WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 06: Mike Burrows #50 of the Houston Astros pitches during the game between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Monday, July 6, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Friday night, in his first affiliate rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land, Houston Astros starter Mike Burrows had a solid outing.
Burrows went 4.1 IP scoreless on 3 hits and 1 walk. He struck out 3. He threw 43 of his 67 pitches for strikes, and generated 5 ground ball outs. He worked primarily 95-97 MPH with his fastball.
Burrows is recovering from right elbow neuritis, which is inflammation around a nerve. Burrows MRI showed no structural damage.
Mike Burrows today said his elbow bothered him for “probably six weeks” before his option and subsequent IL placement last month. He said an MRI was clean aside from inflammation around a nerve and he “felt good” in his first Triple-A rehab start Friday:https://t.co/GYsCm0f4lj
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) August 15, 2026
Burrows last pitched for the Astros July 6, allowing 10 runs (7 ER) in 4.1 innings, surrendering 9 hits (2 HR) and 2 BB with 3 K. He is 4-9 overall in 2026 with a 5.99 ERA.
The Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals with a 4-3 win on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
Here are the key takeaways...
--Christian Scott looked terrific through the first six innings, allowing a pair of runs on just three hits. With his pitch count under 80, Scott went back out for the seventh, but a leadoff walk led to a Keibert Ruiz RBI double and a Jacob Young single to put runners on the corners.
Scott pitched into the seventh inning for the first time this season, but seemed to run out of gas. Nate Lavender did a great job of getting two big outs to limit the damage there, closing out Scott’s line at 6.1 innings pitches, three earned runs, five hits, seven strikeouts and two walks.
The Mets have talked about Scott getting them deeper into games for most of the season, and delivered on Sunday.
---Luis Torrens has always been known for his work behind the plate, but his power has been on another planet of late. Torrens belted a two-run homer to give the Mets a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning, giving him four homers in his last 17 at-bats.
Torrens had just two homers all season long before this outburst, and now has six.
--Kodai Senga pitched on Friday night and then "got hot" warming up Saturday, but Andy Green went back to him for the save opportunity on Sunday. Senga, trying to secure a one-run save for the first time, needed just 11 pitches for a one-two-three inning, striking out two hitters in the process.
--Bo Bichette had a terrific day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a triple and a walk.
Bichette has found his groove at the dish and in the field, looking more and more like the player they Mets signed this past offseason.
--Carson Benge had a another big day in the field, making an outstanding backhanded catch right near the wall in the right in the first inning, and then earning an outfield assist in the second recording the third out on Ruiz’s RBI single. He made another terrific sliding catch in the top of the sixth as well.
But it wasn’t a great day at the plate for the rookie, as he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, snapping his 18-game on-base streak.
--After 591 career games in center, Luis Robert Jr. started in left field for the first time in his major league career. Of course, not a single ball was hit his way in left. He went 1-for-4 at the plate.
Game MVP
Scott, who pitched into the seventh for the first time all season.
Aug 16, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) runs to field a bunt for an out against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Matt Olson has hit quite a few home runs this season.
But few have been as momentous as the three-run shot he crushed in the bottom of the seventh in the Braves’ 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday afternoon to help Atlanta salvage one game from the weekend set.
The homer was Olson’s 36th of the season, moving him into a tie for second in the majors with Yordan Alvarez, just one behind Kyle Schwarber’s 37. It was also his sixth homer this month and his 15th since the start of July.
With the game knotted at 2 in the seventh, Olson smashed a 3-0 sinker 437 feet to straightaway center. This was particularly important because it seemed the Braves could come up empty in the inning which began with an Austin Riley double and a Jim Jarvis sacrifice bunt after Ronald Acuña Jr. struck out ahead of Olson for out #2.
Dylan Lee worked a 1-2-3 eighth with two strikeouts. Raisel Iglesias allowed the first two batters of the ninth to reach but limited the damage, allowing just one run to secure his 25th save and prevent the Braves’ first three-game losing streak of the second half of the season.
While Bryce Elder didn’t factor into the decision, he had a strong bounceback start after Monday’s rough outing against the Mets. The right-hander allowed one run on four hits over six innings, striking out five and walking one.
Former Braves pitcher Michael Soroka was similarly effective for Arizona, giving up two runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out five.
