DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Reddick wins the Daytona 500 in a car owned by Michael Jordan.
Padres elated to land 'baller' Nick Castellanos after his Phillies divorce
PEORIA, AZ — Nick Castellanos spoke calmly, evenly, almost emotionless Sunday after signing with the San Diego Padres, says there are no hard feelings for the way his tenure ended with the Philadelphia Phillies.
He also has no regrets.
Castellanos, released by the Phillies after attempting to trade him all winter, apologized in an open letter to Phillies’ fans for bringing a beer into the dugout during a game against the Miami Marlins in June after being pulled from a game.
"What I will learn from this is just letting my emotions get the best of me in a moment," Castellanos said. “Possibly if I see things that frustrate me, or I don’t believe are conducive to winning, to speaking up when I see it instead of letting things just pile up over time. Then, finally when I address it, it’s less emotional."
Yet, he has no remorse over publicly venting his frustrations.
“In the moment, I felt how I felt and I spoke from the heart," Castellanos said, “and I was honest in every word that I said. You know, it’s not like I was outwardly ever displaying that, like I kept it all inside. But when I was asked a question [by Phillies’ beat reporters in September], I shot straight.
“And then people perceived it how they wanted to."
When asked if he wished things had ended differently in Philadelphia, he shook his head, citing only the failure to win a World Series championship.
“I mean, I think winning solves everything," Castellanos said. “So, I think the one thing that I wish would have ended up different that we would have won."
Castellanos, 33, who was in the final year of a five-year, $100 million contract, was labeled as a malcontent, with several teammates privately calling him selfish in a report by The Athletic. When he openly criticized Phillies manager Rob Thomson for his lack of communication, the Phillies decided they didn’t want him back, and told every team that he was available.
A.J. Preller, Padres president of baseball operations, said he spoke frequently with Phillies president Dave Dombrowski about acquiring Castellanos beginning last November, while knowing that he likely would be released if he wasn’t traded. They stayed patient, and pounced Thursday when he was released.
The Padres immediately set up a Zoom call with Castellanos. Preller, GM Josh Stein and rookie manager Craig Stammen spoke to him, and determined that whatever problems he might have had in Philadelphia, he’d be just fine in the San Diego clubhouse.
“We did a lot of homework," Preller said. “We were just trying to get a grasp of exactly what happened. So we talked to a ton of people that have history with Nick, teammates, coaches, people have been around him. ... It was more about the clubhouse dynamic, getting information about work ethic and the love of the game and what kind of teammate he is."
Preller admits he was originally unaware of the beer incident. So, yes, they talked about that, too
“Obviously, everyone’s got their side of the story," Preller said, “but I think for us it was most important about getting face-to-face with him, hearing his thoughts."
Castellanos’ explanation was convincing enough for the Padres to go ahead and sign him.
“You know, I’ve made many mistakes on this job," Preller said, “and ultimately when people own up to those mistakes – and he did that in our call – it’s about giving guys another opportunity. He gets a fresh start here and a fresh opportunity."
Said Stammen: “You know, we just laid out expectations. He wants the truth. He wants to be direct. He's a direct person. And I think the more that I can be that way for him, and the Padres can support him in that manner, the better off we’ll be."
Preller convened with Padres chairman John Seidler and president Eric Gruepner, while also getting the blessing from several of their veterans – including third baseman Manny Machado – before offering Castellanos a job. Machado, a childhood friend of Castellanos growing up in Miami, immediately gave his blessing.
“I really don't know the details of what happened over there," Machado said. “Don't really care. Honestly, I'm just happy we got him for what we got him for, and he's going to improve our team tremendously. That's all that we care about, you know.
“At the end of the day, we want him to come out here and ball out. I know that he's a baller. He can play the outfield, play a little bit at first base. He can hit with the best of us in the big leagues. So, you know, to have him in our lineup is going to be huge. …
“I got my guy here with me, and it’s going to be a fun year playing together."
Castellanos, who has hit 250 homers with 920 RBIs and a .785 OPS in his 14-year career, says he’s looking forward to proving that he still is an everyday player. He has been to the postseason five times in the last six years, but has never won a World Series, believing that winning a title with Machado would be the ultimate dream.
