Category: Sports

Professional golfer Tyrrell Hatton from England will skip this week’s LIV Golf Korea tournament after he and his wife Emily celebrated the arrival of their first baby last week, according to an announcement from his LIV Golf team on Monday.

Taking Hatton’s place on the Legion XIII roster will be 33-year-old German golfer Max Rottluff, who will be making his first appearance in LIV Golf competition.

The 34-year-old Hatton plans to rejoin competition next week when he competes in LIV Golf Andalucia at Real Club Valderrama located in Sotogrande, Spain.

Currently experiencing one of his strongest competitive periods, Hatton has achieved four top-10 results across 10 tournament appearances, highlighted by a third-place tie at The Masters tournament in April. This Masters performance represents his best showing in any major championship event.

For this week’s competition, Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII squad will consist of Rahm himself along with Tom McKibbin, Caleb Surratt and Rottluff.

Toronto manager John Schneider announced Monday that the team’s ace pitcher Dylan Cease will be sidelined on the 15-day injured list after suffering a left hamstring strain.

The 30-year-old right-handed pitcher exited Sunday’s matchup with the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning after experiencing what the organization described as “mild left hamstring discomfort.”

During the game, Cease was observed shaking his left leg while pitching, prompting Schneider and head athletic trainer Jose Ministral to visit the mound to evaluate the eight-year veteran. Cease managed to get Spencer Horwitz out before Mason Fluharty took over pitching duties.

“It doesn’t look too terrible, knock on wood,” Schneider told reporters Monday. “Just trying to be smart and not have it get worse. Don’t know the exact timeline yet … hoping it’s a minimal stay.”

During his abbreviated outing, Cease allowed two runs on four hits while recording eight strikeouts and issuing one walk over 4 2/3 innings. This marked just the second occasion in 11 starts this season where he was unable to pitch at least five complete innings.

In other injury news, Blue Jays star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero was scratched from Monday’s starting lineup against the Miami Marlins due to elbow discomfort.

Guerrero sustained the injury when he was struck by a pitch on his right elbow during Sunday’s contest against the Pirates.

Schneider classified Guerrero’s condition as day-to-day.

“See how he feels as the day goes on,” Schneider explained to the media. “But didn’t want to push it with him, just in talking to him last night and today.”

Guerrero has struggled offensively this season, managing only three home runs across 53 games. The five-time All-Star is currently hitting .287 with 22 RBIs.

After signing a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Blue Jays in December, Cease has established himself as one of baseball’s most reliable starting pitchers. Over the past five seasons, he joins just three other starters – fellow Blue Jays Kevin Gausman, Patrick Corbin and Jose Berrios – in making 30 or more starts each year.

This injury represents the first time in Cease’s major league career that he will be placed on the injured list due to a physical condition.

Cease played the previous two seasons with the San Diego Padres, where he threw the franchise’s second no-hitter in 2024 while posting a 14-11 record with a 3.47 ERA across 33 starts. He recorded 224 strikeouts and earned fourth place in National League Cy Young voting.

His first five big league campaigns were spent with the Chicago White Sox. He finished as the American League Cy Young runner-up in 2022 after going 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA and a career-best 227 strikeouts in 32 starts.

Cease has achieved 200 or more strikeouts in five consecutive seasons and holds a career record of 68-61 with a 3.83 ERA over 199 starts.

A Milwaukee Brewers pitcher made baseball history Monday night by delivering an unprecedented number of triple-digit fastballs during his team’s 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jacob Misiorowski launched 57 fastballs clocking 100 mph or higher, shattering the previous mark of 47 set by Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene in a September 2022 matchup against St. Louis. The feat represents the most high-velocity pitches recorded in any single contest since official pitch tracking technology was implemented in 2008.

The 24-year-old hurler struck out 12 batters to equal his personal best while improving his season record to 5-2. During his seven-inning performance, Misiorowski surrendered just two hits and one walk, lowering his earned run average to 1.83.

Of his 96 total pitches, 40 registered at 101 mph, while 22 reached 102 mph. Nine of his offerings hit at least 103 mph, with his fastest clocking 103.4 mph on three separate occasions.

Misiorowski tied another record held by Greene from that same 2022 contest by recording nine strikeouts on pitches exceeding 100 mph.

After walking JJ Wetherholt on a 3-2 inside pitch to start the game, the Cardinals managed just one baserunner until Pedro Pagés blooped a single leading off the sixth inning. St. Louis scored their lone run later that inning, ending Misiorowski’s streak of 29 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

The franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings belongs to Teddy Higuera, who threw 32 straight shutout frames in 1987. Misiorowski entered Monday’s contest having blanked opponents across his previous four starts.

Scorching temperatures at the French Open are creating unprecedented conditions at Roland Garros, with players and spectators struggling with the extreme heat

PARIS (AP) — Competitors at the French Open report they haven’t faced such sweltering conditions at Roland Garros since the 2024 Paris Olympics, which took place during the summer months of July and August. The mercury has climbed to 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) during the tournament’s first two days, well above typical late May temperatures in Paris. Weather forecasts predict these scorching conditions will persist throughout the opening week. Beyond creating discomfort for spectators and athletes, the oppressive heat has accelerated court conditions. Russian-born Australian competitor Daria Kasatkina noted, “I don’t remember the last time it was so hot at Roland Garros.”

Western Conference basketball finals stand even at 2-2 as Spurs and Thunder prepare for decisive Game 5

Victor Wembanyama appears unfazed by high-pressure situations. On December 28, 2024, during a chilly, wet morning in New York, Wembanyama had free time before the San Antonio Spurs’ charter departure to Minnesota. He used social media to invite people to meet him at Washington Square Park for chess matches. That morning brought four games with an even split: two victories, two defeats. Now, the Spurs face Oklahoma City in a different type of strategic battle — the Western Conference finals, with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday at the Thunder’s home venue. The current tally mirrors that New York morning: two victories, two defeats for each side.

Mexican leader expresses support for hosting Iran’s World Cup squad after venue change from United States

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed comfort with her nation serving as host for Iran’s World Cup team following the relocation of their training facility from the United States to Mexico for the summer soccer tournament. While the Iranian squad will continue playing their matches on U.S. soil, their preparation base has shifted to Tijuana, Mexico, located just south of San Diego, California. FIFA officially announced this change on Monday. This development unfolds amid ongoing conflict in Iran. During a press briefing, Sheinbaum revealed that a FIFA official informed her that the United States preferred not to have the Iranian soccer team spending extended time on American soil outside of competition.

Indianapolis 500 champion Felix Rosenqvist embraces hectic post-victory schedule

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The reality of Felix Rosenqvist’s Indianapolis 500 triumph began settling in rapidly. Following his ceremonial milk consumption and the traditional celebratory dousing, the victor of the most closely contested race in Indy 500 history commenced his champion obligations. He dedicated two hours to media interviews while still in his racing suit before proceeding to additional photography sessions. A brief celebration followed before early morning television appearances, more photo opportunities, and Monday evening’s traditional post-race banquet where his prize money will be revealed. Despite another race approaching in Detroit next weekend, the 34-year-old Swedish driver had no complaints. Instead, he focused on enjoying the rewards of his victory.

Spire Motorsports celebrates growth following second victory but maintains higher aspirations

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Daniel Suarez’s unexpected triumph at the Coca-Cola 600 delivered Spire Motorsports their second win of the season, equaling the success of racing powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. However, Suarez emphasized the team’s continued hunger for more achievements. He commended the organizational framework established by team owner Jeff Dickerson and crew chief Ryan Sparks. Spire, previously viewed as a smaller NASCAR operation, is reshaping industry perceptions. Dickerson has set goals of placing two vehicles in the playoffs and securing three race victories this season, while Suarez believes the team has yet to maximize its capabilities.

UCLA secures top NCAA baseball tournament position, leading offensive powerhouse Georgia Tech

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — UCLA has claimed the top national seed position for the NCAA baseball tournament following their commanding season-long performance. The tournament commences Friday with 16 double-elimination regional competitions. Regional champions progress to eight best-of-three super regional matchups, with those winners advancing to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, starting June 12. The Bruins dominated both the Big Ten regular season and tournament championships. Their 51 victories represent the highest win total entering regionals since Tennessee’s 53 wins in 2022. Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech earned the second seed, followed by Georgia, Auburn, North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, and Florida.

Milwaukee pitcher establishes new benchmark with 57 triple-digit fastballs in single contest

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski delivered 57 pitches reaching at least 100 mph — establishing a new single-game record since pitch monitoring began in 2008 — while recording 12 strikeouts to equal his career best Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The prior mark for 100-mph pitches in one game was 47, set by Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene against St. Louis on September 17, 2022. The 24-year-old right-handed pitcher hit 101 mph on 40 of his 96 total pitches. He reached 102 mph on 22 deliveries and achieved at least 103 mph nine times, with his peak velocity measuring 103.4 mph.

Messi adds to growing list of star player injury worries before major tournament

A mounting number of injuries to soccer’s elite performers are emerging before next month’s World Cup competition. Lionel Messi has been added to a concerning list that previously included Lamine Yamal. While Kylian Mbappé and Mohamed Salah have recovered from their injuries before the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, attention now turns to Messi. The Argentine superstar exited the field after grabbing his left hamstring during an Inter Miami Major League Soccer match on Sunday. Spain’s Yamal missed Barcelona’s season finale due to a muscle injury in his left leg. Other players definitively ruled out include France’s Hugo Ekitike and Brazilian stars Rodrygo and Éder Militão.

Atlanta Dream maintains perfect start with remarkable comeback ability in WNBA standings

The Atlanta Dream has demonstrated exceptional comeback capability by overcoming 15-point deficits twice this season, including Sunday’s victory against Phoenix. According to ESPN, no other WNBA franchise has accomplished this feat. The Dream tops the WNBA standings with a 4-1 record and remains the sole team with only one loss. Coach Karl Smesko credits challenging competition with strengthening the team’s resolve. Atlanta achieved the top position in power rankings for the first time this season. Los Angeles’ Kelsey Plum received recognition as the AP player of the week.

Extended games create unique tactical opportunities, though star players rarely determine outcomes

The automatic runner rule has made extra innings one of the remaining situations where managers readily employ intentional walks, a tactic that had been declining in popularity. From 1974 to 2019, before the automatic runner implementation, intentional walks occurred every 140 plate appearances overall but every 27 in extra innings. Since 2020, intentional walks happen every 335 plate appearances in regular play, yet in extra innings, they occur every 16.7 plate appearances. Extra-inning intentional walks have actually become more frequent than in previous eras.

Canadian national team captain Alphonso Davies is expected to sit out his country’s World Cup opening match next month due to injury, though he should see action later in the tournament, according to head coach Jesse Marsch’s announcement on Monday.

The captain sustained a hamstring injury on May 6 while playing for Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final second leg. When questioned about whether this injury would prevent Davies from participating in Canada’s World Cup kickoff match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto, Marsch provided an update.

“I think Alphonso will play in the World Cup,” Marsch stated during a press conference at Canada’s training facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, before discussing the captain’s availability for the tournament opener. “No, I don’t think he’ll be ready quite on June 12 … but we’ll see.”

While Davies was included among the 32 players selected for Canada’s training camp roster announced earlier Monday, Marsch confirmed the player would not participate in the Charlotte sessions. Instead, Davies will rejoin his teammates just before their June 1 exhibition match against Uzbekistan in Edmonton.

This latest injury adds to a series of physical setbacks that have prevented Davies from representing his country for an entire year of international competition.

The quick left back sustained an ACL injury while competing for Canada in March 2025. After returning to action with Bayern Munich in December, he experienced a torn muscle fiber in his right hamstring during February, followed by another hamstring strain in March that forced him to miss two Canadian friendly matches.

The official World Cup squad announcement is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (2300 GMT) this Friday.

Following their tournament opener, Canada’s schedule includes matches in Vancouver against Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.

A California court has ordered San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. to pay approximately $3.74 million to Big League Advance following a legal battle over a financial agreement the baseball player signed as a teenager.

The dispute stems from a contract Tatis entered into with Big League Advance (BLA) in 2017, when he was just 18 years old. Under the terms of that agreement, the company provided Tatis with $2 million upfront in exchange for 10 percent of his future major league baseball earnings. At the time, Tatis had spoken positively about the arrangement, noting that the immediate funding enabled him to employ a personal trainer and make other career-enhancing investments.

The legal trouble began when Tatis ceased making his required payments in 2024, leading BLA to initiate arbitration proceedings to recover the money they claimed was due. In response, Tatis filed a lawsuit against the company in June 2025, arguing that BLA had enticed him into what essentially constituted an illegal lending arrangement.

The lawsuit stated: “Defendants have built a business model that preys on young, financially unsophisticated athletes, offering lump-sum advances in exchange for significant portions of their future earnings.”

An arbitrator ruled in favor of BLA last fall, determining that Tatis owed the full $3.74 million amount that had accumulated since he stopped making payments. Tatis then sought relief from the San Diego County circuit court, but California state judge Judy S. Bae ruled on Friday that his petition was filed too late to be valid.

Judge Bae determined that Tatis had forfeited his right to judicial review because his petition should have been submitted before the arbitration process commenced. However, Tatis’ legal team indicated they plan to challenge this decision.

“The court made significant findings against BLA, and the only thing they prevailed on was timeliness of the challenge,” attorney Mitts explained to Front Office Sports, referencing the judge’s determination that BLA could be classified as a lender and that California law applies to the case. “That is something which we are very likely to appeal, and we feel strongly we have a very good chance.”

The financial stakes are substantial for Tatis, who signed a massive 14-year, $340 million contract with the Padres in 2021 when he was considered one of baseball’s most promising young talents. Based on that contract, his total obligation to BLA under their original agreement would amount to $34 million.

Now 27 years old, Tatis has established himself as one of baseball’s premier players, earning three All-Star selections, two Gold Glove awards, a Platinum Glove award, and two Silver Slugger honors. Throughout his seven-season career with San Diego, spanning 722 games, he has maintained a .275 batting average while hitting 152 home runs, driving in 409 runs, and stealing 136 bases. His career was interrupted in 2022 when he missed the entire season due to a combination of a wrist injury and an 80-game suspension for using a prohibited substance.

Italian tennis professional Matteo Berrettini described himself as having a “psycho” mindset when it comes to battling back from injuries after defeating Marton Fucsovics 6-7(2) 7-5 6-1 6-2 on Monday at the French Open, his first time competing in the tournament since 2021.

The player, who previously held the world number six ranking, has faced ongoing health challenges that caused him to miss eight of the last 18 Grand Slam tournaments since finishing second to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon five years ago.

Now ranked 105th globally while fellow Italian Jannik Sinner holds the top spot and carries his country’s major tournament expectations, the 30-year-old athlete explained that physical setbacks have been a constant throughout his tennis journey.

“When injuries come, you’re always negative and you don’t want to stop, and you think ‘I could have done this’ or ‘I could have done that’ but I look in the mirror and I’m so proud of my career and what I’ve achieved,” Berrettini shared with media members.

“Those who know me since I was a kid know I’ve been getting injured since I was 12, basically. It’s a part of who I am. If I have a big serve, big forehand, I also have this issue.

“I also have a resilient mind and always work hard to come back … I like to compete. I like to put myself in situations where most people would struggle … I’m a little bit psycho.

“I like to compete. I like to have fun with it. I like to win as many matches as possible. It’s been five years since I played Paris. It feels good to be here talking about a win.”

Berrettini will face Arthur Rinderknech in Roland Garros’ second round and is already anticipating Wimbledon’s start next month, though he may require a wild card entry to compete at the All England Club.

“My agent is here. I don’t know if he’s going to ask for a wild card, but I don’t think they’re going to give me one,” the Italian player said.

“We’ll see. If I get in, I get in. Otherwise, I’ll play the qualifiers. I know the level that I have. I know that I’ve been in worse situations in terms of rankings. Of course, Wimbledon is one of my favourite tournaments.

“Last year I was seeded in Wimbledon and I couldn’t really compete the way I wanted to. So it’s more important the way I’m competing than what I’m competing for.”

A California policy designed to address transgender athlete participation in high school sports is facing widespread criticism from families across the spectrum. Under the current system, when male competitors participate in female events, dual first-place awards are given if a male athlete finishes ahead of female competitors.

This dual-winner approach was implemented during this month’s California Interscholastic Federation state track and field meet, resulting in multiple instances where both male and female athletes shared the top spot on the awards platform. However, the compromise solution has failed to satisfy families involved, with parents from both sides of the competition expressing dissatisfaction and calling for policy revisions.

The Portland Timbers announced Monday they have terminated head coach Phil Neville’s contract by mutual agreement, with the team currently sitting in 13th place in the Western Conference as they enter the World Cup break.

The coach from England led the team to a disappointing 4-8-2 start this season and compiled a 27-31-24 overall record since taking over before the 2024 campaign.

“We are appreciative of Phil’s commitment and efforts during his time with the Portland Timbers,” said Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy in a statement. “This offseason we had pointed discussions about the areas we needed to build on and improve. Ultimately, we have not seen the progress we’ve needed to, and, most importantly, results have fallen well short of expectations.”

The team is scheduled to resume play in July with 20 matches left in the regular season.

During Neville’s inaugural season in Portland, the club set a franchise record with 65 goals scored and earned their first playoff berth since 2021. The team also qualified for the postseason last year.

“To my staff, thank you for your incredible loyalty and hard work,” Neville stated in a release. “And to the most incredible bunch of players: thank you for the effort, the good times, the good results, the bad results, and all the laughs we shared together. I realize we are in a results business, and the results haven’t been to the expectation of this football club.”

The 49-year-old Neville previously played for Manchester United (1994-2005) and Everton (2005-13) in the English Premier League, earning 59 caps for England’s national team. His coaching experience includes leading England’s women’s national team (2018-21) and Inter Miami (2021-23).

The NCAA announced Monday that UCLA has earned the top overall seed for the 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, with the Southeastern Conference placing a dozen teams in the 64-team tournament field.

Regional play gets underway Friday across 16 different locations, with each site being hosted by the tournament’s top 16 seeded programs.

The Bruins compiled an impressive 51-6 record throughout the regular season, capturing both the Big Ten Conference title and the conference tournament championship.

Following UCLA in the seeding are Georgia Tech (48-9) at number two, then Georgia (46-12), Auburn (38-19), North Carolina (45-11-1), Texas (40-13), Alabama (37-19), Florida (39-19), Southern Mississippi (44-15), Florida State (38-17), Oregon (40-16), Texas A&M (39-14), Nebraska (42-15), Mississippi State (40-17), Kansas (42-16), and West Virginia (39-14).

The Southeastern Conference’s dominance is evident not just in total representation with 12 teams, but also in holding five of the tournament’s top eight seeds.

Each regional location will conduct four-team round-robin competition to determine 16 Super Regional participants, who will then advance to compete at eight separate venues. Super Regional action is set to commence June 5.

The Men’s College World Series, featuring eight teams, opens June 12 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Last year’s champion LSU failed to qualify for the 64-team bracket after completing the regular season with a 30-28 record.

Regional matchups and participating teams, listed by seeding at each location:

At UCLA (51-6): Virginia Tech (30-24), Cal Poly (36-22), Saint Mary’s (CA) (34-25)

At Georgia Tech (48-9): Oklahoma (32-21), The Citadel (35-24), UIC (27-27-1)

At Georgia (46-12): Boston College (36-21), Liberty (41-19), LIU (30-20)

At Auburn (38-19): UCF (31-21), NC State (32-22) Milwaukee (25-31)

At North Carolina (45-11-1): Tennessee (38-20), East Carolina (36-22-1), VCU (37-23)

At Texas (40-13) UC Santa Barbara (38-18), Tarleton State (37-19), Holy Cross (25-28)

At Alabama (37-19): Oklahoma St. (37-20), USC Upstate (33-28), Alabama St. (34-21)

At Florida (39-19): Miami (FL) (38-18), Troy (32-29), Rider (33-18)

At Southern Miss. (44-15): Virginia (36-21), Jacksonville St. (46-13), Little Rock (36-26)

At Florida St. (38-17): Coastal Carolina (37-21), NIU (35-17), St. John’s (33-24)

At Oregon (40-16): Oregon St. (43-12), Washington St. (30-26), Yale (30-13-1)

At Texas A&M (39-14): Southern California (43-15), Texas St. (36-24), Lamar (34-25)

At Nebraska (42-15): Ole Miss (36-21), Arizona St. (37-19), South Dakota St. (24-31)

At Mississippi St. (40-17): Cincinnati (37-20), Louisiana (39-23), Lipscomb (29-24)

At Kansas (42-16): Arkansas (39-20), Missouri St. (34-19), Northeastern (38-20),

At West Virginia (39-14): Wake Forest (38-19), Kentucky (31-21), Binghamton (31-20)

PARIS, May 25 – Four-time French Open winner Iga Swiatek advanced smoothly into the second round with an easy win on Monday, while another beloved champion at Roland Garros could not extend his tournament run as Stan Wawrinka played his final match in Paris.

French favorite Gael Monfils, who like Wawrinka plans to retire at season’s end, hopes to continue his tournament when he faces fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston during the evening session on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Swiatek has struggled to find her best form on tour in recent months, but returning to Paris’s clay courts provided the ideal setting to regain her timing with a 6-1 6-2 victory over Australia’s Emerson Jones.

“I’m really happy with the way I played,” said the Polish player, who seeks her seventh Grand Slam championship. “It was a solid match from the beginning to the end. I technically knew how to play, so I just did it, and it was a good day, for sure.”

While Swiatek played during cooler conditions, Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen battled the intense heat and fell 6-4 6-0 to Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska.

Zheng has shown uneven results following elbow surgery last year and explained to media that Chwalinska’s high-bouncing shots disrupted her game plan on the smaller court seven.

“She has a good game on clay and the court was really small when she played high balls to me,” said Zheng, whose ranking will fall from world number 56 to outside the top 100. “I couldn’t go more back like on the big courts. That also makes a difference … honestly, the conditions were tough for me. The weather has been really hot.”

HUGE SCARE

Recent Rome champion Elina Svitolina also faced difficult conditions during the afternoon but managed to overcome a major challenge, defeating Anna Bondar 3-6 6-1 7-6 (10-3) before her husband Monfils represents the veteran players later in the day.

Wawrinka, another member of the veteran group at age 41, battled hard in a 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 loss to Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong before receiving recognition from supporters on Court Simonne Mathieu and tennis legends in a video tribute.

“I’m always surprised to receive so much love and so much support from other players or from the fans or from tournaments in general,” the 2015 champion told reporters. “I’ve been on tour for more than 20 years. When I was young, my dream was to be a professional player, to be in the top 100, to have the opportunity to play those tournaments.”

“I never expected to achieve so much in the tennis, but I never put any limit on my career. I always wanted more. I always walk out to get more, push myself, push my own limits, and try to find my own way to get there.”

“I’m happy and proud of what I achieved all these years. Today it was really tough. It’s never easy to say goodbye to something you love so much and you dedicate your life to.”

As Wawrinka concluded his Paris story, Spain’s Rafael Jodar started his with a dominant 6-1 6-0 6-4 victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic in his Roland Garros main draw debut, supporting the rising expectations surrounding him.

In other matches, world number two Elena Rybakina dispatched Veronika Erjavec easily with a 6-2 6-2 win for her tour-leading 31st victory this season, while Matteo Berrettini defeated Marton Fucsovics 6-7(2) 7-5 6-1 6-2 in his first Roland Garros appearance since 2021.

Former finalist Jasmine Paolini, Daria Kasatkina, Anastasia Potapova and Amanda Anisimova all secured straightforward wins to advance to the next round.