Didier Fuentes (5-1) earned the win for the Braves even though he allowed Ildemaro Vargas to hit a game-tying leadoff homer to begin the seventh inning. He bounced back to retire the next three batters, two of them on strikeouts.
Atlanta had previously taken a 2-1 lead in the fifth on Acuña’s two-out RBI double which scored Riley, who began the inning with a single.
Riley had a team-high two of Atlanta’s eight hits and scored two of the team’s five runs.
Both teams missed prime opportunities to plate more runs in the middle innings. The Braves managed to scrape across just one run in the third despite having two runners in scoring position after Drake Baldwin’s RBI single when Acuña and Olson each struck out.
The Diamondbacks immediately tied the game in the top of the fourth on Gabriel Moreno’s leadoff homer but then squandered a strong chance to take the lead in the fifth. After a leadoff walk was followed by a bunt single, Elder escaped the jam unscathed by getting a sacrifice bunt, inducing a grounder which Ozzie Albies fired home to retire the lead runner and then getting Corbin Carroll to line out to center.
The Braves kick off a four-city, seven-game road trip Monday evening at the Minnesota Twins with Martín Pérez on the mound for Atlanta.
Former members of the Vancouver Canucks will take the spotlight in this off-season article series. From those skating with new NHL teams heading into the 2026–27 season to those who are now playing for international clubs, these featured players have skated in at least one game at the NHL level as a member of the Canucks.
Today’s segment will take a look at the former Canucks that are expected to play in the AHL’s Eastern Conference during the 2026–27 season.
As it stands, 20 ex-Canucks are projected to be playing in the AHL for the 2026–27 season. Seven of these 20 will be playing for teams in the Atlantic Division and five will play in the North Division.
Jiří Patera: Spent two seasons as a goaltender for the Abbotsford Canucks and started in one game for Vancouver in 2025–26, facing 40 shots and stopping 33 in a loss to the Florida Panthers. Signed a one-year deal with the Bruins in free-agency.
Brendan Gaunce: The 26th-overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Skated in 117 NHL games for Vancouver from 2015–16 to 2018–19, making his NHL debut on October 29, 2015. Signed with the Bruins in free-agency in 2019–20, also playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild before returning to Boston in 2026.
*Lukas Reichel: Acquired by Vancouver via trade on October 24, 2025. Played in 14 games with the Canucks before being sent down to Abbotsford and eventually traded to the Bruins. Listed on Boston’s roster but also spent time with Providence in 2025–26.
*Michael DiPietro: A third-round pick for Vancouver in the 2017 NHL Draft. Played in three games for the Canucks before being traded to Boston in 2022. Named AHL Regular-Season MVP in 2026. Listed on Boston’s roster for 2026–27 but played predominantly in the AHL in 2025–26.
Jack Studnicka: Joined Vancouver via trade for DiPietro and prospect Jonathan Myrenberg in October of 2022. Skated in 52 games for the Canucks in 2022–23 and 2023–24 before being dealt to the San Jose Sharks. Played for the Ontario Reign, Panthers, and Charlotte Checkers before heading to Philadelphia.
Justin Dowling: Played in 22 games for the Canucks in 2021–22, scoring two goals and two assists. Spent the 2022–23 season with Abbotsford, putting up 46 points in 56 games before heading to the New Jersey Devils the season after. Signed a two-year contract with the New York Rangers during the 2025 free-agency period.
Spencer Martin: Acquired by Vancouver via the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021. Faced 50 shots in his second game for the Canucks on January 25, 2022. Finished the 2021–22 season with a 1.74 GAA and .950 SV% in six games. Claimed off waivers by Columbus in September of 2023. Split 2025–26 with CSKA Moskva, Hartford, and the Rangers.
Mar 21, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Ethan Bear (74) skates against the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
Ethan Bear: Traded to Vancouver from Carolina in October 2022. Scored three goals and 13 assists in 61 games with the Canucks in 2022–23. Signed with the Washington Capitals in 2023–24 and later the New York Islanders in 2025.
Matthew Highmore: Acquired by Vancouver in exchange for Adam Gaudette in April of 2021. Skated in 64 games for the Canucks through the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons, registering a career-high of 12 points in a single season in 46 games played in 2021–22. Signed by the St. Louis Blues in free-agency in 2022.