And while Castellanos says San Diego is a perfect fit and is his son’s favorite city, he brought up the Padres’ close-knit relationship with players, believing that his deteriorating relationship with Thompson or coaches wouldn’t happen in San Diego.
“How they treat their players," Castellanos said, “and how they have their backs. Even if you know something goes a little awry, they still stand with them. They don’t deviate from their commitment to him as a person. So all those things come into account."
The way the Padres figure it, they’re adding a two-time All-Star who still hit 17 homers and drove in 72 runs, for virtually nothing. They are paying Castellanos just the $780,000 minimum salary with the Phillies picking up the remainder of his $20 million contract. (“I mean, talk about getting a $20 million player for pennies on the dollar," Machado said).
So, if Castellanos doesn’t perform well, turns out not to be a fit in the clubhouse, the Padres could easily dump him. No harm, no foul, and no risk.
“They’re giving me an opportunity, that’s all I can ask for," Castellanos said, “to be able to come here, be myself, work hard, make a club, earn my playing time, and just help really in any that I can ….
“I think this is a very talented team. There’s a lot of veterans here. And the city of San Diego has never won a World Series. So however I can contribute to that and help this team accomplish that goal, I’m more than willing to do so."
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nick Castellanos Padres contract is fresh start after ugly Phillies divorce
No. 2 UCLA women beat Indiana 92-48 and extend win streak to 19 games
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kiki Rice had 17 points and nine rebounds, Lauren Betts added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 2 UCLA beat Indiana 92-48 on Sunday to extend its win streak to 19 games.
UCLA (25-1, 15-0 Big Ten), which is unbeaten since a 76-65 loss to No. 4 Texas on Nov. 26 at the Players Era Championship, has the third-longest active win streak in the nation behind North Dakota State (21 straight) and UConn (43).
Betts had her 10th double-double this season and the 43rd in her career. Charlisse Leger-Walker and Gianna Kneepkens had 12 points apiece for the Bruins and Gabriela Jaquez scored 11. Sienna Betts and Lena Bilic each had 10 points.
Maya Makalusky led Indiana (14-13, 3-12) with 13 points. Lenee Beaumont added 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting and Nevaeh Caffey scored 10. Shay Ciezki, the Big Ten’s leading scorer who went into the game averaging 24.0 points (No. 5 nationally), left the game due to an apparent ankle injury late in the first quarter and did not return.
The Hoosiers shot a season-low 31% (15 of 48) from the field, 4 of 20 (20%) from 3-point range, and tied their season low for points in a game. Indiana went into the game shooting 47.9% this season, which ranked 14th nationally.
UCLA grabbed a season-high 23 offensive boards, outrebounded the Hoosiers 51-24 overall, and outscored them 28-2 in second-chance points. The Bruins committed just four turnovers and forced 13 by Indiana, which they converted into 25 points.
Up next
UCLA: Hosts No. 25 Washington on Thursday.
Indiana: Hosts Oregon next Sunday.
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2026 All-Star Game Thread
The 75th NBA All-Star Game will get underway on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET from the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. Returning to NBC for the first time in decades and also streaming on Peacock, this year’s All-Star Game will feature a round-robin tournament with four 12-minute games between three teams: two with United States players and one made up of players from across the globe.
Of particular note for Sixers fans, Tyrese Maxey will be suiting up for the “USA Stars” squad. Maxey, along with the likes of Cade Cunningham, Devin Booker and others, will play in the first game of the day against the World team.
The NBA has caught some flak for how its All-Star Saturday events went about, myself included, given its early start time, a lukewarm at best Slam Dunk Contest and just a general sense of “eh” about it all. The game’s biggest and brightest stars, however, have the opportunity to change the narrative of the weekend overall with a strong showing during this little All-Star tourney. I hope they do! It would be great for both the fans and the league.
As the basketball action unfolds, come chat in our open thread and talk about Maxey, the Sixers and anything hoops related (or unrelated, I guess). Soak it up given that the Sixers as a whole won’t return to the court until this upcoming Thursday when they host the Atlanta Hawks.
