Guardians News and Notes: Free Agent Market Continues to Move

Bo Bichette headed to the Mets on a 3-year, $126 million deal and J.T. Realmuto to the Phillies yesterday on a 3-year $45 million deal as the MLB free agent market continued to move. Cody Bellinger remains the last big free agent available.

Joel Hammond, former contributor here, had a great thread explaining why it’s not particularly reasonable to think the Guardians are pocketing a bunch of revenue and, again, debunking the idea that Paul has access to the entire Dolan fortune. Yes, he still thinks the Guardians should spend more. It’s worth reading:

The Athletic asked 100 people in sports whom they admire as leaders and Stephen Vogt showed up at 31st on a list of 40:

Paul Hoynes pointed out that Stephen Vogt didn’t sound super confident that Steven Kwan would be a Guardian come Spring Training. It is curious to me that Vogt said “I really hope he is in left field leading off for us” rather than “I expect he will be in left field leading off for us.”

Never underestimate how little the Guardians care about fan reactions and feelings, but I shudder to think what the backlash would be if they don’t add anyone significant AND trade Kwan before the season.

Mason Horodyski of WEWS/News 5 Cleveland posted a bunch of clips of Austin Hedges, Hunter Gaddis and Stephen Vogt talking about the upcoming season on his Twitter if you’re interested in viewing more:

Dodgers notes: Kyle Tucker, Max Muncy, Nick Robertson

Nick Robertson, a right-handed reliever drafted by the Dodgers in 2019 and who made his major league debut with Los Angeles in 2023 before getting traded for Kiké Hernández, signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers, per Ari Alexander of 7News in Boston.

Robertson last season had a 4.30 ERA with 52 strikeouts and 30 walks in 52 1/3 innings in 43 games in Triple-A between the Astros and Royals systems. The 27-year-old right-hander pitched in the majors for the Dodgers, Red Sox, Cardinals, and Blue Jays in 2023-24.


The addition of Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers definitely bolsters the outfield production and the lineup as well. Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com looked specifically at the combo of Tucker, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith, all of whom posted at least a 140 OPS+ last season, and the rarity of such a quartet.

David Roth at Defector looked at the last few days, and how the Tucker signing spurred more action and reaction among some top-spending teams. The Mets, who were in on Tucker, pivoted to Bo Bichette, whom they plan to play at a new position. That left the Bichette-pursuing Phillies left empty-handed, and they re-signed catcher JT Realmuto.

Max Muncy’s wife Kellie gave birth to the couple’s third child on Tuesday, a daughter named Macie Grace, which was shared on Instagram:

Is Luka Doncic playing tonight? Injury status for Lakers-Trail Blazers

Luka Dončić will be unavailable for the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, Jan. 17.

The Lakers star has left groin soreness and will be out for the road game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the team announced Friday night.

Dončić injured his groin while warming up before a game against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. He'd managed to play in the three games since the injury, with the team going 1-2 during that stretch.

He is one of three players who have been ruled out for Los Angeles, along with Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain).

Luka Dončić stats

Dončić has averaged 33.6 points, 8.7 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game in 32 games played this season. He ranks first in points and fourth in assists this season.

Who is Luka Dončić's backup?

Kobe Bufkin is listed as the primary backup behind Dončić at point guard, according to ESPN. Bufkin has averaged 1.5 points and two rebounds per game. Gabe Vincent would also be considered. He's averaged 5.1 points and 1.4 assists per game in just 19 games this season, averaging 20.1 minutes per game.

When do Lakers play next?

The Los Angeles Lakers will play the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT). The game will be played at the Moda Center in Portland.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic injury update: Will Lakers star play vs Blazers tonight?

Blue Jays Birthdays: Brad Fullmer

It is Brad Fullmer’s 51st birthday.

Also, 23 years ago (2002), the Blue Jays traded Brad Fullmer to the Angels for Brian Cooper.

So it is a shared birthday/today in Jays’ history post.

