Sports
Maryland baseball crushed in 13-3 seven-inning loss to Penn State
After scoring its third-most runs of the season on Tuesday against Georgetown, Maryland baseball only scored three runs in seven innings against Penn State Thursday, leading to the Terps’ 10th loss in a conference series opener.
Maryland fell, 13-3, to Penn State in the first game of its final conference series at the Bob Thursday night. The Terps only scored in two out of the seven innings, struggling to keep Penn State at bay.
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“It doesn’t matter whether we’re out or not, we’re coaching and doing all those different things,” head coach Matt Swope said. “Next year, it’s definitely going to have to be a point of emphasis, or do some things differently.”
The Nittany Lions snagged the lead in the top of the first after Maryland starting pitcher James Gladden walked the first two batters and then threw a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly and an error by shortstop Ty Kaunas then sent those baserunners home.
Maryland failed to score but kept the Nittany Lions scoreless in the top of the second. Gladden’s first and only strikeout of the game, a fly out to left center and a sliding catch in shallow right field by redshirt junior Jordan Crosland retired the side.
That would be one of the only innings the Nittany Lions failed to score in.
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The Terps grabbed their first run of the game in the bottom of the second after a single to right center by sophomore Paul Jones II — his 12th RBI in the past 48 hours. Jones II notched 11 on Tuesday against Georgetown.
A couple minutes later, Maryland loaded the bases with two outs. Brayden Martin stepped to the plate but promptly grounded out to Penn State shortstop Preston Yaucher to strand three runners on base.
“We needed somebody to come through there early on and keep it going and keep it close, and we didn’t do that,” Swope said. “Whether it’s bases loaded or nobody on, it’s more process oriented stuff, and we didn’t come through today.”
Thursday night was Gladden’s first start with the Terps. After pitching two innings with one strikeout and three walks, he was replaced by junior left-hander Landon Edwards.
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“We’re just trying to piece together the game,” Swope said. “I think we’re just trying to get through the game.”
After hitting a batter, Edwards punched out his first strikeout. Jones II reached into the Penn State dugout to snag a foul ball for a highlight-reel second out.
Penn State’s Jesse Jaconski blasted a solo homer over the left center wall to extend the Nittany Lions’ lead. The Terps ended the inning after catcher Devin Russell threw out Spencer Barnett in a second base steal attempt.
Maryland attempted to catch up to Penn State in the bottom of the third with a two-run home run by junior David Mendez over the right center wall. The junior’s 10th slam this season flew off the bat at 108 mph.
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Mendez’s homer also marked Maryland’s final runs of the contest.
The Nittany Lions extended their lead in the top of the fourth after a two-run home run by Maddox McDonald to center field.
Right-hander Andrew Koshy took the mound in place of Edwards with no outs. Following a single through left field and strikeout, Penn State’s Michael Anderson notched another two-run blast to make it an 8-3 game.
The Terps left three runners on base once again in the bottom of the fourth after a single and two walks. Penn State brought in right-hander Ben DeMell with two outs, and he struck out redshirt freshman Ryan Costello to end the inning.
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“It was going to be a slug it out day, and [we] needed to just get a couple more big swings in those situations,” Swope said. “We didn’t do enough offensively today in those situations.”
The Nittany Lions snagged another four runs in the top of the fifth after an RBI double by McDonald down the left field line slid right under Martin’s glove. A walk loaded the bases before Anderson drove a two-run RBI single between shortstop and third base.
Penn State’s Bryce Molinaro then doubled off the left field wall. A runner scored from third, but Anderson was thrown out on the relay to home.
Maryland failed to score throughout the remainder of the game. The Nittany Lions scored one more in the top of the sixth after back-to-back failed pickoff attempts to give them a 10-run lead.
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Right-hander Quinn Yellin made his third appearance of the season in the top of the seventh and managed to keep Penn State scoreless for the second frame of the night.
However, the Terps failed to bring any runs in the bottom of the seventh, causing the game to prematurely end for their seventh run-rule ending and final series-opener of the season.
“The things that we’ve struggled with are pretty apparent, but we’re continuing to struggle with those things [injuries] too,” Swope said.
Three things to know
1. Lack of offense. Maryland has scored less than four runs in 13 out of its 54 games this season. Two days prior to Thursday night’s game, the Terps slammed 14 hits against Georgetown including four home runs and 11 RBIs. Thursday, Maryland recorded eight hits and one home run against Penn State.
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2. Stranded runners. The Terps stranded a total of 12 runners on base Thursday night, including leaving the bases loaded twice. Costello has the most grand slams in the nation with four, but failed to make it five during his at bat in the bottom of the fourth.
3. Busted bullpen. The Terps went through five pitchers Thursday night after going through seven on Tuesday against Penn State. The five pitchers allowed 12 earned runs, walking eight batters and throwing seven strikeouts.
May 14, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox players celebrate after defeating the Kansas City Royals in a baseball game at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Randal Grichuk drove in four runs to lift the White Sox to a 6-2 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Thursday, moving Chicago above .500 for the first time since winning its 2023 opener.
Grichuk hit a two-run home run in the first inning and then drove in two more with a single in third as Chicago won its fifth straight game. The White Sox also won five straight from April 27-May 2.
The White Sox swept three games from the Royals to officially be the hottest team in baseball. The White Sox at 22-21 are at .500 after April for the first time since October 2022.
Chicago starter Anthony Kay (3-1) gave up six hits and two runs in six-plus innings. The left-hander walked two and struck out four while throwing 97 pitches.
Reds 15, Nationals 1
JJ Bleday homered twice and drove in six runs to help Cincinnati salvage a win in the three-game series against visiting Washington.
Matt McLain and Dane Myers also homered and Spencer Steer had two hits and scored three times. Elly De La Cruz had two hits for his sixth straight multi-hit game and scored twice. Chase Burns (5-1) allowed two hits over six shutout innings.
Washington left-hander Foster Griffin (4-2) was coming off three straight quality starts, but he was tagged for nine runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Mets 9, Tigers 4
Nolan McLean (2-2) tossed seven innings of three-run ball, lifting host New York past Detroit for its first series sweep of the season.
The Mets’ Juan Soto hit the go-ahead single in the fifth inning and added a homer leading off the seventh. A.J. Ewing, Marcus Semien, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos also went deep for New York, which overcame a two-run deficit in all three games of the series.
Gage Workman and Dillon Dingler hit home runs for the Tigers, who have lost eight of their past nine games. Keider Montero (2-3) yielded four runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Cubs 2, Braves 0
Ian Happ homered and five Chicago pitchers combined to throw a five-hit shutout as the Cubs avoided a sweep with a victory at Atlanta.
Ben Brown started and tossed four innings for the Cubs. Hoby Milner (1-0) threw two scoreless frames before Phil Maton and Jacob Webb handled one inning apiece. Daniel Palencia pitched the ninth inning and registered his third save as the Cubs snapped a season-worst four-game losing streak.
Chris Sale (6-3) threw six innings, allowing one unearned run on five hits for the Braves, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Pirates 7, Rockies 2
Ryan O’Hearn homered and finished with three hits and two RBIs to lead host Pittsburgh to a victory over Colorado.
