Basketball: NBA Finals: Closeup of Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O'Neal (34) bobblehead on court before game vs New Jersey Nets at Staples Center. Game 2. Los Angeles, CA 6/7/2002 CREDIT: John W. McDonough (Photo by John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X66056 TK2 R14 F25 )
You’re not truly in the dog days of the summer until you start ranking promotional night giveaways.
The Lakers haven’t typically had many giveaway nights during the season, which makes this upcoming season different. Specifically, they’ll be giving away five different bobbleheads throughout the year, including three for former players, along with a couple of other giveaways.
There are a handful of other nights mixed in as well, including Phil Jackson’s statue unveiling at the end of the season as well as LGBTQ+ Pride Night (though I wish they wouldn’t continuously host it during the preseason) and Mental Health Awareness Night.
However, we’re here to rank the goodie giveaways, so let’s look at the seven nights fans can walk away with a freebie.
7. Norm Nixon Bobblehead, Dec.14
The Lakers will have a series of nights this season honoring figures of the franchise’s past, starting with Norm Nixon. He’s an oft-forgotten part of Lakers history, coming just before the Showtime Era. Still, he was a key piece of title-winning teams.
6. Paul Westhead Bobblehead, Jan. 14
The guy before the guy, Westhead, like Nixon, came just before one of the defining eras of the franchise’s history. And like Nixon, it’s nice that the franchise is honoring him.
5. Kurt Rambis Bobblehead, March 17
While Rambis has sort of sullied his reputation with the franchise for some with his role in the front office over the last decade or so, you can’t tell me that a bobblehead with those goggles won’t look extremely funny. It only would have been funnier if they did it in the game against Boston, considering that is the most iconic moment of his career.
In fact, I’ve even heard a former leader of this website is already camped out at Crypto.com Arena waiting to purchase tickets for this game.
4. Lakers x Dodgers Baseball-style Jersey, Nov. 17
Over/under 0.5 of these teams Mark Walter still owns by the time this game rolls around.
3. Austin Reaves Bobblehead, Dec. 27
Are Austin and Luka going to have a debate over whose bobblehead is cooler? Hopefully neither of them is sporting the awful new Nike jerseys for this season.
2. Luka Dončić Scoring Champion Bobblehead, Nov. 1
It’s cool that the team is honoring Luka winning the scoring title last season, but hopefully next year’s bobblehead is for him winning the MVP this season. A small part of me hoped these were being given away when the team played the Mavs, but that would have felt particularly cruel.
1. Lakers 2020 Championship Ring Replica, Jan. 24
I’m already a big fan of replica ring giveaways. I still have one from the 2008-09 team that I found on eBay years and years ago.
But it’s also an incredibly cool touch that they’re doing this the night Anthony Davis — assuming he doesn’t get traded — comes back to Crypto.com Arena. And yes, I’m still sad that team never got a parade.
With ownership of the team still in limbo, the Lakers announced two front office additions Friday, hiring former Miami Heat executive Eric Amsler as assistant general manager, player personnel, while bolstering their sports performance staff with Keith D’Amelio as director of integrated performance systems.
Boosting the team’s behind-the-scenes infrastructure was one of Mark Walter’s major initiatives when the Dodgers’ owner bought the Lakers in 2025. After the season, Lakers president and general manager Rob Pelinka said Walter and the ownership group were working to create two assistant GM positions and upgrade treatment, physical therapy and sports science facilities to mirror the success of the Dodgers.
But the status of such investments came into question when Walter unexpectedly sold his majority stake in the Lakers to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner last month. The transaction that valued the Lakers at a record $12.5 billion still needs to be approved by the NBA board of governors, which next meets Sept. 14-15, according to ESPN, but approval for the Lakers ownership change will likely not be on the docket.
“Continuing to invest in and strengthen our basketball operations group is a top priority as we build for the long-term success of our team and players,” Pelinka said in a statement. “Eric and Keith bring a wealth of experience that will add valuable expertise across our organization.”
Amsler spent the previous 22 seasons with the Heat, most recently serving as vice president of player personnel and the general manager of G League affiliate Sioux Falls Skyforce. He oversaw the Heat’s scouting department and evaluation of draft, professional and G League prospects.
Amsler joins former New Orleans Pelicans executive Rohan Ramadas as assistant general managers hired this offseason. While Ramadas, who joined the team in May, will be involved in managing the salary cap, analytics and data for the Lakers, Amsler’s responsibilities will mirror the scouting and player development responsibilities he held in Miami.
D’Amelio most recently served as chief innovation officer for the New York Liberty, where he worked across basketball operations, health and performance, analytics and applied sciences. His previous NBA experience includes stints with the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics. He also worked with Stanford men’s basketball and Nike.
Dalibor Dvorsky is set to enter year two in the NHL from the get-go, and after a decent showing in his rookie season, expectations are growing.
Dvorsky has excelled at every level leading up to the NHL. He was dynamite at every junior level while playing for Slovakia and even captained their world junior team. In Sweden, he played in the HockeyAllsvenskan in his draft year and posted a respectable six goals and 14 points in 38 games.
The following season, he moved to the OHL and posted 45 goals and 88 points in 52 games. His final stop before becoming an NHLer was in the AHL, where he scored 21 goals and 45 points in a strong rookie season.
Wherever he's played, he's put up strong results, offensively and defensively. But in those previous situations, few players, if any, rivaled his skill set. The NHL is a different beast, and for a player to be as effective as possible, they can't have holes in their game.