About the trade:

Cooper was an RHP. He was 27 at the time. He pitched for the Angels for portions of three seasons, making 21 starts and 6 relief appearances. He reached 5-10 with a 5.33 ERA in 128 innings, 57 walks, and 58 strikeouts.

Fullmer was also 27 at the time of the trade.

It wasn’t one of J.P. Ricciardi’s better trades. Fullmer was always thought of as a disappointment. Maybe because, as an LHB, he didn’t hit lefties at all. Maybe because Brad really couldn’t play defense. But I wonder why J.P. gave him away so cheaply (perhaps he was tired of paying for cleaning chewing tobacco out of the Skydome’s turf?). Cooper wasn’t much of a pitcher, nor was Brad a great prospect, but Ricciardi must have seen something in Cooper that the rest of us missed. I can’t imagine what he thought he saw. Cooper had as many walks as strikeouts when we traded for him.

The Expos picked Brad in the 2nd round of the 1993 draft. He played two-plus seasons with the Expos and had been a disappointment. He wasn’t very good with the glove at first base, and his bat didn’t show quite as well as the Expos hoped. Nevertheless, he hit .276/.326/.459 with 25 home runs in 259 games with Montreal.

In March 2000, Fullmer was part of a three-team trade between the Expos, Rangers, and Blue Jays. The Rangers sent Lee Stevens to the Expos, the Jays sent David Segui to the Rangers, and the Expos sent Fullmer to the Jays.

Stevens did a good job for the Expos, hitting .243/.334/.450 with 57 home runs in 3 seasons. Segui hit .336/.391/.519 in 93 games, and the Expos traded him to Cleveland for Ricky Ledee. Segui was always good at getting on base, but didn’t have the power you’d like to have from a first baseman.

Fullmer DHed for the Jays for two seasons, hitting .284/.333/.499 with 50 home runs and 187 RBI in 279 games. He had an excellent season in 2000, hitting 32 home runs and driving in 104 runs. If the Jays had a better team, we’d consider Fullmer one of the better DHs in team history.

The trade with the Angels didn’t go well for the Jays.

Fullmer played two seasons for the Angels and hit .294/.367/.521 with 28 home runs and 94 RBI in 193 games. He also starred in the Angels’ 2002 World Series win. He hit .294/.351/.471 in 12 playoff games. Brad also stole home in game two of the World Series as part of a double steal. Pretty crappy defense there, Giants.

Brad signed with the Rangers before the 2004 season. In late June, he hit .233/.310/.442 with 11 home runs, but a knee injury ended his career.

Fullmer played 8 seasons and hit .279/.336/.486 with 114 home runs.


Chad Beck turns 41 today.

Chad was a 43rd-round draft pick in 2004 (the draft is now only 20 rounds). Beck pitched 2.1 innings in 2011 and 15.2 innings in 2012, and that was his career. Only 1 other player picked in that round in 2004 made the majors: Chris Schwinden, who threw 29.2 innings over two seasons. Gotta love guys who beat odds that long.


Also, on January 17, 2011, 15 years ago now, the Jays signed Jon Rauch, without whom we would have never had this:

Chicago Cubs news and notes — Bregman, Shaw, Tucker

Bo’s a Met. Bo Bichette, that is.

Kyle Tucker joined the Dodgers, who offered him a cool $240 million for four years, with opt-outs after the second and third years.

More power to him. If you can get that kinda money, get right on it.

This even though I’ve hated the Dodgers from the git-go. I was raised by people who did not adore Brooklyn and were offended hugely by the way the move was done when they Greeley’d. Personally, it was Steve Garvey’s lantern jaw that I remember. It’s like the stinkin’ Cardinals… and that’s not the only parallel.

Now I look at the Dodgers much as I look at the early Cardinals, who owned the entire minor-league system (they were the principal architects of the system and maintained control until they were made to stop). They’re creating a new paradigm, for better or worse.

The Cubs have a new third baseman. You have to like his will to win, and let’s hope that rubs off.

