Ascension Sports, which represents Graves, made the announcement about Graves’ decision on social media Wednesday. Graves is the second major transfer portal addition for the Bluejays. They landed center Owen Freeman from Iowa last week.
Tomas Hertl Returns To Golden Knights' Practice In Non-Contact Jersey
Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl practiced today in a non-contact jersey for the first time since suffering his injury against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Mar. 23.
The initial reaction and news that broke was disheartening, with some reports saying that Hertl's chances of returning before the playoffs were slim. Twice Hertl was announced out for the remainder of the week but todays news was the first bit of positive news.
Returning in non-contact is the first step in the return process, the next step will be practicing with contact at least once. The Golden Knights are back in action on Thursday when they host the league-leading Winnipeg Jets.
The timeline following the injury has been unclear to both the fans and the organization.
"I’m sure he wants to be around his teammates," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "He’s been putting the work in. We weren’t sure how it was going to come along, but good to see him back out there."
Cassidy has ruled out Hertl for the next three games, but they'll be taking it day-by-day following those games. Allowing Hertl to get some game action before the beginning of the playoffs will bode well for the 31-year-old.
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Freshman Jeremiah Fears declares for NBA draft after one standout season at Oklahoma
Jeremiah Fears has declared for the NBA draft after one standout season at Oklahoma.
Fears made the announcement on a social media post Wednesday. The 6-foot-4 guard is projected by many to be a lottery pick. He averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists this season and helped the Sooners reach the NCAA Tournament.
“This year has been an incredible journey, and I am grateful for all the love and support I have received from the OU fan base!” he said in a statement on social media. “I want to express my gratitude to coach (Porter) Moser and the entire coaching staff, who believed in me and allowed me to showcase my abilities at the University of Oklahoma.”
The previous high-profile freshman at Oklahoma, Trae Young, has kept in contact with Fears. Young was the No. 5 pick in the 2018 draft and was an All-Star for the Atlanta Hawks this season.
“Jeremiah is going to be a really good player,” Young said in January. “I mean, being one of the highest recruits that we’ve got at OU in a while, I’ve been keeping up.”
Fears had plenty of big games that boosted his stock. He scored 26 points against Arizona. He hit a 30-footer, drew a foul and completed a four-point play late that pushed the Sooners to an 87-86 win over Michigan in the Jumpman Invitational. He scored 22 points on 7-for-15 shooting and made four 3-pointers in a loss to No. 2 Florida.
He scored 29 points in an Southeastern Conference Tournament win over Georgia. In a loss to Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament, he scored 20 points and kept the Sooners in the game.
Athletics trade speedy outfielder Esteury Ruiz to Dodgers for minor league pitcher
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics traded talented base-stealer and outfielder Esteury Ruiz to the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday for minor league right-hander Carlos Duran.
Ruiz, who led the American League with 67 stolen bases in 2023 for an AL rookie record, was designated for assignment by the A’s on Sunday. He is headed to join Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The A’s announced the move ahead of their series finale Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs at Sutter Health Park.
Ruiz topped Kenny Lofton’s then-record of 66 stolen bases set with Cleveland in 1992. The 26-year-old Ruiz was hindered by wrist and knee injuries last year, when he played in only 29 games and then underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in late September. He batted .254 with five home runs, 24 doubles, a triple and 47 RBIs in his only full major league season.
The Dodgers transferred right-hander Kyle Hurt to the 60-day injured list to clear room for Ruiz on the 40-man roster.
NBA investigating Ja Morant doing finger gun motions at Warriors bench
The NBA is investigating Ja Morant — who has been suspended multiple times by the NBA for waiving a gun on social media — for using a gun gesture toward the Golden State bench and in celebration of 3-pointers during the Grizzlies' loss to the Warriors Tuesday night, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Morant made the gun gesture multiple times during the game, usually aimed at the nearest defender, and in celebration of one of his five 3-pointers. Late in the game when the Warriors were in complete control, Golden State's Buddy Hield mocked Morant by making the gun gesture back at him. Morant saw that and made the gesture back toward the Warriors bench, with some trash talk involved.
Ja Morant appeared to make a gun gesture at the Warriors' bench late in the game pic.twitter.com/fTvFA0wpit
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 2, 2025
Morant and Hield were given technical fouls for the exchange, and the league is also investigating Hield, according to the report.
Morant has used this celebration before on 3-pointers, and he is not the only player to use a gun gesture or something similar to celebrate a 3. The NBA has no rule explicitly banning a gesture, but it has fined players for things such as a throat-slashing gesture or the big balls celebration.
