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Astros’ Hader Likely to Miss Opening Day

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 29: Josh Hader #71 of the Houston Astros pitches during the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Daikin Park on July 29, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Hader is still throwing off flat ground as he recovers from a sprained shoulder capsule and biceps tendinitis.

This is not worst case scenario, but the back of the Astros bullpen just took another step closer to it.

Closer Josh Hader is still only throwing off flat ground, and is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic:

Losing Hader for any extended stretch of time would be a major blow to the Astros pen.

Without Hader in the mix, Bryan Abreu would ascend to closing duties. Lefties Bennett Sousa, Bryan King and Steven Okert are all but guaranteed spots save for injury or disaster. That would leave three bullpen spots available, as the team will utilize a 6-man rotation, leaving them with a shortened 7-man bullpen.

Candidates for those spots include A.J. Blubaugh, Kai-Wei Teng, Jason Alexander, Ryan Weiss, J.P. France and Lance McCullers Jr. Some of those arms are competing for a starting rotation spot but if they do not win a starting role, could be options in the pen. Those who don’t win a spot on the Opening Day roster will be depth at Triple-A Sugar Land should injury or the need for a fresh arm arise.

Other arms that are competing for a pen spot include Jayden Murray and Sam Carlson. Roddery Munoz, the Astros pick in the 2026 Rule V draft, had a very poor first outing this spring and is facing a serious climb to be in consideration for a roster spot.

Enyel De Los Santos is not throwing and also unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, as Rome reported in the clip above.

Nate Pearson, who was promised a chance to compete to start but has relief experience and could also be a candidate for the pen, may also not be ready for the start of the season:

As previously addressed here at TCB from Nov 25, 2025:

https://www.crawfishboxes.com/houston-astros-analysis-commentary/71050/do-the-astros-need-a-backup-plan-for-josh-hader

An extended absence by Hader could be disastrous for the Astros. Hader’s injury last year seemed to be the final straw of an injury-riddled campaign for the team. Houston had managed to overcome a plethora of injuries to that point in August, but after Hader’s injury, the wheels began to come off as they no longer had a dominant 1-2 punch to close out games in the back of the pen and the bridge getting to Abreu in the closer role was too often shaky.

Rome reports the Astros are high on Teng and think he offers promise.

Blubaugh could find himself in a high leverage role with his power stuff, and little other options. With the Astros not having pulled a deal for another leverage arm, that leverage arm could very well be Blubaugh.

Rome lists Weiss as a bullpen candidate, but I believe he currently has an inside track to being the 6th starter with his strong season in the KBO last year and his shown durability. There would be no innings restriction concerns with Weiss.

How would you structure the Astros pen with Hader, Pearson, De Los Santos all out?

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Warriors vs. Pelicans injury report: Steph Curry and Kristaps Porziņģis out, Draymond Green probable, Dejounte Murray returns

Steph Curry and Kristaps Porziņģis embracing.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 20: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors and Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics embrace after the game on January 20, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Golden State Warriors, fresh off their shocking win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon, are looking for their first back-to-back wins since wrapping up a four-game winning streak on January 19 … the same day that Jimmy Butler III tore his ACL, effectively ending whatever slim chance the Warriors had this season.

There’s good news and bad news for the Warriors, as they seek a road win tonight. The good news is that they’re facing the New Orleans Pelicans; in addition to employing old friends Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole, the Pelicans are dreadful, with a 16-42 record. The bad news is that the Pelicans are mostly healthy, while the Warriors … well, they very much are not. Here’s the full injury report.

Warriors

Out — Steph Curry (right patellofemoral pain syndrome)

No new news here. Curry will miss his eighth consecutive game … and ninth, if you include the All-Star Game. Hopefully a return is soon.

Out — Kristaps Porziņģis(illness)

Porziņģis was a late scratch on Sunday, after waking up extremely sick. So sick, in fact, that he didn’t join the Warriors on their two-city road trip. Whether this is a generic flu, or something related to his POTS diagnosis is unknown, but hopefully he feels better soon.

Out — Al Horford (left toe injury management)

As we all know by now, Horford doesn’t play back-to-backs. So he’s getting today’s game off, and will play on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL surgery)

Sadly I’m going to write “Out — Jimmy Butler III” for a very long time before he’s back on the court.