“In October, it’s ‘Alex in Wonderland,’ and it’s a ‘Bregularly’ scheduled event, no doubt.” — Scott Boras.

Oh, and the Cubs Convention is under way. We’ll be back tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel, with more of this.

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Today’s playlist. Tons of Bregman vids and a few other things.

“He makes contact at an elite level, he controls the strike zone at an elite level,” Hoyer said. “And certainly, those are skills that age well.”

“Literally the first second that free agency really opened I felt like we knew the Cubs wanted our family to be here, and we were excited about it,” Bregman, 31, said. “I thought it was trending that way, probably from the beginning of the offseason. They expressed right away that they wanted me. They made it extremely clear that they valued what I valued.”

Food For Thought:

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series. We will not wittingly publish A. I. – driven articles or clickbait, and insist on reputable sources.

Saturday Bird Droppings: Orioles interested in Justin Verlander

Good morning Birdland,

While much of the baseball-watching public is up in arms about the contracts that Kyle Tucker (Dodgers, four years, $240 million) and Bo Bichette (Mets, three years, $126 million) received this week, we have a much more modest rumor to talk about.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that the Orioles, among a few other teams, are interested in 42-year-old righty Justin Verlander. The 20-year MLB vet and future Hall of Famer spent the 2025 season with the San Francisco Giants, where he had a 3.85 ERA over 152 innings.

Rosenthal clarifies that a deal between the Orioles and Verlander “is not close.” The O’s have their sights set on a bigger rotation upgrade, but those options are waning. Framber Valdez is the big free agent still on the market, above the likes of Zac Gallen, Lucas Giolito, and Chris Bassitt. There are some intriguing trade options, including Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, and Mackenzie Gore, but they are expected to require a big prospect haul to land. Verlander would represent a Plan B.

Some will recall that this is not the first time that Verlander and the Mike Elias-led Orioles have been linked. Back in 2023, there was some speculation that the O’s could trade for the him when he was then on the Mets. At the time, he was still viewed as an ace, having posted a 1.75 ERA over 175 innings in 2022 and then looking solid again for a disappointing Mets squad halfway through ‘23. Ultimately, Verlander returned to the Astros, and the Orioles traded for Jack Flaherty instead. Both teams would be beaten by the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers in the playoffs.

Whomever signs Verlander will not be getting the peak version, obviously. His velocity and strikeout numbers are more modest than they once were. He hasn’t thrown 200 innings in a season since 2019. And you could understand Orioles fans having some trepidation here after the club suffered through the Charlie Morton experience last summer, a pitcher from the same era as Verlander.

But the Orioles rotation is in a better spot now than it was when Morton was added a year ago. Morton was expected to come in and be one of the better pitchers on a unit that lacked an ace. Verlander would slot somewhere behind Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers, and be counted on for innings and guidance rather than ace-level performance. The upside of the rotation would be left to the duo ahead of him, the newly acquired Shane Baz, and the potential emergence or prospect Trey Gibson.

Adding a 42-year-old pitcher is never going to be the safest move, and it would certainly be a disappointment for fans that have been hoping for a bonafide ace at the zenith of their powers. But you could also do a lot worse than a proven winner like Verlander.

Links

Orioles Among Teams With Interest In Justin Verlander | MLB Trade Rumors
Here is the MLBTR writeup of the above-mentioned report from The Athletic. If Elias and the Orioles’ front office isn’t in love with the more expensive options, signing a veteran like Verlander makes a ton of sense. He would be cheaper ($15 million salary in 2025) than some of the other arms out there, and it may keep their options open for a splashy trade in-season.

Some random thoughts and more mailbag questions | Roch Kubatko
Not much in here apart from Roch reassuring us all that the Orioles are in hot pursuit of pitching upgrades. The quality of those upgrades is unclear. But no one is saying that they are out on Valdez or anyone else.

