The news on Zach Eflin’s injury came back on Wednesday evening and it was as bad as you could have guessed from the get-go. The Orioles announced that Eflin had Tommy John surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow on Wednesday.

The only surprising thing about the announcement is that we skipped the step where we find out that Eflin has a torn UCL and soon will be getting Tommy John surgery. He was known to be flying to Dallas yesterday to have a second opinion consult with one of the current commonly-used surgeons for TJ. Although they didn’t announce it yesterday, it’s clear that second opinion resulted in, “Let’s just get you scheduled tomorrow.”

This outcome was telegraphed when the Orioles placed Eflin on the 60-day injured list earlier this week, meaning it was clear to them he wouldn’t be back for a while. It was also telegraphed more or less from when he walked off the mound in his first start of the year. When a player throws a pitch, leaves with the trainer without doing any warm-up tosses, and the injury announcement is about his throwing elbow, that tends to end up here almost every time.

It’s a bummer of a development for Eflin and for the team. Eflin looked like he was back to a better version of himself with how he was pitching in spring training. It seemed like he might have been behind the back issues that caused him to miss a lot of time last season and pitch badly when he was not on the injured list. The Orioles re-signed Eflin for a $10 million contract for this season with a mutual option for 2027 because they were willing to bet on that comeback. It was working, at least until something entirely unrelated went wrong.

The mutual option for 2027 was set for $25 million. There’s no chance now that the Orioles exercise that option. Perhaps there’s a chance of renegotiating the contract, with Eflin getting a smaller guarantee for 2027 – let’s say in the $6-8 million range – and the Orioles getting a team option for 2028.

That depends on what Eflin wants and what the team wants also. There can be some benefit to the player to having continuity with one team for his rehab work. The Orioles may still want post-surgery Eflin to be around starting next June or July and if that’s the case, they may be willing to guarantee him a little money to get the first look after he’s back in action. On the other hand, maybe they don’t want to carry an injured guy on the 40-man roster through next offseason. There is no 60-day injured list outside of the season.

Another thing that’s not clear at this moment is how the Orioles intend to replace Eflin in the rotation over the long haul. Although many people, including me, long assumed that Dean Kremer would appear the first time there was an injury in the Orioles rotation, the O’s went out of their way to not call him back to the majors after Eflin went down.

A spot start went to Brandon Young on Monday and the next one will go to Cade Povich on Sunday. Young’s spot start went fine, as did Povich’s emergency long relief back on Sunday. We’ll see how he fares against a team that’s not the White Sox.

On the latest episode of “Baseball Bar-B-Cast,” Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing joined hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman to talk about the art of hitting, what it’s like being part of the Dodgers and more.

Below are some of the highlights. For the full conversation with Rushing, check out the episode wherever you get your podcasts.

On the art of hitting

Shusterman noted that while Rushing is a catcher, hitting has long been his main focus. Through 10 plate appearances in 2026, the 27-year-old is batting .667 with a 2.367 OPS. Shusterman asked him to explain his approach to hitting and what makes hitting an art form.

“I think it comes when I get to the point where I’m trying to play the game a little bit with the pitcher, and I’m understanding their moves before they understand what they’re trying to do,” Rushing said.

“Hitting is not just having a great swing. … Understanding the art of hitting and being able to pick a pitcher apart before he beats you, I think you get so much satisfaction as a baseball player from it. And there’s really no better feeling.”

On how his preparation is different at the big-league level

The hosts discussed with Rushing the vast amount of information available to big-league hitters today — “we know what color socks each guy is wearing every day,” Rushing quipped — and how that varies from high school and the lower levels of the minor leagues.

“You know what the guy throws. That’s really it [at lower levels],” Rushing noted. At the same time, he said his approach these days is not all the different.

“I’ve always taken pride in my plate discipline. So before I take an at-bat, let’s say I’m facing a lefty that throws 88 when I’m a junior in high school. Well, one, I need to know what he’s throwing, what kind of pitches does he throw? And then I just play in my head, like, ‘What’s the shape? Where do I need to hunt this pitch in order to one, not chase, but two, give myself a chance to do damage?’

