadiens are a good example, as their players sound very committed to the organization after a recent trip to the Eastern Final.
All of this leads to the big question this week: will the Canucks skip American prospects for fear they may leave or not sign with the organization? The answer should be no, as Vancouver can not afford to skip out on talent at this point in the rebuild. Unless a prospect says they do not have any interest in being selected by a Canadian team, the Canucks should consider drafting them if they are the best player available at the position.
Ultimately, the decision of a few players should not impact how a team like Vancouver operates. Yes, there is potential risk in the future, but missing out on a game-breaker out of fear they may one day ask out is not something that should dictate the Canucks' decisions this week. If Vancouver can start building a winning team, it should ensure that players, regardless of nationality, want to stay with the organization long-term.
Team USA at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge (Photo Credit: Erica Perreaux/CHL)
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 20: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on June 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’ve never been a pitcher— unless we count a few Be a Pro save files in various editions of MLB: The Show —, but I have to imagine it’s something of a relief to throw a fastball. You don’t have to torture your arm with some tendon-twisting, movement-generating motion, you don’t have to worry that your offspeed pitch will get sniffed out and given one-way airfare out of the park. You just get to rear back, and throw it as hard as you can. Just like you did when you were first messing around in the backyard.
Pitchers who face the Phillies don’t always have the opportunity to do so. They first have to work their way past Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, whose faces appear annually on the “WARNING: Do Not Throw These Men a Fastball” list thoughtfully distributed to pitchers league-wide. After that, though, they probably want to toss a bunch of heaters to whoever’s up next. Alec Bohm? He’s got a pretty slow bat. Yes, why not toss him some fastballs? It must be tempting to do so, because he’s seeing a greater percentage of fastballs than any Phillie besides Justin Crawford.
Opposing pitchers reading this, please read the following carefully: do not throw fastballs to Alec Bohm. I know he ranks in the 28th percentile for bat speed. I know he was really bad against fastballs in the first month of the season. He is not bad at hitting them anymore. By telling you this, I have done my due diligence. If you ignore me, I can’t be held responsible.
I really hope they didn’t read that, though. Because I would like pitchers to keep throwing fastballs to Bohm. And so would he, I’d imagine. (All stats prior to Tuesday’s game). His tremendous struggles at the plate in March and April were a result of his dismal performance against fastballs (wOBA of .177) and breaking balls (.191). And so it came as no surprise when he kept seeing a steady diet of the same in May. But as the weather heated up, so did his bat. His performance against both fastballs and breaking balls improved in the fifth month, but much more so for the former: his wOBA against the fastball leapt up to .347, nearly double what it had been. His wOBA against the moving stuff went up from .191 to .260; notable, but comparatively modest. In June, his wOBA against breaking balls dropped, but his performance against fastballs just kept rising: wOBA of .423. And yet, he’s seeing a slightly greater percentage of fastballs in June than he did in May, which in turn was a slightly greater percentage than he saw in April. Hence the warning above.
But how’s Bohm doing it? His BABIP against fastballs just keeps rising: it was a dismal .113 across March and April, more than doubled in May, and now sits at a whopping .395 in June. That only gets us part of the way there, though. What’s behind the change in BABIP? Some luck, surely, both good and bad: he underperformed his expected stats against the fastball in April, and he’s overperforming against them in June. But there’s something real there, too. He’s changed the way he’s attacking against fastballs.
Firstly, he’s swinging at them more. He started out the season with a tremendous reluctance to swing at fastballs: 43% swing rate, the second-lowest in a month across his career. But that changed fast: in May his swing rate against fastballs was 48.9%, and it June it was 52%. And his contact rate has followed the same pattern, having gone from 84.7% in March/April to 92.2% this month. Swinging more isn’t necessarily good, but if you’re pairing it with hitting more of the pitches you swing at, well, that alleviates some of the concerns. And it should be noted that this is fastball-specific—he hasn’t increased his swing rate for breaking pitches to an appreciable degree over the course of the season, and he’s swinging less at offspeed pitches.
He’s not swinging at just any fastballs, though. He’s more selective than that. Here’s his swing rates on fastballs, by month, and by Attack Zone.