Dvorsky possesses a lethal shot, both with power and accuracy. He has the puck-handling skills to be a threat in transition and on the cycle, and has the size and instincts to be a shutdown center. But if there was one area Dvorsky needed to improve, it's his speed.
Dvorsky isn't a poor skater. He uses his edge work effectively and has no issues pivoting, but his footspeed is lackluster, to say the least.
In his rookie season, NHL EDGE recorded Dvorsky's maximum skating speed as 21.58 miles per hour. That was below the 50th percentile, and it was Dvorsky's only skating burst above 21 miles per hour.
Additionally, the 21-year-old posted just 15 skating bursts between 20 and 22 miles per hour, below the 50th percentile, and also ranked below the 50th percentile in skating bursts between 18 and 20 miles per hour.
Being a speedster isn't the only way to be effective in the NHL, but it's hard to be effective and reach your potential when you are below average at best. Given that Dvorsky is defensively responsible and finds himself low in the defensive end, he needs the speed to work his way back into the play.
If Dvorsky can be a league-average or above-average skater, Dvorsky's 5-on-5 play will drastically improve. In his rookie campaign, Dvorsky demonstrated that he will be a consistent power-play threat, scoring five of his 12 goals on the man advantage. But with the off-season additions, Dvorsky won't find himself on the top unit just yet, so those power-play opportunities will diminish.
He needs to produce at 5-on-5 to stay in the NHL, and speed improvements will help him do so. He has plenty of admirable NHL tools, but improved footspeed will take his game to the next level.
Whether he incorporates more crossovers to generate power like Chicago Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard has, or trains to be quicker in a straight line, he's a step away from breaking out.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source.Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Matvei Gridin is one of the more familiar names in the group.
The 2025 first-round pick appeared in 37 games with Calgary as a rookie last season, recording six goals and 20 points. After getting his first taste of the NHL, Gridin enters this season looking to take another step and push for a larger role offensively.
Matvei Gridin. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
On the blueline, Abram Wiebe will get another opportunity to show what he can bring. Wiebe joined the Flames organization following his college career at North Dakota and made his NHL debut last season, appearing in four games after arriving in Calgary in the Rasmus Andersson trade.
Goaltender Arsenii Sergeev also gives Calgary another player worth watching.
Sergeev made his NHL debut late last season against the Los Angeles Kings, stopping 27 of 28 shots in a 3-1 Flames victory. He is expected to continue his development with the Calgary Wranglers in the American Hockey League this season.
Monday’s game isn’t just about the final score.
Arsenii Sergeev. Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn
For players on the edge of the NHL picture, the NextGen showcase is another chance to make an impression in front of the organization before training camp gets underway.
With the Flames and Oilers sharing the ice at the Saddledome, there should be no shortage of familiar rivalry energy, even with plenty of young faces on both sides.
The Flames and Oilers meet Monday, Sept. 14, at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
English top flight’s forwards are not well represented on the list, reflecting a season of set-piece grapple, but 2026-27 already looks brighter
Premier League representation is low when it comes to the 16 attacking players on this year’s Ballon d’Or shortlist. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland are there but Cole Palmer, one of the nominees in 2025, is out after an injury-hit year and English football’s shift towards physicality and set pieces last season is summed up by none of the forwards from the best team in the country making the cut.
The trio giving Arsenal a presence – Gabriel Maghalhães, Declan Rice and William Saliba – are all defensive minded. Arsenal won the league but their forwards are not regarded as elite. Injuries played a part, denying Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka fluency, but Mikel Arteta’s side were not loved by neutrals. There was respect rather than admiration for their defensive rigour. There was an argument that a lack of ambition after going 1-0 up stopped Arsenal from beating Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 08: Konnor Griffin #6 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates a double against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field on September 08, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Don’t look now, but the Pirates are getting hot at the right time.
It’s been an uphill battle for the Bucs to erase a sizable deficit in the National League Wild Card race, but the team is looking to make this a September to remember.
The Pirates have won four games in a row and their last five series after sweeping the White Sox on the south side. They are over .500 for the first time since July 29.
Pittsburgh has won eight of its last 10 games, and only the Dodgers (seven in a row) are hotter than the Bucs.
So what’s standing in their way? Shota Imanaga, who pitches like 2025 second-half Jake Arrieta against the Pirates… but better.
In 38 career innings facing Pittsburgh, Imanaga has allowed only one run for a staggering 0.24 ERA. He is the Pirates’ version of kryptonite despite having a season ERA of 3.92.
The Pirates placed All-Star Braxton Ashcraft on the 15-day injured list on Thursday with right arm discomfort, and he won’t start against the Cubs on Friday.
Wilber Dotel will begin the game, but it will likely become a bullpen day. Khristian Curtis and recently recalled Antwone Kelly are also available to pitch in bulk roles.
Refining Cy Young honoree Paul Skenes starts on Saturday against former Pirate Holmes, who was acquired from the Mets at the trade deadline. Holmes owns a 3.51 ERA through his first six starts with Chicago.
Bubba Chandler gets the ball, opposite Matthew Boyd, on Sunday in the series finale. All three games at Wrigley Field are at 2:20 p.m. Eastern.
The Pirates are 4.5 games back of the San Diego Padres for the final wild card with only 15 games left. It still feels like a nearly impossible feat for the Pirates to accomplish, and they dug themselves too deep a hole after being six games under .500 on both August 13th and 23rd.