NBA All-Star Sunday Night
NBA All-Star Sunday Night
Sunday, February 15, 2026
Time: 4pm CST
Location: Intuit Dome – Inglewood, California
TV: NBA – Peacock
Discuss the new All-Star format here!
Phillies’ Bryce Harper speaks out on ‘wild’ Dave Dombrowski comments
Bryce Harper is not using Dave Dombrowski’s assessment of his play last season as motivation for 2026, but the Phillies first baseman still thinks it’s “wild” that the team president went public last October with claims that the two-time MVP was not “elite” last season.
“I don’t get motivated by that kind of stuff. For me, it was kind of wild the whole situation of that happening,” Harper told reporters at Phillies training camp in Clearwater. “I think the big thing for me was when we first met with this organization it was, ‘Hey, we’re always going to keep things in-house, and we expect you to do the same thing,’ so when that didn’t happen, it kind of took me for a run a little bit, so I don’t know. It’s part of it, I guess. It was kind of a wild situation.”
Harper, who has six seasons remaining on a 13-year contract worth $330 million, posted an .844 OPS — his lowest since 2016 — with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs in 580 plate appearances last season.
Shortly after the eight-time All-Star also went 3-for-15 with zero RBIs in a four-game elimination by the Dodgers in the NL Division Series, Dombrowski described Harper’s 2025 performance as substandard.
Bryce Harper says it was kind of “wild” the way Phillies President Dave Dombrowski made his comments about Bryce’s season and that it was not elite.
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 15, 2026
Bryce says he is always available to anyone with the team and he had an understanding that everything would be kept “in house”… pic.twitter.com/MdzkjVII0l
“Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer,” Dombrowski said. “He’s the one that will dictate that more than anything else. I don’t think he’s content with the year that he had.
“Again, it wasn’t a bad year. But when I think of Bryce Harper, you think elite, you think of one of the top 10 players in baseball, and I don’t think it fit into that category.”
Harper, who missed about a month last season with a wrist injury, acknowledged Sunday that he “obviously didn’t have the year … or postseason that I wanted.”
“My numbers weren’t where they needed to be,” he added. “I know that, and I don’t need to be motivated to be great in my career or anything else. So that’s just not a motivating factor for me. For Dave to come out and say those things, it’s kind of wild to me still.”
The 33-year-old Harper has a .280 career batting average with 363 homers and a .905 OPS over 14 seasons in MLB, seven with the Nationals and the last seven with the Phillies.
Martin and Lawson represent Raptors 905 in G-League Next Up
Like many of the NBA All-Star weekend events, the G-League Next Up Game has taken on a variety of forms over the years. The first version of this contest, an All-Star game that mimicked the format of the NBA’s, was first held in Las Vegas in 2007. Since then it’s taken on different forms, including a “Futures vs Prospects” format, hosting international teams, all the way to the format we saw today.
The mini-tournament consisted of Red vs. Black, followed by Blue vs. White, with the winners of those contests moving on to the final. Each match was a target score contest, with the first round to 35 and the final to 30.
In similar fashion to the NBA’s All-Star games, the defence and effort was on and off throughout the game. For the final few minutes in both games there was a distinct uptick in energy and effort, with teams wanting to see their way through to the final game.
While it wasn’t nationally televised (in fact it took a few minutes to find the stream on the NBA App), it looked well-attended, doing what it was meant to: providing an opportunity for a few of the many talented G-League players to showcase their talent and represent the organizations they play for with pride.
A.J. Lawson represented the Raptors 905 on Team Red. He opened up scoring for the game with a beautiful shot he stepped into. It was a solid start for him, running the floor, grabbing boards, and moving the ball around.
He struggled to score a little bit, missing some long range shots and a dunk attempt, but he made the most of it with a clutch baseline cut and a steal late in the game. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to move on, as Team Black took the win on a pair of free-throws.