Out — Seth Curry (left sciatic nerve irritation)

More of the same for the younger Curry, who will be re-evaluated — again — before long. He’s still only played in two games this year, and has yet to share the court with his brother.

Probable — Draymond Green (left low back injury management)

Green was scratched a few minutes before the start of Sunday’s game, when his back flared up. Thankfully it seems like he’s OK, and we’ll get to a see a fun matchup against Zion Williamson.

Available — De’Anthony Melton (left knee injury management)

Melton was considered a question mark on the off day, but is good to go now. He should start.

Pelicans

Out — Trey Murphy III (right shoulder contusion)

There was some talk before the trade deadline that the Warriors were targeting Murphy, but that obviously never happened. The fifth-year wing is averaging a career-high 22.1 points per game, but will miss his third consecutive game.

Out — Yves Missi (left calf strain)

The Warriors won’t see NOLA’s second-year center, who is scheduled to miss his fourth straight game with a calf injury.

Out — Micah Peavy (right great toe sprain)

Peavy is the Pelicans’ version of Will Richard. He was a second-round pick in 2025, but has played a sizable role for New Orleans. But he’s been out for about two weeks with a toe injury.

Available — Dejounte Murray (right Achilles rupture)

He’s back! Murray, who was an All-Star in 2021-22, is making his return to the court tonight. It’s his first game since injuring his Achilles nearly 13 months ago. It will be great seeing him on the court again.

Enjoy the game, Dub Nation! It tips off at 5:00 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Bay Area.

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Tuesday Game Thread vs. Evansville

HOOVER, AL - MAY 25: Vanderbilt infielder Braden Holcomb (26) hits the ball during the SEC Baseball Tournament Final game between Ole Miss Rebels and Vanderbilt Commodores on May 25, 2025, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

4:30pm CT SECN+.

After a three game sweep over Niles Crane’s ex-wife, Marist, the Dores welcome The Purple Aces for some mid-week action.

On the Mound

Tuesday @ 4:30pm SECN+

Vanderbilt #46 Fr. RHP Tyler “The Minstrel” Baird (0-1; 5.79 ERA)
vs. Evansville #29 Jr. RHP Kellen “The Monroe-vian” Roberts (0-0; 0.00 ERA)

The Lineup

See you in the comments.

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Newcastle finish off Qarabag in rapid time to set up Chelsea or Barcelona tie

Eddie Howe adores motivational slogans and the Newcastle manager’s current favourite is: “One Brain.” The idea is to inspire his team to play with the sort of synchronicity that stems from a collective mindset and unity of purpose.

For a while here it seemed to be working a treat with Newcastle’s intelligence – joint and individual – threatening to further humiliate Qarabag. But then, with a last-16 tie against either Barcelona or Chelsea assured, home concentration began, understandably, wandering a little. Commendably, the Azerbaijani title holders capitalised by fighting back; Gurban Gurbanov’s side, and, in particular, their Colombian forward Camilo Durán, showing they can play a bit too.

Continue reading...
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Texas grand jury declines to indict former NBA player Patrick Beverley in assault case

RICHMOND, Texas (AP) — A Texas grand jury has declined to indict former NBA guard Patrick Beverley after he was arrested last year on an accusation that he had assaulted his sister.

Authorities in Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston, had arrested Beverley in November after his sister told investigators he grabbed her by the neck, slammed her against a wall and punched her in the face, according to court records.

The grand jury on Monday declined to indict Beverley on one count of assault of a family member. Beverley had been free on a $40,000 bond.

Beverley's sister had told authorities the alleged assault happened after she sneaked out of her mother's home to see her boyfriend.

Shortly after his arrest, Beverley had posted an unsigned statement on X saying he had unexpectedly found his sister, a minor, alone with an 18-year-old man.

Beverley's attorneys, Rusty Hardin and Letitia Quinones-Hollins, said in a statement that Beverley "would never do anything to harm his sister and that he is very grateful that the grand jury has recognized that."

After the grand jury's decision, Beverley said in a post on X that he was "deeply grateful for all thoughts and prayers for the family" and "we must continue to protect our children, especially our young girls."

Beverley played for 12 seasons in the NBA, starting his career with the Houston Rockets. He last played for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023-24 season.