Swing Rate, Attack Zone
March/April
May
June
Heart
63.6%
75.4%
87.9%
Shadow
47.2%
48.2%
48.5%
Chase
6.3%
22.9%
18.9%
Waste
0%
0
0%
He’s swinging more at fastballs over the heart of the plate, where he can do the most damage.
And the nature of the hits he’s getting on those fastballs have changed. In March/April, 15.7% of his hits on fastballs were line drives, and 51% are ground balls. In May, the split was 25.5%/41.8%, and in June it’s 32.5%/42.5%. That’ll get you better results.
But opposing pitchers just haven’t taken notice. As mentioned above, they’re throwing him more fastballs now than at the beginning of the season. Maybe they’re not believers in what he’s doing, thinking that he’ll regress to the mean sooner rather than later. Maybe they’re just really itching to throw some fastballs after having to avoid tossing them to Schwarber and Harper. If Bohm keeps this up, eventually pitchers are going to stop throwing him so many heaters. But no rush, enemy hurlers— take your time.
ESPN's Shams Charania on Wednesday dropped major purple and gold news, reporting that Reaves "intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract to return to the franchise, with a player option for the final season in 2029-30."
The deal helps bring back a fan favorite who proved to be an invaluable offensive threat, and it also makes some history. The reported deal would make Reaves the highest-paid undrafted player in the league's history.
From making history to what this means for the Lakers' cap room and bringing back LeBron James, the NBA world has thoughts, opinions and analysis on the news:
Austin Reaves, Lakers contract news reactions: What it means
Breaking: Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract to return to the franchise, with a player option for the final season in 2029-30, sources tell @shamscharania.
Good stuff for Austin, and that takes one of the few elite UFAs off the board https://t.co/YW38WIYPkO
— Nekias (Nuh-KAI-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) June 24, 2026
The Lakers today secured Austin Reaves' commitment on a new deal after rising interest from Detroit, league sources say.
I'm told the Pistons began maneuvering to make a real run at Reaves that would've required, among other moves, trading Isaiah Stewart for needed flexibility. https://t.co/cYZLzjSheJ
Good for the Lakers keeping Austin Reaves off the open market next week by giving him the max. They’ve made Luka the Face of the Franchise so they needed to lock up his best buddy. Now they have even less reason to pay LeBron.
At the top of the Lakers' offseason priority list was re-signing Austin Reaves; the only question was how much this would cost. With at least a couple of teams looming to poach him away as a free agent — Brooklyn and Detroit were mentioned — the Lakers ultimately had to pay a little more than they may have ideally wanted.
The Lakers got their man. Reaves is set to return to the Lakers on a four-year, $184.8 million extension, with a player option on the final season, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by other reports. This slightly exceeds the max that other teams could have offered Reaves.
Reaves will decline his $14.9 million player option to sign the new deal. For the 28-year-old guard there were going to be no hometown discounts this time around, this was Reaves chance at a generational wealth contract and he had to grab it.
Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds a game last season, shooting 36% from 3-point range. A fan favorite, Reaves proved he could be the secondary shot-creating guard next to Luka Doncic that the Lakers need, plus he could effectively run the offense when Doncic was out. The only concern was that he played in just 51 games last season due to an assortment of injuries.
Reaves was undrafted out of Oklahoma and played on the Lakers' Summer League team in 2021. He performed well enough to be given a two-way contract not long after that, but before the team even reached the regular season, they had converted it to a standard NBA contract. By 2023, the rising Lakers star re-signed on a team-friendly four-year, $53.8 million contract.
This new contract will not impact the Lakers' offseason cap space and spending. While the sides agreed to the contract they will not sign the deal until the Lakers have finished their other offseason business (they can go over the cap for Reaves because they have his Bird rights). The Lakers are looking to spend or make trades this summer to upgrade at center and get a two-way wing player, and they will also likely re-sign LeBron James for a ninth season with the team.
As if the Cubs didn’t have enough problems, right-hander Ben Brown was placed on the 15-day injured list today with a neck strain. The move is retroactive to Sunday.
Here are all the roster moves made by the Cubs today, per press release from the team:
The Chicago Cubs today selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Vince Velasquez and recalled right-handed pitcher Gavin Hollowell. In corresponding moves, right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, right-handed pitcher Ben Brown has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a neck strain (retroactive to June 21) and right-handed pitcher Eduarniel Nunez was designated for assignment. Additionally, right-handed pitcher Tyler Ferguson was appointed as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the New York Mets at Citi Field.