“And that’s kind of similar to what what I do now. … I try and match up a plan to give myself the best chance to do two things. Don’t swing at pitches out of the zone and don’t miss pitches in the heart of the plate. That’s my whole game plan.”

On the unique pressure of catching for the Dodgers

“The standard for you guys is on a different level,” Mintz observed of Rushing’s role as a young catcher working with the Dodgers’ elite rotation.

“It’s not even close, and I don’t think people from the outside looking in really even comprehend the difference,” Rushing agreed.

“I strike out on four pitches … and I have to turn around and go catch the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time. And if I miss one pitch call, I might be going back to Oklahoma City. That’s pressure.”

Rushing also noted that the high-stakes dynamic of the Dodgers is different for catchers.

“The game is so much bigger when you’re in the squat than when you’re standing in the box, especially for a team like this,” he said. “We are rolling out Cy Young after Cy Young, MVP after MVP, the greatest player to ever play the game today.

“I think last year was a huge testament to me learning and understanding what it means to be a big-league catcher. … and not just a big-league catcher. Be a catcher with the Dodgers, with a team like this.”

On being drafted by the best organization in baseball

Rushing was drafted by the Dodgers in 2022. At that point, the team had won a World Series in 2020 and was considered a top organization in the sport. Since then, as Shusterman noted, the Dodgers have elevated even further. He asked Rushing to reflect on how he felt about being part of the team then vs. now.

“At first, it was like, all right, Los Angeles? … I had mixed feelings,” Rushing said. “I’m not a West Coast kid. I’m from a small town in Tennessee. So it was a little different.

“But getting here and understanding … how much the city cares about winning. There’s nothing like it.”

Just as important to Rushing is being part of the organization as a whole.

“It’s the best organization in baseball,” he said. “They say, ‘All right, we’re going to build a dynasty.’ We’re going to do it, and I get to be a part of it. …

“As long as baseball allows us to be this team. we’re going to be this team. And it’s a blessing. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I want to win as many games as possible. That’s my whole goal, and I think we’re going to do plenty of that over the next eight to 10 years.”

On the latest episode of “Baseball Bar-B-Cast,” Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing joined hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman to talk about the art of hitting, what it’s like being part of the Dodgers and more.

Below are some of the highlights. For the full conversation with Rushing, check out the episode wherever you get your podcasts.

On the art of hitting

Shusterman noted that while Rushing is a catcher, hitting has long been his main focus. Through 10 plate appearances in 2026, the 27-year-old is batting .667 with a 2.367 OPS. Shusterman asked him to explain his approach to hitting and what makes hitting an art form.

“I think it comes when I get to the point where I’m trying to play the game a little bit with the pitcher, and I’m understanding their moves before they understand what they’re trying to do,” Rushing said.

“Hitting is not just having a great swing. … Understanding the art of hitting and being able to pick a pitcher apart before he beats you, I think you get so much satisfaction as a baseball player from it. And there’s really no better feeling.”

On how his preparation is different at the big-league level

The hosts discussed with Rushing the vast amount of information available to big-league hitters today — “we know what color socks each guy is wearing every day,” Rushing quipped — and how that varies from high school and the lower levels of the minor leagues.

“You know what the guy throws. That’s really it [at lower levels],” Rushing noted. At the same time, he said his approach these days is not all the different.

“I’ve always taken pride in my plate discipline. So before I take an at-bat, let’s say I’m facing a lefty that throws 88 when I’m a junior in high school. Well, one, I need to know what he’s throwing, what kind of pitches does he throw? And then I just play in my head, like, ‘What’s the shape? Where do I need to hunt this pitch in order to one, not chase, but two, give myself a chance to do damage?’

“And that’s kind of similar to what what I do now. … I try and match up a plan to give myself the best chance to do two things. Don’t swing at pitches out of the zone and don’t miss pitches in the heart of the plate. That’s my whole game plan.”

On the unique pressure of catching for the Dodgers

“The standard for you guys is on a different level,” Mintz observed of Rushing’s role as a young catcher working with the Dodgers’ elite rotation.