The Los Angeles Lakers have made their first front office move of the offseason, bringing aboard Rohan Ramadas from the New Orleans Pelicans to serve in one of two newly established assistant general manager roles, according to multiple reports released Monday.

Ramadas previously held the position of vice president of basketball operations and strategy with the Pelicans, where he had earlier worked as director of analytics.

Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka announced earlier this month that the organization intended to bring on two assistant GMs, with one position concentrating on scouting responsibilities and the other on analytics work.

An alumnus of Southern California, Ramadas brings experience from the aerospace sector along with his background in analytics.

The hiring of Ramadas marks the beginning of what’s anticipated to be an active offseason for the organization. Star player LeBron James has entered unrestricted free agency and is reportedly weighing options to remain with the team, join another franchise, or retire following a record 23 NBA seasons.

Guard Austin Reaves, who had a strong season, holds a player option in his current deal amid speculation he may enter free agency. Veterans Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton also possess player options, while Rui Hachimura has become a free agent.

The Lakers compiled a 53-29 record during the 2025-26 regular season while managing injuries to James, Reaves and Luka Doncic. The team earned the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference playoffs but saw their season end in the second round against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Doncic remained sidelined throughout the postseason due to a hamstring injury.

While defending champion Carlos Alcaraz sits out this year’s French Open, another emerging Spanish tennis talent has stepped into the spotlight at Roland Garros.

Nineteen-year-old Rafael Jodar made an impressive debut on Monday, overwhelming Aleksandar Kovacevic with a commanding 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 victory in his first-round match. The young player demonstrated the same ruthless approach on clay courts that made his idol, record 14-time champion Nadal, legendary at the tournament.

Following an outstanding clay court season leading up to tennis’s second major championship, Jodar lived up to expectations in his 94-minute Roland Garros main draw debut.

“I think I did things well from the start and I’m super happy to get my first win in Paris,” Jodar shared with reporters after the match.

“First matches are always difficult in the tournament. So I had to serve very well. I tried to play my game during the first two sets, and even when the things got a little bit trickier in the third set and I had to face break points, I played well.”

“When you’re playing a five-sets match, everything can go up and down. You just have to face it the best way possible.”

The energetic and aggressive player’s meteoric rise has been remarkable. Just over a year ago, Jodar held the 903rd position in world rankings. Last month, he broke into the top 50 after capturing his maiden ATP championship in Morocco, followed by a semifinal appearance at the Barcelona Open. He continued his strong form with consecutive quarterfinal showings in Madrid and Rome.

These achievements propelled him to 29th in global rankings, though Jodar remains cautious about setting unrealistic goals for himself.

“I still have to learn a lot of things in the tour,” he explained. “It’s just my first year and I’m experiencing a lot of things in this past few months.”

“But these experiences are really helping me to develop as a player, I think as a person, because I’m learning a lot when I’m playing the tournaments and when I’m preparing for the matches.”

“It’s good to have that feeling to be able to compete in the French Open and in all these tournaments. I’m very grateful to be part of this tournament.”

Jodar’s tennis journey began at age six with coaching at the Club de Tenis Chamartin. He chose to pursue collegiate tennis in America during 2024-25, attending the University of Virginia. His accelerated development led him to turn professional at the beginning of 2026, but his time in the United States provided important life lessons.

“I learned a lot of things … maybe to be more mature,” Jodar reflected. “I think that living there alone, it was great to develop and to do things by myself.”

“Sure, there were coaches and players on my team that were helping me to try to get used to the new culture and to the new things in the U.S., but it was a new chapter, new culture for me, actually a new life.”

“I think the way I approached those months were really helpful for me, and I think I matured a lot in those months in college.”

Jodar’s French Open journey continues with his next match against Australia’s James Duckworth.

Victor Wembanyama acts as though he’s experienced this situation previously.

On December 28, 2024, during a chilly and wet morning in New York, Wembanyama found himself with free time before the San Antonio Spurs’ charter departure to Minnesota that afternoon. He decided to share a social media post inviting people to meet him at Washington Square Park for chess games.

That morning’s chess session resulted in an even split: two victories, two defeats.

Now, the Spurs and Oklahoma City find themselves engaged in a different type of chess game — the Western Conference finals, with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday evening at the Thunder’s home venue. The current tally mirrors that New York morning: two victories, two defeats.

Both Spurs coach Mitch Johnson and Thunder coach Mark Daigneault have compared this series’ strategic exchanges to chess, where mental strategy proves equally crucial to physical execution. Wembanyama, who frequently carries his personal chess set while traveling, recognizes this comparison.

“There’s definitely similarities, as in any strategy game,” Wembanyama said after San Antonio’s series-tying 103-82 romp on Sunday night. “It’s fun. It’s very fun. In the playoffs at some point, especially when a series drags on, everybody knows the other team almost by heart. … I would say the coaches hold a lot of this load of the chess match, the coaching staff, all the strategy, it’s a lot.”

Neither team can claim “checkmate” at this stage: San Antonio captured Game 1, Oklahoma City secured Games 2 and 3, while the Spurs claimed Game 4. The aggregate statistics reveal remarkable balance: the Spurs hold a 446-442 scoring advantage, San Antonio shoots 43%, while Oklahoma City connects at 42%. Though individual contests haven’t always been tight — the Thunder’s 15-point Game 3 victory, the Spurs’ 21-point Game 4 triumph — the overall series remains exceptionally competitive.

“The series is 2-2 and basically zero-zero and it’s first to two games now,” Thunder guard and two-time reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I mean, it’s not at the front of our mind, but it is a fact and it is the reality of where we are.”

The even split through four games between these organizations should come as no surprise. These franchises previously clashed in the 2012 and 2014 West championship series — both reaching 2-2 deadlocks after four contests, with the Thunder ultimately prevailing in 2012 and the Spurs claiming victory in 2014.

This marks the seventh occasion when teams with at least 62 regular season victories have faced each other in playoff competition. Among the previous six matchups, three reached 2-2 ties entering Game 5.

In those instances — Chicago-Utah in the 1997 finals, Boston-Los Angeles Lakers in the 1985 finals and Lakers-Milwaukee in the 1972 West finals — the Game 5 victor also captured Game 6 to claim the series.

“Nothing from (Sunday) will carry over in Game 5,” Daigneault said. “That’s a blank slate. We have the same exact opportunity that they do to go get that game. So, we’ve got to win the gaps between the game right now. We’ve got to get recovered, get ourselves mentally back to zero, learn the lessons from (Game 5) that we can apply forward and get ourselves ready to go.”

Spurs president — and former coach — Gregg Popovich clearly maintains familiarity with the locker room layout.

Following San Antonio’s Game 3 loss, Popovich made an unexpected locker room visit after the contest. The entire Spurs roster was present, along with all coaches, general manager Brian Wright, athletic trainers and additional staff.

Popovich stepped away from coaching duties after suffering a stroke in 2024. While his voice volume has diminished from previous levels, his messages continue to carry significant weight throughout the organization when he chooses to speak.

“Pop’s been around throughout the course of the season, but that was the first time he walked into the locker room and was like, ‘Nah, that’s BS. That’s not how we play basketball,’” Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox said in a televised postgame interview on NBC. “And obviously, he had some choice words for it, but that was the first time all season that he came into the locker room right after a game and told us how he felt. And everybody felt that.”

The Spurs faced one-point deficits on three early Game 4 occasions, the final instance at 8-7. San Antonio responded with 16 consecutive points to establish command and maintain control throughout.

Perhaps Popovich excels at chess as well.

“When you get into these series, we spoke pregame about the chess match and you can get into a little bit of a whirlwind in terms of, ‘Do I adjust and counter?’ or ‘Do I just want to do it better?’” Johnson said. “And both answers are right.”

The son of golf legend Tiger Woods struggled to repeat his championship performance at this year’s Team TaylorMade Invitational in Belleair, Florida. Charlie Woods concluded the American Junior Golf Association tournament in a tie for 28th position, finishing at 4-over par across the three-day competition.

The 17-year-old golfer carded a final-round score of 73, which was 3-over par on Sunday. Luke Ringkamp from Palm Desert, California claimed victory in the event, posting an impressive 13-under par total after shooting a 64 in his final round at Pelican Golf Club.

Charlie Woods, who has made his college commitment to Florida State, captured last year’s tournament title with a commanding 15-under par performance at Streamsong Golf Resort in Bowling Green, Florida.

Korean Golf Club revealed on Monday that Danny Lee will transition to a wild-card position for what remains of the LIV Golf season.

Doyeob Mun, who currently leads the KPGA Tour Genesis points standings, will take Lee’s place in the roster for no fewer than the upcoming two tournaments, which includes this week’s competition in South Korea.

“We are excited for Doyeob to join the KGC family,” Korean GC shared Monday on X, noting that Mun will be formally presented during a team press conference on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old Mun participates in competitions on both the KPGA Tour and Asian Tour circuits.

This week’s LIV Golf Korea tournament kicks off Thursday at Asiad Country Club in Busan.

Korean GC’s remaining roster includes captain Byeong Hun An, along with Younghan Song and Minkyu Kim. The squad sits at the bottom of the 13-team LIV Golf standings.

The 35-year-old Lee captured the 2015 Greenbrier Classic during his PGA Tour career and claimed victory at the LIV Golf Tucson tournament in 2023, achieving the win in only his second event after joining the circuit. This season, Lee’s top performance across seven LIV Golf tournaments was a T32 finish at Adelaide in February.

Professional golfer Tiger Woods ended a nearly two-month social media silence Monday with a Memorial Day tribute honoring his deceased father, Earl, and military veterans.

Woods shared on X that his father served as a Special Forces operator, completing two tours in Vietnam during his 20-year military career. “To all those like my father, we all say thank you for your sacrifices. Without them we wouldn’t have the greatest country on Earth,” Woods posted.

The Monday tribute marked Woods’ first social media activity since March 31, when he announced his decision to step back from professional golf to concentrate on his health and pursue a “lasting recovery.”

Woods’ father Earl served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army before his death in 2006 at 74 years old.

The 50-year-old golfer traveled back to Switzerland on Sunday, likely to continue rehabilitation efforts that started after his March 27 misdemeanor DUI arrest following a rollover accident near his Florida residence. Woods had spent approximately 10 days in Florida.

The champion golfer, who has claimed 15 major championships during his 82 PGA Tour wins, is reportedly receiving “intense” psychological care to address what sources describe as painkiller dependency issues.

Veteran baseball player Chris Taylor, who earned All-Star honors and captured two World Series titles during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has officially called an end to his 12-season professional career.

The 35-year-old athlete initially filed his retirement documents on Friday, but appeared to reconsider his decision on Saturday before ultimately making his final choice on Sunday.

“Clearing up any confusion, I’ve officially decided to retire from the game I’ve dedicated my entire life towards,” Taylor wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday. “I’m beyond grateful to all of my coaches and teammates, and the organizations who allowed me to live out my childhood dream. I’ll forever cherish the memories along the way and most of all, the friendships that will last a lifetime. Thank you to the loyal fans who have supported me through my success and stuck with me through the struggles.”

The retirement announcement came after Taylor suffered a fractured left forearm last Wednesday when struck by a pitch during a game for Triple-A Salt Lake, which is affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels. During this season, he recorded a .255 batting average along with 15 RBIs across 32 games for the team.

Taylor spent the majority of his career with the Dodgers from 2016 through 2025. He earned his All-Star selection in 2021 and claimed World Series titles in both 2020 and 2024.

His standout postseason performance came in 2017 when Taylor earned MVP honors for the National League Championship Series, posting a .316 batting average with two home runs and three RBIs as the Dodgers defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-1 in the series.

Throughout his career, Taylor compiled a .248 batting average and .746 OPS, along with 110 home runs and 443 RBIs over 1,123 games with the Seattle Mariners (2014-16), Dodgers and Angels (2025). In postseason play, he maintained a .247 average with nine homers and 26 RBIs across 80 games.

As a versatile defender, Taylor logged 448 career starts in the outfield, complemented by 241 starts at shortstop, 127 at second base and 51 at third base.

A remarkable second-round performance of 61 strokes earned Japanese golfer Ryuichi Oiwa his first major championship appearance, securing a berth in next month’s U.S. Open alongside two fellow countrymen.

The 28-year-old completed the two-day qualifying tournament in Hino, Japan, with a total score of 12-under 128, edging out Kaito Onishi by one shot and Taihei Sato by two strokes to claim the top qualifying position.

Two additional Japanese players, Riki Kawamoto and Taichi Nabetani, who placed fourth and fifth respectively, will serve as first and second alternates for the major championship scheduled for June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.

Currently ranked 378th globally, Oiwa competes primarily on the Japan Tour and will be making his debut appearance in a Grand Slam event.

His qualifying campaign began with a 3-under 67 at Hino Golf Club’s King Course, a round that featured five birdies but was marred by a double-bogey on the par-4 14th hole. His spectacular follow-up round included nine birdies without a single bogey, highlighted by three consecutive birdies on holes 15 through 17.

Onishi, age 27 and ranked 811th worldwide, has appeared in 32 PGA Tour events and currently plays on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he captured the UNC Health Championship tournament in 2024.

The 27-year-old reached 11-under par with rounds of 64 and 65, bouncing back from a double-bogey on the par-4 13th hole in his final round by recording birdies on the 14th, 16th, and 17th holes.

Sato, 32, holds the 424th position in world rankings and recently earned his inaugural Japan Tour victory at the Fortinet Players Cup in 2025.

The 32-year-old completed qualifying at 10-under par with rounds of 66 and 64, including an eventful opening nine holes that featured two bogeys, three birdies, and an eagle.

Swiss tennis veteran Stan Wawrinka concluded his French Open career Monday with a heartfelt farewell at Roland Garros, falling to Dutch competitor Jesper de Jong 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in what marked his final appearance at the prestigious tournament.

The 41-year-old athlete, who captured his first major championship at the 2014 Australian Open before claiming victories at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open in following seasons, plans to conclude his professional tennis career before the year ends.

While Wawrinka thrilled supporters with a strong showing to the third round in Melbourne this year, his Paris farewell was cut short when De Jong, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser, dominated the opening set and maintained composure to secure victory despite a temporary setback.

“Thank you all. It’s hard, I don’t want to say goodbye to you here,” Wawrinka said, before thanking tournament director Amelie Mauresmo and French Tennis Federation chief Gilles Moretton.

“It’s thanks to tournaments like this one that I dreamed of becoming a tennis player. I grew up with the goal of competing here one day.

“It was an amazing experience to be able to share this moment here on court. Well done to Jesper for the match.”

Spectators at Court Simonne Mathieu called out Wawrinka’s name throughout the match, celebrating his powerful shots and exploding with enthusiasm when the Swiss player evened the match at one set each. However, De Jong quickly regained control.

The 25-year-old, ranked 106th globally, only reached the main tournament after Frenchman Arthur Fils withdrew due to injury. He claimed the third set following an intense early battle and sealed the victory in a closely contested fourth set.

“It’s not about me today,” the 25-year-old De Jong said in a brief on-court interview.

“A funny story about Stan, he played my coach when I was a ball kid. I don’t want to say he’s old. But it’s all about Stan today, especially the way he fought.”

Following a brief video montage displayed on the stadium’s large screen, a visibly moved Wawrinka praised the crowd for making his final Paris appearance memorable.

“Three hours of emotion, three hours of battle thanks to you, thanks to the support you’ve given me all these years,” Wawrinka added.

“I wanted to keep going, to go as far as possible until I was 41 to experience emotions like today. I’ve been lucky enough to experience them for a very long time. You never want to say goodbye when you’re passionate about something.

“I know it was the end; I gave everything for this sport, and I know it’s the right choice. I would have loved to be back here, in front of you but unfortunately this was my last match at Roland Garros.”

A second commemorative presentation followed, featuring tributes from Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Gael Monfils honoring Wawrinka’s distinguished career.

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina faced a challenging opening match at the French Open on Monday, needing three grueling sets to defeat Anna Bondar 3-6 6-1 7-6 (10-8) and advance to the second round.

The seventh-seeded Svitolina struggled early on the Suzanne Lenglen Court, dropping the first set after failing to maintain momentum following an early service break. This marked the second encounter between the two players in just one month, with Bondar having previously defeated the Ukrainian in straight sets at the Madrid Open.

While Svitolina dominated the second set 6-1, the match proved far more challenging than the score indicated. The 31-year-old found herself in trouble again during the final set, trailing 3-1 before fighting back to break serve and take a 4-3 lead.

Drama continued as Svitolina served for the match at 5-4, only to lose her serve without winning a single point. She dropped eight consecutive points and suddenly faced a 6-5 deficit. However, she managed to hold serve and force a super tiebreak, where Bondar ultimately faltered.

“Definitely the support of you guys has been unbelievable, this kind of battle is never easy. It was an amazing match, I’m pleased with my performance,” said the Rome champion following her victory. “A first round like this puts you right on track. Mental strength took me over the line, as well as my physical condition.”

This marks Svitolina’s fourth straight three-set match, highlighting her recent pattern of hard-fought victories. The Ukrainian was scheduled to watch from the Philippe Chatrier Court stands later Monday as her husband, Gael Monfils, begins his final French Open campaign against fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston.

“I will tell him to enjoy it. He always brings the best show,” she commented about her husband’s upcoming match.

During Monday’s extended battle between Washington and New York, the Nationals quickly decided to put Juan Soto on base intentionally when extra innings began in the 10th. The Mets responded by doing the same to James Wood in their half of the inning. When Soto stepped up to the plate again in the 12th, Washington initially pitched to him before eventually walking him intentionally after the count reached 2-0.

This tactical chess match wasn’t unexpected. The automatic runner rule that places a runner on second base to start extra innings has created one of the few situations where managers still readily use intentional walks – a tactic that had been losing popularity.

Major League Baseball saw just 753 intentional walks during the 2019 season, marking the lowest total since 1961 when fewer teams and games existed.

The trend has continued downward from that point. The 2023 season produced only 474 intentional walks, while last year saw 556. Similar to how analytics-focused strategists discourage sacrifice bunts due to wasted outs, putting additional runners on base is viewed as dangerous.

However, extra innings present a different strategic landscape. With first base empty at the start of each inning and the potential for setting up double-play opportunities, there’s minimal risk in walking strong hitters intentionally if the game remains tied in the bottom half.

Between 1974 and 2019, before the automatic runner rule existed, intentional walks occurred once every 140 plate appearances. During extra innings specifically, that frequency increased to once every 26.7 plate appearances.

Following the 2020 rule implementation, intentional walks now happen once every 335 plate appearances in regular situations. But in extra innings, they occur once every 16.7 plate appearances. Extra-inning intentional walks have become more frequent than in previous eras.

While some baseball fans appreciate the added strategic elements, others find it disappointing to see elite players like Soto prevented from hitting. The major league leaders in extra-inning RBIs since 2020 include:

1. Eugénio Suarez, 22

2. Josh Naylor, 21

3. Alec Bohm, 20

4. Adolis García, 20

5. Daulton Varsho, 18

Meanwhile, the players receiving the most extra-inning intentional walks are:

1. José Ramírez, 25

2. Aaron Judge, 19

3. Juan Soto, 16

4. Shohei Ohtani, 15

5. Bryce Harper, 15

Despite the two intentional walks issued to Soto, the Mets prevailed on Monday with a 10-run explosion in the 12th inning, winning 16-7. Carson Benge contributed two hits and three RBIs during that decisive frame. Benge currently leads MLB with six extra-inning RBIs this season.

In other baseball action, Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels delivered a dominant performance Sunday night, recording 14 strikeouts across eight innings while allowing just one hit. Jake Burger’s second-inning home run was the sole blemish on Detmers’ otherwise perfect outing.

The Angels defeated the Texas Rangers 2-1 when a ninth-inning throwing error by Justin Foscue decided the contest.

Tuesday night brought dramatic late-inning action as the Arizona Diamondbacks trailed San Francisco by two runs entering the bottom of the ninth with two outs and a runner on base. Adrian Del Castillo delivered an RBI single, Ryan Waldschmidt reached on catcher’s interference, and Ketel Marte capped the comeback with a three-run homer for a 5-3 victory. San Francisco’s win probability had reached 95.4% according to Baseball Savant.

The Diamondbacks have capitalized on a favorable schedule stretch, posting an 8-2 record against the Giants and Rockies over their past 10 contests.

Lionel Messi exited his final club match before the upcoming World Cup on Sunday after appearing to experience discomfort in his thigh, though Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos believes the issue was simply exhaustion from challenging playing conditions.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient was removed from the game in the 73rd minute after grabbing the back of his thigh following one of his signature free kicks during Inter’s 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Union in Miami.

“We don’t have a medical report on that yet, but we will have one shortly,” Hoyos told reporters when asked why the talismanic forward was taken off.

“He was genuinely suffering from fatigue in that regard; it is indeed fatigue. He was tired, the pitch was heavy and when in doubt, the standard approach is always to ensure you don’t take any risks.”

Major League Soccer is now taking a mid-season break for the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni announced a 55-man squad, including Messi, on May 11. He will need to reduce it to 26 before FIFA’s June 1 deadline.

Messi was highly influential as Argentina won the World Cup for a third time in Qatar four years ago. They open their title defence against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16.

Inter Miami’s team captain Lionel Messi was forced to leave the field early during Sunday night’s 6-4 home win against the Philadelphia Union after what appeared to be a left thigh injury.

The incident occurred in the 70th minute when the two-time consecutive MLS MVP was seen clutching the upper portion of his left thigh following a free kick attempt. The soccer legend from Argentina asked to be taken out of the game and walked to the locker room after Mateo Silvetti came in as his replacement.

The 28-year-old player, who leads the league with 20 goal contributions this season (12 goals and eight assists) across 14 games, was able to walk off the field without assistance. During his fourth campaign with Inter Miami, Messi has recorded 107 goal contributions (62 goals and 45 assists) over 67 appearances, starting 59 of those contests.

Team coach Guillermo Hoyos downplayed concerns about the substitution, though he acknowledged not having discussed the situation with Messi following the game’s conclusion.

“As far as I know, we don’t have a report on that yet, but he really was fatigued. It was fatigue,” Hoyos said after the match. “Yes, it was fatigue. He was tired, the field was heavy, and rather than doubt, you always say not to take the risk.”

Major League Soccer enters a six-week hiatus following Sunday’s games, with the FIFA World Cup scheduled to kick off June 11 and continue until July 19.

Messi is anticipated to represent Argentina, the current World Cup title holders, although the roster for this year’s tournament remains unannounced. Argentina’s opening Group J contest is set for June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City. The team will prepare for group competition with exhibition games against Honduras on June 6 at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field and Iceland on June 9 at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The Colorado Avalanche’s playoff troubles deepened Sunday night as they dropped into a 3-0 series deficit against the Vegas Golden Knights with a 5-3 defeat in the Western Conference finals, and now their top scorer Nathan MacKinnon may be sidelined with injury.

MacKinnon, who scored a league-leading 53 goals during the regular season, hurt his right leg in Sunday’s game after blocking a one-timer from Shea Theodore with his right knee late in the second period, with less than eight minutes remaining.

The star forward collapsed to the ice immediately and clutched his right leg after the puck struck the side of his right knee directly. Despite being down on the ice, he managed to clear the puck beyond the blue line but couldn’t stand up, prompting officials to halt play for medical attention.

MacKinnon left the ice on his own despite limping and tried to continue playing, taking two additional shifts before heading to the locker room late in the second period due to his injury.

