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Former Sacramento Kings trainer alleges pregnancy discrimination

A former Sacramento Kings employee is suing the organization, alleging pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

Crystal Lee, a former assistant athletic trainer with the Kings from 2022 to 2025, filed the complaint with the Superior Court of California in Sacramento County on Aug. 11, alleging she was treated unfairly and demoted twice after becoming pregnant and giving birth to her son.

Lee's representative, Robert King of King & Siegel LLP, told USA TODAY in a statement that they intend to prove their allegations.

"Crystal Lee broke a barrier that had stood for the entire history of the NBA. The Kings' answer was to tell her she was '(expletive)' for having a baby, demote her twice, hand her job to a man, and fire her the moment she spoke up. A team that sells itself on empowering women owes an explanation," King said. "You don't get to brand yourself as a champion for women and then push out the first athletic trainer in league history to give birth on the job. We intend to prove exactly what happened here."

The Kings denied Lee's allegations and said they intend to defend the organization.

"The Sacramento Kings categorically deny these allegations and reject the characterization of the organization and its workplace reflected in these claims made by a disgruntled former employee," Kings attorney Alexis Gabrielson, a partner at Cook Brown, LLP, said in a statement to USA TODAY.

"The Kings take allegations of discrimination and harassment seriously and are committed to maintaining a workplace where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. The organization intends to vigorously defend against these claims through the legal process and will not comment further on the pending proceedings," Gabrielson added.

The NBA did not immediately respond to a USA TODAY message for comment.

'Your life is ruined after you have kids': Court docs detail claims

Lee made multiple accusations regarding her treatment over three years of employment with the Kings.

According to the lawsuit, Lee informed her supervisor, Senior Director of Athletic Health Jaspreet Randhawa, during the 2022-23 season that she was pregnant to which he allegedly responded by laughing and saying "you're (expletive)."

Court documents allege Randhawa shared his opinion of Lee's pregnancy, telling her "your life is ruined after you have kids." Randhawa allegedly made additional comments, disparaging caretaking obligations more generally and the inconvenience he believed they posed, the lawsuit said.

Lee alleged that Randhawa cultivated a work environment that prioritized an "around the clock" schedule without days off and anyone who couldn't uphold that standard was not worthy of being on the team, the lawsuit stated.

According to the court document, Lee went on maternity leave on May 17, 2023, the day her son was born. She returned from leave a couple of months later in July.

New mother allegedly demoted twice, prevented from traveling

The lawsuit states that one month before Lee began her maternity leave, the Kings decided that she would no longer be able to travel post-pregnancy.

She was "benched" from any Kings road games, leaving travel options to the discretion of the team staff, court documents said. The lawsuit says Lee was prevented from traveling with the team in February 2023. She tended to players during home games only through the end of the season on April 30, 2023.

Lee was not given the opportunity to return to her position as assistant athletic trainer and the team hired a third assistant trainer to replace her, according to the lawsuit.

She was demoted twice, according to court documents. In April 2023, she received her first demotion, the lawsuit states, when Lee was moved to a remote position as an "administrator, health & performance / assistant athletic trainer."

The lawsuit says Lee was told the demotion would only be temporary. When she requested to resume her duties, including travel, Randhawa and head athletic trainer Joel Noland told her they did not need her, and instead she was replaced by the latest hire, the court document states.

The second demotion occurred in September 2024 when her "athletic trainer" title and Lee's duties were removed, according to court documents.

Kings basketball operations personnel mentioned in lawsuit

Lee's allegations went beyond the team's athletic health department. According to the lawsuit, members of the Kings basketball operations were also included in her claims alleging retaliation, sexual harassment and discrimination.

The lawsuit mentions the following but doesn't name them as defendants: Kings former assistant general manager Wes Wilcox, current general manager Scott Perry, Vice President of Player Personnel Phil Jabour, head coach Doug Christie and former intern Cameron Brown, the son of former Kings coach Mike Brown.

Wilcox is mentioned after another athletic trainer voiced concerns of Randhawa's managing style, to which he responded, "whatever (he) says is what we do," the lawsuit alleges.

Jabour was named in the lawsuit after Lee said she met with him and Randhawa on April 18, 2025, to discuss career development opportunities upcoming in the offseason. Lee voiced concerns to both during the meeting that she was being "excluded and stripped of her athletic training responsibilities because she had a child," the lawsuit stated.

