Max Scherzer gave up three runs in five innings on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians in a rusty return to the Toronto Blue Jays after a long layoff due to a thumb injury.

The appearance was Scherzer’s first since a three-inning outing in his Blue Jays debut March 29. After that start, he was placed on the 60-day injured list due to thumb inflammation, and he hadn’t pitched again until Wednesday. The Guardians won. 5-4.

Scherzer starts game with walk, lets pitch clock expire

Scherzer started his return with a nine-pitch walk of leadoff hitter Steven Kwan. Kwan came around to score on a single after stealing second base, giving the Guardians a 1-0 lead. Scherzer didn’t allow another run until a two-run fourth inning that was sparked by a pitch-clock violation.

With two outs and a man on third after a double and a wild pitch, Scherzer worked a full count against right fielder Nolan Jones. Then Scherzer was too slow with the payoff pitch. He was hit with a pitch-clock violation, which meant an automatic ball and a free pass to first base for Jones, putting runners on the corners.

In the next at-bat, Gabriel Arias cleared the bases with a two-run double that extended the Cleveland lead to 3-1.

Scherzer went on to pitch a scoreless fifth inning that ended with a swinging strikeout of Carlos Santana on a curveball. With that, his night was done. Scherzer finished the game with three earned runs on six hits and three walks in five innings. He recorded four strikeouts. 

Can Scherzer regain form at 40 years old?

The Blue Jays signed Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5 million contract in the offseason. In his previous two seasons with the Texas Rangers, Scherzer was limited to 45 and 43 1/3 innings, respectively, due to multiple injuries, including to his back, shoulder, triceps and hamstring. 

He did pitch for Texas in the postseason during its run to the 2023 World Series championship. And he was effective when available, posting a 3.57 ERA with 93 strikeouts in his 88 1/3 regular-season innings.

A three-time Cy Young winner, eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, Scherzer isn’t what he used to be at 40 years old. But the Blue Jays are hoping he can reproduce in Toronto the type of effort he delivered during his time in Texas.

Look, it’s not fair to put all of the blame on Thairo Estrada and the Colorado Rockies here. The rain was coming down hard Wednesday at Coors Field.

But this blunder, which was perfectly fitting with how things have gone so far this season in Denver, was absolutely brutal.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy hit what looked like a routine infield fly ball in the sixth inning of his team’s matchup with the Rockies. A few seconds after he called for the ball, second baseman Estrada completely reversed course. He suddenly covered his head in a panic, and everyone around him — including Muncy — was lost.

The ball dropped to the dirt, Muncy was safe at first, and the Dodgers scored two runs on the play to take the lead. Just watch:

Not great. But in the Rockies’ defense, the game was sent to a rain delay right after this.

When the game started up again, the Dodgers pushed their lead almost immediately. Muncy hit a grand slam in the next inning to put them up 7-1. They added one last run in the eight to seal the 8-1 win. That pushed the Dodgers to 50-31 on the season.

The error at second was the latest example of how bad things have gone for the Rockies this season. The team holds an 18-62 record, by far the worst in the league. The Rockies fired manager Bud Black in May after a 7-33 start, the team notched the worst 50-game start in MLB history last month and the Rockies are 8-30 at home this summer.

Rain or not, the Rockies have a lot of work to do if they’re going to avoid breaking the record the Chicago White Sox set last season. 

The NBA season may be over following the Thunder’s victory over the Pacers, but the NBA action continues this week with the 2025 NBA Draft. The Dallas Mavericks have the coveted first pick this year and will most likely select Cooper Flagg as the No. 1 draft pick. Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson and Ace Bailey are also expected to find their NBA homes Wednesday night. 

Here’s everything you need to know about tuning into the 2025 NBA Draft, including times, channels, where to stream it all and the full Draft order.

How to watch the 2025 NBA Draft:

Date: Wednesday, June 25 – Thursday, June 26 

Draft start time: 8 p.m. ET 

Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY 

TV channel: ESPN, ABC

Streaming: Fubo, DirecTV 

When is the NBA Draft?

The 2025 NBA Draft begins this Wednesday, June 25 at 8 p.m. ET. The second round will take place the following evening, June 26, also at 8 p.m. ET. 

What channel is the NBA Draft on?

The 2025 NBA Draft will air across ABC and ESPN. ABC will air only the first round, and ESPN will cover both nights of the event. 

How to watch the NBA Draft without cable:

Who has the first pick in the NBA draft 2025?

The Dallas Mavericks hold the first overall pick in this year’s draft.

