SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 20: Stephen Curry #30 and Jonathan Kuminga #1 looks on during the game against the Toronto Raptors on January 20, 2026 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It hasn’t been a great couple of weeks for the Golden State Warriors’ knees. With Jimmy Butler sidelined for the rest of the season after tearing his ACL, the Warriors will face the Philadelphia 76ers without Steph Curry and his sore right knee or Jonathan Kuminga and his bruised left knee.
Kerr says Steph is out tomorrow vs. Sixers. He’s day to day. Kuminga is also still out.
The 76ers have been rounding into health recently, with Joel Embiid back to playing big minutes and putting up big scoring numbers and Paul George regularly logging 30+ minutes. However, the Warriors might miss Embiid since the Sixers will be on a back-to-back after facing the Los Angeles Clippers Monday night. They will definitely miss Paul George, who received a 25-game suspension from the NBA for violating the league’s Anti-Drug program.
As a result, the Warriors will get to see a lot of their old friend Kelly Oubre, Jr., the stylish swingman averaging 14.2 points. He’s been red-hot from three-point range over his past 10 games, which is a shot the Warriors often seem disinclined to defend. The backcourt duo of All-Star Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe should present a challenge in their speed and athleticism, though they have both been struggling with their shots. In other words, expect them to combine for 12 threes Tuesday night.
Curry is suffering from what the team is calling “runner’s knee.” This author consulted with Dr. WebMD and learned that the condition is known as “patellofemoral pain syndrome” and refers to pain at the front of the knee, sometimes also called “jumper’s knee.” He appeared to hurt it on a drive to the basket for an and-one during the third quarter of the Warriors’ loss to the Detroit Pistons Friday.
The All-Star guard is still considered “day-to-day” (aren’t we all?) but sitting out until Thursday’s road game against the Phoenix Suns would give Curry five full days off. The next possibility would be Saturday’s nationally-televised game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Until the All-Star break, the Warriors get one day off between each of their games.
For Kuminga, this means he won’t take the court again before Thursday’s trade deadline. He’s probably too hurt to play but even if he wasn’t, the Warriors might sit him out just in case a deal develops in the next 72 hours. Or Steve Kerr might prefer to get another extended look at Gui Santos.
Seth “Sethen” Curry remains out with a back injury but is working out on the court and will be re-evaluated Feb. 14.
MADRID (AP) — Vedat Muriqi scored his ninth goal in nine La Liga games as Mallorca beat Sevilla 4-1 to leapfrog its rival and escape the relegation zone on Monday.
Muriqi’s first half penalty put Mallorca ahead and continued his rich vein of form. The 26th-minute strike was his sixth this year and his 15th of the season. It keeps him second in the league goalscoring chart, seven behind Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé.
Neal Maupay leveled for Sevilla on the stroke of halftime but Mallorca took control again soon after the break.
Samú Costa put Mallorca ahead after great work from Jan Virgili on the left wing and 20 minutes later Muriqi helped to set up Sergi Darder to make it 3-1.
Pablo Torre added a fourth in stoppage time to give Mallorca its first four-goal haul of the season and end Sevilla’s encouraging run of four undefeated games.
Sevilla fell to 15th place, just two points above the relegation zone. Mallorca was 14th.
Only four points separate the teams from ninth to 18th in a hyper-competitive mid-table.
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 02: Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds looks from the dugout steps while blowing a bubble during a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on August 02, 2020, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Former Cincinnati Reds star Eugenio Suarez is current Cincinnati Reds star Eugenio Suarez, or will be when the ink on his $15 million deal goes dry. The two sides reportedly reunited on Sunday evening, and we’ve spent the last day excitedly wondering just how things are going to shake out as a result.
Suarez, of course, is a 3B by trade, a move decided upon by the Reds back in the day after the former shortstop showed he was much more suited for a role at the hot corner. That’s the role in which he was playing when the Reds signed him to his most recently completed contract back in early 2018, too, meaning this Reds club is pretty much the only team that’s ever talked him into signing big-dollar contracts in his career.