Court documents allege that Jabour did not respond to Lee's complaints or her concerns of discrimination, but instead told her there was "no space" to have a hands-on role with the Kings, as an athletic trainer. Jabour offered to transfer Lee to another team, according to the lawsuit, which said Lee was offered opportunities to work for several teams including the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns.

According to the lawsuit, Lee allegedly voiced her concerns to Perry and the court document claims that he responded saying "complainers will not be tolerated" and that he would "fire everybody" if complaints persisted.

The lawsuit alleged sexual harassment claims involving Christie and Brown. Lee claimed in the lawsuit that Christie made sexual glances at her. Court documents allege that Christie would conclude the encounter by saying "don't report me to HR."

The lawsuit alleges that Brown repeatedly harassed Lee with invitations to hang out outside of work, to which Lee declined or at times, ignored.

Lawsuit: Lee went to HR before being fired

Lee took her complaints to Kings Senior Vice President of Human Resources Stacy Wegzyn to share her fear of retaliation, according to the lawsuit, and Wegzyn took Lee's concerns to Perry, the Kings GM.

Lee met with Perry and Wegzyn on June 12, 2025 when she was subsequently fired. According to Wegzyn, the reason for Lee's termination was failure to meet performance expectations, the lawsuit states. Lee claims none of her pregnancy discrimination concerns were addressed or investigated.

Lee alleges that the entire incident has prevented her from other opportunities. According to the lawsuit, she interviewed with a National Women's Soccer League club but did not receive a call back when she explained her tenure with the Kings.

Lee requested a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Former Sacramento Kings trainer alleges pregnancy discrimination

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Luka Dončić left aghast by crazed Lakers fan’s river jump for shirt in Slovenia

Lakers fans will sometimes go to absurd lengths to show their devotion. And it appears that Slovenian Lakers fans are willing to get wet for their squad.

The Lakers are in Slovenia for a team-wide training camp that’s hosted by star guard Luka Dončić. The whole roster aside from rookie Cameron Carr is there, as the trip is just as much about building off-court camaraderie as it is on-court chemistry.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after scoring a basket during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, on March 16, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Lakers took a boat along a canal in Slovenia’s capital city of Ljubljana, which attracted a ton of young fans. At one point, someone in the Lakers’ boat (potentially forward Jarred Vanderbilt) threw a jersey to these fans, which landed in the water.

But this didn’t stop one young fan (who was wearing a Dončić Lakers jersey) from jumping in to claim the shirt.

It’s unclear what the T-shirt exactly was. What’s for sure is that Dončić, who had a front-row seat for the crazed fan’s rival jump, was dumbfounded by the lengths the kid was willing to go to get that merch.

For what it’s worth, the Ljubljanica river and canals are viewed as clean and safe enough for boating and paddleboarding, but it’s advised that people don’t swim in the water.

Clearly this Dončić fan was willing to throw caution to the wind for whatever this T-shirt was.

Luka Doncic watching a Los Angeles Lakers fan jumping into a river for a shirt.

And even if it isn’t worth anything, that fan will have a great story (and video) to share for the rest of his life.

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Vegas Hockey President Defends the Golden Knights’ Most Controversial Decisions

George McPhee knows exactly what people see when they look at some of the players the Vegas Golden Knights have brought into their organization.

They see baggage.

They see uncomfortable headlines, questionable decisions and, in some cases, behavior that caused other teams to stay away. They see players whose pasts did not simply disappear because they eventually put on a Golden Knights jersey.

McPhee sees something else.

He sees young people who made mistakes, and he believes those mistakes should not necessarily become a life sentence.

Speaking recently on the Cam and Strick Podcast, the Golden Knights’ president of hockey operations offered his clearest explanation yet for why Vegas has repeatedly been willing to take chances on players whose backgrounds might make other organizations hesitate.

“You can’t stop young people from being young, right? They’re going to make mistakes,” McPhee said.

That philosophy is hardly revolutionary. People make mistakes. Young people, in particular, can make spectacularly poor decisions before they fully understand the consequences of their actions. A teenager who does something reckless at 14 or 16 should not automatically be judged as though they are the same person at 25.

