MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 08: Sidney Crosby #87 of Team Canada takes part during training on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In roughly 24 hours, the Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament at the 2028 Winter Olympics will begin, and for the first time since 2014, NHL players are taking part. Participating nations have been practicing in earnest since arriving late last week, and after months of worry regarding the status of the hockey arena in Milan, the games are about to be begin.
There has been months, if not years of anticipation surrounding this tournament since it was announced NHL players were heading back to the Olympics, and the wait is almost over with the first puck drop scheduled for Wednesday morning between Slovakia and Finland.
Pens Points…
Four Penguins players are in Milan preparing for the men’s ice hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics with play beginning for all four later this week. Sidney Crosby will captain Canada, Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell will suit up for Sweden, and Arturs Silovs will backstop the Latvian side. [Pensburgh]
With four players in Milan, the Penguins will be well represented and give Penguins fans something to keep an eye on outside of cheering for their host nations. Crosby is the name who most will pay attention to for obvious reasons but Sweden and Latvia are attractions themselves. [The Hockey Writers]
Once the NHL resumes following the Olympic break must of the focus will be on the trade deadline which will be less than two weeks away. Right now, the Penguins are in position to buy as a playoff contender, but Kyle Dubas will be specific in what he’s looking for in any additions. [Pensburgh]
When he signed with the Penguins as a free agent over the summer, no one knew who Parker Wotherspoon was or what type of game he played. Now well into his first season with the team, Wotherspoon is well known among the Penguins faithful for his consistent play on the blue line. [Trib Live]
After his break out NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres, Avery Hayes returned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the Olympic break and continued right where he left off, scoring a hat trick, including the overtime winner, on Saturday against the Hershey Bears. [WBS Penguins]
One of the first players to embrace Sidney Crosby after he scored the Golden Goal to defeat the United States at the 2010 Olympics was defenseman Scott Niedermayer. Sixteen years on from that historic moment, Niedermayer still remembers the moment with great clarity from his view on the ice. [Penguins]
NHL News and Notes…
Group A at the Olympics is headlined by Canada who enter group play as clear favorites to come out on top, but opponents Czechia and Switzerland will be looking to play spoiler while France is hoping to make the most of its first Olympics appearance in over two decades. [NHL]
France may only have qualified for Milan because Russia and Belarus have been banned from participating, but the 2030 host nation is not apologizing. They will be lead by captain Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who has announced that he will retire from hockey following The Games. [NHL]
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 08: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays and Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees look on after an RBI single by Judge during the ninth inning of game four of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 08, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Year after year, the Yankees contend with the AL East, the division that consistently outstrips its peers across the sport. This offseason was no different; while there were a number of teams across the league that put the “off” in offseason, none of them were in the AL East, as all five clubs have been active. The Red Sox swung a number of major trades, the Blue Jays flashed the cash in signing Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, and Cody Ponce, and even the Orioles spent some money, signing Pete Alonso while also trading for Taylor Ward and Shane Baz.
It all adds up to a division that appears to be the most competitive in baseball once again. The Yankees, for their part, look strong on paper, currently ranking third in MLB in total projected WAR per FanGraphs. But the Blue Jays slide in just ahead of them in second, while the Orioles and Red Sox are both not far behind, comfortably in the top ten of these projections.
So, leaving the Yankees themselves aside, which of their division rivals do you view as most dangerous? Toronto has a pretty straightforward case, with perhaps the most complete roster in the American League at this moment. They’re the reigning AL East champs, the reigning AL champs, and came within inches of winning the World Series. It’s not hard to envision
But can a case be made for one of the Yankees’ other direct foes? The Red Sox in particular feel as though they could be a sleeping giant. They already surprised last year, winning 89 games before bowing out in the playoffs against the Yankees. Boston has gone on to add Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Ranger Suarez, and now former Baby Bomber Caleb Durbin, all while holding what’s still considered a strong farm system. Though they probably trail the Yankees and Blue Jays in terms of pure talent right now, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of their young talent coalesce, or for them to cash in some of their prospects to make another trade that puts them over the top.
What do you think? Are the Blue Jays still the Yankees’ most dangerous rival? Or will Boston, Baltimore, or even Tampa Bay rise up and pose the biggest threat in 2026?