“It’s not even close, and I don’t think people from the outside looking in really even comprehend the difference,” Rushing agreed.

“I strike out on four pitches … and I have to turn around and go catch the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time. And if I miss one pitch call, I might be going back to Oklahoma City. That’s pressure.”

Rushing also noted that the high-stakes dynamic of the Dodgers is different for catchers.

“The game is so much bigger when you’re in the squat than when you’re standing in the box, especially for a team like this,” he said. “We are rolling out Cy Young after Cy Young, MVP after MVP, the greatest player to ever play the game today.

“I think last year was a huge testament to me learning and understanding what it means to be a big-league catcher. … and not just a big-league catcher. Be a catcher with the Dodgers, with a team like this.”

On being drafted by the best organization in baseball

Rushing was drafted by the Dodgers in 2022. At that point, the team had won a World Series in 2020 and was considered a top organization in the sport. Since then, as Shusterman noted, the Dodgers have elevated even further. He asked Rushing to reflect on how he felt about being part of the team then vs. now.

“At first, it was like, all right, Los Angeles? … I had mixed feelings,” Rushing said. “I’m not a West Coast kid. I’m from a small town in Tennessee. So it was a little different.

“But getting here and understanding … how much the city cares about winning. There’s nothing like it.”

Just as important to Rushing is being part of the organization as a whole.

“It’s the best organization in baseball,” he said. “They say, ‘All right, we’re going to build a dynasty.’ We’re going to do it, and I get to be a part of it. …

“As long as baseball allows us to be this team. we’re going to be this team. And it’s a blessing. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I want to win as many games as possible. That’s my whole goal, and I think we’re going to do plenty of that over the next eight to 10 years.”

Over the course of a 162 game season, the team you root for will have days where they definitionally and categorically do not have it, whether you root for the best team in the league or the worst.

Today was one of those days for the 2026 Mets, who dropped game two of their mid-week series to the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 7-2, snapping their four game win streak.

David Peterson got the ball to start and picked up right where he left off after his first start of the season, much to the chagrin of Peterson, the Mets, and likely everyone reading this. He surrendered a run in the first inning, but the wheels truly came off in the second.

Back to back singles to lead off the frame put the Mets in immediate danger. A sacrifice bunt put them in scoring position, and a walk loaded the bases with one away for Ketel Marte. Marte made Peterson pay with an RBI single, Corbin Carroll behind him doubled home a pair, and a well-struck Geraldo Perdomo sacrifice fly made it 5-0 in a flash. The game was basically over from there.

Peterson managed to settle down after his second inning debacle, throwing scoreless frames in the third, fourth and fifth to keep the score respectable and the Mets theoretically in the game. It was nice to see, even though the ship had long sailed away by the time he was throwing up zeroes.

The Mets offense had an equally frustrating day. Ryne Nelson was on the hill opposite Peterson was was excellent, surrendering a single run over five and two thirds innings. He struck out five.

As you can see above, his four-seamer was dominating, which is very typical for a Ryne Nelson start. He was very good.

The Mets threatened a few times over the course of the game, getting two on in the fourth to no avail. They scratched a run across in the sixth, with Bo Bichette leading off with a single, Luis Robert Jr. singling after, and Brett Baty driving Bichette home with a single of his own, but the rally could not extend beyond the one run.

Sean Manaea came into the game in the sixth inning, and did a thankless job; saving the bullpen for tomorrow. He threw the final four frames of the day, surrendering two runs on an eighth inning bases loaded double that clanked off of Robert’s glove in deep center (in any event, it should have been a 6-2 loss instead of a 7-2 loss). Manaea overall was just okay, though his velocity in the ninth inning was all the way down to the mid-80s per Statcast, which is not exactly what you want to see.

The Mets second and final run of the game came in the bottom of the eighth, when Mark Vientos hit a sacrifice fly that scored Robert.

Overall, it was just not the Mets day. The Mets will look to get back into the win column tomorrow, as a World Baseball Classic Final rematch will take place at Citi Field, with Nolan McLean facing off against Eduardo Rodriguez.