But there is an uncomfortable question on the other side of McPhee’s argument:

Where does giving someone a second chance end, and where does accountability begin?

That question has become increasingly relevant in Vegas.

Carter Hart arrived in the organization after being charged in connection with an alleged 2018 sexual assault involving members of Canada’s World Junior team. Hart and the four other players charged in the case were acquitted by an Ontario judge in July 2025. That legal outcome matters, and it should not be ignored. But the controversy surrounding the case did not simply vanish with the verdict. Hockey Canada has continued to impose suspensions on several of the players, including Hart, who is banned from representing Canada through 2027.

Then there is Trevor Connelly, whose history includes incidents from his teenage years. The most widely documented involved a 14-year-old Connelly being suspended from school after allegedly urinating on another player’s equipment. At 16, he also posted a photograph depicting a swastika made from children’s blocks, later apologized and underwent diversity training and community service. He was also suspended after being accused of using racial slurs, although that suspension was overturned after the league found no evidence supporting the allegation.

Kai Uchacz’s past includes another troubling incident. He and a teammate were removed from the Seattle Thunderbirds roster after bullying their lone Black teammate in a racist incident.

These are not identical situations. They should not be lumped together as though they carry the same weight, and the available evidence surrounding them is not equally strong.

That distinction is important.

So is McPhee’s larger point.

“If we start cancelling good people who made a mistake, it’s not the right thing to do,” he said. “Just imagine some of these good kids who made a mistake and people forgave them for it and they turn out to be really good adults.”

It is difficult to argue with the basic premise. A person’s worst decision as a teenager should not automatically determine the rest of their life. There has to be room for remorse, rehabilitation and genuine change. Otherwise, what exactly does a second chance mean?

But second chances also require something from the person receiving them.

They require accountability.

Forgiveness does not mean forgetting. Rehabilitation does not erase what happened. And being young at the time of an incident can provide important context without making the incident meaningless.

That is the line Vegas appears increasingly comfortable walking.

The Golden Knights are willing to bet that a person’s future can matter more than their past. McPhee is essentially saying that the organization would rather evaluate who these players can become than permanently define them by who they were when they were younger.

“We’re willing to give young people who make mistakes a second chance,” McPhee said. “And God help us if we ever stop doing that.”

It is a defensible philosophy. It is also one that comes with considerable responsibility.

Because when an organization decides to give someone another opportunity, it is not asking everyone else to forget what happened. It is asking them to believe that the person standing in front of them today is capable of being better than the person who made the mistake yesterday.

The Golden Knights seem more willing than most to make that bet. Morals be damned, winning a Stanley Cup is what matters most. At least, that’s the message Vegas continues to send.

And, judging by McPhee’s comments, they have no intention of stopping anytime soon.

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Three things Will Venable must do to win AL Manager of the Year

Will Venable’s talents outshine his miscues, but he has no leeway in the final stretch for the AL Manager of the Year Award. | (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

The White Sox are one of the few AL teams to beat as the home stretch of baseball approaches, and a lot of the credit goes to Will Venable. The sophomore skipper has led Chicago to first in the division with a 67-61 record, giving him a huge leg up in this year’s AL Manager of the Year Award. 

But Venable can’t get too comfortable. Two games ahead of the White Sox are the Red Sox, who were 37-47 at the end of June, staring down the barrel of being the biggest disappointments this season but emerged as one of the strongest AL wild card teams since the All-Star break. And interim manager Chad Tracy is receiving high praise for steering the Bosox back into the playoff hunt. Kevin Cash’s unwavering first-place standing with the Tampa Bay Rays the AL East also makes him a formidable MOY frontrunner.

For Venable to win AL MOY, the White Sox must win the division. Here are three things the franchise and Venable can do to secure the AL Central.

Find a pitching diamond in the rough
The quickly-fatiguing pitching staff needs a boost. Since the beginning of August, Venable has been forced to get creative with his permutations of openers, starters and relievers. An arm is an to him, and how you pitch matters more than where in the game you pitch. Venable managed to squeak two wins from games played with only relievers on the bump, but the luck is starting to run out.

Chicago’s pitching needs a hero in September. Luis Castillo has been a stand-up starter since the trade deadline, but the White Sox need more, and there are two possibilities: Davis Martin or Drew Thorpe.