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Pirates mega-prospect Konnor Griffin hits two home runs in spring breakout

Konnor Griffin #75 of the Pittsburgh Pirates at bat during a spring training workout at Pirate City on February 12, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida.
Konnor Griffin #75 of the Pittsburgh Pirates at bat during a spring training workout at Pirate City on February 12, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida.

The Konnor Griffin era is nearing in Pittsburgh. 

The future Pirates star shortstop burst onto the scene Tuesday, hitting two home runs during a spring training game against the Red Sox, in a preview of what could be to come for the top prospect in all of baseball. 

Facing new Boston addition Ranger Suarez during the second inning, Griffin blasted a 2-1 curveball down the left field line and completely out of JetBlue Park in Florida. 

That ball was 104.8 miles per hour off Griffin’s bat and flew 374 feet, according to Statcast. 

Two innings later, Griffin one-upped himself. 

On an 0-2 pitch from Seth Martinez, Griffin demolished a 440-foot, 111.2 mph ball to left-center field for his second home run of the game. 

Griffin, who is still just 19 years old, is the top-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, FanGraphs and Baseball America, among others. 

A five-tool player with the ability to play both the infield and outfield at a high level, Griffin has been touted as one of the best prospects in recent baseball history. 

FanGraphs called him “one of the top handful of prospects” baseball analytics has evaluated over the last decade. 

“He’s a franchise-altering entity whose talent rivals that of Bobby Witt Jr., a young, level-headed Hanley Ramirez, or a faster Carlos Correa,” FanGraphs’ report on Griffin read.

Konnor Griffin of the Pittsburgh Pirates at bat during a spring training workout at Pirate City on February 12, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. Getty Images

Last season, his first since being drafted No. 9 overall by the Pirates out of high school in 2024, Griffin hit .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases across three minor league levels. 

Despite his age, the Pirates are currently considering putting Griffin on their Opening Day roster. 

His performance on Tuesday should help his chances.

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Breaking: Samuel Girard traded to Pittsburgh for Brett Kulak

DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 31: Samuel Girard #49 of the Colorado Avalanche skates prior to the game against the St. Louis Blues at Ball Arena on December 31, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Now that the NHL Olympic Break is officially over and the regular season resumes tomorrow, the Colorado Avalanche have made a trade before the trade deadline officially comes up just over a week from now, on March 6. The Avs have traded Samuel Girard and a 2028 second round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Brett Kulak.

Kulak was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to Pittsburgh earlier this season as part of the Stuart Skinner trade. The 32-year-old defenseman has played 25 games for the Penguins so far, logging seven points in those games so far. At this point in his career, he’s widely considered a depth defenseman, and it’s likely that he’ll slot in either on Colorado’s third pairing or be a 7th defenseman that can enter the lineup here and there when needed.

The fit of Kulak in Colorado made sense, we even included him in our Avalanche trade targets last week especially as Colorado and Pittsburgh have been frequent trade partners recently. The thought of acquiring him for a second round pick would have been steep, to throw in Girard on top of it makes this very much a lopsided trade. With Girard now headed to Pittsburgh, Sam Malinski will likely play more minutes as Girard is not the fail-safe any longer. The last piece of this is that Colorado cleared up some more cap space with this deal.

Kulak is currently on the last year of a four-year deal, with an AAV of $2,750,000. Girard’s AAV on his contract is $5,000,000, with one year remaining so the Avs now have $8,741,926 in cap space with this move, which is obviously the goal moving Girard as a cap dump. That’s a pretty decent amount of cap space to make another move or two before the trade deadline next week, so we’ll see if the Avs have any other moves in the pipeline in the meantime. Given that contenders generally load up on defense the idea is to add to the defensive core, not take from it, therefore another move has to be in the works.

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Jets plan to keep Hall, while futures for Walker and Montgomery remain uncertain

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The New York Jets don't plan to let running back Breece Hall hit the open market at the start of the league year, while the futures of other top running backs such as Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III and David Montgomery remain more in flux.

Jets general manager Darren Mougey said Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine that the team plans to use either the franchise tag or the transition tag on Hall if the two sides can't reach a new deal before the tag deadline on March 3.

Hall would be guaranteed a salary of about $14.5 million next season with the franchise tag and about $11.7 million with the transition tag. Another team could sign Hall to an offer sheet with the Jets having five days to match the offer or receive two first-round picks as compensation with a franchise tag or no compensation with a transition tag.