Today on the site, Nolan will continue on with his State of the System series, this time with a look at the organizational depth at starting pitcher. Also, Nick remembers the signing of Andrew Miller, one of the great Yankee signings of the 2010’s, and Jeff moves our preview series along with a look at the newly acquired Angel Chivilli.
The Twins’ surprise pivot into an aggressive selloff was the headline of a surprisingly active 2025 trade deadline. They sent out a shocking 10 players, nine of whom were on the active roster at the time of their transactions. Some of those were expected (Chris Paddack, Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, Danny Coulombe), while others came seemingly out of nowhere (why the hell did the Blue Jays want Ty France?)
Let’s look at the actual potentially frustrating trades.
Carlos Correa salary dump: Correa was traded back to the Houston Astros for a Low A pitcher who is no longer in affiliated ball. The Twins are also paying $30M of Correa’s remaining salary over the next three years, split out at $10M on Jan 1 of each year. This was a pure salary dump, nothing more nothing less.
Jhoan Duran for Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel: Duran could have been the most decorated closer in Twins history if they held onto him. Instead, the electric reliever will get a chance to earn that same acclaim in Philadelphia. Abel has flaws but can be an effective starter if he can get his walks under control. If he can’t he should be a closing option himself, at minimum. Tait, meanwhile, is one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball. He has a top-end throwing arm and a ton of power, but at 18-years-old still has a long way to go before he’s ready to handle an MLB pitching staff.
Griffin Jax for Taj Bradley: A rare one-for-one swap, which is always a fun move. Bradley came with twice the amount of team control as Jax and is a starter which is inherently more valuable than a reliever. However, Bradley may find himself in the bullpen soon enough if he can’t develop a secondary pitch to get lefties out. He’s shown flashes, next comes the consistency.
Louie Varland (and France) for Alan Roden and Kendry Rojas: Here’s the thing. In a vacuum, this trade makes sense from the Twins’ side. They traded a reliever for starting outfielder with a high floor and a borderline Top 100 pitching prospect that they excel at developing. However, Varland came with five more years of team control and the Twins suddenly found their elite bullpen completely depleted after moving Jax, Duran, and Coulombe. Questionable, to say the least.
Like with the Varland trade, each of these moves in a vacuum is defensible. But in totality, they’re pretty underwhelming. Relievers are fickle and even the best can be inconsistent from year to year (see: Jax). But if they truly expected to contend in 2026, who can they conceivably hand the ball to after their vaunted starting staff leaves the game?
Additionally, the Twins’ weakness the past few years has been on the offensive side of the ball. They main MLB-ready players they got back were Roden and three pitchers! Maybe these moves were made with an eye toward additional trades this offseason, but they’ve largely sat on their hands while adding a few veteran hitters. Then Tom Pohlad (probably) forced out the man who was putting together the plan. It’s bad process likely preceding bad results.
That being said, the trade that irks me is still Correa. With Correa’s regression and chronic injury history, getting out of the majority of the $110M still owed to him absolutely makes sense. However, the Pohlads didn’t allow the front office to put the $20M/year saved back into the team. Instead, they have a contending core without the surrounding cast to back them up and their lowest adjusted payroll since Kirby Puckett was alive.
Which trade do you regret the most? Correa’s is the most obvious, but this roster sure could use one of Jax or Duran right about now…
As pressure builds before Calcutta Cup, Scotland’s coach may well have reached the point of diminishing returns
The witty Anglo-American author Ashleigh Brilliant passed away last September at the age of 91, but his best lines are timeless. Beleaguered sports coaches worldwide will all recognise one of his characteristically pithy observations: “I try to take one day at a time – but sometimes several days attack me at once.” To be responsible for an under-pressure national side must induce a similar feeling.
So what do you do when coaching life starts serving you lemons? After a while there are only two options: try to ride it out, or accept it might be wiser for someone else to have a go. It can be a delicate judgment, often shaped by non-sporting considerations. Unless it becomes apparent, as seemingly happened with the recently ousted All Blacks coach Scott Robertson, that your dressing room has already made the call for you.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 25: The sun sets above Victor Robles #10 of the Seattle Mariners during the game against the San Diego Padres at T-Mobile Park on August 25, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Grief is frightening territory to navigate. There’s no set roadmap for it, and it affects every person differently. It is as if a chaotic roommate moves into your body and assumes the controls part of the time: you make choices you don’t recognize; say things and wonder whose mouth made those words; sleep entirely too much or entirely too little or a fun soft-serve swirl of both. The more you try to pack down the grief into a solvable snowball, something solid and sensible, the more it evaporates around your hands.
