Mark your calendars.

The Twins are officially scheduled to play in the “Field of Dreams” game, which will take place on Aug. 13 in Dyersville, Iowa, the site of the iconic movie. The Twins will play host to the Philadelphia Phillies in the third major league game set amongst the cornfields. Two days earlier, the Triple-A Saints will play a game there against the Iowa Cubs.

“The Minnesota Twins are thrilled to be playing in the return of MLB at ‘Field of Dreams,’” executive chair Joe Pohlad said in a release. “Taking the field in Dyersville, where so much of baseball’s magic comes alive, is special for our club and for our fans in Iowa. August 13, 2026 will be a true celebration of our sport and a memorable day in Twins history.”

The Chicago White Sox hosted the New York Yankees in 2021 and the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds played in Iowa the next year. Since then, the site, which had featured a temporary stadium has undergone major renovations and expansion.

The original schedule had the Twins hosting the Phillies on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Target Field. It has since been adjusted and now that Friday will be a day off before the series resumes in Minneapolis.

As part of their new agreement with Major League Baseball, that game will be streamed on Netflix.

“Major League Baseball is excited to return to Iowa in 2026 and to deliver a unique experience to the Twins, the Phillies, their players, our two Minor League teams, and fans across the game,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in the release. “We look forward to working with Netflix and creating an event that all sports fans can enjoy.”

TV update

MLB announced new three-year media rights agreements with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix on Wednesday.

With the new deal, ESPN will now have in-market rights for the teams whose games MLB produces and distributes, offering fans an additional way to stream games. The Twins are among those teams.

For now, things will be status quo for Twins.TV subscribers. The Twins will be available on the same linear and streaming platforms next season as they were in 2025 and in-market Twins fans do not need to purchase the ESPN app to watch the team. Information on Twins.TV subscription packages will be available later this offseason.

Briefly

It may be the offseason, but the Twins recently took home a victory when third baseman Royce Lewis and former Twins outfielder Aaron Hicks won the inaugural MLB Open in Las Vegas. The golf tournament, which featured two representatives from each team — typically a current and former player — was aired on TNT on Tuesday night.

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By SUDHIN THANAWALA, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge Wednesday asked attorneys to identify witnesses and offer plans for how to conduct a contempt probe of the Trump administration for failing to turn around planes carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador in March.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington said a ruling Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit gave him the authority to proceed with the inquiry, which will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to refer the matter for prosecution.

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On March 15, Boasberg ordered the aircraft carrying accused gang members to return to the U.S., but they landed instead in El Salvador, where the migrants were held at a notorious prison.

“I am authorized to proceed just as I intended to do in April seven months ago,” the judge said during a hearing Wednesday. He added later, “I certainly intend to find out what happened on that day.”

Boasberg said having witnesses testify under oath appeared to be the best way to conduct the contempt probe, but he also suggested the government could provide written declarations to explain who gave orders to “defy” his ruling. He said he wanted to start any hearings Dec. 1.

The Trump administration has denied any violation, saying the judge’s directive to return the planes was made verbally in court but not included in his written order. U.S. Justice Department attorney Tiberius Davis told Boasberg the government objected to further contempt proceedings.

The last Minnesota Wild player to leave the ice at TRIA Rink on Wednesday was Zach Bogosian.

The veteran defenseman has been missing from the lineup for more than a month with a lower body injury but appears to be working his way back into playing health. When he returns, that will mean some tough decisions for Wild coach John Hynes, as young defenseman Daemon Hunt has made a solid case to stay in the lineup.

Hynes admits he has thought some about what will happen when his team is healthier, and it’s generally a good problem to have, although the nature of hockey at the NHL level means that when Bogosian is healthy, there could well be another injury absence.

“I think it will be a tough (decision) to make,” Hynes said following the team’s optional morning skate before playing Carolina in a late start at Grand Casino Arena. “What I find with our group is it’s truly day to day. We could say today that there might be an injury tonight, and then Bogo comes back.”

Hunt, who was playing his seventh consecutive game on the Wild blue line on Wednesday night, has made a positive impression.

“He’s come in and played well,” Hynes said. “Now, when Bogo gets healthy and comes back and is ready to play and we stay healthy, I think that’s a good thing because then you have some competition for spots.”

The forthcoming blue line battles may play out at center as well. Currently the Wild are shorthanded up the middle, with regulars Marco Rossi and Ryan Hartman out. With Nico Sturm inching closer to making his season debut, Hynes is hopeful that a surplus there is coming at some point.

“I think if we were healthier, we’ll have some decisions,” Hynes said. “But there’s probably three or four games before that even happens. It would be a good problem to have. We’ll see if we actually have it.”

