Sports
How Blue Jays could approach trade deadline from murky middle
TORONTO — After an underwhelming start to the second half, the Toronto Blue Jays find themselves on the fringes of the American League playoff race, 4.5 games out of the final wild-card spot.
According to FanGraphs, their odds of reaching the playoffs are 14 per cent, so there’s still a chance they’re traditional buyers ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. A well-timed win streak may be required, but it’s still possible. With that in mind, the Blue Jays are sure to monitor the markets for starting pitching, relievers and right-handed hitting outfielders just in case.
But buying is far from the only option on the table at this point. They could sell, something Ross Atkins has done on four previous occasions since becoming GM after the 2015 season. It’s an option we’ll be sure to explore here in the coming days if the losses keep piling up, but for now let’s explore the murky middle and look more closely at the types of trades the Blue Jays might make if their playoff positioning remains somewhat similar when it’s decision time in early August.
Looking beyond the traditional buyer-seller extremes, here are four possible approaches:
Just because there’s a trade deadline doesn’t mean you have to make trades. The Blue Jays could hold, trusting their players to rebound without dipping into their farm system for help.
Past Blue Jays examples: None.
Advantages: The core stays together for one last run.
Disadvantages: Other contenders will add and get better, so standing pat means taking a step back relative to the competition. Plus, there’s a considerable opportunity cost to holding onto pending free agents you might otherwise have traded.
Verdict: Regardless of their record, the Blue Jays have made at least three trades in each of their 10 years under Atkins. It would be a surprising departure to make zero trades. Tactically, this is too timid. It’s a bad idea.
Buy controllable starting pitching
If there’s one thing teams always need it’s controllable starting pitching. That’s especially true for a roster with four pending free agents in Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Patrick Corbin and Max Scherzer.
Past Blue Jays examples: Acquiring Francisco Liriano in 2016; acquiring Ross Stripling in 2020; acquiring Mitch White in 2022.
Advantages: Acquiring young pitching would not only help future teams and it might even give the 2026 team the jolt it needs, too. A buyer intent on winning in 2026 would likely prioritize proven pitchers, but if the Blue Jays are willing to broaden their search to those with higher risk profiles, the reward could be greater, too.
Disadvantages: The cost of controllable starting pitching is always high, so the Blue Jays would have to give up big-league players, prospects or both.
Verdict: Acquiring optionable pitchers who can throw strikes and miss bats is always a good thing, regardless of time of year. As always, it comes down to price, but if the Blue Jays can bolster their rotation for the present and future that’d be worthwhile.
This time of year leads to lots of conversation, and sometimes those talks allow teams to make need-for-need deals that balance out rosters. In a year where many teams have a shot at the playoffs, this genre of trade may be popular. For instance, the Mariners could trade from their starting pitching surplus for a right-handed bat or the Padres might part with some elite relief pitching to help their rotation.
Past Blue Jays examples: Acquiring Joaquin Benoit for Drew Storen in 2016; acquiring Trevor Richards and Bowden Francis for Rowdy Tellez in 2021; acquiring Brandon Valenzuela for Will Wagner in 2025.
Advantages: By dealing from an area of surplus, teams can bolster weaknesses. Case in point: do the Blue Jays really need Varsho, Yohendrick Pinango, Jesus Sanchez, Nathan Lukes and Sean Keys? Or is there a way to trade one of those left-handed hitters to address another area of need, like pitching?
Disadvantages: Sometimes teams overlook talent in their haste to sort out a so-called surplus. The Astros surely wish they’d never traded Teoscar Hernandez to the Blue Jays. And while there wasn’t a clear role for him in Toronto at the time, that’s how future all-star Otto Lopez ended up in Miami.
Verdict: Need-for-need trades can benefit all involved. There’s risk, but that can be mitigated by knowing your own personnel well. The Blue Jays would benefit from exploring these possibilities.
Take on bad money to get something valuable
As one of the biggest spenders in MLB, the Blue Jays can consider taking on ‘bad’ contracts as a means of getting other players they really covet.
Past Blue Jays examples: Acquiring Nori Aoki with Teoscar Hernandez for Francisco Liriano in 2017.
Advantages: Being willing to take on bad money can open up doors to better players. In 2017, the Blue Jays took on Aoki, who’d be released within a month, to acquire Hernandez, who hit 129 home runs with the Blue Jays.