O’Hearn’s two-run homer off Rockies starter Chase Dollander (3-3) in the bottom of the first inning capped a three-run frame and set the tone for Pittsburgh’s victory as the Pirates took two of three from Colorado, which lost for the fourth time in five games.
Dollander gave up a double to Endy Rodriguez and walked Jared Triolo to open the bottom of the second inning before exiting the game after 28 pitches. Dollander was later diagnosed with right arm tightness.
Mariners 8, Astros 3
Luke Raley and Mitch Garver hit home runs as Seattle defeated host Houston to take three of four games in the series.
Brendan Donovan went 3-for-5 with a double and triple for the Mariners. Luis Castillo (1-4) allowed three runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Yordan Alvarez went 3-for-3 with a double and a homer for the Astros. Mike Burrows (2-5) surrendered seven runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. Brewers 7, Padres 1
Luis Rengifo knocked in three runs and Kyle Harrison tossed five scoreless innings as Milwaukee topped visiting San Diego in the decisive game of a three-game series.
Harrison (4-1) fanned seven for the Brewers, who lost the shutout bid in the ninth inning. Andrew Vaughn had two hits and two RBIs.
Padres starter Griffin Canning (0-2) yielded six runs in 1 2/3 innings. Nick Castellanos was the only San Diego batter with two hits. Phillies 3, Red Sox 1
Kyle Schwarber hit his 18th home run of the season and Jesus Luzardo pitched six scoreless innings to help Philadelphia pick up a road victory over Boston.
Schwarber’s home run came against Tyler Samaniego (0-1) in the eighth inning after Trea Turner led off the inning with a single. It was Schwarber’s seventh home run in his last seven games.
Boston starting pitcher Ranger Suarez exited the mound after tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up four hits and struck out eight. Twins 9, Marlins 1
Austin Martin and James Outman tallied three RBIs apiece and Minnesota coasted to a win over Miami Marlins in Minneapolis.
Josh Bell hit a two-run double for Minnesota. Victor Caratini also drove in a run. Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews (1-0) shined in his season debut. He scattered four hits in seven scoreless innings.
Otto Lopez went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Marlins. Braxton Garrett (0-1) also made his season debut but struggled, giving five runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings. Dodgers 5, Giants 2
Emmet Sheehan threw six strong innings, Alex Call hit a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth and Los Angeles closed a four-game series with a victory over visiting San Francisco.
Will Smith opened the game with a home run and Teoscar Hernandez had three hits. Los Angeles had eight hits with a lineup that did not include Shohei Ohtani for the second consecutive game. Sheehan (3-1) allowed two runs on two hits.
San Francisco’s Jung Hoo Lee had a two-run inside-the-park homer. Landen Roupp (5-4) gave up four runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings as the Giants lost consecutive games following a 4-1 run. Cardinals 5, Athletics 4
Ivan Herrera singled with two outs in the ninth inning to tie the game and Jordan Walker followed with a go-ahead double, rallying St. Louis to a win over the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
Matt Svanson (1-1) tossed a scoreless eighth inning, and Riley O’Brien recorded his 13th save by working around a leadoff walk in the ninth.
Walker and Victor Scott II homered for the Cardinals, while Zack Gelof and Nick Kurtz went deep for the A’s. St. Louis’ winning rally came against Jack Perkins (2-2). –Field Level Media
Didier Deschamps has announced his 26-man France squad for the 2026 World Cup. For his final tournament in charge of Les Bleus, the France coach has selected 25 capped internationals and one newcomer, Robin Risser. France will travel with three goalkeepers, nine defenders, five midfielders and nine forwards.
The Brazilian Football Confederation has extended Carlo Ancelotti’s contract until 2030, ahead of the announcement of Brazil’s World Cup squad on 18 May.
Real Madrid defeated Oviedo (2-0) to secure second place in La Liga, while Kylian Mbappé was whistled by sections of the Bernabéu crowd on his return from injury. Left on the bench, the French forward openly showed his disagreements with head coach Alvaro Arbeloa.
In Rome, after beating Andrey Rublev (6-2, 6-4), Jannik Sinner reached the semi-finals and set a new record for consecutive Masters 1000 victories (32). The world number one will now face Daniil Medvedev, who defeated Martin Landaluce (1-6, 6-4, 7-5).
In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff defeated Sorana Cirstea (6-4, 6-3) and will face Elina Svitolina in the final after the Ukrainian beat Iga Swiatek (6-4, 2-6, 6-2).
At the Giro, Davide Ballerini won stage six in Naples, ahead of Jasper Stuyven, while Paul Magnier finished third after a chaotic finale marked by a mass crash in the final corner.
Countries have started naming their 26-man squads for World Cup 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
With 48 teams involved in the tournament, which starts on 11 June, there will be more players than ever accomplishing their goal of appearing in football’s most famous competition.
Each country must provide Fifa with a final squad of between 23 and 26 players (at least three of whom must be goalkeepers) by the deadline of 2 June, and a subsequently injured player may only be replaced by someone from a previously-submitted 55-man preliminary squad, up to 24 hours before the team’s first World Cup match.
Squads are set to be name throughout May, with Thomas Tuchel slated to name his 26-man England group on Friday 22 May, while Bosnia and Herzegovina became the first nation to confirm their squad on 11 May.
Here are all the World Cup 2026 squads and every player who will be at this summer’s tournament:
Group A
Mexico
Coach: Javier Aguirre
South Africa
Coach: Hugo Broos
South Korea
South Korea are set to announce their squad on 16 May.
Coach: Hong Myung-bo
Czech Republic
Coach: Miroslav Koubek
Group B
Canada
Coach: Jesse Marsch
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia, who beat Wales in the playoffs en route to qualifying for just the second World Cup in their history, became the first side to name their squad on 11 May, with 40-year-old Edin Dzeko the headline inclusion. Roger Milla for Cameroon in 1994 is the only previous outfield player in his 40s to have appeared at a World Cup but former Man City striker Dzeko is set to be added to that exclusive club.
Coach: Sergej Barbarez
Goalkeepers: Nikola Vasilj (St Pauli), Martin Zlomislic (Rijeka), Osman Hadzikic (Slaven Belupo)
Defenders: Sead Kolasinac (Atalanta), Amar Dedic (Benfica), Nihad Mujakic (Gaziantep), Nikola Katic (Schalke), Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo), Stjepan Radeljic (Rijeka), Dennis Hadzikadunic (Sampdoria), Nidal Celik (Lens)
Midfielders: Amir Hadziahmetovic (Hull City), Ivan Sunjic (Pafos), Ivan Basic (Astana), Dzenis Burnic (Karlsruher), Ermin Mahmic (Slovan Liberec), Benjamin Tahirovic (Brondby), Amar Memic (Viktoria Plzen), Armin Gigovic (Young Boys), Kerim Alajbegovic (RB Salzburg), Esmir Bajraktarevic (PSV Eindhoven)
Forwards: Ermedin Demirovic (VfB Stuttgart), Jovo Lukic (Universitatea Cluj), Samed Bazdar (Jagiellonia Bialystok), Haris Tabakovic (Borussia Monchengladbach), Edin Dzeko (Schalke)
Qatar
Coach: Julen Lopetegui
Switzerland
Coach: Murat Yakin
Group C
Brazil
Brazil are set to announce their squad on 18 May.