During the final period, MacKinnon managed only one regular-strength shift, though he did participate in a power play situation and during a 6-on-5 scenario when Colorado pulled their goaltender in the final minutes.

Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood praised MacKinnon’s determination after the game, saying: “You might have to kill him to get him off the ice. Just kind of the person he is, the competitor he is. He obviously proves that every time he’s on the ice. He wants to win more than anybody. Just another example.”

Head coach Jared Bednar provided no injury update during his post-game media session regarding MacKinnon’s availability for Tuesday’s Game 4, when Colorado will be fighting to avoid elimination.

The 30-year-old MacKinnon has recorded points in nine of Colorado’s 12 playoff contests, including an assist in the first period of Sunday’s game, bringing his postseason total to 15 points on seven goals and eight assists.

MacKinnon’s injury occurred in the same contest that saw star defenseman Cale Makar return to action after missing the series’ first two games due to an upper-body injury.

Miami completed a dominant three-game sweep of New York on Sunday when Heriberto Hernandez launched a dramatic walk-off grand slam in a 4-0 victory over the Mets.

The game-ending blast came after New York chose to intentionally walk Xavier Edwards, bringing Hernandez to the plate. He connected on a 0-1 changeup from Devin Williams (3-2), sending it just beyond the wall in right-center field. The dramatic finish marked the first walk-off grand slam to decide a scoreless game in major league baseball since Justin Maxwell accomplished the feat for the Royals on Sept. 22, 2013.

A.J. Ewing managed two hits for New York, but the Mets struggled throughout the series, managing just two runs on 11 hits across three games. The team has been outscored 28-14 while dropping five of their past six contests. Miami’s sweep represented their first series sweep since opening the season with three consecutive victories against Colorado.

Pete Fairbanks (2-2) surrendered one hit and issued one walk in the ninth inning, receiving defensive help from catcher Liam Hicks, who gunned down a baserunner attempting to steal. New York went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.

Orioles 5, Tigers 3 (Game 1)

Colton Cowser delivered a dramatic three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, powering Baltimore past visiting Detroit in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.

Jackson Holliday drew a one-out walk and swiped second base, followed by Leody Taveras earning a walk against Kenley Jansen (1-3). Following a flyout, both runners advanced on a double steal before Cowser connected for his second home run of the season. Gunnar Henderson also went deep for Baltimore.

Framber Valdez delivered six solid innings for Detroit. Matt Vierling collected three hits and plated the opening run for the Tigers.

Tigers 4, Orioles 1 (Game 2)

Troy Melton worked into the sixth inning in his season debut as Detroit snapped an eight-game losing streak by defeating host Baltimore, avoiding a sweep and splitting the doubleheader.

Dillon Dingler crushed a two-run homer in the first inning while Kevin McGonigle contributed two RBIs for the Tigers, who captured just their third victory in a 19-game span. Melton, activated Sunday following multiple rehabilitation assignments this spring, pitched 5 2/3 innings while allowing one run on two hits. Tyler Holton and Drew Anderson provided relief work in what became a combined three-hitter.

Trevor Rogers (2-6) gave up four runs on four hits across 4 2/3 innings. He hasn’t reached the sixth inning in his previous six outings. Baltimore designated hitter Adley Rutschman walked twice and scored the team’s only run.

Dodgers 5, Brewers 1

Andy Pages homered while Yoshinobu Yamamoto limited Milwaukee to one run over seven innings, leading visiting Los Angeles to victory in the series finale between division leaders.

Yamamoto (4-4) scattered seven hits while striking out three and walking one. Will Klein and Tanner Scott each contributed scoreless innings as the Dodgers’ bullpen extended their franchise record to 38 consecutive scoreless frames. The streak represents the longest in the majors since 2017 when Cleveland’s bullpen recorded 38 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

During Los Angeles’ four-run fourth inning, Pages’ homer followed Kyle Tucker’s two-run triple. Milwaukee starter Brandon Sproat (1-3) surrendered three runs on four hits in four-plus innings. He fanned seven but issued four walks, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch.

Twins 6, Red Sox 5

Brooks Lee snapped a tie with a two-run single in the sixth inning, propelling visiting Minnesota to victory and completing a three-game series sweep of Boston.

Lee finished 2-for-4 with a double, joining three other Twins with multiple hits. Orlando Arcia went 3-for-5 with a double and one run. Minnesota starter Bailey Ober (6-2) worked five innings while allowing four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.

Masataka Yoshida and Willson Contreras both homered while Wilyer Abreu collected two doubles for Boston. Starter Sonny Gray allowed three runs on six hits in four innings, striking out four and walking two.

Pirates 4, Blue Jays 1

Esmerlyn Valdez connected for a two-run homer in his first career major league hit, helping visiting Pittsburgh defeat Toronto and salvage the series finale.

Pittsburgh right-hander Mitch Keller (5-2) delivered six solid innings, surrendering one run, four hits and three walks while striking out five. Spencer Horwitz and Oneil Cruz added solo homers while Gregory Soto navigated a hit-by-pitch and walk for his fifth save.

Ernie Clement extended his hitting streak to seven games with an RBI single to left in the fourth. Toronto lost starting pitcher Dylan Cease (two runs and four hits over 4 2/3 innings) in the fifth inning due to left hamstring discomfort before star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. departed in the bottom of the fifth after being struck on the right elbow by a pitch.

Yankees 2, Rays 0

Aaron Judge connected on a walk-off two-run homer with no outs in the ninth inning, lifting New York past visiting Tampa Bay.

New York halted a three-game slide and won for the fifth time in 15 games following a 16-3 surge. The Yankees also defeated Tampa Bay for the first time in five meetings this season, while the Rays suffered just their fifth loss in 27 games and saw a five-game winning streak end.

New York’s Ryan Weathers scattered four hits across seven innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked three. Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen allowed five hits in seven frames. The right-hander fanned six and issued one walk.

Guardians 3, Phillies 1

Travis Bazzana launched a solo homer and collected three hits, while fellow rookie Parker Messick tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, lifting Cleveland over Philadelphia.

Steven Kwan recorded three hits as American League Central Division leader Cleveland won for the eighth time in nine games and improved to 14-4 since May 6. Messick (6-1) struck out six while lowering his ERA to 2.24, allowing five hits and two walks. The left-hander maintains a 0.60 ERA over 30 career interleague innings, the lowest in franchise history.

Andrew Painter (1-5) worked 6 1/3 innings for Philadelphia, surrendering two runs on six hits. The right-hander struck out three and walked two in his 10th major league appearance. Kyle Schwarber went 2-for-4, ending a 13 at-bat hitless streak that included 11 strikeouts, while Bryce Harper drove in Philadelphia’s run with a sacrifice fly.

Royals 8, Mariners 6

Salvador Perez went 3-for-4 with three RBIs as Kansas City defeated visiting Seattle.

Seth Lugo pitched 6 1/3 quality innings for the Royals, who won their second consecutive game following a 1-10 stretch. Maikel Garcia and Carter Jensen each drove in two runs.

Rookie Colt Emerson went 4-for-4 with three doubles while Julio Rodriguez homered for Seattle, which has dropped six of nine games. The contest stood at 8-3 before the Mariners scored three runs with two outs in the ninth.

Astros 8, Cubs 5

Nick Allen homered, singled twice, drove in two runs and scored twice, helping visiting Houston complete a three-game sweep of struggling Chicago.

Christian Walker homered for the third time in two games while Jake Meyers also went deep for Houston, which has won four of five. Astros starter Peter Lambert (3-4) surrendered three runs and five hits over five innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked four.

Michael Busch homered while Pedro Ramirez delivered an RBI double for his first MLB hit and later scored in the three-run second inning for the Cubs, who have dropped eight straight and 12 of 14. Chicago left-hander Shota Imanaga (4-5) allowed seven runs and seven hits in six innings, striking out six and walking one.

Nationals 2, Braves 1

Foster Griffin threw six scoreless innings while Nasim Nunez and Luis Garcia Jr. each drove in a run as visiting Washington defeated Atlanta.

Griffin (6-2) allowed just three hits, struck out six and walked one for the Nationals, who became the first team this season to capture a road series against Atlanta.

Ozzie Albies scored for Atlanta in the ninth on Nunez’s fielding error before Orlando Ribalta, Washington’s third pitcher of the inning, entered and recorded two outs for the save.

Diamondbacks 9, Rockies 1

Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll spearheaded a 13-hit offensive explosion while Ryne Nelson dominated Colorado’s lineup in Phoenix.

Marte went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs while Carroll finished 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two triples. Nelson (2-3) worked a career-high eight innings, striking out three and walking three, recording his first victory since April 8. Arizona’s Tommy Troy went 2-for-4 with two runs in his major league debut.

Colorado starter Jose Quintana exited in the second inning with what the team later described as left elbow discomfort. It marked just the second time in Quintana’s 15-year career he failed to pitch beyond the second inning. Jake McCarthy collected two hits for the Rockies, who suffered their fifth loss in six games.

Giants 8, White Sox 5

Rafael Devers blasted a grand slam while Casey Schmitt hit his third homer in four games as San Francisco outpowered visiting Chicago in the deciding game of their three-game interleague series.

Schmitt also doubled, scored three times and drove in three runs while Devers contributed five RBIs — four coming on his tie-breaking fifth-inning grand slam for the Giants. Robbie Ray lasted just four innings in his start due to seven walks. Keaton Winn (1-1) followed with two scoreless frames.

Chase Meidroth led off the game with his fourth homer while Miguel Vargas launched his 12th for the White Sox, who finished a 2-4 Western road trip. Chicago starter Noah Schultz (2-4) was charged with six runs on six hits in four-plus innings.

Athletics 5, Padres 2

Carlos Cortes opened Sunday’s game with a leadoff homer as the visiting Athletics salvaged the final game of their weekend series against San Diego.

Athletics star Nick Kurtz reached base three times on two hits and a walk, extending his on-base streak to 47 games, one shy of the club’s single-season record held by Mark McGwire (1996).

Ty France homered for the Padres, cutting the deficit to 4-2 in the seventh, but the Athletics added an insurance run in the ninth on Tyler Soderstrom’s RBI single.

Angels 2, Rangers 1

Donovan Walton scored on second baseman Justin Foscue’s throwing error in the bottom of the ninth as Los Angeles completed its first three-game series sweep of the season with a 2-1 victory over Texas in Anaheim, Calif.

Walton entered as a pinch runner for Jorge Soler, who singled against Gavin Collyer (1-1) with one out and advanced to second when Jo Adell was hit by a pitch. Oswald Peraza then grounded into a potential double play, but Walton scored on Foscue’s errant throw to first baseman Jake Burger.

Starter Reid Detmers turned in a commanding performance for the Angels, who have won three straight for the first time since April 4-6. Detmers allowed one hit — Burger’s leadoff homer in the second — while striking out a career-high 14 batters with zero walks over eight innings. He retired a career-high 21 consecutive batters after Burger’s homer.

Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio requested possession of the basketball during the closing moments of the opening half. He received it while standing 65 feet away from the rim.

Three Oklahoma City players stood between him and the basket. He dribbled three times. He earned three points.

And he accomplished it with remarkable ease.

The successful three-point shot from near midcourt as time expired in the first half generated perhaps the most thunderous cheers of his evening, though it represented just one of many instances where Wembanyama dominated Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday.

Despite sitting out most of the fourth quarter, he recorded 33 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots while the Spurs defeated the Thunder 103-82 to even the Western Conference championship series at two victories each.

“The truth is that we had never been in this kind of situation before,” Wembanyama said. “It was our first deficit in a playoff series and we just responded. It was nothing amazing. It wasn’t magic. We just did what we needed to do.”

Put differently, he expressed no shock at the outcome. A squad that won 62 games during the regular season — and one that has now defeated Oklahoma City six times in nine meetings this year — should no longer be caught off guard by any development.

Game 5 takes place Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

Following San Antonio’s defeat in Game 3, Wembanyama accepted responsibility for the loss, stating that the Spurs were “going to see what we’re made of” in Game 4 and emphasizing his need to better involve his teammates.

He fulfilled those promises completely.

“I saw a lot and I’m not surprised,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I think our competitive response all year has been pretty good — and he’s been at the forefront of that more often than not. I think tonight, not speaking for him, he felt an obligation to set a tone for us in a variety of ways.”

Wembanyama tallied 11 points during the opening quarter, added 11 more on 10 shooting attempts in the second quarter, and concluded that stretch with his buzzer-beating three-pointer before intermission.

On the defensive side, his performance may have been even more impressive.

The unanimous Defensive Player of the Year — who received recognition on Sunday evening as a first-team All-NBA selection for the first time — spearheaded a defensive performance that limited Oklahoma City to their lowest point total of the season while forcing a season-high-tying 20 turnovers.

Prior to Sunday, the Thunder had scored at least 108 points in every playoff contest.

“We’ve played 12 playoff games. When you play 12 playoff games, they’re not all going to be masterpieces,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “As much as you want to win, there’s nights where you just don’t have it for whatever reason.”

On Sunday, Wembanyama may have provided that reason. The Thunder were outscored by 29 points during his minutes on the court. They converted 18 of 41 attempts in the paint, with Wembanyama significantly impacting those shots, forcing more outside attempts — where they managed just 12 of 50.

When asked about how the Spurs contained the Thunder so effectively, he responded:

“I’m not going to get into details, but in general, being more disciplined and just trusting the game plan even more,” Wembanyama said.

The Spurs will travel to Oklahoma City on Monday for Tuesday’s game, with the victor moving within one win of reaching the NBA Finals. Wembanyama clearly understands that despite this significant victory, the challenge only intensifies moving forward.

“The series is far from over,” Wembanyama said. “We’ve got six more wins before we can rest.”

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic earned every single first-team vote from the media panel, securing their spots on the All-NBA first team that was revealed Sunday evening.

Each player captured all 100 first-team votes from the media panel, earning them 500 total points apiece.

San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (498) received one second-place vote, preventing him from achieving unanimous status. Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (91 first-place votes, 482 points) and Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham (60, 414) rounded out the first team.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who claimed his second consecutive MVP award this month, secured his fourth consecutive All-NBA first team spot. This season, he posted averages of 31.1 points, a personal-best 6.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds while connecting on 55.3% of his field goal attempts.

Jokic, who has earned MVP honors three times, placed second in voting behind Gilgeous-Alexander. The center claimed his sixth All-NBA first-team honor after posting 27.7 points per game and topping the league in both rebounds (12.9) and assists (career-high 10.7) per contest, becoming just the second player alongside Russell Westbrook to record triple-double averages across multiple seasons in NBA history.

Wembanyama secured his first All-NBA first-team recognition. He placed third in MVP balloting and earned unanimous Defensive Player of the Year recognition. Wembanyama posted career-high averages of 25.0 points and 11.5 rebounds while pacing the league with 3.1 blocks per contest.

Doncic and Cunningham each appeared in 64 contests — falling one game short of the 65-game minimum for awards consideration — but successfully appealed to remain eligible for honors. Doncic sat out two games after traveling to Slovenia for his daughter’s birth and suffered a hamstring injury in his 64th appearance, sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season, while Cunningham was absent for 11 games due to a collapsed lung.

Doncic topped the NBA in scoring (33.5) for the second time in his professional career while earning first-team All-NBA recognition for the sixth time and his first with the Lakers. His previous five selections came during his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks. He established a Lakers franchise record by connecting on 254 three-pointers while also contributing 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game.

Cunningham has emerged as the primary catalyst behind the Pistons’ improvement, as the team posted the Eastern Conference’s top regular season record. He captured his first All-NBA first-team selection by averaging 23.9 points, a career-high 9.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds.

Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (384 points) earned 44 first-place votes while securing a second team position. His second team teammates included Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (four, 277), Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell (two, 276), Houston Rockets’ Kevin Durant (241 points) and New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson (197).

The third team consists of Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey (168 points), Nuggets’ Jamal Murray (149), Atlanta Hawks’ Jalen Johnson (125), Pistons’ Jalen Duren (121) and Thunder’s Chet Holmgren (87).

Notable players who failed to make any team included Portland Trail Blazers’ Deni Avdija (26) and Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns (14).

Several players were ineligible due to failing to meet the 65-game requirement, including Lakers’ LeBron James, Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards and Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A controversial ruling on what the Vegas Golden Knights believed was a legitimate goal created a pivotal momentum shift Sunday, allowing the Colorado Avalanche to build a commanding 3-0 advantage that proved significant in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.

The sequence proved potentially decisive as the Avalanche work to overcome their 2-0 series disadvantage.

Vegas player Pavel Dorofeyev seemed to net a power-play score with 7:26 remaining in the opening period, but referees instantly nullified the goal and maintained their decision following video examination. The Golden Knights celebrated immediately despite the initial ruling being against them, going through their congratulatory routine while expecting the call to be reversed after official video analysis.

Referees determined on the ice that the puck deflected off Dorofeyev’s glove, as reported by the ESPN broadcast, and concluded the video evidence was not definitive enough to overturn.

Dorofeyev’s stick may have also been positioned above the crossbar, though it appeared to be approximately level with it.

Colorado capitalized on the momentum shift when Jack Drury broke free on a solo rush, using deceptive moves against Vegas netminder Carter Hart to net a short-handed score with 6:45 remaining, extending the lead to three goals.

Star forward Wilfried Zaha has concluded his tenure with Charlotte FC, with both the player and organization announcing the departure on Sunday.

The forward’s loan agreement concludes on June 30, and Charlotte’s upcoming contest won’t occur until July 22 when they face Atlanta United following the World Cup break.

“The moment has come to say goodbye, but I just wanted to thank Charlotte, the city, for welcoming me and my family with open arms and allowing me to fall in love with the game again,” Zaha wrote on Instagram.

“There’s been many highs and many lows, but it’s about the journey in the end, and I loved every minute. … I’m going to miss you all dearly, but keep our relationships in my heart forever!!”

The 33-year-old forward recorded three goals and four assists across 13 appearances during the current campaign. In his inaugural season with Charlotte, he contributed 10 goals and 10 assists, helping the team secure a playoff berth.

“Wilfried has been an important part of Charlotte FC since his arrival on loan last winter and has played a key role in our attack since joining,” Charlotte general manager Zoran Krneta said in a statement. “Last season, Wilf helped us reach the top four in the Eastern Conference for the first time, and he approached every match with a hunger and desire to perform for our supporters.”

The forward was playing on loan from Turkish club Galatasaray.

Zaha was not selected for the Ivory Coast squad for the upcoming World Cup. He has recorded five goals in 36 international appearances for the Ivory Coast national team.

America’s premier racing events united in remembrance of Kyle Busch during Memorial Day weekend’s biggest motorsports celebrations, as both IndyCar and NASCAR paid special homage to the two-time champion who passed away unexpectedly on Thursday.

The 41-year-old racing star succumbed to complications from severe pneumonia and sepsis just three days ahead of both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, where he had been scheduled to compete.

During pre-race ceremonies, NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell delivered heartfelt remarks while standing alongside Busch’s wife Samantha and their children – 11-year-old Brexton and 4-year-old Lennix. O’Donnell declared that “Kyle Busch is NASCAR. He was one of a kind and there will never be another.”

The organization has announced plans to retire Busch’s iconic No. 8 until his son Brexton reaches racing age, with O’Donnell addressing the family directly during the ceremony.

“Samantha, I want you to know that this sport stands with you, and that you and your children are NASCAR family forever. And Brexton and Lennix, your dad loved you with all his heart. Everyone gathered here, everyone behind you, everybody watching on TV, and all those people up in that grandstand are your family — and we’ve got you,” O’Donnell stated.

Charlotte Motor Speedway organizers created a massive tribute featuring Busch’s number 8 and autograph displayed prominently on the frontstretch infield. Every competing vehicle in the 39-car lineup carried special Busch commemorative decals.

A particularly moving tribute occurred during the eighth lap, when both track announcers and television broadcasters observed complete silence in the driver’s honor.

While Busch had been piloting the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing since 2023, his greatest achievements came during his tenure with Joe Gibbs Racing from 2008 through 2022, where he captured NASCAR Cup Series championships in 2015 and 2019 behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway also incorporated memorial elements, including a special mention during opening ceremonies and Dale Coyne Racing’s decision to replicate Busch’s distinctive lettering style on Romain Grosjean’s No. 18 entry.

On the 18th lap of the Indianapolis 500, the facility’s electronic scoring display illuminated with Busch’s image and name, along with his birth and death years “1985-2026.”

Busch had previously conquered Indianapolis Motor Speedway twice, claiming NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 victories in both 2015 and 2016.

Felix Rosenqvist secured victory in the most narrow Indianapolis 500 finish ever recorded, overtaking David Malukas in a thrilling final-lap battle that ended with just 0.0233 seconds separating the two drivers.

The dramatic conclusion unfolded when Malukas appeared positioned for victory after surpassing race leader Marcus Armstrong following the final restart with one lap remaining. As Rosenqvist and Armstrong engaged in an intense side-by-side duel through the back stretch and into the closing turn, Rosenqvist managed to generate sufficient power to distance himself from Armstrong and slip behind Malukas before executing the winning maneuver in the last 50 feet. The previous record for the tightest finish occurred in 1992 when Al Unser Jr. defeated Scott Goodyear by 0.043 seconds across the yard of bricks.

NASCAR paid tribute to the late Kyle Busch during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell stood alongside Busch’s widow Samantha and their children, Brexton and Lennix, providing comfort during the ceremony. “We got you,” O’Donnell told the family before the race began. Former driver Kurt Busch and Kyle’s parents were also present for the tribute. The two-time Cup Series champion passed away Thursday at age 41 due to severe pneumonia that developed into sepsis. Memorial gestures included displaying a large No. 8 on the frontstretch grass, observing a moment of silence, and maintaining quiet during the eighth lap of the race.

At the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in McKinney, Texas, Wyndham Clark fired an impressive 11-under 60 to claim victory on Sunday, finishing three strokes ahead of Si Woo Kim and surpassing defending champion Scottie Scheffler after beginning the final day in a tie with the top-ranked local favorite. The 2023 U.S. Open winner, who completed the tournament at 30-under 254, seized the lead for the first time during the final round with an eagle on the par-5 12th hole and established two-shot advantages twice over the closing four holes with crucial birdie putts while posting 28 on the back nine. Both Kim and Scheffler finished with matching 65s.

Tennis star Novak Djokovic rallied from a set deficit to defeat French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in the opening round of the French Open, marking his record 82nd Grand Slam tournament appearance. The evening crowd enthusiastically supported the possibility of an upset, though Djokovic hasn’t suffered a first-round Grand Slam defeat in two decades. Following two competitive sets, Mpetshi Perricard appeared to lose momentum. Djokovic wasn’t the only veteran player to advance at Roland Garros, as 36-year-old Marco Trungelliti defeated Kyrian Jacquet 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 after recently becoming the oldest man in the professional era to enter the top 100 rankings.

Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk’s first-round French Open victory became emotionally challenging after learning beforehand that a missile nearly struck her parents’ residence in Ukraine. Kostyuk struggled to contain her emotions following her 6-2, 6-3 defeat of Oksana Selekhmeteva on Court Simonne-Mathieu during the opening day of the clay-court Grand Slam in western Paris, where temperatures reached 33 Celsius (91 Fahrenheit). Runner-up Alexander Zverev also progressed to the next round, while former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu and former French Open finalists Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin were eliminated.

Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli claimed his fourth consecutive Formula 1 victory at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal after Mercedes teammate George Russell suffered an engine failure. The title-contending Mercedes drivers delivered an exciting performance over 30 laps, exchanging the lead multiple times and nearly making contact before Russell encountered mechanical problems. This cleared the way for the 19-year-old Antonelli to win ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who passed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for second place with six laps remaining in cold and windy conditions at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Antonelli now holds a 43-point advantage over Russell in the championship standings.