What we know is that Matthew Boyd is going to be activated from the injured list to start Thursday’s game against the Mets in New York.
Brown would have been on target to start Friday against the Brewers in Milwaukee. That start likely now goes to Colin Rea, who last pitched Saturday against the Blue Jays at Wrigley Field.
Beyond that I have no idea what the Cubs will do for starters for the Saturday and Sunday games in Milwaukee. With both Javier Assad and Shōta Imanaga going in the doubleheader today, neither would be available until at least Monday. That means likely another recall, or a bullpen game, or both.
The Philadelphia Flyers may have missed out on Bowen Byram, but the good news is that there are always more fish in the pond we call the NHL trade market.
As has the team themselves have said, the Flyers would like to upgrade on defense if possible, and while a veteran like John Carlson is still an option, what better way to do it than for the short and long-term?
Byram, 25, has long-term appeal, even if his next contract would have been an albatross on the Flyers in their current situation.
Another player who may be available, of similar age and skill, is surprisingly none other than Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin.
According to TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger, "Multiple teams have confirmed Carolina is considering trade involving Alexander Nikishin. The 24-year-old Stanley Cup champion is a pending RFA, so the Canes are weighing trade interest vs extension."
On a deep Hurricanes team, Nikishin won't get the top-four role he's capable of playing when stuck behind former Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, K'Andre Miller, and Jaccob Slavin on the depth chart.
In Carolina, the Russian was, at best, a No. 5 defenseman with some serious talent and physicality, but with rare opportunity to fully harness those gifts.
The Flyers, on the other hand, just traded Emil Andrae in a package for Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit, and they want to get bigger and better on defense.
They have all the assets in the world to pull off a trade, even with a division rival (run by hometown hero Eric Tulsky), and they have all the money in the world to sign Nikishin to an extension.
A former captain of SKA St. Petersburg, Nikishin can do it all at both ends of the ice. He's long and mean and can use his size and strength to kill plays before they develo.
Offensively, Nikishin is poised, a willing and able shooter, and a plus in transition with his legs and passing.
Making the jump from the KHL straight to the NHL, Nikishin scored 11 goals, 22 assists, and 33 points in 81 games for the Hurricanes, but recorded only one assist in 17 playoff games in a reduced role.
Despite his age, Nikishin is still developing and improving as a player on North American ice, and that's just fine.
For the Flyers, there is a significant benefit to having Nikishin and Matvei Michkov--former teammates, mind you--in the same locker room, communicating with each other, learning together, and pushing to be the best NHLers they can be.
It's worth noting that Michkov had a up-and-down sophomore season following the departures of Russian teammates Ivan Fedotov and Egor Zamula.
Tulsky and Flyers GM Danny Briere have done business together in the past, with the Nick Deslauriers trade that effectively cost the Hurricanes nothing, and there would be mutual benefits for both sides depending on the final trade package.
Yes, the Hurricanes did knock the Flyers out of the playoffs, but this is still an opportunity for the Flyers to get bigger, younger, and better as a team.
AFP Analytics currently projects Nikishin to sign a six-year, $38.6 million extension ($6.44 million AAV), which is perfectly affordable for the Flyers and just barely above Travis Sanheim's $6.25 million cap hit in a rapidly rising salary cap climate.
If the Flyers are truly interested in Nikishin, there are no downsides, and it just comes down to getting a deal done.
Tuesday was one of the most exciting days of player movement in the NHL in a long, long time. There were several trades made, many including a star player and/or a first-round pick.
The salary cap is rising, and teams are motivated to make bold moves to improve their roster in pursuit of a Stanley Cup title.
The Boston Bruins did not participate in Tuesday’s action, and they have been very quiet so far this offseason.
In fact, the B’s have done pretty much nothing. They did trade prospect Andre Gasseau and a draft pick to the San Jose Sharks for two draft picks last week, but that’s a very minor move.
The Bruins’ inactivity is putting them in a tough position. Right now, they look like the fifth- or sixth-best team in a loaded Atlantic division. They appear, as currently constructed, destined to be fighting for a wild card playoff berth next season, with another first-round exit as the most likely outcome.