Busy week for Orioles as Framber Valdez remains unsigned | Baltimore Baseball
For a long time I thought the Orioles could land Valdez if he was willing to take a short-term, high AAV deal. But I wasn’t aware of just how high some of these AAVs were gonna go. Tucker just got $60 million AAV, and then Bichette landed $42 million AAV. Are the Orioles interested in that stratosphere of a deal? Ehhh.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

  • Rob Bell turns 49 today. He pitched in 30 games out of the Orioles bullpen in 2007, sporting a 5.94 ERA over 53 total innings.
  • The late Dick Brown (b. 1935, d. 1970) was born on this day. From 1963 through ‘65, he shared catching duties on the Orioles with John Orsino. Brown’s time with the Orioles, and playing career in general, was ended by a brain tumor that eventually took his life several years later.
  • It is a posthumous celebration for Jay Heard (b. 1920, d. 1999). The left-handed pitcher was the franchise’s first African-American player after their move to Baltimore. He would pitch in just two games for the 1954 squad.

This day in O’s history

January 17 has been a quiet day in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. Maybe that will change today. For now, here are some happenings from beyond Birdland:

1920 – The Volstead Act goes into effect in the United States, beginning Alcohol Prohibition.

1950 – The Great Brinks Robbery: More than $2 million is stolen from an armored car company’s offices in Boston by a team of 11 thieves. At the time, it was the largest robbery in United States history and went unsolved for nearly six years.

2013 – Highly-decorated former cyclist Lance Armstrong confesses to doping throughout his career during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

This Week in Purple: It’s promotion (schedule) season!

The weekend is a great time to kick back and reflect. This Week in Purple is the place to catch up on the news from our team at Purple Row. You’ll find links to Rockpiles and other content below as well as a platform for community discussion in the comments.


The Colorado Rockies released their preliminary promotional schedule for the 2026 season. It’s sparse at the moment, but the Rockies have assured us that there will be more coming so stay tuned!

But in the meantime, here are the giveaways and theme dates as of Friday:

April

  • Friday, April 3: Rockies Home Opener, 2026 Magnet Schedule (all fans)
  • Saturday, April 4: Jersey Sweatshirt (first 15,000 fans)
  • Saturday, April 18: Hello Kitty Night, Hello Kitty Backpack (special ticket required)

May

  • Saturday, May 16: Military Appreciation Day, Hunter Goodman T-Shirt (first 15,000 fans)
  • Sunday, May 31: Kids Day (all kids run the bases)

June

  • Friday, June 5: City Connect Hat (first 15,000 fans)
  • Sunday, June 7: Dinger Bobblehead (first 15,000 fans)
  • Saturday, June 20: Soccer Jersey (first 15,000 fans)
  • Sunday, June 21: Father’s Day Hawaiian Shirt (first 15,000 fans)

July

  • Friday, July 3: Postgame Fireworks Show
  • Saturday, July 4: Postgame Fireworks Show
  • Friday, July 17: City Connect Mystery Player Jersey (first 15,000 fans)
  • Saturday, July 18: Hot Dog Hat (first 15,000 fans)
  • Friday, July 31: City Connect Floppy Hat (first 15,000 fans)

August

  • Saturday, August 1: Postgame Drone Show, Colorado 150th Birthday Wearable Flag (first 15,000 fans)
  • Sunday, August 2: Faith Day Postgame Concert (special ticket required)
  • Saturday, August 22: Star Wars Night, Star Wars-Themed Jersey (special ticket required)

September

  • Friday, September 18: Fan Appreciation Fireworks
  • Sunday, September 20: Los Rockies Day

Additionally, here’s what our writers were up to this week:

To Read (Rockpiles)

To Read (PuRPs)

Full Stream

To Read (Other)

Weekend Discussion Topics

Which giveaways are you most looking forward to? What’s a giveaway you’d like to see the Rockies do? Let us know in the comments!


Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Marco Odermatt sets up record 4th downhill victory in Wengen to assert status as Olympic favorite

WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Marco Odermatt already has no equals on the World Cup skiing circuit.