Oneil Cruz drove in both runs on Thursday, including a solo home run hit 117.4 MPH as the hardest-hit home run of the season.
Since returning to the team on August 18 after missing two months with a hand injury, Cruz is batting .315 with a .404 slugging percentage, four homers, and 18 runs batted in.
Konnor Griffin returned last weekend, and first baseman/right fielder Ryan O’Hearn may be back this weekend.
The arrow is pointing up for the Pirates, but the rival Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are waiting for them. It may be too little, too late for the Pirates as their race to the postseason continues to take full shape.
The location of the event is part of the Sens' ongoing marketing efforts to win over hockey fans on the other side of the river. Close as it is to Ottawa, most of Gatineau's allegiance lies with the Montreal Canadiens so their fans will be out in full force to support their team (which makes you wonder why the Sens keep inviting the Habs to their Quebec-side preseason gatherings).
But the event also includes Toronto so it will also be teeming with Leafs fans.
But if they bought tickets hoping to see Gavin McKenna's first game in a Leaf uniform, they're going to be disappointed.
NHL.com had reported earlier that McKenna would play in the event, but Toronto Marlies head coach Steve Sullivan told reporters on Friday that McKenna will not attend so he can be fully ready for main camp next week.
For the record, skipping on the event wasn't McKenna's idea.
“I was just doing whatever the team wanted me to do,” McKenna told TSN. “It’d be fun to play some games, but they think me staying here is best, and I’m okay with that. I’ll listen to what they want.”
McKenna was selected first overall by Toronto in June, and everyone expects him to make the NHL team as an 18-year-old. McKenna recorded 51 points in 35 games as a Penn State freshman last season and added 14 points in seven games while helping Canada win bronze at the World Junior Championship.
The Sens made a similar decision with defenseman Carter Yakemchuk, keeping him out of action this weekend. Yakemchuk has an excellent chance to win a full time NHL job in Ottawa this fall.
Sens fans will get a chance to see McKenna soon enough.
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, a portion of the Senators players participating in training camp will travel to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs. At the same time, the Maple Leafs will send a group to Ottawa to face the Senators at CTC.
Then the Senators will face McKenna and the Leafs on the road in their regular season opener. That will be Toronto's third game of the season, so it won't be his NHL debut.
That means Sens fans won't have to endure the inevitable nostalgia billowing out of Toronto about the 10-year anniversary of Auston Matthews's NHL debut, when he scored four goals on the Sens.
Small victories count too.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest THN Ottawa headlines below:
The start of the 2026-27 season is rapidly approaching and while the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes look ready for another run at the crown, there's one piece of business still left unfinished.
Russian blueliner Alexander Nikishin is the Hurricanes' last player without a deal for the upcoming season and it hasn't seemed like there's really been much progress on that front.
His name has been out there plenty in the rumor mill, with reports stating that he's looking for north of $8 million per year and that the Canes have shopped him around plenty as well.
But with training camp just a week away, will the time crunch force someone to give?
And what will a new contract even look like for the Russian defenseman?
Nikishin was just on the outside of the league's top-50 most productive defensemen, registering 33 points in 81 games in his rookie year, however, he was in the top-25 in terms of goal scoring, having found the back of the net 11 times.
That's substantial production and better than a plethora of guys that wound up with significant contracts this summer.
However, he's also a 24-year-old rookie and so the question is, how much more room does he have to grow?
Obviously he had trouble adjusting to a lot of factors given the fact that he was playing in North American and a new league for the first time in his career, as well as not speaking the language fully.
So from that standpoint there is the potential for him to take another step, but the fact remains that he struggled a bit defensively, especially with the way the Hurricanes play, and so it's a question of if the organization thinks he's capable of taking a big step.
AFP Analytics does projections for pending free agents and their data projects both a long and short term deal for players.
For Nikishin, AFP projects him at both a six-year, $38.641 million ($6.44 AAV) deal or a two-year, $7.43 million ($3.715 AAV) deal.
In my opinion both of those seem fairly low for the Russian blueliner, but I can also see why the analytics wouldn't be too much in Nikishin's favor.
Despite solid production, Nikishin wasn't much of a play driver for Carolina according to the underlying numbers and he had his fair share of struggles defensively too.
Alexander Nikishin's 2025-26 Microstats
And while he was quite productive in the regular season, Nikishin struggled to put up points in the playoffs.
In addition, Nikishin has virtually no leverage in the current negotiations.
On top of only having one year of NHL experience under his belt, he's also a 10.2(c) restricted free agent, meaning that he can't be offer sheeted nor could he file for arbitration.
The Hurricanes hold all the cards in the negotiations and the only potential option Nikishin has is to sit out, which is very rare to see in today's game.
However, while he and the team have continued to go back and forth in negotiations, other players have landed deals that have more than likely only pushed Nikishin's ask even higher.
If we look at players in Nikishin's cohort (defensemen around the age of 24 who signed new deals) ones that jump out as comparables include:
Zeev Buium [20] - Eight-year, $75.04 million ($9.38 AAV)
Jamie Drysdale [24] - Four-year, $26 million ($6.5 AAV)
Simon Nemec [22] - Five-year, $36.25 million ($7.25 AAV)
Pavel Mintyukov [22] - Five-year, $36 million ($7.2 AAV)
Bowen Byram [25] - Six-year, $75 million ($12.5 AAV)
Brandt Clarke [23] - Five-year, $37 million ($7.4 AAV)
Of those players, only Byram (42 points) and Clarke (40) outproduced Nikishin.