“The tags are an option,” Mougey said. “Ideally we find a way to get a deal done to keep Breece around. I think I’ve said that for the last year since I got here. Breece is a good player, we want to find a way to keep him around. We’ve been going through that process and are still doing so and we have a week to find out if we can’t get to an agreement, which way we’ll go.”

Hall was drafted in the second round in 2022. He rushed for a career-high 1,065 yards last season for New York and ranks 12th in the NFL with 2,935 yards rushing the past three seasons.

Only one running back in the NFL is scheduled to make at least $14 million in cash next season with 2024 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley set to be paid $16.75 million from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Walker's status is more uncertain after he capped his fourth season in the NFL by winning Super Bowl MVP for Seattle when he rushed for 135 yards in the win earlier this month over New England.

Walker is coming off the second 1,000-yard rushing season of his career and averaged 104.3 yards per game rushing in the playoffs when he showed he could carry a heavy load after Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury in the divisional round.

General manager John Schneider declined on Tuesday to answer whether the team would use a tag to keep Walker locked up for 2026.

"We’d love to have Ken back, we’d love to have everybody back,” Schneider said. “But he knows this better than anybody, it’s about our 70, our collective, and what it’s going to look like. And we’ll have those meetings down here. We’ll start, you know, talking to all the agents and, yeah, we’ll have a better feel of where we’re going to go toward the end of the week. But, obviously, we’d love that (having Walker back). When you get something special like that, let’s run it back.”

Montgomery is still under contract in Detroit through the 2027 season and is owed about $6 million in 2026, but could be on the trade market as Jahmyr Gibbs has emerged as the featured back for the Lions.

Montgomery, who turns 29 in June, is coming off career lows of 158 carries for 716 yards last season as Detroit's offense revolved more around Gibbs, who is eligible for a contract extension this offseason.

Montgomery had rushed for 1,790 yards and 25 touchdowns his first two seasons with the Lions as the team's starter but came off the bench in all 17 games last season.

“I’ve been in touch with David’s agent, his representation," Lions GM Brad Holmes said. "We love David. He’s a great player. We’d love to have him. Kind of want to put last year in the rear view and just move forward. But, obviously, a player has to want to be in a certain place as well. So those conversations are still fluid and we’re just trying to see how it goes.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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Latest NHL Trade Sets Flyers Up for Big Trade Deadline

The Philadelphia Flyers are about to have a unique opportunity to take full advantage of a crazy trade market ahead of this year's March 6 NHL trade deadline.

On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded veteran defenseman Brett Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Sam Girard and a 2028 second-round pick, with the latter gearing up for a deep playoff push with clear aspirations of winning another Stanley Cup.

On the surface, though, this isn't a very impressive trade by Colorado. They've already won with Girard on their roster, and Kulak, 32, finds himself on his third team in as many months after originally getting jettisoned by Edmonton in December.

Kulak, at 6-foot-2, is much larger than the 5-foot-10 Girard, and he's played 22 or more playoff games with Edmonton in each of the last two years.

The price of that size and experience, though, was a smaller but more accomplished puck-moving defenseman in Girard, plus a premium draft pick.

NHL Rumors: 2 Suitors Named For Flyers' Rasmus RistolainenNHL Rumors: 2 Suitors Named For Flyers' Rasmus RistolainenThese two teams are reportedly interested in Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.

As for the Flyers, they've long had interest in moving burly right-hander Rasmus Ristolainen for the right package, though nothing matching their trade taste buds has come to fruition just yet.

Ristolainen, 32, has two years remaining on his contract at a $5.1 million cap hit, and the Flyers have the requisite retention slots available to cut that down to as low as $2.55 million to sweeten the pot for a prospective buyer.

Because Ristolainen is 6-foot-4 and a right-shot, he is inherently more valuable on the NHL trade market, and especially to those who still harbor the old-school hockey views.

Teams like Detroit, Tampa Bay, and Dallas have been said to have interest in adding a right-shot defenseman, and Ristolainen fits the bill.

Report: Flyers Rejected Big Maple Leafs Trade for Rasmus RistolainenReport: Flyers Rejected Big Maple Leafs Trade for Rasmus RistolainenAccording to a new report, the Philadelphia Flyers received a massive trade offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs for veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. GM Danny Briere and Co. didn't budge.

The value a smaller, left-shot defender in Kulak fetched should set the Flyers up to have a massive trade deadline day if they play all their cards right.