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Box scores

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Brett Baty, +9.0% WPA
Big Mets loser: David Peterson, -3.1% WPA
Mets pitchers: -3.1% WPA
Mets hitters: -1.9% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Brett Baty’s RBI single. +5.0% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Corbin Carroll’s two run double, -11.1% WPA

Dodgers 3 at Blue Jays 4

158 days later, the Jays got the job done. With Shohei Ohtani starting the last game of the series, the Jays took a 4-3 lead to the 9th and finished out the job. Granted, the stakes were slightly smaller this time, but snapping a six game losing streak is no small feat either.

It almost went sideways from the very start. 13 pitches in, Dylan Cease had walked Ohtani and Kyle Tucker with the hear of the Dodger order up. He rebounded with a strikeout, and then a stroke of good fortune as Freeman ripped a low line drive right at Ernie Clement. Tucker was caught breaking and easily doubled off. That same drive on a slightly different vector, and this is potentially a very different game.

Cease was immaculate over the next couple innings, until a Will Smith tapped a soft ground ball on which Okamoto had little shot, but a rushed throw went down the line and put him in scoring position to score on an ensuing Freeman single. Dylan ceased to be as effective from that point, allowing a couple more runners in the 5th, before the 6th went off the rails with a pair of walks sandwiched around yet another Freeman single to load the bases with none out.

So it was Varland time, and he largely limited the damage allowing a sacrifice fly to Teoscar before a timely strikeout and ground out to limit the damage to one run. Alas, Mason Fluharty almost repeated the feat in the 7th with a pair of walk sandwiched around an Ohtani ground out. The Jays turned to Tyler Rogers, who did allow a single for another run, but set down the next five batters to hold the line.

It wasn’t clear at the point it would matter, as the bats were once again pretty quiet. They had some traffic early against Ohtani, but only managed a single run in the 3rd when Jesus Sanchez doubled with two out to drive in Daulton Varsho. Ohtani settled in with a couple clean innings.

Vladdy led off the 7th with a double, but but caught up indecisively ona ground ball to short and was TOOTBLAN’d. Ohtani navigated easily out of the inning, but it was the end of the line. Luckily, for the Dodger bullpen finally sprung a leak.

Davis Schneider worked a nice walk against Jack Dreyer, with Heineman singling to put two on for George Springer. He drove a ball off the wall in right centre to make it 3-2, and Varsho followed with a solid single to knot it. Springer had to hold on third, but with one out it was still a golden opportunity to take the lead. Alas, it was Blake Treinan time and after essentially pitching around Vladdy to load the bases, he too got out of the inning.

The go ahead run was again catalyzed by the Davis Schneider, who again walked with one out in the 8th. Andres Gimenez singled him to third, and finally it the turn of an opposing catcher to mess up a throw in a critical spot as Gimenez took second and the ball got away. Schneider scored, and now it was just a matter of closing out a one run lead in the 9th. And when has that ever been an issue?

And let’s be honest, we are were all worried about some deja vu (in a few ways) with Hoffman coming in. And it was neither easy nor clean with a one single and walk, but he too bore down and got a strikeout and comeabcker to the mound to end it.

Jays of the Day: Schneider (+0.25 WPA), Springer (+0.22), Varsho (+0.18), Hoffman (+0.16), Varland (+0.12), Vlad (+0.11). Rogers (+0.05) falls short of the number, but was critical in holding the line until the bats broke through.

Boo Jays: Okamoto (-0.24) and Clement (-0.14)

It’s a good time for the third offday of the season (technically; the season formally started March 25th with two offdays fore the opener). Hopefully a much healthier team takes the field Friday in Minnesota.

Wednesday was a historic day in Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh sports history.

It’s a day that will be remembered for what could be the jumpstart of the new era of Pirates baseball. 

The Pirates officially signed shortstop Konnor Griffin to a nine-year extension that will keep Griffin under contract through 2034.

ESPN’s Buster Olney initially reported the deal, worth $140 million, on Thursday, hours after it was announced that Griffin was being promoted. Speculation ran rampant when nothing was announced days later, until now.