Because of Morant's history, the gun gesture takes on a different significance. Morant was suspended for eight games near the end of the 2022-23 season after he showed off a gun on Instagram Live while at a strip club in Colorado. Morant told NBA Commissioner Adam Silver at the time he had learned his lesson, however, that summer Morant was seen again on Instagram Live with a gun while riding in a friend's car. This time, the league suspended Morant 25 games at the start of the 2023-24 season.
If the NBA cracks down on gun gestures, it cannot just go after Morant, other players have used that celebration as well. The NBA also would be following in the footsteps of the NFL, which cracked down on finger gun celebrations (players have been fined).
Panthers select ‘freak’ prospect in new mock draft
The Panthers take a "freak" off the rip in The Athletic's newest mock draft.
Oklahoma freshman Jeremiah Fears declares for NBA draft
Jeremiah Fears has declared for the NBA draft after one standout season at Oklahoma. Fears made the announcement on a social media post Wednesday. The 6-foot-4 guard is projected by many to be a lottery pick.
'Make a name for myself': How the Lakers' Jaxson Hayes shows his worth
The stakes here in early April for the Lakers are easy to see, the trophies that sit in owner Jeanie Buss’ window overlooking the practice courts a constant reminder of what the goals are for the team, particularly at a time when the talent on the roster looks formidable.
But for a player like center Jaxson Hayes, there are other things at play, the free-agent-to-be in the most important role of his career on the best team for which he's played.
“I just view it as opportunity to make a name for myself, an opportunity to go win some games and win a ring,” Hayes said after the Lakers held a rare practice Wednesday. “And I just look at it as I gotta come in locked in every day and just try to make the most out of every day, be the best version of myself.”
The best version of Hayes has been fully optimized with Luka Doncic now on the Lakers, the trade doing more than leaving Hayes as the lone option to lead the frontcourt with Anthony Davis off to Dallas. It also paired Hayes with Doncic, a maestro when it comes to playing with athletic centers who he can find space for lobs near the rim.
Hayes is averaging nearly 9.0 points per game while shooting 76.9% from the field since the trade. And even when Hayes is not scoring easy baskets, his rim-running has forced defenses to suck into the paint and create more open shots on the perimeter.
“When teams do that, man, it's either Luka's gonna get a bucket or one of the shooters gonna get a bucket,” Hayes said.
Read more:Lakers hold off Rockets to score important home win amid playoff seeding race
It’s made him one of the most important Lakers, a player with a skill set the team can’t really replace when he’s not on the court. When he missed four games in early March, the Lakers lost all four.
“I've told him this a number of times over the last week or so, he's so important for us,” coach JJ Redick said before a win over Houston on Monday. “If we're wanting to win at the highest level, he's gotta be elite. And that's not to put pressure on him because he has guys that can take that pressure off of him. But we need him on the floor. We need him to stay out of foul trouble. We need him to lay off the referees. He's gotta be locked in.”
Hayes’ frustration with the officials has been an issue as his minutes have increased, and he acknowledged he’s trying to find more empathy during emotional moments of the game.
“It's been a very big topic of discussion, and it's something I'm trying to work on,” he said. “Obviously I play with a lot of passion and I'm a very passionate player and very energetic player. So sometimes I get on the refs when I feel like they miss 'em, but I gotta remember they're human too and gotta just focus on the game, focus on myself. So that's been a big point of emphasis for us and just leaving them alone and focus on myself.”
Playoff preview?
The Lakers host Golden State on Thursday, the first time the teams meet since both squads reconfigured their rosters.
Since acquiring Jimmy Butler from Miami, the Warriors (44-31) have rocketed up the standings and could be a first-round opponent for the Lakers (46-29).
Stephen Curry had 52 points, including 12 three-pointers, Tuesday in a win over Memphis.
“Jimmy's just such a competitor and everyone knows that,” Hayes said. “We see what he's done with Miami the past few years, so just changed the whole game. We gotta deal with him and Draymond [Green], two very big competitors. And obviously Steph is Steph.
“Yeah, it definitely brings a lot of differences and more energy to the game.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Wheeler dominates as Phillies collect series win over Rockies
Wheeler dominates as Phillies collect series win over Rockies originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Zack Wheeler took the mound Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park for his first home start of the season, where he dominated for seven innings, allowing one run on three hits.