Disadvantages: Teams that spend $284 million or more in 2026 will have their highest selection in the 2027 amateur draft moved back 10 places unless they pick in the top six. As of now, that applies to the Blue Jays, who have an estimated CBT payroll of $319 million, according to FanGraphs. Beyond money, teams only have so many roster spots. That means there’s an additional cost to taking on players who don’t really fit.
Verdict: For the right addition this can work well. But with uncertainty looming over what spending restrictions will exist in the next collective bargaining agreement, it’s prudent to tread lightly here.
“I feel like links golf courses are designed to be — it’s like you go and take the gorse bushes out at Troon on that one right by the railway — that’s what I feel is going to happen. That’s the way I feel the new designers are going. So yeah, it wasn’t to be my week. But always next year.”
36. I also thought this quote was interesting:
“If you give up on reaching your ceiling,” Jordan Spieth said, “then I don’t see a point in playing anymore.”
37. One of the best stories of the week was that of David Howard, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was 7. Earlier in the week, he said this to the BBC: “When I was 12 or 13 I didn’t even think I’d live to this age — to be here now, healthy as ever and playing with all these top players, it doesn’t even make sense to me.” On Friday, he shot a one-under 69.
38. Another one of the best stories of the week was the journey of Marcus Plunkett. Below is a video about him.
39. Below is one of the pictures of the week. It was taken by Adrain Dennis of AFP.
;)
Getty Images
40. Below is also one of the pictures of the week. It was taken by Warren Little of Getty Images.
;)
Getty Images
41. Music break! Below is Oasis song No. 4:
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42. Minjee Lee wins the Women’s Open, which would also give her four of the five women’s majors.
43. Here are a few of my favorite reads this week from the on-site GOLF.com staff. From Michael Bamberger, his column here on the DeChambeau incident was great.
44. From James Colgan, his column here, also on DeChambeau, was great.
45. From Sean Zak, his story here on Young’s Sunday wait was great.
46. I also liked Dylan Dethier’s Winners and Losers stories after each round. You can read them here, here, here and here.
47. Every video at Birkdale was shot by Darren Riehl. A few of my favorites are here, here and here.
48. Two years ago, my wife and I went to England together, and I’ve been thinking about the pasty-and-meat slice of heaven that is a sausage roll ever since. Our first night, we bought some from the nearby market. Then the second night. And the third …
49. On Monday night, we went to the Churchill Tavern in New York City, where they have ’em.
50. In the fall, my wife and I are headed to Scotland, where next year’s Open will be. So … what do you think we should do? I might not be able to play any golf, but there’s a chance. Feel free to email me at nick.piastowski@golf.com.
Monday, July 20 features a full 15-game slate in MLB, so fans who want to wager on the best bet to a hit a home run today have hundreds of choices on MLB player props. Home run props are massively popular in MLB betting, and with potential playoff previews Monday like Dodgers vs. Phillies and White Sox vs. Rangers, there are tons of players to look at when you’re deciding on your home run props wagers. SportsLine MLB expert Angelo Magliocca is here to help, and the expert has pored over all of Monday’s odds to find his best bets to hit (at least) one out of the yard.
Magliocca, also known as “Amags,” is a hugely profitable MLB handicapper who uses his deep knowledge of baseball to find value on player props, sides and totals. He is coming off another strong season at SportsLine. Over the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 MLB seasons, Amags is up 133.4 units on straight bets and parlays while winning an additional 25.3 units on ladder plays.
Best home run picks for Monday
Curtis Mead (+360)
Kyle Freeland has allowed 16 home runs to right-handed batters in 65 innings this year. He has allowed 17 walks to righties in that same time frame. He’s been barreled up 12% of the time and hit hard at nearly a 60% clip by right-handers, and that plays perfectly into Curtis Mead’s hands.
The Nationals slugger has crushed left-handed pitchers, with seven of his 17 home runs this season coming against southpaws in just over 100 at-bats, giving him a .521 slugging percentage. He has feasted on fastballs, and Freeland leads with his four-seam fastball against righties, while throwing the cutter more than 20% of the time. That’s almost half the time that a right-handed hitter is seeing a fastball or a variation. Neither pitch has been effective, yielding a .401 and .350 expected wOBA, respectively.