“(It’s) obviously an important time in the season for us,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said at his pre-draft press conference Wednesday. “And it’s been busy, obviously, around the league and chatter. I don’t think the transactions are going to stop between now and the timeframe in July.
“We’re eager to be participating, haven’t yet, I guess what we did with [Andre] Gasseau, but there’s been a lot of chatter so I expect things to continue in terms of player movement and stuff heading into the draft to be busy.”
They returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season and took a big step toward becoming a good team again following a disastrous 2024-25 campaign. But maintaining their standing as a playoff team and inching closer to contender status could prove very difficult next season.
Why is that? Look no further than the Bruins’ rivals in the division.
Over the last few weeks, several of these teams have made substantial moves to change their roster and try to improve.
The Florida Panthers’ run of three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final ended this past season due to injuries. But the Panthers should be a top contender again next season with a healthy roster, and they recently traded for a top-six power forward in Brady Tkachuk. Florida sent the Ottawa Senators three first-round picks (including No. 9 overall in Friday’s draft) and a second-rounder.
The Senators, who made the playoffs last season, wasted no time in using those assets to replace Tkachuk. They sent the No. 9 pick to the San Jose Sharks to acquire promising young William Eklund.
The Buffalo Sabres returned to the postseason in 2026 after a 15-year absence and defeated the Bruins in a six-game first-round series. They made a blockbuster deal with the Blackhawks on Tuesday that sent defenseman Bowen Byram to Chicago in exchange for the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, among other pieces involved. Buffalo can use the No. 4 pick to draft an elite prospect or trade it for a veteran star (maybe a goalie?).
Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
The Sabres traded defenseman Bo Byram to the Blackhawks on Tuesday in a deal that sent the No. 4 pick to Buffalo.
The Tampa Bay Lightning finished second in the division last season, and their roster is much better than the Bruins’. It features the reigning Hart Trophy winner (Nikita Kucherov) and a Vezina Trophy finalist in net (Andre Vasilevskiy). The Montreal Canadiens reached the Eastern Conference Final after a 106-point regular season. After some tough years in Montreal, the Canadiens are back. Their roster is loaded with premium young talent signed to team-friendly contracts.
Even the Toronto Maple Leafs should be much better next season after winning the NHL Draft Lottery in May and signing the top free agent defenseman, Darren Raddysh, after trading for his rights.
Despite all of these rival teams being proactive in bolstering their rosters, Sweeney seems unconcerned with the strength of the division.
“Florida, obviously they had injuries last year. They were a good team prior, they’re a good team now,” Sweeney said. “Montreal just took a step, Detroit’s looking to take a step, Buffalo took a step, they just traded some players. The moving parts are there. Ultimately, you’re going to have to show up and win your games. I think we’re competitive within our division. We were last year. And you’re going to need to be, because you are playing those games more frequently than the others.
“I don’t think it’s to the point where you’re like, oh, our division is overwhelming us by any stretch. I think we’re perfectly fine to compete within our division, but we have to address some areas in order, to your point, to acknowledge that other teams have finished ahead of us right now.”
Teams outside the division have improved, too. The Washington Capitals missed the playoffs by just four points last season. Over the last 24 hours, they have made bold trades for two top-six forwards in Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch.
The most impactful moves the Bruins can make to improve the roster would be adding another top-six forward (preferably a center) and a top-four defenseman who plays on the right side of the blue line. Boston’s lack of speed and skill were obvious in the playoffs. Those upgrades aren’t going to come from within, at least not in 2026-27. Outside reinforcements are required, and the trade market is the place to make those deals.
“You have to be in the trade market at this time of the year,” Sweeney said. “I just don’t think you can be singularly focused on UFA and internal growth and expectation that somebody’s just going to take the job. You’ve got to go out and actively find some guys that your pro guys have identified can help you.”
Many of the Bruins’ core players are in the win-now stage of their careers. David Pastrnak is 30 years old. Pavel Zacha is 29. Charlie McAvoy is 28. Jeremy Swayman is 27. If the Bruins plan to win with these players, the clock is ticking.
