Mets Part Ways With Manager, Bring In Andy Green
The New York Mets have dismissed Carlos Mendoza as their field manager and tabbed Andy Green as his replacement. The move comes as New York sits in last place with a 34-47 record after dropping six consecutive games. The club trails first-place Atlanta in the NL East by 15 games and sits 9.5 games out of the final NL wild-card spot. Team owner Steve Cohen had lofty expectations heading into the season, which opened with the sport’s largest payroll at $358 million — with an additional $124 million projected in luxury tax payments. The Mets have not won a World Series since 1986.
Pulisic Back on Field in US World Cup Tune-Up Loss to Turkey
Christian Pulisic made his return to action for the United States national soccer team in a 3-2 World Cup group stage loss to Turkey in Inglewood, California. Pulisic came on as a substitute early in the second half, showing several strong moments in his first game appearance in nearly two weeks — his last action had come in the Americans’ opening tournament win over Paraguay. However, the match also included a tough moment for Pulisic when rising Turkish star Arda Güler nutmegged him, setting off the sequence that ended with Kaan Ayhan’s match-winning goal on the final kick of the game.
US Coach Frustrated by Reaction to Turkey Loss
Turkey claimed its only victory of the World Cup with a 3-2 win over the United States, with Kaan Ayhan netting the winner on the final play of the match. Auston Trusty opened the scoring for the Americans in the third minute, and Sebastian Berhalter equalized early in the second half. The US had already secured the group with earlier wins over Paraguay and Australia, prompting coach Pochettino to start nine new players. Pulisic entered in the 58th minute. Turkey’s winning goal came in the eighth minute of stoppage time when Can Uzun found space at the back post and set up Ayhan for the finish.
Serena Williams Set to Face 20-Year-Old Australian at Wimbledon
Tennis legend Serena Williams will open her Wimbledon campaign against 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in the first round — her first singles match at any tournament in nearly four years. The 44-year-old seven-time Wimbledon champion received a wild-card entry into the grass-court Grand Slam and will also team up with her older sister Venus in the doubles draw. Joint, ranked No. 53 in the world, made her Wimbledon debut last year and lost in the first round to Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2. Though born in the United States, Joint competes for Australia through her father. Elsewhere in the draw, defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek opens against Taylor Townsend, while men’s defending champion Jannik Sinner begins his title defense against Miomir Kecmanovic.
MLB Proposes Capping Free Agent Deals at 5 Years
Major League Baseball has put forward a proposal that would cap most free agent contracts at five years and limit them to 15% of a team’s salary cap, while also moving to eliminate deferred compensation. The proposal was presented during a bargaining session Thursday at the players’ union office and is expected to trigger significant pushback — potentially leading to the first loss of regular-season games since 1995. MLB also indicated it would accept the union’s proposal to grant free agency one year earlier to players who have turned 30. Additionally, the league proposed raising the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1 million for players with at least two years of major league service.
MLB Considers Banning High Schoolers From Signing Pro Contracts
MLB owners have recently floated a proposal that would prohibit high school players from signing with major league organizations directly out of high school — a dramatic shift for a sport that has long relied on teenage talent. Many current MLB stars launched their professional careers immediately after high school, including Pete Crow-Armstrong, Mike Trout, and Bobby Witt Jr. Most recently, Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin made his MLB debut at just 19 years old. The growing strength of college baseball as a development pipeline has made restructuring the minor leagues more feasible. In the 2025 MLB Draft, 56 of the top 90 picks came from college programs.
Marina Mabrey Ties WNBA Scoring Record With 53-Point Night
Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey put on a historic performance Thursday night, matching the all-time WNBA single-game scoring record with 53 points as Toronto routed the Los Angeles Sparks 125-97. Mabrey tied the record originally set by Liz Cambage for Dallas against New York on July 17, 2018, and later matched by A’ja Wilson for Las Vegas at Atlanta on August 22, 2023. The 29-year-old former Notre Dame standout finished 17-of-28 from the field, drained nine three-pointers in 18 attempts — tying another WNBA record — and converted 10 of 12 free throw attempts. When she came off the court with a minute remaining, the crowd briefly booed before breaking into cheers, and the final seconds ticked away to chants of “We Want Mabrey!”
WNBA Suspends Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas One Game for Hit on Caitlin Clark
The WNBA has handed Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas a one-game suspension after she made contact with her fist to Indiana’s Caitlin Clark’s throat during Wednesday night’s game. The incident occurred with 6:52 remaining in the second quarter and was classified by the league as a non-basketball act. Officials did not call a foul during the game, but the league reviewed the play and issued a Flagrant Foul 2 penalty after the fact — a review process the WNBA is permitted to use to reclassify or newly designate flagrant fouls. Thomas will serve the suspension Saturday when Phoenix visits the Toronto Tempo.
AC Milan Names New CEO in Push to Rebuild Winning Culture
Italian soccer club AC Milan has appointed Massimo Calvelli as its new chief executive officer as the organization looks to recapture a winning identity. Calvelli replaces Giorgio Furlani, who was dismissed by U.S. owner RedBird Capital Partners following a disappointing season that saw Milan miss out on Champions League qualification. RedBird managing partner Gerry Cardinale has made clear that a winning mentality — both on and off the pitch — is the top priority. Calvelli will retain his existing responsibilities at RedBird while taking on the CEO role at Milan.
Hornets Trade LaMelo Ball to Minnesota in Blockbuster Deal
The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to send point guard LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round draft pick, three first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029, and 2030, and three future second-round picks in 2029, 2032, and 2033, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the trade has not yet received league approval. ESPN was first to break the news. To fill Ball’s spot, Charlotte also reached an agreement on a three-year, $74 million contract with point guard Coby White, who backed up Ball last season and was set to become an unrestricted free agent.