So, there’s already a ton of understanding between the two, something that’s clear given that the Reds other most recent big-money move was to acquire fellow 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes from Pittsburgh last trade deadline and have him on the books through at least 2029 for $36 million. Hayes, who is perhaps the best defender at any position in the sport, is going to defend the hot corner more often than not, so for Suarez to agree to this deal with Cincinnati means there had to be some air-clearing about his role on the upcoming squad.
That will likely be as the DH most days, with the idea that maybe, just maybe, he’ll get time at 3B and 1B here and there (barring an injury that renders all of this moot). That’s a plan that sounds eerily similar to that of top prospect Sal Stewart, too, though Stewart – who has reportedly lost 20 lbs since the end of last season – may end up getting some run at 2B, too. That’s a lot of 1B overlap already, of course, though neither Suarez nor Stewart has ever truly played there much at all – and that’s all despite resident 1B regular Spencer Steer still very much being on the roster, too.
While that seems like a logjam, let’s put some of that into context by using the 2025 Reds and how they shook out under manager Terry Francona.
For one, Gavin Lux has already been dealt away, and he got 57 starts at DH, 23 between 2B/3B, and 49 in LF. He logged 503 PA across all of those spots that someone else is going to get to eat into. It’s also easy to forget that Santiago Espinal (328 PA), Miguel Andujar (110 PA after coming over at the deadline), Austin Hays (416 PA), and Jake Fraley (193 PA) all factored into the equation at corner infield and corner outfield positions.
Connor Joe got 70 PA! Rece Hinds got 44! Christian Encarnacion-Strand somehow got 137 PA last year despite that feeling, in hindsight, more like about 15. The team also somehow managed to get Blake Dunn, Garrett Hampson, Jacob Hurtubise, Tyler Callihan, and Ryan Vilade a combined 115 PA, and that’s all after we easily forget the 91 PA given to Jeimer Candelario before he was mercifully let go.
A full season of Hayes, who got 178 PA after coming over, will consume a good portion of that. A full season at the big league level from Stewart will, too. Still, it seems quite likely that we’ll see Steer effectively assume the role vacated by Lux offensively while also providing better defense than the former at just about every position they both play. That could well lead to new acquisition JJ Bleday sitting on the bench a lot more than we thought he might all of two days ago, but considering he’s a reclamation project (who still has a minor league option), that’s not exactly a bad thing – if anything, it means that a reclamation project brought in by the Reds will now actually have to show he’s worth being reclaimed before simply being handed the role, something that wasn’t at all the case with the likes of Hays, Wil Myers, and others in recent years.
The hope, obviously, is that the Geno that mashed with Arizona (and who mashed with the Reds the first time around) is who the Reds just signed for the 2026 season. And, if that’s the case, there’s a path to 600+ PA for him without truly impeding anyone who will be better than him offensively in the process. If, for whatever reason, he’s more of the guy who struggled in the awful hitting environment in Seattle, though, the Reds have baked-in a whole lot of extra, quality depth to make sure Suarez’s struggles wouldn’t be enough to singlehandedly sink the Reds ship.
Yeah, there’s a lot of overlap on-paper here. As Steer’s shoulder, TJ Friedl’s wrist and hamstring, Hays’ everything, CES’s wrist, Matt McLain’s oblique/shoulder, and Fraley’s hammies will attest to, having that kind of overlap when you plan to embark upon playing baseball at the highest level every single day for seven months is a very good thing to have. And now, the Reds have the best bubbles in the business squarely in the middle of it all.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Marcell Ozuna #20 of the Atlanta Braves rounds third base after hitting a solo homer in the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on September 24, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This has been a pretty eventful offseason so far for the Pittsburgh Pirates but with many big name free agents still on the market the Pirates are positioned to be a team that can snag one more player before the season starts.