Beyond them, other potential comparables in his cohort could include some players who signed deals last year, but the majority of them do play larger roles than Nikishin.
Philip Broberg [24] - Six-year, $48 million ($8 AAV)
JJ Moser [25] - Eight-year, $54 million ($6.75 AAV)
Thomas Harley [24] - Eight-year, $84.7 million ($10.587 AAV)
Jackson LaCombe [24] - Eight-year, $72 million ($9 AAV)
Luke Hughes [22] - Seven-year, $63 million ($9 AAV)
At the end of the day, Nikishin's price is more than likely going to end up at least somewhere above $7 million based on the market.
Carolina has just over $8 million in cap space according to PuckPedia, so they can fit him into the equation, but would the team really want to make him potentially their highest paid defenseman?
And if he stays, is it going to be a bridge or a long-term deal?
Carolina isn't a team that likes to take expensive risks and Nikishin definitely presents himself as one, especially at the price tag he's seemingly asking for.
There's also the case of, does Nikishin want to commit long-term to Carolina?
Coming from the KHL, the Russian defenseman was a 30-minute a night, all situations player. He hasn't gotten the opportunity to be that in Raleigh and there still isn't really a path for him to become that either.
The Hurricanes have a lot of options on the blueline currently too, bringing in Mike Reilly, Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Juuso Valimaki, while also having guys like Charles Alexis Legault and Joel Nystrom, all of whom could be options in that third-pairing role, so they have the insurance should this drag out through training camp.
And again, the Hurricanes don't have to budge.
It's a difficult situation and one that will be interesting to see how it ultimately resolves.
Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated by Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 after hitting a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at Petco Park on September 09, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You knew that the only season series the San Francisco Giants have won against the San Diego Padres this decade was in 2021 and you figure that the Giants are unlikely to sweep the Padres this weekend in San Francisco to make it season series win #2, but maybe you didn’t realize just how much of the Padres’ fate the Giants hold in their hands?
The split with the Diamondbacks a week and a half ago didn’t obliterate Arizona’s Wild Card aspirations, but it was just enough losing to keep them a half game behind San Diego with — for them — just 15 games remaining. The Giants were supposed to be an easy way for them to enter this brutal — for them — September (Philadelphia, Houston, Kansas City (43-45 since June 1st), Texas, Miami, the Yankees, then three in Coors Field before the final three games of the season versus the Padres. Why mention the Diamondbacks at all?
Well, look, the Giants are actually playing spoilers right now. This isn’t the wishcasting of the past decade (save 2021) when these losers rolled into the final weeks staggering disappointments to a fan base that thought they were getting a perennial contender after the championships in the early 2010s, this is some actual spoiler behavior. San Diego’s next 7 games are against our Giants (3) and then 4 in Colorado before hosting the Marlins and then playing the Dodgers in LA, and hosting the Diamondbacks to end the season. They just went 5-1 on a homestand where they took 2 out of 3 from the Yankees and swept the Nationals. They are 22-14 since August 1st. So, they are riding high.
But, the Giants have won 10 of their last 17 and have done damage to multiple playoff hopefuls: they’ve taken out the Reds, brushed back the Diamondbacks, confused Atlanta, humbled Pittsburgh, and nuked the St. Louis Cardinals from orbit. The San Diego Padres are just half a game ahead of the Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot and 4.5 games ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates (who play the Cubs, Brewers, Royals, Cardinals, and Tigers). The Giants could be a doormat (the Padres have lost just 3 series at Oracle Park since the start of 2022, the last time being early 2024) helping San Diego improve its Wild Card standing, but there’s just enough excitement around these Giants to think that the spoiler energy might carry over to the weekend — despite two nationally televised games.
The first matchup in the series is pretty great. The Giants traded Robbie Ray to the Padres at the deadline and seem to have won that deal immediately. Ray was always going to be an improvement over the flotsam and jetsam that made up the Padres’ rotation before the deadline, but he has been remarkably worse for them than he was with the Giants. A 4.71 ERA & 6.06 FIP in 6 starts (28.2 IP) compared to 3.08 and 4.36 with the Giants. He’s struck out 20 and walked 20 in this span while allowed 5 HR and 15 ER. The sole win the Yankees had against San Diego last weekend was the Ray start where he allowed 5 ER in 2.1 IP.
Meanwhile, Anthony Molina has pitched quite a bit better than the “40-man roster castoff turned innings eater who will be DFA’d in the offseason” guy many people projected him to be when the Giants acquired him from Atlanta. He’s appeared in 3 games, the Giants have won all 3 games, and he has a 1.88 ERA (3.52 FIP) in 14.1 IP. Just 2 walks against 13 strikeouts. Very impressive and a really nice development down the stretch. You’d like to think a 24-year old with a 96 mph fastball and a curveball-slider combo with high whiff rates will be able to stick to the roster of a 90+-loss team that will need pitching heading into next season.
Then there are the performances from the dudes who will definitely be sticking around: Rafael Devers has a 272 wRC+ over these last 17 games, and he hasn’t even played in them all! His 9 home runs lead the team, of course, but also the entire sport — same with that wRC+. Bryce Eldridge has hit .365/.453/.596 over his last 64 PA (187 wRC+), Christian Koss .278/.328/.500 over his last 62 PA (130 wRC_), and Jonah Cox has been right there with both (.298/.365/.447 — 129 wRC+ and with 5 stolen bases).