The deal has escalators that could reach $150 million and doesn’t include any options or opt outs.

Griffin’s deal is the highest contract ever signed by the Pirates in franchise history, shattering Bryan Reynolds’ eight-year, $106.75 million deal signed in April of 2023.

“Signing Konnor is a meaningful commitment to this team, this city, and our fans,” owner Bob Nutting said in a statement released by the Pirates. “It reflects our belief in Konnor, in this season’s club and in the future of our organization.”

Only 19-years-old, Griffin signed the deal after only playing five full games in the Major Leagues. 

“Konnor represents everything we value in a player — exceptional talent, strong character, a team-first mentality, and a maturity that stood out to all of us from the beginning,” Nutting said. “He is the right person, from the right family.”

Griffin’s mother Kim, father Kevin, younger brother Kaden, and other family members were in attendance as Griffin sat in between Nutting and GM Ben Cherington at the press conference room inside PNC Park to announce the deal. 

“This is another important step in the work we have been doing to build a winning team for this year and going forward,” Nutting closed in the statement.

The Pirates are 7-5 and the energy around the team is different. The vibe is different. There is a sense of belief inside and out of the clubhouse that the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates are bound for something special. 

Nutting and the Pirates believed less than a week in Triple-A was enough for Griffin to make his debut and the pieces are in place to contend this season.

“I think there’s a real sense and a belief in what we’ve seen in a small sample size,” Nutting said, sitting next to Griffin. “Konnor, having you with the team now makes a real difference in a year where we not only need to be better, are being better, and have full commitment to a team that’s taken a long time to put the foundation in place.”

Baseball’s top prospect, the Pirates drafted Griffin 9th overall in 2024. He only played 127 games in the minor leagues before receiving the call and becoming the first teen since Aramis Ramirez in 1998 to play for the Bucs. 

The Pirates added 69 home runs in Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, and Marcell Ozuna this offseason. Griffin hit 21 homers between three levels of the minor leagues. 

Nutting made it that he is focused on building a sustainable winner in Pittsburgh.

“The commitment from this organization not only to the team, but to the city of Pittsburgh, to the fans, to reflect how serious I am, and we are, about building and sustaining a winning team here in Pittsburgh,” Nutting said. “The fans deserve it, the fans want it, and we saw on Opening Day and in the ballpark already the level of energy, excitement, passion, and commitment that our fans have to this team.”

The Pirates will pay their shortstop, at minimum, $33 million more than Reynolds over the course of the deal.  

Nutting said the contract is, “reflecting the absolute sense of urgency for 2026 to make this team better, now.” 

Griffin doubled in his first-career at-bat, driving in the Pirates first run of the season at PNC Park. He displayed his speed one batter later as the Pirates increased the lead on a base hit by Jared Triolo.

In 18 at-bats over six games, Griffin is hitting .167 with four RBIs, two walks, five strikeouts, a .273 on-base percentage. 

It’s going to take time for the undisputed No. 1 prospect in the sport to get adjusted to the majors, but Griffin has shown signs of his immense ability and potential in a short sample. 

“Since joining the organization, Konnor has consistently demonstrated the traits we want in a Pirate: a daily commitment to improvement, a team-first mindset, and a strong desire to win,” Cherington said in a statement.

Now that the emotions of making his debut have had time to simmer and the deal is done, Griffin can go and play. 

He will be depended on as the cornerstone face of the Pirates franchise for the next decade, and has what it takes to be an all-time great player in Pittsburgh.

“He has met every challenge in front of him, and we are excited to watch him continue that growth alongside his teammates in Pittsburgh,” Cherington said. “We are thrilled he will be a Pirate for a long time.”

Say this for Anthony Davis: When his tenure ends with an NBA team, it’s usually a memorable event.

The 10-time All-Star appeared on “The Draymond Green Show” hosted by the Golden State Warriors star in an episode released Wednesday, with plenty to discuss. Most notably, he had some grievances to air about the end of his tenures with both the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans.