“We’re trying to improve our hockey club,” Sweeney said. “We’re competitively driven as I said, our players are going to be impatient in that regard. Organizationally, we’ve tried to look at this as, what’s our window. We did a good job to get back and be competitive this year relative to where we were a year ago. We had some players, you know, young players get integrated and take steps. We’d like to add to the group, you know, so it has to be. Whether that’s in a move up or move back or if that’s in a player acquisition, you know, we have to be in the marketplace.”
The Bruins need to get in the marketplace ASAP and make some moves or the 2026-27 season could be lost before it even starts. There’s no worse position to be in than a fringe playoff team, and that’s exactly where the Bruins stand on June 24, 2026.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have taken the first two games from the Minnesota Twins, but will face their best starter in Wednesday night’s game.
Joe Ryan was pushed back from Tuesday’s start to give him a few days to rest after an illness. Ryan threw 97 pitches in his last outing, striking out seven and only walking two batters. However, that outing only lasted 5.0 innings. The Dodgers offense beat up on the Twins bullpen on Tuesday night, so the Twins would like to see him go much deeper into the game.
Over his last seven games, Ryan has only allowed 12 earned runs, walked five, while having a 0.96 WHIP. Overall, he has a 2.99 ERA on the season and could be making one of his last home starts for the Twins, as trade deadline rumors swirl around him.
It’s Wednesday, so of course that means its Shohei Ohtani Day on the mound. Ohtani took a pitch off his pitching hand on Tuesday, is still dealing with knee inflammation, and had a blister develop in his last start. Still, manager Dave Roberts said that he is good to go in both his capacities, as he will be hitting as well as pitching Wednesday.
Ohtani sits at a 1.47 ERA, and his last two outings have been a little rough. He had only allowed seven earned runs across his first 10 starts of the season but has allowed seven total over his last two outings.
The Dodgers offense finally erupted on Tuesday night, with each batter having at least one hit, and scoring 12 runs as a unit, as the Dodgers are still missing a bunch of their roster to assorted injuries.
Kyle Tucker will not be in the lineup on Wednesday, giving him more rest with the off day on Thursday and the hope is he will be ready for the Padres series this weekend. Tucker was removed from Monday’s game when Roberts noticed him wincing when he arrived at second base, and he is dealing with lower back pain. He could resume swinging a bat on Wednesday.
Dalton Rushing could return to the backstop on Wednesday, as he told Roberts he was good to go before Tuesday’s game.
One of the biggest potential free agents ahead of the 2026 NBA offseason is off the market before he reached it.
Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves intends to sign a new max contract to remain with the team, according to multiplereports. Reaves and the Lakers have reportedly agreed to a 4-year, $185-million contract after he declined a $14.9-million player option for the 2026-27 season in his current deal.
Reaves, 28, went undrafted in 2021 after playing college basketball at Wichita State and Oklahoma, but latched on with the Lakers as a free agent. His scoring average has increased every year he's been in the NBA, culminating with a career-high 23.3 points per game this past season.
Reaves also averaged 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds, while shooting 49% from the field in 51 games during the 2025-26 campaign. He suffered an oblique injury late in the regular season that forced him to miss the beginning of the playoffs as well.
The Lakers now have both Reaves and star Luka Doncic signed as a backcourt tandem for at least the next two seasons. Doncic signed a new 3-year max contract extension with the Lakers in August 2025 that includes a player option for the 2028-29 season.
LeBron James still looms as a pending free agent for the Lakers this offseason, and center DeAndre Ayton and guard Marcus Smart each have player options they could exercise rather than enter NBA free agency.
Austin Reaves contract details
The 4-year, $185-million extension matches the maximum amount of money Reaves could have received from teams other than the Lakers had he chosen to enter free agency this year.
Here's a breakdown of how the annual salary breakdown of the contract could look, according to NBA salary cap reporter Keith Smith:
The Lakers and Austin Reaves agreed to a four-year maximum contract his new $185M contract. Here's how that deal will look:
Apr 11, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves city connect hat in the dugout against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
With six games on the docket there was plenty of action to examine on Wednesday, so let’s dive into it all.
Despite leading this one 4-2 at one point, the Stripers bullpen faltered late as Gwinnett lost by a staggering 12-5 final on Tuesday.
Drue Hackenburg got the start and while he tossed five innings while striking out seven, Nashville tagged the righty for three runs earned on seven hits in the process. Across two starts at the triple-A level, Hackenburg has spun 10.1 innings while five earned runs and striking out 10 batters in the process.