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
Morocco
Morocco are set to announce their squad on 21 May.
Coach: Mohamed Ouahbi
Haiti
Coach: Sebastien Migne
Scotland
Coach: Steve Clarke
Group D
USA
USA are set to announce their squad on 26 May.
Coach: Mauricio Pochettino
Paraguay
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Australia
Australia are set to announce their squad on 1 June.
Coach: Tony Popovic
Turkey
Coach: Vincenzo Montella
Group E
Germany
Germany are set to announce their squad on 21 May.
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Curacao
Coach: Dick Advocaat
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast are set to announce their squad on 15 May.
Coach: Emerse Fae
Ecuador
Coach: Sebastian Beccacece
Group F
Netherlands
Netherlands are set to announce their squad on 25 May.
Coach: Ronald Koeman
Japan
Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma has missed out on Japan’s squad for the World Cup after a cruelly-timed hamstring injury, with Takumi Minamino another attacking option sidelined as he recovers from a serious knee issue. Former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has endured his own series of set-backs but is in line to make his first appearance for his country in nearly two years.
Goalkeepers: Zion Suzuki, Keisuke Osako, Tomoki Hayakawa.
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Shogo Taniguchi, Ko Itakura, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Hiroki Ito, Ayumu Seko, Yukinari Sugawara, Junnosuke Suzuki.
Midfielders and forwards: Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Koki Ogawa, Daizen Maeda, Ritsu Doan, Ayase Ueda, Ao Tanaka, Keito Nakamura, Kaishu Sano, Takefusa Kubo, Yuito Suzuki, Kento Shiogai, Keisuke Goto.
Coach: Hajime Moriyasu
Sweden
There were few surprises in the Sweden squad named by Graham Potter, with Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski omitted as expected after a year out of the game with a knee injury. Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres and Liverpool’s Alexander Isak give Potter plenty of firepower up front, with the former Chelsea and West Ham manager hopeful that the latter can find form. “Our challenge is to get Alex in the best moment of the season and for him to hit top form,” Potter said. “Because if he does, he’s a world-class player.”
Coach: Graham Potter
Goalkeepers: Kristoffer Nordfeldt (AIK), Viktor Johansson (Stoke City), Jacob Widell Zetterstrom (Derby County)
Defenders: Daniel Svensson (Borussia Dortmund), Victor Lindelof (Aston Villa), Isak Hien (Atalanta), Carl Starfelt (Celta Vigo), Elliot Stroud (Mjallby AIF), Gustaf Lagerbielke (Braga), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds United), Emil Holm (Juventus), Hjalmar Ekdal (Burnley), Erik Smith (St. Pauli).
Midfielders and forwards: Taha Ali (Malmo FF), Yasin Ayari (Brighton & Hove Albion), Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham Hotspur), Anthony Elanga (Newcastle United), Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal), Jesper Karlstrom (Udinese), Gustaf Nilsson (Club Brugge), Benjamin Nygren (Celtic), Mattias Svanberg (VfL Wolfsburg), Besfort Zeneli (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise), Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Alexander Bernhardsson (Holstein Kiel), Ken Sema (Pafos).
Tunisia
Tunisia are set to announce their squad on 15 May.
Coach: Sabri Lamouchi
Group G
Belgium
Belgium are set to announce their squad on 15 May.
Coach: Rudi Garcia
Egypt
Egypt are set to announce their squad on 29 May.
Coach: Hossam Hassan
Iran
Coach: Amir Ghalenoei
New Zealand
English coach Darren Bazeley has dipped into non-league football to help fill his New Zealand squad with 36-year-old defender Tommy Smith, who plays for National League side Braintree Town, featuring for the first time since 2024. Smith actually appeared for the All Whites at their most recent World Cup in 2010, as did Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood who captains the side. On the other end of the experience spectrum, two-cap Newcastle Jets midfielder Lachlan Bayliss has also been selected by Bazeley.
Coach: Darren Bazeley
Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe (Millwall FC), Alex Paulsen (Lechia Gdańsk), Michael Woud (Auckland FC)
Defenders: Tim Payne (Wellington Phoenix), Francis De Vries (Auckland FC), Tyler Bindon (Nottingham Forest), Michael Boxall (Minnesota United), Liberato Cacace (Wrexham AFC), Nando Pijnaker (Auckland FC), Finn Surman (Portland Timbers), Callan Elliot (Auckland FC), Tommy Smith (Braintree Town)
Midfielders: Joe Bell (Viking FK), Marko Stamenić (Swansea City), Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle), Lachlan Bayliss (Newcastle Jets)
Forwards: Matt Garbett (Peterborough United), Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest), Sarpreet Singh (Wellington Phoenix), Eli Just (Motherwell FC), Kosta Barbarouses (Western Sydney Wanderers), Ben Waine (Port Vale), Ben Old (Saint-Étienne), Callum McCowatt (Silkeborg), Jesse Randall (Auckland FC)
Group H
Spain
Coach: Luis de la Fuente
Cape Verde
Coach: Bubista
Saudi Arabia
Coach: Georgios Donis
Uruguay
Coach: Marcelo Bielsa
Group I
France
Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser has been rewarded for his outstanding form for Ligue 1’s surprise package with a spot as France’s third-choice goalkeeper. In a battle of Premier League forwards for the final place in a deep attacking group, Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta edges out Tottenham loanee Randal Kolo Muani – a scorer in the final shootout four years ago.
Coach: Didier Deschamps
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Brice Samba, Robin Risser.
Defenders: Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kounde, Maxence Lacroix, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano.Midfielders: N’Golo Kante, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaire-Emery.
Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram.
Senegal
Coach: Pape Thiaw
Iraq
Coach: Graham Arnold
Norway
Norway are set to announce their squad on 21 May.
Coach: Stale Solbakken
Group J
Argentina
Coach: Lionel Scaloni
Algeria
Coach: Vladimir Petkovic
Austria
Austria are set to announce their squad on 18 May.
Coach: Ralf Rangnick
Jordan
Coach: Jamal Sellami
Group K
Portugal
Portugal are set to announce their squad on 19 May.
Coach: Roberto Martinez
DR Congo
DR Congo are set to announce their squad on 18 May.
Coach: Sebastien Desabre
Uzbekistan
Coach: Fabio Cannavaro
Colombia
Colombia are set to announce their squad on 29 May.
Coach: Nestor Lorenzo
Group L
England
England are set to announce their squad on 22 May.
Coach: Thomas Tuchel
Croatia
Croatia are set to announce their squad on 18 May.
Coach: Zlatko Dalic
Ghana
Coach: Carlos Queiroz
Panama
Coach: Thomas Christiansen
A congested field reflects a tougher-than-expected test at Aronimink Golf Club with most of the world’s top players still in contention at the PGA Championship.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is one of seven players in a share of the lead at three-under after round one, with Martin Kaymer in surprising form, too, 16 years on from his breakthrough success at the event.
Patrick Reed, Shane Lowry and Xander Schauffele are among the major champions right in touch just a shot back, but Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau have plenty to do after disappointing starts in Philadelphia.
