As the New York Yankees continued to roll to start the season, owning the best record in the American League after an 11-3 win on Sunday over the Baltimore Orioles, they had a big decision to make by the end of the day.

What should be done with shortstop Anthony Volpe, a polarizing figure among the fan base whose rehab assignment ended?

While Volpe was rehabbing from left shoulder surgery, Jose Caballero, who was acquired by the Yankees last season, has been doing more than just playing a serviceable shortstop. He’s been coming up in clutch positions as well as being a smooth glove at one of the most important positions on the diamond.

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Anthony Volpe of the Somerset Patriots fields during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, N.J., on May 1, 2026. (Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto)

As a result, the Yankees made the decision to have Volpe not re-join the team, but rather option the 25-year-old to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

“Caballero is playing the heck out of the position and playing really well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said prior to the Yankees’ win on Sunday, per ESPN. “That complicates it.”

YANKEES’ JAZZ CHISHOLM JR CLARIFIES HE WAS NOT WEARING AIRPODS IN THE FIELD AMID VIRAL PHOTOS

Caballero has been the Yankees’ primary shortstop across 34 games this season, and has done well with the regular at-bats, which usually come toward the bottom of the lineup. He is slashing .259/.306/.405 with a .711 OPS, four homers and 12 RBIs thus far.

Meanwhile, Volpe went 11-for-44 (.250) during his 13 rehab games in the minor leagues, which mostly came with the Double-A Somerset Patriots.

Volpe ended up getting shoulder surgery on Oct. 14, which came after the Yankees were eliminated from the MLB postseason by the Toronto Blue Jays, the team that won the American League pennant.

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe throws the ball to first base for an out during the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)

But the injury was one that bothered Volpe throughout the season. He received a cortisone shot in the shoulder during the All-Star break, and then once more on Sept. 10 after an aggravation of the injury.

Volpe went on to hit .212/.272/.391 with a .663 OPS across 153 games for New York, belting 19 homers and notching a career-high 72 RBIs. However, fans had problems with Volpe’s lack of consistency at shortstop, tallying 19 errors, which was third-most among big league players at the position.

Volpe was the Yankees’ first-round pick of the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft, and after finding fast success in the minor leagues, he debuted in 2023 as the team’s starting shortstop out of spring training.

After hitting 21 home runs, despite hitting just .209 with a .283 on-base percentage, the Yankees liked what they saw from their 22-year-old shortstop who was also named a Gold Glover that season.

Anthony Volpe of the Somerset Patriots enters the field during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, N.J., on May 1, 2026. (Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto)

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This isn’t to say Volpe is going to spend the 2026 season outright in the minors, but the Yankees are not going to be switching things up as they remain hot.

In the meantime, Volpe will use his Triple-A at-bats and reps at shortstop to get right for when the Yankees eventually get him back in the bigs.

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Match of the Day pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards believe Benjamin Sesko’s goal against Liverpool should not have stood after it brushed his fingers, saying under the laws of the game it should have been a handball.

MATCH REPORT: Premier League – Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool

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As Andoni Iraola continues to be linked with a move to Manchester United, Roy Keane offered his thoughts on the possibility of the Bournemouth boss moving to Old Trafford

Roy Keane has admitted he is unsure if Andoni Iraola has what it takes to takeover at Manchester United. The Bournemouth manager is on the brink of guiding the Cherries into European competition for the first time in their history.

However, he will not be the one in charge next season, should they achieve that unprecedented feat, as the Spaniard confirmed he will walk away from the Vitality Stadium at the end of the season. Iraola will be a man in demand, as he has also been linked with a move to Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

But he is also a contender to takeover at Old Trafford, with the club currently undecided on potentially giving interim manager Michael Carrick the position on a full-time basis. Keane, when asked if Iraola would be a good candidate, admitted he is not entirely convinced by the 43-year-old.

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Speaking on Sky Sports before United’s home clash against Liverpool, Keane said: “I am not sure if he has done enough yet. I am sure United are obviously looking at him, his contract is up.

“Would I see him come to United? Probably not. It depends I suppose on the remit, the remit obviously at Bournemouth would be slightly different to United.

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“At United you would be expected to win title, whereas I am sure his remit there – where he has done an amazing job, keep winning football matches while you are selling players and bringing in that type of revenue.

“Would he be an option? Maybe they have spoke to him, I don’t know. You have asked me if I see him coming to United and managing United…maybe not, but he has done an amazing job.”

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While Iraola is only three games away from leaving his soon to be former side in European competition, the Spaniard will manage in the Champions League, if he decides to join United. Carrick secured a huge 3-2 home victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, which ensured the Reds will be in the most illustrious competition in European football next season.

