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Graham Mertz HOU QBTexans' Graham Mertz: ACL tear feared
1m agoThe Texans believe that Mertz tore his ACL during Thursday's preseason opener against the Chargers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Per Schefter, there is expected to be additional testing to confirm Mertz's injury, but at this stage it doesn't look good for the 2025 sixth-rounder. As a result, look for Houston to bring in added QB depth behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills in short order.
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Jam Miller NE RBPatriots' Jam Miller: Leading rusher against Indy
6h agoMiller carried the ball 14 times for 55 yards and failed to catch his only target in Thursday's 13-13 preseason tie with the Colts.
Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson both sat out the Patriots' preseason opener, allowing Miller to get the start and handle the bulk of the work on the ground -- the rest of the RBs in the lineup combined for 27 yards on 17 carries. The 2026 seventh-round is battling Lan Larison, Hassan Haskins and JaMycal Hasty for the RB3 role to open the season, and Miller may have improved his chances of claiming it with Thursday's effort.
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Lan Larison NE RBPatriots' Lan Larison: Makes impact as receiver Thursday
6h agoLarison gained just one yard on seven carries in Thursday's 13-13 preseason tie with the Colts, but he caught six of eight targets for 38 yards.
The undrafted running back out of UC Davis couldn't get anything going on the ground, but Larison's pass-catching chops stood out -- no other Patriot had more than three receptions on the night. His opportunities came with both TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson getting the night off, but the performance may have boosted Larison's chances of beginning the season in the RB3 role. He has yet to make his NFL debut after spending his rookie season in 2025 on the IR due to foot surgery.
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Mack Hollins NE WRPatriots' Mack Hollins: Two grabs in preseason opener
6h agoHollins caught two of four targets for 24 yards in Thursday's 13-13 preseason tie with the Colts.
The Patriots held their offensive starters out of the contest, including QB Drake Maye, allowing Hollins to get the start and play most of the first quarter. The veteran wideout will have a tough time carving out a significant role in 2026 as long as New England's receiving corps stays healthy, with A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs and Kayshon Boutte all ahead of him on the depth chart and DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism fighting for any remaining roster spots.
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Drake Maye NE QBPatriots' Drake Maye: Gets night off Thursday
7h agoMaye did not play in the Patriots' 13-13 preseason tie with the Colts on Thursday.
As expected, the star quarterback got the night off for the exhibition opener while Tommy DeVito and Behren Morton split snaps under center. Maye's next chance to build chemistry with new wideouts A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs will come next Saturday against Brown's former team, the Eagles.
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Seth McGowan IND RBColts' Seth McGowan: Gets start in preseason opener
7h agoMcGowan carried the ball five times for 17 yards in Thursday's 13-13 preseason tie with the Patriots. He also lost a fumble.
The rookie seventh-round pick got the start in the Colts' backfield with Jonathan Taylor held out and DJ Giddens (hamstring) sidelined, but McGowan didn't exactly impress in his opportunity. Taylor's the unquestioned RB1 for Indy, if not the centerpiece of the offense, but if he were to suffer an injury, McGowan could find himself handling the bulk of the early-down and goal-line work in the backfield with Giddens having done little to establish himself as a rookie last year.
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Edgar Quero CHW CWhite Sox's Edgar Quero: Three more hits
5h agoQuero went 3-for-5 with two RBI and one run scored Thursday against the Reds.
Quero has earned steady playing time with both Kyle Teel (ankle) and Joey Bart (hand) sidelined, having been in the lineup in four of the White Sox's last five games. It remains a small sample, but he has performed well in that span, going 5-for-13 with three walks. Quero will likely continue to split time with Drew Romo behind the plate, but he at least appears to be the preferred option against lefties at this point.
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Max Muncy LAD 3BDodgers' Max Muncy: Homers off bench in loss
7h agoMuncy went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Brewers.
Muncy pinch hit for Miguel Rojas in the sixth inning and delivered the Dodgers' biggest hit of the game. Over 11 contests in August, Muncy has gone 8-for-35 (.229) with two homers and 10 RBI. The third baseman is batting .250 with an .832 OPS, 23 homers, 59 RBI, 63 runs scored, 17 doubles, one triple and two stolen bases through 112 contests overall. He primarily works in a strong-side platoon role, though his playing time versus southpaws is rising -- he's started against three of the last five lefties the Dodgers have faced.
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Edwin Diaz LAD RPDodgers' Edwin Diaz: Back to struggles Thursday
7h agoDiaz (2-2) allowed three runs on four hits and struck out two over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss and a blown save in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Brewers.