Now that we are in February the market for a lot of these free agents are starting to collapse. You could also see prices drop for some of these players and that is where the Bucs could make their move.
General manager Ben Cherington has said he wants to do short-term commitments, mid-tier dollars, real upside acquisitions. He does not want to be splashy or reckless. Here are a couple of names that represent opportunities that don’t come along often for a franchise that rarely spends a lot of money.
The Pirates’ biggest roster hole remains painfully obvious: right-handed power, particularly at third base.
But another piece that would make the offense a whole lot scarier is 35 year old Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna was linked to Pittsburgh in December, but nothing came from that. He is a proven bat and an older veteran player so it shouldn’t be an expensive move especially if he is signed to a short term deal. He hit 21 homers last year and has 100 total dingers his last three seasons combined.
There are also still plenty of pitchers that the Pirates can target for pretty cheap. Relief pitchers like Daniel Coulombe, Scott Barlow and Justin Wilson could also bring much needed depth to the bullpen. While none of those pitchers would be absolute game changers, they would all still make a really good impact on the team.
Lastly Jose Quintana who was with the Pirates for the 2022 season would be a good fit added to the starting pitching rotation. Quintana just finished last season with the Milwaukee Brewers where he had a 11-7 record and a 3.96 ERA.
Pittsburgh needs innings and some more stability alongside starting pitchers like Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and Jared Jones. They could sign him to a relatively expensive one year deal and have him be the fourth or fifth pitcher in the rotation and that would make the Pirates one of the deeper starting pitching rotations in the league.
These are all players the Pirates could still target as we get later and later into free agency. With a lot of their markets closing up too, the prices for them could be cheaper than it was in the beginning of free agency.
Florida Panthers winger Jonah Gadjovich joined the team for practice today in a regular jersey, taking the next step in his recovery.
This was the first time we’ve seen Gadjovich practice in full contact, signifying that he is inching closer to a full recovery.
The 29-year-old suffered an upper-body injury that required surgery to repair. His original timeline was three months, announced on Nov. 8. Gadjovich sustained the injury late in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 25 and hasn’t played an NHL game since.
The next update the Panthers received about Gadjovich was on Dec. 30, when coach Paul Maurice said that they expect Gadjovich to return to the lineup following the Olympic break. Today, Maurice provided another update, stating he remains “on track” to be available near the end of February.
Prior to his injury, Gadjovich had played 10 games during the 2025-26 season, notching three assists. The Panthers have missed his physicality on the fourth line, and his addition should provide the team with the boost it desperately needs.
The Panthers are currently without Aleksander Barkov, Tomas Nosek, Dmitry Kulikov, Jonah Gadjovich, Seth Jones, Anton Lundell, and Brad Marchand due to injuries.
The Panthers take on the Buffalo Sabres tonight in the first of three Atlantic Division matchups before the Olympic break.
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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 29: Ben Williamson #9 of the Seattle Mariners takes batting practice before the game against before the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on July 29, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired slick fielding third baseman Ben Williamson from the Seattle Mariners as part of a three-team deal with the St. Louis Cardinals that will generally be known as the Donovan trade:
Mariners receive: INF Brendan Donovan
Cardinals receive: RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, CF Tai Peete, OF Colton Ledbetter and two 2026 competitive-balance Round B picks (No. 68 from Seattle, No. 72 from Tampa Bay)
Rays receive: 3B Ben Williamson
Drafted 57th overall in 2023 after what Baseball America called a “monstrous senior season” at William & Mary, Williamson rocketed up to Double-A in his first season in the Mariners season, and stayed on the fast track by picking up 295 plate appearances for Seattle in 2025, putting up a 90 wRC+ against left handed pitching and a 70 wRC+ against right before getting demoted in August.
Like many young players acquired by the Rays lately, it’s a low-whiff/high-contact/low-power approach at the plate, but Williamson’s comes with a noisy, tentative leg kick that belies a power stroke.
If he can hit to all fields it probably works fine.