The Premier League season concluded with West Ham facing relegation while Tottenham secured their top-flight status, as Pep Guardiola and Mohamed Salah bid emotional farewells following remarkable tenures in English football. Despite West Ham’s 3-0 victory over Leeds, they couldn’t escape the relegation zone because fourth-from-bottom Tottenham won 1-0 at home against Everton, maintaining a two-point cushion over West Ham. Guardiola’s ten-year period at Manchester City ended with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa. Salah received a standing ovation and kissed the Anfield pitch when substituted in his 442nd and final appearance for Liverpool during a 1-1 draw with Brentford.

Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke witnessed his team’s players celebrate with the Premier League trophy following their campaign-ending 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace. Captain Martin Odegaard gazed skyward and back at the trophy in amazement before leading his celebrating teammates in lifting it amid tickertape and fireworks inside Selhurst Park. Arsenal secured their first English league championship since 2004 with one match remaining after three consecutive runner-up campaigns. Kroenke traveled to London for the trophy presentation and watched the Palace match alongside his son, Josh.

Katherine Legge’s historic attempt to become the first woman to complete racing’s “Double” – covering 1,100 miles across two tracks in one day – ended prematurely when she crashed during the Indianapolis 500. The English driver completed only 17 of 200 scheduled laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before colliding with Ryan Hunter-Reay’s car, eliminating both vehicles from competition. Both drivers were examined and cleared at the track’s medical facility. Legge proceeded to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, where she started in 37th position.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson remains focused on the immediate task rather than reflecting on his team’s 10-game winning streak or the prospect of reaching the NBA Finals, despite being one victory away from that goal. Brunson and his teammates are concentrating on the opening 12 minutes of Monday night’s Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. This focused approach has propelled New York to a 10-game winning streak with an average victory margin of 22.5 points, putting them one win away from their first finals appearance since 1999. No NBA team has ever surrendered a 3-0 series lead, and the Knicks show no indication of becoming the first among 164 such series.

The WNBA reversed a technical foul penalty against Dallas Wings player Paige Bueckers on Sunday, two days after the controversial call was made during a game.

The incident occurred when Bueckers was attacking the basket during the third quarter and received a foul call from Indya Nivar. After the referee’s whistle, Bueckers clapped her hands three times, which resulted in the technical foul being assessed.

“I was hyped and showing passion and joy and I got penalized for that,” the second-year guard told reporters Saturday.

The league’s reversal spares Bueckers from paying a $500 penalty. The decision also preserves a friendly wager between Bueckers and teammate Alysha Clark, who bet that Bueckers could avoid receiving any technical fouls this season. Clark revealed she assisted in getting the call overturned.

“I gave her a little something to send in with it,” Clark said. “I just felt it wasn’t warranted. If I’m going to win money out of her I want it to be legit. I want to be able to sleep at night. I don’t want that it’s not deserving to get her money.”

While disagreeing with the original call, Bueckers recognized that league referees face a “really extremely hard job” and are working to maintain better game control compared to the previous season.

Nevertheless, she argued that players should have the freedom to display emotion during games.

“See that we were down a ton and we’re making a run, so we’re obviously going to be hyped up and showing a bunch of passion and joy and fire, like, that’s what basketball’s all about,” Bueckers said.

In Sunday’s action, Bueckers contributed 24 points as the Wings defeated the New York Liberty 91-76, improving their season record to 4-3.

The captain of the Golden Knights, Mark Stone, will take the ice Sunday evening as Vegas hosts the Colorado Avalanche for Game 3 of the Western Conference finals in Las Vegas.

Vegas coach John Tortorella revealed the news roughly 2 1/2 hours before game time. The Golden Knights currently hold a 2-0 advantage in the series.

Stone has been sidelined for five consecutive games after suffering a lower-body injury on May 8 during Game 3 of the second-round matchup with the Anaheim Ducks.

Vegas defenseman Noah Hanifin expressed enthusiasm about Stone’s comeback, noting the veteran’s clutch performance with 92 points (44 goals, 48 assists) across 121 career playoff contests.

“It’s huge,” Hanifin said to reporters about Stone. “Obviously, his talent speaks for itself but just his character and leadership, just to have him back in the room and get his voice back, it’s going to be huge for our team.

“Anytime he comes back it’s like he didn’t miss a beat so we’re very excited to have him back in the lineup.”

Stone has compiled seven points (three goals, four assists) through nine playoff games.

The 34-year-old Stone achieved career-best numbers this season with 73 points (28 goals, 45 assists) and a plus-26 rating across 60 games.

Throughout 766 NHL contests with the Ottawa Senators (2012-19) and Golden Knights, Stone has accumulated 707 points (259 goals, 448 assists) with a plus-167 rating.

On the other side, Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar’s availability remains uncertain as he will reportedly evaluate his condition before game time. He has sat out both opening games of the series due to an upper-body injury.

Colorado coach Jared Bednar remained tight-lipped about Makar’s status.

“You’ll have to wait and see,” Bednar said to reporters.

Makar has participated in nine playoff games this postseason, contributing four goals and one assist.

The 27-year-old Makar earned the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2021-22 and 2024-25, and has received another nomination this season.

He captured the Conn Smythe Trophy when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup four years ago.

Makar has amassed 507 points (136 goals, 371 assists) across 470 career games during seven seasons with the Avalanche. He posted 20 goals and 59 assists in 75 games throughout the 2025-26 regular season.

PARIS, May 24 – The opening day of the French Open tennis tournament on Sunday brought dramatic matches and surprising results across the courts in Paris (all times listed in GMT):

2134 DJOKOVIC ADVANCES PAST PERRICARD

Third-seeded Serbian player Novak Djokovic managed to defeat French competitor Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in four sets, winning 5-7 7-5 6-1 6-4 during first-round action.

1854 BASAVAREDDY UPSETS FRITZ

In a major surprise, American Taylor Fritz, seeded seventh, fell to compatriot Nishesh Basavareddy, who holds the 148th world ranking. The 21-year-old wildcard entry secured victory with scores of 7-6(5) 7-6(5) 6-7(9) 6-1 in their opening-round encounter.

1749 FONSECA ADVANCES TO ROUND TWO

19-year-old Brazilian player Joao Fonseca dominated his opening match against Luka Pavlovic, winning 7-6(6) 6-4 6-2. The 28th-seeded player, who made it to round three in the previous year’s tournament, will next meet Croatia’s Dino Prizmic.

1730 RADUCANU ELIMINATED BY SIERRA

Emma Raducanu from Britain, who claimed the 2021 U.S. Open title, was defeated by Argentina’s Solana Sierra with scores of 6-0 7-6(4).

1548 ANDREEVA DEFEATS FERRO

Eighth-seeded Russian player Mirra Andreeva, who reached the semi-finals in 2024, secured a straightforward 6-3 6-3 victory against French player Fiona Ferro.

1514 BAPTISTE ELIMINATES FORMER TITLEHOLDER KREJCIKOVA

26th-seeded American Hailey Baptiste mounted a comeback after dropping the first set to defeat Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open winner and 2024 Wimbledon champion, with scores of 6-7(7) 7-6(6) 6-2.

1414 ZVEREV OVERPOWERS BONZI

Second-seeded German Alexander Zverev launched his campaign for his maiden Grand Slam championship with a commanding straight-set victory over French player Benjamin Bonzi, 6-3 6-4 6-2.

The three-time Grand Slam finalist, who reached the Roland Garros final in 2024, may see increased opportunities with defending two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz absent due to a wrist injury.

Nevertheless, the 29-year-old confronts significant competition, particularly from world number one Jannik Sinner, who has been in exceptional form.

1205 KHACHANOV DEFEATS GEA

13th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov eliminated French wildcard entry Arthur Gea with scores of 6-3 7-6(3) 6-0.

1142 BENCIC OVERWHELMS KRAUS

Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic handled Austria’s Sinja Kraus with ease, securing a 6-2 6-3 win on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist hopes for an extended tournament run this year, having never advanced past the third round at Roland Garros previously.

0909 COMPETITION BEGINS

Matches commenced under clear, sunny conditions, with temperatures at Roland Garros reaching approximately 28 degrees Celsius. Public weather service Meteo France predicted temperatures would climb to 34 degrees later in the day.

Former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic, holding the 11th seed, faced Austrian qualifier Sinja Kraus in the opening match on Court Philippe Chatrier.

CLEVELAND (AP) — With the New York Knicks riding a remarkable 10-game winning streak and standing just one victory away from the NBA Finals, Jalen Brunson refuses to get ahead of himself or dwell on past successes.

Instead, Brunson and his teammates are laser-focused on the opening moments of Monday night’s Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“So you have the first possession, the first quarter, and then you have the end of the first half and you go on,” Brunson explained following Saturday’s 121-108 win. “You just continue to just deal with what’s in front of you and just have your teammates’ back. Make sure everyone’s on the same page, making sure that everyone’s holding each other accountable. That’s just the most important thing right now.”

This tunnel-vision mentality has propelled New York to their current 10-game victory run, with the team dominating opponents by an average of 22.5 points per game. The Knicks now sit one win away from reaching their first championship series since 1999.

Throughout NBA history, no team has ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit, and New York shows no indication of becoming the first squad to surrender such an advantage across 164 attempts.

Each time observers believe the Knicks have reached their ceiling, the team discovers another level. Forward OG Anunoby, who sat out the final two contests of the Philadelphia series with a strained right hamstring, contributed 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists in Saturday’s triumph.

During the current winning streak, Anunoby ranks second on the team in scoring, putting up 19.8 points across eight games.

Brunson has been posting 29 points per game in this series and 27.8 throughout the playoffs, while Karl-Anthony Towns is recording a double-double with 16.8 points and 10.3 rebounds, plus 6.1 assists.

According to Brunson, the team’s depth and preparedness philosophy has been evident throughout the series.

“We have a bunch of individuals in that we locker room who work really hard and they’re very psychotic about their work and the things they do, and making sure that they’re ready physically and mentally so when their number’s called and then when there’s time to go out there, they’re ready,” Brunson noted. “We have a lot of real professionals on our roster.”

New York has controlled the series momentum ever since mounting a comeback from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Cleveland 115-104 in the opener. Towns emphasized that despite their commanding position, the Knicks maintain the same urgency they had at the series start.

“We’ve got to come out with that same desperation as Game 1. What got us here as a team, we’ve won all these games in a row as a team, we’ve had this winning streak as a team. As long as we stay together, we stay unified, we always have felt that the sky’s the limit for us,” he stated.

The scheduling disparity shows Cleveland preparing for their 14th contest since April 29, compared to New York’s ninth game in that span.

The Cavaliers are struggling from beyond the arc at just 29.4% and have converted 50 of 74 free throw attempts. While Donovan Mitchell continues averaging 26 points in the series, he appears to lack the explosive speed displayed in earlier playoff rounds.

Coach Kenny Atkinson hopes his squad can discover enough energy to prevent a sweep, but acknowledges his players are exhausted after surviving back-to-back seven-game series against Toronto and Detroit to reach their first Eastern Conference final in eight years.

“I said it before this series, the rest disadvantage is real. It’s massive, right? And it plays into it. I don’t think anybody has a grip on what that really means saying, ‘Well why are you shooting so below expected? Is that a part of it?’ I don’t know. I don’t have that answer,” he admitted.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Jose Quintana was forced to leave Sunday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks after experiencing discomfort in his left elbow, cutting his outing short in the second inning.

The 37-year-old left-handed pitcher departed the game with one out remaining in the bottom of the second frame while his team was already trailing 5-0 on the road.

Team officials later confirmed that Quintana was dealing with left elbow discomfort that prompted his early departure.

The veteran pitcher’s exit came suddenly, with no relief pitcher warming up in the bullpen at the time. Medical staff visited the mound after Quintana allowed a hard-hit ground-rule double to Ketel Marte, and the starter left the field moments later.

This marks another injury setback for Quintana, who missed several weeks earlier this season due to a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined from March into April. His performance on Sunday was challenging, as he surrendered six earned runs on six hits, pushing his season earned run average up to 5.27.

Blas Castano took over pitching duties for Colorado, throwing 3 2/3 innings in relief following Quintana’s departure.

MONTREAL, May 24 – Championship frontrunner Kimi Antonelli secured his fourth consecutive Formula One victory on Sunday at the Canadian Grand Prix after his Mercedes teammate George Russell was forced to withdraw due to a power unit malfunction before reaching the race’s midpoint.

Russell, who began the race from the front position, had been engaged in an exciting duel with Antonelli for the top spot before his car came to a stop alongside the track during lap 30 of the 68-lap event at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari claimed the runner-up position, finishing 10.7 seconds behind the 19-year-old Italian driver, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured third place for his first podium finish of the current season.

Following the race, Antonelli expanded his championship advantage over Russell from 18 points to 43 points after completing five grand prix events, with Mercedes claiming victory in all races as well as three Saturday sprint competitions.

PARIS, May 24 – Novak Djokovic launched his pursuit of a historic 25th Grand Slam championship by setting a new record and overcoming an early challenge, defeating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7 7-5 6-1 6-4 in Sunday’s French Open first round.

The Serbian tennis star surpassed Roger Federer’s record for most Grand Slam men’s singles tournament appearances, reaching 82 total competitions, though he struggled early at Court Philippe Chatrier after competing in just one clay court match this season.

His lack of recent clay court practice became evident when Mpetshi Perricard secured a 6-5 advantage in the first set, then sealed it with a powerful ace to become the first player in 17 years to win an opening set against Djokovic in Roland Garros’s first round.

“Congratulations to Giovanni,” Djokovic said in French. “I played him for the first time and it’s practically impossible to see where he will serve. It’s something I’ve seen maybe one or two times in my career, with Reilly Opelka or Ivo Karlovic.

“In a match like that, you have to stay focused and wait for an opportunity. It was a bit difficult, but in the end, I found my best tennis and best return game at the right moment.”

The tournament’s third seed managed to handle more of Mpetshi Perricard’s baseline power and finally capitalized on his 10th break opportunity in the second set to even the match, with the 39-year-old gradually increasing his intensity to dominate the third set.

After Mpetshi Perricard needed medical attention for wrist and arm problems and managed to recover an early break in the fourth set, Djokovic regained the lead at 4-3 and secured his opening victory in his 22nd consecutive Grand Slam tournament appearance.

Following his victory, Djokovic performed a small celebratory dance before acknowledging his supporters in the crowd.

“Beautiful atmosphere, it gives me a lot of sensations on the court,” he said.

Los Angeles Dodgers versatile player Enrique Hernandez will take the field Monday for his first game of the season following his recovery from left elbow surgery.

The 34-year-old had the surgical procedure in November after being sidelined for two months during the 2025 season because of elbow problems. Hernandez returned to the Dodgers organization by signing a one-year deal valued at $4.5 million in February.

The surgical recovery kept Hernandez from representing Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic in March.

Monday’s starting lineup against the Colorado Rockies is expected to include Hernandez.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke with reporters Sunday about Hernandez’s return, saying: “There’s a different energy with (Hernandez). There’s a levity. There’s an intensity. There’s a good worker in there, a winning player. So I’m looking forward to having that edge.”

Hernandez’s return comes at a crucial time as third baseman Max Muncy has been dealing with right wrist discomfort following a hit-by-pitch from Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Aaron Ashby on Friday.

Muncy remained out of action Saturday and Sunday and faces additional medical testing if his wrist continues to cause problems Monday.

The 35-year-old Muncy has posted a .258 batting average this season with 12 home runs and 19 RBIs across 48 games.

Last season, Hernandez recorded a .203 batting average with 10 homers and 35 RBIs in 92 games. Throughout his 12 major league seasons, including nine with the Dodgers across two different periods, Hernandez maintains a career .236 batting average with 130 home runs and 470 RBIs in 1,275 games.

Hernandez has built his reputation on postseason performance, delivering 16 home runs and 42 RBIs in 103 career playoff games while contributing to the Dodgers’ World Series championships in 2020, 2024 and 2025.

During his time with the Boston Red Sox in 2021, Hernandez connected for five home runs in the postseason as the team advanced to the American League Championship Series before losing to the Houston Astros.

Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera has been added to the 15-day injured list Sunday after developing a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand.

The Cubs made the roster move effective Thursday and brought up left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks from Triple-A Iowa as Cabrera’s replacement. Chicago entered Sunday’s matchup with the Houston Astros holding a 29-23 record but sitting in third place within the National League Central division while enduring a seven-game skid.

The 28-year-old Cabrera has posted a 3-2 record with a 4.00 ERA across 10 starts this season.

Chicago’s pitching staff continues to face injury challenges, with left-hander Matthew Boyd still recovering from left knee surgery performed on May 7. Boyd completed a simulated multi-inning session from the mound Friday and is expected to face live hitters during batting practice this week while the team plays a four-game series in Pittsburgh.

The Cubs have already ruled out right-hander Cade Horton for the season following elbow surgery, while left-hander Justin Steele may not return from his left flexor strain until after the All-Star break.

Wicks compiled a 0-1 record with a 6.28 ERA in eight appearances for Chicago last season and was 0-2 with a 4.44 ERA in seven Triple-A starts this year.

American tennis player Taylor Fritz experienced a surprising early exit from the French Open on Sunday, falling to compatriot Nishesh Basavareddy in a first-round upset that highlighted his ongoing struggles following injury.

The seventh-seeded Fritz lost 7-6(5) 7-6(5) 6-7(9) 6-1 to the 21-year-old wildcard entry on Court Suzanne Lenglen in Paris, marking another disappointing result in what has been a challenging clay court campaign disrupted by physical setbacks.

Fritz had been sidelined for two months with a knee problem and only returned to competition last week in Geneva, where he also suffered an opening-round loss. The rust from his extended absence was evident as he struggled against Basavareddy’s varied tactical approach.

The match began competitively with both players trading games in the opening set before Basavareddy claimed it in a closely contested tiebreaker. Fritz appeared to find his rhythm early in the second set but quickly lost momentum when his opponent broke serve and began implementing effective drop shots that created difficulties throughout the contest.

Facing the prospect of consecutive first-round exits at Roland Garros, Fritz watched as the world number 148 Basavareddy delivered powerful serves in the second-set tiebreak to establish a commanding two-set advantage.

The third set remained on serve through 12 games, with Fritz showing emotion by screaming after winning the tiebreak and saving a match point to extend the contest. However, Basavareddy maintained his composure and dominated the final set to secure his first victory over a top-10 opponent.

Basavareddy will advance to face either Alexander Shevchenko or Alex Michelsen in the second round of the tournament.

British racing driver Katherine Legge’s bid to complete one of motorsports’ most challenging feats came to an abrupt halt Sunday when she was involved in a crash during the Indianapolis 500, ending her participation after only 18 laps.

The 45-year-old was attempting the demanding “double” – racing in both the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on the same Memorial Day weekend, covering a total of 1,100 miles with minimal time between events.

The incident occurred as Legge navigated Turn 2 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ryan Hunter-Reay lost control of his Chevrolet and hit the wall, creating smoke that obscured Legge’s vision. When she finally spotted Hunter-Reay’s damaged vehicle, she was forced to make a sudden maneuver to the left to avoid contact, but the evasive action sent her spinning into the infield barrier.

“He came back up the track, so last minute I had to go left. It just wasn’t enough time to avoid,” Legge explained after the crash.

Both drivers walked away from their damaged vehicles without assistance and were evaluated at the medical facility with no injuries reported. Legge was driving the No. 11 Chevrolet for HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing.

Despite the setback, Legge remained committed to attempting the second half of her ambitious plan, traveling to Charlotte to compete in the evening NASCAR race from the 37th starting position.

“Desperately frustrating,” she said about the early end to her Indy 500 run. “To be taken out by something not in your control, it would be slightly better to be taken out by something in your control … we were looking forward to a long day, 1,100 miles.”

The crash left Legge with limited time to shift her focus and equipment for the NASCAR event. “I need to have an attitude adjustment, because right now I’m pissed,” she admitted. “And disappointed. I need to get on that plane and try and get into the right mindset.”

Legge was the sole female competitor in this year’s Indianapolis 500 field. She became the sixth driver to attempt the Memorial Day weekend double since John Andretti pioneered the concept in 1994 for AJ Foyt Racing. Andretti managed a 10th-place finish at Indianapolis but encountered engine problems after 220 laps at Charlotte.

“Very few drivers ever get the opportunity to attempt the ‘double,’ and I do not take that opportunity lightly,” Legge had said before the weekend. “This challenge is about pushing through perceived limits … and trying to do something unique.”

Only Tony Stewart has successfully completed both races on the lead lap in the same day, accomplishing the feat in 2001.

Weather conditions forced the cancellation of Sunday’s final game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds at Cincinnati, marking the second weather-related postponement of the weekend series.

The canceled contest will be rescheduled as part of a split-doubleheader on August 17th.

Friday’s series opener also fell victim to bad weather conditions. The National League Central division teams responded by playing two games on Saturday, with St. Louis dominating the opening contest 8-1 before Cincinnati fought back to win the nightcap 7-6 in an 11-inning thriller.

St. Louis enters Monday’s three-game road series against the Milwaukee Brewers having dropped three of their previous four contests.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati has captured three victories in their last four outings. The Reds begin a three-game road series against the New York Mets on Monday.

Two Toronto Blue Jays stars were forced to leave Sunday’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning after suffering separate injuries.

Right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease departed the contest with what team officials described as “mild left hamstring discomfort” while Toronto trailed 2-1. Mason Fluharty stepped in to replace Cease, who had recorded eight strikeouts and allowed four hits and two runs with one walk over 4 2/3 innings of work.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. exited after taking a pitch from Mitch Keller that struck his right elbow. The first baseman immediately headed to the clubhouse while Lenyn Sosa entered the game as a pinch runner.

Medical tests later revealed that Guerrero sustained a right elbow contusion, though team officials confirmed that X-ray results came back negative.

Prior to his injury, Guerrero had drawn two walks and crossed home plate once during the contest.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca has been sidelined with a right hamstring strain, landing him on the 10-day injured list as of Sunday.

The roster move takes effect retroactively from Saturday.

DeLuca suffered the hamstring injury while running out an infield single during the seventh inning of Tampa Bay’s 4-2 win against the New York Yankees on Friday, experiencing a pull in the muscle during the play.

This season, DeLuca has posted a .269 batting average along with two home runs and 19 RBIs across 41 games. The 27-year-old player holds career statistics of a .244 batting average with 10 home runs and 60 RBIs over 192 games between his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Rays.

To fill the roster vacancy, the Rays brought up outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. from Triple-A Durham on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Mesa posted a .188 batting average with one home run and six RBIs during 16 games with the Miami Marlins last season. This year in the minor leagues, he has been performing well with a .350 batting average, three home runs, and nine RBIs across 21 games at two different levels.

PARIS, May 24 – Key results and action from Sunday’s opening day of the French Open tennis tournament (all times GMT):

1730 RADUCANU ELIMINATED BY SIERRA

Emma Raducanu of Britain, who won the 2021 U.S. Open title, was defeated by Argentina’s Solana Sierra in straight sets, 6-0 7-6(4).

1548 ANDREEVA DEFEATS FERRO

Eighth-seeded Mirra Andreeva from Russia, who reached the 2024 French Open semifinals, secured a straightforward 6-3 6-3 victory against France’s Fiona Ferro.

