Sports
Tarik Skubal to Dodgers nothing to complain about in Fantasy Baseball, but real baseball is another matter
This was entirely expected.
Oh, you’re telling me the best pitcher of the past three years is available for trade? Gee, I wonder who might get him. Could it be the organization that’s landed every top prize of the past few years, the one with farm system that never seems to run out and the financial firepower to make homegrown talent entirely optional? Or would the Dodgers simply decide to sit this one out?
That was me about two days before the trade. It wasn’t the boldest take, but my point was that those entertaining alternate possibilities were setting themselves up for disappointment. This couldn’t have gone any other way. The organizations with the prospect capital to outbid the Dodgers require a pipeline of cheap talent to remain competitive, and the organizations that can buy talent don’t have the prospect capital to outbid the Dodgers (or aren’t even contenders, in the case of the Mets).
The only thing that could have stopped the Dodgers was their own follow-through, and we’ve all seen they have no shortage of that.
So what did it take for them to complete the deal? Ultimately, three prospects: one who’s pretty close to top tier, one who would also be if he wasn’t 27 years old, and one who’s lesser known but has the sort of numbers that could raise his stature in the future. Their names are Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith.
Zyhir Hope
CF
AA Stats
AVG.293
HR23
SB18
OBP.369
OPS.899
AB372
Maybe that package seems light to you, but you have to remember that Skubal is only rental. Whoever got him was getting him for this year alone. It’s the sort of all-in move that only one organization was in a confident enough position to make. They’re already heavy favorites, and again, spending that prospect capital wouldn’t hurt them nearly as much as it would anyone else. For the Dodgers, it’s a pin prick for what’s likely to be a third straight World Series title. For anyone else, it’s foreclosing the future for what’s likely to be uphill battle against the Dodgers. The Tigers were under no obligation to make the Dodgers sweat here. They just needed them to give up more than anyone else, and Hope alone, for as good as he is, probably clinched that.
Hopefully, that spells it out for you. You may not like it, but everyone is acting rationally here. And if rational behavior by all parties can lead to such a dissatisfying outcome for fans, then there’s a fundamental flaw in the league’s core financial structure, just in time for new CBA negotiations. Goody.
Well, what does it mean for Fantasy Baseball? You turn to me more for that than my rosy disposition, I presume. You already know what I’m going to say here, though. Skubal joins the best supporting cast in baseball. If you didn’t already have him as the top starting pitcher rest of season, even for as good as he’s looked coming back from a midseason elbow procedure, you should now. Over his past six starts, he has a 1.95 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 12.2 K/9.
I’m not even sure anyone loses their job here, at least not immediately. The Dodgers recently had to pull Shohei Ohtani from the starting rotation for a balky knee, with no timetable for a return given, so Skubal probably just slots into his spot, keeping the Dodgers on a six-man rotation. True, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are both on the road to recovery, but Eric Lauer is expendable enough. Meanwhile, Emmett Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki are all likely to have their innings curtailed at some point. This trade ensures that even without Ohtani, the Dodgers are poised to enter the postseason with a rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Skubal, Glasnow and Snell. Goody.
What about the rest-of-season impact for the Tigers, you ask? Presumably, we’ll see Ryan before the year is done, though he’s currently recovering from a hamstring strain. I suspect we would have seen him even if he had stayed with the Dodgers, but there’s obviously less competition in Detroit. Injuries and the Dodgers’ perpetual surplus have kept him in the minors to age 27, so don’t hold that against him too much. He looked good in four starts for the big club in 2024 and was also pitching well earlier this year, despite being newly recovered from Tommy John surgery. He had a 2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 in seven starts at Triple-A before injuring his hamstring in his eighth start.
Again, Hope is the biggest prize going back to Detroit and likely pushes for a roster spot as soon as next spring. He’s a physical player with significant power who just wrapped up a monster July, batting .372 with 10 homers, six steals and an 1.184 OPS. His removal from the Dodgers system frees up a logjam of outfield prospects highlighted by Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, Eduardo Quintero and James Tibbs. Clearly, Dodgers fans still have plenty more to look forward to.
Goody.
Sports
NSC Hails Temitope Adeshina After Historic Commonwealth Games High Jump Medal
Temitope Adeshina has produced one of the most historic performances of Team Nigeria’s campaign at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, winning bronze in the women’s high jump to end a 72-year wait for a Nigerian medal in the event.