Williamson has played all but 20 games in his professional career at third base, but with Junior Caminero entrenched, it stands to reason the Rays view this right handed bat as more of a utility man. Will he make the cut? The 40-man is crowded with right handed hitting options, and there wasn’t a clear need for a back-up infielder heading into this deal.
Perhaps the Rays made this deal because they were looking for a more sure handed defensive back up — but he will need to be tested at short just as much as Ryan Vilade will this Spring.
If you’re inclined to think Joey Wendle is a successful model for a major league contributor, Williamson is a good bet, but major league comparisons to Matt Duffy while Williamson was a prospect make me shudder.
If you are inclined to Joey Wendle as the comp, “PTBNL or cash” would have been the return, but some evaluators are higher on Williamson for his glove and malleable approach at the plate. RJ Anderson at CBS Sports gave a 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes projection, writing, “There are worse fates.”
The cost for the Rays is the former No. 55 overall selection OF Colten Ledbetter — who was selected two picks in front of Ben Williamson in the 2023 draft — and the No. 72 overall selection in 2026. Ledbetter is a smash and grab outfielder, swinging a quick bat and capable of stealing bases. The Rays had him positioned to allow more time for center field reps, but the Cardinals may be content to try him in the corners and let the bat play. Ledbetter put up a 112 wRC+ in the jump to Double-A.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: St. Louis Cardinals second base Brendan Donovan (33) throws to first during the MLB professional baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants on September 24, 2025 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The day after Justin Hollander and Jerry Dipoto both said at Fan Fest that the Mariners were still looking to make one impact move, they reportedly backed that up today with the most significant trade of the Mariners off-season, a three-team trade with the Rays and Cardinals that will bring long-anticipated trade target Brendan Donovan to Seattle. While we’re still waiting for the full details of the trade, which was broken by Jeff Passan, reportedly the Mariners are sending third baseman Ben Williamson to the Rays as part of it. We will update this article as more information emerges. Update: so far the trade involves the Mariners sending switch-pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje and outfield prospect Tai Peete to St. Louis, and sending third baseman Ben Williamson to Tampa Bay. Update to the update: the Mariners are also sending a 2026 Comp B pick to St. Louis, who also received a 2026 Comp B pick from Tampa Bay, as well as outfield prospect Colton Ledbetter.
Adding Donovan solidifies an infield mix that was shaky for the Mariners after the free agency departure of Jorge Polanco, with a trio of youngsters in Cole Young, Ben Williamson, and Colt Emerson in the mix but question marks hanging over each. Williamson was the most sure thing of that crew defensively, already playing at a Gold Glove level clip; he’s now headed to Tampa Bay as part of the deal.
Donovan doesn’t come close to replacing Polanco’s power output, but he does offer a reliable presence in the lineup as a high-average player who refuses to strike out. At 29, he’s probably shown about all he will in the power department, with his peak of 14 homers coming in 2024. As a lefty swinger, Donovan will join the Mariners’ other lefty regulars Josh Naylor, J.P. Crawford, and whichever of Dominic Canzone/Luke Raley is playing RF/DHing.
Defensively, Donovan offers positional flexibility, having played major-league innings at every position except catcher and center field. He even won a Gold Glove, in the first year the committee recognized Utility players as a position. However, the bulk of his experience has come at second base, a position that is currently theoretically filled by Cole Young, with Ryan Bliss behind him. That means either Donovan will shift to third, or Cole Young or Colt Emerson will slot over there instead. Likely the Mariners will use spring training to sort out their best defensive alignment for the bats available.
In order to acquire Donovan, who is under team control for two more years, the Mariners had to send out the MLB-experienced Williamson as well as two prospects, switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje and outfield prospect Tai Peete. Cijntje, who made it to Double-A this season, cracked MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list this year and ranks as the sixth or seventh prospect in the Mariners’ top ten, depending on the outlet. The Mariners had announced Cijntje as an NRI invite this year as a right-handed pitcher, saying he would be making right-handed starts while continuing to work on pitching left-handed in his bullpens and side work. His development will now be under the purview of the Cardinals. Cijntje will be the first first-round pick of the Jerry Dipoto era to not debut with the Mariners.