At first, United appeared to be on the brink of handing Liverpool one of their biggest defeats at Old Trafford, when Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko both found the net after only 17 minutes. However, Liverpool hit back with two quick fire goals after half time through Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo.

But as the match entered the final 15 minutes, Kobbie Mainoo fired in a sumptuous half volley to ensure United went home with the three points. Before the action at Old Trafford kicked off, Iraola watched his Bournemouth side move into the top six.

They overcame Crystal Palace 3-0 at the Vitality Stadium, with an own goal from Jefferson Lerma, being followed by a penalty from Junior Groupi and a second half strike from Rayan.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Entering the 2026 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings had some real mysteries, especially with no official general manager in the big chair after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s termination in January. But through the draft process, Minnesota delivered answers, as the offseason charts a course for minicamp in June.

Minnesota entered the draft with loose ends. Three of them now have much cleaner answers.

Ranked in no particular order, these unsolved mysteries are kaput.

The Vikings Put Punctuation on Their Offseason Plan

Alas, there is clarity.

The Mystery: Would the Vikings Actually Trade OLB Jonathan Greenard?
The Resolution: Yes.

In addition to a negligible 7th-Round pick, the Minnesota Vikings offloaded outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles on the second night of the draft, getting two 3rd-Round picks in return.

Greenard had requested a contract extension from the Vikings, and Minnesota evidently didn’t have the dough on hand after spending too freely during 2025 free agency. Now, the Vikings must find an extra outside linebacker for insurance behind Andrew Van Ginkel or Dallas Turner — or have big plans for Bo Richter or Tyler Batty.

The Vikings are clearly in win-now mode. Signing Kyler Murray suggests a roster poised for a deep postseason run. If truly rebuilding, Minnesota would have simply handed the offense to 23-year-old J.J. McCarthy, letting him mature and develop. The win-now approach makes the decision regarding Greenard particularly puzzling.

Super Bowl contenders always prioritize pass rushers, investing heavily to acquire and retain them via drafts, trades, and free agency. Yet, Minnesota allowed its best pass rusher to leave rather than commit $100 million over four years.

Perhaps the contract demands were excessive, or the team prioritized financial flexibility for other roster needs. Regardless, replacing an elite EDGE rusher is exceptionally difficult. So, all attention now turns to Turner. He must immediately emerge as a game-changer, as the defense desperately requires a primary threat off the edge.

It also makes outside linebacker a top priority for next offseason’s draft. The Vikings can only recover from Greenard’s departure if Turner excels and the front office quickly secures another high-impact player at that position — or Van Ginkel proves to be ageless.

The Mystery: How Many RBs and WRs Would Minnesota Draft?
The Resolution: Just One — in Round 6.

The Vikings extensively scouted running backs and wide receivers before the draft: Jonah Coleman (RB, Washington), Emmett Johnson (RB, Nebraska), Ted Hurst (WR, Georgia State), and Antonio Williams (WR, Clemson), to name a handful.

Surely, the franchise would leave the early-to-mid rounds of the draft with one or two, right? Incorrect.

When the draft ended, the Vikings had Demond Claiborne in the basket from Round 6, and he’s now the one big hope for youth in the running back room. The Vikings also drafted zero wide receivers, nominating last year’s rookie, Tai Felton, for WR3 duty by default. It was the first time in 24 years that the Vikings drafted no quarterbacks, wide receivers, or tight ends in a draft (if one assumes that Max Bredeson is a fullback).

Many expected at least two shiny new playmakers from the draft. Minnesota rolled with a Round 6 flyer in Claiborne, and then that was it.

Our Cole Smith on Claiborne: “Minnesota was able to land speedy running back Demond Claiborne in the sixth round. Alec Lewis of The Athletic went on 9 to Noon and told Allen that some around the NFL refer to Claiborne as ‘Diet Coke De’Von Achane/Jahmyr Gibbs,’ which almost sounds cooler than regular Achane or Gibbs.”

“The Dolphins drafted Achane in 2023, and he has run 544 times for 3,057 yards (an absurd 5.7 YPC average) and 22 touchdowns. If the Vikings can get anything close to Achane in Claiborne, they will have gotten a steal. Minnesota isn’t just trying to build a roster that can win a variety of fights in 2026 and beyond.”

If Claiborne turns into the “next Achane,” fans will be utterly elated.

“They’re trying to change the way they call a football game. That doesn’t mean the Vikings won’t still try to get Justin Jefferson the football. Tyreek Hill caught 238 passes for 3,509 yards and 20 touchdowns with the Dolphins in 2022 and 2023,” Smith continued.

“But a true emphasis on ‘marrying the run to the pass’ may be mandatory moving forward, not just a phrase shared publicly but never put into practice.”

The Mystery: Was It Really as Simple as Drafting Dillon Thieneman in Round 1?
The Resolution: No, that was an unfounded, media-driven theory.