Now the Swiss star is set to claim the record in the biggest event on home snow, too.

Odermatt led a shortened race Saturday to set up his fourth career downhill victory in Wengen – breaking a tie for the most downhill victories on the famed Lauberhorn course with Franz Klammer and Beat Feuz.

Austrian standout Klammer claimed his three Wengen downhill wins in the 1970s while Feuz, another Swiss skier, claimed his third victory in 2020.

What’s more is that Odermatt’s four wins would come in succession.

Odermatt finished a massive 0.79 seconds ahead of Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr and 0.90 ahead of Italy's Giovanni Franzoni, who claimed his first caeer victory in Friday's super-G.

Lower-ranked skiers were still coming down the course.

Strong winds prompted organizers to drastically shorten the course — making the narrow and tactical “Kernen S” section the key to the race. Odermatt mastered the section perfectly and carried away a faster speed on the exit than anyone else.

Franjo von Allmen and Alexis Money, two other Swiss skiers, stood fourth and fifth, respectively.

Von Allmen, the world champion in downhill last season, took a riskier approach and skied into a television camera lining the course inside the “S” section. Then he crashed in the finish area — although appeared unhurt.

Dominik Paris of Italy was sixth after registering the top speed at 151.57 kph (94 kph).

It’s the first of the two weekends at the circuit’s classic venues, with Kitzbuehel, Austria, up next. Then the focus will switch to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy — with the men to ski in Bormio.

Odermatt won gold in giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and will be favored to win multiple medals at the upcoming Games.

Overall, it was set to be Odermatt’s 52nd World Cup victory, moving him within two wins of matching Hermann Maier for third place on the all-time men’s list. He's also got a massive lead in the standings as he chases a fifth consecutive overall World Cup title.

Odermatt immediately knew he had done something special again, screaming with delight in the finish area and waving to the crowd, which was made up almost entirely of fans waving Swiss flags.

___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Columbus Blue Jackets (49 pts) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (54 pts) Game Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to play the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at 7 PM.

Pittsburgh Penguins -22-14-10 - 54 Points - 7-2-1 in the last 10 - Won 1 - 3rd in the Metro

Columbus Blue Jackets - 21-19-7 - 49 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - Won 3 Straight - 7th in the Metro  

Blue Jackets Stats

  • Power Play - 20.3% - 15th in the NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 74.2% - 29th in the NHL
  • Goals For - 140 - 19th in the NHL
  • Goals Against - 156 - 29th in the NHL

Penguins Stats

  • Power Play - 29.4% - 2nd in the NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 83.2% - 7th in the NHL
  • Goals For - 146 - 17th in the NHL
  • Goals Against - 134 - 10th in the NHL

Series History vs. ThePenguins

  • Columbus is 19-30-0-11 all-time, and 6-19-0-5 at home vs. Pittsburgh.
  • The Blue Jackets are 4-1-2 in the last 7, and 5-4-3 in the last 12 against the Pens.
  • The CBJ are 1-0-2 against Pittsburgh this season, and 1-0-0 at PPG Paints Arena.

Who To Watch For ThePenguins

  • Sidney Crosby leads the team with 25 goals and 51 points.
  • Erik Karlsson leads the Pens with 29 assists, but he's on IR.
  • Goalie Arturs Silovs is 8-6-7 with a SV% .892%.
  • Stuart Skinner is a combined 15-12-4 with a SV% of 2.62 with Pittsburgh and Edmonton.

CBJ Player Notes vs.Penguins

  • Zach Werenski has 17 points in 24 games vs. the Penguins.
  • Charlie Coyle has 22 points in 37 games.
  • Sean Monahan has 15 points in 26 career games against Pittsburgh.

Injuries 

  • Isac Lundeström - Lower Body - Missed 11 Games - IR
  • Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 9 Games IR - Out 3-4 months after having knee surgery.
  • Miles Wood - Lower Body - Missed 8 Games - IR - Week to week.
  • Mason Marchment - Upper Body - Missed 6 Games - Week to week.