The expected stats for Freeland’s pitch mix against righties is horrendous, and his only chance of getting Mead out here is leaning into the breaking stuff. We get 100-degree weather and the highest altitude of any ballpark, plus a good platoon advantage and a +360 price. Mead will be hitting near the top of the order on the away team. This is set it and forget it territory, in my opinion.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (+450) and Manny Machado (+450)
Is Tatis finally back? He has hit a home run in back-to-back games, and it looks like he could have his power stroke back. Now in Atlanta as the away team and with a spot near or at the top of the order, Tatis should have plenty of chances to go deep tonight.
For right-handed batters, this ballpark actually plays rather neutral or even slightly depressing to power numbers. I don’t care, as Bryce Elder allowed three homers in his last start and seven across 26 innings in June. He’s been beaten up by righties, who are hitting nearly .300 against him, and six of his 15 home runs allowed have come against righties in just 34 innings of work. We still get temperatures in the 80’s here, with humidity rising as the game goes on, putting Tatis in a good situation to defy some of his season-long numbers and get a homer off a right-hander here. If for some reason he faces a lefty out of the bullpen, that would be huge as well since he’s been far better for power off lefties this year.
On the other side of that coin is Machado, who’s racked up 15 of his 19 home runs against right-handed pitching this year. He had three home runs in the 11 games in July before the break but hasn’t hit one yet since returning. I like him to find the power stroke again here, against a pitcher he has hit hard in a small sample size but hasn’t had much to show for it.
Esmerlyn Valdez (+310)
Valdez has 12 home runs in 105 at-bats so far this year in MLB action; I almost thought I was reading those numbers incorrectly at first. His stats are eye-popping, and half of his home runs have come against left-handed pitcher. He has an OPS above 1.500 and a slugging percentage over 1.000 against them, though neither of those figures will stay that high. Still, he’s crushing lefties right now, and pretty much anyone for that matter. He has racked up 10 total bases in the three games since returning from the All-Star break, with two home runs in there.
He strikes out a ton as well but far less against lefties, and Ryan Weathers has been weirdly worse against left-handed batters. I still like this spot for Valdez with how hot he’s been lately. We get hot weather in a good hitters ballpark, and a batter on the away team who should be in the tophalf of the batting order, all of which play to our advantage.
Additionally, the Yankees bullpen was worked a ton Sunday, so they are likely to be missing at least a couple of their normal high-leverage guys, along with closer David Bednar.
Dual Group One winner Beiwacht was among the key participants in the opening trial at Warwick Farm on Tuesday, looking sharp as he won the 900m heat.
The Godolphin-owned son of Bivouac stepped up from three-year-old to open-age company in the Autumn, adding the All Aged Stakes to his earlier Golden Rose Stakes victory.
Ridden by Nash Rawiller, Beiwacht led throughout the trial, clocking a time of 53.99 seconds, with Spring Champion Stakes winner Attica in second.
Chris Waller, who acquired Beiwacht after James Cummings’ move to Hong Kong, expressed his excitement for the colt’s prospects as a four-year-old heading into the Spring.
1⃣ Beiwacht
2⃣ Attica
3⃣ Tornado ValleyA @godolphin quinella in the Group & Listed trial at Warwick Farm on Tuesday. Also trialling were Cherry Bomshell, Angel Capital, Campione D’Italia, Fireball, Diameter and Piggyback. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/QC7bKpzy27
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) July 20, 2026
“I’m looking forward to him,” Waller told Racing And Sports. “He’s a mature colt now. He’s won a Golden Rose and we’ve worked out that he’s a good high-pressure horse over 1400 (metres).”
“He’s good enough to win over 1200, I’m sure, and as a mature four-year-old, I’m excited. He’s beaten the older horses at three. He’s won a Golden Rose in amazing time and with an amazing rating. He can really do it as a four-year-old.”
While Beiwacht has achieved Group One success and is a valuable stallion prospect, the Waller stable is keen to secure a top-flight win with the much-discussed Angel Capital, who finished strongly for fifth in the trial under James McDonald.
Angel Capital has placed at Group One level three times and had a luckless sixth in the All Aged Stakes, won by stablemate Beiwacht.
“This is his time,” Waller said of the Yulong-owned four-year-old. “I think 1400 metres is foolproof in terms of taking the way he races out of the equation where he gets back and he can still beat them over 1400. He’ll probably resume him over 1200, but I haven’t given up on thinking about he could even go first-up in a Memsie. The next few weeks will tell us a lot about our horses and where they’re resuming.”