After my dad passed away in February of 2024, I thought I had a master plan mapped out for grieving him. I knew, because I had read about it, that grief is the tidal wave of loss that hits you first, and I braced for impact. I also knew, thanks to my studies, that after grief comes grieving: if grief is the big wave, grieving is the lap of waves on the shore in the world where you live now. He died; I fought the wave of grief crashing over me long enough to do all the insulting busywork that death requires. Two weeks later, I finally brought myself to enter his room and clean up the blood on the bathroom floor from where he’d fallen the last time, when we didn’t know yet about the cancer that was swiftly eating into his pancreas, so my mom wouldn’t have to. That felt significant: a tidy metaphor for moving on from grief to grieving. Two weeks after that I packed my stuff and left for spring training, and then the season started, and I fell back into the same comfortable patterns, the sharp edges of the pain worn away by the daily routine of baseball. I was proud of myself; like a player whose rehab is ahead of schedule, I was beating all the projected timelines. I knew about the ball-in-the-box grief analogy and thought with satisfaction about my ball of grief, steadily shrinking down from a beach ball to a baseball.
But grief came to collect the next off-season. It turned out I wasn’t paying out my grief on an installment plan like I’d thought; I was allowing the debt to collect, and the force of it knocked me over anew. I didn’t want to write about this team and their lousy, uninspiring off-season; I didn’t want to write, period, and had to be cajoled by the staff into doing the 40 in 40 series, almost letting it go too late. I didn’t want to read, especially not the collection of self-help books I had carefully amassed as a ladder to lead me out of the hole of grief and back into civilization.
All I wanted to do was sleep. And I did, losing wintery days like a character from a fairytale under a spell, waking in dark rooms from strange dreams. On the odd times I did leave the house, I swiped at people who got too close to my enclosure, mistaking their concern as threats. I think back on that time now and I don’t recognize that person who was wearing my clothes, my name.
What I did recognize: Victor Robles throwing his bat in frustration after getting hit by a pitch in a rehab game. While clips of the incident went viral on social media with people wondering what Robles could have possibly been thinking, I was instantly reminded of every dumb, reckless, cruel decision I made during the winter of my discontent, which is a cute name I’d given to what I now recognize as a depressive episode.
Grief activates the same neural pathways as physical pain. Therefore, “grief brain” can cause a host of processing issues, including difficulty focusing, memory loss, heightened anxiety, and impaired decision-making. It’s not an excuse, but it is an explanation. I watched that bat travel across the infield towards the pitcher and felt like I had thrown it myself.
Victor Robles joined the Mariners in June of 2024; by August, he was signing a two-year extension. The high-energy Robles put a charge in a club that was struggling to hang on to a lead they’d built in the AL West, lighting up whatever part of the field he touched. It was a perfect confluence: the Mariners needed Victor Robles, his spark and humor and electricity; and Robles, the former top prospect with a long and tortured history with the only other club he’d known, needed the Mariners. In interviews, he talked about how coming to Seattle allowed him to “leave that load behind me” – the baggage of unfulfilled expectations, left on the other side of the continent. In Seattle, Robles played fast and free, amassing the fourth-most WAR for a position player on the team in his few short months. However, even he couldn’t drag the team out of the offensive tailspin they entered down the stretch, blowing a ten-game lead and losing control of the AL West.
2025 was supposed to be Robles’s shot at a re-do, to show his new better self was here to stay. Instead, grief came calling in the third series of the season, when he dislocated his shoulder in early April trying to make a heroic catch in the netting in San Francisco. Grief, we should remember, isn’t just for mourning those we’ve lost; it’s also for mourning lost relationships, opportunities, versions of ourselves, those visions somehow always bigger and brighter than the one that’s currently in front of us.
But that wasn’t all this annus horribilis had in store for Robles. In June, the 28-year-old lost his mother, quietly announcing it on Instagram with a photo of a pink dawn taken from a plane window on his way back to the Dominican Republic. It was captioned with a simple message to his mother, telling her he missed and loved her.
