Browsing: Wagner

The Dodgers thought highly enough of Logan Wagner to draft the switch-hitting prep in the sixth round in 2022. Only top pick Dalton Rushing received a higher bonus in that Dodgers draft class.

But something was lacking in Wagnerâ€s first two full pro seasons—playing time.

Wagner broke his right hamate bone in 2023 while playing in the Arizona Complex League, then broke the hamate bone in his left wrist while playing for Low-A Rancho Cucamonga a year later. The injuries limited the second baseman to just 42 games combined in 2023 and 2024.

“So much of the development process is getting to work with our coaches,” Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes said, “whether itâ€s in the cage or putting in different drill packages on the infield to get at the proper way to do things, and obviously if your hamates are messed up, it limits pretty much everything.

“I think this was the year that we got to finally see the real player come out. Even though heâ€s been slightly delayed by the injuries, weâ€re hoping he can make that up.â€

The 21-year-old Wagner didnâ€t hit the ground running at High-A Great Lakes this year. He hit .216 in 122 games but showed the power potential that made him a draft prospect with 15 home runs and 23 doubles.

Wagner began to pick up speed in the Arizona Fall League. He caught attention with a three-hit, four-RBI game that included a home run hit 107.7 mph off the bat and a single at 111.2 mph.

Wagner’s skills include switch-hitting ability that is “pretty neutral†from one side to the other, according to Gomes.

“Thereâ€s a tick more (strikeouts) as a righthanded hitter, but it also comes with more impact with the batted-ball quality,†Gomes said. “So I think thereâ€s a real ability to do both. And he can really conduct an at-bat so thereâ€s some walks.

“Obviously thereâ€s some miss in there that weâ€ve got to continue to grind down but I do think a lot of that comes from just the lack of reps.”

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL

— Righthander Matt Sauer became a free agent in November and signed to play with the KT Wiz of Korea Baseball Organization. Sauer made 10 appearances with the Dodgers in 2025, posting a 6.37 ERA. He spent most of the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he went 5-5 with a 5.86 ERA.

— The Dodgers†first-round pick in 2019, Kody Hoese became a minor league free agent at the end of the 2025 season. The 28-year-old put up unimpressive performances in his first four pro seasons but had more success after reaching Triple-A in 2024. In 226 games at the Triple-A level, Hoese hit .277 with an .806 OPS and 25 home runs.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

NXT TV REPORT

OCTOBER 14, 2025

ORLANDO, FLA. AT THE WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER

AIRED LIVE ON THE CW

REPORT BY DAVID MILLER, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Â

Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T

ÂRing Announcer: Mike Rome

Backstage Correspondent(s): Kelly Kincaid

[HOUR ONE]

-Highlights aired of last week’s Showdown between TNA and NXT, including The Hardy Boyz winning the NXT Tag Team Titles, the NXT ladies winning their match, Page retaining the North American Title, and the TNA men’s team evening the score by winning their match.

-Zaria and Sol Ruca were shown walking together backstage.

-NXT Champion Ricky Saints made his way to the ring.  He said when the going got tough, Trick Williams folded.  He called out Trick for an NXT Title match at Halloween Havoc.  Williams appeared on the big screen and said it wasn’t his fault Saints couldn’t get the job done after he left.  He said he’d do it on his time.  Saints got more fired up and said he was ready.

-In the back, Je’Von Evans and TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater were cordially debating who would have won had DarkState not interfered in their title match.  NXT and TNA Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz walked up and told them not to take it personally and that they tore the house down at Victory Road.  They talked up Evans and Slater and the four vowed to have each other’s backs.

-Matt Cardona made his way to the ring to a huge pop from the NXT faithful. [c]

(1) MATT CARDONA vs. JOSH BRIGGS

Cardona attacked Briggs as soon as the bell rang, but Briggs gave it back to him.  The crowd chanted “Matt Cardona” as the took it to the outside briefly.  Back in the ring, Cardona mounted the turnbuckle and started hammering away, but Briggs stepped under and tripped him up.  The crowd chanted “Briggs, go away” as he proceeded to thump on Cardona.