At the plate, Jim Jarvis led the charge with a pair of doubles and a run scored and a walk to his credit. With his pair of doubles on Tuesday, Jarvis has tallied at least two hits in seven of his previous 11 contests.
Meanwhile the biggest swing of the night for Gwinnett came in the fifth inning as Brett Wisely — who went 4-4 on the night with a double — singled up the middle to plate a run.
Unfortunately, Nashville tagged the Stripers’ bullpen for five runs in the eighth inning to extend their lead to 12-5, which proved to be more than enough to keep Gwinnett at bay and secure the win.
(29-36) Columbus Clingstones 1, (36-33) Rocket City Trash Pandas 4
It was a rough go of it for Columbus on Tuesday, as the Clingstones didn’t get much production on the mound or at the plate in their 4-1 loss to Rocket City to move to seven games under .500 on the season, thus far.
Herick Hernandez got the start and got roughed up in what was a rare occurrence for the lefty. Across four innings of work, Hernandez was tagged with four earned runs on six hits and five walks in the process in his roughest start at the double-A level this season. Hopefully it’s just a blip on the radar for a guy who has been a welcomed surprise among Atlanta’s arms in the minors through the first few months.
At the plate, Hernandez didn’t exactly get a ton of support as the Clingstones were held to just one run on four hits on the night — with Jordan Groshans, who also tallied the lone RBI for Columbis and the only extra base hit — were limited to just one run in the process.
— Columbus Clingstones (@GoClingstones) June 24, 2026
Groshans RBI in the bottom of the fourth was the only meaningful offense in this one as Columbus was held scoresless for the next five at-bats in the loss.
While Gwinnett and Columbus combined for just six runs, Rome’s offense came out in stellar fashion on Wednesday as the Emperors plate 14 runs on just 10 hits to take the dominant win.
Before we get to the offensive performances, let’s take a look at Cam Caminiti who got the start in this one.
Across 4.1 innings of work, the lefty scattered three runs on three hits and walking three batters. However, he also struck out six across that same span. So far at high-A this year, Caminiti has not exactly been stellar. He has shown the ability to get outs when put into a pinch, but he hasn’t been that dominant either. Hopefully he finds more of his elite stuff that made him a first-round selection in the near future.
At the plate, four Emperors registered at least two hits on the night with Dixon Williams leading the way — more on him late.
Eric Hartman totaled a pair of RBI on the night, as did John Gil who also doubled on Wednesday as well. Owen Carey also had an underrated night as he drove in a pair of runs and scored twice in the process as well for Rome.
The bigges offensive blow of the night — which ultimately sealed the deal in this one — came off the bat of Williams, who took a 1-0 fastball down and in and pulled it over the right field wall for a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth, putting the Emperors up 14-5, which was more than enough to seal the deal.
Augusta just didn’t have it on Wednesday as the GreenJackets fell by a 9-2 final on the night.
Carter Holton made his third start of the season for Augusta and things went from bad to worse for the lefty. In his second start on June 16, the lefty gave up five earned runs on just four innings pitched in what was hoped to be just a fluke after returning for a rehab stint.
However, Holton followed that outing up with a 4.2 inning performance of six earned runs allowed on eight hits on Wednesday. Hopefully he just needs a bit more time to tune back up following his injury, but it’s not a great sign for the 2024 second round pick.
While they only scored two runs on Wednesday, there were a handful of significant offensive performances from the GreenJackets in the loss.
Luis Guanipa went 2-4 with an RBI and a walk, while Cooper McMurray went 3-3 with a double and a walk to his credit as well.
However, the largest swing of this one for Augusta came courtesy of Cody Miller who launched his sixth homer in eight games for the GreenJackets. With the offensive output, Miller raised his season OPS to .868 on the year for Atlanta’s low-A squad thus far.
Victor Duarte somehow spun a decent start in this one.
Despite giving up five runs and two walks in 3.1 innings, Duarte managed to strikeout seven batters in the process for the FCL squad.
At the plate, Diego Tornes went 2-5 with a double and an RBI, while second baseman Juan Elejandro also doubled but drove in three RBI to his credit as well.
The other significant offensice performance came from first baseman Johan Rodriguez who walked and drove in a run in the process as well.
