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JJ Bleday, Reds reportedly agree to free-agent contract, ending Athletics tenure

JJ Bleday, Reds reportedly agree to free-agent contract, ending Athletics tenure originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

JJ Bleday‘s days in the Green and Gold are over.

The 28-year-old outfielder reportedly has agreed on a free-agent contract with the Cincinnati Reds, FanSided’s Robert Murray first reported Saturday morning, citing sources.

As Murray notes, Bleday was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. He spent the past three seasons with the Athletics.

Over his Athletics tenure, Bleday hit 44 home runs with a .723 OPS from the 2023 to 2025 seasons. He struggled a bit last season after a promising 2024 campaign, slashing .212/.294/.404 for a .698 OPS with 14 homers.

The Athletics DFA’d Bleday in November, the first indication that his time with the Athletics was nearing an end.

Now he’ll get a fresh start in Cincinnati.

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New Battle of the Sexes is cynical bid for attention and own goal for Sabalenka

World No 1’s clash with Nick Kyrgios is on track to being one of the most inane tennis events ever conceived

2025 was the year of Aryna Sabalenka for so many reasons. She reached three of the four grand slam finals, winning her fourth major title at the US Open and further positioning herself as a generational great. From her humble origins as a volatile, one-note ball-basher, the 27-year-old has admirably evolved into an increasingly complete player. Sabalenka is the best player in the world for a second year in succession.

The fleeting tennis off-season is usually an opportunity for players and spectators alike to reflect on such great feats before the new season is upon them. This year, however, the December discourse has been derailed by the fast-approaching train wreck Sabalenka stands at the heart of.

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Blackhawks: Recap Day One Of 2025-26 World Junior Championships

On Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks had three prospects participate in the World Junior Championships, which kicked off on Friday in Minnesota. There were also a handful of prospects playing that the Chicago Blackhawks may have their eyes on at the 2026 NHL Draft. 

Let's start with the ones already drafted by Chicago:

Anton Frondell

Anton Frondell scored the first goal of the entire event to put Sweden up 1-0. He also set up the next goal, a power play goal scored by Victor Eklund. 

In addition to the two points, Frondell had some other incredible chances that were saved by either the goaltender or the post. His defensive game is also impactful, as it was difficult for Slovakia to do anything of note when he was on the ice. 

Blackhawks Prospect Anton Frondell Dominates In Sweden’s WJC Win Over SlovakiaBlackhawks Prospect Anton Frondell Dominates In Sweden’s WJC Win Over SlovakiaThe Chicago Blackhawks have a high-end prospect in Anton Frondell. He showed the goods in the first game of the World Junior Championships.

Frondell is Sweden's key to winning their first Medal in 14 years and third ever. There is a lot of high-end prospect talent on this team, and Frondell is right there at the top.

AJ Spellacy

AJ Spellacy is never going to be the guy leading the highlights like Anton Frondell, James Hagens, or Michael Misa, amongst others, but he does make life easier on star players. 

In Team USA's 6-3 win over Team Germany, Spellacy was noticeable. His line was playing the right way for the majority of the game. Spellacy, in particular, had two assists.

He also created chaos in front of the net, laid some big hits, stood in front of the net, tipped pucks, and did a good job gaining the offensive zone whenever that was asked of him. 

If Team USA is going to win its third Gold Medal in a row, Spellacy must continue playing his role at a high level. If he keeps bringing some offense in addition to the other things he does well, this team will be deeper than originally thought. 

Vaclav Nestrasil 

Team Czechia is looking to medal for the fourth year in a row. They have upset Canada a lot in recent years, but were unable to do so in the opener on Friday. The Canadians pulled out a 7-5 victory, but it was far from easy. 

One of Czechia's best and most productive players is Chicago Blackhawks prospect Vaclav Nestrasil. As the other two players mentioned, he had two points as well. Nestrasil's two points came in the form of assists, proving that his playmaking abilities are off the charts. 

When the Blackhawks drafted Nestrasil 25th overall in 2025, there was a lot of unknown. However, whether it's his production at UMass or here playing for Czechia, he has shown that to be a great decision by Kyle Davidson. 