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 127

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

* Simulcasted on CW Columbus, WUAB in Cleveland, WXIX in Cincinnati, WZCDin Dayton, WQCW in Charleston/Huntington, WV, WKYT in Lexington, KY and WAVE in Louisville, KY

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Mets Morning News for January 17, 2026

Meet the Mets

Less than twenty-four hours after missing out on Kyle Tucker, the Mets made quite the pivot, agreeing to a three-year, $126 million deal with Bo Bichette.

The Athletic provided the details for how the shift to Bichette came about for the Mets.

Bichette will predominantly play third base for the Mets, which could allow Brett Baty to transition to a utility role or be used as trade bait.

There are a lot of reasons to like what Bichette will be bringing to the table in New York.

What additional moves could the Mets make following the Bichette signing?

There are still a number of questions facing the Mets from here, including where they turn to for rotation help.

As is the case with Jorge Polanco, David Stearns is betting on Bichette’s ability to transition to a new position.

While Bichette satisfied the desire for a big bat addition, the Mets remain interested in Cody Bellinger.

The Mets are one of the teams showing interest in Griffin Canning this offseason.

It’s not quite as exciting as Bichette, but the Mets also claimed infielder Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the Rays yesterday.

Around the National League East

Much like the Mets, the Phillies had to pivot when their top target spurned them for another team, and they did so by bringing back J.T. Realmuto on a three-year, $45 million deal.

The Phillies tried and failed to get Bichette and there may not be many other potential moves for them to make.

Battery Power contemplated what the Braves can expect from Austin Riley in 2026.

The Marlins added bullpen depth by claiming right-hander Osvaldo Bido off waivers from the Athletics.

Federal Baseball argued that teams like the Nationals not spending money is as big of a problem for Major League Baseball as the Dodgers.

ESPN examined the state of the National League East following the most recent signings.

Around Major League Baseball

Realmuto was not the only catcher who came off the market yesterday, as the Twins inked Victor Caratini to a two-year, $14 million deal.

The Kyle Tucker signing has a huge impact on both the Dodgers and the rest of the league.

While many will continue to call for a salary cap, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal argues that other fixes are needed.

The White Sox may have interest in former Met Michael Conforto.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Linda Surovich examined the state of the Mets’ lineup with Bo in tow.

Brian Salvatore and Chris McShane tried to make sense of the moves the Mets have made in the latest episode of Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World Series.

Zach Thornton came in at fourteenth on Amazin’ Avenue’s list of top Mets prospects heading into 2026.

This Date in Mets History

The Mets signed A.J. Minter one year ago.

Benavides rides to smallest Dakar Rally win margin and Al-Attiyah confirms sixth car title

YANBU, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Luciano Benavides exploited a navigation blunder by Ricky Brabec minutes from the finish of the Dakar Rally to sensationally win the motorbike title on Saturday by two seconds — the smallest margin ever.

Meanwhile, Nasser Al-Attiyah safely secured his sixth car title on the 13th and final stage, a flat-out 105-kilometer sprint along the Red Sea coast to Yanbu.

Brabec was hurtling toward his third Dakar victory. While Benavides' KTM was faster in real time, Brabec's Honda was collecting time bonuses for opening the way and extending his overnight lead of 3 minutes, 20 seconds.

Then seven kilometers from the finish Brabec took a wrong turn. Benavides didn't. He saw a headlight turn around and slowed to see who it was. When he realized it was Brabec, Benavides knew the “almost impossible” was possible.

“I saw the opportunity and I took it,” he said. “I felt ready all day. I told everyone at the start of the stage ‘This Dakar is for me.’”

Benavides finished second on the stage to teammate Edgar Canet, who won his third stage of this Dakar. When Brabec arrived 3:22 behind Benavides, the Argentine's team lifted him on their shoulders and shouted “Lu-chan-oh, Lu-chan-oh.”

“It's unreal,” Benavides said. “Two seconds after two weeks and almost 8,000 kilometers is something that is hard to understand.”