1514 BAPTISTE UPSETS FORMER TITLEHOLDER KREJCIKOVA

Hailey Baptiste, the 26th seed from the United States, staged a comeback from one set behind to defeat Barbora Krejcikova 6-7(7) 7-6(6) 6-2. Krejcikova captured the 2021 French Open crown and won Wimbledon in 2024.

1414 ZVEREV OVERPOWERS BONZI

Second-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany launched his pursuit of his first Grand Slam championship with a commanding straight-set triumph over France’s Benjamin Bonzi, winning 6-3 6-4 6-2.

The three-time Grand Slam finalist, who reached the Roland Garros final in 2024, may see an opening with defending two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz absent due to a wrist injury.

Nevertheless, the 29-year-old German confronts a tough path ahead, particularly with world number one Jannik Sinner playing at an exceptional level.

1205 KHACHANOV DISPATCHES GEA

Thirteenth-seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia eliminated French wildcard recipient Arthur Gea with a 6-3 7-6(3) 6-0 victory.

1142 BENCIC ADVANCES PAST KRAUS

Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, seeded 11th, handled Austria’s Sinja Kraus with ease, winning 6-2 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist hopes for an extended tournament run this year, as she has never advanced past the third round at Roland Garros.

0909 COMPETITION BEGINS

Tournament play commenced under bright sunshine, with temperatures at Roland Garros reaching approximately 28 degrees Celsius and public weather service Meteo France predicting highs of 34 degrees later Sunday.

Former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic, the 11th seed, faced Austrian qualifier Sinja Kraus in the opening match on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Supporters of the Los Angeles Angels are delivering an unmistakable demand to owner Arte Moreno: it’s time to sell the franchise.

Coordinated through social media platforms including Instagram pages like Angels Boycott and Angels Central, supporters have organized demonstrations at Angel Stadium in recent weeks. These protests are set to reach their peak during Sunday’s nationally televised matchup against the Texas Rangers on Peacock, broadcast from Anaheim, California.

Friday saw Angels supporters encouraged to dress entirely in black while making their voices heard. Saturday brought more than 100 demonstrators to the stadium’s main entrance ahead of the Angels-Rangers contest to voice opposition to Moreno’s leadership.

This followed Thursday’s demonstration by supporters in an otherwise vacant upper section, who gained attention through the trending shirtless “tarps off” movement. Stadium-wide chants of “Sell the Team” and profane expressions targeting Moreno have become commonplace.

Angels supporters cite numerous grievances with the organization, primarily centered on team performance. The franchise hasn’t posted a winning season since 2015 (85-77), and they’re currently under their sixth manager, Kurt Suzuki, since Mike Scioscia’s departure following the 2018 campaign.

The Angels currently hold Major League Baseball’s worst record at 19-34 entering Sunday’s action.

The Angels Central social media page released this statement regarding their movement:

“The chants will continue all season long because this is no longer just about wins and losses. It’s about accountability, leadership, and the future of the franchise. We are not rooting for wins anymore, we are rooting for change.

“For the first time in a long time, Angels fans are united behind one common goal, change in ownership. And the frustration is directed at the person that is responsible for holding this organization hostage. Arte Moreno.”

The franchise entered the American League in 1961 under entertainer Gene Autry’s ownership. Following his 1998 passing, his widow Jackie Autry assumed control of the organization.

The Walt Disney Company held ownership until 2003, transferring the Angels to Moreno after the team captured its sole World Series championship in 2002.

Moreno purchased the franchise for $183.5 million, with Forbes now estimating its worth at $2.8 billion, ranking 11th among MLB franchises in value.

During August 2022, Moreno announced initial steps toward selling the organization. With multiple potential buyers expressing interest, a transaction appeared imminent.

However, the following January saw Moreno declare the team had “unfinished business” and removed it from the market.

After serving as a consistent playoff contender throughout the 2000s’ first decade, the Angels have reached the postseason only once since 2009, suffering a three-game sweep by the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 American League Division Series.

Those three contests represent the entirety of Mike Trout’s playoff experience, despite the three-time American League MVP’s stellar career.

The Angels face multiple organizational challenges.

Primarily, Moreno has faced criticism for failing to invest in free agents to complement two generational talents — Trout and Shohei Ohtani, who earned five MVP awards combined while wearing Angels uniforms. When Moreno did make significant financial commitments, the investments proved unsuccessful.

Prior to the 2012 season, the Angels committed to a 10-year, $240 million contract with 32-year-old Albert Pujols, whose production with the Angels fell far short of his initial 11 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Following Anthony Rendon’s 2019 World Series victory with the Washington Nationals, the Angels signed him to a seven-year, $245 million deal. He’s no longer with the organization — an arrangement was reached for deferred payments to fulfill his contract’s final year — appearing in just 257 games. He contributed 22 home runs and 125 RBIs. During his 146 games with Washington in 2019, he recorded 34 homers and 126 RBIs.

Beyond on-field matters, the Angels and Anaheim — which owns Angel Stadium — continue negotiations regarding stadium lease terms and facility improvements.

The current lease extends through 2032, with the organization seeking renovations to the venue that opened in 1966 and lacks modern stadium amenities. It ranks as the fourth-oldest facility in the majors.

Anaheim mayor Ashleigh Aitken has notified Moreno that the team must abandon its Los Angeles branding and return to the Anaheim Angels name — used from 1997-2004 — before meaningful discussions can proceed.

The California state Assembly unanimously approved legislation titled the “Home Run for Anaheim Act,” mandating the team restore its former name as a prerequisite for any future stadium development, lease, or sale agreements. The measure awaits state Senate consideration.

Star slugger Juan Soto was pulled from the New York Mets’ starting roster for Sunday’s matchup against the Miami Marlins after falling ill.

Manager Carlos Mendoza revealed that Soto arrived at the stadium Sunday morning suffering from a fever and body aches.

“Soto’s ill, so he is out of the lineup,” Mendoza told reporters before the game. “He’s been battling the past three days, show up with fever today, body aches, didn’t have much sleep. Hopefully he recovers.”

“There’s a lot of people for the past week have been dealing with this. Kind of a like a flu going around,” Mendoza added.

The team had planned to use Soto as their designated hitter batting third in the order. MJ Melendez will now take over the DH role instead.

The 27-year-old Soto connected for a solo home run during New York’s 2-1 defeat to Miami on Friday. The four-time All-Star and 2020 National League batting champion currently leads the team with 10 home runs while posting 21 RBIs and maintaining a .294 batting average across 37 games this season.

Professional golfer Tiger Woods has returned to Switzerland aboard his $50 million private aircraft on Sunday, where he is expected to continue his recovery program.

According to Celebplanes.com, Woods’ Gulfstream V departed Saturday evening from Stuart, Florida, completing a nearly nine-hour flight to Zurich.

The New York Post captured images on May 14 showing Woods exiting a private aircraft at Palm Beach International Airport, located approximately 45 miles from his Jupiter Island, Florida residence. Woods had previously been receiving treatment in Switzerland, traveling there shortly after facing misdemeanor DUI charges stemming from a rollover accident near his home on March 27.

On April 1, Florida’s Martin County Court Judge Darren Steele approved a travel request filed by Woods’ legal representative, Douglas Duncan, who argued the 50-year-old golf champion required an “intensive, highly individualized and medically integrated program” away from media and public scrutiny.

Woods, 50, had recently come back to the United States, apparently to support his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, 48, following her breast cancer diagnosis. Trump has described Woods as “her strength” while facing her medical challenge.

Trump, who was previously married to Donald Trump Jr., shared news of her diagnosis through social media on Thursday.

“Tiger has been very supportive of Vanessa through all of this and is really just focused on being there for her,” a source told the New York Post. “He’s proud of how positive she’s stayed and how she’s handling everything so far. She’s been so strong and he truly believes she’s going to be OK. He’s just trying to support her however he can right now.”

Regarding Woods’ situation, he is reportedly receiving “intense” psychological care at a Swiss rehabilitation facility to address what has been described as his painkiller dependency.

After the Florida incident, Woods — who has captured 15 major championships among his 82 professional wins — announced he would skip the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. He also withdrew his name from consideration for captain of the United States’ 2027 Ryder Cup team.

PARIS, May 24 – Monday’s opening round action at the French Open features several marquee matchups, including four-time winner Iga Swiatek, second-ranked Elena Rybakina, and recent Italian Open victor Elina Svitolina among the featured competitors.

Additionally, past winner Stan Wawrinka and French favorite Gael Monfils are set to make their final appearances at Roland Garros before hanging up their rackets.

FEATURED MEN’S SHOWDOWN: GASTON VERSUS MONFILS

The evening session on Court Philippe-Chatrier will showcase an intriguing battle between two French competitors – one seeking to establish himself while the other enjoys his final moments on this grand stage.

Hugo Gaston, positioned beyond the top 100 in rankings, will deploy his signature arsenal of unconventional tactics against one of France’s most captivating performers of recent decades, the 39-year-old Monfils.

While the 25-year-old Gaston may not possess elite ranking status, his inventive style, clever drop shots, and tactical diversity have consistently challenged superior opponents, especially on clay surfaces where he excels.

Standing opposite him is Monfils, who may have lost some of his spectacular athletic abilities from earlier years but retains sufficient determination during his farewell campaign to pose a legitimate threat.

The seasoned player, who has accepted his retirement choice with tranquility, is savoring each moment of his concluding season while maintaining his fierce competitive spirit.

“Since I have been able to voice my desire to retire from tennis, and it was important to me, I have been feeling well,” Monfils said.

“I feel immensely lucky to be able to say goodbye, to hit the balls with all the players, and to be able to compete on a few games with all those young players.

“I’m a competitor, which is why I try to push myself in some of the games. But I’m really enjoying myself and I feel lucky that I’m able to be on tour one last season with great players.”

PREMIER WOMEN’S ENCOUNTER: JONES AGAINST SWIATEK

Previous Roland Garros winner Swiatek enters her preferred venue in an unusual position – sitting third in world rankings and without a clay championship since her previous victory here in 2024.

The Polish player, who has never been eliminated prior to the fourth round at Roland Garros, achieved only one semifinal showing on clay this season in Rome and acknowledges adopting a “humble” mindset.

Known for emphasizing the psychological elements of competition, Swiatek’s clay season difficulties have subjected her to heightened examination – a sharp difference from her commanding 2024 run when she felt freed from outside pressures.

“Last year I felt like I needed to really work more in a tennis way than mental (aspects) on these tournaments, but I felt a lot of pressure, a lot. Everybody was just looking at my claycourt results and judging,” she said.

“But in 2024, every day I just enjoyed. I really didn’t feel any kind of pressure from the outside. Maybe I was really focused just on myself and I was really in the zone, in my own bubble, and went for it.”

Currently Swiatek understands she must remain “willing to fight for every match” while confronting what she recognizes as constantly evolving difficulties.

“Honestly, every year is different, no matter if you’re dominating the court or not, there are different obstacles to face,” she said.

“So it’s more I need to adjust to that and not really the results or tennis itself.”

Her opponent will be Australian wildcard recipient Emerson Jones, who is participating in her first main draw at Roland Garros.

MONDAY’S FRENCH OPEN SCHEDULE (seeding indicated by prefix number):

COURT PHILIPPE-CHATRIER (starting at 1000 GMT)

Emerson Jones (Australia) v 3-Iga Swiatek (Poland)

Veronika Erjavec (Slovenia) v 2-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)

32-Ugo Humbert (France) v Adrian Mannarino (France)

Hugo Gaston (France) v Gael Monfils (France)

COURT SUZANNE LENGLEN (starting at 0900 GMT)

22-Arthur Rinderknech (France) v Jurij Rodionov (Austria)

7-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) v Anna Bondar (Hungary)

Tessah Rajaonah (France) v 6-Amanda Anisimova (U.S.)

Daniel Merida (Spain) v 5-Ben Shelton (U.S.)

COURT SIMONNE MATHIEU (starting at 0900 GMT)

13-Jasmine Paolini (Italy) v Dayana Yastremska (Ukraine)

Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) v Jesper De Jong (Netherlands)

15-Casper Ruud (Norway) v Roman Safiullin (Russia)

Anastasia Zakharova (Russia) v 10-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic)

The New York Knicks stand just one victory from the NBA Finals, riding a historic 10-game playoff winning streak that has rewritten the record books.

This remarkable run has broken both franchise and league records for dominance.

After falling behind Atlanta 2-1 in the opening round, the Knicks have been unstoppable, capturing 10 straight wins. They rallied to take the final three contests against the Hawks, then dominated Philadelphia with a complete sweep in Round 2, and currently hold a commanding 3-0 advantage over Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals.

While the victories appear effortless, Knicks coach Mike Brown emphasized that “there’s nothing easy about this” and acknowledged that having “a little bit of luck” helps as well.

“They’re doing the things I always talk about: they’re holding each other accountable, they’re believing in the process, they’re playing with a competitive spirit that is unmatched,” Brown said. “If you do those things while focusing on the detail and communicating and bringing energy and effort you have a chance to string some games together.”

Here’s an examination of the statistics behind this month-long dominance by the Knicks:

During these 10 straight playoff victories, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by a total of 225 points. No team in NBA history has ever achieved such a dominant margin during any 10-game stretch in either regular season or postseason play.

Prior to this playoff campaign, the Knicks’ most dominant 10-game winning streak occurred from Oct. 24 through Nov. 11, 1969, when they outscored opponents by 168 points. That team captured the NBA championship.

The previous record for the most dominant 10-game playoff winning streak belonged to the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors, who outscored their opponents by 171 points during their championship run. Mike Brown, currently the Knicks’ head coach, served as an assistant coach on that Warriors team.

Before this streak, the NBA record for point differential across any 10-game span was held by the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1973-74 season with a 214-point margin. However, the Bucks went 9-1 in those contests. The previous record for the most dominant 10-game winning streak also belonged to Milwaukee, who outscored opponents by 212 points from Feb. 11 through Feb. 24, 1971.

New York’s current 10-game winning streak ranks as the fifth-longest in a single postseason.

Golden State opened the 2017 playoffs with 15 consecutive wins. San Antonio captured 12 straight in the 1999 playoffs, while the Los Angeles Lakers achieved 11-game playoff winning streaks twice — in 1989, when Detroit swept them in the NBA Finals, and in 2001 when they defeated Philadelphia for the championship.

The Knicks now join Boston (2024), Cleveland (2016 and 2017), San Antonio (2012) and New Jersey (2003) as teams with 10-game winning streaks within the same postseason.

Before this year, the Knicks’ longest playoff winning streak within a single season was six games in 1999.

New York has tallied 1,222 points during their winning streak. The Knicks become the eighth team to score that many points across a 10-game postseason span.

Among the previous seven teams, five claimed NBA championships — Golden State in 2017, the Lakers in 1987, the Lakers in 1985, Philadelphia in 1967 and Boston in 1959.

The two that fell short were Denver in 1985 and San Antonio in 1983.

The Knicks are converting 53.8% of their shots during this 10-game run, the highest percentage in the NBA since this streak started on April 25.

Oklahoma City ranks second at 50.1% since that date. No other team in the league has shot above 50% during these past four weeks.

New York has captured five straight playoff road games — matching the longest such streak in franchise history. Last season’s Knicks also achieved a five-game road winning streak.

However, all five victories in this current Knicks’ streak have been decided by double digits — tying the longest such streak in NBA playoff history.

Miami won five consecutive road games by double digits in 2013, and Golden State accomplished the same feat in 2017. Both teams won NBA titles in those respective seasons.

PARIS, May 24 – Action from the opening day of the French Open tennis tournament on Sunday (all times in GMT):

1205 KHACHANOV DEFEATS GEA

Russian player Karen Khachanov, seeded 13th, eliminated French wildcard Arthur Gea with scores of 6-3, 7-6(3), 6-0.

1142 BENCIC ADVANCES PAST KRAUS

Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, the 11th seed, dominated Austria’s Sinja Kraus with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

The Olympic gold medalist from Tokyo 2020 hopes to make a strong showing this year, as she has never advanced past the third round at Roland Garros.

0909 TOURNAMENT BEGINS

Competition commenced under bright sunshine, with temperatures at Roland Garros around 28 degrees Celsius and France’s national weather service predicting highs of 34 degrees later in the day.

Olympic champion Belinda Bencic, seeded 11th, faced Austrian qualifier Sinja Kraus in the opening match on Court Philippe Chatrier.

SUNDAY’S FRENCH OPEN MATCH SCHEDULE (numbers indicate tournament seeding):

COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER (matches start at 1000 GMT)

Sinja Kraus (Austria) v 11-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland)

Benjamin Bonzi (France) v 2-Alexander Zverev (Germany)

8-Mirra Andreeva (Russia) v Fiona Ferro (France)

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (France) v 3-Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

COURT SUZANNE LENGLEN (matches start at 0900 GMT)

13-Karen Khachanov (Russia) v Arthur Gea (France)

26-Hailey Baptiste (United States) v Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic)

7-Taylor Fritz (U.S.) v Nishesh Basavareddy (U.S.)

Ksenia Efremova (France) v 18-Sorana Cirstea (Romania)

COURT SIMONNE MATHIEU (matches start at 0900 GMT)

15-Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) v Oksana Selekhmeteva (Russia)

Katie Volynets (U.S.) v Clara Burel (France)

Titouan Droguet (France) v 26-Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic)

28-Joao Fonseca (Brazil) v Luka Pavlovic (France)

PARIS, May 24 – The opening day action from the French Open tennis tournament got underway Sunday with favorable weather conditions (all times listed in GMT):

1142 BENCIC ADVANCES WITH DOMINANT WIN

Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, seeded 11th in the tournament, dominated her opening match against Sinja Kraus from Austria, winning decisively 6-2, 6-3 on the main Court Philippe-Chatrier.

The Olympic gold medalist from Tokyo 2020 hopes to make a stronger showing this year, as she has yet to advance past the third round at Roland Garros in previous attempts.

0909 TOURNAMENT BEGINS

Competition commenced with clear, sunny conditions as temperatures at Roland Garros reached approximately 28 degrees Celsius, with France’s public weather service Meteo France predicting highs of 34 degrees later in the day.

The day’s first featured match on Court Philippe Chatrier showcased former Olympic winner Belinda Bencic, ranked 11th, against Austrian qualifier Sinja Kraus.

SUNDAY’S COMPLETE MATCH SCHEDULE (seeding numbers shown as prefixes):

COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER (competition starts at 1000 GMT)

Sinja Kraus (Austria) versus 11-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland)

Benjamin Bonzi (France) versus 2-Alexander Zverev (Germany)

8-Mirra Andreeva (Russia) versus Fiona Ferro (France)

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (France) versus 3-Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

COURT SUZANNE LENGLEN (competition starts at 0900 GMT)

13-Karen Khachanov (Russia) versus Arthur Gea (France)

26-Hailey Baptiste (United States) versus Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic)

7-Taylor Fritz (U.S.) versus Nishesh Basavareddy (U.S.)

Ksenia Efremova (France) versus 18-Sorana Cirstea (Romania)

COURT SIMONNE MATHIEU (competition starts at 0900 GMT)

15-Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) versus Oksana Selekhmeteva (Russia)

Katie Volynets (U.S.) versus Clara Burel (France)

Titouan Droguet (France) versus 26-Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic)

28-Joao Fonseca (Brazil) versus Luka Pavlovic (France)

Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk delivered a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over Oksana Selekhmeteva during Sunday’s opening round at the French Open, demonstrating remarkable composure after learning of a devastating missile attack that occurred near her family’s residence earlier that day.

The 23-year-old athlete, who has claimed titles at Rouen and Madrid, continued her impressive clay court performance this season, now boasting 12 consecutive victories. However, she revealed that the triumph was clouded by troubling news from her homeland regarding a missile impact close to her parents’ dwelling in Ukraine on Sunday morning.

“I’m incredibly proud of myself today,” an emotional Kostyuk said during her on-court interview.

“I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career. This morning, 100 metres away from my parents’ house, a missile destroyed a building. It was a very difficult morning for me.”

“I didn’t know how this match would turn out. I didn’t know how I’d handle it.”

Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine began, Kostyuk has emerged as one of tennis’s most outspoken critics of the ongoing conflict.

Her first-round adversary Selekhmeteva, who holds the tournament’s 15th seed, was originally from Russia but changed her national representation to Spain prior to competing at Roland Garros.

The French Open tennis tournament launched Sunday in Paris amid sweltering heat as spectators wearing panama hats filled Roland Garros stadium, creating an atmosphere more reminiscent of a resort than a grueling tennis competition, with walkways featuring violin performances of Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” and similar soft-rock favorites.

Tournament organizers scheduled matches to begin at 0900 GMT (1100 local time) as thermometers were forecast to climb above 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit).

The opening day featured Russian Karen Khachanov, seeded 13, facing French hope Arthur Gea on Court Suzanne Lenglen one hour before 11th-seeded Swiss Belinda Bencic started action on Court Philippe Chatrier against Austria’s Sinja Kraus.

The premier clay court tournament faced significant player losses when two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew last month due to a wrist injury, followed by highly anticipated local favorite Arthur Fils pulling out Saturday with an injury.

World number one Jannik Sinner of Italy enters as the top men’s contender, while the women’s competition appears highly competitive with no clear frontrunner.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, pursuing a milestone 25th Grand Slam championship, was scheduled to begin his tournament run later Sunday against powerful French server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

In women’s action, Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva represented the top-ranked player competing when she faced French wildcard recipient Fiona Ferro.

PARIS, May 24 – Action commenced on the opening day of the French Open tennis tournament on Sunday with detailed scheduling across multiple courts.

Competition started at 0909 GMT under clear skies at Roland Garros, with temperatures reaching 28 degrees Celsius and France’s national weather service predicting highs of 34 degrees later in the day.

The tournament’s opening match on Court Philippe Chatrier featured 11th-seeded former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic competing against Austrian qualifier Sinja Kraus.

Court Philippe Chatrier’s schedule included additional marquee matchups with Benjamin Bonzi of France facing 2nd-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany, 8th-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia taking on France’s Fiona Ferro, and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France challenging 3rd-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

Court Suzanne Lenglen featured matches beginning at 0900 GMT, including 13th-seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia versus Arthur Gea of France, 26th-seeded Hailey Baptiste of the United States against Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, 7th-seeded Taylor Fritz facing fellow American Nishesh Basavareddy, and Ksenia Efremova of France competing against 18th-seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania.

Court Simonne Mathieu also began play at 0900 GMT with 15th-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine facing Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia, Katie Volynets of the United States taking on Clara Burel of France, Titouan Droguet of France challenging 26th-seeded Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic, and 28th-seeded Joao Fonseca of Brazil competing against Luka Pavlovic of France.

Stephen Kolek delivered a masterful complete-game shutout performance, guiding the Kansas City Royals to a convincing 5-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners at home on Saturday.

The right-hander improved to 3-0 on the season, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out two batters. This marked Kolek’s second career complete-game shutout, with his previous one coming last May while playing for the San Diego Padres. The achievement represented Kansas City’s first complete-game shutout since September 13, 2020, and became the fourth such performance across all of baseball this 2026 season.

Offensively, Bobby Witt Jr. paced the Royals with two hits and scored twice, while Michael Massey also collected two hits. Carter Jensen contributed significantly despite going 1-for-2, crossing the plate once and driving in two runs. The victory marked Kansas City’s first win during their current nine-game homestand, which had begun with four consecutive defeats.

Seattle’s Luke Raley provided the lone bright spot for the visitors, going 3-for-3 and recording a double. Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby took the loss, falling to 5-4 after surrendering five runs (three earned) on nine hits across six innings of work.