Jack Rathbone: Fourth-round pick for Vancouver in 2017. Made his NHL debut on May 4, 2021 against the Edmonton Oilers and scored his first NHL goal the game after on May 6. Averaged over a point-per-game with Abbotsford in 2021–22 (40 points, 39 GP). Traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in October of 2023.
Aidan McDonough: Selected in the seventh-round of the 2019 NHL Draft by Vancouver. Made his NHL debut on March 26, 2023 against the Chicago Blackhawks and played in six games for the Canucks that season. Signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres for 2026–27.
Cole McWard: Free-agent college signing by Vancouver in 2023. Skated in five games for the Canucks during the 2022–23 season but spent the bulk of his time with the organization in Abbotsford. Won the Calder Cup in 2025 before signing with the Islanders organization. Signed a two-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2026 off-season.
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The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
23. Olivers Murnieks - Center (Saint John - QMJHL)
The Sabres top two picks in the 2026 Draft came as a result of trades. The fourth overall pick, used to select Daxon Rudolph, was acquired in the deal that sent Bowen Byram to Chicago. The 20th overall pick, used to select center Ilya Morozov, was part of the deal that sent defenseman Michael Kesselring to San Jose.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
Buffalo did not have a second or third round pick, and in the fourth round, they selected center Olivers Murnieks. The 18-year-old Latvian has extensive international experience leading into his draft year, playing for his home country in the IIHF Wrodl Junior Under-18’s in 2024 and 2025, the Under-20’s in 2025 and 2026, and the World Championships last May in Switzerland.
After playing his youth hockey in Latvia, the 6’1”, 192 lb. forward came to North America in 2024-25 to play in the USHL with Sioux City, posting 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 52 games. Last season, Murnieks shifted to the QMJHL, putting up 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists) in 31 games for the Saint John Sea Dogs. He is committed to Boston College after another year in the Q.
Elite Prospects says that Murnieks has “incredible off-puck awareness and a high-end compete level. He forechecks with intent, throws early hits to separate, gains inside positioning, climbs the wall, and drives the net.”
As players keep signing huge contracts left, right, and center in the NHL, Noah Dobson remains the Montreal Canadiens’ highest-paid player with a $9.5 million cap hit, and some are starting to wonder if the Habs players won’t eventually regret signing those deals. However, when Juraj Slafkovsky was asked about that at the Hockey Player of the Year gala in Slovakia, his answer was pretty clear:
It’s not really about the money for anyone there (in Montreal). We all have the same goal on that team. Nobody really cares about the money at this point. I mean, all those contracts that the guys have, or even I personally have, it’s already made our lives easier enough. Nobody really needs more than that. We’d rather focus on collecting those (Stanley Cup) rings, because that’s a much bigger number, and I don’t think any amount of money can top that.
- Slafkovsky at the Hockey Player of the Year gala
That’s the party line that has been established in Montreal, and there’s no denying that everyone seems to have bought in right now. For now, the Canadiens are in an excellent salary-cap position; we’ll see if they can stay there when their top players start needing new contracts. At the end of the 2029-30 season, in four years, captain Nick Suzuki will be up for a new contract; in five years, it will be Cole Caufield and Kaiden Guhle’s turn; then, in 2033, Slafkovsky and Dobson will be needing new contracts.
That’s the reality of a salary cap league: no matter how well you build a franchise, nothing is eternal, and a GM’s job is never done. As of now, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have assembled a formidable group, but they have yet to make use of the money the players have left on the table to bring in extra reinforcements. If they can’t manage to do that, it may be harder to sell the players on the idea that they are increasing their odds of winning the Stanley Cup by accepting less money.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 10: Gabriel Hughes #43 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 10, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Colorado enters today at 49-74, two games behind the 51-72 Giants for fourth place in the NL West.
The Rockies are bad. I know the Rockies are bad. But I am still completely invested in these guys.
And for all the ugliness in the standings, there is still plenty worth caring about today:
A win would give the Rockies the season series, finish their nine-game road trip with a winning record, and pull them within one game of San Francisco inside the division.
The Rockies took Friday night’s opener before dropping Saturday’s game 7-1 after one miserable fourth inning put the Giants in control.
Rookie right-hander Gabriel Hughes gets the ball for Colorado in his seventh major-league start.
Hughes enters at 0-4 with a 5.61 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 31 strikeouts across 33.2 innings.
He posted a 3.33 ERA across 24.1 innings through his first five major-league appearances, four of them starts. Over his last two starts, Hughes has allowed 12 earned runs in 9.1 innings.