2026 NHL Draft

The Chicago Blackhawks will come out of the holiday break with the worst record in the National Hockey League. With Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar out for a couple of weeks, it is hard to see the Hawks climbing out of their current slump any time soon. 

That could mean that another top-three pick is on the horizon. Right now, that means looking at Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff, and Ivar Stenberg. 

Canada made the curious decision to healthy scratch Verhoeff, but that won't impact his status as a top-three pick in the draft. The North Dakota defenseman has been having an incredible year playing defense, but he is one of the younger players on Team Canada, trying to find his way. 

Gavin McKenna, on the other hand, is Canada's go-to offensive player right now. He is projected to be the number one overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and has been for some time. The Penn State forward has taken some time to adjust to the NCAA game after dominating his whole major junior career, but you see his true abilities come out at a tournament like this. 

McKenna had two assists in the win. His playmaking has a certain level that other players his age can't reach. There is a lot more where that came from for McKenna, and the Blackhawks are going to be scouting him hard. A player like that joining Connor Bedard, his relative through marriage, would do wonders for the future of the franchise. 

Ivar Stenberg, who also has the pedigree to be the first overall pick, had a big day as well. The only goal that Sweden scored that wasn't scored or assisted by Anton Frondell was the game-winner put in by Stenberg.

His game-breaking talent will make an NHL team very happy as soon as next year. If the Blackhawks were able to add him and Frondell in the same year, it would be franchise-altering for them. 

NHL teams, especially ones like the Blackhawks who are going to be picking high, had to be happy with what they saw from McKenna and Stenberg on Friday. 

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Lakers' Austin Reaves diagnosed with Grade 2 calf strain, will be re-evaluated in four weeks

JJ Redick may be about to get a lot more frustrated.

Austin Reaves, the Lakers' second-leading scorer, has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain — a calf strain — and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, the team announced. With that timeline, he will miss at least the next 14 games. The injury happened on Christmas Day, when he did not play the second half in a loss to the Rockets because of it. This reportedly is separate from the calf strain that cost him three games earlier in the month.

Reaves has been playing at an All-Star level, averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game this season, shooting 36.5% from 3-point range. He has proven he can carry the offense for a stretch when Luka Doncic is out.

This season, the Lakers outscore opponents by 3.1 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court and get outscored by 5.6 per 100 while he is off. With him out, more playmaking duties will fall to LeBron James and backup guards such as Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia.

The Lakers have lost three straight games, the last two by 20+ points to Houston on Christmas Day and Phoenix before that. The Lakers have gone 2-4 in their previous six games, with the worst defense in the league over that stretch. Reaves is a member of four of the five most-used Lakers lineups.

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Lakers guard Austin Reaves out for at least a month because of calf injury

Los Angeles, CA - November 02: Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) gestures during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Austin Reaves has a grade 2 strain of his left calf and will be out for approximately a month. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers guard Austin Reaves will miss at least a month with a grade 2 strain in his left calf, the team announced Friday, one day after he left the game against the Houston Rockets at halftime.

Reaves, averaging career highs in points (26.6), assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2), had already missed three games with what the team called a “mild” calf strain. He returned off the bench while playing on a minutes restriction against Phoenix on Dec. 23 and reprised his starting role on Christmas Day in a loss to the Rockets. But after scoring 12 points in 15 minutes in the first half, he was ruled out for the second half with “left calf soreness.”

Calf injuries have been major concerns across the NBA since three stars — Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum — suffered Achilles tears during last year’s playoffs. Haliburton and Lillard have previously dealt with calf injuries.

Lakers star guard Luka Doncic suffered a calf injury on Christmas Day last year while with the Dallas Mavericks and missed two months, during which he was traded to the Lakers.

“I know how it is to go to a calf injury. It's not fun at all,” Doncic said Thursday after the game. “[I’ll] just be there to support him. Take your time. Calves are dangerous so take your time.”

The Lakers (19-10) are losing their second-leading scorer at a critical time of the season. They have lost three consecutive games, their only losing streak of the season, and their defense in the last 15 games has been among the worst in the league.