After re-signing Christian Dvorak for five years earlier in the season, Ristolainen is now by far their most attractive trade chip.

Forwards Owen Tippett and Bobby Brink will have value, too, to be clear, but Tippett's size and fairly reasonable $6.2 million cap hit work favorably for the Flyers. Any inquiring team will have to take on the full seven years remaining on his deal, with trade protection set to kick in this summer, lasting until 2030.

As for Brink, he's an inexpensive pending RFA and has excelled in a checking role for the Flyers, but contenders may be turned off by his combination of (5-foot-8) lack of size and lack of playoff experience.

NHL Trade Rumors: Predicting Flyers Trade Deadline Plans, TargetsNHL Trade Rumors: Predicting Flyers Trade Deadline Plans, TargetsThe 2026 NHL trade deadline, which falls on March 6 this year, is officially less than two weeks away. In that short period of time, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> are going to have to make some important decisions with long-term implications.

So, with that all said, now is as good a time as any for the Flyers to maximize the return they can get for Ristolainen. The market clearly favors them, but the final choice will be theirs to make.

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Erik Gustafsson Awaiting Trade, Veteran Defenseman Approaches A Month Sitting in Red Wings Press Box

The Detroit Red Wings are expected to be active ahead of the NHL trade deadline next Friday, March 6, as the club evaluates both potential additions and expendable assets in an effort to reshape parts of its roster.

Detroit is exploring ways to strengthen key areas of its lineup while also shopping some of their own players on expiring contracts with the most notable name being pending unrestricted free agent Erik Gustafsson.

The 33-year-old blueliner, who once recorded a 60-point season earlier in his NHL career, has not be given a consistent role yet this year. Gustafsson has appeared in just two games with Detroit this season and has spent significant time in the press box.

While at the AHL level, he's also played just 22 games this season as the team has been moving pieces around as they have too many veterans and need to remove some from the lineup each game to fall under the AHL's cap for veteran players and has led to less games for Gustafsson. As a result, the NHL veteran has seen very limited action and has not played in a game since late January. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.

The lack of playing time raises questions about whether Gustafsson’s trade value has been affected. Earlier in the season, league sources indicated there was interest in the veteran defenseman, with the New York Rangers frequently mentioned as a potential landing spot.

Gustafsson enjoyed one of his more productive recent stretches in New York, tallying 31 points during the 2023-24 campaign and playing some of his strongest hockey in the Big Apple. However, trade chatter has cooled in recent weeks, and it remains unclear how aggressive teams will be in pursuing a defenseman who has seen limited game action.

With Gustafsson set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, GM Steve Yzerman would love to recoup any possible assets rather than risk losing him for nothing. 

There is also the possibility the Red Wings could insert Gustafsson into the lineup before the deadline to showcase that he remains game ready and capable of contributing to a contender’s blue line. A short audition could help reassure interested teams that the veteran still has something to offer.

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Boston Celtics Daily Links 2/24/26

BROOKLYN, NY - JANUARY 23: The sneakers worn by Baylor Scheierman #55 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on January 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

HeraldJaylen Brown, Devin Booker ruled out for Celtics-Suns matchup

GlobeLeBron weighs in on Jaylen Brown’s MVP chances

Celtics at Suns: Boston looks to continue winning run out West

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The Celtics deserve one collective Tommy Point for their Lakers win

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Who should win NBA Coach of the Year? (daily topic)

Celtics .com2/24 Game Preview: Celtics at Suns

NBC Sports BostonCeltics thoughts: Jaylen’s MVP push, the 40/20 pursuit and a top-10 defense

How NBA world views Celtics star Jaylen Brown’s MVP candidacy

NESN Celtics’ Baylor Scheierman Speaks On “Dream Come True” NBA Moment

Confident Jaylen Brown Ready to Continue Defying Expectations With Celtics: ‘I’m the Best Two-Way Player In the World’

Celtics Big Man Named Most Likely Offseason Flight Risk

Payton Pritchard Posts Historic Stretch Off Bench For Celtics

Ex-Celtics Broadcaster Calls Them ‘Legitimate Contenders’ After Lakers Rout

Jaylen Brown Enters All-Time Top 10 For Impressive Celtics Stat

NBA Analyst Explains Why Celtics Are A ‘Scary’ Team Right Now

Mass Live Celtics injury report: All-Star downgraded for Tuesday’s game vs. Suns

Celtics starter had jersey swap with ‘One Tree Hill’ actor: ‘Unreal feeling’

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Was Al Horford the most important Boston Celtics free agency signing of all time?