The Masters champion finished with four consecutive bogeys to finish seven shots behind the leaders, with LIV Golf’s DeChambeau two shots further back and likely out of contention already.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of round two at Aronimink.
PGA Championship second round tee times
(all times BST)
Starting on hole one
11:45 Michael Block (US), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den), Dustin Johnson (US)
11:56 Mark Geddes (Eng) (US), Steven Fisk (US), David Lipsky (US)
12:07 Sungjae Im (Kor), Austin Hurt (US), Casey Jarvis (SA)
12:18 Andrew Putnam (US), Michael Kartrude (US), Matt Wallace (Eng)
12:29 Martin Kaymer (Ger), Elvis Smylie (Aus), Davis Riley (US)
12:40 Jason Dufner (US), Haotong Li (Chn), Jimmy Walker (US)
12:51 Nick Taylor (Can), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Den), Jordan Smith (Eng)
13:02Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Patrick Reed (US), Pierceson Coody (US)
13:13 Brian Campbell (US), Adam Schenk (US), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA)
13:24 Marco Penge (Eng), Sepp Straka (Aut), Patrick Rodgers (US)
13:35 Aaron Rai (Eng), Travis Smyth (Aus), Sami Valimaki (Fin)
13:46 Sam Stevens (US), Jayden Schaper (SA), Garrett Sapp (US)
13:57 Timothy Wiseman (US), Matti Schmid (Ger), Austin Smotherman (US)
17:15 Aldrich Potgieter (SA), David Puig (Spa), Denny McCarthy (US)
17:26 William Mouw (US), Chris Gabriele (US), Taylor Pendrith (Can)
17:37 Tom Hoge (US), Bryce Fisher (US), Joaquin Niemann (Chi)
17:48 Keith Mitchell (US), Billy Horschel (US), Ian Holt (US)
17:59 Gary Woodland (US), Jason Day (Aus), Sam Burns (US)
18:10 Wyndham Clark (US), Cameron Smith (Aus), Brian Harman (US)
18:21 Patrick Cantlay (US), Min Woo Lee (Aus), Sahith Theegala (US)
18:32 Si Woo Kim (Kor), Derek Berg (US), Joe Highsmith (US)
18:43 Bryson DeChambeau (US), Ludvig Aberg (Swe), Rickie Fowler (US)
18:54 Xander Schauffele (US), Brooks Koepka (US), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
19:05 Rory McIlroy (NI), Jordan Spieth (US), Jon Rahm (Spa)
19:16 Daniel Hillier (NZ), Ryan Vermeer (US), Max McGreevy (US)
19:27 Paul McClure (US), Mikael Lindberg (Swe), Angel Ayora (Spa)
Starting on hole 10
11:50 Andrew Novak (US), John Parry (Eng), Jordan Gumberg (US)
12:01 Ben Polland (US), Kurt Kitayama (US), Nico Echavarria (Col)
12:12 Akshay Bhatia (US), Ricky Castillo (US), Michael Thorbjornsen (US)
12:23 Luke Donald (Eng), Jesse Droemer (US), Stewart Cink (US)
12:34 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), JJ Spaun (US), Max Homa (US)
12:45 Ben Kern (US), JT Poston (US), Russell Henley (US)
12:56 Adam Scott (Aus), Corey Conners (Can), Daniel Berger (US)
13:07 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Collin Morikawa (US), Shane Lowry (Ire)
13:18 Chris Gotterup (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
13:29 Cameron Young (US), Keegan Bradley (US), Justin Thomas (US)
13:40 Scottie Scheffler (US), Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Justin Rose (Eng)
13:51 Zach Haynes (US), Alex Smalley (US), Chandler Blanchet (US)
14:02 Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Sudarshan Yellamaraju (Can), Andy Sullivan (Eng)
17:10 Braden Shattuck (US), Alex Fitzpatrick (Eng), Ben Griffin (US)
17:21 Francisco Bide (Arg), Harry Hall (Eng), Ryan Gerard (US)
17:32 John Keefer (US), Rico Hoey (Phi), Nicolai Hojgaard (Den)
17:43 Shaun Micheel (US), Michael Brennan (US), Garrick Higgo (SA)
17:54 YE Yang (Kor), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Matt McCarty (US)
18:05 Lucas Glover (US), Tom McKibbin (NI), Stephan Jaeger (Ger)
18:16 Daniel Brown (Eng), Adrien Saddier (Fra), Harris English (US)
18:27 Jacob Bridgeman (US), Bud Cauley (US), Alex Noren (Swe)
18:38 Chris Kirk (US), Max Greyserman (US), Kristoffer Reitan (Nor)
18:49 Maverick McNealy (US), Thomas Detry (Bel), Padraig Harrington (Ire)
19:00 Ryan Lenahan (US), Ryan Fox (NZ), Kazuki Higa (Jpn)
19:11 Jared Jones (US), Michael Kim (US), Ryo Hisatsune (Jpn)
19:22 Tyler Collet (US), Kota Kaneko (Jpn), Brandt Snedeker (US)
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the PGA Championship on Sky Sports. Coverage of the second round begins at 12.30pm BST on Friday 15 May and continues across the weekend, with a live stream available via Sky Go or NOW.
We are full go with our preparation for the upcoming Fantasy season, which means it’s time to write all the player outlooks for this year. I’m privileged to get the AFC West, and we’re going to do team-by-team previews as well. Here, you get to see all the interesting information I find about the Chiefs.
I’ll highlight players to target, as well as others to avoid. And you’ll get a good idea of what the Chiefs can hopefully do in 2026.
Let’s see if Kansas City is a Fantasy destination for you this year.
Team Breakdown
Coach: Andy Reid
Offensive coordinator: Eric Bieniemy (replaces Matt Nagy)
Key additions: RB Kenneth Walker III, RB Emari Demercado, QB Justin Fields
Draft picks of note: RB Emmett Johnson (Round 5 from Nebraska), WR Cyrus Allen (Round 5 from Cincinnati)
2026 strength of schedule: No. 5 (opponents combined 2025 record: 155-134)
2025 numbers of note
Points for: No. 21 at 362 (21.3 per game)
Passing yards: No. 16 at 3,639 (214.1 per game)
Passing attempts: No. 7 at 613
Rushing yards: No. 25 at 1,812 (106.6 per game)
Rushing attempts: No. 25 at 430
Players to target based on Average Draft Position (ADP)
1. Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes is coming off last year’s torn ACL and LCL in his knee, which he suffered in Week 15. He’s hopeful to be ready for Week 1, and his health is worth monitoring heading into the season. Mahomes is still considered a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback, and he should be drafted with a mid-round pick in one-quarterback leagues. In Superflex and two-quarterback formats, Mahomes is worth drafting no later than Round 4. In 2025, prior to getting injured, Mahomes was having his best Fantasy season since 2022 at 23.6 points per game. Part of that was due to him setting a career-high for rushing yards (422) and rushing touchdowns (five) in just 14 games, but it’s hard to imagine him relying on his legs this season due to the injury. The Chiefs also invested heavily in their backfield with the additions of Walker, Demercado and Johnson, and Kansas City will try to take pressure off Mahomes with the ground game. That said, Travis Kelce is back in 2026, Rashee Rice is healthy, and the Chiefs have Eric Bieniemy back as the offensive coordinator (Mahomes averaged 28.4 Fantasy points per game when Bieniemy was the OC from 2018-22). Hopefully, Mahomes is healthy for Week 1, and he can once again be a standout Fantasy quarterback in all leagues. And it’s easy to draft Mahomes based on his FantasyPros ADP at No. 161 overall as QB14.