(4-13) DSL Braves 15, (7-10) DSL LAD Bautista 2
Sherrintley Da Costa Gomez, LF: 2-3, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
The DSL Braves notched just their fourth win of the season on Wednesday by routing the Los Angeles Dodgers Bautista squad by a 15-2 final.
Starter Martires Polanco gave the team a fighting chance despite giving up five walks in three innings pitched. He also gave up three hits but struck out four as well.
At the plate, Sherrintley Da Costa Gomez continued to impress with his approach as he went 2-3 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored and a pair of walks as well to his credit. With Wednesday’s outing, Da Costa Gomez raised his OPS to 1.191 which leads the entire DSL sqad.
Top international signee Jose Manon tallied three hits in the process while scoring four times in the process as well.
All in all it was an incredibly successful offensive performance from the DSL hitters in this one as the squad registered just their fourth win of the season to this point.
Milano-Cortina competitors will be first to be paid
The International Olympic Committee has broken with 130 years of tradition by deciding to pay athletes to compete at the Olympic Games.
Starting with the recent Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, all competitors will be entitled to a $10,000 (£7,600) grant from the IOC regardless of whether they are NBA stars or on the poverty line.
On this day 36 years ago, Dan Pasqua’s 10th-inning homer pulled the upstart White Sox to within a game of first place in the AL West. | (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
1914 In a telegram discovered in 2012, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey told scout GeorgeMills that the asking price for pitcher Babe Ruth was too high at $16,000.
At the time, Ruth was playing for the minor league Baltimore Orioles. Comiskey had sent Mills to scout the best Orioles players on June 9. Millsgave Comiskeya list of six players he thought were the best, with Ruth among them. He later revealed that Jack Dunn, the Orioles owner, said Ruth could be had himself for $16,000 cash. In the telegram, Comiskeyreplied, “Do not need pitchers bad enough to go that high price.”
The White Sox thus joined the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia A’s in turning down chances to get Ruth, who was eventually was sold to the Red Sox. Comiskeylater would try to get Ruth before the start of the 1920 season, offering Joe Jackson and cash to Boston —to no avail, as the Red Sox sold Ruth to the Yankees.
1915 The White Sox outlasted Cleveland, 5-4, in 19 innings. Red Faber pitched 11 innings of three-hit, shutout ball — IN RELIEF — to earn the win. The White Sox took the lead with two outs in the top of the 19th, as Buck Weaver singled and Eddie Collins doubled him home.
After going down, 2-0, in the first and trailing all game, the White Sox had struck for three in the eighth and then invited this extra-innings odyssey when Guy Morton walked Happy Felsch with two outs in the ninth, forcing the tying run home.
This game tied with 19-inning affairs in 1951 and 2006 for fifth-longest in White Sox history. The White Sox have won all three 19-inning games they’ve played, and this was the only such game that didn’t come against the Boston Red Sox.
1956 It was probably the biggest White Sox weekend of the 1950s.
Two days earlier the White Sox had started what was an unheard-of four-game sweep of the Yankees, winning on Friday, 5-4, in 12 innings. On Saturday, the Sox shut out the Bombers, 2-0. Then on Sunday, before almost 48,000 fans, the Sox took a pair, closing to within one game of first place.
Larry Doby would hit a pair of three-run shots in the twin bill, helping to account for the 14-2 and 6-3 wins. He went 5-for-7 with six runs and six RBIs.
Fans by the hundreds poured on to the field during the second game, simply to get the chance to shake players’ hands and run around the outfield. Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley came out and said that the Sox would be in the World Series that fall. Of course, they weren’t … but the White Sox did finish the season at 85-69, good for third place.
1963 Going 2-for-2, including a solo home run that tied a game the White Sox would end up winning, 5-2, rookie Pete Ward extended his hitting streak to 18 games. It would end up being the longest hitting streak in the American League that season.
Ward kept his string going in front of a packed crowd of 42,748 at Comiskey Park watching the second-place Sox try to catch the AL-leading Yankees. With another win the next game, on June 25, the White Sox did just that in spite of Ward going 0-for-3.
During the streak (from June 7-24, hitting .382), Ward raised his batting average from .277 to .303, as the White Sox won 11 of 18. At the time, the rookie’s hitting streak was tied for the 22nd-longest in team history, and today it still ranks in a tied for 36th.