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For Lakers coach JJ Redick, Celtics success no surprise

The AthleticHow Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics use math to outsmart the rest of the NBA

NBA Power Rankings: Pistons, Spurs on top; post-All-Star-break outlooks

Grading each NBA team as the season’s stretch run begins

Hardwood Houdini Baylor Scheierman is delivering on his preseason promise to the Celtics

Celtics’ wing stopper explains the keys to his game-changing evolution

Joe Mazzulla quietly made Payton Pritchard change which is paying off handsomely

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JJ Redick Spoke to NBA Officiating Exec About Lakers-Celtics Game, Goaltending No-Call

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Neil’s SubstackThe Celtics Are Thriving Without Jayson Tatum. That’s Why His Return Could Get Complicated.

Basketball Network Paul Pierce says the Celtics have the edge over other teams in the East: “We have championship DNA in the locker room”

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MLB Scores: Mets 6, Astros 6

Feb 24, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets shortstop Ronny Mauricio (0) throws to first base against the Houston Astros during the third inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Mets were bitten by the walk on Tuesday afternoon, and as a result had to settle for a 6-6 tie with the Astros at Clover Park. Each of the Mets’ ten pitchers issued a walk, and the team issued 13 walks in total on the afternoon—Houston walked just four. That, as Gary Cohen mentioned, is not a recipe for winning baseball games. The Mets ended up with seven hits on the day, while the Astros had nine hits of their own.

  • Jack Wenninger pitched two scoreless innings in his first spring outing. The right-hander escaped a bases loaded jam in the first and a one-out double in the second to keep Houston off the board.
  • The Mets jumped all over George Costanza Jason Alexander in the first inning. Juan Soto poked a ball through the infield for a single, and Bo Bichette rocked a liner off Alexander that ended up going for an infield single. Mike Tauchman, in his first at-bat as a Met, launched a three-run home run on a change up that just cleared the right field wall. Two batters later, Ronny Mauricio hit a solo home run to give New York an early four-run lead. Alexander did not make it out of the first inning for Houston.
  • The Mets extended their lead to five after Marcus Semien doubled, advanced to third on an out, and scored on a Bichette sacrifice fly.
  • Jonathan Pintaro pitched a scoreless third but allowed a run in the fourth and could not escape the frame. He pitched 1 2/3 innings of one-run ball, as he walked two, struck out one, and allowed one hit. Jefry Yan closed out the fourth.
  • Huascar Brazobán and Austin Warren pitched scoreless, hitless innings in the fifth and sixth, respectively. Brazobán struck out one and walked one, while Warren walked a batter.
  • The Mets added an insurance run in the sixth on an A.J. Ewing sacrifice fly, which scored Austin Barnes, who led off the inning with a double.
  • Daniel Duarte had a rough go of it in the seventh, allowing three earned runs on three hits, with a walk and a strikeout in 1/3 of an inning. Bryce Conley was called upon to close out the seventh, and he did so while issuing one walk and striking out one batter in 2/3 of an inning.
  • The Mets narrowly avoided allowing a run in the eighth, as Jose Ramos threw out Lucas Spence at home on a Brice Matthews fly ball to right field.
  • The inning ending double play would turn out to be huge, because things got dicey in the ninth with Josh Blum on the mound. Blum loaded the bases on two walks and a single, and exited with one out. Colton Cosper came in and allowed a run to score on a force out, and Spence drove in the game-tying run on a two-out, two-strike single. The Mets went down meekly in the ninth.
  • In all, the Mets got one hit apiece from Semien, Soto, Bichette, Tauchman, Mauricio, Barnes, and Tyrone Taylor.
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Lakers’ JJ Redick takes ownership for one of his team’s defensive weaknesses

To see the Los Angeles Lakers’ offense digress the way it did during Sunday’s loss to the Celtics — despite their prolific individual offensive talent — shouldn’t have been a surprise. 

The Celtics poked at one of the Lakers’ tactical weaknesses that’s been evident for the last few months. 