The underlying contact numbers remain considerably better than the ERA. Hughes owns a 3.03 xERA, while hitters have barreled only 4.1% of their batted balls against him with a 29.6% hard-hit rate.
Hughes throws his four-seam fastball roughly 57% of the time. It averages a little over 92 mph, though his 6.9 feet of extension helps it play a little faster, and he works five secondary pitches around it.
The concern lately has been his strike-throwing and ability to get hitters to expand.
Hughes had been at or above a 50% zone rate before falling to 41% two starts ago and 45% in his most recent outing. His fastball velocity was also down nearly a full mile per hour last time out.
His ability to get hitters to expand outside the zone has slipped, too. Hughes generated only a 19% chase rate in his last start.
When Hughes gets ahead, the secondary pitches give him enough ways to finish at-bats. The question is whether he can get back into those counts often enough.
The Giants counter with the recently recalled Blade Tidwell, who enters at 0-0 with a 2.78 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 19 strikeouts across 22.2 innings. Today will be his 11th appearance of the season but only his third start.
The 25-year-old right-hander is attacking hitters very differently than he did during his 2025 debut: His sweeper has jumped from 22% usage last season to 38% this year, while the four-seamer has fallen from 39% to 34%.
So far, that change has shown up in how hitters are reacting to him. Tidwell’s chase rate has climbed from 20.8% to 28.1%, while hitters have made contact on just 38.9% of their swings outside the zone after doing so 62.5% of the time last season. His walk rate has also fallen from 12.8% to 5.5%.
The sweeper was especially effective in his last outing, accounting for 12 of Tidwell’s 16 swings and misses.
But today’s matchup adds another layer to that profile.
Tidwell has led with the four-seam fastball 39% of the time against lefties, followed by the sweeper at 31%. Against righties, the sweeper jumps to 45% while the fastball drops to 29%.
Jordan Beck is the only Rockies hitter who will bat right-handed today, giving Tidwell eight left-handed looks.
The early platoon results make that construction even more interesting. Left-handed hitters have an .836 OPS against Tidwell across 44 batters faced this season, compared with a .373 OPS from right-handers across 47. Those are small samples, but they give the Rockies plenty of reason to make Tidwell prove the split will not hold.
Colorado has been aggressive early in counts this season, but it cannot let that aggression turn into easy chases when Tidwell goes with the sweeper.
Hunter Goodman remains out of the lineup after being scratched Saturday with shoulder inflammation. Zac Veen gets another start in right field, while Adael Amador will make his first start in the field since returning to the majors. He pinch-hit Saturday but had not appeared in the field in the big leagues since last season.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 10: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays at Sutter Health Park on August 10, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning A’s fans! The series finale is this afternoon as the A’s will look again for win #49 this year. The late collapse last night sent the Athletics into sole possession of last place in all of baseball so the club will need to get the win and get a bit of help if they’re going to climb out of it tonight.
Before we get to the game, the Athletics announced a somewhat major roster move. Left fielder Tyler Soderstrom is heading back to the IL thanks to that hip issue that’s bothered him this year, with infielder Darell Hernaiz coming up to take his roster spot:
Another A’s slugger goes down as Tyler Soderstrom is placed on the 10-day IL with a left hip impingement.
The writing is on the wall that Sodey’s season is likely over, joining Brent Rooker and Nick Kurtz as season-enders. This was the first year of Soderstrom’s seven-year, $86 million extension and he took a step back in just about every category. Hips can be tricky and with the season lost and just six weeks left it’s time to shut him down. We need our Gold Glove-caliber, slugging left fielder to help lead this team next year and we can’t afford any setbacks.
If he’s really done for the year he’ll finish with a .245/.338/.472 slash line with 19 long balls. He was still roughly 20% better than the league average but the team was probably hoping for more growth from the 24-year-old. Chalk it up to the hip issue for now, and make sure it isn’t a concern that lingers into next year. He’s still got his entire physical prime ahead of him and the A’s will have him locked in for those years. Expect lots of Zack Gelof in left field for the remainder of the year.
Meanwhile Hernaiz will get another chance in the big leagues, but with all the highly-rated infield prospects coming up at this point it’s hard to imagine him being anything more than a depth piece for the club moving forward. There’s value in that, but we need to see as much of the younger guys like Tommy White, Max Muncy (and maybe Joshua Kuroda-Grauer if he’s able to return?) as possible over these final weeks. We know what we’re getting out of Hernaiz at this point.