VikingsTerritory understood why Thieneman was a popular mock-draft theory for the Vikings. Minnesota could use a starting safety for the long haul. What we didn’t understand? Why every single mock draft connected Thieneman to Minnesota.

There was no intel from credible insiders or the team itself that it was “in” on Thieneman. The draft community simply thought Thieneman kind of looked like Smith, and with Smith perhaps retired, they collectively said to themselves, “Hey, this is a good fit — the Vikings will draft the guy who plays the same position and kinda looks like the other guy.”

That’s not a good formula for accurate mock-drafting, and in the end, Minnesota passed on Thieneman in favor of DT Caleb Banks from Florida.

Vinicius Jr scores twice as Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0 to keep Barcelona waiting to win the La Liga title, which they could now do when the two rivals meet in next Sunday’s El Clasico.

MATCH REPORT: Espanyol 0-2 Real Madrid

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Wu Yize overcame ringing phones, a protester and the efforts of Shaun Murphy to build a healthy overnight lead in his first World Snooker Championship final.

A female protester briefly interrupted play early in the match, at least one audience member was kicked out after phones rang with the players down on the shot on multiple occasions and Murphy failed to live with a barrage of scoring in the evening session as the 22-year-old Wu acclimatised nicely to the biggest match of his life.

Perhaps having been all but knocked out as Mark Allen lined up a simple winning black in their semi-final has given Wu a free hit at the title or perhaps the fearlessness of youth – a trait Murphy himself has cited as key to his own Crucible success at the age of 22 back in 2005 – is spurring him on but there is no indication of the Chinese wonderkid being overawed.

From 4-3 down, he won six of the next eight frames to build a 9-6 lead before the pair split the final two of the day to leave the younger man 10-7 to the good and needing seven more frames for victory when play resumes at 1pm on Monday.

Wu made eight 50-plus breaks, including his first century in a Crucible final in frame 10, with a remarkable display of long potting and clever break-building that has defined his impressive run to the showpiece.

No player knows how they will cope with the pressure of trying to get over the line in a World Championship final until they are actually there but the young superstar has at least given himself a great chance of finding out as he aims to match the exploits of compatriot Zhao Xintong – who became the first Chinese world champion 12 months ago.

The first session of the final was just as notable for drama off the table as on it, with a female spectator jumping over the front-row barrier to try and enter the arena, and referee Rob Spencer expertly using his skills from his previous career as a police officer to restrain her.

Ostensibly protesting about the TV licence, she was swiftly ejected by security officials, becoming the second spectator in as many days to be kicked out – joining the audience member who idiotically shouted out “never forget the Epstein files” at the start of Saturday night’s deciding frame between Wu and Allen.

In the final, Spencer also had to admonish the crowd on multiple occasions for leaving their mobiles on during play – with Murphy seemingly distracted during the second frame by a ringing phone, causing him to miss a pot on the green and throw the rest down in disgust. At the end of that frame, Spencer addressed the audience, saying: “Make sure your phones are on silent or switched off. Don’t be the person that has to be thrown out.”

Spencer then gave an even stricter warning after the mid-session interval in the evening’s play, stating: “I don’t want to have to keep doing this at the start of every single session but what’s going to happen from now on, so we’re all clear, is if a phone goes off, and the security team see who it is, you will be asked to leave.”

That didn’t stop a phone alarm going off at the start of frame 15 when Murphy was about to pot the green, and Spencer duly demanded the individual be removed from the Crucible, with the rest of the crowd clapping that decision.

On the baize, Wu had opened up a 3-0 lead in a nervy start from Murphy but the 2005 champion finally got going, with breaks of 85, 90, 77 and 109 pulling him 4-3 ahead before Wu rallied with a decent crack at a maximum but an important frame win even when that fell by the wayside.

He carried that momentum into the evening’s session as runs of 82, 89 and his first century of the final thanks to a fluked pink for a 103 saw him win four of the opening five frames for a three-frame advantage. From there, Murphy hit back to split the final four but he will still need a monumental effort on Monday to deny snooker’s newest star.

Not since Mark Selby in 2014 has a player trailing after the opening day gone on to win the World Championship final but the score in that match was also 10-7, as the “Jester from Leicester” ultimately downed great rival Ronnie O’Sullivan for his first title.

Selby’s good friend Murphy will need to take solace and inspiration from that day but the prospect of Wu in full flight will take some stopping.

Oleksandr Usyk could be persuaded to amend his three-fight plan, potentially shifting his focus away from a clash with the winner of Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois.

The Ukrainian outlined his exit strategy in March, shortly after it was announced that he would collide with Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23.

This represents Usyk’s first outing since July, back when he became a three-time undisputed champion by stopping Dubois in the fifth round.

