Pittsburgh Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft likely took the mound against the Washington Nationals with more butterflies in his stomach than normal. It wasn’t necessarily the opponent that added stress to Ashcraft’s start, it was what his catcher was about to reveal.

Ashcraft and his family decided to hold an on-field gender reveal ahead of the pitcher’s start Thursday. In order to do that, they decided to include Pirates catcher Joey Bart in the festivities.

When Bart took the field for Ashcraft’s first-inning warm-up pitches, the catcher was going to wear a colored armband to reveal whether the Ashcrafts were having a boy or a girl.

Bart took the field wearing a pink armband, drawing a celebration from Ashcraft’s wife and family in the stands.

Bart seemed to genuinely enjoy the moment too. As he put his facemask on, the broadcast caught him with a huge grin on his face.

The on-field gender reveal isn’t necessarily new, but this version of it was unique. Back in April, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt wore pink laces on his shoes to let his brother and sister-in-law know they were having a girl. That gender reveal involved individuals who were watching at home, though. Thursday’s reveal involved literally the starting pitcher and his wife, who was at the game.

The news gives Ashcraft another thing to be happy about this season. After showing promise at the end of last year, Ashcraft has looked like a breakout pitcher early this season. In his three starts prior to Thursday, Ashcraft had a 2.12 ERA, with 20 strikeouts through 17 innings.

Combine that with Thursday’s revelation, and it’s safe to say it’s been a pretty awesome April for Ashcraft thus far.

The Washington Wizards expect to retain head coach Brian Keefe for the 2026-27 NBA season, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins shared in the team’s end-of-season press conference Thursday.

When asked about whether or not Keefe would return as the team’s head coach next season, Dawkins shared that he does “anticipate” Keefe to return.

The Wizards ended the year with a dismal 17-65 record, finishing last in the NBA. Washington ended the season on a 10-game losing streak, with their last win coming on March 25 vs. the Utah Jazz.

The losses came as the roster saw some significant overhaul, with star CJ McCollum getting sent to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for All-Star guard Trae Young, before Young went out indefinitely with a quad injury. Now, with the potential of this year’s No. 1 overall pick in sight via the draft lottery, Keefe will have the opportunity to coach through the rebuild.

Keefe, 50, took over as Washington’s head coach partway through the 2023-24 season, after starting the year as an assistant with the team. The Wizards went 8-31 through the rest of the season under Keefe but did not improve much the following year, going 18-64. This season saw more of the same, with Washington logging only 17 wins across the entire season.

Overall, it’s been a rough road for the Wizards, who have made the playoffs just three times in the past 10 years and only advanced past the first round in one of those years (2016-17).

That said, Dawkins is seemingly still committed to Keefe righting the ship. The start of his tenure has been about stockpiling assets. Next, there will be an expectation for more winning, especially once both Young and fellow trade acquisition, Anthony Davis, are healthy.

Young played in only five games for the Wizards this season before he was sidelined down the stretch with quad and back injuries. But the four-time All-Star point guard expressed in January that he’s confident in what the Wizards are building and that he hopes he’s “a piece of this puzzle on the way up with it.”

There’s been more uncertainty surrounding Davis’ long-term future in Washington; however, he discussed the talent of team’s young nucleus in his end-of-season news conference and emphasized that he wants to win. Like Young, Davis was hampered by injuries during the 2025-26 season, including ligament damage in his left hand, which the 10-time All-Star center suffered in January with the Dallas Mavericks, preventing him from making his Wizards debut.

But the prospect of Young and Davis sharing the floor is intriguing for a Wizards franchise that previously hadn’t had an All-Star since Bradley Beal in 2020-21. Ideally, those two will complement the Wizards’ youth, namely Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and perhaps whoever ends up being their lottery pick in this year’s draft.

Keefe, a former Seattle SuperSonics and Oklahoma City Thunder assistant, is aligned with the Wizards’ front office, which notably has strong ties to the franchise in OKC, and Keefe has the respect of many Washington players, according to The Athletic.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham will be eligible for 2026 NBA awards after the league and players’ union ruled in their favor on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenges, according to the NBA.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who dealt with injuries this season, also filed a challenge to the 65-game rule, but his case was denied by an independent arbitrator.

Dončić and Cunningham will remain in contention for awards such as MVP and All-NBA, while Edwards is not after each suffered injuries late in the season. Each injury caused uproar around the league, leading to a discussion and a challenge to the 65-game rule, which was introduced in the 2023-24 season.

Dončić missed two games for the birth of his second child in December, and has since dealt with injuries that saw him miss 11 more games, including the end of the regular season with a hamstring strain. Dončić went to social media to thank the NBPA and the Lakers organization for the league’s ruling.

Cunningham was sidelined with a collapsed lung in mid-March. He missed 11 games and returned April 8.