Now, to the game. For today’s series finale it’s lefty Jacob Lopez on the bump for the Green & Gold and he’ll be looking to continue his strong return to the starting rotation. In his past four starts he’s been much more consistent and stable, looking much more like the arm that made an impression last year. The Athletics’ pitching depth is among the worst in the league but getting Lopez back to pitching well would help in offseason planning for the front office, even if they consider him to be a depth option at best.
Here’s how manager Mark Kotsay decided to line his squad up this afternoon for the homestand and series finale:
Shortstop Jacob Wilson returns to the lineup after the HBP on his hand in Friday’s series opener. Thank god. This team can’t afford anymore injuries, especially to the core guys.
We have a very similar lineup to yesterday, which as you may recall only produced a three-run home run off the bat of rookie center fielder Henry Bolte, who is back in the leadoff spot today. It’s Gelof, Wilson, Heim, White and Butler right behind him, with the only change being Wilson taking Jeff McNeil’s spot in the three hole. Muncy is today’s DH, making way for Hernaiz at third.
Facing them today is lefty Cody Bradford. Once considered one of the Rangers’ top pitching prospects, Bradford missed all of last year and only just recently returned a couple weeks ago from a tough elbow injury that required surgery. The 27-year-old doesn’t look like he’s missed much of a beat in his two starts since rejoining the Rangers, first going 4 1/3 shutout innings against the Giants before seven full frames against the Angels while allowing only three runs. How will the Athletics’ cool offense do today against an arm still possibly shaking off the rust?
And Texas’ starting nine this afternoon looks like this:
Gotta win today and we need some help to get out of last place. Not just in our division, but in all of baseball. We can’t end the year here. Start winning guys! Let’s go A’s!
Aug 15, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Texas Rangers right fielder Brandon Nimmo (24) celebrates with teammates after scoring a run against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 08: (L-R) Amar'e Stoudemire #1 of the New York Knicks, head coach Mike D'Antoni and team president Donnie Walsh address the media during a press conference on July 8, 2010 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Former Phoenix Suns coach Mike D’Antoni and his longtime big man with Phoenix and the New York Knicks, Amar’e Stoudemire, are two of the nine inductees entering the Naismith Hall of Fame this weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts.
But as Stoudemire and D’Antoni become forever enshrined in basketball history, it was their willingness to be different that helped them forge legendary careers. After years of coaching in the NBA and Italy, D’Antoni implemented the “7 seconds or less” offense once Steve Nash came back to Phoenix. The system is considered the catalyst for the fast, three-point-heavy offense that many NBA teams run today, and Stoudemire was the All-NBA big man who manned the paint for it.
Going 31-4 to start the 2004-05 season, winning 54 or more games in four straight seasons and making the Western Conference Finals in two straight seasons, Phoenix separated itself from the competition through its willingness to play unconventionally. The “7 seconds or less” offense was designed to give players ample opportunities to score and make plays, which is why D’Antoni thinks players bought in.
“We went where everybody can eat. Instead of that guy posting up this guy all the time, or going to a specific spot with the ball every time, we let everybody feed, and boy, they just bought in and went with it,” D’Antoni said. “It’s easy also to put the team first when your stats are strong because everybody wants to earn money, and you got to earn money by having stats in a career year.”
Someone eager to play in the new offense? Stoudemire. Despite being one of the youngest players on the team and going from playing power forward to center, he wanted to set the tone for his teammates by accepting the change without any qualms.
“I wanted to be a team player. Obviously, I had goals and wanted to be the best and dominate and show the world how good I am, but I also was willing to be a team player, and I think for me as a leader, you want your teammates to be leaders also,” Stoudemire said.
That leadership, he credits not just to D’Antoni but also to his “throwbacks,” as he called them: teammate Scott Williams, Suns broadcaster Eddie Johnson and team security guard Kevin Tucker. In his early days, when he was too young to go out to bars and clubs, he would hang around them because they provided him with “positive leadership,” which he feels put him on the right path. That leadership helped make the first year of “7 seconds or less” a memorable one during Stoudemire’s NBA tenure.