2. Kenneth Walker III
We saw the best of Walker in the NFL playoffs for Seattle when Zach Charbonnet (knee) was injured in the Divisional Round against San Francisco. Including that game, Walker scored at least 18.1 PPR points in all three postseason games for the Seahawks, and he averaged 24.9 PPR points over that span. To put that in perspective, Christian McCaffrey was the No. 1 non-quarterback in 2025 at 24.5 PPR points per game. While we don’t expect Walker to be that successful in 2026 with the Chiefs, the potential for a big season is definitely there. Kansas City struggled to run the ball in 2025 and was No. 25 in rushing yards. The Chiefs need Walker, especially with Mahomes coming off the knee injury, and we expect Walker to deliver. Now, he will likely share work with some combination of Brashard Smith, Johnson and Demercado, but Walker should dominate touches when healthy. He has dealt with injuries in his career and was limited to 11 games in 2024. He played a full season in 2025 and finished the regular season with 221 carries for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns, 31 catches for 282 yards on 36 targets, and he averaged 15.7 PPR points per game. In his career, Walker has 37 games with at least 13 carries, including the playoffs. Over that span, Walker has averaged 16.6 PPR points per game. If you give him work, he will succeed, and the Chiefs should feed him. I love his value in Round 3 based on his FantasyPros ADP at No. 28 overall as RB11.
3. Rashee Rice
Rice will hopefully play a full season in 2026, and he has the chance to be a top-five Fantasy receiver in all leagues. He’s worth drafting toward the end of Round 1 or beginning of Round 2 in all formats. Rice has played a combined 12 games in the past two seasons due to injury and suspension, but he’s been fantastic when on the field. He averaged 16.2 PPR points per game in four games in 2024 and 18.8 PPR points in eight games in 2025. Rice averaged 9.8 targets per game last season, and he should lead the Chiefs in targets this year. The receiving corps is thin with Rice, Xavier Worthy and Kelce as the top three options in the passing game, and Rice should continue to get plenty of attention from Mahomes. Now, Mahomes is coming back from a bad knee injury, so keep an eye on his health. And Kansas City will likely focus more on the ground game after adding Walker, Demercado and Johnson this offseason. But Rice’s production over the past two years and his role in the offense make him an exciting Fantasy option. If he stays healthy, then Rice could be among the best Fantasy receivers this season. I love the idea of getting Rice in Round 2 based on his FantasyPros ADP at No. 15 overall as WR9.
4. Xavier Worthy
Worthy went from a productive rookie in 2024 to a disappointing sophomore in 2025. How will he perform in 2026? Fantasy managers should consider Worthy a sleeper with a late-round pick in the majority of leagues. He’s a good receiver to stash on your bench, and hopefully, he can have a third-year breakout. The Chiefs don’t have a lot of proven talent in the passing game after Rice, Kelce and Worthy, which is why he has the chance to rebound from 2025. Last year, Worthy missed the first three games with a shoulder injury and then had to deal with Rice dominating targets once his six-game suspension ended. Kelce was there also, but Marquise Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster were getting targets as well. Those two are gone, and we’ll see what kind of impact Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Royals and rookie Cyrus Allen make this year. Worthy averaged 11 PPR points per game in 2024 before dropping to 7.9 PPR points in 2025. He will hopefully emerge as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this season, and he should be a good value pick at his FantasyPros ADP at No. 123 overall as WR54.
5. Travis Kelce
Based on early ADP data — No. 125 overall as TE13 on FantasyPros — this is the first time Kelce might not get drafted as a top-five tight end since 2014. We’ll see if that stays the same in August, but Kelce is now a late-round option in the majority of leagues. You can see why, since he considered retirement this offseason and will turn 37 in October. But we consider Kelce a top-10 Fantasy tight end coming into the year. As long as Mahomes is ready to play in Week 1, that connection should still be strong, and Kelce was solid in 2025 in 14 games with Mahomes. During that span, Kelce averaged 12.8 PPR points, and the only tight ends who finished better than that were Trey McBride, George Kittle, Brock Bowers and Tucker Kraft. Now, things fell apart for Kelce in the final three games last season — he averaged just 4.8 PPR points over that stretch — so keep that in mind with Mahomes’ rehab. And we have to hope Kelce can coexist for a full season with Rice, as well as an improved run game with the addition of Walker. But given the cost, Kelce is worth the risk, and he didn’t postpone retirement to not be a key player in another potential Kansas City Super Bowl run. Kelce should still have a quality campaign in 2026.
Players to avoid based on Average Draft Position
None
2026 Prediction
The Chiefs missed the playoffs in 2025 for the first time since the 2014 campaign. They ended the season on a six-game losing streak, and Mahomes suffered his knee injury during that stretch in Week 15.
This year, with Mahomes healthy and Kelce postponing retirement, Kansas City should be back in the Super Bowl mix. I don’t expect the Chiefs to win the AFC West, but they should be a wild-card team and return as a contender.
Mahomes won’t be a top-five Fantasy quarterback, but he should be a borderline top-10 option. He’ll reward Fantasy managers who draft him with a late-round pick, and his best production will come toward the end of the year.
Rice will finish as a top-five Fantasy receiver, and Worthy will have the best season of his career. Kelce also will finish as a top-10 Fantasy tight end, and all three of these guys will dominate targets from Mahomes.
Walker will also reward the Chiefs for paying him, and he should finish as a top-10 Fantasy running back in all leagues. Kansas City’s offense will be great for Fantasy managers in 2026.
He didn’t stick around the NFL for long, and this week, former Minnesota Vikings signal-caller Jaren Hall announced his retirement on Instagram.
Minnesota once needed Hall in a hurry, and his unusual football path has now reached its end.
The BYU alumnus embarked on a tiny professional career and now heads toward his next chapter.
A Brief Career Ends for Hall
What’s your favorite Jaren Hall moment?
Hall Retires
The 28-year-old didn’t leave much to the imagination, scribing on social media Wednesday, “There’s a lot I could say, but mostly I just feel grateful. Sports have been woven into nearly every part of my life- they’ve challenged me, humbled me, shaped my faith, introduced me to lifelong friendships, and given me experiences I never could have imagined.”
“From growing up in this community to representing my hometown, to having the opportunity to play in the NFL, it has all been a blessing. What I’ll carry most isn’t the milestones, but the people– teammates, coaches, family, and a community that supported me every step of the way.”
Minnesota found Hall in Round 5 of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Hall closed the message, “My heart is full as I close this chapter and finish my football career. I’m thankful to everyone who’s been part of the journey. The game has given me more than I could ever give back.”