And Lakers coach JJ Redick took ownership of his team underperforming in those situations.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick took ownership of his team underperforming. MediaNews Group via Getty Images

The Celtics had multiple big men play in deep drop coverage against the Lakers’ pick and rolls, which stifled their offense just two days after it had one of its better performances of the season in Friday’s home win over the Clippers.

“When teams play the deep drop, we have our counters and we just got to [execute],” Redick said. “Sometimes when the ball’s just changing ends quick, it’s easy to just get into drag after drag after drag. So, I took ownership of that. We have our counters for deep drop. We got to do a better job of that.”

The Lakers did poorly against the Celtics. 

Too often, their offense would bog. 

Coach Redick believes the drop in potential assists is one of the many reasons why the Lakers hasn’t sustained a level of excellence that’s expected with Dončić, James and Reaves at the helm.  MediaNews Group via Getty Images

Get stuck in a pattern of running set plays. Or not using the power of the pass to shift the defense, instead trying to rely on the individual offensive strengths of Luka Dončić, LeBron James or Austin Reaves to create advantages against a Celtics team that wasn’t allowing many.

The Lakers became predictable. And their struggles were, too.

The issues they faced were similar to the ones they had in their Dec. 1 home loss to the Suns, when they struggled offensively against a Phoenix team that had Mark Williams in a deep drop.

Or when they’ve gone up against the Victor Wembanyama-led Spurs.

The Lakers take on the Celtics Feb. 22 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. NBAE via Getty Images

“Our lowest potential assist games are all against the deep drop,” Redick said. “So I got to do a better job. 

The drop in potential assists is the result of a lack of ball movement — an issue that also isn’t new for the Lakers.

It’s one of the many reasons why their offense hasn’t sustained a level of excellence that’s expected with Dončić, James and Reaves at the helm. 

“It mostly depends on the team we play against,” Rui Hachimura responded when asked how the Lakers can have a consistently great offense. “There are some teams that play really good team defense. Against that, we have to be sharing the ball, trusting each other. We got to have ball movement. [Having] ball movement is going to be the key.”

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This Lakers team shouldn’t be expected to play like the “Beautiful Game” Spurs, which featured high-spaced ball movement and player movement.

Nor should they be expected to not allow their best players to freelance the offense from time to time.

But what should be expected is to consistently have better execution when defenses are in a drop.

As a prolific pull-up shooting team with high-caliber ball-handlers, they have the personnel to flip a tactical weakness into a strength. And they’ve shown they have the counters in their playbook, especially earlier in the season.

Now it’s about being consistent — which would be a new surprise within itself. 

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Quick Spring Recap: Jays Lose to Yankees

Feb 24, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays infielder Josh Kasevich (86) singles during the second inning against the New York Yankees at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Yankees 8 Blue Jays 7

We got to see the ball/strike appeal system, several times. It works great. Very quick.

Beyond that, well, the Yankees scored a lot of runs.

Jays pitchers:

  • Grant Rogers: 2 innings, 4 hits, 2 earned, 1 walk, 1 k and he hit Aaron Judge with a pitch.
  • Tyler Rogers: 1 inning, 2 hits, 2 earned, 2 strikeouts, 1 home run. It was fun to watch him pitch.
  • Angle Bastardo: 1 inning, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Game day shows he topped out at 98 mph.
  • Jesse Hahn: 2 outs, 3 hits, 1 walk and 3 earned.
  • Hayden Juenger: 1 out.
  • Ryan Jennings: 1 inning, clean.
  • Tanner Andrews: 1 inning, 1 strikeout.
  • Nate Garkow: 2 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned, 1 k.

Batters:

Starters:

  • Miles Straw: 0 for 3, 1. He’s hitting .167 this spring.
  • Daulton Varsho: 1 for 2, a triple. He’s hitting .500. Played center after DHing the first couple of games. He’s played a more than most. I think he wants to get in a lot of at bats early.
  • Jesus Sanchez: 1 for 3, RBI, 2 strikeouts.
  • Davis Schneider: 1 for 2. .200.
  • Leo Jimenez: 0 for 2, 2 k. .167.
  • Brandon Valenzuela: 1 for 2, k. I thought he looked good behind the plate. .333.
  • Josh Kasevich: 1 for 2. .500.
  • Riley Tirotta: 0 for 2. .200.
  • Ben Cowles: 0 for 2, 2 k. .000.