There’s a saying that none of us are our worst days. But those worst days, the ugliest things we’ve said and done, are still part of us. If you type in “Victor Robles” and the letter “t” to Google it autocompletes with “throws bat.”
After missing most of the season, Robles was finally ready for a rehab assignment in Tacoma in August, playing against the Athletics affiliate in Las Vegas. In Robles’s first competitive game in months, he was hit by Athletics pitchers twice: first by Joey Estes in the third inning, requiring an injury delay, and later by reliever Gustavo Rodriguez in the eighth. The very next day, Robles was again hit by a pitch, this time in the first inning by Mitch Spence. Four games later, with Estes on the mound once more in the series finale, Estes again tried to pitch Robles inside and again, sent a fastball directly towards Robles’s chest (it was ruled Robles swung on the pitch, so not technically counted as a hit by pitch, but that swing was wholly defensive). For context, this minor-league meeting wasn’t the first time Estes and Robles had faced off; in a game in September in 2024, Estes opened the game by hitting Robles, who then stole second and scored on a Cal Raleigh home run. That home run would prove to be the difference-maker in a game the Mariners won, 6-4.
But there was no Cal Raleigh in Tacoma that day. Just anger, and frustration, and so much grief. The kind of grief that makes people make impulsive, reckless, thoughtless decisions. Robles picked up the tool he had closest at hand, and threw.
In his apology statement, Robles wrote about the physical and mental challenges of his lengthy rehab, along with the added context about dealing with the loss of his mother. “I’ve been doing my best to hold it together,” he wrote. This is the unseen work of grief, the days navigating a new normal that are a constant psychic load, like a background application draining a device’s battery. No one notices the days when you’re holding it together, only the days where it all falls apart.
But a caring community can notice, and is the best guide rope out of deep grief. A single text from a friend offering a coffee is worth a stack of self-help books. Having served his suspension, Robles was able to return to his community, his team, and be welcomed back just in time for a playoff run. Robles was there as the Mariners reversed course from 2024, this time seizing control of the AL West, ripping off a stretch of 10 consecutive wins in September. And he was there, crucially, during three thrilling nights in Houston: not just spiritually or mentally, but physically, literally right there when the team needed him:
This time, his instinct led him in the right direction, making a heads-up play to double off the runner at second, ending the game and securing the victory in a season-making moment.
I don’t know what 2026 has in store for Victor Robles. If his body will sustain another year of his fearless, full-out style of play. If he’ll carve out a regular place in a crowded right field. If the delicate alchemy that spurred his incandescent 2024 with the Mariners can be repeated. He remains, as always, a mercurial presence, a Puck-like character spiriting around the field, capable of creating both electricity and electroshock. I do know that I’ll always feel a connection to him for watching him walk through his grief journey and still maintain his buoyant presence in the clubhouse, his love for the sport and for his teammates; and for the gift of that catch, the way he flew in like an angel, like something that didn’t need saving.
There’s a shakeup among the No. 1 seeds in USA TODAY Sports’ updated bracketology, with Houston rising to the top line to replace Connecticut after the Huskies saw their 18-game win streak end.
Connecticut's 81-72 loss to St. John's at Madison Square Garden was the Huskies’ first since losing to Arizona on Nov. 19. That dropped UConn to eighth in the NET rankings and to 5-2 against Quad 1 competition.
Houston has now taken four in a row, most recently topping Brigham Young 77-66 in Provo, after losing to Texas Tech on Jan. 24. That moved the Cougars within one game of Arizona in the Big 12 standings.
The new No. 1 line is Houston, which joins Arizona, Michigan and Duke.
The Blue Devils retain a No. 1 seed despite a last-second loss at North Carolina. While Duke’s second Quad 1 loss, it still leads Division I with 10 Quad 1 victories.
The rivalry win moves UNC to a No. 4 seed. The Tar Heels are now 19-4 overall and 7-3 in the ACC, 2.5 games behind co-leaders Duke and Clemson, and up to 5-4 in Quad 1 games.
March Madness Last four in
San Diego State, UCLA, Ohio State, Miami (Fla.).
March Madness First four out
New Mexico, Missouri, California, Virginia Tech.
NCAA tournament bids conference breakdown
Multi-bid leagues: Big Ten (11), SEC (10), ACC (8) Big 12 (7), Big East (3), West Coast (3), Mountain West (2).