The Phillies’ ace collected his first win in 2025 with a 5-1 feat over the Rockies and put a bow on the outing with his 26th-career double-digit strikeout game (10).
What, did you expect anything different?
Rob Thomson certainly knows it’s the standard at this point in Wheeler’s career.
“He was great,” the Phillies manager said after the win. “It seems like the same thing every night, you know?”
The only standout was Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman hitting a home run off of Phillies starting pitching in back-to-back games. The Rockies have two runs through two games in this series — and they both belong to him.
Now 4-1 on the young season, the Phillies secured back-to-back series wins to open their 2025 campaign. It marks the 20th time in franchise history.
Slowly — and emphasis on slowly — but surely, the offense is finding ways to score against opposing starting pitchers. Prior to Wednesday, 23 of the Phillies’ 25 runs came against bullpen arms.
The club added to that production against Rockies left-hander, Kyle Freeland, who came into the game with a 0.00 ERA after pitching six scoreless innings to open his season against the Rays.
After an Alec Bohm single a la torpedo bat in the fourth inning, Kyle Schwarber kept his early hot streak alive with an RBI double. It’s the first time the Phillies scored first through five games.
Schwarber crossed the plate shortly after, when J.T. Realmuto dribbled a knuckle curve a few feet out of the batter’s box.
Aggression at the plate, awareness on the base paths and complete consistency early on has shown it doesn’t matter where Schwarber’s name is penciled in the lineup — the designated hitter is going to produce.
He’s currently leading the club in runs batted in (7), home runs (3) and runs (5 — tied with Bryson Stott).
But at the moment, what is somehow more impressive, is the heater Edmundo Sosa is on.
Sosa made his first start at second base this season and collected a mere three hits and two RBI. He now has four consecutive multi-hit games and is leading the team in hits (9).
It’s a good, yet difficult situation to be in when a bench player is producing at this caliber. He started in place of Trea Turner for three games while the shortstop was dealing with a hip issue — he’s now back. He started in place of Bryson Stott today with the club facing off against a lefty — that won’t be the case for the next handful of games. What’s a manager to do?
“I’m going to call MLB and see if we can play 10,” Thomson jokingly replied when asked if he’s going to try to get Sosa in the lineup for Thursday’s series finale against the Rockies.
It doesn’t hurt to ask, right?
There is still cause for concern regarding the lineup and the inability to do more damage against opposing starters. In the fifth inning, they loaded the bases with no outs in the heart of the order — and left them stranded with three consecutive punch outs from Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm and Schwarber.
But when you’re finding ways to win this early and often to start the season — a problem like this can get tossed to the wayside … for now.
Golden Knights Sign NCAA Prospect To Entry-Level Contract
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed Jackson Hallum to a two-year, entry-level contract.
The 22-year-old played three seasons at the University of Michigan, scoring 17 goals and 42 points in 84 games. His junior season saw him set a career-high in goals, scoring eight goals and 17 points in 36 games.
The Golden Knights selected Hallum in the third round (91st overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft. Prior to joining the Wolverines, Hallum recorded 29 goals and 70 points in 62 games in his final season in the USHL.
Listed at 6'0, 170 lbs, Hallum is known for his speed and was considered one of the fastest skaters in his draft class. He's aggressive on the forecheck, willing to throw a big hit to earn the puck back.
The left-handed winger will join the Henderson Silver Knights in the AHL for their final eight games of the season. Hallum is the second NCAA prospect the Golden Knights have signed, the first being Trevor Connelly. The Silver Knights have struggled for quite some time and the Golden Knights organization looks to be beefing the roster up with prospects. Mathieu Cataford is another forward who is likely to join following the conclusion of his season.
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Golden Knights Sign Trevor Connelly To Entry-Level ContractThe Vegas Golden Knights have signed top prospect Trevor Connelly to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Manchester City 2-0 Leicester, Brighton 0-3 Aston Villa and more: Premier League – as it happened
A superb goal from Sandro Tonali lit up the night, while Manchester City’s fans turned up late and their opponents didn’t turn up at all
Danny Mills, watching the Manchester City game, says he is “confused” by a Leicester side that is “almost waving a white flag”.
Ten minutes into the Manchester City game, and a load of fans are just coming in. The protest seems to have had decent numbers, even if the majority of supporters – certainly in the stand that runs along the side of the pitch opposite the TV cameras – were in their seats before kick-off.