Alijah Martin was the second player to step on the court representing Toronto, this time for Team Blue. This game appeared to be less balanced, with Team Blue going down 21-8 early. As we know, Martin isn’t one to give in, and showed a little bit more effort on the defensive end than some of the other players. He was able to convert a long range shot that he stepped into, but didn’t make as much of an impact tonight as he did on Friday for the Rising Stars game.
The opposite was true for his once-again teammate, Sean East II. East struggled during the Rising Stars game, but cashed in a pair of 3s (one on the assist from Martin), and had a nice move in the paint for a floater.
Their combined effort brought the score up to 26-23, but they weren’t able to continue on either, with Team White running away with the game after a timeout.
It also says a lot that both A.J. Lawson and Sean East II are representing Canadian Basketball as alumni of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Lawson spent a season playing for the Guelph Nighthawks before he made his way to the NBA and returned to the G-League. He took a similar path as Lawson, taking the leap to play for the Edmonton Stingers of the CEBL after his first season in the G-League. During that season, he set the single-season scoring record of the CEBL on August 10 with a total of 546 points. Not much of a surprise when you see him making shots like this:
While it was disappointing to see neither of the Raptors 905 guys move on, it remains a testament to the development of players within the program to have both of them represented there.
Now, we wait for Scottie and Ingram will represent Toronto in the All-Star Game later tonight.
Aussies are on the brink of World Cup elimination. Their fate lies in the ‘luck of the Irish’
Following Monday’s devastating T20 World Cup loss to Sri Lanka, Australia faces the daunting prospect of being knocked out in the group stage - but a glimmer of hope remains.
NBA All-Stars sport flashy outfits, get diamond rings during eventful pregame red carpet
The NBA All-Star Game Red Carpet had it all on Sunday — flashy outfits, comfy kicks, showy accessories and even diamond gifts.
Players from USA Stars, USA Stripes and Team World strutted their stuff as they headed into Intuit Dome in Inglewood hours before tip-off of the NBA’s annual showcase, and each sported an ensemble that drew cheers from the small crowd in attendance.
Several — including Luka Doncic, Alperen Şengün and Chet Holmgren — opted for ties for the occasion, while Jamal Murray and Scottie Barnes went with more casual vibes.
Donovan Mitchell had perhaps the most notable accessories of the afternoon. He brought a unique carrying case for his shoes, and then he passed off his pricey sunglasses to a stunned young fan in the audience.
All of those on the All-Star roster were gifted diamond rings that came in boxes with recorded messages from their loved ones inside once they reached the end of the carpet.
According to the NBA, each piece of jewelry had 24 white diamonds.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his massive scarf actually gave away his ring to two fans who presented him with it.
Here’s a look at all of the Association’s best dressed ahead of their big day on the hardwood:
Donovan Mitchell giving a young fan his sunglasses. pic.twitter.com/m4TuWnsceI
— Edward Lewis (@Edward__Lewis) February 15, 2026
Norway’s Birk Ruud moves into freeski big air final as he pursues a 3rd career Olympic gold
LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Birk Ruud cleared the first hurdle on Sunday in his two-tiered quest to repeat as the Olympic big air champion and win a second gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.
The two-time Olympian from Norway finished big air qualifying in third place, easing into Tuesday's final of 12 freeskiers.
Ruud, 25, won big air in Beijing four years ago and took gold on Tuesday in slopestyle.
After landing his first jump, Rudd did a head-over-heels forward flip, just for fun.
“It was a really good qualifying. I landed my two runs and felt real good about it,” Ruud said. “I expect a tough battle (in the final). It is going to be tight and there are going to be big tricks.”
American Mac Forehand had the best score of qualifying with 183 points from his two jumps. Austrian Matej Svancer was next.
New Zealand's Luca Harrington, who won bronze in slopestyle at these Games, was fifth.
American Alex Hall, the silver medalist in slopestyle, failed to advance.
In big air qualifying, skiers must land two of three jumps. Their top two scores are added together to determine their ranking.