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 09: Moussa Diabate #14 of the Charlotte Hornets fights Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half of a basketball game at Spectrum Center on February 09, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons visited the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night and to say things got a bit heated is an understatement.
In the third quarter, Jalen Duren drove to the basket and was fouled by Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate. They got into it and it just spiraled from there as a major brawl broke out. Isaiah Stewart left the bench to get into it, so he’s facing some real trouble.
There were two things that really jumped out to us: the reactions of Kon Knueppel and referee Dannica Mosher.
When the fight started, Knueppel, who often looks a bit sleepy, though his play belies that, was in the corner. He didn’t seem to realize what happened right away and didn’t rush in immediately either. When he did, predictably, he played peacemaker, trying to get his teammate Diabate out of it.
Mosher also hung back, and that’s a different issue.
On the one hand, for the most part, she did what most sensible women would do: she let the guys work it out themselves, and these are particularly large, strong guys, so good call.
But she is an NBA official, and part of her job is to manage things like this. You can’t really blame her, it was entirely rational, but she failed to do her job.
This is not good. Officials need to manage the game and when violence occurs, they have to get it under control. She was clearly not willing to get involved and in fact stepped away.
Mosher is obviously a good referee or she wouldn’t be working NBA games. However, this could have spun out of control and she was nowhere to be found.
Obviously it’s not all on the officials. There are only three of them. They rely on the coaches and their staffs to help them in situations like this.
Still, running away from a fight is a terrible reaction for an official. If the players deserve to be suspended, and they clearly do, Mosher does too for dereliction of duty. Her reaction was entirely unacceptable for an NBA referee.
That figures to be the theme throughout what should be a tightly bunched Major League Baseball season, and USA TODAY Sports’ projected win totals for 2026 reflect as much.
Our five-person panel’s aggregate rankings suggest it will be another late September of scoreboard-watching, tiebreaker-computation, gut-wrenching baseball as the season enters its final stretch.
Except, perhaps, for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
They’re projected to win the National League West by eight games, though that will guarantee them little once October comes around and they seek a third consecutive World Series crown. And they’re projected to win “just” 98 games, the panel pegging them for anywhere from 93 to 104 wins.
But that’s why they play the games, right? A look at our panel’s aggregate record projections as spring training gets underway:
AL East
Here comes another coin toss between the Toronto Blue Jays (91-71) and New York Yankees (90-72). The biggest question in this loaded division: How much will the Blue Jays miss Bo Bichette? … The odds favor the Baltimore Orioles (85-77) returning to the playoffs, even if they may be one starter short, but flush with a Polar Bear. … Did the Boston Red Sox (84-78) throw enough into the pot as the price of poker keeps going up in this division? The pitching is as admirably deep as the lineup is questionable. … The Tampa Bay Rays (76-86) rearranged an awful lot (Gavin Lux, Cedric Mullins and Nick Martinez are in, Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe and Shane Baz out) and are projected to backslide by one whole game.
AL Central
The surprise Framber Valdez signing likely iced the division for the Detroit Tigers (90-72), though a very streaky offensive group returns intact for a club that blew a 14-game division lead. … Could the Cleveland Guardians (83-79) capitalize on a similar swoon this year? Most of their division-winning group is back, though they’ll be counting on rookie Chase DeLauter to stay healthy and contribute. … A healthy Cole Ragans will go a long way toward the Kansas City Royals (83-79) getting back in contention, but they’ll need behemoth slugger Jac Caglianone to stick and ensure the lineup extends more than four deep. … Can the Chicago White Sox (67-95) avoid 100 losses for the first time since 2022? Many eyes will be on them if only to see whether Munetaka Murakami will be worth far more than the $34 million required to sign him. … Hard to believe the Minnesota Twins (65-97) could supplant the White Sox in the cellar with Joe Ryan and Pablo López still around. Then again, maybe they won’t be in July.
AL West
Acquiring Brendan Donovan filled the last significant hole on the roster and established the Seattle Mariners (92-70) as AL favorites, one year after they fell eight outs shy of their first World Series. … The Texas Rangers (86-76) moved the furniture around quite a bit and burned some prospect capital to reel in MacKenzie Gore, who, should he find elusive consistency, may form a dominant 1-2-3 behind Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom. … Are the Houston Astros (84-78) settled for the spring, even as they’re infield-deep and outfield-thin? Regardless, the Tatsuya Imai-for-Framber Valdez swap may determine their fate. … The Athletics (76-86) return for their second of three seasons in Yolo County with half their lineup (Brent Rooker, Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler) locked into long-term deals. Pitching, though, may not enable them to take the next step. … A third consecutive last-place finish is projected for the Los Angeles Angels (72-90), who are nonetheless projected to have nine players between the ages of 33 and 39 on the active roster.