Edwards missed 11 of the Timberwolves final 14 games with a knee injury. Dončić and Cunningham finished the regular season playing in 64 games, while Edwards played in 61.

Each team was able to keep winning with their star player out of the lineup. The Pistons went 13-5 without Cunningham this season. The Lakers went 10-8 without Dončić, while the Timberwolves went 12-9 without Edwards.

Heading into the playoffs, Dončić is the only player of the three whose status is unknown. Despite being reevaluated by team doctors after receiving treatment overseas on Tuesday, Dončić is expected to miss at least part of the series against the Houston Rockets. Game 1 is on Saturday.

The Lakers have not provided a timeline for a potential return of Dončić or Austin Reaves. Reaves is expected to be out for most of the series into the first week of May, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The Lakers are the biggest underdog in an opening round series since 2013.

The Toronto Blue Jays (7-10) and Milwaukee Brewers (9-8) meet in the decisive third game of their series. The teams split the first two games with the Brewers winning 9-7 on Tuesday and the Blue Jays winning 2-1 on Wednesday.

How to watch Toronto Blue Jays vs. Milwaukee Brewers

• Date: Thursday, April 16

• Time: 1:40 p.m. ET / 10:40 a.m. PT

• Where: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI

• TV Channels: Brewers.TV, Sportsnet

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Toronto Blue Jays: 7-10 (No. 4 in AL East)

• Milwaukee Brewers: 9-8 (No. 4 in NL Central)

Odds

• Spread: Milwaukee Brewers -1.5

• Moneyline: Milwaukee Brewers -125 (53.2%) / Toronto Blue Jays +105 (46.8%)

• Over/Under: 8.5

Starting pitchers

Toronto Blue Jays: Patrick Corbin (0-0, ERA: 9.00, K: 3, WHIP: 1.75)
Milwaukee Brewers: Brandon Sproat (0-1, ERA: 10.45, K: 10, WHIP: 2.32)

Weather: 55°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 41,700 | Roof: Retractable | Surface: Grass

The Cincinnati Reds (11-7) will try to complete a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants (6-12). The Giants have lost four overall, including the first two games of their series with the Reds. Starting pitchers are Landen Roupp for San Francisco and Chase Burns for Cincinnati.

How to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds

• Date: Thursday, April 16

• Time: 12:40 p.m. ET / 9:40 a.m. PT

• Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH

• TV Channels: Reds.TV, NBCS BA

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• San Francisco Giants: 6-12 (No. 5 in NL West)

• Cincinnati Reds: 11-7 (No. 1 in NL Central)

Odds

• Spread: Cincinnati Reds -1.5

• Moneyline: Cincinnati Reds -125 (53.2%) / San Francisco Giants +105 (46.8%)

• Over/Under: 8.5

Starting pitchers

San Francisco Giants: Landen Roupp (2-1, ERA: 3.24, K: 18, WHIP: 1.14)
Cincinnati Reds: Chase Burns (1-1, ERA: 3.31, K: 18, WHIP: 1.29)

Weather: 74°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 43,891 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

The Kansas City Royals (7-11) and Detroit Tigers (9-9) close out their three-game series. The Tigers have won the first two games, each by a score of 2-1. Kansas City has scored more than two runs only once in its past eight games. Starting pitchers are Kris Bubic for Kansas City and Keider Montero for Detroit.

How to watch Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers

• Date: Thursday, April 16

• Time: 1:10 p.m. ET / 10:10 a.m. PT

• Where: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI

• TV Channels: Detroit SportsNet, Royals.TV

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Kansas City Royals: 7-11 (No. 4 in AL Central)

• Detroit Tigers: 9-9 (No. 3 in AL Central)

Odds

• Spread: Detroit Tigers 1.5

• Moneyline: Detroit Tigers -110 (50.0%) / Kansas City Royals -110 (50.0%)

• Over/Under: 8

Starting pitchers

Kansas City Royals: Kris Bubic (2-1, ERA: 2.50, K: 23, WHIP: 0.83)
Detroit Tigers: Keider Montero (1-1, ERA: 1.74, K: 10, WHIP: 0.68)

Weather: 70°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 41,083 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

The Seattle Mariners, tied for last in the AL West with an 8-11 record, face the San Diego Padres, who are second in the NL West with a 12-6 record. San Diego is favored with a +100 moneyline compared to Seattle’s -120. Starting pitchers are Luis Castillo for Seattle, with a 6.92 ERA, and Walker Buehler for San Diego, with a 4.97 ERA.