On Wednesday, the Wild officially placed Hartman on injured reserve and recalled Hunter Haight from their Iowa farm team. Haight, the team’s second-round draft pick 2022, made his NHL debut earlier this season, getting into the Wild’s first two games.

A hard loss off the ice

Weston Paszkiewicz, the 10-year-old Long Lake boy who spent a day as a member of the Wild last month in the midst of a cancer battle, passed away surrounded by family late Tuesday night. According to his family, Weston was watching a hockey game when he took his final breath.

On Oct. 30, before a home game versus Pittsburgh, Paszkiewicz was signed to a one-day contract by Wild general manager Bill Guerin, participated in the team’s practice, was a guest of the Wild in the locker room and even was honored by the Penguins following their 4-1 win in St. Paul that night.

“He spent a lot of time with us, and you could tell when he was here that he wasn’t doing well,” Hynes said. “It’s one of those things, too, where you realize, in our profession, whether you’re players or coaches at this level, the impact you can have on someone. … It’s sad for him and his family, but the fact that we could make an impact on him, I think that gives us some satisfaction.”

Diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in January, Paszkiewicz was at Grand Casino Arena on Sunday for the overtime win versus Vegas, in a suite along with his family and retired Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, as the team held its annual Hockey Fights Cancer night.

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The defensive celebrations by the Vikings used to be appointment television.

With former safety Cam Bynum serving as the ringleader in front of the camera after an interception or a fumble recovery, it genuinely started to feel as if the Vikings forced turnovers solely so they could perform whatever dance routine they had been practicing behind the scenes.

The choreography put together by Bynum paid homage to some of his favorite movies — “The Parent Trap,” “White Chicks” — with fellow safety Josh Metellus often being the person to help get the party going.

Maybe it’s a coincidence that the Vikings finished last season tied for the league lead with 33 takeaways. It’s not like the their defensive celebrations actually led to them forcing more turnovers, right?

There’s reason to believe it at least played a role in the success the Vikings had in that realm. There was a distinct energy that Bynum brought off the field that seemed to carry over on the field to some degree. He was the ultimate vibes guy who had a way of bringing out the best in everybody around him.

He was also a very good player that seemed to unlock some of the stuff defensive coordinator Brian Flores likes to do on that side of the ball.

“He’s definitely going to be missed,” Metellus said after Bynum signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts in free agency. “We can’t get those reps back.”

That assessment couldn’t be more spot on when seeing how the Vikings have performed without him. Not only are they missing the joy that Bynum radiated throughout the locker room; more important, they are missing the impact he always made in practices and games.

After forcing so many turnovers last season, the Vikings have yet to reach double digits this season.

More than half of the nine turnovers they have forced came in one game against the Cincinnati Bengals (5) when backup quarterback Jake Browning looked like he still thought he was playing for the Vikings.

“I don’t think anybody on our side of the ball saw this coming,” linebacker Blake Cashman said. “This defense is built on disruption and creating takeaways.”

It’s common to hear Metellus talk about being “more greedy” in their approach when it comes to turnovers. A tipped ball isn’t good enough; not when it could have been an interception. A sack isn’t good enough; not when it could have been a forced fumble.

“We talk about it every day,” Flores said. “There’s obviously a major emphasis on it.”

Now it’s true that there’s an element of luck involved. It’s an oddly shaped ball that often leads to funny bounces. That was on display against the Chicago Bears when quarterback Caleb Williams bobbled an exchange and the Vikings failed to pounce on it.

To explain away the lack of turnovers as a lack of luck, however, wouldn’t be right, and solving it isn’t as simple as the Vikings telling themselves that the tide is going to turn. They have to continue to operate with a sense of intentionality on a daily basis.

“We’ll continue to emphasize it,” Flores said. “I think people say they come in bunches at times; I don’t necessarily believe in that. We’ve just got to continue to work at it.”

As somebody who spends a lot of time on that area of the game, special teams coordinator Matt Daniels highlighted the importance of the defense getting the offense behind schedule when it comes to turnovers. That inherently forces the opposing team to take more chances in an attempt to get back on track.

“We talk a lot about, ‘How can we create negative plays?’ ” Daniels said. “We want to make it something where they have to absorb risk.”

As the Vikings struggled to turn the ball over, it can’t be ignored that Bynum is flourishing with the Colts. He has recorded a pair of interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery this season while starting every game for a group in contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

In the process, the Colts have become widely recognized for their defensive celebrations, taking the crown that once belonged to the Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum (24) does a backflip as he celebrates with teamamtes after an interception by Vikings safety Josh Metellus (44) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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