Passion MLB Roster Update: Week 18

Here we are—the trade deadline is just around the corner! Major League Baseball teams must now decide whether their rosters allow them to be buyers or if it's better to look toward the future.
So without further ado, here's the latest edition of Passion MLB's power rankings. Last week's rankings are shown in parentheses.
1 – Los Angeles Dodgers (1)
2 – Milwaukee Brewers (2)
3 – Atlanta Braves (3)
4 – Tampa Bay Rays (6)
5 – New York Yankees (4)
6 – Chicag

Dear Gossips,After several straight years of mostly bad box office news, this year is mostly good box office news. A welcome change! 2026 continues on pace to be the biggest box office year since 2019, most recently bolstered by the twin billion-dollar successes of The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It’s Spider-Man I want to talk about, though, as the film continues to set records and hit milestones, most recently joining the 700 Club—films that have earned $700 million domes

TV and film production designer Laurin Kelsey’s career started like a Hollywood story.The Salt Spring Island native, whose most recent credits include the hit series Elle and Stick , began her TV/film career at age 16 when a high school counsellor at Gulf Islands Secondary School got her a job experience internship working in the props department for the Vancouver-shot hit sci-fi show Stargate SG-1.“Most people would go with their mom as a dental hygienist or … whatever their

Starting Line: The Team Joshua Story When and where: Premiering on CBC Gem Aug. 14 and airing on CBC Television at 8 p.m. in B.C. and Alberta Aug. 15When Josh Gentis Hall was growing up, he didn’t want to hang back and watch his friends and classmates play sports: He wanted to be in the middle of the action.Sitting in his wheelchair, he put on the goalie equipment while the other children prepared to play an after-school game of floor hockey. But when the game began, Josh’s mother Mi

Last night, the Phillies beat the Twins 7-1. Aaron Nola earned the win, allowing just one run over five innings.
But that's not what stands out.
What stands out most is that this game was played in Iowa as part of the famous “Field of Dreams” game that has been taking place for several years now.
Based on the movie Field of Dreams, Major League Baseball built a baseball stadium in a cornfield. And it once again produced some magnificent images.
Home runs into the corn will NEVER get

Hockey players are well-oiled PR machines. Most of the time, anyway.
Take Zachary Bolduc, for example. Every time he's been asked about his contract situation over the past two months, he's replied that he wasn't worried and that a deal was on the way.
And yesterday, as reported by RDS at the Pro-Am in Quebec City, it was the same story.What does the future hold for Zachary Bolduc?Details: https://t.co/uNsYE68ZIk pic.twitter.com/16POJQ2cSg
— RDS (@RDSca) August 14, 2026But the same goes fo

Fernando Mendoza had a big moment in his NFL debut by throwing his first touchdown pass with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The young quarterback, selected first overall in the most recent draft, connected with wide receiver Jack Bech in the end zone during the preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. (Saturday Tradition⁠
)
Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2025 with the Indiana Hoosiers, was highly anticipated for his first appearance in a Raiders uniform. The organization has high hope

Arber Xhekaj's situation in Montreal remains unique.
The defenseman is still without a contract as of mid-August, and his spot on the Canadiens' roster is still far from guaranteed.
Last season, Xhekaj often alternated between playing as the sixth and seventh defenseman.
According to Stu Cowan, a change of scenery might now be the best thing for his career.
During his appearance on the Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro, the Montreal Gazette reporter explained that he'd like to see Xhekaj on a team

The Flyers' hostile offer to Leo Carlsson caused quite a stir in the NHL this summer.
But how was it received by the Players' Association?
Marty Walsh, executive director of the NHL Players' Association, was asked about this very topic during his appearance on the Sick podcast—The Eye Test.How did the @NHLPA react to the Leo Carlsson offer sheet?
Executive Director Marty Walsh tells us!#thesickpodcast @MurphysLaw74 pic.twitter.com/xkFMLmIODJ
— The Sick Podcast – The Eye Test (@

British musician Boy George and his band Culture Club are set to play the PNE’s 2026 Summer Night Concerts series at the start of September, and not everybody is happy about it.The artist is facing backlash following the release of an AI-assisted single titled We Will Dance Again, which features lyrics expressing solidarity for Israel.The pop reggae track has faced strong criticism and support.The PNE confirmed they have received complaints about the concert from people like local Chris S