2025 NBA Draft top pick:

There’s no doubt that Cooper Flagg is taking the top spot as this year’s No. 1 draft pick. Other big names in the 2025 NBA Draft include Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson and Ace Bailey. 

Yahoo Sports has a 2025 mock draft ready for you.

2025 NBA Draft order:

First Round Order: Picks 1-30

1. Dallas

2. San Antonio

3. Philadelphia

4. Charlotte

5. Utah

6. Washington

7. New Orleans

8. Brooklyn

9. Toronto

10. Houston (from PHX)

11. Portland

12. Chicago

13. Atlanta from (SAC)

14. San Antonio (from ATL)

15. Oklahoma City (from MIA)

16. Memphis (from ORL)

17. Minnesota (from DET)

18. Washington (from MEM)

19. Brooklyn (from MIL)

20. Miami (from GSW)

21. Utah (from MIN)

22. Atlanta (from LAL)

23. New Orleans (from IND)

24. Oklahoma City (from LAC)

25. Orlando (from DEN)

26. Brooklyn (from NYK)

27. Brooklyn (from HOU)

28. Boston

29. Phoenix (from CLE)

30. Los Angeles Clippers (from OKC)

Second Round:

31. Minnesota (from UTA)

32. Boston (from WAS)

33. Charlotte

34. Charlotte (from NOP)

35. Philadelphia

36. Brooklyn

37. Detroit (from TOR)

38. San Antonio

39. Toronto (from POR)

40. Washington (from PHX)

41. Golden State (from MIA)

42. Sacramento (from CHI)

43. Utah (from DAL)

44. Oklahoma City (from ATL)

45. Chicago (from SAC)

46. Orlando

47. Milwaukee (from DET)

48. Memphis (from GSW)

49. Cleveland (from MIL)

50. New York (from MEM)

51. Los Angeles Clippers (from MIN)

52. Phoenix (from DEN)

53. Utah (from LAC)

54. Indiana

55. Los Angeles Lakers

Forfeited: New York

56. Memphis (from HOU)

57. Orlando (from BOS)

58. Cleveland

59. Houston (from OKC)

More ways to watch the 2025 NBA Draft:

The Oklahoma City Thunder just won the NBA championship, but the other 29 teams don’t have time to celebrate. The NBA offseason is already in full swing, with two significant trades already taking place ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft. 

NBA free agency officially begins at 6 p.m. ET on Monday, June 30, when teams are allowed to start negotiating with free agents. Players can sign contracts beginning on July 6.

Kevin Durant and Jrue Holiday may find themselves with new teams, but they won’t be the only players wearing new jerseys next season. Here are the latest moves, rumors and trades ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.

June 25: Fred VanVleet stays with Rockets on two-year deal

The Houston Rockets reached a decision on guard Fred VanVleet. With the team considering an option, both sides instead decided to agree on a new, two-year, $50 million contract. The move ensures VanVleet will remain with the Rockets through the 2026-27 NBA season.

VanVleet had a $44.9 team option looming for the 2025-26 season. The Rockets declined that option to sign VanVleet to his new extension. 

Since joining the team in 2023, VanVleet has averaged 15.9 points and 6.9 assists with the Rockets over two seasons. 

June 25: Jazz forward John Collins uses player option

John Collins is sticking with the Utah Jazz for at least one more season. 

Collins exercised his $26.5 million player option for the 2025-26 season on Wednesday afternoon, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. 

Collins averaged 19 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season, his second with the Jazz. The 27-year-old initially signed a five-year, $125 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks in 2021. With him using the player option to wrap up that deal, Collins will become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

June 24: Kyrie Irving reaches new deal with Mavs

Kyrie Irving declined his player option on Tuesday night and agreed to a new three-year, $119 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks. That will end up paying Irving about $40 million per season. 

Though he had the chance to leave, Irving was never expected to make a move away from the Mavericks this summer. The nine-time All Star is currently recovering from a torn ACL he sustained in March, though the team hopes he’ll be back in action by January.

The deal is the second one the Mavericks have made this week, following Daniel Gafford’s new deal on Monday. The team also has the No. 1 pick in Wednesday’s draft, where they’re expected to take Cooper Flagg.

June 24: Celtics reportedly finalizing deal to send Kristaps Porzingis to Hawks in 3-team trade involving Nets

The Boston Celtics are finalizing a three-team deal with the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets that sends Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

Per the report, the Celtics are sending Porzingis and a second-round draft pick to Atlanta. The Hawks are sending Terance Mann and the No. 22 pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft to the Nets. Atlanta will also send Georges Niang and a second-round selection to the Celtics.