Ahem. The Giants’ team walk rate has been 9.5% over this same span (21.6%).
So, between the hitting standouts and the pitching standouts — excited to see if Cesar Perdomo can continue to get outs against a tough lineup that has nonetheless struggled versus LHP this season (.691 OPS) — the Giants are setup to rain on the Padres’ parade a little bit. Their new owners, Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano, introduced themselves with a song made just for the occasion…
This is the exact sort of excitement and energy a cranky, losing team like the Giants ought to be able to frustrate at this time of the year if they’re to really create hope for a fanbase that isn’t sure when the team will be good again.
Series Overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (62-85) vs. San Diego Padres (78-68) Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California When: Friday at 7:15pm PT, Saturday at 1:05pm PT, Sunday at 4:20pm PT National broadcasts: Friday (Apple TV), Sunday (NBC/Peacock)
Projected starters Friday: Anthony Molina (RHP 3-0, 2.79 ERA) vs. Robbie Ray (LHP 11-8, 3.39 ERA) Saturday: Cesar Perdomo (LHP 0-0, 0.90 ERA) vs. Michael King (RHP 10-9, 3.00 ERA) Sunday: Logan Webb (RHP 8-8, 4.10 ERA) vs. Nick Pivetta (RHP 2-2, 3.43 ERA)
Players to watch
Padres
Nick Pivetta: He was the 14th-most valuable pitcher in MLB last season (3.7 fWAR) and the Padres got him on a song (3 years, $41 million), but he missed a massive chunk of this season with right elbow inflammation. He made just his 5th start of 2026 on Monday night, getting the win via 5 shutout innings, 2 hits, 0 walks, and just 2 strikeouts against the Nationals. His second start since returning from the IL will be at Oracle Park where he’s struggled. He has a career 5.40 ERA in 20 IP (admittedly, 7.1 of those came before 2020). He’s the Padres’ #2 starter, essentially, but with a wobbly Ray and a Pivetta still coming back from injury, you can see a fuzzy outline for how the Giants might take this series.
Jackson Merrill: This guy loves Oracle Park. In 16 games (68 PA), he’s slashing .379/.397/.606. That 1.003 OPS is his best result in any of the NL West Parks, and it’s really his best result in an opposing stadium if you set the threshold at 50 PA. He has higher OPSes in some other stadiums, but with fewer PA: Yankee Stadium — 1.556 OPS (9 PA), Fenway Park — 1.348 (23), loanDepot Park — 1.172 (37), Guaranteed Rate Field — 1.135 (13).
Fernando Tatis Jr. & Manny Machado: Tatis was bad the first two months of the season (.658 OPS through May), but since June 1st has slashed .295/.357/.528 (.886) with 19 homers and 18 stolen bases. If you move that “since” date to something more recent (August 1st), he remains the team’s best hitter. He (151 wRC+), Ty France (144 wRC+), Merrill (141), and catcher Luis Campusano (120) have led the charge. For his career (44 G 191 PA) he’s done quite well at Oracle Park (.860 OPS), better than his overall mark against the Giants (.839 OPS), but in the previous Oracle Park series this season, he was just 1-for-13 with 5 strikeouts. Will the bounce back go all the way with him to the Bay?
Meanwhile, the 33-year old Machado is having the worst season of his career (.224/.314/.414), but like Tatis Jr. he has managed to turn it around — to an extent. Since the All-Star break he’s slashing .263/.355/.409 with 7 homers and 6 doubles. Not a lot of power but he’s getting on base. He has a career .830 OPS against the Giants and an .806 OPS at Oracle Park; but, this season, it’s .274 vs. the Giants overall and and 1-for-12 at Oracle Park. Will he, like Tatis, bring his turnaround with him?
Giants
Logan Webb: It was a nice bounceback start for Webb against the Cardinals following the worst start of his career; but, the Padres have his number. He’s already had a 4-inning, 6-earned run disaster in San Francisco against them back in May after they’d tagged him for 3 runs in 6 innings in San Diego (though, that game wound up being the Giants’ first win of the season). He’s 5-6 with a 3.60 ERA for his career against the Padres (110 IP). He has still been quite a bit better at home (3.26 ERA) than the road (5.29 ERA), of course, but this looks (on paper, anyway), to be a tough matchup.
Drew Cavanaugh: Look, he’s not a starter, but a left-handed hitting catcher with a 10.5% walk rate (though, yes, a 28% strikeout rate) with average-y defense is a player who has likely played his way onto a major league roster. The Susac-Cavanaugh combo might be cemented by the rest of this month. The Padres’ pitching has been worse against left-handed pitching than right-handed, too (.710 OPS vs. .697), so this might be a good weekend for him.
The lefty relievers: Because the Padres have struggled more against left-handed pitching (94 wRC+ — 18th in MLB), I wonder if we’ll see Tugboat, Reiver Sanmartin, and Phil Abner early and often, at least in games 1 & 2 of the series.
Martin Špaňhel - 2001-2002 - Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1995.
Špaňhel played 10 games for Columbus in the franchise's first two years and scored two goals. He never played another NHL game after leaving for Europe in 2002, where he played in Czechia, Denmark, and Norway.
He returned to North America in 2011 and played in the ECHL, but then retired soon after. Nowadays, he's the Commissioner of the Columbus Adult Hockey League.
Lasse Pirjetä - 2003-2004 - Drafted by Columbus in 2002.