NL East
Since when did the annual playoff runs for the Philadelphia Phillies (92-70) go from a joyous exercise to a Sisyphean slog? Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto are back along with the rest of the gang (though soon minus Nick Castellanos). One of these years, it will click. … Your January probably wasn’t as productive as David Stearns’s, and for that reason the New York Mets (87-75) are once again World Series contenders. So long as they stay healthy, watching Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette align at the top of the lineup will be a treat. … Are the Atlanta Braves (84-78) perpetually gone for good from the elite and in perpetual hope-for-the-best mode come October? GM Alex Anthopoulos generally doesn’t get stuck in the middle, but they’re light on starting pitching and will be missing shortstop Ha-Seong Kim for a minute. … What does a next step look like for the Miami Marlins (79-83)? One of baseball’s best teams since late June didn’t significantly augment, unless hitting prospect Owen Caissie is ready to rake from the jump. … It could get pretty bad for the Washington Nationals (62-100), who are rightfully rebuilding (again), traded MacKenzie Gore and added virtually nothing externally.
NL Central
If Alex Bregman can’t get the Chicago Cubs (88-74) over The Brewers Hump, nothing likely can. The Cubs haven’t won the Central in a full season since 2017 and Bregman has never missed the playoffs in his 10 full seasons. … Of course, the Milwaukee Brewers (87-75) did their part to come back to the pack, dealing ace Freddy Peralta and spinning off reliever Tobias Myers, infielder Caleb Durbin and outfielder Isaac Collins. Yet it always seems to work out, doesn’t it? … The Cincinnati Reds (83-79) ducked into the postseason field on the final day of the season and we’ve got ‘em right on the bubble again. Will the good vibes only that Eugenio Suárez provides be enough in an otherwise still offseason? … It was a winter of relative aggression and even a little success for the Pittsburgh Pirates (74-88), who added some sentient bats at reasonable prices. Enough to click with an increasingly nasty pitching staff? We’ll see. … They stripped the roster as promised, but how ugly will it get for the St. Louis Cardinals (68-94)? There will be rays of light as young players get their cracks, with infielder JJ Wetherholt the most anticipated arrival.
NL West
What does $550 million in payroll and penalties buy you these days? The Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64) hope it at least ensures a 13th division title in 14 years. Have they mastered the art of getting their pitchers fresh and safe to October? We’ll see. … The San Diego Padres (85-77) remain active even if the salary bacchanalia from a few years ago has ended. If Michael King stays healthy all year they are a threat. … Will Tony Vitello be the shock paddle that jolts the San Francisco Giants away from their addiction to the .500 mark? Probably not. … In coming weeks, Arizona Diamondbacks (80-82) corner infielders Nolan Arenado and Carlos Santana will turn 35 and 40, respectively. They’ll need some gulps from the fountain of youth to ensure the bottom of the lineup isn’t an arid wasteland. … We won’t yet call it a plan, but the Colorado Rockies (57-105) do have the semblance of a plan with brand new upper management. Yet even purposeful lab experiments might look ugly in the win-loss column.
CHENNAI, India (AP) — The United Arab Emirates won the toss and chose to bat first against New Zealand in a tough Group D game at cricket's T20 World Cup on Tuesday.
New Zealand had already crossed the first hurdle by beating Afghanistan at the same venue in a group that also features 2024 finalist South Africa and Canada.
“It’s a tough group but we are ready for that challenge,” UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem said at the toss.
On the eve of its opening game, UAE sent batter Muhammad Zohaib back home for what it called disciplinary reasons on Monday and the Emirates Cricket Board said it will provide more details "in due course.”
New Zealand made no changes and captain Mitchell Santner said he hoped the red-soiled wicket will have some bounce to suit his three fast bowlers.
De Leede stars in Dutch first win
Earlier at New Delhi, Bas de Leede’s all-round show earned the Netherlands a seven-wicket win over Namibia in Group A.