Subs:

  • Yohendrick Pinango: 2 walks.
  • Ismael Munguia: 1 for 2.
  • Jake Casey: Ninth inning 2-run homer.
  • Rafael Lantigua: 1 for 2.
  • Arjun Nimmala: 0 for 1, walk, k.
  • Cutter Coffee: 0 for 3.
  • Aaron Parker: 1 for 2.
  • Edward Duran: 0 for 1.
  • Carlos Mendoza: 1 for 2, RBI
  • Charles McAdoo: 1 for 2, double, 2 RBI, 1 k. He also made an error on a popup near second base, calling off the second baseman and then he didn’t get to the ball. .500.
  • Josh Rivera: 0 for 2, k.

Tomorrow’s game isn’t on TV. Can listen on radio if you really are hard cord.

The Jays are now 1-3 on the spring.

For some reason I thought the game was going to be road game for the Jays but it was in Dunedin. I think I got up too early this morning.

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Paul Goldschmidt drives in four as Yankees beat Blue Jays

Feb 24, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) hits a two-run double during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Probably the most perplexing move the Yankees made this offseason was the re-signing of Paul Goldschmidt. After a hot start to last year — especially against lefties — he fell away towards the back half of the season. Plus with the emergence of Ben Rice as a legitimate hitter, it seemed like the Yankees didn’t have any worries at first base. However in the dying days before spring training, the Yankees brought back Goldschmidt on a one-year deal, confusing people.

You obviously can’t judge anything on one spring training game, but some early signs show that maybe the Goldschmidt re-signing could come in handy. The veteran clapped back at the haters (sorry), driving in four runs for the Yankees on Tuesday afternoon. Those RBI were the driving force as a representative Yankees’ lineup had a pretty good day on the whole, recording 10 hits in an 8-7 road win over the Blue Jays in Dunedin.

With the Yankees running out a fairly strong spring training starting nine, they got off to a quick start versus Blue Jays minor leaguer Grant Rogers. Trent Grisham led off the game with a single, and Rogers followed that by hitting Judge with a pitch. Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. then recorded a single each, both bringing home a run.

Meanwhile, Will Warren got the start for the Yankees. While he got one quick out to start the game, Toronto then got on the board as well. Daulton Varsho hit a triple which was followed by a Jesús Sánchez single to open the Jays’ account for the day.

In his 2.2 innings on the day, Warren ended up allowing just that one run on four hits, while striking out four. Among the other possible big league players for the Yankees to appear on the mound were relievers Jake Bird and Brent Headrick. Bird struck out two and allowed one hit in 1.1 scoreless innings. It was a similar story for Headrick, who put up similar numbers in 1.0 innings.

A couple innings later, the Yankees tacked back on to their lead. With Bellinger on base after another single, Paul Goldschmidt recorded his first home run of the spring, going deep to dead center field.

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Two innings after that, Goldschmidt struck once again. Judge and Chisholm were on base after a single and walk respectively when the first baseman stepped to the plate. This time, Goldschmidt doubled to left field, scoring both runners. A couple batters later, Amed Rosario hit a hot shot to third that former Baby Bomber Ben Cowles couldn’t handle, scoring Goldschmidt.

As is custom in spring training games, the Yankees unloaded the bench. Not long after that, the Blue Jays’ backups gained some ground on the Yankees’ backups. Pitcher Bradley Hanner hit Davis Schneider and allowed a couple hits, leading to three runs crossing, including two on a Charles McAdoo double. McAdoo then attempted a steal of third, which led to an error on catcher Miguel Palma, allowing McAdoo to come home for another run.

The Yankees’ reserves did bounce back a bit after that. In the eighth inning, outfield prospect Jace Avina (once acquired for Jake Bauers) hit a long home run to left field to give the Bombers some breathing room. Toronto did make things close in the ninth when Jake Casey—son of former Yankees interim hitting coach Sean—homered to get the Jays within a run. The tying run got as far as third base for Toronto before the Yankees finally shut the door.

One general game note was that the Yankees had a quite successful day with the ABS challenge system. They correctly challenged six calls out of nine attempts.

Tomorrow, the Yankees will return home to Steinbrenner Field, where they’ll play host to the Nationals in a 6:35pm ET night time spring game. Offseason acquisition Ryan Weathers will make his first appearance of the spring and his first as a member of the Yankees.

Box Score