He rushed Cardona in the corner, but got backdropped over the top rope and to the floor for his trouble.  Cardona hit a cannonball over the top onto Briggs that actually connected before they cut to commercial. [c]

Back from the break, Cardona tried to mount an offense, but ate a couple of boots from Briggs.  Cardona reversed a chokeslam into a DDT that crossed Briggs’s eyes.  He threw several forearms to the side of Briggs’s head, then followed that up with another big boot and an Unprettier for a two count.  Briggs came back with a hiptoss into a backbreaker, followed by a chokeslam for two.  He again took the chain off his neck and tried to use it, but Cardona hit Radio Silence for a two count.

Cardona leaped off the top, but got caught with a powerslam.  Briggs managed to get in a huge boot to the head of Cardona for the final count.

WINNER: Josh Briggs at 9:39.

(Miller’s Take: Briggs needed the win if they’re going to elevate him.  Cardona received a very warm welcome back, and the announcers touched on his past WWE accomplishments during the match.  Pretty standard stuff, here.  Solid match.)

-Hank & Tank, Chase U, and Lyra Valkyria were gathered in the back.  They were debating who would be the number one contenders to the NXT Tag Team titles.  Lyra asked where Tatum was.  Tatum ran up to give her a hug but was pulled away by Izzi Dame.  Dame said The Culling would be the number one contenders, and that she would win the battle royal to become the number one contender to the women’s title.  Lyra asked what about Tatum?  Dame said Tatum would be with her every step of the way and pulled her away.  Lyra told Spears he was a very spooky man as they walked off.

-AAA Latin American Champion El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. made his ring entrance before they cut to commercial. [c]

-The Progressive NXT Spotlight was on Fatal Influence.  Fallon Henley and Jacy Jayne said the only problem wasn’t a problem anymore and now they had someone willing to do what needed to be done.  Jacy welcomed Lainey Reid into Fatal Influence.

(2) EL HIJO DEL DR. WAGNER JR. vs. LEXIS KING

Wagner took control early with his technical prowess.  King showed some skill himself by walking the top rope and jumping down with a slap to the face, which woke up Wagner, who hit King with a moonsault to the outside. [c]

Back from the break, Wagner was still in control until he flew out of the ring and hit the floor hard.  King took advantage of the situation by working on the left knee of the Latin American champ.  He went for a pin, but only got two.  He continued wrenching the knee with a dragon screw followed by an Indian Death Lock.

Wagner fought out of it and began firing up on King, who kicked out of a powebomb into a pin.  King missed a senton, then took a shining wizard and a Michinoku Driver to end the match.

WINNER: El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. at 13:16.

(Miller’s Take: This match lasted about 5 minutes longer than it needed to.  King continues to slide down the ladder of relevance, despite being a very good hand in the ring and a natural heat magnet.)

-After the match, Wagner called out Ethan Page.  The North American champ smirked his way down the entrance and talked about how great he is.  He said Wagner would be challenging him at Halloween Havoc.  Wagner said something in Spanish, then explained in English that they weren’t having a regular match, but a Day Of the Dead Match in which anything goes.

-In the women’s locker room, Zaria and Sol Ruca were talking about makeup when the former noted that the latter was in ring gear.  Ruca said there’s the battle royal tonight to determine the number one contender to Jacy Jayne.  Zaria asked Ruca how many belts she wanted, and said never mind, she’d take on Blake Monroe by herself and walked away as Ruca tried to explain. [c]

[HOUR TWO]

-In the back, Je’Von Evans and Leon Slater asked Ava and Santino Marella if they could team against anyone at Halloween Havoc.  Stacks Lorenzo and Arianna Grace walked up and mouthed off at Slater.  Santino asked Avaif his “future son-in-law” could have a title match.  Ava said it was fine with her and Slater agreed as well.  A loud commotion was heard, and Ava rushed around the corner to see Ricky Saints laid out with Trick Williams standing over him, saying he told him it would be on his time.  Ava shooed him away and called for medical.