1969 In the second game of a doubleheader in Seattle, White Sox third baseman Bill Melton slugged three consecutive home runs (in the second, fourth and sixth innings) in a 7-6 win. All were solo blasts. Ed Herrmann’s home run in the top of the ninth was the deciding factor. As a club, the White Sox hit five homers in the game.
The Sox took the first game as well, winning 6-4, with relief pitcher Wilbur Wood picking up wins in both games. Wood allowed only two hits in 5 2⁄3 innings of work between the two games.
Amazingly, this marked the second game (in less than three months) in which the White Sox hit five homers at Seattle’s Sick Stadium, in the only year it was used as a major-league ballpark.
1972 Behind the inspired play of Dick Allen,Wilbur Wood, Stan Bahnsen, Rich Gossage, Terry Forster and Carlos May, the Sox were in the middle of a pennant chase when the bizarre injury curse struck again.
During the previous offseason third baseman Bill Melton had fallen off of a ladder, damaging his back. The defending American League home run champion had been playing in pain ever since, and on this day was put on the injured list and lost for the rest of the year when it was discovered he had a herniated disk. For the season, he only played in 57 games with seven home runs and 30 RBIs.
The reason he was on the ladder? Somehow his young son got up on the garage roof!
The Sox would finish 5 1⁄2 games behind the Oakland A’s, with a record of 87-67.
1973 It almost tied a club record: In the second game of a doubleheader at Comiskey Park, White Sox catcher Ed Herrmann drove in seven runs in a 11-1 win over the A’s. Herrmann went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run, two-run double and two-run single.
1977 It was an embarrassing moment for White Sox outfielder Ralph Garr and, as it turned out, a costly one for the team. In the third inning of a game in Minnesota, Garr hit what appeared to be a three-run home run. However, as he was running the bases, he passed catcher Jim Essian, who waited at first base to make sure the ball was in fact a home run. Garr was watching the ball, and got called out for passing the runner and awarded a two-run single.
The Sox wound up losing the game, 7-6.
1990 In another example of the upstart White Sox not going away any time soon, Dan Pasqua blasted a 10th-inning homer in Oakland off of A’s ace (and chief Chicago agitator) Dave Stewart. The win improved the White Sox to 41-25 and within one game of Oakland in the AL West.
After Bobby Thigpen blew a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the ninth on a Dave Henderson homer with two outs and two strikes to send the game to extras, Pasqua led off the 10th with his blast, going the other way and deep to left field. Stewart would end up going the distance in taking the loss by throwing all 10 innings and using 134 pitches, in case you thought former White Sox skipper Tony La Russa wasn’t taking his former team seriously.
Melido Perez was even more brilliant than Stewart in the game, outpacing him with a 79 game score and eight scoreless innings. The win was a fourth of eight straight for the White Sox, and also completed a full sweep of two West Coast series (needs to be confirmed, but this could be the only full sweep of two or more West Coast series in White Sox history).
1991 Holding a 2-1 lead over Seattle in the eighth inning, the White Sox iced the game with a grand slam from Frank Thomas — the first of 11 he would hit in his career. Thomas added a double in the game, going 2-for-4 with five RBIs.
The White Sox had been lingering around .500 for about a month despite a strong start to the season and expected division title-contention in 1991. This win got the White Sox back on a roll, although they ended the season in second place and at a disappointing 87-75, eight games out.
2017 It was Mark Buehrle Day at Guaranteed Rate Field, as the White Sox honored the lefthander by retiring his No. 56.
Buehrleplayed 12 seasons with the Sox, winning 161 games including a perfect game against Tampa and a no-hitter against Texas. He also won two postseason games and saved another. He was a three-time All-Star, who won the 2005 contest.
Buehrlealso was a model of consistency, with 11 straight years with the White Sox winning in double figures, starting 30 or more games and throwing at least 200 innings.
In the July 2025 during ceremonies for the 2005 World Series anniversary, a statue of Buehrle to cement him as an all-time team legend would be revealed.
In the game played on that day, three Oakland A’s hit their first career home runs (Franklin Barreto, Matt Olson, Jacob Brugman) — the first time that had happened in MLB since 1914.
Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