Since then, he has vacated his WBO title but still holds the IBF, WBA and WBC belts as he gears up to defend the latter against Verhoeven at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza.

After that, the 39-year-old has expressed his desire to face the winner of Wardley-Dubois, which takes place at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena on May 9.

Wardley was elevated from ‘interim’ to full WBO world champion following his 11th-round triumph over Joseph Parker, who suffered the upset defeat in October.

Should he emerge victorious next Saturday, then the 31-year-old has made it no secret that he will be targeting a potential undisputed showdown with Usyk.

There is a good chance, however, that the WBC will order Usyk to defend his heavyweight title against Agit Kabayel, who holds the sanctioning body’s ‘interim’ belt.

At the same time, The Ring’s Mike Coppinger has reported that Turki Alalshikh is keen to negotiate a fight between the pair in Kabayel’s home nation of Germany.

Turki Alalshikh plans to sit down with Oleksandr Usyk to discuss a Ring Magazine heavyweight title fight against Agit Kabayel later this year in Germany if Usyk defeats Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza, The Ring’s @MikeCoppinger has learned. pic.twitter.com/etrhMhSRVi

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 3, 2026

Having not fought since his third-round finish over Damian Knyba in January, Kabayel’s next outing is likely to take place in the second half of this year, regardless of whether it involves Usyk.

Inhoi Hur stepped off the 18th hole at Namseoul Country Club thinking he was in a playoff. 

Minutes later, he walked away two shots short of it. 

What happened may be one of the wilder rules penalty sequences you’ll hear. At the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship in South Korea, an event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korean Tour, Hur was given a two-stroke penalty after Sunday’s final round due to a moment that occurred a day earlier, according to the Asian Tour — and the infraction dropped him from a tie for first to a tie for third. 

The incident has been further reported by Tom Hobbs of the Flushing It X account (story here), Ryan French of the Monday Q Info website (story here) and Josh Ball of the South China Morning Post (story here), and it’s here where you should read those stories. Below is some of what they’ve reported: 

– The moment came during Saturday’s third round and on Namseoul’s par-4 seventh hole, where Hur hit a tee shot right and potentially out of bounds. He then hit a provisional, which Hobbs reported finished in the fairway.   

– A spotter found the first ball and, believing it was out of bounds, picked it up. 

– Members of Hur’s gallery believed the ball was in play, according to Hobbs and French. Things became heated; French’s story reported that Hur’s gallery believed a playing partner’s caddie had picked up the ball. An official was called. 

– After a lengthy talk, the official determined that Hur could treat the ball hit as the provisional as if it were his original ball. His next shot, then, would be his second. He finished with a par on the hole. 

– In Hobbs’ account, one player said this of what happened: “It’s f***ing bulls**t. He basically got a mulligan.”

– Then came Sunday’s final round, where Hur started tied for 11th. He then shot a 64, the day’s lowest round, and Hur, Minhyuk Song and Mingyu Cho all finished tied for first.  

– Before the playoff, officials determined that Hur would be retroactively penalized the two shots. From there, Hur missed the playoff, and Song won it. 

Hobbs’ story included a statement from Hur’s wife, and an email sent from the Asian Tour to players explaining what happened. Those are below. 

Statement from Hur’s wife:

Email from the Asian Tour:

Mike Tyson has given his immediate reaction to David Benavidez’s punishing beatdown of Gilberto Ramirez, which culminated in a stunning sixth-round finish at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

The pair squared off for Ramirez’s WBO and WBA cruiserweight belts, with Benavidez jumping up from 175lbs in pursuit of three-division world championship glory.

And he did so with remarkable dominance, despite his unfamiliarity with the division and weighing in at 3lbs below the 200lb limit.

Determined to prevent Ramirez from hearing the final bell, as many had predicted, ‘The Monster’ shifted the complexion of their fight with a fourth-round knockdown.

This was the first time Ramirez had been floored in his career, to which he responded by picking himself off the canvas and continuing his forward-motion attacks.

While his tenacity was commendable, it ultimately led to him suffering a swelling on his right eye, which swiftly inspired Benavidez to go through the gears and force an emphatic sixth-round stoppage.

In doing so, the 29-year-old has cemented himself as one of the most elite fighters in this sport, while affording himself several options between cruiser and light-heavyweight.

Speaking with Fight Hub TV, heavyweight legend Tyson expressed his appreciation for Benavidez’s performance after watching at ringside.

“Great fight. He fought great tonight.”

Another familiar face in attendance was former undisputed super-middleweight king Canelo Alvarez, who Benavidez called out shortly after getting his hand raised against Ramirez.

The reigning WBC light-heavyweight champion has long accused his Mexican rival of ‘running scared’, but is evidently unwilling to quit banging the drum for their potential encounter.