Read more:'We don’t have it right now.' Takeaways from the Lakers' third straight loss

After the third consecutive blowout loss, coach JJ Redick questioned how much his players cared. He promised an “uncomfortable” film session and team meeting at practice on Saturday before the Lakers face Sacramento at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.

After a difficult stretch of the schedule that included eight out of 10 games against teams with winning records, the Lakers have four of their next five against teams in the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Outside of a home game against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, the Lakers play the Sacramento Kings, the Memphis Grizzlies (on Jan. 2 and 4) and at New Orleans on Jan. 6.

Reaves’ absence could extend until the beginning of the Lakers’ Grammy road trip that begins on Jan. 20 against Denver.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Dylan Larkin On The Verge Of Overtaking Sergei Fedorov In Red Wings History

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Detroit Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin is playing some of the best hockey of his career, and it's paying off incredible dividends for his club, which is now first overall in the Atlantic Division and tied for first place in the Eastern Conference. 

Considering where the Red Wings were in the standings one calendar year ago, it's a monumental improvement in their fortunes. 

Their most recent victory took place on Tuesday evening over the Dallas Stars at Little Caesars Arena, and it was Larkin who played a critical role in the outcome.

Larkin not only scored the game-tying goal late in the third period after a terrific pass from James van Riemsdyk, but he also scored the overtime game-winner for his 20th tally of Detroit's centennial campaign. 

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With the overtime goal, Larkin now has 11 in his career. He only needs one more to match the 12 scored by Sergei Fedorov for the most in franchise history. 

The Red Wings will be retiring the iconic No. 91 jersey number of Fedorov next month on Jan. 12. 

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There is no player on the Red Wings roster who more badly wants to bring Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time in the venue's existence than Larkin.

Thanks to his contributions so far this season, they're that much closer to that goal, and would occupy the second overall seed in the Eastern Conference if the postseason were to begin today. 

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Frustrated Lakers coach JJ Redick: 'We don't care enough right now'

On Christmas Day the Lakers dropped their third straight game, an ugly 23-point loss to the Houston Rockets. That comes on the heels of a 24-point loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers are 2-4 in their last six with the worst defense in the NBA in that stretch with a -10.9 net rating in that stretch.

After the game, a frustrated JJ Redick vented at his team, with quotes via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

"We don't care enough right now," Redick said. "And that's the part that bothers you a lot. We don't care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don't care enough to be a professional...

"Saturday's practice — I told the guys — it's going to be uncomfortable," Redick said. "The meeting is going to be uncomfortable. I'm not doing another 53 games like this."

Redick made similar comments after the loss to the Suns days earlier, saying of his team's defense, "It comes down to just making the choice. It's making the choice."

Three quick thoughts.

1) It's understandable that Redick is frustrated with the losing and the play of his team lately. Lakers fans are, too. He's understandably frustrated with the athleticism gap between his team and some of the other top six teams in the West — such as Houston, San Antonio and Oklahoma City — but that is less about effort and more about the roster's construction. This is a team that waived Jordan Goodwin to clear roster space for veteran Marcus Smart, and Goodwin goes to Phoenix and thrives on an athletic roster.

2) The idea that the Lakers' biggest issue is just needing to play harder — "We don't care enough" or "it's making a choice" — both feels slightly outdated in today's high-paced NBA and is not going to play well in the locker room long-term. The "we just have to play harder" card is one a coach can only pull out once or twice a season, and Redick has pulled it out twice in the last week.

3) The Lakers roster was clearly going to struggle defensively even before the season tipped off — playing Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves (who is expected to miss time with calf soreness) and about-to-turn 41 LeBron James together was always going to be an issue. Dallas, a couple of years ago, showed the model for winning and reaching the NBA Finals with Luka Doncic — surrounding him with shooting, athleticism and defense — and the Lakers have not built to that model.

Redick isn't wrong trying to push his players, but the Lakers are what they are built to be. Redick can shift things around, but at the end of the game these are the cards he's been dealt. Welcome to coaching in the NBA.