In other MLB action, the Los Angeles Dodgers dominated the Milwaukee Brewers 11-3, with Teoscar Hernandez driving in six runs to match his career high. The Dodgers’ bullpen extended their franchise-record scoreless streak to 36 innings, surpassing the previous team record of 33 innings set in 1998.

St. Louis and Cincinnati split their doubleheader, with the Cardinals taking the opener 8-1 behind Bryan Torres’ two-run homer in his major league debut. The Reds bounced back to win the nightcap 7-6 in 11 innings on Blake Dunn’s game-winning infield grounder.

Philadelphia ended Cleveland’s seven-game winning streak with a 3-0 shutout victory, as Zack Wheeler pitched six strong innings and Bryson Stott knocked in two runs for the Phillies.

Houston defeated Chicago 3-0 as Christian Walker homered twice and Kai-Wai Teng threw six innings to send the Cubs to their seventh straight loss.

Other notable results included San Diego’s 2-0 victory over Oakland, Toronto’s 5-2 win against Pittsburgh, San Francisco’s 10-3 rout of the White Sox, Minnesota’s 4-2 triumph over Boston, Washington’s 2-0 shutout of Atlanta featuring a combined one-hitter, Miami’s 4-1 victory over the Mets, Arizona’s 5-4 win against Colorado, and Los Angeles Angels’ 5-2 defeat of Texas behind Mike Trout’s 417th career home run.

Oklahoma City Thunder officials have declared that guard Ajay Mitchell will be unable to play in Sunday’s Game 4 of the Western Conference finals because of a strained right calf muscle.

The sophomore player, who has filled in as a starter for All-Star Jalen Williams on seven occasions during the first three playoff rounds, initially hurt his calf during the final moments of Game 2 in Oklahoma City. While he did take the court for Game 3’s opening tip, his performance was subpar. The injury flared up again with 8:19 remaining in the third quarter.

During that moment, Mitchell received a Flagrant 1 penalty for his contact with San Antonio’s Stephon Castle, exited the game, and remained on the sideline for the remainder of Oklahoma City’s 123-108 victory.

Williams, who put up 26 points in the series opener but managed just four points in seven minutes during Game 2, sat out Game 3 with a strained left hamstring. His status for Sunday’s contest in San Antonio is listed as questionable.

Following their opening game defeat, the defending champions now hold a 2-1 advantage in the series.

During the regular season, Mitchell significantly improved his offensive production from his first year, posting 13.6 points per contest. His free-throw accuracy ranked 23rd league-wide at 87%, and he earned fifth place in Sixth Man of the Year consideration.

Mitchell’s postseason performance has been even more impressive, contributing 15.1 points and 4.3 assists per game across 11 playoff appearances.

Cason Wallace, a third-year guard who contributed 8.6 points per game in the regular season and 8.1 points through 11 playoff contests, is anticipated to get the starting nod for Game 4.

CLEVELAND — It appears Taylor Swift has developed an interest in basketball as well.

The internationally renowned pop star was spotted sitting courtside during Saturday night’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, accompanied by her fiancé and Cleveland native Travis Kelce, as the Cavaliers faced off against the New York Knicks in a crucial matchup for the home team.

The duo, with Kelce having recently inked a 3-year, $54 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, arrived at their Rocket Arena seats just before game time. Their presence generated considerable excitement among attendees who noticed the celebrity couple in attendance.

It didn’t take long for Kelce to get into the game spirit, showing enthusiastic support for the Cavs throughout the contest.

Swift has become a regular fixture at Chiefs home games since beginning her relationship with Kelce several years ago. She also joined him for Game 1 of the AL Championship Series at Yankee Stadium in 2024.

Kelce has previously attended Cavs games, and both he and his brother, Jason, were honored with a bobblehead promotion by Cleveland in 2024.

The pair revealed their engagement last year, with wedding plans reportedly set for sometime during the upcoming summer months.

New York currently holds a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven playoff series following victories in both games at Madison Square Garden.

George Russell claimed pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix in dramatic fashion Saturday, delivering a clutch final qualifying lap that edged out his Mercedes teammate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli in Montreal.

The British driver, who had already won Saturday’s sprint race from the front row, managed to outpace the Italian by a razor-thin margin of 0.068 seconds in the closing moments of the qualifying session, just after the 19-year-old had posted what appeared to be the fastest time.

“That is the most exhilarating feeling in the world when it comes last minute out of nowhere,” Russell exclaimed over team radio following an excited celebration. “We made that a bit tricky…”

McLaren’s reigning champion Lando Norris secured third position for Sunday’s race, with Australian teammate Oscar Piastri starting fourth. Race officials have issued a ‘Rain Hazard’ warning from race director Rui Marques, suggesting wet conditions could impact the race.

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton earned fifth place on the grid but faces a potential investigation for allegedly blocking other drivers. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will start sixth and expressed frustration with his car’s performance on the straights.

“I have no idea what is going on. I don’t really have a lot of words,” the four-time world champion from the Netherlands stated. “Everything is so confusing. I also didn’t like the set-up change we made. I think (Sunday) will be chaos regardless of the weather.”

This marks Russell’s third consecutive pole position at the Canadian venue, where he converted a similar starting position into victory at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve last season. Mercedes brought significant car improvements to Montreal for this weekend’s competition.

The outcome seemed uncertain just minutes before the session ended, as Russell had abandoned his initial fast lap attempt and returned to the garage with six minutes remaining without posting a competitive time. He then completed two quick laps, with the second securing his pole position.

Russell had not appeared among the top three drivers in the earlier qualifying segments, while Antonelli topped the Q1 session and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar led Q2 times. Antonelli currently holds an 18-point championship advantage over Russell after winning the previous three races.

“That last lap came from nowhere,” Russell explained afterward. “It was such a great feeling when it was such a challenging session and you pull it all together on that last lap to throw yourselves up the leaderboard is epic. Kimi was more competitive than I and we weren’t as clear ahead of everyone else as yesterday, so it was a challenge but I redialled my driving and put it together.”

Hadjar will occupy seventh position on Sunday’s starting grid alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Racing Bulls newcomer Arvid Lindblad qualified ninth, while Alpine’s Franco Colapinto earned tenth place after showing improved speed following his strong Miami performance.

Antonelli, who had criticized Russell after the sprint race and suggested penalties were warranted, appeared more composed following qualifying.

“I am pretty happy. There was still a little bit left on the table but George did a great lap and all eyes on tomorrow,” he commented. “We will see what the weather is like but we will try and be ready for anything.”

Norris, who finished second in the sprint race between the two Mercedes drivers, acknowledged the difficulty of maximizing performance but praised his team’s efforts.

“It’s clear these guys (Mercedes) are a little bit quicker. It’s nice to be closer than we were yesterday,” he noted. “The weather will be different tomorrow. We are in a good place and the place we need to be.”

Multiple media outlets, including mlb.com, are reporting that the Los Angeles Angels have inked right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker to a minor league contract.

Philadelphia released Walker during the current season.

The one-time All-Star pitcher experienced difficulties during his tenure in Philadelphia. Following his signing of a four-year contract worth $72 million with the Phillies in 2023, Walker posted a 5.12 ERA over more than three seasons with the club.

During 2026, he appeared in five games and compiled a 9.13 ERA over 22 2/3 innings pitched.

The 33-year-old pitcher holds a career ERA of 4.27 across 256 games with 234 starts, having played for multiple organizations including the Seattle Mariners (2013-16, 2020), Arizona Diamondbacks (2017-19), Toronto Blue Jays (2020), New York Mets (2021-22), and Phillies.

Iran’s national soccer team will establish their World Cup preparation base in Tijuana, Mexico, after receiving FIFA approval to relocate from their originally planned Arizona training facility, according to an announcement made Saturday by the country’s soccer federation leadership.

“We will be based in the Tijuana camp, which is near the Pacific Ocean and on the border between Mexico and the United States,” stated Iran’s soccer federation President Mehdi Taj in a video message shared on the organization’s Telegram social media channel.

The federation president explained that this relocation will help eliminate visa-related issues and enable the team to fly directly to Mexico using Iran Air transportation.

FIFA has not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding this approved venue change.

The Iranian squad is scheduled to compete in three Group G matches: facing New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, meeting Belgium in the same city on June 21, and concluding group play against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

“The total distance between us and the venue of our games in Los Angeles is 55 minutes by flight,” Taj explained, noting that the Tijuana location actually places them closer to their competition sites compared to the original Arizona training facility.

For several months, Iran has encountered challenges regarding travel logistics and security preparations for the upcoming World Cup, which will take place across venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Earlier this month, Iranian federation representatives revealed that team members and support staff had not yet obtained necessary U.S. visas, despite the tournament beginning in less than four weeks.

According to Taj, the federation has requested FIFA provide assurances regarding visa processing, security measures and overall treatment of the Iranian delegation throughout the competition.

The World Cup tournament is scheduled to run from June 11 through July 19.

MONTREAL, May 23 – In a stunning upset at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Norway defeated Sweden 3-2 on Saturday, capitalizing on special-teams play to secure their first win against their Nordic neighbors in a decade and a half.

The victory significantly improves Norway’s chances of advancing to the tournament’s playoff stage. Norway’s success came from converting short-handed opportunities into goals, netting twice while playing with a man disadvantage.

Noah Steen led Norway’s offensive effort with two goals, while Eirik Salsten provided the game-winning score during the middle portion of the final period. Goaltender Henrik Haukeland was instrumental in preserving the victory, stopping 32 shots and withstanding Sweden’s late-game offensive surge.

Sweden managed to find the net through Ivar Stenberg and Lucas Raymond, but squandered scoring opportunities and committed crucial mistakes that proved costly in the defeat.

The historical significance of the victory cannot be understated – prior to Saturday’s contest, Norway had managed just one win against Sweden in 19 world championship encounters, achieving that lone victory in a shootout 15 years earlier in Bratislava.

GIZA, Egypt, May 23 – Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk came dangerously close to suffering one of boxing’s greatest upsets before delivering a dramatic knockout of Dutch former kickboxer Rico Verhoeven with merely one second remaining in the 11th round of their WBC championship bout.

The Saturday night spectacle dubbed ‘Glory in Giza’ at Egypt’s Pyramids was widely anticipated to be a one-sided affair, but Verhoeven completely defied expectations from the first bell, with some judges’ scorecards showing him leading despite having only one professional boxing match 12 years prior.

The 39-year-old Ukrainian appeared unusually sluggish and came into the fight at his heaviest weight ever, forcing him to enter the 11th round desperately needing a decisive moment to secure what most observers had assumed would be a routine victory.

That crucial moment arrived in the final seconds of the penultimate round when Usyk connected with a devastating right uppercut that sent Verhoeven to the canvas. Although the Dutchman managed to beat the referee’s count, the official intervened to halt the contest.

“I thought it was an early stoppage but in the end it’s not up to me,” the 37-year-old Verhoeven said to DAZN. “I was already super thankful for this opportunity for Usyk to take this fight.”

The bout put only the WBC championship on the line for Verhoeven, while Usyk’s WBA and IBF titles would have been declared vacant had he suffered defeat.

The Ukrainian champion ultimately maintained his perfect professional record at 25 victories without a loss.

“This fight was hard. It was a good fight. I was just boxing, my right uppercut, bang. Thank you god,” Usyk commented after the fight.

“Right now, in Ukraine, my people and my country — there is bombing. My people are sitting in bomb shelters. My family. My daughter sent me a message: ‘Papa, I love you, I’m afraid.’ I said, ‘oh my God’.”

A Verhoeven victory would have ranked among boxing’s most stunning upsets, potentially exceeding the shock of Mike Tyson’s 1990 loss to underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas.

Many boxing analysts predicted Usyk, an Olympic gold medalist from 2012 and seasoned professional, would finish the contest by the midway point or even sooner.

The theatrical pre-fight entrances featured Verhoeven dressed as a pharaoh, accompanied by torch-bearing attendants against the backdrop of the illuminated Pyramids.

Usyk chose a Roman gladiator theme, donning centurion armor and helmet while fireworks exploded overhead. However, the actual fight proved to be among his most challenging, as he struggled against an opponent who refused to fold under pressure.

According to various media outlets, midfielder Tanner Tessmann has been excluded from the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Many observers had viewed Tessmann as a likely starter after he took part in six training camps under head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

The 24-year-old player, known for his versatility, appeared in five of nine Europa League matches and started 22 of 29 Ligue 1 contests for Lyon during the current season. His campaign ended on May 8 due to a muscle injury that wasn’t anticipated to affect his World Cup participation, according to The Athletic.

Diego Luna also failed to secure a spot on the 26-player squad despite recording four goals and four assists across 18 matches since joining under Pochettino in 2024. Luna, who has been managing a muscle injury, gained recognition for his tough playing style, exemplified when he continued playing in a friendly match against Costa Rica last year after suffering a broken nose.

Club América winger Alejandro Zendejas earned selection despite his last USMNT appearance being in October. He was included in four of Pochettino’s squads during 2024 and 2025 and has tallied 12 goals plus 7 assists in 28 Liga MX games this season, starting 23 of those contests.

Gio Reyna will reportedly join the American squad for the tournament beginning June 11.

The 23-year-old possesses strong playmaking abilities, though his selection by Pochettino has sparked debate due to his injury-prone career, poor club form, and previous behavioral concerns with the national team. This season, Reyna started only four games and participated in 19 total matches for Borussia Monchengladbach, scoring once with zero assists.

Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan reportedly earned a roster spot, alongside three players who were absent from the 2022 World Cup team: center backs Miles Robinson and Chris Richards, who were injured four years ago, and forward Ricardo Pepi, who was reportedly among the final players cut from the previous World Cup squad.

Fifty percent of the current U.S. squad competed in the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar.

Pochettino plans to formally reveal the roster during a Tuesday event in New York City.

The United States, co-hosting alongside Canada and Mexico, will compete in Group D against Paraguay, Australia and Turkey. Their opening match is scheduled for June 12 versus Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

UNITED STATES WORLD CUP ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Matt Freese, Chris Brady, Matt Turner

Defenders: Max Arfsten, Sergino Dest, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Auston Trusty, Joe Scally

Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Cristian Roldan, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman

Forwards: Brenden Aaronson, Haji Wright, Folarin Balogun, Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, Tim Weah, Alejandro Zendejas

The defending champion at the Team TaylorMade Invitational is facing an uphill battle to repeat his victory from a year ago. Charlie Woods, Tiger Woods’ teenage son, finds himself in a tie for 23rd place following a second-round score of 73, three strokes over par, during Saturday’s play in Belleair, Florida.

The 17-year-old high school senior from The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Florida, started his round at the 10th hole. During his first nine holes of play, Woods managed an even-par performance by balancing two bogeys with two birdies.

Woods encountered significant difficulty early in his back nine, recording a triple bogey at the first hole and adding another bogey at the second. However, he managed to recover somewhat with a birdie on the seventh hole.

Last year’s tournament saw Woods capture the championship at Streamsong Resort’s Black course with an impressive 15-under-par performance, defeating several of the country’s premier junior golfers, including Miles Russell.

Following his victory in the previous year’s competition, Woods experienced a significant improvement in his standing within the AJGA rankings, currently holding the No. 13 position overall.

DENVER (AP) — Things look challenging for the Colorado Avalanche: Trailing 2-0 following a pair of defeats at home. Without Cale Makar. Just three goals scored in the series despite being the league’s top-scoring squad. Now traveling to Vegas. Historical precedent not in their favor.

“We dug a hole,” forward Logan O’Connor said as the Avalanche prepared for Game 3 at Vegas on Sunday night in the Western Conference Final. “It’s on us (to get out).”

The statistics, however, work against them. Since 1982, visiting teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in the conference finals maintain a perfect 13-0 series record, according to NHL Stats.

However, the Avalanche have climbed back from a comparable challenging position previously in playoff competition.

Admittedly, it occurred 27 years ago when they dropped two consecutive games at home to begin the 1999 Western Conference semifinals against Detroit before mounting a comeback to win.

“Uphill climb,” Colorado goaltender Scott Wedgewood said. “We have to flip the script on them, in their rink.”

Maybe a different environment can ignite something. Colorado posted a 2-0 record at Vegas during the regular season, including a 6-5 shootout victory.

“Any building you go into, you can kind of use the crowd noise and advantage in your favor,” forward Parker Kelly said. “Teams come out hard in their home building, so we’ve got to be able to weather the storm, push back and get to our game quick.”

It wasn’t so long ago when Vegas overcame some challenging circumstances. The Golden Knights trailed Colorado 2-0 in a second-round series in 2021, only to win four straight. Avalanche forward Nicolas Roy recalls it well — he was with the Golden Knights back then.

“We’ve just got to put on our work boots,” Roy said. “If you have a great effort next game and you win it, then obviously shift the momentum. We believe in this group.”

Colorado very well could have back Makar, who is up for the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. He has been sidelined all series by an upper-body injury.

“He will tell us when he’s ready to play,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “No one can go into Cale’s body and feel what he’s feeling, so when he feels like he can do all the things he needs to be able to do on the ice to play, then he’s going to make the decision to play.”

The atmosphere in the locker room combines anger with frustration, Bednar said.

“Which I think is normal. It’s all fine,” said Bednar, whose team is outshooting the Golden Knights by a 68-53 margin. “We’ve got to be better than we were in Game 1 and 2. It’s not like we didn’t go and compete hard or play harder, but again, with it being such a fine line, a mistake or two can cost you the hockey game. We need to do a little bit better job of forcing them into a few more mistakes, and we have to clean up some of our own.”

Several of Colorado’s leading scorers have had difficulty against the Golden Knights’ tight defense. Only captain Gabriel Landeskog, Ross Colton and Valeri Nichushkin have goals on Carter Hart in the series. Nathan MacKinnon, who had a league-leading 53 goals in the regular season, has been neutralized, along with 100-point scorer Martin Necas. Another dependable offensive contributor, Brock Nelson, is a minus-5 in the series.

“If I felt like we played our best game in Game 1 and our best game in Game 2 and we lost, I’d be a little bit more like, ‘Oh, I’m really worried about this,’” Bednar said. “They still haven’t seen our best, and maybe we haven’t seen their best, either. We have a number of areas in our game that we can improve for Game 3 to give us a better chance of winning.”

CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Eighteen Senegalese soccer supporters imprisoned following violent incidents during a tumultuous Africa Cup of Nations championship match received official pardons Saturday from Morocco’s king, according to the Royal Cabinet.

The Senegalese supporters received prison sentences in February lasting up to one year for charges that included damaging sporting facilities and committing violence during a sporting event. Several of the fans have already served their complete sentences.

“Given the long-standing fraternal ties between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Senegal, and on the occasion of (Muslim holiday) Eid al-Adha, King Mohammed VI has graciously granted, for humanitarian reasons, his royal pardon to Senegalese supporters convicted of offenses committed during Africa Cup of Nations competitions,” the Royal Cabinet said in a statement.

The championship match in January saw Senegalese supporters trying to rush onto the playing field, while Senegalese players left the game in protest after officials awarded a controversial late penalty to host nation Morocco.

While Senegal ultimately secured a 1-0 victory and claimed the trophy, the Confederation of African Football later took the unprecedented step of removing Senegal’s title and naming Morocco as champions. Senegal subsequently announced plans to challenge this ruling.

The controversial final and its consequences led high-ranking officials from both nations to urge restraint amid rising tensions that human rights organizations in Morocco characterized as “hate speech targeting sub-Saharan residents.” Leadership from both Morocco and Senegal committed to preserving diplomatic relationships and executed numerous agreements designed to enhance trade and investment between the countries.

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu announced to media members that she intends to take the court Sunday when her team faces the Dallas Wings at home.

The All-Star guard, who has earned four selections to the prestigious team, has been out of action due to an injury to her left foot that occurred during a May 3 preseason victory against Connecticut.

Ionescu has been back in practice sessions since Monday and confirmed to reporters following Saturday’s practice that she expects to suit up for Sunday’s contest.

Following Thursday’s 87-70 defeat to the Golden State Valkyries, Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco shared positive thoughts about getting his star player back on the court in the near future.

“She looks good,” DeMarco said. “It’s really about the recovery and how she’s feeling later in the day and the next day. And so yeah, we’re really close there and we’re happy with her progress.”

When speaking with reporters Saturday, Ionescu described her status as “day to day” and remained uncertain about her availability for Monday’s game against the Portland Fire.

During the 2025 season, Ionescu put up averages of 18.2 points, 5.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals across 38 contests, starting in every game for the Liberty.

Selected first overall in the 2020 WNBA Draft, she has compiled career averages of 16.7 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds over 181 games with New York, starting 177 of those contests. She was instrumental in helping the Liberty capture the WNBA championship in 2024.

American tennis player Emma Navarro captured her inaugural clay court championship on Saturday, defeating top-seeded Victoria Mboko of Canada 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in France.

Despite facing four aces from Mboko, Navarro capitalized on her opponent’s six double faults to claim her third career championship and first victory since winning the Merida Open in Mexico this past February.

The American dominated on serve, converting 34 of 46 first-serve opportunities and successfully defending seven of 10 break point chances during the 2 hour and 20 minute encounter.

Mboko’s performance was hampered by a critical double fault on game point during the final set, along with a slip at a pivotal moment. The Canadian will have little time to recover from the defeat, as she’s scheduled to face Czechia’s Nikola Bartunkova in Sunday’s French Open opening round.

Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem

Croatia’s Petra Marcinko, seeded sixth, earned her first WTA championship when unseeded opponent Anhelina Kalinina withdrew during the second set of their final match in Rabat, Morocco.

Following Marcinko’s 6-2 first set victory in the WTA 250 clay tournament, Kalinina received medical attention from a physician for blisters affecting her right foot.

The Croatian had already taken the opening three games of the second set when the Ukrainian player decided to withdraw after 46 minutes of play.

Kalinina had also been seeking her first WTA Tour championship.

French tennis professional Gael Monfils expressed satisfaction on Saturday about motivating Black athletes to pursue success in tennis, noting that his upcoming retirement will provide him with better perspective on his career’s influence.

The athlete began his professional career in 2004 and captured 13 ATP championships, though his captivating playing style featuring spectacular displays and physical prowess earned him devoted followers both in France and internationally.

As the 39-year-old prepares for his last French Open tournament and career conclusion at season’s end, he acknowledged that he hasn’t yet fully grasped his impact while actively competing.

“Of course, now that I’m finishing, I think I’ll see a bit more,” Monfils told reporters.

“I think when you’re in it, it’s tough to look around (and see) how much influence you have had. I’m very grateful if I’ve inspired some players.

“Of course I know some young kids, they like my style, the way I play, the way I move, for the Black community also to see someone on the tour … I think it was important.

“I inspired some Black players to say yeah, they can make it … So I’ll see it a bit later and during this last year.”

The tennis star participated in a special exhibition match on Court Philippe Chatrier on Thursday, where the ceremony combined tennis action, musical performances and honors recognizing his twenty-year professional journey.

Former world number one Naomi Osaka, who participated in the tribute event, praised Monfils for his contribution to expanding the sport through his visibility and achievements.

“Yeah, seeing representation is so important, and on the women’s side, for me growing up, I had Serena and Venus (Williams), so I was so grateful to them,” Osaka, who has a Haitian-American father and a Japanese mother, said.

“On the men’s side I always looked up to him and (Jo-Wilfried) Tsonga for such a long time. It’s just so important. And obviously there’s a wave of Black French guys coming up. I can see that he’s inspired … a lot of players here.

“I really love the way he carries himself and the way he represents us. He’s just such a really cool guy. It’s nice to talk to him now, because we talk about our kids. It’s just a funny thing to have in common with him.”