Martin needs to come back from his blistered finger looking like the early Cy Young candidate he was with a 8-1 record from March through May, with a 2.00 ERA, 71 strikeouts, 14 walks, and just three home runs allowed. He was a force to be reckoned with, with command and presence on the mound that made him look a lot older and wiser. Martin’s time off will hopefully be the reset he needs to finish the season strong.

Otherwise, Thorpe needs to be the pitcher’s version of Tristan Peters: An underrated and unexpected workhorse who emerges out of nowhere. Thorpe has been working his way back to Chicago, but timing his return and ensuring he’s ready to dive into the deep end will be challenging. Thorpe only has 22 innings under his belt since 2024, and began his recovery just over a month ago. And he was hardly an experienced hand before TJS, tossing only tossed nine inconsistent games before his injury. Expecting Thorpe to be able to keep pace sprinting while he’s still learning to walk is a tall order, but dropping a series to the Mets would warrant an expedited return. If Thorpe can give the White Sox at least three starts that last into the fifth while giving the team a chance to win, he’ll make a huge impact.

Eliminate silly mistakes
Venable can’t afford another embarrassing mistake. Despite some of his brilliant platoon and pinch-hitting decisions, his naïvité and newness to managing aren’t lost. His least forgiving misstep was losing track of the mound visits in an eventual 8-2 loss to the Guardians on August 7, which forced Noah Schultz off the mound prematurely.

A smaller but equally-costly error recently committed was not walking Pete Crow-Armstrong leading off the 10th of the first White Sox-Cubs game at Wrigley, with the score tied and PCA’s run having no meaning.

Despite his willingness to take responsibility for his poor decisions, Venable can’t afford another blunder.

Win more games than Boston
Evading a collapse as catastrophic as Detroit’s last year should be the top priority for Chicago. Getting a fair pitcher back and eliminating bad decisions will help, but Venable needs to win games, period. 

Chicago has five divisional series ahead of them, and it can’t be understated how important it is to win them. Winning at least eight of those 16 games is pivotal, although the standard should be much higher.

Also, Venable has to take the winnable games on the schedule. Excluding the Tigers and Guardians, the White Sox face four teams with a .500 record or worse. Winning 10 of those 15 games is table stakes. Setting the bar lower would not be MOY-worthy.

Together, those 18 wins should be enough to at least keep pace with Boston. But if Venable wants to win MOY and finish first in the second-easiest division in the league, he must come out on top of the Red Sox when all is said and done. If the Red Sox win more games than Chicago, Chad Tracy is the obvious MOY choice.

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Game Discussion: Milwaukee Brewers (80-49) vs. Atlanta Braves (75-54)

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 16: Logan Henderson #43 of the Milwaukee Brewers looks on during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, August 16, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tony Macon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Yesterday, the Milwaukee Brewers became the first team to reach 80 wins with a 2-1 series-opening victory over the Braves and ace Chris Sale.

Things will get a little easier — although not quite easy — against Atlanta’s starting pitcher for today’s game, Martín Pérez. The 35-year-old Pérez doesn’t throw hard (89.3 mph average fastball velocity this year), but he’s hung around in the majors since 2012 thanks to his ability to limit barrels and induce ground balls. He’s having the second-best season of his career, with a 3.15 ERA and 133 ERA+, although — as you might expect from someone with that profile — his 4.14 FIP is quite a bit worse.

On the mound for Milwaukee will be rookie right-hander Logan Henderson, who has a 2.44 ERA through 17 career starts with the Brewers. Henderson has missed some time due to injury in each of the last couple of seasons, but when healthy, he’s been a revelation. He’s made 12 starts this year, pitching to a 2.70 ERA and an even-more-impressive 0.87 WHIP.

Before we get into today’s lineup, I wanted to share some news for those of you who haven’t seen it. When right-hander Brandon Woodruff left Milwaukee in late July, his plan was to undergo shoulder surgery, but his shoulder has reportedly shown remarkably unexpected healing, and his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, is no longer recommending surgery. Given the way Woodruff’s season has gone, it’s hard to fault anyone for not getting too optimistic just yet, but you never know. Even seeing him pitch out of the bullpen before the end of the year would be an unexpected — but pretty great — way for his season to end.