(3) BLAKE MONROE vs. ZARIA

Zaria, sans Sol Ruca, showed off her power early on, not budging at Monroe’s attempted offense.  Monroe sneaked in a clip to the back of the knee and began focusing on that, but couldn’t sustain the offense long.  Zaria lifted her by her head in the corner, then took the fight to the outside.  Blake cut her off before they cut to a commercial break. [c]

When they returned, Monroe had a sleeper applied, but Zaria backed her into the corner to break it.  Blake went right back to the hold and mounted her back, but Zaria dropped backwards to break it this time.  The two began trading stiff blows mid-rind until Zaria woke up and hit some screaming offense that rocked Monroe.  They butted heads, which rattled both of them.  Monroe grabbed a chair from beneath the ring and threatened to swing it, but Sol Ruca ran out and grabbed it away.  As the referee was distracted with Ruca, Monroe pulled a hair pick out of her boot, jabbed it in Zaria’s throat, and hit the Beauty Shot for the win.

WINNER: Blake Monroe at 9:48.

(Miller’s Take: It definitely looks as if they’re heading toward a Zaria heel turn with the backstage dissension and Ruca involving herself in this match, which led to a loss.  Zaria has the best ring entrance video I’ve ever seen.  It makes her look like a killer, and I definitely think she’d be better served as a monster heel, although I admit to thoroughly enjoying the unorthodox team of Zaruca.  Monroe continues her nefarious ways and I’m sure will wind up in another feud she can sink her pearly whites into soon enough.)

-Ava announced that the Men’s Speed Championship tournament would soon commence.  She named the competitors as Axiom, Sean Legacy, Zachary Wentz, and Jasper Troy, with the winner getting a shot at El Grande Americano.

-Hank & Tank made their ring entrance before the commercial break. [c]

(4) HANK & TANK vs. CHASE U (Uriah Connors & Kale Dixon w/Andre Chase) vs. THE CULLING (Shawn Spears & Niko Vance) – Triple Threat Tag Team Match

Tank, Vance, and Dixon started out the match with lightning-quick near falls.  On the outside, The Culling became the meat in a Hank & Tank sandwich.  Chase U dived over the ropes onto Hank & Tank before they took it back into the ring.  Hank & Tank bodyslammed Vance out of the ring, but then fell victims to a double splash by Chase U.  OTM suddenly hit the ring and beat on all three teams as the referee threw the match out.

WINNERS: No contest at 3:36 when OTM interfered in the match.

(Miller’s Take: Well, I wasn’t expecting OTM to show up, but there they were.  Good to see them back in action, even if it was at the expense of a fun trainwreck of a triple threat match.  The return of Lucien Price & Bronco Nima was the big story here.)

-Sol Ruca greeted Zaria as she exited medical.  She apologized for not being out there for her.  She thanked Zaria for always having her back, and Zaria said she’d always be there for her.  Sol told her that she wanted Zaria to have her opportunity, so she was giving her spot in the battle royal to her.  She said she wanted them both to have all the gold, including the tag team titles.  Zaria gave her a bearhug then grabbed her throat as Ruca reminded her she has a battle royal to think of. [c]

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Part of the draft process for fantasy managers is to identify their “guys,†players they may be higher on than the consensus.

With that in mind, Rotoworld basketball staffers Cole Huff, Noah Rubin, Raphielle Johnson and Zak Hanshew have decided to identify their guys, picking two players each that theyâ€re high on for the 2025-26 season.

Weâ€ll be doing a similar exercise with players weâ€re fading this season, so stay tuned.

Your one-stop-shop for Rotoworldâ€s fantasy basketball draft coverage.

🀠Cole Huffâ€s picks: C Myles Turner (Milwaukee Bucks) and F Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)

In his 11th NBA season, Turner will be playing for an organization that isnâ€t the Indiana Pacers for the first time in his career. While he thrived as a floor-spacing center alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam in the Pacers†recent deep postseason run, those same opportunities to flourish should present themselves with Giannis Antetokounmpo consistently attracting multiple defenders and finding open shooters. Heâ€ll essentially play the Brook Lopez role for the Bucks this year. With his sustained abilities to shoot near 50.0 percent from the field, make threes on high volume, and consistently erase shots at the rim, I think Turner will perform even better than where heâ€s being projected as a top 45-50 fantasy player in nine-category leagues.