Career with Vikings
Before J.J. McCarthy arrived in Eagan with significant franchise quarterback hype, the Vikings had already invested in another young quarterback: Hall.
Hall joined the team in 2023, fitting former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s “lottery ticket” strategy: a 5th-Round quarterback with experience, composure, mobility, and enough talent to catch Kevin O’Connell’s staff’s attention. While he never generated the buzz of a top prospect, Hall quietly became the team’s emergency backup during Kirk Cousins’ final season in Minnesota.
For a brief period, this plan seemed viable.
Hall performed well in training camp and preseason. Teammates praised his calm demeanor, and the Vikings appeared to trust him more than they typically would a late-round quarterback. He demonstrated quick decision-making, ball security, and effective offense management, continuing the experiment.
Then, everything changed when Cousins tore his Achilles tendon midway through the 2023 season.
Minnesota urgently needed a quarterback solution, and Hall was thrust into a playoff hunt before the team truly understood his capabilities. His first start in Atlanta began with promising moments. He looked poised in the pocket, delivered accurate throws, and for a fleeting moment, Vikings fans wondered if the front office had unearthed another hidden gem. The optimism then vanished almost instantly.
Hall suffered a concussion in that game, sidelining him for weeks as the season devolved into the Joshua Dobbs roller coaster. By the time Hall returned late in the year, the offense was struggling, the pressure immense, and there was no margin for error.
His final significant appearance against Green Bay was unsuccessful. The game’s speed overwhelmed him, the offense stalled repeatedly, and all the developmental prospect buzz surrounding him evaporated. From that point, the outcome felt inevitable.
Minnesota drafted McCarthy months later, signed Sam Darnold, and completely overhauled their quarterback room for 2024. Hall had no realistic path to making the roster. The Vikings released him during final cuts, Seattle claimed him, and his brief tenure in Minnesota faded almost as quickly as it began.
Yet, for one unusual stretch in 2023, Jaren Hall was the Vikings’ entire Plan B.
The Scene Thereafter
Then, everything turned ever more rotten for Hall. It was as if the “what if” of his upside in Minnesota served as his peak.
He did nothing in Seattle, and in fact, never took another regular season snap. The Seahawks released him in April 2025, right after the draft, when the club onboarded Jalen Milroe from Alabama and already had Drew Lock in line for the QB2 job behind Darnold.
Fast forward to the 2026 offseason, and Hall signed with the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions. Two weeks later, he was dropped by the Stallions, which would turn out to be his final hurrah as a professional or semi-pro football player.
What Could Have Been
Believe it or not, Hall arrived at the absolutely perfect time in Vikings history. The team’s QB1, Cousins, was on his way out as the franchise quarterback and even suffered the gruesome, aforementioned injury. Hall was right there to snatch the job by the throat.
But he got hurt when he was given his big chance, and when he healed, he didn’t quite have the chops during a pivotal regular season game of 2023. As it turned out, he just wasn’t cut out for the NFL, evidenced by his retirement this week.
The stars aligned, though. Minnesota was desperate for a young, unsung passer to step up in 2023 — a guy who could’ve stuck around for the long haul.
That was not Hall.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Patrick Reed got “antsy.” He’s a golfer who’s addicted to tournament play. He plays wherever and whenever he can.
But he arrived atthis week’s PGA Championship on the opposite side of that coin, having not played since he tied for 12th last month at the Masters.
“It’s definitely weird,” Reed said on Thursday after shooting two-under in the first round. “Yeah, this year is obviously a unique situation. With taking that time off since Augusta, it’s been just a lot of grinding and preparing. Really it’s kind of one of those that you finally feel like you can actually properly prepare.
“Even though I wasn’t playing tournament golf, I was kind of doing a lot of things and studying not only my golf game.”
That preparation included running through numerous sets of lob wedges and a three-day trip to Aronimink Golf Club, where he played in howling wind, giving him a sense of what he’d face this week outside of Philadelphia. Reed said he lost numerous balls in Aronimink’s thick rough during his scouting trip but felt it sharpened him enough to stave off any competitive rust that might accumulate during his month away. The only other time Reed didn’t play for numerous weeks prior to a major was during the Covid season, when there was a multi-week gap between the Zozo Championship and November Masters.
While Reed got the itch to play tournament golf during his downtime, he calmed that by grinding early and then spending time with his kids once they were done with school. After leaving LIV Golf in January, Reed has played exclusively on the DP World Tour as he works to earn his PGA Tour card for the 2027 season. Reed won in Dubai and Qatar, making him a virtual lock to earn one of the 10 cards given to non-exempt DP World Tour members. When his team looked at the DP World Tour schedule, they realized it was best for Reed not to play between the Masters and the PGA. He will also not play between the PGA and U.S. Open before kicking it back into gear for the DP World Tour’s home stretch.
Despite his un-Reed-like major prep, the 2017 Masters champion was sharp on Thursday at Aronimink. He led the field in greens in regulation (88.9 percent) and made two birdies to no bogeys. He’s one off the first-round lead shared by several players, including Scottie Scheffler.
“This year’s a little different,” Reed said. “Honestly, I enjoyed my time at home. I enjoyed actually getting to grind, to prepare, and work on things and get ready for this week. Hopefully, I can continue the solid play and get myself up there and have a chance late Sunday. Who knows, it might be a new thing.”
;)
Jon Rahm’s LIV decision taught him something. That secret might show the future
Reed’s major prep isn’t the only thing different about the current state of professional golf. Things have been moving fast as golf’s civil war appears to be nearing a conclusion.
Scottie Scheffler claimed a share of the first-round lead at the US PGA Championship as Rory McIlroy finished a difficult first day seven shots back.
Scheffler was one of the last groups out at Aronimink Golf Club in south-west Philadelphia, on a day where low scoring had proved elusive.
He ended it three under, part of a seven-way group at the top of a congested leaderboard which featured German Martin Kaymer, 12 years on from the last of his two major wins.
A record 33 players are within two shots of the lead, eclipsing the previous high of 28 at the 1993 Open, including 12 major champions.
Scheffler started steadily but dropped a shot at the fifth. He made his move with back-to-back birdies at six and seven before salvaging par after chipping out of the greenside bunker at the monster 245-yard par-three eighth.
A third birdie came with a 28-foot putt on 10 to move two under and he joined the leading pack with another at 11.
Scheffler, in his 156th consecutive week as world number one, had cut a frustrated figure across the front nine but his move up the leaderboard had an air of inevitability.
A birdie on 16 cancelled out a bogey on 14 and ensured the four-time major winner held at least a share of the lead after the first round of a major championship for the first time.
The defending champion was in a strong trio alongside world numbers four and seven Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose.
Rose bogeyed three and six but dug in and got his reward with a birdie at 13 followed by another at 14 as he chipped in from the bunker to delight the gathered crowds.
Fitzpatrick started with 13 straight pars before a bogey and a birdie also left him at even par.
Major winners Xander Schauffele, Patrick Reed and Shane Lowry – who chipped in for an eagle on nine – are a shot off the lead.
Nobody was able to break clear of the pack with a low score as Aronimink bared its teeth and allayed fears that it would not test the world’s best golfers.
The enormous, undulating greens proved a stiff examination, making avoiding bogeys feel like the priority.