As for the lineup, no massive surprises today. Leading off will be Jackson Chourio, followed by Brice Turang and William Contreras, who went 4-for-4 with an RBI yesterday in a game the Brewers won by one run. Behind Contreras are Jake Bauers, the team leader in home runs with 22, and Andrew Vaughn, starting at first base with Bauers in right field. Rounding out the lineup are designated hitter Christian Yelich, third baseman Joey Ortiz, center fielder Luis Lara, and shortstop Cooper Pratt.

As usual, you can catch today’s game on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620, and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. CT.

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Braves vs Brewers chat and discussion: Martín Pérez vs. Logan Henderson

Aug 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Raisel Iglesias (26) celebrates with catcher Sean Murphy (12) after defeating the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Braves could badly use a win Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee.

They’re 1-4 on their four-game, seven-day road trip this week entering this 2:10 EDT game at American Family Field. The Phillies, meanwhile, have won seven straight games to trim the NL East lead to four games.

Atlanta hopes Martín Pérez (8-7, 3.15 ERA) can return to his normally solid form after a rocky start Monday at the Twins.

Milwaukee is starting rookie right-hander Logan Henderson (7-2, 2.70) in his first career appearance against the Braves.

Tune in on BravesVision, 680 or however you watch/listen to the Braves and see if they can force a rubber match in Sunday night’s series finale at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

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Jordan double stuns South Africa as New Zealand clinch statement victory

  • First Test: South Africa 16-33 New Zealand

  • All Blacks score five tries against world champions

As first courses go, this was a delicious appetiser to a series that looks on course to live up to its billing. First blood goes to New Zealand, who withstood a barrage of South Africa scrum pressure and demonstrated a slickness that the double world champions could not live with, clinching a first win at Ellis Park since 2022.

By the end, South Africa had two men in the sin-bin and, given their status as the world’s leading side, this must goe down as a disintegration. There will be a backlash – it is hard to remember a time when South Africa were so inaccurate with the ball in hand – but credit New Zealand for producing a masterclass at weathering the storm and taking their chances.

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New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays: Ryan Weathers vs. Dylan Cease

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 21: A detailed photo of the Players Weekend belt worn by Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on August 21, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Winning is nice. I like winning. Do you like winning? The Yankees have been winning.

With a victory in the Bronx last night, the Bombers have clinched a winning week, and will have two opportunities to make it a perfect week. Meanwhile, the Orioles, whom they just swept, bounced back to beat the Rays for the fourth time this week. That assistance from Baltimore has allowed New York to pull within three games of first place in the AL East.

The Yankees grabbed the initiative in the first of 10 games in this critical late-August homestand, finding more answers than the Blue Jays in a 3-1 win. Cam Schlittler wasn’t his absolute best, but still kept Toronto at bay while a hulking homer from Spencer Jones which just stayed fair proved the pivotal highlight. This Saturday afternoon will feature a familiar matchup on the mound as New York looks to take the series and get their revenge for last weekend.

I’m feeling some personal dèja vu from my last recap, which involved the Yankees playing the Blue Jays—with Ryan Weathers against Dylan Cease as the pitching matchup. That game, if you’ll recall, ended with the ever-so-rare extra-innings win on the road (despite a ninth-inning debacle) which kicked off the current five-game winning streak they find themselves riding. Ben Rice hit a huge two-run homer in the 10th inning to atone for his critical error the previous frame, and the Bombers escaped with a 1-2 split of that weekend’s battle.

Weathers and Cease both pitched brilliantly, but both ended with no-decisions. Cease left on the hook for the loss thanks to a booming double by George Lombard Jr. followed by an RBI hit from José Caballero (and a failed a Matrix choreography shoot). Weathers completed his sixth consecutive quality start with 7.1 innings of one-run ball, continuing his sensational second half. If he continues this roll and the bats meet him halfway, we could be looking at a breezy series win. We’ll see if the Jays have adjusted their approach from then.

It’s a day game after a night game, so there are some changes to announce from last night’s lineup. With the right-handed Cy Young candidate Cease on the hill, Aaron Boone’s card will look more familiar. Trent Grisham goes back to his leadoff spot ahead of Rice and Heliot Ramos. Luis García Jr. and Jones will bat ahead of Lombard in the middle third, then Jazz Chisholm Jr., Austin Wells, and third baseman Caballero pull up the rear. Hello Kitty will unfortunately not be able to come off the bench today.