Champagne Stakes winner Fireball and ATC Sires Produce winner Campione D’italia also competed in the trial, finishing seventh and sixth respectively, and are likely targets for the Golden Rose.
Check out the latest betting markets for the race at leading online bookmakers.
Soon enough, Kevin O’Connell will make the most important decision he has made as the Vikings’ head coach. Choosing the correct quarterback — J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray — will be the most significant decision he can make for 2026. Quite possibly, O’Connell’s job beyond the current season will hinge on the decision.
So, a lot of pressure rests on the passer battle.
Many are proceeding through the remaining weeks of the offseason with the assumption that Kyler Murray is going to win the QB1 job. Quite possibly, that assumption proves to be exactly right. Murray is a wonderfully talented passer and is in a great setup to shine. Still, though, there’s plenty to be said for what McCarthy is capable of accomplishing as a 23-year-old passer who is entering his third pro season. In fact, O’Connell spoke to the next phase in McCarthy’s development several months ago.
Kevin O’Connell on What’s in Front of J.J. McCarthy
My hot take: most of J.J. McCarthy’s struggles in 2025 come down to poor coaching from Kevin O’Connell. Tasking the kid with adjusting his mechanics behind a patchwork offensive line while refusing to run the football was insanity.
At Michigan, Mr. McCarthy played well largely due to a dominant defense and ground game. Brian Flores brought the excellent defense to the party. O’Connell, though, didn’t stick with the ground game. Stunningly, he explained earlier in the offseason that Minnesota only adjusted toward emphasizing the rushing attack, minimizing turnovers, and playing sizzling defense in the final five games of the season. Maybe that was just meaningless coach talk; maybe that was nevertheless a very dumb thing to say.
Something that wasn’t dumb was how O’Connell discussed where things are heading at quarterback.
The Vikings’ skipper chatted with Paul Allen and Pete Bercich for roughly twenty minutes at the NFL combine. “We want him to be in a competitive situation,” O’Connell explained back in late February. O’Connell continued: “We’ve really got to push the gas pedal down. And not replace development and coaching and teaching with anything, but really enhance it with a really competitive situation.”
In essence, let McCarthy feel the urgency of direct competition.
O’Connell’s view was that adding a viable starting quarterback wasn’t about replacing J.J. McCarthy. Rather, the goal is to enhance the competition for J.J. McCarthy by inserting somebody capable of replacing him. Can the kid elevate to such a degree that he doesn’t get leapfrogged for the QB1 spot? If so, then he’ll be better; if not, the team will still have a competent option to start.
Last year, the Vikings proved remarkably stupid when not introducing actual competition for McCarthy. All along, Sam Howell, Brett Rypien, and Max Brosmer were depth options. At no point did any challenge for the QB1 job. Minnesota isn’t making the mistake again.
Kevin O’Connell has not committed to giving the starting job to Murray. Instead, there’s a true competition taking place. This, too, is seen as part of the process of seeing J.J. McCarthy develop. The Vikings are therefore introducing a challenge rather than signalling a desire to abandon the No. 10 pick.
What’s inside of the kid once he gets backed into a corner? The Vikings want to see a fighter who shows the absolute best version of himself.
Whether the strategy proves fruitful — which is to say nothing of actually committing to running the ball, minimizing turnovers, and playing excellent defense — remains to be seen. Clarity will arrive in short order as the competition gets rolling next week.
Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.
The death of Kevin Keegan, regarded as one of the greatest football players of his generation, was announced in a statement released by his family on Monday.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce that Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75,” the statement read.
“Kevin had been battling cancer and was surrounded by his wife and daughters in his final moments. A double Ballon d’Or winner, Kevin was a much-loved husband, father and grandfather.”
Born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire on February 14, 1951, Keegan got his big break when he was signed by Liverpool’s legendary manager Bill Shankly in 1971.
At Anfield, Keegan struck up a striking partnership with Welshman John Toshack, going on to win the First Division title three times as well as the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup twice and the 1977 European Cup. He made 323 appearances, scoring 100 goals for Liverpool.
Success in the Bundesliga
From Merseyside, Keegan moved on to the Bundesliga’s Hamburg, where he was twice named European Footballer of the Year, which is now called the Ballon d’Or, in 1978 and 1979. With Hamburg, he won the Bundesliga in 1978-79 and played in another European Cup final, a 1980 loss to Nottingham Forest. He left the club having scored 32 goals in 90 appearances.