Animator Norm Drew and Norm Drew Productions may not be household names these days.But in 1986, the Kenora, Ontario-born and raised and Vancouver-based Drew, along with Gordon Standfield, co-created the storyboard for an episode of the Nelvana/ABC hit series The Care Bears titled Grumpy’s Three Wishes.Standfield’s company, Gordon Standfield Studios, recently acquired the Norm Drew Productions film archive via a sale at Langley-based Able Auctions.“When the opportunity to get i

The Zach Werenski situation took a strange turn this summer.
Just before July 1, the defenseman wasn't sure he wanted to continue his career in Columbus long-term. Don Waddell had therefore begun exploring the market and had even found a trade that suited the Blue Jackets.
Then, Werenski ultimately changed his mind a bit.
After discussing it with his family, he indicated that he no longer wanted to leave Columbus. The organization issued two press releases on July 1 to clarify the situation, and

Did you forget that Shohei Ohtani has a contract option?
The Japanese player, who is still under contract for a little over seven years, has a clause that is quite unique in Major League Baseball.
Basically, if Mark Walter (owner) or Andre Friedman (president of baseball operations) leaves the team, Ohtani can opt out of his contract.
He requested this clause because he bought into their vision. So he wanted to give himself the right to reassess his situation if those architects were ever to lea

Juraj Slafkovsky is the king of Slovakia!
No joke—we all know how popular this young player is in his home country. He's one of Slovakia's biggest stars, and his achievements certainly don't go unnoticed.
And I'm not just saying that for fun… 
Today, Slaf was named the Slovaks' Player of the Year. He's earned this honor for the third year in a row (and for the fourth time since joining the National League).
Way to go!Juraj Slafkovský won the Slovak Hockey Player of the Y

Nostalgia was in the air earlier this week in Terrebonne, as the 7th annual Serge Savard Invitational took place (on Tuesday) at Golf Le Mirage.
The event had a special feel to it this year, as it marked the 40th anniversary of the 1986 Stanley Cup victory.
And among the images that surely brought a smile to Habs fans' faces, one stands out from the rest: that of Patrick Roy… donning the Montreal Canadiens jersey once again.
Seeing this legend slip back into the blue, white, and red unifo

Progress for Roman Anthony
He could return to Boston shortly and begin a rehab stint soon.
The Red Sox are going to discuss bringing Roman Anthony back to Boston from Fort Myers, Chad Tracy said today (via @timbhealey).
He's getting closer to a rehab stint in Worcester or Portland. pic.twitter.com/WL8mfqGRm2
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) August 13, 2026
Respect for the Manager
Joe Espada is respected in the Astros' locker room.
“I haven’t heard a bad word about Joe Espada from anyo

Sasha Pastujov isn’t exactly a household name in the world of hockey.
That's to be expected: we're talking about a former third-round pick (2021) who has never played a single game in the National Hockey League and who was part of the Anaheim Ducks organization.
But now, Pastujov has arrived in Montreal as part of a trade that sent Sean Farrell to the Ducks at the end of July. And today, the newcomer signed a one-season (two-way) contract with the Habs for the upcoming season.He was acquir

Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler were at Jimmy Kimmel Live! on back-to-back days this week and I take this personally, the two of them doing promotion for the same show, representing my range. As in… yes to Aaron Pierre but also yes to Kyle Chandler.Lanterns premieres on HBO Max this coming Sunday. Highly anticipated among fans of DC Comics, of course, but for me personally, I can’t say I was jacked for this. Which is why it was smart for them to drop the first five minutes this morni

The Arizona Cardinals will have to do without their young quarterback, Carson Beck, for their next preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.The rookie is dealing with a rib injury sustained last week and will not be in uniform on Thursday night.
However, the injury is reportedly not a cause for concern. According to reports by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Beck does not have a serious injury. In fact, the quarterback has been able to participate in practice over the past few days, despite

There's only about a month and a half left in the MLB regular season, and it's high time to look ahead to the final stretch of this campaign and the frantic races for the standings that lie ahead.
So without further ado, here's the very latest edition of Passion MLB's power rankings. Last week's rankings are shown in parentheses.
1 – Milwaukee Brewers (2)
2 – Atlanta Braves (3)
3 – Los Angeles Dodgers (1)
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. https://t.co/zVzXt9zylY h

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will have a major boost on Friday night.After missing the last four games due to injury, quarterback Zach Collaros is set to return to action against the Ottawa Redblacks. The game will air at 8:30 p.m. on RDS2.
The 37-year-old veteran was forced to leave the game on July 5 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Winnipeg won that game 14–13, but Collaros suffered an injury after being sacked by quarterback Reggie Stubblefield in the second quarter.
Since that incident,