McIlroy had felt it would be a “bash driver down and figure it out” course, but he more than most, paid the price for straying into the rough, admitting it was more penalising than he expected.
The Northern Irishman, bidding to win back-to-back majors and a seventh overall, finished his round with four successive bogeys and five out of the last six as wayward tee shots decimated his card to leave him four over.
After bogeying the first and birdieing the second, McIlroy reeled off 10 straight pars before a rollercoaster back nine left him with work to do.
As the late starters began to turn for home, McIlroy was on the practice range trying to find the answer to his driving issues.
His playing partners Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth are among the vast group at one under par. Rahm pitched in from 98 yards for eagle at the second, his 11th, to banish a frustrating start and finished with consecutive birdies.
Selected round two tee times
11.45am – Dustin Johnson, Rasmus Hojgaard, Michael Block (hole one, all times BST)1.07pm – Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, Shane Lowry1.18pm – Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Chris Gotterup1.29am – Justin Thomas, Cameron Young, Keegan Bradley1.40pm – Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick6.54pm – Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Tyrell Hatton7.05pm – Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm.
Sports
Can Mets ride momentum against scuffling Yankees? Here are 5 players who could tilt the Subway Series
A week ago, the first Subway Series of the year was shaping up to be a snoozefest. Or at least, a potential knockout blow.
The New York Yankees, owners of the American League’s best record, were flying high after yet another series win. Aaron Judge was on one of his heaters. Ben Rice looked like an MVP candidate. A rotation of difference makers delivered quality start after quality start. Even the bottom of the lineup appeared to be heating up from a slow start. Ask someone on the Yanks about their ballclub and their eyes would get wide, a knowing smile would creep across their face.
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The New York Mets, meanwhile, were not in a happy place. Entering play May 8, the Mets were 14-23, tied for dead last in all of baseball. Their lineup was a woeful excuse for itself, an ugly hodgepodge of underperforming youngsters and over-the-hill veterans. Obviously, it didn’t help that multiple injury-prone pieces New York built its lineup around were, well, injured. The stylings of Juan Soto and a much-improved run prevention unit were not nearly enough to overcome the Mets’ offensive woes.
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Things were so dire, the fan base so worked up, that president of baseball operations David Stearns had to publicly reaffirm that no, he did not plan to fire manager Carlos Mendoza. In some ways, the Mets were trusting the process, but in truth, they had no other options.
Oh, what a difference a week makes.
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All of a sudden, the Mets are riding high, invigorated by a rousing home sweep of the Detroit Tigers. Their cross-borough counterparts, on the other hand, have now lost five of their last six and sit two games back of the high-flying Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.
These recent events make this weekend an even more enticing proposition. A sweep by the Yankees would get their strong start back on track while simultaneously punting the Mets back into a state of hopelessness. A sweep by the Mets, on the other hand, would serve as a definitive sign of a bounce-back while increasing the agita up in The Bronx.
For the Yankees, given their level of continuity, many of the characters are the same as Subway Series past. It’s a different story for the Mets, who turned over half their roster last winter. As always, the players will define the series, so let’s run through five names sure to dictate the proceedings.
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Juan Soto — Mets outfielder
Remember when Juan Soto was a Yankee for an entire season? The drunk folks in pinstripes certainly do. And even though this weekend’s matchup will be at Citi Field, the Yankee faithful will surely be out in force and volume.
The man himself has had a bizarre start to the season. He starting lava-hot in typical Soto fashion, but hit the IL with a calf strain on April 6. In his absence, the Mets nearly disintegrated. But while the club has been better since his return on April 22, Soto himself has posted a relatively pedestrian .221/.333/.412 batting line in 81 plate appearances. He was pulled early from Wednesday’s game after clanging a foul ball off his ankle, but started and homered Thursday.
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With Bo Bichette still mired in a mega-slump and so many Mets lineup regulars on the IL, the weight will fall, once again, on Soto’s well-paid shoulders. He has, so many times throughout his career, met the moment.
Cam Schlittler — Yankees starting pitcher
New York’s 25-year-old beanstalk has been the biggest pitching breakout of the season. Through nine starts, Schlittler has a 1.35 ERA in 53 1/3 frames with over a strikeout an inning. Most importantly, he’s filled a massive early-season void for the Yankees, who are still waiting for Gerrit Cole to work his way back and only just got Carlos Rodón off the IL. The team is also monitoring Max Fried after he left Wednesday’s start early with elbow soreness. Schlittler was a revelation last season, capping his rookie campaign off with an unforgettably dominant outing against the Red Sox in the wild-card round. And yet, this guy has somehow gotten even better; there’s a legitimate chance he starts the All-Star Game.
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But because Schlittler debuted after both of 2025’s Subway Series matchups, he still hasn’t toed the slab against the Mets. Schlittler, an über-confident guy and occasional … Schlitt stirrer, will surely feed off the intensity of a road game in Queens. He’s going to be a main character in this rivalry for years to come, meaning his start Friday night could be the start of a memorable era.
Carson Benge — Mets outfielder
This will also be the first Subway Series for Benge, a rookie who made the big league club out of spring training a few months ago. Despite being the club’s consensus top hitting prospect, the 23-year-old started quite slowly after going yard on Opening Day. Through those scuffles, neither Benge nor Mets brass wavered an inch. Benge kept trucking and the club kept rolling the talented youngster out there.
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That call has paid dividends already. Since April 23, the Oklahoma State product has been one of New York’s best hitters, with a .333/.375/.875 line over 64 plate appearances. That’s how it goes for rookies sometimes. Even the most talented dudes need an adjustment period to figure out big league pitching. But when it clicks, it can click big. That’s what seems to have happened with Benge, who was recently moved up to the leadoff spot.
This guy wasn’t even supposed to be here.
Volpe, who served as the Yankee’s everyday shortstop for the last three seasons, was optioned to Triple-A Scranton on May 3 after completing a rehab assignment for an offseason shoulder surgery. But the 25-year-old didn’t even last two weeks as an official minor leaguer as he was recalled earlier this week when his replacement, José Caballero, went on the 10-day IL with a fractured finger.
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The former top prospect and boyhood Yankee fan didn’t make any noise in his first game back, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout Wednesday. But with the Yanks headed to Queens for three high-stakes games, he has a real chance to reorient his season. Mets fans are certainly going to let Volpe hear it; his struggles are their punch lines. But a big weekend against a big rival would provide a huge confidence boost to a player desperately in need of one.
A.J. Ewing — Mets centerfielder
By jove, a spark!
Ewing has provided a much-needed jolt in the three games since making his MLB debut Tuesday. The former fourth-round draft pick isn’t going to singlehandedly turn this Mets season around, though it certainly felt that way at points during the Detroit series. That’s because the 21-year-old Ohioan’s game revolves around characteristics in which the Mets have been seriously lacking.
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He’s a burner, a spark plug, a high-energy catalyst who makes things happen with his legs. Ewing swiped 70 bags in the minors last season and already has one (and a triple) in his short big league stint. With Luis Robert Jr. stuck on the IL with a hazy timetable, Ewing looks primed to be New York’s everyday centerfielder. For the neutral viewer, that’s great news. This kid is electric, a throwback slash-and-dash type who sprays the ball all over the diamond. Ewing has already endeared himself to the Mets faithful with an impactful first series, but could go supersonic with a few key hits against the Yanks.