The Mariners also sent out outfielder Tai Peete, who ranks outside the top-10 most places but within the top 15 for us at LL. Peete is an uber-athletic, toolsy prospect who was drafted as an upside play in 2023, when the Mariners had three first-round picks. He’s had a slow start to his pro career, struggling to make contact, but his physical gifts are immense, and there’s still lots of upside for the 20-year-old.
Finally, for prospect analyst Max Ellingsen, I have to put in that the Mariners are also apparently sending a comp B pick in the 2026 draft to St. Louis. This pushes the deal into “ouch” territory for us, which probably means it’s fair. For poor Max, it means that the draft board he’s already building got thrown out a window somewhere in Virginia. It’s a good, deep draft, and the Mariners already won’t get to pick very high in it, so it stings to not have the extra pick – but such is the cost of doing business.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The NFL will look into New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and his association with Jeffrey Epstein after his name showed up more than 400 times in files released by the U.S. Justice Department regarding Epstein.
“Absolutely we will look at all the facts,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday. "We’ll look at the context of those and try to understand that. We’ll look at how that falls under the (league personal conduct) policy. I think we’ll take one step at a time. Let’s get the facts first.”
Tisch said last week he knew Epstein and that they “exchanged emails about adult women” and “discussed movies, philanthropy and investments.” But Tisch, 76, denied going to Epstein’s island and was never charged in the investigation.
The Winnipeg Jets are navigating a mixed bag of a season, but one clear positive within the organization has emerged in 2024 fourth round pick Kevin He.
The 19 year old winger has spent this season in the Ontario Hockey League, beginning the year with the Niagara IceDogs before being dealt to the Flint Firebirds. No matter the jersey, He has continued to elevate his game and establish himself as one of the top junior players in Canada.
This past week, He delivered a dominant two game stretch, recording three goals and three assists for six points. The performance served as another exclamation point on what has already been a stellar campaign.
Through 41 games this season, the Chinese Canadian forward has produced 22 goals and 29 assists for 51 points. He is on pace to finish with roughly 74 points in 60 games, just one point shy of his career high of 75 points set last season.
He’s rise has been fueled by a relentless forechecking game, elite speed, and impressive stickwork that consistently separates him from defenders.
Those tools have made him an intriguing and potentially exciting gem within the Jets prospect pipeline. Winnipeg has shown strong belief in his development, signing He to an entry level contract, with the possibility that he could make the jump to professional hockey as early as next season.
Beyond the numbers, He continues to break barriers in the sport. Born in Beijing, China, he developed his love for hockey by skating and rollerblading with his father before making the move to North America. He played his minor hockey in North York, Ontario, where his talent steadily grew into that of a high level junior player.
What a game for Jets prospect Kevin He (2024 4th) who finished with a five point (2G 3A) night for Flint.
When the Jets selected him in the 2024 NHL Draft, He became just the second Chinese born player ever drafted into the NHL, following New York Islanders draft pick Andong Song.
He later made history again as the first Chinese born player to sign an NHL contract. The list has since grown, with Haoxi Wang becoming the third Chinese born player drafted when he was selected 33rd overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
As He continues to take impactful strides both on and off the ice, he stands as a powerful example of hockey’s global growth. For Jets fans, it is an encouraging sight to know that Winnipeg is home to a historic talent whose best hockey may still be ahead of him.
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SUNDERLAND, England (AP) — Habib Diarra turned in a decisive first half performance to set Sunderland on its way to a comfortable 3-0 win over struggling Burnley in the Premier League on Monday.
The midfielder signed from Strasbourg last summer scored one and had another deflected into the net during a commanding first half, and Chemsdine Talbi completed the scoring for the Black Cats.