Hamburg were among the former teams to pay tribute to Keegan in a statement on their website on Monday.
“In Kevin Keegan, world football loses one of its most defining figures. Hamburger SV will always cherish the memory of its former title-winning player and two-time Ballon d’Or winner,” the statement said.
Our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and all those who shared his journey. Rest in peace, “Mighty Mouse.”
Return to England
Following his stint in West Germany, Keegan returned to England with Southampton in the summer of 1980 before moving to Second Division Newcastle, helping the club win promotion back to the top flight – before retiring as a player.
He won 63 England caps, scoring 21 goals, playing at the 1982 World Cup and was also later captain of the national team.
Stepping into management
In 1992, Keegan moved into management at Newcastle, leading them into the Premier League and to within touching distance of the 1995-96 title, but they missed out to Manchester United.
The club also paid tribute to Keegan in a statement issued on Monday afternoon, describing him as “the beating heart of Newcastle for generations of supporters.”
After leaving St James’ Park in January 1997, a brief stint at Fulham followed before he became England manager in 1999. After overseeing a disappointing Euro 2000 campaign, Keegan resigned minutes after a 1-0 defeat by Germany in World Cup qualifying, the last match played at the original Wembley Stadium.
He later managed Manchester City, before returning to Newcastle.
Keegan’s family had revealed in January that he had been diagnosed with cancer, which later spread to stage four.
Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez
Any time a pitcher throws a no-hitter – the complete-game kind, not a bunch of relievers – I feel some obligation to look at his next start to see how he follows it up. I’m cheating a bit tonight as the Rays visit the Blue Jays, as Dylan Cease took a no-no into the ninth inning before losing it. But he has been on a roll, and Tampa Bay has not. First pitch from Toronto’s Rogers Centre is set for 7:07 p.m. ET.
Rays-Blue Jays MLB same-game parlay
- Toronto money line
- Alt Under 9.5
DraftKings SGP price: +114
In his most recent start, on July 8 in San Francisco, Cease had a no-hitter entering the bottom of the ninth. I was fascinated to see if Manager John Schneider would let him finish the game, as he had thrown a ton of pitches. The point became moot when the Giants‘ Heliot Ramos led off the inning with a line-drive single to center. Cease was pulled immediately, after a career-high 118 pitches, a whopping 81 of which were strikes. It was very cool of Giants fans to give him a standing ovation (pictured).
Cease became the AL Cy Young favorite at some books after that (as well as at Kalshi), and as of Sunday at DraftKings was a co-favorite with the Yankees‘ Cam Schlittler at +130. But Schlittler pitched Sunday and wasn’t great in a loss to the Dodgers, so Cease is nore at +130 with Schlittler at +140.
Now, I might worry about that high pitch count for Cease under normal circumstances, but so much time has passed that I don’t think it’s a concern. Cease also pitched in last Tuesday’s All-Star Game, getting the win for the American League after striking out three in the first inning. He looked plenty sharp to me.
Cease also threw seven shutout innings in his start in Seattle before facing the Giants. I have followed Cease pretty much his entire career, because he was once a touted Cubs prospect, before he was dealt to the White Sox. The 30-year-old, when he’s on, is as good as anyone. But sometimes his focus slips or whatever and it goes poorly. We should know in the top of the first tonight which guy we are getting. If Cease walks the Tampa Bay lead-off batter, that’s not good.
Cease is 1-3 at home in nine starts, though he has a 2.82 ERA at home and has gotten lousy run support. Cease took a no-decision against the visiting Rays on May 13, allowing a run and three hits over seven in a game Toronto would eventually win in extra innings. The SportsLine Projection Model forecasts Cease at 5.5 innings, 7.3 strikeouts, 5.1 hits allowed and 2.5 earned runs. At DraftKings, he is +140 to win and set at Over/Under 7.5 Ks.
It’s pretty much now or never for the defending AL champions to make a wild card move, sitting seven games under .500 and 4.5 games out of the final spot in the Junior Circuit but with several other teams ahead of them. The schedule gets quite a bit tougher after this series – not that the AL East-leading Rays aren’t good, but they are 21-27 on the road. The model gives Toronto a 12.0% shot at the playoffs, while DK prices the team at +350, which equates to 22.2%. I don’t see it.