Ben Rice — Yankees first baseman
This is Aaron Judge’s ninth full campaign in pinstripes. He has been New York’s best offensive player in every single year of that run. But in each season, Judge has had a different top sidekick. There was a Gleyber Torres year, a Gary Sanchez year, a DJ LeMahieu year and, of course, that Juan Soto year. This season, that role is being filled by Rice, whose offensive breakout has been one of the biggest stories in the sport.
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Through 39 games the former Dartmouth star has walloped 13 homers and driven in 29 runs with a league-leading 1.079 OPS. The underlying statistics support the legitimacy of Rice’s offensive explosion. It looks real, very real.
But Rice missed four games last week with a bruised hand, though the issue wasn’t serious enough for an IL stint. In his six starts since hopping back in the lineup, the first baseman has gone just 3-for-24 with just two walks and nine punchouts, easily his worst mini-skid of the season. Rice did go deep in the series opener Monday against Baltimore, but it’s worth keeping an eye on things to see if he’s actually back at full health
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All eyes were on the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) X Division Championship on Thursday night as Leon Slater looked to retain the title over Cedric Alexander and solidify himself as the longest-reigning X Division champion in the company’s history.
Slater knew a legacy was on the line as he looked to break a record set by Austin Aries. But he needed to pin Alexander twice in one match to retain the title. It was a steep mountain to climb as Alexander had been just as dangerous since he entered the company.
The match started off hot with Slater and Alexander trading blows to begin the match. But a quick-thinking Slater rolled up Alexander quickly for the first fall.
Cedric Alexander in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 23, 2025. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)
Alexander was able to go on offense from there. He hit a nasty German suplex on the outside of the ring. He continued to work on Slater’s tweaked neck. He later hit a Lumbar Check to tie the match at 1-1.
Slater went deep into his bag. He hit an avalanche Styles Clash, which could have kept anyone else down. However, Alexander kicked out. Alexander was able to counter Slater’s high-flying abilities just for a moment and knocked him back out of the ring.
Alexander sent Slater into the steel steps, leaving him busted open. Alexander declared that he would be the “greatest” X Division champion. One brainbuster later, Alexander tried to pin Slater, but couldn’t get him down.
Alexander hit a Lumbar Check again, but Slater kicked out. Slater mustered up the last ounce of energy. A tilt-a-whirl slam set Alexander up for a swanton 450. Slater missed and Alexander hit another Lumbar Check, and then again.
Leon Slater enters the arena during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 6, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
Alexander pinned Slater for the win, completely shocking the fans in Sacramento, California. It will be the first reign for Alexander and his first title of any kind in TNA.
Alexander is a reminder, at least for TNA, that “The System always wins.”
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Fabian Aichner appears
Fabian Aichner, formerly known as Giovanni Vinci, makes his way to the ring during WWE SmackDown at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2024. (WWE/Getty Images)
Moments before TNA went off the air, the lights went out in the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. Emerging from the darkness was Fabian Aichner.
Aichner stared down Alexander and appeared to name himself the next challenger for the X Division Championship. Aichner, known as Giovanni Vinci for much of his run in WWE, hadn’t really been seen or heard from in months since his departure from WWE.
Aichner wrestled under his real name for a stint in WWE before he came back as Vinci in June 22. He was with WWE until 2025. He was a two-time NXT tag team champion and an Evolve champion before it became a WWE brand.
Eric Young earns future shot at TNA World Championship
Eric Young outlasted nine other men in an over-the-top battle royal and earned a shot at Mike Santana’s TNA World Championship to start the show.
The match came down to him and Elijah after the latter was able to toss members of The System out of the ring while also avoiding Frankie Kazarian trying to get back into the match following his own elimination.
Young and Elijah came to blows on the apron, knowing that as soon as their feet touch the ground, they would be eliminated. Young grabbed onto Elijah’s hair to try to hang onto the moment. Elijah broke away with Young’s back turned to him. Elijah, however, didn’t account for his wide stance.
The TNA original kicked Elijah in the groin and pushed him down to the ground. Young won the match and received a shot to win the TNA World Championship in the future.
He also made clear that Santana was next on his list of people to wipe out as he did to Joe Hendry, EC3 and Ricky Sosa in weeks past.
“Mike Santana, you’re gone next,” he declared.
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Mike Santana learns his next opponent
Mike Santana stands in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 30, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)
Mike Santana came out to address the crowd and praised Young for his efforts to help build TNA from the ground up.
“You better be coming with something different because while you may be someone who helped build this place, when it comes to the new era of TNA on AMC, I’m the guy. I’m the man. I’m the one who holds down the fort week after week as your TNA world champion.”
While Young might have earned a title shot, Daria Rae came out and revealed to the crowd that Steve Maclin was cleared to return to action following an injury at the hands of Santana.
Maclin will get a shot at Santana’s TNA World Championship next week on “Impact.”
Santino Marella also came out during the segment after he was “suspended.” He revealed that Indi Harwell re-signed with TNA.
Lei Ying Lee, Xia Brookside rivalry heats up
Xia Brookside attends the “Freelance” screening at Regal Waterford Lakes in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 24, 2023. (Jose Devillegas/Getty Images)
Lei Ying Lee brought the TNA Knockouts Championship back home last week with a win over Arianna Grace. She addressed the crowd before being interrupted by her former best friend, Xia Brookside.
In all black, Brookside claimed she was already in Lei’s head.
“You’re such a fraud. I’ve destroyed you mentally, I’ve destroyed you emotionally, I’ve destroyed you physically, and that title will be around my waist.”
Both competitors tossed expletives at each other before the segment was over. But Brookside made clear that she had her eyes on the title.
AJ Francis prevails over KC Navarro
A.J. Francis told Fox News Digital before the SacTown Street Fight on “Impact” that he was going to bring the pain to Navarro.
While wearing “Show Stealer” across his back, Francis did just that. Francis took some punishment from Navarro – a few shots from a baseball bat and a drop kick with a trash can.
Francis was able to turn the tide for a few moments, using the baseball bat to his advantage. But Navarro dug deep. He aligned six chairs in the ring, hoping to splash Francis through it. Instead, Francis countered and attempted an avalanche Down Payment. Somehow, Navarro countered with a cutter as both men crashed through the sea of chairs.
It looked like it could’ve been it. Navarro went for the pin, but only got a two count.
Francis turned on the heat from there. He got ahold of Navarro and hit a Down Payment through tables lined up on the outside of the ring.
He rolled Navarro back into the ring and picked up the pinfall victory.
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“Impact” match results
- Eric Young wins the 10-man battle royal to earn a shot at the TNA World Championship.
- A.J. Francis def. KC Navarro in a SacTown Street Fight.
- Rosemary and Allie def. Veronica Crawford and Mila Moore
- Cedric Alexander def. Leon Slater to win the X Division Championship.
#SBI #SBIFD #FixedDeposit #FDScheme #BankFD #SBIAmritVrishti #Investment #Savings #Finance #news
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