Pirjetä played 108 games and scored 31 points for the Jackets. He played his final NHL games with Pittsburgh after being traded on March 10, 2004.
He retired in 2008 after playing in Switzerland, Sweden, and Finland. He was also an asst. coach in Finland at various levels.
Mike Rupp - 2006 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1998, and then the New jersey in 2000. (re-entry)
The Cleveland, Ohio native played 39 games for the Jackets in 2005-06, scoring four goals and totaling six points, after being traded to Columbus on October 8, 2005.
Rupp famously played for the Danbury Trashers during the lockout of 04-05 in the UHL. If you haven't watched that documentary on Netflix - DO IT! He retired in 2014.
Nowadays, he can be seen on the NHL Network as an analyst. He was also a broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Penguins for 8 years.
Curtis Glencross - 2007-2008 - Undrafted out of
Kindersley, Saskatchewan.
Glencross played 43 games as a Jacket and had 12 points. He was traded to the CBJ from the Anaheim Ducks on January 26, 2007. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2008 in exchange for Dick Tärnström.
He finished his career playing for the Flames and Capitals and had some very good years. On October 20, 2015, Glencross retired.
Kristian Huselius - 2009-2012 - Drafted by Florida in 1997.
Huselius played 189 games for Columbus and had 142 points after signing a four-year, $19 million contract with the CBJ.
The ending of Huselius' career was a bit controversial. Huselius said that the Blue Jackets rushed his recovery and that he was not given ample time to recover from a chest muscle injury. He said that he was forced into game action too early, which resulted in him pulling his groin muscle and forcing him to miss the rest of the season with a slow recovery.
On 8 January 2013, Huselius retired from hockey.
Tim Erixon - 2013-2015 - Drafted by Calgary in 2009.
Erixon came to Columbus in the deal for Rick Nash. He only played 52 games as a Jacket and had 11 points. He was traded to the Blackhawks in December of 2014.
In 2019, he left for Sweden, where he would play for the Växjö Lakers HC for two seasons, and then with the Timrå IK, where he still plays today.
William Karlsson - 2015 - Drafted by Anaheim in 2011.
It's a common misconception that Karlsson was drafted by the CBJ. Taken by the Anaheim Ducks in 2011, he was traded to the Jackets in March 2015. He played 165 games for Columbus and had 47 points, mostly as a fourth-line grinder and penalty killer.
He was chosen by Vegas in the expansion draft of 2017 and has been there ever since. His career in Vegas has been up and down, but he's managed to get 396 points while playing for Vegas. In 2018, he won the Lady Byng, and in 2023, he helped his team win their first Stanley Cup.
Brandon Saad - 2016-2017 - Drafted by Chicago in 2011
Saad played 160 games as a Jacket and had 106 points. Saad came to Columbus on June 30, 2015, in a trade with Chicago. On June 23, 2017, Saad was sent back to Chicago, along with Anton Forsberg, for dynamic winger Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte, and a sixth-round draft pick in 2017.
He currently doesn't have a contract.
Riley Nash - 2019-2021 - Drafted by Edmonton in 2007.
Played 179 games for the Jackets. He scored 10 goals and 33 points during his time in Columbus. He was traded to Toronto in 2021 and has bounced around since, playing for Winnipeg, Tampa Bay, Arizona, and New York.
He announced his retirement on July 8, 2025, after suffering a season-ending knee injury that caused him to miss the entirety of 2024-25.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Let us know what you think below.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. Share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- New York Islanders forward prospect Quinn Finley skated in a red non-contact jersey on day one of rookie camp as he works his way back from shoulder surgery.
"I'm close to the finish line," Finley told The Hockey News. "That's what the doctors are saying right now, and yeah, I feel great."
Finley doesn't know for sure if he'll be cleared for contact by the start of NHL training camp but that's the hope.
Despite being drafted by the Islanders in the third round (No. 78) of the 2022 NHL Draft, this was Finley's first taste of an NHL rookie camp since NCAA players aren't able to attend these camps.
Although he was limited in what he could do out there, Finley enjoyed being out there.
"I feel great, finally being out there, playing games, out there scoring," Finley said. "It's great to be hanging out with the guys and being on the pro-aspect of things."
The 22-year-old recorded 17 goals with 16 assists for 33 points in 33 regular season games for Wisconsin in 2025-26, while also representing the U.S. Collegiate Selects at the Spengler Cup, where he recorded two goals and three assists for five points in four games.
He is expected to be a key contributor to the Hamilton Hammers this season.
HARRISBURG, PA - SEPTEMBER 06: Jarlin Susana #24 of the Harrisburg Senators pitches during the game between the Altoona Curve and the Harrisburg Senators at FNB Field on Sunday, September 6, 2026 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kyle Mace/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The 2025 season was a disaster on many levels for the Washington Nationals. However, one of the biggest long term blows came in the farm system. Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora, the Nats top two pitching prospects both went down with major injuries. Sykora will not pitch this year due to Tommy John, but Jarlin Susana has returned from his Lat surgery.
Susana did not return to action until August and the Nats have been taking things very slowly. He has made six starts so far, but has only thrown 14 innings in total. So far we have seen the whole Jarlin Susana package, for better and worse.
In his first outing back, he made a real statement with how loud his stuff was. His fastball was sitting 101-103 and he was uncorking nasty sliders as well. He showed how unique his right arm truly is. Even in this age of velocity, this kind of fire power is special.