For what it’s worth: the struggling Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was placed on the concussion IL the previous weekend, is back in the Blue Jays’ lineup. New Jersey icon Davis Schneider was optioned to make room. Guerrero has obviously played quite a bit better at Yankee Stadium than at Rogers Centre. It’s a shame the latter is his home ballpark.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY

First pitch: 1:35 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, Sportsnet, TVA Sports

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | SN590 THE FAN (TOR)

Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

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Two decades later Dustin Pedroia is a Red Sox legend…

OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 30: Dustin Pedroia #64 of the Boston Red Soxs bats during the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, California on August 30, 2006. The Athletics defeated the Red Sox 7-2. (Photo by Don Smith/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Twenty years ago today, Dustin Pedroia made his major league debut in Anaheim. It was a big moment for Red Sox Nation. The transition from the 2003-2005 Red Sox teams was happening and they were calling up a player who would define the next decade of Boston baseball.

In both the April and June updates to the SoxProspects rankings, Pedroia was the #4 prospect in the system. He was behind legends like Jonathan Papelbon (who would graduate while holding down the closer job), Jon Lester, Craig Hansen, and Jacoby Ellsbury. Hansen aside, that’s quite the top four guys.

Think of the possible back of the bullpen for 2006…

Pedroia was a second round draft pick in 2004 and made it to the majors just about two year later. As a shortstop. Yes, for a time there was a middle infield logjam with Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, and Jed Lowrie. No one knew who would shake out at second base and shortstop. Well, Theo probably knew. Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis were taking the other two spots because of another trade. That trade was Hanley finding himself on the Marlins in exchange for Josh Beckett, the aforementioned Lowell, and of course, Guillmero Mota.

The rest of the lineup against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim that August night?

Coco Crisp, CF

Mark Loretta, 2B

David Ortiz, DH

Kevin Youkilis, 1B

Wily (not Fitzy) Mo Peña, LF

Mike Lowell 3B

Doug Mirabelli, C

Gabe Kapler, RF

and of course, Dustin Pedroia, SS.

Seeing Mirabelli listed you probably have a good idea who the starting pitcher was. You would be wrong.

This game was started by Kyle Snyder! Before he became the slow-walking pitching coach of the Tampa Bay Rays he was a pitcher for the Red Sox.

Snyder would be relieved by Kason Gabbard and Manny Delcarman.

Pedroia would be pinch hit for by Manny Ramirez. Manny doesn’t usually pinch hit at all, mostly because he’s in the lineup already. But there he was, ready to go.

The Sox would go on to lose that game but Dustin Pedroia would collect his first hit (a single to center field off Joe Saunders) and go on to have a great career. Starting with his Rookie of the Year the very next season. And an MVP. And three World Series rings.

He wasn’t even #15 yet in 2006. But he was a dirt dog.

Pedroia wouldn’t hit his first home run for a few more games – September 9th 2006 – and since the MLB Filmroom has zero Pedroia moments from his #64 days, I’ve taken the liberty of tracking it down.

Classic Don and Jerry reactions.

I’m sure someday he’ll start appearing as a regular in the Legends Box during Sox games and will get a fantastic response each time.

Can you believe it’s been 20 years? Do you have a favorite memory of Pedroia? A game you were at or watched?

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Giancarlo Stanton strains left calf while rehabbing, may not return in 2026

The chances of New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton playing in the regular season have become more unlikely as he suffered another lower leg injury, this time a moderate-grade strain in his left calf.

Stanton was already on the injured list with a right calf injury, and this latest setback happened while he was running the bases during his rehab stint.

The 36-year-old has not played since April 24, and in his 24 games played, he hit .256 with three home runs and 14 RBIs.

"We're not ruling anything out," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday, Aug. 22. "He'll obviously continue to work to try to get it right and hopefully be available. But obviously we're at a point in the calendar where it gets challenging, but you also never know."

Even with the absence of Stanton and reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge, who has missed 70 games this season because of a right rib stress fracture, the Yankees' power surge hasn't gone away, as they lead the AL in home runs with 176, in part due to the emergence of designated hitter Ben Rice, who has 34 home runs.