In the 2004-05 season, Stoudemire arguably had the best season of his career, making the All-Star team, averaging a career-high 26 points per game and receiving All-NBA Second Team honors while helping the Suns secure the best record in the NBA. Stoudemire, Nash, who won league MVP, and Shawn Marion were the first trio of teammates in NBA history at the time to earn All-NBA honors. Stoudemire and the team’s open-minded approach to D’Antoni’s new offense helped the system gel early and often. He says that everything came naturally in training camp.
“We all were in top shape, ready to go. And from training camp, we saw something special. We saw the style of play and the speed we were playing with,” Stoudemire said. “I was at my athleticism peak, and we had Shawn Marion, who was a brilliant floor runner and Swiss Army knife type of player, and Nash was the pass-first guy who could get the ball to whoever was hot.”
Along with Nash and this year’s two inductees, Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal were also members of the Suns during the 2000s who are in the Hall of Fame. D’Antoni coached only Hill, but Stoudemire played with both of them.
While they didn’t win a championship and break the franchise’s title drought, their impact on the game hasn’t been forgotten by people who covered the team, including Suns broadcaster Tom Leander.
Even once D’Antoni left the Suns to coach the Knicks, his impact on the organization remained strong. When Alvin Gentry took over as head coach in 2009 after the team fired Terry Porter, he tried to keep the offense the same.
“I just remember that when I took over, the one thing that I was gonna do was we were gonna go back to what I call ‘Phoenix Suns basketball,’ the ‘7 seconds or less’ days,” Gentry said.
Playing D’Antoni’s style of offense, the team scored 140 points in each of Gentry’s first three games as coach.
D’Antoni doesn’t give himself the credit other people do, but he feels the offense he ran in Phoenix was validated by how the Golden State Warriors have run their offense for so many years and won four championships.
“They’re playing the way that we played because we did it kind of without analytics, and we didn’t have that knowledge yet, and so now they do it with analytics telling them that’s the way to go, and so it’s obviously satisfying,” he said.
D’Antoni never won an NBA championship, but as the NBA becomes more and more three-point-centric (teams shot 13 more threes per game this year than they did 10 seasons ago) and with his teams consistently leading the league in three-point attempts throughout his career, his name will be one to remember when telling the story of the three-point revolution. Players like Stoudemire, who were willing to play a role in spacing the floor for their teammates, will be a part of it.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Hunter Dobbins #40 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 11, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will wrap up their weekend series against the Chicago Cubs Sunday. Hunter Dobbins is the starter for the Cardinals. He’ll go up against Edward Cabrera who will start for the Cubs. First pitch is scheduled for 2:15pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
SAN DIEGO, CA - AUGUST 10: Logan Henderson #43 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Monday, August 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ryan Levy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are set to face the Dodgers in the series finale in Los Angeles with Logan Henderson on the mound opposite Tarik Skubal.
It’s been a disappointing West Coast trip overall, as Milwaukee was swept by the Padres in San Diego, but they’ve bounced back to win two of the first three games here in L.A.
Henderson, 24, continues to be a strong presence in Milwaukee’s rotation, though he took just his second loss of the season in his last appearance after giving up a go-ahead homer in the seventh. Henderson went 6 1/3 innings in that one, allowing three runs on five hits (a pair of homers) and a walk, striking out seven as the Brewers lost 3-2 in San Diego. For the season, he’s 6-2 with a 2.88 ERA, 3.35 FIP, and 69 strikeouts across 56 1/3 innings.
Skubal, 29, was the prize of the trade deadline, and he, of course, ended up in a Dodger uniform. For the season, he’s made 18 starts with a 2.93 ERA, 2.80 FIP, and 128 strikeouts over 107 2/3 innings, though he hasn’t been quite as good in two appearances with the Dodgers — he has a 4.09 ERA, 4.63 FIP, and 12 strikeouts over 11 innings in a loss to the Cubs and a no-decision to the Royals (L.A. went on to win that one).
In injury and roster news, Brice Turang said he continues to improve and, while he isn’t in the lineup today, is expecting to return on Tuesday against the Mariners after Monday’s off day. Also, Curt Hogg notes that while the Brewers will continue to roll with a six-man rotation through the next week, the plan appears to be that Shane Drohan will move to the bullpen after his next outing. Drohan, 27, has pitched 98 1/3 innings in the majors this year and 13 2/3 at Triple-A Nashville, giving him 112 total. His career-high innings mark in a season is 129 2/3, set back in 2022, and he hasn’t been close to that mark since 2023 — he pitched just 16 1/3 innings in 2024 and 54 innings in 2025 as he dealt with injuries.