How to watch Seattle Mariners vs. San Diego Padres

• Date: Thursday, April 16

• Time: 8:40 p.m. ET / 5:40 p.m. PT

• Where: PETCO Park, San Diego, CA

• TV Channels: MLB Network, Padres.TV Presented by UC San Diego Health, Mariners.TV

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Seattle Mariners: 8-11 (tied for last in AL West)

• San Diego Padres: 12-6 (second in NL West)

Odds (via BetMGM)

• Spread: Seattle Mariners -1.5

• Moneyline: San Diego Padres +100 (47.8%) / Seattle Mariners -120 (52.2%)

• Over/Under: 8.0

Starting pitchers

Seattle Mariners: Luis Castillo (0-0, ERA: 6.92, K: 14, WHIP: 1.77)

San Diego Padres: Walker Buehler (0-1, ERA: 4.97, K: 11, WHIP: 1.26)

Weather: 66°F at first pitch

The 2025-26 NBA regular season has reached an exciting conclusion, with playoff and play-in tournament positioning coming down to the final Sunday.

The Detroit Pistons closed with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Boston Celtics had an impressive regular season — most of which was played without Jayson Tatum as he recovered from an Achilles injury suffered in last year’s postseason — and finished with the second seed in the East.

Oklahoma City Thunder are the top seed in the West for the second straight season, two games ahead of Victor Wembanyama’s hard-charging San Antonio Spurs.

The Eastern Conference play-in tournament includes the surprise Charlotte Hornets, while the Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry find themselves as the No. 10 seed in the West.

Here are the odds for every NBA play-in game and the playoff series that we know so far.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM. This piece will be updated as more odds are released.

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 8 TBD

No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 TBD

No. 3 New York Knicks (-300) vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks (+240)

No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (-700) vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors (+500)

Play-in games

No. 8 Orlando Magic at No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers (-1.5, 220.5)

No. 9 Charlotte Hornets vs. TBD

Western Conference

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 TBD

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs (-2500) vs. No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers (10-1)

No. 3 Denver Nuggets (-350) vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (+275)

No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers (+550) vs. No. 5 Houston Rockets (-800)

Play-in games

No. 7 Phoenix Suns vs. TBD

No. 10 Golden State Warriors at No. 9 Los Angeles Clippers (-4.5, 219.5)

The NBA is reviewing LaMelo Ball’s trip of Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo to determine whether it merits upgrading to a potential flagrant foul and additional punishment. The decision is expected ahead of the Charlotte Hornets’ Friday play-in game, NBA TV’s Chris Haynes reported.

Adebayo left the game with a back injury early from the fall and did not return in the Hornets’ 127-126 OT victory over the Heat. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra complained after the game that Ball should have been ejected for the “dangerous” play.

Adebayo grabbed a rebound after a LaMelo Ball layup was blocked early in the second quarter. As Adebayo landed near the baseline, Ball, on the ground, grabbed the back of Adebayo’s left ankle while Adebayo’s right leg was in the air.

Adebayo fell hard to the court and was in immediate pain.

Adebayo needed help up from the court and eventually walked to the locker room. The Heat listed him as questionable to return with a lower back injury before ruling him out late in the third quarter. The Heat went on to lose 127-126 in overtime with Ball scoring the winning basket with 4.7 seconds left.

No foul on LaMelo, no review of play

Spoelstra was heated on the Miami bench after Adebayo’s fall. Officials didn’t call a foul on Ball, and Spoelstra’s pleas to review the play for a potential flagrant foul went unheeded.

Referee Zach Zarba told the Amazon Prime broadcast the play wasn’t eligible to be reviewed because it wasn’t immediately stopped and there was a change of possession.

Spoelstra was still upset after the game and said Ball should have been ejected.

“I don’t think it’s cute,” Spoelstra said. “I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play. He should be penalized for that. …I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys.”

Spoelstra thought the officiating crew should have seen the foul and not put the onus on the game being stopped for a review.

Official “Curtis [Blair] was there,” Spoelstra said. “It’s his responsibility to see that. And if it’s not his responsibility, then Zach [Zarba]’s got to see it. Somebody’s got to see that. He should have been thrown out of the game for that. There’s no place in the game for that. But that did not deter us.”

The Hornets led 30-26 at the time of Adebayo’s injury early in the second quarter. The Heat maintained their composure and went into halftime with a 54-52 lead.

Adebayo remained out of the game for the start of the third quarter, but the Heat had not yet ruled him out. Jaime Jaquez Jr. got the second-half start in his place, and Miami eventually ruled him out in the final minutes of the third.

A three-time All-Star and a force on both sides of the court, Adebayo was the best big in the game and gave Miami an edge inside when he was on the court. They were at a significant disadvantage without him.

Adebayo posted six points and three rebounds in 11 minutes before leaving the game.

The Hornets will play the loser of Wednesday’s Orlando Magic-Philadelphia 76ers game to determine who will be the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed in the playoffs.