Sunderland’s unbeaten home run was extended to 12 games — a record for a promoted side — and the team moved above Fulham and Everton into eighth place in the table.
There was a healthy dose of fortune about Diarra’s ninth-minute opener, as his right-foot shot took a nasty deflection to wrong-foot Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. The touch was later given as an own goal by Axel Tuanzebe, making him the 12th player in Premier League history to score three own goals for three different clubs (Manchester United, Ipswich Town and Burnley).
However, there was nothing lucky about Diarra's second, which he fired from almost exactly the same position 23 minutes later. Dubravka got a hand to the fierce shot but could not stop it.
Talbi added the third after cutting in from the left and unleashing a superb shot.
Burnley did not have a shot on target and ended the night second-to-last in the table.
Scott Parker’s men have not won in 15 league games since October. The Lancashire side was seven points clear of last-placed Wolves but five behind West Ham and nine adrift of fourth-from-bottom Nottingham Forest.
It may have been a multi-year wait, but NHL fans have been treated to not one but two separate goalie fights in the last two weeks.
Former Detroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, now with the San Jose Sharks, squared off against Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers late last month, which was followed by the first outdoor goalie fight in NHL history on Sunday evening.
Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy and Boston's Jeremy Swayman both went at it at Raymond James Stadium during the NHL's Stadium Series matchup, marking the second goalie fight in exactly 13 days.
Before the aforementioned fight in Florida, it had been current Red Wings goalie Cam Talbot who'd taken part in the most recent goalie bout while a member of the Calgary Flames in early February 2020.
Talbot’s bout against Smith took place during the legendary Battle of Alberta between the Flames and Oilers, and on a Saturday night in front of a national audience on Hockey Night in Canada.
It was the kind of moment Talbot had dreamed of, though in hindsight he admitted he would have preferred to square off against a less physically imposing opponent than the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Smith.
"I wish I'd thought about it a little more, because seeing him standing at center ice is not the best guy you'd want to go up against; he's a big man, and it didn't go very well for me, but it was fun," Talbot said this week with a smile. "I'd always wanted to have a goalie fight, and there was nothing better than at center ice during Hockey Night in Canada."
“It’s fun to see that emotion, the spark that it gives the guys," Talbot continued. "Obviously, Bob (Bobrovsky) saw something that maybe he was frustrated with, or he just didn’t like the way that Ned came out of his net, but I love that out of them."
"I think goalies have tried since then, and the refs have gotten in the way and not let it happen, but it’s fun to let it see them let it go on.”
The Red Wings are no strangers to goaltending fights. Some of the most memorable moments from their 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup–winning seasons came from the bouts between Mike Vernon and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy, followed just over a year later by Chris Osgood squaring off against Roy.
Talbot, who grew up idolizing Roy, also made sure never to miss a tilt between the Red Wings and Avalanche during the heyday of their legendary on-ice rivalry.
“I’d hoped,” Talbot said of envisioning himself in a similar goalie fight. “Patrick was my favorite goalie growing up, so those series stick out in my mind. That was my childhood—to stay up late and watch those ones. I always thought those were the best series, the best fights, and obviously, the rivalry was second to none.
That was part of my childhood, and I loved it. That’s part of the reason why I always wanted to do one, just to say that I did it."
While Talbot isn't one to encourage goaltenders to challenge one another just for the sake of it, he loves to see it under the right conditions - and knows that both the players and the fans love seeing it as well.
"Under the right circumstances, I wouldn’t say to go do it for no reason, but if you have an opportunity, go for it," Talbot said. "I think the game is changing a little bit and getting away from that, but every time it happens, people seem to go nuts for it. It’s a good show for the fans, and I think the goalies enjoy it too.”
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New Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz has officially committed to playing in next month’s World Baseball Classic for Team Puerto Rico.
Assuming, that is, the country doesn’t follow through with its threat to pull out of the tournament following a wave of player withdrawals over insurance-related issues.