Bet on MLB at DraftKings, where new users get $150 in bonus bets after placing a $5+ first wager:
Tampa Bay leads the division by 1.5 games over the Yankees but is a +130 second favorite with New York at +100 and that’s just a ton of Yankees money talking. Do I think the Rays win their first World Series? No … but I would change my tune if they got Tarik Skubal. And with new ownership trying to get a stadium built in Tampa, it sounds like they are willing to spend to acquire help at the Aug. 3 trade deadline. That’s something past Rays owners rarely did. I hope they do for selfish reasons so I can go possibly see a White Sox-Rays playoff game at the Trop.
It’s first-time All-Star Nick Martinez (8-2, 2.65 ERA) on the mound for Tampa Bay. I keep waiting for the 35-year-old journeyman righty to come crashing back to Earth – he lost 14 games last year with a 4.45 ERA with Cincinnati – but he hasn’t yet. He has been one of the most profitable starting pitchers in the majors at +$948 (Tampa Bay is 14-4 in his starts).
Martinez threw a scoreless inning in last week’s All-Star Game and faced the Jays once this season, allowing one run over five in a home win on May 4. Toronto lead-off hitter George Springer is 6-for-17 off him, with two homers. Overall, Martinez is 2-2 with a 5.83 ERA in 29.1 innings vs. the Blue Jays. The model has him at 6.1 innings, 3.6 strikeouts, 5.7 hits allowed and 2.4 earned runs.
Make your MLB picks at BetMGM Sportsbook and get up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your first bet loses:
The Rays have lost a season-high five straight games, their longest skid since April 2025. Tampa Bay had been one of eight big-league teams to not lose five or more consecutive games this season. It also has lost six in a row away. This sure looks like a potential pitchers’ duel. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter.
Devin Haney has a big decision to make regarding his WBO welterweight title.
He won the belt back in November with a one-sided win over Brian Norman Jr, dropping the previously unbeaten American before going on to claim a dominant unanimous decision victory.
That triumph has gone alongside Haney’s previous reigns as undisputed lightweight champion and WBC super-lightweight champion, but many fans felt it was arguably a career-best performance from ‘The Dream’ as he made a big impact upon his 147lb debut.
Speculation has been rife since that win about what Haney plans to do next, with the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis mentioned as possible opponents, but there is also mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis waiting in the wings.
The teams of Haney and Davis were previously ordered to begin negotiations over the fight, and after no deal was able to be reached, the WBO have now confirmed that purse bids have been called.
The WBO World Championship Committee has officially ordered purse bid proceedings for the World Welterweight Mandatory Championship between WBO World Champion Devin Haney and Official Mandatory Challenger Keyshawn Davis.
🗓️ Purse Bid: Monday, July 27, 2026 | 11:00 a.m. AST pic.twitter.com/BXlplk6LfF
— WBO (@WorldBoxingOrg) July 20, 2026
“The WBO World Championship Committee has officially ordered purse bid proceedings for the World Welterweight Mandatory Championship between WBO World Champion Devin Haney and Official Mandatory Challenger Keyshawn Davis. Purse Bid: Monday, July 27, 2026 | 11:00 a.m. AST.”
Davis is the former WBO lightweight champion, who has since moved up in weight after losing his belt on the scales, claiming victories over Jamaine Ortiz and Nahir Albright so far this year.
Despite never competing at 147lbs, his position as mandatory means that Haney must decide by July 27th whether he wants to proceed with the fight, or if he will choose to vacate the belt and turn his attention to other opportunities.
Manchester United and Arsenal fight over France’s Manu Kone, Nico Williams could be heading to the Premier League champions, and West Ham reject latest Crysencio Summerville offer.