Monfils will face fellow French player Hugo Gaston in his first-round match at Roland Garros as he attempts to prolong his farewell appearance at the French Open, which begins on Sunday.

Bad weather conditions have forced the postponement of Saturday’s scheduled matchup between the Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles at Baltimore’s home field.

Officials have rescheduled the postponed contest for Sunday at 12:35 p.m. ET. The original Sunday game, which wraps up the three-game series, will still take place later that evening at 6:05 p.m.

The Orioles kicked off their 10-game home stretch with a 7-4 win over Detroit on Friday night. Home runs by Pete Alonso and Jackson Holliday contributed five runs to Baltimore’s victory, ending a three-game skid for the home team.

Detroit continues to struggle, having dropped seven consecutive contests and falling in 10 of their past 11 games.

Chicago White Sox management announced Saturday that they have sidelined reliever Jordan Hicks due to a right lat strain, moving him to the 15-day injured list while bringing up right-handed pitcher Jordan Leasure from Triple-A Charlotte.

The roster move dates back to Thursday for Hicks, who has struggled this season with an 0-1 record and 5.60 ERA across 20 relief outings.

The 29-year-old pitcher joined Chicago through a February 1st trade with the Boston Red Sox.

Throughout his major league career, Hicks has compiled a 17-36 record with a 4.46 ERA over 295 total appearances, including 37 starts, while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Red Sox and White Sox.

Leasure, age 27, has recorded a 2-1 mark with a 6.06 ERA in 16 White Sox appearances this season, including one start. During his current stint with Charlotte, he has maintained a 2.08 ERA over four relief appearances without a decision. Chicago had sent him down to the minors on May 7.

Ignacio Buse made tennis history Saturday by defeating Tommy Paul 7-6(6) 4-6 6-3 in the Hamburg Open championship match, becoming Peru’s first ATP Tour victor in almost two decades and preventing a complete American dominance of men’s clay court preparation tournaments before the French Open.

The 22-year-old qualifier secured his first professional tour championship and marked Peru’s first circuit victory since Luis Horna’s triumph at the Chilean Open in Vina del Mar in 2007, though the path to victory proved challenging.

During the back-and-forth championship match, Buse required medical attention for dizziness in the early stages and found himself down 4-0 in the second set, which he ultimately dropped, before surging ahead in the final set to stop sixth seed Paul from claiming his second championship of the year.

“It’s emotional for my family,” Buse said.

“So many people involved that I cannot describe. This is for them. I feel extremely happy. It’s the best feeling in my entire life for sure. I feel incredibly happy.

“I’m also really proud of Peru. It’s the best country in the world, so I’m just so emotional now.”

Paul’s defeat occurred shortly after Learner Tien mounted a comeback from one set behind in Geneva to defeat Argentine Mariano Navone 3-6 6-3 7-5 and capture his second ATP championship following Metz in 2025.

The 20-year-old fourth seed established himself as the youngest American male to claim a European clay court championship since his coach Michael Chang won the French Open title in 1989 at age 17.

American player Emma Navarro also prepared for Roland Garros with a confidence-building victory, claiming the Strasbourg championship by defeating top-seeded 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko 6-0 5-7 6-2 for her third career title.

“It’s kind of been a little bit of a rocky year and a half or so, but I think we’ve put in a lot of really good work,” said Navarro, who has battled injury and illness this season.

Paul, Tien and Navarro are among a 37-member group of American competitors — including qualifiers and wild cards — participating in the singles competitions at this year’s second Grand Slam tournament beginning in Paris on Sunday.

Buse starts his French Open journey against Russian Andrey Rublev while Paul faces Australian Rinky Hijikata and Tien meets Chilean Cristian Garin. Navarro will compete against Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in the women’s competition.

A prominent renewable energy executive announced Saturday his intention to seek the presidency of Real Madrid, marking the first significant challenge in more than 20 years to current president Florentino Perez’s leadership of the world’s wealthiest soccer organization.

Perez, age 79, announced new elections on May 12 despite having two years remaining in his current term. The decision came after Real Madrid completed a second consecutive season without winning any major trophies, while their longtime rivals Barcelona successfully defended their LaLiga championship.

The challenger, Enrique Riquelme, established Cox Energy in 2014, focusing on solar power development across Europe and Latin America. His company has secured major contracts in Chile, Mexico, and Spain, overseeing more than 1.2 gigawatts worth of energy projects in Spain through its subsidiary Ibox Energy.

Cox Energy completed one of its most significant transactions in 2025 when it purchased Iberdrola’s Mexican operations for $4.2 billion, including assumed debt.

In a public letter dated May 13 addressed to Perez, who leads the civil engineering firm ACS Group in addition to his Real Madrid role, Riquelme argued that the club should adopt more democratic election procedures. He stated that the strongest institutions are those that successfully blend “experience and renewal, past and future.”

The family of NASCAR champion Kyle Busch has disclosed that the racing star’s death resulted from serious pneumonia that developed into sepsis, based on information released Saturday.

“The medical evaluation provided to the Busch Family concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications,” the family statement read. “The Family asks for continued understanding and privacy during this difficult time.”

Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, confirmed the family received the medical findings Saturday.

The 41-year-old driver, who captured two NASCAR Cup Series titles and is regarded as among the sport’s greatest competitors, passed away Thursday.

His family, along with Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR, announced his passing just hours after revealing he had been admitted to a hospital during the week and would be unable to compete in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

According to a 911 emergency call that USA Today obtained Friday, Busch had been experiencing difficulty breathing and coughing up blood on the day prior to his death.

The racing champion leaves behind his spouse Samantha, along with 11-year-old son Brexton and 4-year-old daughter Lennix. He was the younger sibling of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Busch, who is 47.

Throughout his career, Busch accumulated 234 victories spanning NASCAR’s three premier divisions: 63 Cup Series wins, 102 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and 69 in the Craftsman Truck Series. His final triumph came at Dover’s truck race last Friday, just six days prior to his passing.

The driver from Las Vegas claimed NASCAR Cup Series championships in both 2015 and 2019. While the Daytona 500 victory eluded him, he earned his first pole position for the race this year before placing 15th.

Notable victories in Busch’s career included the 2008 Southern 500, back-to-back Brickyard 400 wins in 2015 and 2016, and the 2019 Coca-Cola 600.

France’s chances at their home Grand Slam tournament took a hit Saturday when rising star Arthur Fils announced his withdrawal from the French Open due to persistent hip problems.

The 21-year-old player, currently ranked 19th globally, had emerged as a possible championship contender following his recent victory in Barcelona and reaching the semifinals in Madrid. However, he was forced to retire during his match in Rome earlier this month while losing to Andrea Pellegrino in the second round.

“In Rome I felt a little bit like around the hip, you know, pain. It was bothering me a lot. I didn’t want to take any risk,” Fils told reporters. He mentioned that medical tests afterward appeared “pretty fine,” but the discomfort continued.

“I wasn’t able to practice for the last two weeks. Actually, the practice today was my first points since two weeks in Rome,” Fils explained.

“I’ll not be fit 100% to play the tournament, and I’ll not take any risk like I did last year. I don’t want to be stupid.”

Fils had been scheduled to play against Stan Wawrinka in his first-round match.

This withdrawal continues a troubling pattern of injuries that have hampered the young player’s career development. A year ago, he was forced to abandon Roland Garros following the second round due to a stress fracture in his lower back.

That back injury essentially ended Fils’ entire season last year, and an attempted comeback in Toronto during August proved too early, requiring another extended recovery period.

After returning to competition in February, Fils showed strong form with impressive performances in Doha, Indian Wells, and Miami before capturing the Barcelona title, where he defeated Andrey Rublev in the championship match for his first victory since his injury comeback.

Yannick Noah remains the sole Frenchman to capture a Grand Slam title during the professional era, winning his home tournament in 1983.

The French Open tournament starts Sunday.

XIAMEN, China, May 23 – Olympic champion Masai Russell from the United States moved within striking distance of the women’s 100-meter hurdles world record Saturday, running 12.14 seconds at the Diamond League meet in Xiamen. The event also saw China’s Yan Ziyi launch the javelin 71.74 meters, marking the second-longest throw ever recorded by a female athlete.

In other standout performances, Brazil’s Alison dos Santos defeated Karsten Warholm in a showdown between Paris Olympics medalists in the men’s 400m hurdles, and Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala narrowly beat Gift Leotlela in the men’s 100-meter dash.

Russell, who established herself as the world’s second-fastest woman in the 100m hurdles with a 12.17-second performance last year, delivered on her Friday commitment to steadily work toward the world record this season. She maintained her lead from start to finish in the race.

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who established the current world record of 12.12 seconds in 2022, came in second place, trailing Russell by 0.14 seconds.

“I don’t know when (the world record) is going to come but I keep getting closer and closer. I’m blessed, I’m ecstatic and all the hard work is truly showing,” said Russell.

The 18-year-old Yan generated tremendous excitement from the local spectators when she established a new under-20 world record on her opening attempt, coming tantalizingly close to the 72.28-meter mark set by Czech athlete Barbora Spotakova for the current world record in 2008.

Yan chose not to make additional attempts and dominated the competition, while Norway’s Sigrid Borge claimed second place with a 65.00-meter effort.

“I came to this race with the goal for 65m, so it really blew my mind to see that result coming,” said Yan.

“A flash in the pan is not what I want, I don’t want this 71.74 to be just a one-time thing… I think I can push harder. I’ll see how it will go for the next couple of years and prepare for breaking the world record.”

In the men’s 100-meter sprint, Omanyala accelerated at the race’s midpoint. Leotlela, who claimed victory the previous week, closed the gap in the final stretch, but the South African runner had to accept second place as the Kenyan athlete drove to triumph with powerful knee drive, finishing in 9.94 seconds.

Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson dominated the women’s 200-meter race for the second consecutive week, while American Jamal Britt captured the men’s 110-meter hurdles. His fellow American and world champion Cordell Tinch faded in the closing meters and placed fifth.

In the men’s 400-meter hurdles, two-time Olympic bronze medalist Dos Santos ran shoulder-to-shoulder with Warholm, the former Olympic gold medalist who earned silver in Paris. However, in the final sprint, Dos Santos surged ahead to win in 46.72 seconds.

A late surge also benefited Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune in the men’s 5,000-meter race. He initiated his move just before the final curve and pushed through to cross the line in 12 minutes and 57.32 seconds before collapsing while holding his knee.

“It is good. It was all good,” Yihune said, confirming he was not seriously injured.

Three-time Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser displayed no effects from his persistent elbow problem, placing third with a 21.41-meter throw in his first major competition since capturing the World Championship last year.

Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell achieved a 22.34-meter throw to earn his inaugural Diamond League victory.

Heavy rain predictions for the New York area forced officials to call off Saturday’s scheduled matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and Yankees.

The postponed contest will be rescheduled as a split-admission doubleheader on September 22, coinciding with the Yankees’ last homestand of the regular season.

Tampa Bay had planned to start right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who will now likely take the mound Sunday, despite continued heavy rain projections for the New York region. The Yankees were set to use Ryan Weathers on Saturday, and the left-handed pitcher will probably be pushed back to Sunday’s game.

Tampa Bay enters the series riding a five-game winning streak and holds a commanding 4-0 advantage in the season matchup, with each of those victories coming by margins of two runs or less. The Rays kicked off the series with a dramatic comeback, plating four runs in the eighth inning against reliever Tim Hill to secure a 4-2 win.

The rally featured Jonathan Aranda’s game-tying double and a crucial two-run single by Richie Palacios that deflected off Hill’s glove during the eighth frame. This victory extended Tampa Bay’s lead in the American League East to 5 1/2 games over the Yankees.

The Rays have compiled an impressive 22-4 record over their last 26 contests.

Meanwhile, the Yankees continue to struggle, managing just four victories in their previous 14 outings while being limited to three runs or fewer in nine of those games. Over their last three contests, New York has managed only three total runs while posting a dismal .136 batting average (3-for-22) with runners in scoring position.

The French Open tournament kicks off Sunday in Paris, with Novak Djokovic launching his pursuit of a fourth French Open championship and a historic 25th Grand Slam title against French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. World number three Alexander Zverev will also begin play against Benjamin Bonzi.

The clay court tournament opens amid controversy, as several players limited their participation in the customary pre-tournament media events on Friday and Saturday due to escalating disputes over prize money and player representation.

FEATURED MEN’S MATCH: DJOKOVIC VERSUS MPETSHI PERRICARD

The 39-year-old Djokovic has competed in only one match since the Indian Wells tournament in March and will need to overcome any competitive rust when he faces Mpetshi Perricard for their first career meeting in his tournament opener.

The Serbian star has spent two years pursuing his 25th major championship, which would surpass Margaret Court’s record and give him sole ownership of the all-time Grand Slam record, though that goal appears increasingly challenging.

“I wanted to play more but my body was not allowing me. I was going through rehabilitation process for my injury,” Djokovic told reporters.

“If I’m able to somehow maintain a level of freshness and progress… then I feel like I have always a very good chance. I have proven that in Australia this year where I was close to winning another Slam. I always have that belief in me when I’m on the court.”

FEATURED WOMEN’S MATCH: ANDREEVA VERSUS FERRO

Russian player Mirra Andreeva has enjoyed an impressive clay court season, capturing the Linz Open title and advancing to her first WTA 1000 championship match at the Madrid Open, plus reaching the semifinals in Stuttgart and quarterfinals in Rome.

The 19-year-old opens against France’s Fiona Ferro, ranked 200th in the world, and should advance easily if she can avoid being rattled by the home crowd support like during her quarterfinal loss to Lois Boisson at last year’s tournament.

“Obviously the crowd is going to support her (Ferro) as much as they can, and that’s totally okay,” Andreeva said.

“I have some experience even from last year when I played quarters, so I pretty much know what to expect… We will see how it’s going to go, but I hope they’re not going to be too hard on me.”

ZVEREV’S GRAND SLAM BREAKTHROUGH OPPORTUNITY?

Zverev has repeatedly come close to capturing his first Grand Slam championship throughout his career, advancing to three finals without success, and the French Open appears to offer his strongest opportunity to finally break through.

The 29-year-old German reached the Paris final in 2024 and has advanced to at least the quarterfinal round in seven of the last eight tournaments, making him a top contender this year, particularly with injured world number two Carlos Alcaraz absent.

Zverev opens against Bonzi, who could present challenges as the French player is among only three competitors to win a set against world number one Jannik Sinner during the Italian’s remarkable 29-match victory streak.

SUNDAY’S FRENCH OPEN SCHEDULE:

COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER (starting at 1000 GMT)

Sinja Kraus (Austria) v 11-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland)

Benjamin Bonzi (France) v 2-Alexander Zverev (Germany)

8-Mirra Andreeva (Russia) v Fiona Ferro (France)

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (France) v 3-Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

COURT SUZANNE LENGLEN (starting at 0900 GMT)

13-Karen Khachanov (Russia) v Arthur Gea (France)

26-Hailey Baptiste (United States) v Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic)

7-Taylor Fritz (U.S.) v Nishesh Basavareddy (U.S.)

Ksenia Efremova (France) v 18-Sorana Cirstea (Romania)

COURT SIMONNE MATHIEU (starting at 0900 GMT)

15-Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) v Oksana Selekhmeteva (Russia)

Katie Volynets (U.S.) v Clara Burel (France)

Titouan Droguet (France) v 26-Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic)

28-Joao Fonseca (Brazil) v Luka Pavlovic (France)

Officials with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national soccer team say they have no intention of modifying their World Cup preparation plans, even after receiving a stern warning from United States authorities about mandatory isolation requirements before entering the country.

On Friday, Andrew Giuliani, who serves as executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, told ESPN that the Congolese delegation must stay in isolation at their Belgium training facility for 21 days or face the possibility of being refused entry into the United States. This requirement stems from a fatal Ebola virus outbreak currently affecting the central African nation.

The team from Congo is scheduled to set up their tournament base in Houston and will face Portugal in their first Group K match on June 17. Their remaining group stage games include a June 23 contest against Colombia in Guadalajara, Mexico, and a June 27 matchup with Uzbekistan in Atlanta.

Giuliani emphasized the seriousness of the situation in his ESPN interview, stating: “We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11.”

He added: “We’ve made it very clear to the Congo government as well that they need to maintain that bubble or they risk not being able to travel to the United States. We cannot be any clearer.”

However, a team spokesperson indicated that their current timeline remains unchanged, which includes exhibition matches against Denmark in Liege, Belgium on June 3, and Chile in Cadiz, Spain on June 9.

The official explained: “We have kept our training programme. No player in the squad has come from DR Congo.”

All squad members, including head coach Sebastien Desabre, are currently residing outside of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with most located in Europe. Some team administrators did travel to the Belgium training camp from the DRC this week.

The squad had originally planned a three-day celebration visit to Kinshasa next week before departing for their first World Cup appearance in 52 years, but this trip has been scrapped.

On Friday, the World Health Organization elevated the risk level to “very high” for the uncommon Bundibugyo strain of Ebola potentially spreading into a nationwide outbreak in the DRC. The organization has also classified the outbreak affecting both the DRC and neighboring Uganda as an emergency of international concern.

Health officials report nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina enters the French Open as a potential championship candidate following her recent Italian Open victory, but the athlete is maintaining a measured perspective about her title prospects, emphasizing that a relaxed mental approach and concentration on her play matter more than dwelling on capturing her first Grand Slam championship.

The 31-year-old athlete defeated reigning Roland Garros titleholder Coco Gauff in last week’s Italian Open championship match after securing hard-fought victories against world number two Elena Rybakina and third-ranked Iga Swiatek.

Although she claimed her most significant tournament victory since taking maternity leave following her daughter’s birth with fellow tennis professional Gael Monfils in 2022, Svitolina, currently ranked seventh globally, emphasized she won’t burden herself with expectations entering the Grand Slam tournament beginning Sunday.

“It’s all about trying to focus on my game, my performance, not going too far with the thoughts about if I can win the title or not,” Svitolina, who faces Hungarian opponent Anna Bondar in her opening match, explained to media members Saturday.

“There’s still lots of matches to win to get that title, and you need to be fit and mentally ready.

“There’s still a lot of work ahead. It’s just important to focus on the first round, one match at a time, and be ready for anything that comes my way.”

The Ukrainian player, who has advanced beyond the quarterfinal stage at every Grand Slam tournament except Roland Garros, expressed contentment with her career trajectory.

“It’s okay if I don’t win a slam,” she stated.

“It’s also fine, in a way, because if you’re not okay with that I think you can just eat yourself from inside and all the time not be happy about what you do on the court.

“I think my career, even if I finish tomorrow, is okay. And if something happens, I’ll be fine with that and I’ll still be a happy person and live my life good.

“So I just want to have this mentality now, because I think when you’re younger, of course you want to win a slam, this is the goal, number one, and you’re so upset and you can really damage yourself mentally if you don’t succeed.

“I still believe I can win a Grand Slam but I’m also fine if it’s not going to happen or if it’s not on the cards for me.”

Tampa Bay mounted a decisive four-run rally in the eighth inning to defeat the New York Yankees 4-2 on Friday night, overshadowing what had been an impressive comeback performance by Gerrit Cole in his return from reconstructive elbow surgery.

The Rays capitalized on defensive miscues by the Yankees’ infield during their explosive eighth-inning surge, scoring four times against relievers Tim Hill and Camilo Doval in just six at-bats to turn a close game into a 4-1 advantage.

With the victory, Tampa Bay maintained their perfect record against New York this season at 4-0 while extending their division lead in the AL East to 5 1/2 games. The win marked the Rays’ fifth consecutive victory and their 22nd triumph in 26 contests.

Cole delivered a solid performance in his first outing since facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series on Oct. 30, 2024. The right-handed pitcher surrendered just two hits across six innings while recording two strikeouts and issuing three walks.

Braves 5, Nationals 4 (11 innings)

Chadwick Tromp delivered clutch hitting in extra innings, first tying the game with a single in the 10th before delivering the winning hit in the 11th to give Atlanta victory over visiting Washington.

Tyler Kinley (4-2) pitched a flawless 11th inning as Atlanta captured its fourth consecutive win. Austin Riley and Mauricio Dubon each collected three hits in the victory.

Washington got home runs from CJ Abrams and Curtis Mead but dropped their fourth game in six tries. Paxton Schultz (0-2) surrendered Tromp’s game-winning hit.

Blue Jays 6, Pirates 2

Kevin Gausman dominated with eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings as Toronto defeated visiting Pittsburgh to extend their winning streak to three games.

Gausman (4-3) surrendered one run on six hits to earn his first victory in five outings. Louis Varland closed out the final six batters for his seventh save. Yohendrick Pinango and George Springer contributed two-run doubles, while Ernie Clement and Jesus Sanchez hit back-to-back doubles in the eighth.

Pittsburgh committed three defensive errors, including two in the third inning that helped Toronto score three runs. Bubba Chandler (1-6) struck out a career-high 11 batters while allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits across five innings. Brandon Lowe recorded two hits and scored twice.

Astros 4, Cubs 2

Christian Vazquez powered Houston’s offense with a home run, single and two RBIs as the visiting Astros defeated Chicago in their series opener.

Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti (6-1) held Chicago scoreless through five innings, allowing just two hits. The victory came after the Astros had managed only six runs total in their previous four games, losing three of them.

Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (2-4) gave up four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Pete Crow-Armstrong homered for Chicago, which extended their losing streak to six games and dropped 10 of 12.

Guardians 1, Phillies 0

Pinch hitter Kyle Manzardo connected for a ninth-inning home run off Jhoan Duran, giving visiting Cleveland their seventh straight victory over Philadelphia.

Gavin Williams (7-3) was dominant through eight innings, striking out 11 without issuing a walk while allowing four hits. Cade Smith earned his 17th save as Cleveland’s pitching staff overcame an offense that managed just four hits against Cristopher Sanchez.

Sanchez threw eight scoreless innings, extending his shutout streak to 37 2/3 consecutive innings — the longest by a Philadelphia pitcher since at least 1920. However, Duran (1-2) surrendered the decisive homer to Manzardo.

Rockies 3, Diamondbacks 2

Chad Stevens came through with the go-ahead single with one out in the ninth inning, helping Colorado secure victory over Arizona in Phoenix.

Stevens’ first hit of the season and third of his career drove home Sterlin Thompson with the winning run as Colorado snapped a three-game skid. TJ Rumfield had tied the game for the Rockies with a double in the eighth.

Arizona’s Lourdes Gurriel Jr. drove in two runs before leaving in the sixth inning with left hamstring tightness. The Diamondbacks surrendered a 2-0 lead and saw their season-best five-game winning streak come to an end.

White Sox 9, Giants 4

Munetaka Murakami capped a nine-run fourth inning with a bases-clearing double, while Davis Martin cruised to his fifth straight win as Chicago prevailed at San Francisco.

Andrew Benintendi added a two-run double and Sam Antonacci, the major league leader in hit-by-pitches, was plunked twice and scored twice in the same inning, helping Chicago win their ninth game in 12 tries. Martin (7-1) allowed four runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Trevor McDonald (2-1) was charged with seven runs in 3 2/3 innings as San Francisco dropped their fourth straight. Luis Arraez had an RBI single among his two hits.

Twins 8, Red Sox 6

Byron Buxton and Austin Martin launched two-run homers in the seventh inning as visiting Minnesota rallied for victory over Boston to open their three-game series.

The Twins overcame deficits of 4-0 and 6-3 to win behind their four-run seventh, tagging Boston reliever Justin Slaten (0-2) for his first earned runs of the season. Buxton and Martin each went 2-for-5 and combined for five RBIs. Travis Adams (1-0) pitched two innings of relief.