Before this week, Davis had been fairlydiplomatic about the shocking trade that sent him to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić. That deal ended up not working out on his end, as injuries caused him to play only 29 games with Dallas across two partial seasons before getting traded to the Washington Wizards.

With the Lakers, Davis had been a mostly effective co-star to LeBron James and a champion in 2020. He felt he deserved better from the team:

“From the business standpoint, I can’t be mad. But, like, why? I just couldn’t fathom, I couldn’t understand it. And nobody told me nothing. Nobody said a thing to me. So you just catch me off guard, like, yeah, ‘You traded to Dallas.’

“That’s what I couldn’t get over and I still can’t get over. I think I deserved much more respect than that. All the time I’ve been here — s***, I was there six years, — all the time I’ve been there and all the time, we won a championship, all this stuff and I can’t get a phone call or a text to tell me, like, ‘Look, this is what we’re thinking.’

Davis seemed understanding about the trade itself from the Lakers’ side, as he also admitted to having fantasized about pairing up with Dončić in L.A. after James’ retirement.

Where Davis appeared less understanding was his treatment by the Pelicans when he returned to the Smoothie King Center as a member of the Lakers. He called the team’s lack of tribute video “the final straw” for his relationship to the team and said it killed any chance of returning to the team in his later years:

“You know how it always goes, you get drafted to a team and when you’re done, it’s like, ‘Damn, toward the end of my career, I might want to go back.’ I’ve always had that mindset. I told [Pelicans owner Gayle Benson], when I was going to her right before the deadline to ask for a trade, I told her, ‘Ms. B, I want to get out of here, these are the reasons, whatever.’ Ms. B was cool. Me and Ms. B still cool to this day.

“I was like, ‘This might not be the end, though. Later on in my career, who knows if I was to come back and we try to do something special as I’m older and a little mature, the game developed, win a couple of championships, like whatever, I don’t know.’ I left that door open. And when I went back, that first game, and got no trib, I said, ‘Oh, that door is closed.’”

Since we are talking about a situation from seven years ago, it’s probably worth remembering that Davis a) had his agent publicly lobby for him to be traded to “a team that allows him the chance to win consistently and compete for a championship,” b) sank a deal with the Boston Celtics because he wouldn’t commit to the franchise long-term and c) was heavily booed by Pelicans fans during that game and would have been booed even louder if the team had given him a tribute video.

So the idea of a tribute video might have been a little more complicated than Davis is presenting.

As for his current team, Davis admitted to being surprised the Mavericks sent him to the perennial bottom-dweller Wizards, though he says he has since been impressed by what the team has in the building:

“I was like, ‘Damn, Washington? What?’ But then when you get here, you look at the facility, the little details of the team, it’s like, ‘Not bad.’ I like the young guys on the team. These mother***ers can play. They play hard. They’re not afraid of the moment. They’re not scared. These guys can really hoop.”

There was, however, a mild warning to the team as it tries to leverage Davis, Trae Young, its young core and a 2026 NBA lottery pick into a winning team next season:

I’m at a young 33 and every year I play from here on out, I want to be able to compete for a championship. That’s what I want to do. If their goals align where it’s like — I just know and you know it’s tough to be one of the worst teams in the league and then next year you’re a championship contender.

Davis has yet to make his Wizards debut, having been sidelined since Jan. 8 with a hand injury. The team has little reason to push for his return this season, as it currently holds the worst record in the NBA at 17-62 and therefore the best position in this year’s draft lottery.

Say this for Anthony Davis: When his tenure ends with an NBA team, it’s usually a memorable event.

The 10-time All-Star appeared on “The Draymond Green Show” hosted by the Golden State Warriors star in an episode released Wednesday, with plenty to discuss. Most notably, he had some grievances to air about the end of his tenures with both the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans.

Before this week, Davis had been fairlydiplomatic about the shocking trade that sent him to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić. That deal ended up not working out on his end, as injuries caused him to play only 29 games with Dallas across two partial seasons before getting traded to the Washington Wizards.