Diaz struggled and ultimately allowed two runs while on the mound. Alex Vesia was unable to get things under control, allowing one inherited runner to score, which saddled Diaz with the loss as well as a blown save. In August, Diaz has given up seven runs over 3.2 innings while blowing three of his four save chances. While he's still nominally in the closer role, fantasy managers don't have as much leeway as the Dodgers do to let him work through his issues. Diaz has an 11.57 ERA, 2.49 WHIP and 18:8 K:BB over 11.2 innings while converting just six of 10 save chances on the year.
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Roki Sasaki LAD SPDodgers' Roki Sasaki: Lacking control Thursday
7h agoSasaki allowed two runs on four hits and five walks while striking out two over six innings in a no-decision versus the Brewers on Thursday.
While it was Sasaki's third quality start in his last four outings, the five walks matched his season high. He's given up just eight runs (seven earned) over his last 30 innings while adding a 28:12 K:BB in that span. Overall, Sasaki is at a 4.46 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 108:45 K:BB through 111 innings over 21 starts this season. His next outing is projected to be on the road in Colorado, which could be trouble given that he's allowed 21 home runs this season.
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Jake Bauers MIL 1BBrewers' Jake Bauers: Plates go-ahead run
8h agoBauers went 1-for-4 with a walk, one RBI and one stolen base in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Dodgers.
Bauers delivered an RBI single to give the Brewers the lead in the ninth inning, then stole second in an attempt to help them build on their rally. Bauers had been caught stealing on his previous two attempts, though he has logged three thefts since the All-Star break. On the year, the first baseman is hitting .268 with an .871 OPS, 21 home runs, 68 RBI, 69 runs scored, 17 doubles, two triples and nine steals over 109 contests.
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Trevor Megill MIL RPBrewers' Trevor Megill: Clean inning for save
8h agoMegill struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Dodgers.
Megill's scoreless streak is up to nine innings, and he's racked up six punchouts and six saves in that span while allowing just one hit and one walk in total. The closer has 22 saves in 24 chances this season as he continues to be one of the Brewers' best relievers. He's at a 2.44 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 54:12 K:BB across 48 innings.
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Bradley Beal LAC SGClippers' Bradley Beal: Returning to Clippers
13h agoBeal (hip) agreed to a two-year, $13.2 million contract with Los Angeles on Thursday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Beal declined his $5.6 million player option for the 2026-27 season and became a free agent earlier this offseason, but he's agreed to new terms with the Clippers. The 33-year-old never got going during the 2025-26 campaign, as he suffered a fractured left hip in November after appearing in only six matchups. It remains to be seen whether Beal will be healthy for the start of the season, though once he is, he'll be expected to offer key contributions in the backcourt alongside rookie Keaton Wagler.
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Ethan Thompson IND SGEthan Thompson: Cut loose by Indiana
16h agoThompson was waived by the Pacers on Thursday, Tony East of Forbes.com reports.
This move, which opens up a two-way spot on the Indiana roster, will allow Thompson to pursue opportunities overseas, per Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com. Thompson appeared in 32 games (13 starts) with the Pacers a season ago, averaging 7.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 20.4 minutes per matchup.
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Haywood Highsmith PHO SFSuns' Haywood Highsmith: Waived by Phoenix
2d agoHighsmith was waived by the Suns on Wednesday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com reports.
Highsmith appeared in only seven games for the Suns during the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 5.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists across 13.0 minutes. The 29-year-old has plenty of experience, and while he could find a new team ahead of the 2026-27 season, he likely won't see much playing time.
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Russell Westbrook SAC PGRussell Westbrook: Announces retirement from NBA
2d agoWestbrook announced his retirement from the NBA on Wednesday.
Westbrook is calling it a career after spending 18 years in the league. The nine-time All-Star was the 2016-17 MVP and is hanging it up as the NBA's all-time triple-double leader, compiling 209 triple-doubles over the course of his illustrious career. Westbrook, a future Hall of Famer, averaged 20.9 points, 8.0 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game across stints with the Thunder, Rockets, Wizards, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets and Kings.
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Sean Pedulla NBADRAFT SGSean Pedulla: Jettisoned by Clippers
2d agoThe Clippers waived Pedulla on Wednesday.
Los Angeles cut Pedulla loose to make space on the roster for Jamarion Sharp, who signed a two-way contract with the club. Pedulla averaged 4.4 minutes per game with the Clippers during the 2025-26 regular season and is now searching for other opportunities around the league ahead of training camp.
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Jamarion Sharp LAC CClippers' Jamarion Sharp: Lands two-way deal
5d agoSharp signed a two-way contract with the Clippers on Sunday, Lauren Rosen of FanDuel Sports Network SoCal reports.