Brice Turang says he’s continuing to improve after testing his knee yesterday. He’ll get more treatment today and tomorrow on the off day before hopefully returning to the lineup Tuesday against the Mariners.
It sounds like the Brewers plan to go with the six-man rotation for one more turn through, then they will shift Shane Drohan to a long relief role. Drohan is nearing his career high of 129 innings.
Today’s lineup is an interesting one, as William Contreras is at DH and batting leadoff. Per Mike Vassallo, it’s the 11th time Contreras has batted leadoff and the first since May 2024. He’s followed by Luis Lara, Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers, and Andrew Vaughn. Gary Sánchez is catching and bats sixth, with Brandon Lockridge, Joey Ortiz, and Jonathan Ornelas rounding things out behind Henderson in a righty-heavy lineup — the only true lefty in today’s order is Bauers, though Lara is a switch hitter.
First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. CT on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
John, the first to undergo the revolutionary elbow ligament replacement surgery that saved and prolonged his career, was 83.
Los Angeles Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten lauded the left-hander for "his impact both on and off the field."
“We are saddened to hear the news of Tommy John’s passing today,” Kasten said in a statement. “Tommy was an exceptional pitcher throughout his career in Major League Baseball, and his courageous role in becoming the first to have surgery that would go on to bear his name can’t be overstated."
Tommy John pitched for six MLB teams over his lengthy career, led by eight seasons with the New York Yankees (1979-82, 1986-89).
In a statement, the Yankees called him “a bedrock of our rotation during his time in pinstripes and a longtime favorite of Yankees fans."
John posted back-to-back 20-win seasons with the Yankees in 1979 and 1980, earning his third and fourth career All-Star nods.
"We pause to remember the totality of his legacy – his competitiveness and skill, his penchant for conversation, his kind and gracious nature, and his stature as an athletic and medical pioneer," the Yankees added.
STATEMENT FROM THE NEW YORK YANKEES:
“The New York Yankees mourn the passing of Tommy John, who was a bedrock of our rotation during his time in pinstripes and a longtime favorite of Yankees fans. While his incredible longevity and post-surgery achievements changed the fortunes… pic.twitter.com/p6ndlBxUTb
After John injured his elbow in 1974, he received the first ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery from Dr. Frank Jobe. John returned to pitch in 1976, then won 20 games three times in four years from 1977-80.
LOS ANGELES — Tommy John, who won 288 games during a 26-year big league career and became the first pitcher to successfully return following groundbreaking elbow surgery that later was named after him, has died. He was 83.
He died at his home in Bradenton, Florida, on Saturday night, agent Mike Maguire said Sunday. He had been in hospice care.
On Aug. 8, the New York Yankees released a social media post in which John wrote that he wanted to say goodbye to everyone, including friends and fans who followed him throughout his career, saying, “I will never forget you.”
John was a four-time All-Star with a record of 288-231 and a 3.34 ERA during a career that stretched from 1963 to 1989. He pitched for Cleveland, the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, the California Angels and the Oakland Athletics.
The left-hander was 31 years old when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow in 1974, a death knell for pitchers’ careers to that point.
John allowed Dr. Frank Jobe, the Dodgers’ team physician, to replace the ligament with a tendon from his right forearm. Jobe gave the surgery 100-to-1 odds of being successful.
“Dr. Jobe, if you do your job, I’ll do mine,” John told the doctor at the time.
Baseball’s “Bionic Man” pitched another 14 seasons after that.
“Thanks to Dr. Jobe, who saved my arm & made it possible for me to continue pitching,” John posted in his Aug. 8 message.
ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 11: Cody Bradford #61 of the Texas Rangers pitches during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Tony Macon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for August 16, 2026 against the A’s: starting pitchers are Cody Bradford for the Rangers and Jacob Lopez for the Rangers.
Texas will try to make a disappointing road trip a little less disappointing this afternoon. There’s a lefty on the mound for the A’s, so the righthanded-heavy lineup is being utilized. Corey Seager gets the day off.
The lineup:
Langford — LF
Duran — SS
Nimmo — RF
Burger — 1B
Foscue — 2B
Freeman — 3B
Diaz — C
Wynns — DH
Carter — CF
3:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -133 favorites.