NEW RELEASES1. Carl’s Doomsday Scenario,by Matt Dinniman.2. The Wild Beneath: A Novel , by Kelly Anderson. 3. Dragon Masters: Heart of the Ruby Dragon , by Tracey West.4. Sunrise on the Reaping , by Suzanne Collins.5. The Impossible Fortune: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery , by Richard Osman. 6. Adversary to the Villain , by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. 7. Fruit Fly,by Josh Silver. 8. The Unknown: A Novel,by Riley Sager. 9. A Trade of Blood: An Ana & Din Mystery,by Robert Jackson Bennett. 10

1.A False and Fatal Claim: A Lane Winslow Mystery — Iona Whishaw (Touchwood Editions).2. The Astronaut Children of Dunbar Street: A Memoir— Wiley Wei-Chium Ho(Douglas and McIntyre).3. Unceded: Understanding British Columbia’s Colonial Past and Why It Matters Now — George M. Abbott, foreword by Steven Point (UBC Press).4. The Best of Roy Henry Vickers: 80 Selected Works— Lucky Budd, Roy Henry Vickers (Harbour Publishing Co.)5. A Season for Spies: A Lane Winslow Preq

A History of Motown When: Aug. 19-29Where: Firehall Arts Centre, 280 E. Cordova St., VancouverTickets: From $40 at firehallartscentre.ca and 604-689-0926There’s a little-known Canadian connection to Motown, and it’s one that singer Krystle Dos Santos highlights in her show A History of Motown.In 1968, the Vancouver band Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers signed to the Detroit-based company. The group, which included Tommy Chong, had a top 30 hit, Does Your Mama Know About Me. And, Dos S

Have you heard the story of Medusa?
Julien Duguay, an influencer who is also known as Medusa, organized a StreamerFest in Florida with content creators from Quebec. The idea looked good on paper, but it ended badly.
During a stream (i.e., live), Medusa made derogatory remarks about women and consent.
Among those on the boat was Lewis le Fou. He wanted to distance himself from Duguay's comments, as did many others who were also present.
That's perfectly normal.
But the story takes on another dime

Ricky Pearsall will have to wait a while before returning to the NFL field.The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver underwent surgery on his right knee and will now begin a rehabilitation process that could last nearly nine months.
The 25-year-old Pearsall quickly checked in with fans after his surgery. Just a few hours after leaving the operating room, he posted a photo on Instagram showing him in the hospital with family members. Despite the long recovery period ahead of him, the player maintains

Katie Holmes re-posted photos from of her rumoured boyfriend Jason Bard Yarmosky in her stories, which I think counts as a hard launch and Instagram official.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Katie Holmes (@katieholmes)
Amy Schumer is trying to make a tour with author Belle Burden happen. Belle’s book Strangers was a hit with a certain subset of celebrities but since The New Yorker did some digging into the court files, it’s lost a lot of steam. Gwyneth Paltrow was attached

We independently select everything we recommend. Buying through us may earn us a commission, which supports our work. Luke Combs launched his My Kinda Saturday Night Tour in support of his sixth album, The Way I Am, this March. The tour was originally planned to end after the singer’s August shows at Wembley Stadium in London.The global star has now extended the tour into next year with the announcement of another dozen dates beginning in Arlington, Texas, on April 3, 2027, and finishing o

August is in full swing, and the Puribec League is the first league in Quebec to enter the playoffs. Baseball fans in the Bas-du-Fleuve region are in for a treat with some high-level matchups. The Rivière-du-Loup team, in particular, earned a bye in the first round, while Matane has already ended Edmundston's playoff run. In the other two matchups on the schedule, Rimouski faces off against Témiscouata, and Kamouraska looks to advance to the next round by taking on Trois-Pistoles.

This morning, our colleague Marc-Olivier Cook went to check out Brossard.
There were still quite a few Canadiens players there. And with guys like Josh Anderson and David Reinbacher in town, you can tell that training camp is getting closer.
Brendan Gallagher and some defensemen from Concordia University were also there.Back in Brossard this morning!
A few players on the ice: Josh Anderson, Jake Evans, David Reinbacher, Ivan Demidov, Alexandre Carrier, Jayden Struble, Jakub Dobes (and Brendan Ga