Sharp spent the 2025-26 campaign in the G League with the Texas Legends, and he finished the season with averages of 7.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.9 blocks and 1.0 steals in 25.1 minutes per tilt across 39 appearances. He's likely to spend most of his time with the Clippers' G League affiliate, the San Diego Clippers, in 2026-27.
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Lynden Lakovic WAS LWCapitals' Lynden Lakovic: Likely to make jump to AHL
19h agoLakovic is expected to make the jump to the AHL level for the 2026-27 campaign, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.
Lakovic was a first-round pick by the Capitals in 2025, and he was loaned to WHL Moose Jaw last year. He made 22 regular-season appearances for the club, recording 18 goals, 11 assists and eight PIM before he sustained a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. However, he's expected to be ready for training camp in the fall and has been able to add size and muscle over the past few months. The 19-year-old should spend time with the Capitals during training camp before presumably spending most of the regular season with AHL Hershey. If he makes enough of an impact with the Bears, it's possible he could make his NHL debut at some point during the 2026-27 campaign.
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Ivan Miroshnichenko WAS LWCapitals' Ivan Miroshnichenko: Could push for NHL role once again
19h agoMiroshnichenko could push for playing time in the NHL once again during the 2026-27 season, Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News reports.
Miroshnichenko has had brief stints in the NHL across the past three seasons, totaling five goals, eight assists, 97 hits, 19 blocked shots and eight PIM while averaging 10:32 of ice time across 52 regular-season appearances. He's made the most of regular playing time with AHL Hershey, most recently recording 14 goals, 20 assists and 47 PIM over 41 regular-season appearances last year. If the 22-year-old can showcase his skill set during training camp, he could make the case for more of a full-time role with the Capitals during the 2026-27 season.
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Ilya Protas WAS LW
Capitals' Ilya Protas: Likely to take on full-time role
19h agoProtas will likely take on a full-time role for the Capitals during the 2026-27 campaign, Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News reports.
Protas was productive for AHL Hershey last year, recording 29 goals, 37 assists and 40 PIM across 69 regular-season appearances. He was rewarded with a late-season call-up, and he generated a goal, three assists, two blocked shots and two PIM while averaging 15:54 of ice time across four appearances with the Capitals, marking his first taste of NHL action. Following his brief stint with Washington last year, Protas should have the opportunity to carve out regular playing time in the NHL during the 2026-27 campaign.
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Cole Hutson WAS DCapitals' Cole Hutson: Poised for role in 2026-27 campaign
19h agoHutson is expected to step into the lineup for the Capitals during the 2026-27 campaign, Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News reports.
Hutson was a second-round pick by the Capitals in 2024, and he made his NHL debut late in the 2025-26 campaign. Across 14 regular-season appearances with Washington, he racked up three goals, seven assists, 16 hits, eight PIM and six blocked shots while averaging 17:27 of ice time. He'll retain his rookie status during the 2026-27 season and should have the opportunity to carve out regular playing time at the NHL level.
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Zach Werenski CLB DBlue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Reiterates commitment to Columbus
20h agoWerenski said Thursday that he remains committed to the Blue Jackets, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
Werenski's offseason has been marred by some uncertainty regarding his future, as reports surfaced in July that he had indicated that he was unlikely to sign an extension when his current contract expires after the 2027-28 campaign. The 29-year-old was then involved in trade talks and ultimately rejected a trade to Dallas in early July. Werenski said Thursday that there was some miscommunication between him and general manager Don Waddell, but the two sides have since spoken and now seem to be on the same page. Werenski has maintained that his top priority is winning, so his long-term future with the team could depend on how the Blue Jackets fare during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, but he should continue to play a prominent role for Columbus this year.
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Dylan Larkin DET CRed Wings' Dylan Larkin: Could ultimately remain in Detroit
20h agoLarkin could ultimately remain in Detroit for the start of the 2026-27 season, Michael Whitaker of The Hockey News reports Wednesday.
Larkin's trade request that was made public in June generated plenty of buzz during the offseason, but the Red Wings haven't yet a trade partner. He submitted a short list of teams that he would like Detroit to trade him to, a list that was believed to include Florida, Minnesota and Vegas. While the 30-year-old has presumably garnered ample interest on the trade market, the Red Wings may ultimately elect to keep him in the fold if they don't receive an offer they feel is suitable. The Red Wings are also searching for a new general manager after Steve Yzerman stepped down in July and will be playing without Patrick Kane in 2026-27 after he returned to Chicago during the offseason, both of which could complicate potential trade talks as the regular season approaches.