As for Zion, this isnâ€t so much about me buying into his physical transformation during training camp as it is about me understanding that heâ€s an elite talent when heâ€s on the court, regardless. The former first-overall pick saw his points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals per game all increase from the 2023-24 season to the 2024-25 campaign, despite averaging fewer than 30.0 minutes for the first time since his rookie season. Iâ€d expect the numbers to climb once again as Williamson presumably logs more minutes per game than he did a season ago, which leaves me incredibly optimistic on how high he could rank come seasonâ€s end, if healthy. There has to be some good injury luck at some point, right?

🀠Noah Rubinâ€s picks: F Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons) and G Brandin Podziemski (Golden State Warriors)

Iâ€m all aboard the hype train for an Ausar breakout season. Last year, we enjoyed his brother Amen Thompsonâ€s breakout, and when comparing the twins†per-possession stats, Amen got the slight edge in most categories, but Ausar was a much better source of steals. The difference is that Ausar only played 22.5 minutes per game, while Amen got 32.3. Ausar is now locked in as a starter and should see a bump in minutes. Foul trouble was an issue for him last season, which could be a frustrating factor at times, but I think his production when he is on the floor will outweigh that. The shot will likely continue to be an issue, but he does more than enough as a defender, passer and cutter to compensate for it.

Podziemski was in and out of the starting lineup early last season and struggled to find his footing while battling injuries. However, he became a fixture of the starting unit in February and averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.7 three-pointers per game over the rest of the season. Golden State took a while to fill out the rest of the roster, but they didnâ€t add anyone who should impact Podzâ€s place in the rotation. The Warriors have a ton of old guys on their roster, so the spry 22-year-old should be relied on often to help keep the veterans fresh.

Nikola Jokić headlines Rotoworldâ€s Preseason Top 200, but key injuries across the league make this one of the most unpredictable fantasy seasons in years.

🀠Raphielle Johnsonâ€s picks: F Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic) and F OG Anunoby (New York Knicks)

While Magic forward Paolo Banchero has been tabbed by many as a breakout candidate this season, I think thereâ€s a better fantasy option on his teamâ€s roster. That would be Wagner, who offered top-40 per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats last season. In 60 games, he averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 three-pointers, posting career-high marks in each category. If thereâ€s a concern regarding Wagner, who shot 46.3 percent from the field and 87.1 percent from the foul line, itâ€s the three-point shooting. He only made 29.5 percent of his attempts last season and has shot below 30 percent each of the last two years. However, three-point percentage isnâ€t a scoring category in default fantasy leagues, so thereâ€s no need to lose sleep over this.

Anunoby is my other choice, due mainly to the change that brought in Mike Brown to serve as the Knicks†new head coach. In Brownâ€s two full seasons in Sacramento, the Kings were ranked in the top half of the NBA in offensive rating and pace, leading the league in the former category in 2022-23. While the Knicks were fifth in offensive rating last season, they were 26th in pace. Brown has vowed to speed things up, which may benefit a wing like Anunoby. A top-40 fantasy player last season, he averaged 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.3 three-pointers in 74 appearances. If Brown successfully combined a faster pace with allowing his wings to make more plays on the ball, Anunoby should exceed his Yahoo! ADP (66.1) easily.

🀠Zak Hanshewâ€s picks: G Cam Thomas (Brooklyn Nets) and G/F Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)

Come on, whatâ€s not to like about Cam Thomas? Over the final 18 games of the 2023-24 season, he broke out with averages of 26.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 triples on 45/37/89 shooting splits. He got off to a blistering start in 2024-25 before injuries derailed a promising season. Coming off a shortened campaign in which he averaged 24 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 triples, Thomas will look to continue his ascension. After lengthy contract negotiations, he ultimately took a qualifying offer from Brooklyn, so heâ€ll be playing for pride and a new contract. Expect a monster season from a guy still looking to prove that heâ€s more than just “empty stats.†Heâ€s my favorite fantasy player for the 2025-26 campaign, and Iâ€ll be looking to roster him wherever I can.

