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The Seattle Kraken have their third head coach in the franchise’s four-year history, announcing Thursday that they have hired former New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert.

Lambert, who spent this season as an associate coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs, replaces Dan Bylsma, who was fired in April after one season. Dave Hakstol was head coach for the Kraken’s first three seasons.

“After conducting an extensive search, we’re thrilled to announce Lane as our new head coach,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said in a statement. “We cast a wide net for suitable candidates. Lane impressed us throughout the interview process with his strategy and vision for the team.”

Lambert’s hiring comes amid a series of changes for the Kraken. The team fired Bylsma after a 35-win season in which it finished 20 points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Kraken won 34 games in 2023-24.

Shortly after firing Bylsma, Seattle promoted Botterill from assistant GM to GM and Ron Francis from GM to team president.

“I’m so excited to become the head coach of the Seattle Kraken,” Lambert, 60, said in a statement. “When it came time to writing a new chapter, I couldn’t think of a better fit.”

With the Kraken hiring Lambert, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins are the only NHL teams still searching for a head coach.

Lambert played 283 NHL games before he entered coaching in 2002. He was a head coach in major juniors and the AHL before becoming an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators in 2012. He was part of Barry Trotz’s staff for three years before following Trotz to the Washington Capitals, where he was part of the group that helped the franchise win its first Stanley Cup in 2018.

When Trotz left the Capitals to take over the Islanders, Lambert went with him and continued to develop as one of the top assistants while waiting for his first NHL head-coaching opportunity. Lambert was an associate for four seasons before he was hired to take over the Islanders at the start of the 2022-23 season.

He finished with a 42-31-9 mark and guided the Islanders to the playoffs, where they lost in the first round. A season later, he was fired after winning 19 of 45 games.

With the Kraken, Lambert joins a team that is expected to go through even more changes this offseason.

PuckPedia projects the Kraken will have more than $20 million in available cap space this season to improve a roster that finished 16th in goals per game but was 24th in goals allowed per game.

Lambert said he “can’t wait to get started.”

“This team has a talented group of young players poised to take the next step and a core group of veterans with great leadership qualities,” he said.

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Rangers keep slumping slugger Garcia on bench

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Rangers keep slumping slugger Garcia on bench

ARLINGTON, Texas — Slumping Rangers slugger Adolis García was held out of Texas’ lineup for the third consecutive day Sunday, with president of baseball operations Chris Young saying the club wants the 2023 ALCS MVP to make some mechanical changes.

“We need him to kind of commit to some of these changes that we think will get him back to the ’23 version of himself and help him be the player that we know he can be,” Young said before Texas’ series finale against St. Louis.

García is hitting .155 in the past 20 games with 25 strikeouts. He is hitting .208 overall, with seven homers and a team-high 27 RBIs for a Rangers club that has struggled offensively. He ranked 14th in the majors with 122 home runs over the past four seasons.

García, who has started 55 of Texas’ 60 games in right field this season, missed only one other game before this weekend, with manager Bruce Bochy saying Friday that García was being given a mental break.

“It’s about the mental reset and coming back with more energy,” García told reporters Saturday. “I’m working on some stuff without the pressure of having to do something up there.”

García, 32, is in the final season of a two-year contract.

The anticipated return of Evan Carter to the active roster Tuesday, joining Wyatt Langford, Alejandro Osuna and Sam Haggerty, further crowds the Rangers outfield as García tries to return to the lineup.

“It’s going to be performance-driven at this point,” Young said.

Texas also made three roster moves before Sunday’s game. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (triceps fatigue) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Thursday, catcher Tucker Barnhart was designated for assignment, and right-hander Codi Heuer was selected from Triple-A Round Rock.

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Phils moving Walker to relief in bullpen shakeup

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Phils moving Walker to relief in bullpen shakeup

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies made moves to restructure their bullpen Sunday, removing Taijuan Walker from the rotation and recalling right-handed reliever Seth Johnson before their series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Mick Abel will take Walker’s place in the starting rotation Thursday in Toronto. Reliever Jose Ruiz was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Johnson.

“I think Tai’s got a chance to make us a lot better coming out of the ‘pen,” manager Rob Thomson said.

Walker has made 10 appearances, including eight starts and two long relief appearances, with a 2-4 record and 3.53 ERA in 43⅓ innings. Thomson will use Walker in one-inning roles.

The 32-year-old Walker has been primarily a starter throughout his 13-year career. He is in the third year of a $72 million, four-year contract.

Abel made his major league debut on May 18, throwing six scoreless innings. The 23-year-old was the No. 15 pick in the 2020 amateur draft.

Johnson, 26, is 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 33 innings with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, transitioning from the starting rotation to a relief role. He made one appearance for the Phillies last year, allowing nine earned runs in 2⅓ innings on Sept. 8 against Miami.

Johnson was acquired by the Phillies from Baltimore on July 30, 2024, in a trade for Gregory Soto.

Ruiz had an 8.16 ERA in 14⅓ innings this season, including allowing five runs in one inning of Saturday’s 17-7 loss to the Brewers. The 30-year-old right-hander had a 5-1 record and 3.71 ERA in 52 appearances in 2024.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jays’ Varsho lands on IL with hamstring injury

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Jays' Varsho lands on IL with hamstring injury

The Blue Jays placed outfielder Daulton Varsho on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a left hamstring injury.

Varsho sustained the injury while attempting to leg out a triple during Toronto’s victory against the Athletics on Saturday.

Myles Straw will get the start in center field and bat eighth in the lineup for Sunday’s series finale.

Varsho, 28, is batting .207 with a team co-leading eight homers to go along with 20 RBIs in 24 games this season.

In other moves, the Blue Jays recalled utilityman Davis Schneider from Triple-A Buffalo, activated relief pitcher Erik Swanson from the 60-day injured list and optioned left-hander Easton Lucas to the Triple-A club.

Swanson, 31, has been hampered by median nerve entrapment since spring training, He has a 10.13 ERA with a 0-1 record in 5 1/3 innings during seven relief appearances in the minors this spring.

Schneider, 26, has gone 1-for-15 with one RBI and eight strikeouts in 10 games this season with the Blue Jays.

Lucas, 28, who was called up from Buffalo on Saturday and earned the win for the Blue Jays after 4 2/3 scoreless innings, is 3-2 record with a 5.82 ERA this season.

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