The Livigno big air ramp, built on a scaffolding, sends the riders soaring down a slope that’s more than 40 meters (131 feet) in height and was lit by floodlights for the nighttime event.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Taliah Scott scores 26 points and No. 12 Baylor women roll past UCF 93-63
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Taliah Scott scored 26 points and No. 12 Baylor breezed to a bounce-back win, defeating UCF 93-63 on Sunday.
The Bears fell a half-game out of first place in the Big 12 on Thursday when they lost at home to No. 17 TCU 83-67. Baylor plays at TCU on March 1.
Led by 12 points from Scott, Baylor rolled to a 27-13 lead through the first quarter against UCF, which lost by 50 points against Big 12-leader West Virginia last time out. Baylor led 52-23 at halftime after shooting 65% in the first half compared to 37% for UCF.
Scott made 7 of 8 shots and had 21 points by halftime. She finished 8 for 10 for the game with 3 of 4 3s and 7 for 7 at the free-throw line.
Jana Van Gytenbeek had 11 assists and 10 points for her first double-double of the season to go with the triple-double she had on Dec. 9 against Alabama State. Kayla Nelms scored 12 points off the bench, Bella Fontleroy scored 11 and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs 10 for the Bears (22-5, 11-3 Big 12).
No starter scored in double figures for UCF (10-15, 2-12). The bench led the way with Samari Bankhead's 16 points and 13 points from Kayanna Cox.
Baylor's lead reached 39 points three times in the second half, but UCF got within the final 30-point margin when Bankhead hit two 3-pointers and Jacorriah Bracey hit another in the final two minutes of the game.
Baylor defeated UCF 73-48 on Jan. 21 in the game that started UCF’s now seven-game losing streak.
Up next
Baylor: at Texas Tech on Wednesday.
UCF: Kansas State visits on Wednesday. ___
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Ben Shelton beats Taylor Fritz to win Dallas Open in meeting of world's highest-ranked American men
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Ben Shelton saved three match points before finishing another rally at the Dallas Open, beating top-seeded Taylor Fritz in three sets for the title Sunday in a matchup of the world's highest-ranked American men.
The No. 2 seed and No. 9 player in the ATP rankings lost the first set in each of the last three rounds of the tournament, this time coming back for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Fritz in the first meeting of the top seeds since the event moved to Dallas in 2022.
Shelton improved to 4-0 in ATP finals and beat Fritz, ranked seventh in the world, after the pair had split their first two meetings. The 23-year-old's title came after he reached the Australian Open quarterfinals last month, losing in straight sets to Jannik Sinner.
After saving three match points to get the third set to 5-5, Shelton had three chances to close out Fritz while serving for the match. Fritz saved the first two, but the 10-time ATP champion couldn't match his opponent by saving the third.
“This was a crazy match to be a part of,” Shelton said. “I thought the level was amazing.”
Fritz's dominant serving from a semifinal win over Marin Cilic — the 28-year-old didn't even face a break point while winning both tiebreakers in a straight-sets victory — carried over to the first set of the final. Fritz won 12 of his first 13 service points while breaking Shelton in the left-hander's first service game.
Shelton turned the match late in the second set by breaking Fritz's serve for a 5-3 lead, then did it again early in the third set.
Fritz broke back for 3-3 was leading 5-4 on Shelton's serve when he had three chances to close out the match. Shelton got to deuce with an overhead smash from the net and a backhand winner that caught Fritz going the wrong way.
On Fritz's last match point, Shelton converted a volley to get back to deuce and went on to hold serve with a backhand volley into the open court with both players at the net.
“If you’d told me I lost after having three match points, I think I would expect to be a lot more upset,” Fritz said. “It hurts, but I feel like it doesn’t hurt as much as I would expect it to because I don’t really have a lot of regrets with how I played those match points.”
Fritz's double-fault — the only one of the match for either player — gave Shelton three break points at 5-5. Shelton converted the second break chance when Fritz's forehand went long.
An ace on a second serve gave Shelton three match points, and he converted the second when Fritz's lunging return attempt on Shelton's approach shot fell short.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
2026 NBA All-Star Game: start time, TV, streaming, game thread
Jalen Johnson competes in his first All-Star Game as part of a US vs. the world round robin format.