Continue reading...Carmelo Anthony to be inducted into Hall of Fame on first ballot
One of the pure bucket getters the game has ever seen — whether he was winning an NCAA title, winning one of his three Olympic gold medals, or averaging 22.5 points a game in the NBA — there has been nobody like Carmelo Anthony.
Now he is deservingly going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer, which was expected but has been officially broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.
First ballot: Carmelo Anthony has been notified that he's been elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025, sources tell ESPN. Anthony made 10 All-Star appearances and six All-NBA teams in 19 seasons to go along with three Olympic gold medals for Team USA. pic.twitter.com/b079xHPqZB
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 2, 2025
Anthony averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over his 19-year career, which started with the Nuggets, moved on to the Knicks, and also included stops with the Thunder, Rockets, Trail Blazers, and Lakers. 'Melo led the NBA in scoring in 2012-13, was a 10-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA player, ranks 12th on the league's all-time points list, and was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary team.
Tributes poured in for Anthony, but the best one came from the Atlanta Hawks.
HOF status for a Hawks legend pic.twitter.com/1oTT9wfHcG
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 2, 2025
(For those that don't remember, Anthony was traded from the Thunder to the Hawks in the summer of 2018, he was technically a member of the Atlanta franchise for five days before he was waived.)
The official announcement of the Neismith Basketbal Hall of Fame class of 2025 will come this weekend during the Final Four in San Antonio. Other locks to make the Hall of Fame out of this class include Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Dwight Howard, and the 2008 USA Basketball men's Olympic team — which included both Anthony and Howard.
Aaron Boone encouraged by hot starts from Yankees' youngsters: 'We need them to be this and better'
The Yankees have entered the 2025 season banking on a young core to blossom without long stretches of growing pains. And while it's still far too early to draw conclusions on what these players will produce by the end of the 162-game marathon, the first week's worth of results are at least encouraging.
Call it a small sample size -- because it very much is -- but the Yankees' crop of homegrown talent is providing pop in the lineup that's not just connected to the torpedo bat craze. Between youngsters Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, and Ben Rice are seven home runs in just 39 total at-bats, and top prospect Jasson Dominguez joined the party with his first blast of the year on Tuesday.
With ample help from captain Aaron Judge, the Yankees hit a league-record 18 homers through their first four games. The questions and doubts surrounding the team's ability to reach base consistently and deliver in the clutch still exist, but the youth movement is already embracing a rather tall order.
"It's four games, but certainly been encouraged by Austin, Volpe," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks. "Even before Dominguez had two hits and the homer yesterday, not a ton of results for him necessarily in the first few games, but I thought his at-bats were really good....
"I feel like those guys are all better hitters than they've been in the past, and continue to improve. We're relying on those guys heavily. We need them to be this and better. I've been encouraged by what we've seen from our younger players. They've kind of carried their spring training into the early days of the season so far."
The new faces in pinstripes are also pulling their weight, as Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt have combined to hit .310 with two homers. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is also off to a hot start with three round-trippers in his first March and April with the club. From top to bottom, the Yankees are barreling pitches.
New York's goal of defending its American League pennant and capturing that elusive championship is undoubtedly contingent upon the veterans living up to their career marks. But the 26-and-under group is bearing plenty of responsibility too. The Yankees' six true homegrown players in last week's Opening Day lineup were their most in five decades.
Aaron Boone on pulling Jasson Dominguez for defense late in games when he could come up to bat again
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 2, 2025
"My expectation is that [Dominguez] becomes an outstanding defensive left fielder. You can't guard for everything but I want his development to go as best as possible" pic.twitter.com/ENyjxJo9sW
Tonali’s goal from touchline hands Newcastle win over battling Brentford
If Newcastle’s rivals for a Champions League place had hoped Eddie Howe’s players might be partied out after ending that 70-year domestic trophy drought, they were destined for disappointment.
Howe’s team were not at their very best but, thanks to the most eye-catching of winning goals from Sandro Tonali they found a way to defuse Brentford’s ever-present threat.
Continue reading...Grealish pays tribute to brother as Manchester City ease past Leicester
Jack Grealish scored a first Premier League goal in 16 months then dedicated it to his brother Keelan on the 25th anniversary of his passing in an emotional post-victory tribute.
The forward’s strike came only 70 seconds in as Leicester were shredded by a Savinho dart down the right; the Brazilian found Grealish who beat Mads Hermansen to the goalkeeper’s right. Afterwards on Instagram, Grealish said: “With me always, especially this day – that was for you Keelan.”
Continue reading...