The previous closest margin was 43 seconds by Luciano's older brother Kevin. That was another stunning comeback. Kevin started the 2023 final stage 12 seconds behind and won his second motorbike title.

Brabec's Honda teammate Tosha Schareina was a distant third after coming second last year.

Luciano started his ninth Dakar never having reached the podium and just three months after tearing knee ligaments in the Moroccan Rally.

Even after he started the second week with consecutive stage wins, he rode in the shadow of teammate and defending champion Daniel Sanders, who was dominating the race until he crashed on Wednesday and broke his collarbone and sternum. Sanders continued practically riding one-handed and finished fifth for valuable points in the defense of his world rally-raid title.

Brabec won Friday's stage to gather an overall lead that even Benavides thought “was mathematically almost impossible” to overcome.

But, he said, “I never stopped believing. For me there was no strategy any days, I just give my best. I never tried to slow down. I feel bad for Ricky. He did a mistake and (it) cost (him) the Dakar.”

No. 6 for Al-Attiyah

Al-Attiyah confirmed his sixth car title — two behind the record of former teammate Stéphane Peterhansel -- and first for Dacia after a cautious final drive, nearly nine minutes behind Mattias Ekström, who won his car-leading fourth stage.

Nani Roma could hack only six minutes off the overall leader's pace and Al-Attiyah ultimately beat Roma by 9:42, easily the lowest margin of his six victories.

Al-Attiyah has won for four different manufacturers in 2011 and 2015 in Argentina, in 2019 in Peru and in 2022, 2023 and this year in Saudi.

Roma, the 2014 car champion, earned his first podium finish since 2019. Ekström's Ford held off Sébastien Loeb's Dacia by 37 seconds for consecutive third-place finishes.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

William Nylander ‘Doubtful’ To Dress For Maple Leafs Against Jets As Club Awaits Further Assessment

The Toronto Maple Leafs are not sure how long they will be without William Nylander as they navigate the second occurrence of a lower-body injury for their star forward.

“He’s being evaluated still (to see) where he's at. He's doubtful for tomorrow,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said following the club’s practice in Las Vegas on Friday.

Nylander left early in the first period of the club’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday with what the coach confirmed was an aggravation of the previous lower-body injury that kept the Swede out of the lineup for six games. Despite being limited to just 2:17 of ice time in the game, he scored a goal and added an assist.

Berube was cautious to put any sort of timeline on how long he expected Nylander might be out, given that he thought the Swede’s previous injury was minor.

“Right now I can't answer that because with the last one, I thought it would be quicker, and it obviously wasn't,” Berube admitted. “We'll just see how he feels here going forward. I mean, can't really answer that question”.

William Nylander’s Injury Looms After Maple Leafs Surrender Third-Period Lead in Loss to Golden KnightsWilliam Nylander’s Injury Looms After Maple Leafs Surrender Third-Period Lead in Loss to Golden KnightsA promising start turned into a double disaster for the Maple Leafs as leading scorer William Nylander exited early with a recurring injury before the team surrendered a third-period lead in an overtime loss to the Golden Knights.

The Leafs enter Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets sitting two points out of a playoff position. The Leafs were resilient without Nylander during his previous injury, going 4-0-2 in that stretch.

However, Nylander isn’t the only player battling something right now. Matthew Knies, John Tavares, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Joseph Woll stayed off the ice for what Berube described as maintenance. Knies dealt with a nagging lower-body injury earlier this season and stayed off the ice for the full morning skate ahead of the club’s game against the Golden Knights on Thursday.

Ekman-Larsson briefly departed the game in the first period shortly after what looked like a possible knee-on-knee collision with Golden Knights forward Cole Reinhardt, but managed to come back in the second period and finish out the game.

With Nylander out, expect Calle Jarnkrok to draw back into the Leafs lineup. He has six goals in 28 games this season. Nylander leads all Leafs in scoring with 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) in 37 games.