The move is the second trade in two days for the Celtics after they dealt Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a package that features Anfernee Simons and future second-round draft picks.

The trades by the Celtics are part of an effort to move salaries below the NBA’s punitive second tax apron of $207,825,000. Boston is parting with core members of its 2024 championship team to do so. Like Holiday, Porzingis was a key contributor on that championship team that secured the franchise’s first NBA title since 2008.

June 24: Pelicans reportedly trading CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk to Wizards for package including Jordan Poole

The New Orleans Pelicans are trading CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk to Washington Wizards for a package that includes Jordan Poole, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

Per the report, the Pelicans are also sending a future second-round pick to Washington. In addition to Poole, the Wizards are sending the Pelicans Saddiq Bey and the No. 40 pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft. The deal signals a further roster overhaul of the Pelicans core after New Orleans traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors during the season.

McCollum, 33, was a three-plus-year starter for the Pelicans after arriving via trade from the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season. McCollum was previously Damian Lillard’s backcourt running mate in Portland.

June 24: Matisse Thybulle picks up option, returns to Trailblazers

Matisse Thybulle is staying in Portland as he picked up his $11.5 million player option for the 2025-26 season, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Tuesday. 

The 28-year-old was traded to Portland from the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2022-2023 season as part of a four-team trade that also involved the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets. Thybulle signed a $33 million deal for three years the following offseason. 

Thybulle’s option comes after he played 15 games this past season and averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals as the Blazers finished with a 36-46 record.

June 24: Knicks reportedly interviewing Timberwolves coach Micah Nori

The New York Knicks found another candidate for their head-coaching position. Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori will reportedly interview for the role. Nori is a long-time assistant around the league, and has served in that role with the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons before joining the Timberwolves.

Nori is the third person the Knicks have interviewed for the role. Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins each had formal interviews with the team. Of that trio, Nori is the only one without head-coaching experience. 

June 23: Celtics reportedly trading Jrue Holiday to Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons, draft picks

The Trail Blazers struck a deal with the Boston Celtics on Monday night to acquire Holiday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. In exchange, Portland is sending guard Anfernee Simons and a pair of future second-round draft picks to Boston. 

The deal, according to Charania, is only the beginning for the Celtics this offseason. The team is still engaged in trade talks “surrounding multiple key players on the roster,” though further specifics are not yet known. Boston has significant work to do to avoid the luxury tax altogether, and it’s likely that Holiday is simply the first player to go.

June 23: Khris Middleton reportedly picks up $33.3 million option to remain with Wizards next season

Middleton picked up his $33.3 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign on Monday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. That is part of the initial three-year, $93 million deal he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023.

The Bucks dealt Middleton to the Wizards ahead of the deadline last season in a move that sent Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee. Middleton ended up playing in just 14 games for the Wizards, who went 18-64 and missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year, while dealing with a knee injury. In total, Middleton averaged 11.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season, his lowest numbers since his rookie campaign.

June 22: Suns trade Kevin Durant to Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, draft picks

The Phoenix Suns traded Durant to the Houston Rockets, in exchange for Green and Brooks. Phoenix also received the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and five second-round picks as part of the trade.

The deal will not officially go through until July 6, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, due to a restriction in Green’s rookie extension, which he signed last October. The second-round picks in the trade will stretch to 2032, per NBA insider Jake Fischer.

Durant will join an emerging Rockets team that is anchored by rising stars Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün, as starters Green and Brooks are sent to Phoenix. The Rockets made the playoffs this season for the first time since 2020 as the No. 2 seed in the West. They lost in the first round to the Golden State Warriors.

June 21: Pat Connaughton picks up option, returns to Bucks

Pat Connaughton is comfortable in Milwaukee. The veteran guard reportedly picked up his player option to return to the team, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Saturday. 

Connaughton had until Tuesday to make a decision on his $9.4 million option. The 32-year-old averaged 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds with the team last season.

After starting his career with the Portland Trail Blazers, Connaughton has spent the past seven seasons in Milwaukee. He’s mostly served in a backup role with the team, though is occasionally pushing into a starting spot. After averaging 22.3 minutes per game in his first six seasons with the Bucks, Connaughton saw that number drop to 14.7 minutes per game last season.

With Connaughton on board, the Bucks project to sit below the first apron. The team should still be “able to sign a player to the $14.1 million midlevel exception,” per ESPN.