Jarlin Susana struck out two batters in the first inning here in Hudson Valley.
He sat 101-103 mph, had one two-seamer at 103 mph w/ 20 inches of run.
Threw one sweeper at 89 mph w/ 15 inches of horizontal.
It is tough to read too much into stats after only 14 innings. However, Susana has an especially wacky statline. His ERA is unimpressive at 5.14, but the underlying numbers are tremendous. Susana has 28 strikeouts in those 14 frames, showing how overpowering he is. A 45.2 K% is video game type stuff.
His underlying numbers are also stellar. Susana’s FIP is 2.68 and his xFIP is 2.43. Those data points suggest the elevated ERA is misleading. A .391 BABIP also suggests some bad luck is at play here. Susana has been dominating even if the run prevention has not necessarily shown that.
The book on Susana is that he can be wild. That has been true for the most part. He has 7 walks in those 14 innings and has also hit 3 batters. However, his 11.3% walk rate is actually a step in the right direction. In 2025, that walk rate was up at 13.9%. If Susana can keep his walk rate around 10%, his chances of starting will increase.
At this point, that is the biggest question with the right hander, along with health. With stuff this good, he should have big league success. As we have seen with Yovanny Cruz and Luis Perales, huge velocity is not everything. However, Susana is even bigger and badder than both those guys. His fastball is harder, his slider is nastier and he is tougher to square up.
With the quality of his stuff, there are folks wondering if Susana should get a cup of coffee in the bullpen down the stretch. He will have to be added to the 40-man roster after this season anyways, so it could be worth giving him a look. A few extra appearances would help him build up as well.
The Nats are going to add Jarlin Susana to the 40-man roster this offseason, so why not promote him now? He throws 103, his slider has a 68% whiff rate, and he is the last piece of the Soto trade still waiting to debut. I make the case in the piece below.
Susana has not pitched above AA, but the quality of his stuff is beyond questioning. He will get whiffs at the big league level. Skipping players over AAA is not unprecedented either. In fact, we have seen a couple recent examples of this with Kade Anderson and Josue De Paula.
With the season lost and Susana needing to join the 40-man roster anyways, there is not much to lose here. The bullpen can also use all the help it can get. Susana’s elite stuff would also generate plenty of buzz.
When Susana is on his game, he is jaw dropping to watch. For one, he is an absolutely massive human. Susana is officially listed at 6’6 235 pounds on the MILB website. However, in the Nationals media guide, he was listed at 6’7 283 pounds. If Susana were born in America, he would probably be a left tackle in the NFL. Seeing that sort of body dominating on the mound is mesmerizing.
Jarlin Susana returns to the Double-A @HbgSenators pumping 100+ mph ⛽️
Getting in as many innings as possible before next season should also be a goal for Susana. A few outings in the big leagues down the stretch could be part of that. The AA season ends this week, so maybe he could get called up after that.
I would also like to see Susana in the Arizona Fall League. That would give him more opportunities for innings. A selfish reason I want to see both of these is so I can actually see the metrics on his pitches. Those stuff grades must be totally out of control.
In his 14 innings this season, Jarlin Susana has looked like Jarlin Susana. If he can stay healthy and moderately improve his command, he can be a top of the rotation arm. Even if those strides do not happen, he has a long future in the bullpen. It is great to see him back on the mound. He is a true unicorn of a pitcher.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - AUGUST 19: Jesús Sánchez #12 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after misplaying a fly ball against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on August 19, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
So this surprised me. The Jays DFAed Jesús Sánchez as the counter move to bringing up Rudy Martin.
Sánchez just didn’t work out. He was supposed to be the power bat we needed and then he hit 8 home runs in 99 games for us. And there was the defense, or lack there of. 3 official errors (leading the league) and a .975 fielding average (why does baseball insist on three significant digits?) in the outfield. League average is .987. All three of his errors were in left field, in right he hadn’t made an error, and we were told that he was more used to right field which had be wondering why not play him in right?
But the errors were just part of the story. Cause baseball has this silly idea that if a player makes too big of a mistake, we can’t call that an error. Ball goes off the glove, error. Player doesn’t get within 30 feet of a catchable ball, not an error.
Anyway, the last couple of weeks of the season will be Sánchezless. I don’t suppose he’ll be greatly missed.
Aug 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets pitcher Jack Weisenburger (82) looks on in the dugout before making his major league debut in the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Mets are making a change in their bullpen ahead of their series in the Bronx, recalling Jack Weisenburger and sending Chris Devenski back to Triple-A Syracuse.
Weisenburger appeared in three games for the Mets in August, tossing four and a third innings, allowing one run on three hits, walking two and striking out four. In 18 games for Syracuse (13 starts), Weisenburger has a 6.68 ERA over 62 innings pitched, with 53 strikeouts to 34 walks and eight home runs allowed.
Devenski split time between the Mets and Pirates organizations this season, and in six appearances for the Mets was more or less fine until his last appearance against the Marlins, where he was responsible for five of the runs in the Mets’ wild 15-14 dub on Wednesday. The 35 year old veteran has a 13.50 ERA for the Mets this season, and an 11.74 ERA across both clubs in the majors.
With a little more than a week left in the Triple-A season and Syracuse two and a half games out of a playoff spot, Devenski will have plenty of opportunity for some innings before, potentially, rejoining the Mets if the need arises.