With the Lakers, Davis had been a mostly effective co-star to LeBron James and a champion in 2020. He felt he deserved better from the team:

“From the business standpoint, I can’t be mad. But, like, why? I just couldn’t fathom, I couldn’t understand it. And nobody told me nothing. Nobody said a thing to me. So you just catch me off guard, like, yeah, ‘You traded to Dallas.’

“That’s what I couldn’t get over and I still can’t get over. I think I deserved much more respect than that. All the time I’ve been here — s***, I was there six years, — all the time I’ve been there and all the time, we won a championship, all this stuff and I can’t get a phone call or a text to tell me, like, ‘Look, this is what we’re thinking.’

Davis seemed understanding about the trade itself from the Lakers’ side, as he also admitted to having fantasized about pairing up with Dončić in L.A. after James’ retirement.

Where Davis appeared less understanding was his treatment by the Pelicans when he returned to the Smoothie King Center as a member of the Lakers. He called the team’s lack of tribute video “the final straw” for his relationship to the team and said it killed any chance of returning to the team in his later years:

“You know how it always goes, you get drafted to a team and when you’re done, it’s like, ‘Damn, toward the end of my career, I might want to go back.’ I’ve always had that mindset. I told [Pelicans owner Gayle Benson], when I was going to her right before the deadline to ask for a trade, I told her, ‘Ms. B, I want to get out of here, these are the reasons, whatever.’ Ms. B was cool. Me and Ms. B still cool to this day.

“I was like, ‘This might not be the end, though. Later on in my career, who knows if I was to come back and we try to do something special as I’m older and a little mature, the game developed, win a couple of championships, like whatever, I don’t know.’ I left that door open. And when I went back, that first game, and got no trib, I said, ‘Oh, that door is closed.’”

Since we are talking about a situation from seven years ago, it’s probably worth remembering that Davis a) had his agent publicly lobby for him to be traded to “a team that allows him the chance to win consistently and compete for a championship,” b) sank a deal with the Boston Celtics because he wouldn’t commit to the franchise long-term and c) was heavily booed by Pelicans fans during that game and would have been booed even louder if the team had given him a tribute video.

So the idea of a tribute video might have been a little more complicated than Davis is presenting.

As for his current team, Davis admitted to being surprised the Mavericks sent him to the perennial bottom-dweller Wizards, though he says he has since been impressed by what the team has in the building:

“I was like, ‘Damn, Washington? What?’ But then when you get here, you look at the facility, the little details of the team, it’s like, ‘Not bad.’ I like the young guys on the team. These mother***ers can play. They play hard. They’re not afraid of the moment. They’re not scared. These guys can really hoop.”

There was, however, a mild warning to the team as it tries to leverage Davis, Trae Young, its young core and a 2026 NBA lottery pick into a winning team next season:

I’m at a young 33 and every year I play from here on out, I want to be able to compete for a championship. That’s what I want to do. If their goals align where it’s like — I just know and you know it’s tough to be one of the worst teams in the league and then next year you’re a championship contender.

Davis has yet to make his Wizards debut, having been sidelined since Jan. 8 with a hand injury. The team has little reason to push for his return this season, as it currently holds the worst record in the NBA at 17-62 and therefore the best position in this year’s draft lottery.

At what point do we switch from saying “it is still early?” to “this is legit”? That is what we tried to figure out with Kevin Wheeler from KMOX on Cardinals on My Time this week with the Redbird Rundown crew.

Wheeler is one of our all-time favorites and oh man, did he have a bunch to say about the progression we are seeing from multiple Cardinals’ players so far in the 2026 season. The main talking point, of course, was outfielder Jordan Walker. Now in his fourth big league season, what we are seeing from Walker is one of the most incredible bounce back stories for a guy who was written off by a large amount of the fanbase. Amazing what a little patience can do, right Mo?

Beyond Walker, we talked Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages behind the dish, Michael McGreevy’s velocity, Victor Scott’s outfield matched with his inability to hit, and much more! This was a super fun one and we are excited to hear what you think. What is real and what is a mirage thus far in the 2026 season?

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Thanks as always!