De Leede grabbed 2-20 as the Dutch used eight bowlers and Namibia scored 156-8. De Leede then smashed four sixes and five boundaries and guided his team to 159-3 in 18 overs with an unbeaten 72 off 48 balls.
Pakistan vs. US
In the night game on Tuesday, Pakistan will take on the United States in Group A.
Pakistan has reversed its decision to boycott the T20 World Cup game against India and was directed to “take the field” in Colombo on Sunday.
___
Lineups:
UAE: Aryansh Sharma, Muhammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Mayank Kumar, Sohaib Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Muhammad Arfan, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid.
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (captain), Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 9: Dennis Schröder #8 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the game against the Denver Nuggets on February 9, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Good morning, it’s Tuesday, February 10th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 32-21 and beat the Denver Nuggets last night. They are finally done with their West Coast road trip, where they went 4-1, and only have one game before the All-Star break.
It will be a very different Cavs team returning to Cleveland. The last time they played at home, Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, and Lonzo Ball were all on the roster. Now? Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis and James Harden fill their place.
Things change quickly. As of right now, I can’t complain.
Today’s Game of the Day
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers – 10:30, NBA TV
Luka vs Wemby. What more do you need to know?
The Spurs are second in the Western Conference and emerging as real contenders. Meanwhile, the Lakers are still clinging to the hope that Doncic and LeBron James can be enough, even with a lackluster supporting cast. This hasn’t materialized as strongly as LA fans probably hoped. But it still makes them must-see TV on a nightly basis.
The Rest of the NBA Slate
Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks – 7:30 PM
LA Clippers at Houston Rockets – 8 PM
Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns – 9 PM
This is a short but sweet line of basketball games. It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on each game.
BOTTOM LINE: Omaha hits the road against Denver looking to break its 13-game road skid.
The Pioneers have gone 8-5 at home. Denver has a 5-9 record in games decided by 10 or more points.
The Mavericks are 1-10 against Summit opponents. Omaha is eighth in the Summit with 21.0 defensive rebounds per game led by Avril Smith averaging 7.7.
Denver averages 60.3 points per game, 18.0 fewer points than the 78.3 Omaha allows. Omaha averages 6.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 more makes per game than Denver allows.
The Pioneers and Mavericks match up Wednesday for the first time in Summit play this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Coryn Watts is shooting 40.8% and averaging 19.3 points for the Pioneers. Laia Monclova is averaging 1.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Regan Juenemann is shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc with 1.8 made 3-pointers per game for the Mavericks, while averaging 10.6 points. Alison Stephens is averaging 10.7 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pioneers: 2-8, averaging 58.3 points, 26.6 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 7.5 steals and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 39.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.9 points per game.
Mavericks: 1-9, averaging 49.7 points, 28.6 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 5.8 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 30.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.8 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Captain Mitchell Marsh backed his Australia players to “get the job done” as they launch their T20 World Cup title charge against Ireland on Wednesday following a torrid build-up.
Charlotte Hornets' Moussa Diabate (centre, in light blue) called it an "overly competitive game" [Getty Images]
Four players were ejected after a mass brawl as the Detroit Pistons beat the Charlotte Hornets 110-104 in a bad-tempered NBA fixture.
Detroit's Jalen Duren was fouled by Charlotte's Moussa Diabate during the third quarter, with the pair then confronting one another and appearing to butt heads.
Diabate had to be held back as he tried to hit Duren, before several other players got involved in the incident.
Detroit forward Isaiah Stewart confronted Charlotte's Miles Bridges and put him in a headlock before appearing to strike him multiple times.
The brawl lasted about 30 seconds, ending with a brief police presence on the floor.
Diabate, Duren, Stewart and Bridges were ejected - and Hornets coach Charles Lee was kicked out in the fourth quarter after he had to be restrained while angrily shouting at the officials having disagreed with a decision.
"Emotions were flaring. At the end of the day, we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody was just playing hard," Duren said after the match.
"This isn't the first time that people have tried to be like extra aggressive with us and talk to us, whatever the case may be.
"At the end of the day, emotions got high with everybody being competitive. Things happen."
Bridges later apologised to fans, writing on Instagram: "Sorry Hornets nation! Sorry Hornets Organization! Always going to protect my team-mates forever."
Lead official John Goble said in a post-game report the players were ejected because they "engaged in fighting activity during the dead ball".