Manchester United lead the chase for Roma and France midfielder Manu Kone, 25, but face competition for his signature from Arsenal. (L’Equipe – in French), external
The Gunners have also revived their interest in Athletic Club winger Nico Williams, who was part of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad, with the 23-year-old believed to have a £77m release clause. (Teamtalk), external
West Ham have rejected a second offer from Roma for Dutch forward Crysencio Summerville and the Italian club, whose first bid was 46m euros (£39m), are working on a final proposal for the 24-year-old. (Sky Sports Italia – in Italian) , external
Aston Villa are weighing up a move for Summerville as they look to replace 23-year-old England attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers, who is set to join Chelsea. (Talksport), external
Barcelona have set up a meeting with 26-year-old forward Ferran Torres, who scored Spain’s winner in the World Cup final against Argentina, to find out what his plans are with one year left on his contract and interest from Paris St-Germain. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish), external
Ipswich Town have agreed a deal to sign 29-year-old Morocco centre-back Issa Diop from Fulham for about 10m euros (£8.5m). (Foot Mercato – in French), external
Newcastle and Leeds are among the Premier League clubs weighing up a move for FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju, 22, with the Danish club seeking in excess of £21m for the Guinea-Bissau international. (Teamtalk), external
AC Milan have identified young Genk winger Konstantinos Karetsas, 18, as their next summer transfer target but may have to sell Portugal forward Rafael Leao, 27, to fund the move. (Gazzetta – in Italian), external
Associate head coach Olaf Lange provided an update on Sabally ahead of Monday’s home game against the Las Vegas Aces.
“Will be a day-by-day thing,” Lange told reporters. “Her back is still disaligned … the ribs, there’s none broken, which is good. But … it’s so painful she can’t be realigned yet, so we’ll have to wait.”
Sabally, 26, was injured during Friday night’s 111-92 loss to the Atlanta Dream and was unable to return.
The injury occurred with three minutes left in the fourth quarter after trying to defend a drive from Dream forward Angel Reese. She grabbed at her midsection and went down to the floor after the play, then returned to the Tempo locker room.
She had 16 points, one rebound and two assists in 21 minutes before exiting.
Sabally has dealt with a handful of injuries this season, including a knee injury earlier in July, a hamstring issue in June and a neck problem in May. She has missed eight games over the course of the year.
Despite missing time, the fourth-year forward has had a career year with the Tempo, averaging 11.4 points, five rebounds and 1.1 blocks heading into Friday’s action.
Jul 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Oklahoma star quarterback John Mateer had his 2025 season sabotaged by a broken thumb on his throwing hand but says he is at full strength entering the upcoming campaign.
Mateer had his throwing motion tweaked in the offseason and said he is stronger physically and mentally during his Monday session with reporters at Southeastern Conference Media Days at Tampa, Fla.
“It was not strong,” Mateer said of the thumb. “And the range of motion, I had to change how I held the ball.
“In the offseason you put in the work to be prepared, and I had a belief because of the work, and the work it didn’t matter. I don’t want to say it got taken away from me, but physically it wasn’t the same.”
He received early-season Heisman Trophy hype last season before an injury derailed his season and all but ended Oklahoma’s national title aspirations. The Sooners (10-3) did make the College Football Playoff before losing 34-24 at home to Alabama in the first round.
Mateer broke the thumb in a Sept. 20 game against Auburn and finished the contest. He underwent surgery and was recovering while the Sooners had a bye and a following game against Kent State.
Mateer was intent on playing against Texas – returning ahead of doctor’s forecasts just 17 days after surgery – and it didn’t go well. He was intercepted three times in a 23-6 setback and his struggles continued into late November.
“I’m glad I did it because it showed me that you could fight through a lot, even though I was obviously not 100%,” Mateer said. “It was a very difficult thing to do. I’m glad I did it — even though I failed.”
Mateer was a highly billed transfer after a huge 2024 season at Washington State in which he passed for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He also rushed for 826 yards and 15 scores.
But with the Sooners, he tossed just 14 scoring passes against 11 interceptions while throwing for 2,885 yards. He added 431 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
Mateer said he also was living up the life as Big Man on Campus at a national powerhouse school.
He said he is scaling back that persona.
“There’s a lot of personal opportunities here at Oklahoma playing quarterback, and I don’t know if I was thinking too much about those, and then I got to the peak, and God was like, ‘No, that’s not why we’re doing this,’” Mateer said. “So I’ve been trying to scale back on the personal stuff. If it happens, it happens, but the team is what matters. You taste the playoff. That’s what I want. You get it, and they can’t take it away from you. It means so much to so many people.”
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables expects to see a much-improved version of Mateer this season.
“I just think we’re going to be a lot better around him,” Venables said. “And to his point, it’s hard to throw a football consistently or down the field, push it or throw it with the velocity when he can barely squeeze it.”
The Sooners open the regular season against visiting UTEP on Sept. 4.
–Field Level Media
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