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen
Location: Intuit Dome, Los Angeles, CA
Start Time: 5:00 PM EDT
TV: NBC
Streaming: Peacock
Richie Saunders injury latest: BYU star to miss rest of season with torn ACL
BYU basketball took a huge blow on Saturday, Feb. 14, with star guard Richie Saunders going down for the remainder of the season with injury.
Saunders, a fourth-year player averaging 18 points per game this season, will miss the remainder of the campaign after tearing his ACL early in BYU's 90-86 overtime win over Colorado on Feb. 14. BYU confirmed the injury in a press release on Feb. 15.
"To end my BYU career like this is heartbreaking," Saunders wrote on Instagram. "... My story has never been one of ease. And while I didn't plan for this, my career is not over. I will return with more fight and more grit than before. My goals haven't changed."
Richie Saunders injury
Saunders went down with the injury less than a minute into BYU's game against Colorado on Feb. 14 after taking an awkward fall. He was down on the ground for a few minutes before being helped to the locker room.
Saunders was BYU's best player last season and led the Cougars to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2011. BYU will now rely on true freshman standout AJ Dybantsa and transfer Rob Wright III, who are averaging 24.4 and 18.7 points per game, respectively this season.
The 6-foot-5 senior guard was the Big 12's most improved player in 2025 after improving his scoring average from 9.6 points per game in 2023-24 to 16.5 points per game in 2024-25. He ranks eighth in program history in 3-point makes (205) and 15th in 20-point games.
BYU has won two games in a row against Baylor and Colorado after dropping four consecutive games against Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Houston. The Cougars' next two games won't be easy, either, facing Arizona on the road and Iowa State at home without Saunders.
Richie Saunders stats
Here are Saunders' year-by-year stats at BYU:
- 2022-23 (freshman): 5.5 points with 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game
- 2023-24 (sophomore): 9.6 points with 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game
- 2024-25 (junior): 16.5 points with 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game
- 2025-26 (senior): 18 points with 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Richie Saunders injury: BYU star to miss rest of season with torn ACL
Padres Reacts Survey Results: Majority of fans are not in support of Padres players competing in World Baseball Classic
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Spring Training is a time for players to reconnect with their organizations, coaches and teammates as they prepare for the upcoming season. Spring Training will be all that this season, but it will also be a time for players to prepare for the World Baseball Classic. The tournament is played every three to four years and brings players and countries together to compete on a global stage.
The WBC provides competitive games with thrilling plays and legendary matchups, but it also means participants are competing at a level that is comparable to a postseason game. With this type of effort and intensity, players can be more susceptible to injury and for many fans, it means they run the risk of missing time with their MLB club.
Fans of the San Diego Padres seem to have the same concerns. In this week’s Padres Reacts Survey respondents were asked how they felt about players from the San Diego roster competing in the WBC. Respondents were not unanimous in their position, but the majority said they hate that players from the Padres are competing in the WBC.
Everyday players third baseman Manny Machado and shortstop Xander Bogaerts have regularly played for Dominican Republic and Netherlands. Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and closer Mason Miller will make their first WBC appearances with Dominican Republic and USA. This group is joined by relievers Wandy Peralta, Alek Jacob and Yuki Matsui as well as minor league pitchers Victor Lizarraga and Omar Cruz who will all compete for their respective countries.
Baseball fans who like the WBC point to the matchup between Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani from the 2023 WBC final. Trout stepped to the plate to face Ohtani in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and Japan holding a 3-2 lead over USA. Trout would ultimately strikeout to end the game, but the baseball world was captivated by the intense and dramatic moment.
Baseball fans who do not like the WBC will point to the 2023 WBC as well and say Edwin Diaz, who was then the closer for the New York Mets, tore his patellar tendon in his knee while celebrating a WBC win that caused him to miss the entire 2023 MLB season. The statement was often made that he was injured in a game that did not count and the Mets suffered as a result.
There is no question the WBC creates great theater, and the tournament has supporters and detractors. The players seem to enjoy it and most of them enthusiastically accept the opportunity to play for their country, but the potential for injury is always an underlying concern… especially for fans.