"After review, we assessed fighting fouls, and by rule, they were ejected from the game," he added.
Lee, asked about the clash between Diabate and Duren that triggered the wider brawl, said: "Two guys got in a heated conversation and then it kind of spiralled from there."
Of his own ejection in the fourth quarter, Lee added: "I've got to have a little bit better emotional control in that moment."
Elsewhere, Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry will miss Sunday's All-Star game with an injury to his right knee.
However, the Warriors are hopeful Curry will return after the All-Star break for the game against the Boston Celtics on 19 February.
After losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, the Lakers (32-20) are back at it on their home floor on Tuesday when they take on the San Antonio Spurs (36-16). This is the final match between the teams this season.
Tuesday’s game against the Spurs might just be the toughest game for the Lakers this season. It’s on the second night of a back-to-back against the current second-best team in the Western Conference that’s not only healthy but has already beaten the purple and gold twice this season.
This has schedule loss written all over it.
But that’s not to say that it’s certain that the Lakers won’t try to win this game. They’re going to compete and it’ll be a matter of gutting this one out against Victor Wembanyama — who is averaging 23.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks this season — De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and crew. The same squad that blew out the Lakers twice in their last three games. They will also be coming off two days of rest before Tuesday’s game.
In the lone game the Lakers won against the Spurs this season, they limited Wembanyama’s production. They did that by getting him into foul trouble before he eventually fouled out. That was the same game when the Lakers threw the kitchen sink on Wemby, thus allowing Deandre Ayton to outplay him.
This was obviously no longer the case in their most recent battle, when Wemby got his revenge on Ayton and the team. But besides him, it’s actually the Spurs’ role players that have also given the Lakers a lot of trouble this season.
Los Angeles has yet to find an answer for San Antonio’s speedy, athletic and dynamic guards in Fox, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie and Castle, all who have stood out in their last few battles. If this continues, then the Lakers’ chances of winning will be slim to none.
Without Luka Dončić, the Lakers will have to rely on LeBron James and Austin Reaves — who are also uncertain for this one — and will need extraordinary performances from their role players. Note that the Spurs are a top-three defensive team. They have an elite rim protector in Wemby who will surely attempt to limit the Lakers’ scoring inside the paint. This game will be a test for the Lakers of their creativity on offense and whether their improved defense of late is good enough against a top-10 offensive team.
Let’s see if the Lakers can quickly bounce back against the Spurs on Tuesday.
Notes and Updates
Since the Lakers are playing on a back-to-back, the injury report for this one won’t be released until a few hours before tip-off. However, expect Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) to be out.
For the Spurs, only Lindy Waters III is unavailable.
Washington Wizards (14-38, 14th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (33-21, fourth in the Eastern Conference)
Cleveland; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Cleveland seeks to keep its four-game win streak going when the Cavaliers take on Washington.
The Cavaliers are 19-13 in Eastern Conference games. Cleveland scores 119.6 points and has outscored opponents by 3.6 points per game.
The Wizards are 9-22 in Eastern Conference play. Washington is 2-2 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Cavaliers score 119.6 points per game, 3.2 fewer points than the 122.8 the Wizards give up. The Wizards average 112.1 points per game, 3.9 fewer than the 116.0 the Cavaliers give up to opponents.
The two teams play for the third time this season. The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 130-126 in their last meeting on Dec. 13. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 48 points, and Bub Carrington led the Wizards with 27 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mitchell is averaging 29 points, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals for the Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen is averaging 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds over the past 10 games.
Kyshawn George is averaging 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 13.6 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 9-1, averaging 119.7 points, 44.0 rebounds, 28.5 assists, 10.1 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.8 points per game.
Wizards: 4-6, averaging 110.4 points, 41.7 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 9.5 steals and 6.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.8 points.
INJURIES: Cavaliers: Max Strus: out (foot), Tyrese Proctor: day to day (illness), Evan Mobley: out (calf), Dean Wade: out (ankle), Jaylon Tyson: day to day (ankle).
Wizards: Anthony Davis: out for season (finger), Jaden Hardy: day to day (not injury related), Kyshawn George: day to day (ankle), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Anthony Gill: day to day (hand), D'Angelo Russell: day to day (illness), Tre Johnson: day to day (ankle), Trae Young: out (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