Edwin Díaz speaks during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) AP
Over the last couple weeks, the biggest storyline surrounding the WBC has been the star players who announced they would be unable to participate, often because of an inability to get their MLB contracts insured against potential injury in the event.
The withdrawals had particularly decimated Team Puerto Rico, which lost Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, José Berrios, Emilio Pagan and others because of insurance problems.
On Saturday, the president of its baseball federation publicly floated the idea that the team might withdraw from the triannual tournament entirely –– even though it is scheduled to host group-stage games on its home soil next month.
But the addition of Díaz, arguably the top closer in Major League Baseball, could help alleviate those concerns.
The right-hander is a three-time All-Star with 253 career saves. He pitched to a 1.63 ERA with the New York Mets last year, before signing with the Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million contract this offseason.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 15: Edwin Diaz #39 of Puerto Rico celebrates after the final out in the ninth inning of the World Baseball Classic Pool D of the game against the Dominican Republic at loanDepot park on March 15, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Getty Images
In the most recent WBC in 2023, Díaz became an example of why insurance policies are a requirement in the event for MLB players. After closing out a win against the Dominican Republic, which clinched Puerto Rico’s spot in the quarterfinals, he tore his right patellar tendon in an on-field celebration.
That injury forced Díaz, who at the time was just months removed from signing a $102 million deal with the Mets, to miss all of the subsequent 2023 MLB season. But because his contract had been insurance, the Mets were reimbursed for his salary for the time that he missed.
According to a recent report from The Athletic, Díaz’s 2023 injury is at least part of the reason why insurance policies have proven more difficult for players to obtain in the run-up to this WBC.
However, when it came to Díaz himself –– who has made 116 appearances in his two seasons since returning from injury –– obtaining insurance again apparently didn’t prove to be an impediment.
He is back in the WBC, becoming the fifth Dodgers participant for next month’s event.
The Buffalo Sabres take on the Florida Panthers in the first of three games in four nights, but based on the line combinations at the morning skate in Sunrise, FL on Monday morning, young forward Konsta Helenius will not be in the lineup. The 2024 first round pick made a strong impression after being recalled in mid-January, scoring his first NHL goal and adding a pair of assists in a win against Nashville and another assist in a victory in Montreal.
It appears that the 19-year-old Finn may have hit the proverbial wall, as he has gone scoreless in his last four games. Helenius played only 9:54 in the 4-2 loss to the Canadiens on Saturday, and was on the ice for Cole Caufield’s third-period game-winning goal.
"I think this is just part of a young hockey player's journey. I think you can start off well, your emotions are running high and then you get into the grind of the games," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. "Sometimes you just see the peaks and valleys. It's all part of how a young guy gets to where he wants to gets to."
Helenius has made impressive progress in his second season in North America, nearly equaling his rookie point total in half the games with AHL Rochester. The youngster is likely to be sent back to the Amerks during the Olympic break to play regularly, and his return to the Sabres this season may be unlikely, as he has only two games left before burning the first year of his entry-level contract.
Jan 24, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) makes a jump shot against the Dallas Mavericks during the game at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Postgame press conferences for head coach JJ Redick have begun to sound like something of a broken record.
While this could apply to multiple aspects of the Lakers as currently constructed, this time, it’s regarding their shooting. On Sunday, the Lakers had their latest stinker from beyond the arc in their loss to the Knicks, finishing 12-42 from the 3-point line with five of those makes coming from Luka Dončić.
“I thought we got good looks,” Redick said. “The defense in the first half in our zone, we played 23 possessions of it, held them to 19 points. Did enough throughout the game to play to win at the end. But, yeah, the shooting, their shooting killed us and our shooting didn’t help us.”
One of the benefits of having Luka and even this version of LeBron James is the open looks they can create. For years, the simple formula to building a contender was surrounding LeBron with four shooters, a memo that seemingly never made its way to Rob Pelinka.