Wilyer Abreu (2-for-5) and Nick Sogard (2-for-3) both collected multiple hits for Boston.

Orioles 7, Tigers 4

Jackson Holliday’s first hit in three games since his season debut this week was a two-run go-ahead homer in the fourth inning, leading Baltimore past visiting Detroit in their series opener.

Pete Alonso launched a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs as Baltimore ended a three-game losing streak to begin a 10-game homestand. Gunnar Henderson collected three hits while Holliday, Adley Rutschman and Leody Taveras each had two hits.

Kevin McGonigle homered for Detroit, which suffered its seventh consecutive loss. Hao-Yu Lee had two hits and two RBIs. Jack Flaherty (0-6) surrendered six runs (three earned) on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Marlins 2, Mets 1

Owen Caissie drove in two runs and Jakob Marsee made two spectacular catches in center field for host Miami, which edged New York in their series opener.

Eury Perez (3-6) and three relievers combined on a three-hitter for Miami, which ended a three-game losing streak. New York has dropped three of four. Perez allowed two hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Juan Soto blasted a 449-foot homer to right-center in the first inning before adding a single in the fourth. Mets opener Tobias Myers gave up one hit in his first start of the season.

Padres 7, Athletics 3

Ramon Laureano broke a tie with a home run in the bottom of the seventh inning as San Diego defeated visiting Oakland in their series opener.

Laureano worked a full count against Jeffrey Springs (3-5) before crushing a changeup an estimated 401 feet to left field for his sixth homer of the year. The blast made a winner of reliever Adrian Morejon (4-1), who worked 1 1/3 perfect innings with three strikeouts.

Springs allowed only three hits — all home runs — and four runs in 6 1/3 innings. San Diego starter Walker Buehler received a no-decision after giving up five hits and three runs in five innings.

Mariners 2, Royals 0

Mitch Garver clubbed a two-run homer in the seventh inning, after Logan Gilbert pitched effectively into the sixth, and visiting Seattle edged struggling Kansas City.

Gilbert allowed two hits and never faced serious trouble over 5 2/3 innings. Kansas City starter Noah Cameron matched Gilbert’s effectiveness, allowing four hits and tying a career high with eight strikeouts while throwing 96 pitches over six strong innings.

Seattle managed just five hits, but Garver and Julio Rodriguez each had two. Gilbert, Eduard Bazardo (3-2), Matt Brash and Andres Munoz (nine saves) combined to allow just four hits and strike out 10 Kansas City batters, who have scored 28 runs while losing 10 of 11.

Brewers 5, Dodgers 1

William Contreras established the tone with an early three-run homer and Logan Henderson threw five innings of two-hit ball to lead Milwaukee past visiting Los Angeles in the opener between division leaders.

Milwaukee, coming off a Cubs sweep, has won 12 of 14 to reach the top of the NL Central. The NL West-leading Dodgers had won five of six on their current road trip. It marked the first meeting since Los Angeles swept Milwaukee in last season’s NLCS.

Henderson (2-1) allowed two singles in five innings. Los Angeles, which managed just three hits, scored an unearned run in the seventh on Shohei Ohtani’s sacrifice fly. Milwaukee jumped on Justin Wrobleski (6-2) for four runs on six hits in a 10-batter, 38-pitch first inning.

Angels 9, Rangers 6

Zach Neto hit two home runs and Anaheim native Wade Meckler homered in his first career Angels at-bat, a three-run shot, leading Los Angeles past Texas in Anaheim, Calif.

Oswald Peraza went 3-for-4 with a homer as Los Angeles snapped a three-game losing streak. Grayson Rodriguez (1-1) earned his first win since 2024 after allowing four runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Brandon Nimmo homered, doubled and drove in two runs while Danny Jansen also went deep for Texas, which had won three of four. Jacob deGrom (3-4) was tagged for six runs on six hits in three innings.

Friday brought news that appears to resolve the most pressing question surrounding the United States World Cup team selection, as The Athletic reported that Gio Reyna has secured a place on the squad.

The 23-year-old midfielder possesses considerable technical ability, but his selection by coach Mauricio Pochettino has sparked debate given his injury-plagued career, poor recent club performance, and previous behavioral concerns with the national squad.

This season has been particularly disappointing for Reyna, who earned only four starting positions and participated in a mere 19 matches while playing for Borussia Monchengladbach. His offensive production was minimal, recording a single goal with zero assists.

His career included six seasons with German club Borussia Dortmund, plus a short loan period at England’s Nottingham Forest. Following a productive 2020-21 campaign where he started 23 matches and contributed four goals plus five assists for Dortmund, injuries severely reduced his availability in subsequent seasons.

While Reyna has netted nine goals across 36 appearances for the U.S. men’s national team, his most notable headlines may have stemmed from his limited role during the 2022 World Cup. Reports indicated he nearly faced removal from that tournament’s roster due to his negative response to being relegated to reserve status.

Another significant development in the reported roster involves the exclusion of Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna. The 22-year-old has scored four times in 18 national team matches and earned recognition for his tenacious style, exemplified when he continued playing in last year’s Costa Rica friendly despite suffering a broken nose.

Several players who faced uncertain selection prospects ultimately secured roster spots according to the report, including Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner, Toulouse center back Mark McKenzie, and Leeds United winger Brenden Aaronson.

Sebastian Berhalter, age 25, is the son of former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter.

Pochettino plans to announce the complete 26-player roster during a Tuesday ceremony in New York.

Mexico claimed a convincing 2-0 victory against Ghana during a World Cup preparation match held Friday evening in Puebla, providing fans a preview of the anticipation growing with less than three weeks remaining until the nation begins tournament competition.

Despite Puebla not being designated as one of Mexico’s World Cup venue locations, supporters wearing green jerseys generated an energetic environment all evening long. Continuous waves circled the venue even though certain sections remained visibly vacant due to closures mandated by FIFA penalties related to offensive crowd behavior during earlier national squad competitions.

Brian Gutierrez established Mexico’s dominance right away, bending a shot into the net from outside the penalty area just two minutes into play at Cuauhtemoc Stadium.

Young Liga MX standout Gil Mora hit the goalpost during the opening period, while Alexis Vega saw his header disallowed due to an offside violation before halftime arrived.

Ghana, playing without their newly named coach Carlos Queiroz who was not present while assistant coaches directed from the sideline, nearly found an equalizer early in the second period after creating two goalkeeper saves and striking the upper crossbar.

However, replacement player Guillermo Martinez crushed the visiting team’s comeback hopes in the 54th minute, completing a fast break opportunity to extend Mexico’s advantage to two goals.

Manager Javier Aguirre utilized the exhibition match to assess his roster before announcing Mexico’s complete World Cup team selection on June 1st, bringing in European-based talents Edson Alvarez, Jorge Sanchez and Luis Chávez for second-half action after they recently arrived at the training facility.

Los Angeles third baseman Max Muncy will be sidelined for several games after taking a pitch to his right wrist during the eighth inning of Friday’s 5-1 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers at their home stadium.

The 35-year-old player, who had gone without a hit in his previous three plate appearances, was struck by a 95.5 mph slider thrown by reliever Aaron Ashby.

Following the contest, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shared encouraging news about the injury. “The initial X-ray was negative, which was great,” Roberts said. “I think it got enough of the pad to protect it. He’ll be down for the next couple days just to make sure we get that swelling out. I think right now, we’re breathing a sigh of relief.”

Despite the positive test results, Muncy remains cautiously hopeful about his condition.

“I’m not feeling great right now, but it is a relief,” Muncy commented. “We’ve just got to monitor it the next couple of days. Typically, especially in that area, the X-rays never come back positive immediately. It kind of forms a little bit.”

“I’m pretty sure it half my wrist pad and then half my wrist. So me deciding to wear that wrist guard the last couple years might have saved my wrist.”

According to Roberts, Santiago Espinal, who entered the game as a pinch runner for Muncy, will take over third base duties for Saturday’s matchup.

The injured player currently paces the Dodgers with 12 home runs this season and maintains a .258 batting average along with 19 RBIs across 48 games.

The two-time All-Star began his major league career with the Oakland Athletics during 2015-16 before signing with Los Angeles as a free agent prior to the 2017 campaign. Throughout his career spanning 1,068 games, the three-time World Series winner has compiled a .231 batting average with 226 home runs and 623 RBIs.

Richard Childress Racing announced Friday it will permanently retire the No. 8 Chevrolet following the death of driver Kyle Busch, who passed away at 41 after battling a serious illness.

However, the racing team plans to hold the number for potential future use by Busch’s 11-year-old son, Brexton Busch, should he decide to pursue NASCAR competition.

In an official statement, RCR explained: “Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry. No one can carry it forward to the level that he did. The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing.”

The young Busch has already shown promise in motorsports, capturing the Tulsa Shootout Jr. Sprint Championship last year.

Beginning with Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, RCR will field the No. 33 Chevrolet with driver Austin Hill in place of the retired No. 8.

Kyle Busch leaves behind his wife Samantha and two children: Brexton and 4-year-old daughter Lennix.

During his racing career, Busch claimed NASCAR Cup Series titles in 2015 and 2019. He holds the all-time record with 234 wins across NASCAR’s three premier divisions, including 63 Cup Series victories.

San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama has achieved another milestone in his defensive dominance, earning every single first-place vote for the NBA All-Defensive First Team, the league revealed Friday evening. This recognition comes after the 22-year-old star received the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year honor just last month.

Joining Wembanyama on the elite first team are Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, Detroit’s Ausar Thompson, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, and Boston’s Derrick White. Notably, Holmgren faced off against Wembanyama during the Western Conference finals.

Both Holmgren and Thompson ranked as the second and third place finishers in the Defensive Player of the Year race, trailing behind Wembanyama, who topped the NBA with 3.1 blocks per game for his third consecutive season leading that category.

The All-Defensive First Team voting results showed Holmgren in second place with 93 first-place votes and four second-place selections, totaling 190 points. Thompson claimed third with 72 first-place votes and 22 third-place votes for 166 points. Gobert earned fourth place with 151 points from 61 first-place and 29 second-place votes, while White rounded out the top five with 146 points from 58 first-place and 30 second-place votes.

The All-Defensive Second Team features Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace alongside Toronto’s Scottie Barnes, New York’s OG Anunoby, Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels, and Miami’s Bam Adebayo.

Adebayo received additional recognition as the NBA Social Justice Champion, earning the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy. The league will also contribute $100,000 to the Bam, Books & Brotherhood Foundation in his honor.

“I accept this award not just for myself, but for every voice that has gone unheard and every person working behind the scenes to create a more just and compassionate world,” Adebayo stated in a team announcement.

The other contenders for the social justice award included Boston’s Jaylen Brown, San Antonio’s Harrison Barnes, Cleveland’s Larry Nance Jr., and Detroit’s Tobias Harris.

BOSTON — Baseball legend Roger Clemens stepped back onto the pitcher’s mound at Fenway Park, delivering another fastball from the familiar spot.

This time, however, his son was positioned behind home plate as the catcher.

The former Boston ace, who holds the Red Sox record for strikeouts with 2,590, threw his ceremonial first pitch slightly to the right of the plate to his 30-year-old son Kody Clemens, a utility player for the Minnesota Twins, before Friday evening’s game between Minnesota and Boston.

The 63-year-old grandfather was pleased with the moment, especially with family members and grandchildren watching from the stadium seats.

“A little two-seamer. Didn’t slip, didn’t tear anything,” Clemens said. “Home plate seems to get farther and farther away every year. I don’t know what that’s about. But it’s kind of like the Ted Williams seat. I think we know no one’s going to hit one there and it keeps going up one row every year.”

Attendees received a commemorative Roger Clemens bobblehead as part of his return to Fenway Park.

This marked another father-son baseball moment for the Clemens family. Earlier in 2025, Roger and Kody shared pregame duties when they exchanged lineup cards during a spring training contest between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, with Roger working for New York while Kody played for Philadelphia.

In 2006, Roger also shared the field with his eldest son Koby in the minor leagues when the then-43-year-old pitcher was completing a rehabilitation assignment with the Houston Astros during what would become his second-to-last major league campaign.

According to Roger, his family enjoys teasing him about certain baseball achievements that his son has accomplished that he never will.

“They’re always messing with me now because they said he’s done two things in professional ball that I never will: strike out (Shohei) Ohtani and hit a home run here at Fenway,” Clemens said.

One honor that still eludes the veteran pitcher is having his major league jersey number retired. The University of Texas honored their former standout as the first player to receive that recognition in 1993.

Although Clemens isn’t officially recognized on Boston’s honor roll, no full-time Red Sox player has worn his No. 21 since his departure following the 1996 season.

He expressed interest in potentially having the number retired by the Red Sox, the team where he spent the majority of his career.

“I don’t have any control over that, but I had 13 wonderful years here. I love that number,” Clemens said. “I thought it was really cool when I came out at Texas that they had it hanging in my locker. So, it’s been a great number for me. I went to 22 a little bit, and a lot of family members had that number, too. So both solid numbers.”

NEW YORK — After an absence spanning 569 days, Yankees star pitcher Gerrit Cole made his highly anticipated return to the mound Friday evening, delivering six scoreless innings against Tampa Bay while helping his team to a 1-0 advantage.

The 35-year-old right-handed pitcher, who underwent elbow ligament reconstruction surgery in March 2025, surrendered just two hits and issued three walks while recording two strikeouts. Cole delivered 50 strikes out of his 72 total pitches, beginning 18 of 22 at-bats with strikes.

The six-time All-Star and 2023 American League Cy Young Award recipient displayed remarkable command for someone returning from such an extended break. Cole required only 11 pitches combined in the third and fourth frames and at one point set down 10 consecutive batters.

His four-seam fastball averaged 96.1 mph across 35 offerings, topping out at 98.6 mph during the opening inning. Cole’s arsenal included 13 sinkers, 10 sliders, eight changeups and six knuckle-curves throughout the outing.

Cole demonstrated his baseball instincts by picking off a baserunner to navigate first-inning difficulty and displayed clear passion when he yelled after firing a full-count fastball past Jonathan Aranda for a called strikeout in the fifth frame.

Austin Wells provided offensive support with a fifth-inning home run against Nick Martinez.

Sporting several days of facial hair, Cole warmed up to the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” then knelt on the infield dirt just in front of the pitcher’s mound to focus on the ground. He incorporated his modified overhead arm motion in his delivery, a technique developed during his rehabilitation process.

Cole maintained his stamina by eating bananas in the dugout between innings.

Chandler Simpson faced a 95.9 mph called strike to open the contest, then managed an opposite-field bloop hit to left-center on another fastball and moved up when Junior Caminero drew a full-count walk. After Aranda flew out, Cole caught Simpson off second base during his leadoff attempt and Yandy Díaz went down looking on a sinker for the third out.

Cole navigated around a one-out walk in the second inning, then set down three straight batters on seven pitches in the third and again on four pitches in the fourth. He retired 10 consecutive hitters before Cedric Mullins broke through with a fifth-inning base hit.

Cole’s last meaningful major league appearance came on Oct. 30, 2024, during Game 5 of the World Series, when the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied from a 5-0 deficit by scoring five unearned runs off Cole to capture the championship.

He underwent medical testing after surrendering two home runs during his second spring training appearance in 2025 against Minnesota on March 6, leading to reconstructive elbow surgery five days afterward.

Cole completed two one-inning spring training appearances this season on March 18 and 24, then started his minor league rehabilitation assignments on April 17. He posted a 4.71 ERA across 28 2/3 innings, giving up 28 hits while striking out 28 and walking three batters.

Former Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi says he’s ready for Sunday’s big race despite dealing with injuries from a crash earlier in the week. The driver was behind the wheel of a backup vehicle during Friday’s practice after sustaining injuries to his left hand and right ankle in Monday’s incident.

The 2016 Indy 500 champion was hurt during Monday’s wreck in Turn 2 that also included Pato O’Ward in the collision. Following the accident, Rossi was seen using crutches when he exited his vehicle.

During Friday’s “Carb Day” media session, the Ed Carpenter Racing competitor expressed confidence that his No. 20 Chevrolet would perform well in Sunday’s race at Indianapolis despite the setback.

“I feel fine, it was good,” Rossi commented about Friday’s practice session. “It was really important that it didn’t rain today for obvious reasons, and the (No.) 20 car did an amazing job to build a car that’s just as good as the one we had.

“It never gets old. This place is magical for so many different reasons. If we can do something pretty cool on Sunday, it’ll be one heck of a story.”

During Friday’s session, Rossi completed 48 laps with his fastest speed reaching 222.291 mph, placing him 31st among all 33 competitors. He’s scheduled to begin Sunday’s race from the second starting position. Defending champion Alex Palou of Spain earned the pole position, while David Malukas in the No. 3 car rounds out the front row.

O’Ward also took his backup vehicle out for Friday’s practice and noticed differences in how it handled compared to his original car.

“Every car has its little details of how it likes certain setups and adjustments,” explained O’Ward of Mexico. “I think this one, as much as it was like the other, it wasn’t. It’s a different car.

“We’re getting there, we are getting there. (The practice) obviously ended much better than it started, so we’ve found the right direction, and I think we’ve got (the car) in the window where we can work with it during the race.”

The Arrow McLaren driver posted his fastest lap at 224.202, ranking 20th for the day after completing 58 laps.

Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden from Team Penske recorded Friday’s quickest time during Carb Day, clocking 228.342 on his 11th lap out of 55 total.

Newgarden faces a significant challenge starting from the eighth row in the 23rd position. The most recent driver to claim victory from such a far back starting spot was Johnny Rutherford, who won from 25th place in 1974.

The recent champion wasn’t placing too much emphasis on Friday’s practice results.

“It feels OK, feels all right,” said the 2023 and 2024 winner. “But today is Friday. We’ve got to be good on Sunday.

“I’m just ready to get to Sunday. Sunday is what’s going to matter with the Shell car. Team Chevy has done a great job for us this month, so I’m excited to go racing.”

Four-time Indianapolis 500 victor Helio Castroneves of Brazil remains a contender to watch as he prepares for his 26th appearance at the legendary speedway.

The 51-year-old driver, who celebrated his birthday earlier this month, finished 19th in Friday’s practice with a speed of 224.293 after running 70 laps.

“It feels great, this machine looks strong,” Castroneves stated. “The guys did a great job.”

Castroneves last captured the Indianapolis 500 in 2021, adding to his previous victories in 2001, 2002, and 2009.

American tennis player Tommy Paul mounted an impressive turnaround Friday to secure his spot in the Hamburg Open championship match, overcoming Australia’s Alex de Minaur 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in semifinal action in Germany.

The sixth-seeded Paul found himself in deep trouble early, falling behind 3-0 in the second set after dropping the opener. But the American then dominated play, capturing nine consecutive games to flip the match in his favor and control the deciding set. This marks Paul’s 10th career tour-level final appearance and his second on clay surfaces, with both clay finals coming this season following his Houston championship last month. While de Minaur managed to save 13 of 17 break point opportunities, he struggled on second serves, winning only 44% of those points.

Paul’s championship opponent will be qualifier Ignacio Buse, who made history by becoming Peru’s first player to reach a tour-level final since Luis Horna accomplished the feat in 2007. The 22-year-old Buse dominated lucky loser Aleksander Kovacevic 6-1, 6-4 in just 64 minutes. Despite landing only 42% of his first serves, Buse was nearly perfect on serve, winning 89% of his service points.

At the Geneva Open in Switzerland, No. 4 Learner Tien survived a marathon battle against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, the tournament’s second seed, prevailing 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (5) to claim his first clay court final berth.

The 20-year-old Tien looked poised for an easy finish after racing to a 6-1 lead in the decisive tiebreaker, but needed five match points before finally securing victory. Tien becomes Geneva’s youngest finalist since Sergi Bruguera in 1990 and marks the first American to reach the tournament’s final since Aaron Krickstein in 1984.

Tien’s final opponent will be unseeded Argentine Mariano Navone, who upset three-time Geneva champion and sixth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway 7-5, 6-2. Navone controlled the match with superior shot-making, recording 27 winners compared to Ruud’s 21 while committing fewer unforced errors 29-19. Saturday’s Geneva final will crown a second-time tour-level champion, as both players seek their second career trophy.

The New York Yankees have brought back their former Cy Young Award-winning pitcher from the injured list, with the right-hander set to take the mound Friday night against Tampa Bay in a crucial American League East battle at home.

The veteran starter has spent 14 months working his way back from Tommy John surgery, with the last two months focused on gradually strengthening his arm and participating in minor league rehabilitation games as he prepared for his Yankees comeback.

“It’s been tough. I mean, I’ve missed it quite a bit,” the pitcher said earlier this week. “There’s been some blessings along the way as well. I talked about my family and spending time with my boys. But largely I’m just looking forward to being really tired and having that exhaustion, like, mean something.”

The 35-year-old will step onto a major league mound for the first time since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That following spring, he underwent reconstructive elbow surgery just five days after giving up two home runs during a spring training appearance against the Minnesota Twins.

During spring training this season, he made two appearances for the Yankees before starting his rehabilitation assignment on April 17. Across six minor league games with three different New York affiliate teams, he recorded a 4.66 ERA while surrendering 28 hits over 29 innings, striking out 28 batters and issuing three walks.

“We’re thrilled to get him back,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday. “I think that goes without saying. It’s been a long road and I feel like he’s crushed the rehab process. I feel like the ramp up’s been really good. We’ve been diligent, haven’t skipped things and haven’t rushed things.”

“As a result, I think he’s in position to come here and perform at a high level. That being said, it’s been a long time and so I’m sure there’ll be some things he’s got to iron out at this level, too.”

The Yankees also activated utility man Jose Caballero from the 10-day injured list, where he had been recovering from a fractured finger.

Caballero sustained the injury to his right middle finger on May 10 while diving back to first base to avoid a pickoff attempt during a 4-3 road defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers.

While Caballero was sidelined, the Yankees promoted shortstop Anthony Volpe, who made his 2026 MLB debut after beginning the season rehabilitating from shoulder surgery performed last October before being sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 3.

Prior to getting hurt, Caballero was hitting .259 with four home runs, 13 RBIs and 13 stolen bases across 41 games, starting 39 contests at shortstop. The Yankees obtained him at the 2025 trade deadline from division rival Tampa Bay and utilized him in both outfield and infield positions, though he had secured the everyday shortstop role entering this season.

Right after Caballero’s injury occurred, Boone suggested the 29-year-old would keep his starting shortstop spot, but the Yankees manager remained uncommitted over the past week regarding how Volpe would be deployed once Caballero was cleared to return to the majors.

“We’ll see. We haven’t had that conversation yet. The biggest thing is he’s come up and played his butt off,” Boone said of Volpe during an appearance on “Talkin’ Yanks” on Tuesday. “The one thing that’s encouraging is how Anthony’s played in not ideal circumstances. He’s come up and performed at a really high level.”

Following Spencer Jones being sent to Triple-A Thursday, Volpe stays on the roster, although his future role remains uncertain as Caballero is listed in the starting lineup at shortstop for Friday night’s game.

Volpe, 25, competed through a partial labrum tear in his left (non-throwing) shoulder last season before undergoing the October surgery. Both his batting performance and defensive play declined in 2025 while dealing with the injury, a drop-off from his 21-home run, Gold Glove rookie campaign in 2023 across 159 games and his .243 average with 12 homers and 60 RBIs in 160 games during 2024.

Over 480 career games, Volpe has hit .222 with 52 home runs, 192 RBIs, 84 doubles and 72 stolen bases. He also shared the American League lead with 19 errors last season.