Stanton has two seasons remaining on a 13-year, $325 million contract he signed in 2014 when he was with the Miami Marlins. Next year, he is due $25 million, and the 2028 season is a club option with a $10 million buyout.

"Obviously, I'm bummed for him," Boone said. "He's been working his tail off every day here trying to get this thing right. I think you all know how badly he wants to be on that field contributing to a championship, so obviously that's disappointing. Hopefully, we just continue to work to get him right and healthy."

New York entered Saturday with a 73-55 record, good for second place in the AL East, three games back of the Tampa Bay Rays.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Giancarlo Stanton strains left calf while rehabbing, may not return in 2026

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Brentford 3-0 Tottenham: Premier League – as it happened

New-look Spurs were outclassed by Brentford, for whom Mamadou Sangaré had a debut to remember

The teams are out! Brentford wear their red and white stripes, while Spurs are in their blue, pink, purple and many more colours away kit. According to the marketing blurb, which presumably took upwards of 30 seconds to write, these are “never-before-seen visuals inspired by never-before-seen destinations”. They haven’t even tried to make anything up. No spurious allusions to local industry, significant figures, bus routes? Proper feet-on-the-desk vibes there. Anyway, we’ll be off in a minute.

Roberto De Zerbi speaks to Sky. “We have big confidence because all three [debut defenders] are very important players with experience and qualities … we have no problem with them … [Archie Gray, stand-in captain for the day] is very young but has a big personality … he deserves to be captain today … we do not have the complete squad today … but no excuses … the quality is enough to complete … [Brentford] have a clear style … very strong … we have to adapt … the Premier League is a very tough competition and we have to play in our way.”

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Wiebes wins Tour of Britain Women stage four as Le Court maintains overall lead

  • Dutch cyclist secures third stage win of 2026 event

  • Liane Lippert finishes second, Le Court third

Lorena Wiebes secured her third stage win of the 2026 Tour of Britain Women while Kim Le Court maintained the overall lead after stage four.

Riders departed from Llanidloes in Mid Wales and passed through Rhayader and the Elan Valley, climbing at the Cambrian Mountains before the route took them to Nantmel, Crossgates, Bleddfa and Knighton.

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Ozzie Albies gets DH day as Braves look to even series at Brewers

Aug 15, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) reacts before a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mauricio Dubón’s versatility continues to be a major asset for the Braves.

He’s playing second base for the second time this season for Saturday’s 2:10 p.m. ET game at the Milwaukee Brewers, giving Ozzie Albies a rare designated hitter day.

This is well timed because, as Scott Coleman pointed out, things have been trending down for awhile now for Albies.

Drake Baldwin is back atop the lineup against right-handed Brewers starter Logan Henderson, followed by Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and Michael Harris II.

Albies, DHing for just the second time in his career (both this season), will hit fifth, followed by Dubón, Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Riley and Jim Jarvis at shortstop.

This will be the first time anyone on the Braves’ roster has faced Henderson, who debuted last season and was on the injured list when Milwaukee traveled to Atlanta in June.

The Brewers are running back a similar lineup to the one from Friday’s series opener, making a few order swaps and bringing in Christian Yelich at DH after Gary Sanchez held the role on Friday.

Although Braves starter Martín Pérez is in his 15th major league season, only a handful of active Brewers have extensive experience against him. Sanchez (5-for-22 with two homers) is the only Milwaukee hitter with more than 14 career at-bats against Pérez.

Old friend William Contreras (4-for-10) actually has the best batting average on the team against Pérez aside from Joey Ortiz (3-for-4). Overall, the Brewers are a combined .281 against Pérez lifetime with six homers, three doubles, 18 RBIs, a .517 slugging percentage and .850 OPS.

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Nottm Forest 0-1 Leeds, Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace, Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland: football clockwatch – as it happened

There were victories for newly promoted Hull City and Ipswich Town, while Leeds United and Everton also got their campaigns off to winning starts

Championship: Millwall have doubled their lead against Norwich, with Tairyk Arconte scoring his second goal of the game from a Jake Cooper knockdown at a set-piece. It’s 2-0 at the Den and hapless Norwich are staring down the barrel of their second league defeat of the season in two games.

Manchester United: The club has agreed a deal worth an initial £65m for Carlos Baleba and the 22-year-old Brighton midfielder will have his medical this weekend, writes Jamie Jackson.

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