Now, though, the Lakers are creating open looks. And yet, since LeBron’s return, the Lakers are shooting 33.4% on open looks, classified by NBA as the closest defender being between 4-6 feet away, which ranks in the middle of the road. On wide open 3-pointers, where the defender is further than six feet away, they are 37.4%, 10th-worst in the league.
Compare that to the Knicks, who shoot 40.8% on wide open threes (fourth in the NBA) and 35.9% on open looks (seventh) and you can see why Sunday’s game played out the way it did.
“Obviously, 3-point shooting, we couldn’t consistently make shots from the perimeter,” LeBron said. “And then extra possession. They kicked out for [threes] and knocked them down. I think that was the game right there.”
You wouldn’t fault LeBron for having that approach and mindset because, in theory, if you create open looks, they should eventually fall. Except the players on the Lakers getting those open shots aren’t shooters stuck in a slump. They’re players who aren’t shooters.
After Luka and Austin Reaves, the player with the most three-point attempts is Marcus Smart at 4.8 per contest, just one tenth of a point below his career average. He’s shooting 32.6% from range, marginally above his 32.4% career mark.
Gabe Vincent, a career 34% 3-point shooter, is shooting 37% this season, though I doubt many are clamoring for him to get more playing time. Any hope of Jarred Vanderbilt magically finding a 3-point shot is gone as his 30.3% mark this year is a tick above his career mark of 29.2%.
Jake LaRavia and Rui Hachimura are the only outliers on opposite sides. Rui has blossomed into a legit laser from range while LaRavia is having the worst season of his career from range.
Outside of that, though, these Lakers are, more or less, shooting exactly as they’d be expected to shoot based on their career. This is not an issue of the Lakers being in a slump. This is an issue of the Lakers being a team of non-shooters.
With that context in mind, many of Redick’s and LeBron’s comments ring hollow. It’s not their fault. They should believe in the team and, in theory, creating open looks is the best chance for winning.
However, this team is not one that will knock down those shots, leaving the Lakers hoping for shooting improvements that will never come.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Brendan Donovan #33 of the St. Louis Cardinals prepares to bat prior to the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
MLB Trade Rumors: St. Louis infielder Brendan Donovan is heading to the Seattle Mariners in a three way deal that, of course, features the Tampa Bay Rays as the third team, per reports.
Donovan, 29, finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2022, a year in which he also nabbed the utility player Gold Glove. A seventh round pick of the Cards in 2018 out of South Alabama, Donovan has slashed .282/.361/.411 over the past four seasons while playing all four infielder positions and the corner outfield spots, though he has primarily played second base and left field.
Donovan, who has two years of team control remaining, has been rumored to be available since the middle of the 2025 season, with the Cardinals embarking on a rebuilding program. Donovan isn’t particularly fast and doesn’t hit for much power, but he gets on base and is versatile, and so a number of teams had expressed interest.
Bob Nightengale is reporting that Seattle is parting with third baseman Ben Williamson as part of this deal. Williamson, the team’s second round pick out of William and Mary in 2023, slashed .253/.294/.310 as the Mariners’ primary third baseman until they acquired Eugenio Suarez. Williamson was sent to AAA for the final two months of the season, slashing .314/.392/.462.
UPDATE — Full deal has Seattle giving up Williamson, pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje and center field prospect Tai Peete and getting Donovan from St. Louis.
St. Louis gets Cijntje and Peete, along with Colton Ledbetter from Tampa and the Rays’ competitive balance round B pick, which is currently #72 overall, for Donovan.
The Rays get Williamson for Ledbetter and the draft pick.
The 22 year old Cijntje is a switch thrower who was drafted 15th overall in the 2024 draft out of Mississippi State. He split the 2025 season between high-A and AA, and was 7th on the Mariners list on BA.
Peete, 20, was the 30th overall pick in the 2023 out of the state of Georgia. He’s an athletic, toolsy outfielder who was 10th on the BA list.
Ledbetter, 24, was the Rays’ second round pick in 2023, also out of Mississippi State. The Rays took him two spots before the Mariners took Williamson.