The second half of the Subway Series with the Yankees starts tonight at 7:05pm on PIX11 with Nolan McLean facing off against Carlos Rodón.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 8: Teoscar Hernández #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts from the dugout during the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on September 8, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Granted, the team traded for Tarik Skubal, which would not have been my choice, even though he’s been fine since arriving in Los Angeles. I would have gone after Cincinnati Reds’ hurler Hunter Greene and maybe checked in with the New York Mets on someone like Sean Maenea as a low-risk, innings-eater acquisition from an organization going nowhere fast.
Greene is already hurt and likely down for next year, and Maenea hasn’t produced anything that Charlie Barnes or Landon Knack couldn’t already do, which goes to show that sometimes even the best of us get it hilariously wrong.
The Dodgers have had some of the worst outfield play in the majors this year.
They have a glut of quality outfield prospects. At the trade deadline, one would have expected the Dodgers to offload someone like Ryan Ward or Alex Call for a lottery prospect to free up room for someone like James Tibbs III, Josue De Paula, or Zach Erhard to get an extended look to see if they could either contribute and/or shake up what was a moribund offense.
Nothing happened. Life moved on. The corner outfield play remained bad.
When the rosters expanded on September 1, considering the status quo, it would not be out of the question to think that maybe an outfielder was being called up to essentially audition for a postseason role.
The Dodgers instead recalled Dalton Rushing from the injured list, a catcher who physically and literally could not play the position due to an arm injury, and infielder Alex Freeland, the first half of the ultimately demoted Freeland/Kim platoon. This platoon was both offensively disappointing and ultimately demoted once Tommy Edman came back from injury.
Rushing has since returned to the injured list as he can neither hit nor catch, and he has been replaced by Eliézer Alfonzo.
It’s a weird feeling to have part of the season turn on a single play. With reporting indicating that the Dodgers were going to call up Tibbs when the rosters expanded, I initially did not pay attention to this home run that Hernández hit in Detroit.
“We didn’t bring up an outfielder. That’s part of the bet on Teo, that he can right the ship,” manager Dave Roberts said on Tuesday. “That’s kind of where we’re at.”
“Last year, I used it before I had the injury. That’s the way I was hitting,” said Hernandez, who got off to an excellent start in 2025. “Then when I came back, I was doing the same thing but I was feeling it (in his injured leg) so that’s why I stopped. This year when I got my hamstring issue, I had to get rid of it because it was putting so much pressure on the hamstring.
In nine games since the end of the Detroit series, as of the start of play on September 11, Hernández has an otherworldly slash line of .500/.579/.750, going 16 for 32 with 3 2B, 3B, and an HR. He also has 12 RBI, 2 SB, and equal walks and strikeouts (6).
Against anyone other than the Reds, that triple would be a second home run.
Things have gone so well that Hernández credibly had an inside-the-park home run chance. With apologies to the Reds’ broadcast crew, it was not disbelief from Dodgers fans that Teoscar was gunned down at home; it was general annoyance about the send in the first place.
His hamstring has only finally healed, people; let’s not break the man before October even starts!
While there is a credible argument that the Dodgers could use help in the outfield, if not from Ehrhard or Tibbs III, then maybe Josue De Paula, who will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Per Owen Riley and Maxfield Lane of Down on the Farm:
De Paula is too good for Double-A; he’s doing everything right with no red flags and very impressive contact metrics for a guy who is also blasting home runs at a 30+ per season pace. You won’t convince me that the Dodgers lineup looks better with Enrique Hernandez in it against LHP than it would with De Paula. This potential addition grades out top half, but not right at the top, for me, since it is only really relevant in the playoffs. Isolate to just October, though, and I do think De Paula has the potential to be a difference maker—a high-risk, high-reward play.
While De Paula gets settled in as the most anticipated prospect since Cody Bellinger in 2017, one might wonder, while Hernández is having a resurgence, how about the other part of the outfield tandem that has been struggling?
Checking in on the Tinkerbell Gambit
Let’s check in on how Kyle Tucker has fared since our last article. It’s been about three weeks since the Dodgers faithful channeled their inner Tinkerbell (à la the Phillies and Kyle Tucker in 2023) to will the struggling slugger out of his offensive tailspin in 2026.
As of the start of play on September 11:
18 games, 10 for 58, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 11 BB, 7 K, .172/.300/.310, 70 OPS+ for this stretch, 90 OPS+ on the year
How did it get worse?!? He was fine on the road and awful at home; the gambit seems to have backfired. It’s like ruining two perfectly good jackets.
Tucker’s bWAR had dipped into the negative for the year before having a multi-hit game and hitting a home run off a position player in the Wednesday finale. The slash before the finale was .132/.277/.208, with an 38 OPS+ for this period.
This season, Tucker has looked bad at the plate, to those who follow baseball and those who do not.
Anecdotally, when my non-sports watching sister and my causal fan mother both indepedently comment on separate occasions some version of “why is that man flailing like that?” when watching Tucker, something has gone awry.
There’s a deeper conversation that needs to be had here if there is no improvement before the regular season ends. I think this situation has gotten to the point where it’s not a question about playing time or being on the playoff roster. This situation is only exacerbated by Ohtani’s stint on the injured list, which shall not end until the last week of the regular season.
You may see one of the biggest single-season free-agent flops in baseball history, by definition.
I see a career inflection point that feels vaguely reminiscent of another now-former Dodger who was a nice story until he wasn’t: Joey Gallo. Gallo arrived after the inflection point, and the damage was done in the Bronx, but this comparison and analysis is one for another day.