As for George, he played solid rotation minutes for Washington as a rookie, logging 26.5 per night and starting 38 of 68 appearances. He took only eight shots a night, but 5.2 came from beyond the arc, highlighting his love of the deep ball. At 6-foot-9, George can play on the wing and at either forward position, and heâ€s equally versatile on the defensive end. His stats got a noticeable bump in games where he played at least 30 minutes, and he could see plenty of those this season. The former Miami Hurricane could open the season as a starter due to Bilal Coulibalyâ€s thumb injury, but even as a reserve, George should be one of the first guys off the bench. He can provide meaningful stats in several categories, and improvements in shooting percentages would be huge for his fantasy value.

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Notes from Saturdayâ€s NXT No Mercy event.

The big news coming out of No Mercy came from NXT General Manager Ava, who announced the NXT Invasion special for October 7 on The CW. Two Survivor Series-style matches will take place, one with men and the other with women. Stars from both promotions such as Myles Borne, Lash Legend, Frankie Kazarian, Moose, and Mike Santana all expressed interest in participating.

Invasion? Count me in! An Invasion can be defined as an unwelcome intrusion. Well, be prepared to welcome the current @ThisIsTNA International Champion, and the #KingofTNA back to @WWENXT this Tuesday!

— 👑 Frankie Kazarian 👑 (@FrankieKazarian) September 28, 2025

Lola Vice didnâ€t end up winning the NXT Womenâ€s Championship on Saturday thanks to a masked person drilling her with a running kneestrike as she was recovering on the outside. Vice managed to enter the ring to avoid a count-out, but ended up walking into a rolling encore by Jacy Jayne, who retained the title. Earlier in the night, Laney Reid was interviewed and revealed that she was wearing a foot cast, putting her out of action. Vice ran into Lane and the two exchanged words.

Ethan Page was also victorious at No Mercy, defeating Tavion Heights to retain the North American title. As he was celebrating in the ring, El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. appeared on the video screen. He said that while Page had his eye on the AAA Latin American title, he had his eye on the NXT North American title.

The two met earlier this month at Worlds Collide, where Wagner emerged victorious in a four-way match that was for the Latin American title.

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Golden State Warriors team governor Joe Lacob has long been an advocate of young forward Jonathan Kuminga behind the scenes, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania.

Slater and Charania reported Lacob “was a driving force” behind the selection of Kuminga with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. Others within the organization lobbied for Franz Wagner, who went eighth overall to the Orlando Magic and has blossomed into a dynamic scorer.

Lacob was similarly staunch in his desire to keep Kuminga out of trade discussions for Alex Caruso when the experienced guard was on the Chicago Bulls.

Caruso was linked with Golden State around the 2024 trade deadline, but the Bulls’ insistence on including Kuminga in deal was reportedly a dealbreaker.

The ongoing standoff between the Warriors and the 22-year-old seems to be evidence that Lacob, regardless of his personal preferences, is willing to let the front office do its job.

Golden State continues to drive a hard bargain with Kuminga’s representatives. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has increased his best offer to $75.2 million over three years, per Slater and Charania. The third year is a team option, though, so only $48.3 million is fully guaranteed.

There used to be a time when Lacob and the Warriors’ ownership group was willing to spend whatever it took to win a title. For the 2023-24 season, the franchise had an estimated luxury tax bill of almost $176.9 million.

Lacob eventually had to change his tune because he understood the consequences of staying in the second apron of the tax. Klay Thompson, a franchise legend, left as a free agent last summer, and now the Warriors are playing serious hardball with a player who could help chart a course in a post-Stephen Curry future.

Maybe there was a time when Lacob considered Kuminga to be an untouchable cornerstone. That no longer seems to be the case.

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Much like we have started to see in the NBA, it’s a changing of the guard in EuroBasket as a…

EuroBasket is down to its final eight, and while there have been shocking upsets — Nikola Jokic and pre-tournament favorite…