Dan Vladar Injury Update: Flyers Avoid Doomsday Scenario

In the midst of what has easily been their worst stretch of games all season, the Philadelphia Flyers have gotten at least some positive news in the form of the latest injury update regarding goalie Dan Vladar.

Panic seeped through the Flyers fanbase when the 28-year-old suffered an unknown injury early in the game against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday, and understandably so: the Flyers don't have anything close to a replacement for Vladar.

Backup goalie Sam Ersson has a porous .853 save percentage on the season, which includes his relief appearance for Vladar in the aforementioned game against Buffalo.

Top prospect Aleksei Kolosov, while revitalizing his career in the AHL with a renewed sense of belonging, is still unproven.

The good news for the Flyers, and perhaps for the two understudy goalkeepers, is that Vladar is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, according to multiple reports.

Bailey: The Philadelphia Flyers Still Have No IdentityBailey: The Philadelphia Flyers Still Have No IdentityThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> went from rebuilder to playoff dark horse... or so they thought, and now the team and its loyal but increasingly impatient fans are paying the price.

NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jordan Hall was able to confirm that Vladar won't play for the Flyers at home on Saturday afternoon when the free-falling New York Rangers come to town.

So, while Ersson and/or Kolosov will need to handle business against a division rival and attempt to snap a five-game losing streak, it goes without saying that things could have gone significantly worse.

As in, season-crippling worse.

Kolosov, 24, allowed three goals on 16 shots in relief of Ersson against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 6-3 loss on Thursday night, seeing his first NHL action since making a spot start for the Flyers against the Calgary Flames back on Nov. 2.

The Flyers would probably benefit from giving Ersson a rest and seeing what Kolosov can do with another opportunity against the Rangers, but that has yet to be decided at the time of this writing.

Open Thread: The Spurs have exceeded expectations at the midway point of the season

41 games down and 41 games to go. Seems like a fair spot to take pulse of how the Spurs season is going thus far.

To be clear, the Spurs have been exceeding expectations all season. They have adjusted to multiple players being injured at various times. From different starting lineups to a spree of seven straight games were the leading scorer was a different member of the squad, the players continue to elevate their on-court connections when it has mattered most.

One of the most telling aspects of the Spurs depth was when they went 9-4 while the emerging superstar was sidelined with a calf strain.

That said, they’re not perfect. They came up short in the NBA Emirates Cup. But be honest, at the beginning of the season did anyone see them making it that far? They’re the only team to have bested the NBA champs three times, but it’s the most recent meeting that still hurts. And I don’t know about you, but when I watch Victor Wembanyama, I see all the greatness a generational player has, and in one moment he makes some move that leaves me shaking my head.

One of the best highlights this season is watching Mitch Johnson come into his own as the official head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. His press conferences reveal a young, confident leader who is aware of where he and the team are. He’s not afraid to let them grow at a natural pace. It’s his pre-and post-game conferences bring the viewer into his mindset. One more than one occasion I have been reminded of just how young Wemby is. And all of a sudden I don’t see a bumbled play, I see the potential that Coach Johnson sees.

Patience has been the watchword ever since Wembanyama was drafted. For many fans, a couple of years is too long to wait. We must keep in mind that since Wemby donned a Spurs cap on draft night the team has added another Rookie of the Year, a nineteen-year-old downhill guard who plays beyond his years, and the 2023 Clutch Player of the Year.

When fans take a moment to realize that Fox and Wemby have barely played two dozen games together, restraint on everyone’s part is really unwarranted.

Although the team is young and developing, they’ve managed to bring in a great mix of experience. Fox, Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk, and Bismack Biyombo can offer so much. Even the latter two who aren’t getting as many minutes offer a valued presence and support to a locker room full of youth and vitality.

41 games down. With a record of 28-13 they are on pace to end the year with a record of wins in the mid-50s, a best since the 2016-2017 season.

Lots to celebrate and lots to be excited about.

How are you feeling now that the season is halfway done?


Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.