Kola Daniel, Special Adviser on Media to the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.
Daniel said Adeshina cleared 1.90 metres to finish third behind Australia’s Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers.
“Adeshina cleared 1.90 metres to secure third place behind Australia’s Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers, becoming the first Nigerian high jumper to stand on a Commonwealth Games podium.
“This was after Emmanuel Ifeajuna won gold at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver.
“Her achievement also made her the first Nigerian woman ever to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the high jump, adding a new chapter to Nigeria’s rich athletics history,” he said.
Daniel described Adeshina’s bronze as a remarkable rise for the Nigerian athlete, who finished 10th on her Commonwealth Games debut four years ago.
“Her return to the games was marked by composure, consistency and determination, as she successfully navigated the competition to claim a place on the podium against a world-class field.
“Adeshina’s medal carries significance far beyond the podium. Before her performance in Glasgow, only two Nigerians had ever won Commonwealth Games medals in the high jump,” he said.
Adeshina’s achievement adds another memorable moment to Nigeria’s strong athletics campaign in Glasgow and marks a historic milestone for the country’s women’s high jump.
Sports
SummerSlam results: Nikki Bella turns on Paige after loss to Fatal Influence
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Fatal Influence may have picked up a huge win in a six-woman tag team match against Nikki Bella, Brie Bella and Page at SummerSlam on Saturday night, but the real stunning moment came moments after the match was finished.
Jacy Jayne hit Paige with a Rolling Encore and pinned her for the victory. Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid celebrated as they walked back up the ramp at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
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Brie Bella, Paige and Nikki Bella look on during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 1, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
Paige, Brie Bella and Nikki Bella were back in the ring and taking in the applause of the crowd. Paige turned back around to find Nikki Bella hitting her with a clothesline. She laid the beatdown on Paige, taking out all of her frustrations on her. Brie Bella looked on, grabbing her shoulder and doing nothing to help her former tag team partner.
The Bellas walked up the ramp, leaving Paige in the dust.
“Oh you f—-d up,” Paige wrote on X after SummerSlam was finished.
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Nikki Bella faces Paige during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 1, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
Paige made her return to WWE at WrestleMania 42 when she stepped in for an injured Nikki Bella to vie for the women’s tag team championship. Paige and Brie Bella won the match and held the tag titles for several weeks before losing them to Reid and Henley at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
The joyous moment of WrestleMania appeared to be a thing of the past.

Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne and Lainey Reid celebrate their win during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 1, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
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For Fatal Influence, they have emerged as one of the top groups on SmackDown – let alone WWE itself. Reid and Henley already have gold and Jayne’s opportunities at a singles title has to be coming in the near future.
Sports
Alonso welcomes Mykhailo Mudryk Chelsea return after doping ban
Ukraine’s forward #07 Mykhailo Mudryk controls the ball during the UEFA Nations League football match between Georgia and Ukraine in Batumi on November 16, 2024. (Photo by Giorgi ARJEVANIDZE / AFP)
Mykhailo Mudryk will be welcomed with open arms when he rejoins Chelsea this week in Hong Kong, manager Xabi Alonso said, but the Ukrainian will not be rushed back after winning his appeal against a doping ban.
The Ukraine international winger was suspended for four years after failing a 2024 drug test that revealed the presence of a low concentration of meldonium, a prohibited substance.
He was cleared on Friday to resume his career after the Football Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency “resolved his appeal.”
READ: Paul Pogba free to return to pitch as doping ban ends
“We are happy, especially for him, because we are not able to understand what he has been through in this time and how he feels at the moment,” Alonso said in Sydney.
“We want that he feels part of the team, because he has not had this for a long time, and that he has the support from everyone: from the club, from the teammates, from the staff.
“To be honest, we were not expecting to have this great news at this moment, so we are very happy learning that he will be here with us.”
Mudryk will join Chelsea for the next leg of their pre-season tour in Hong Kong where they face Juventus on Wednesday, Alonso said, after a 2-1 defeat to London rivals Tottenham in Sydney on Saturday.
But the Spaniard cautioned that Mudryk’s reintegration would be a slow process.
The 25-year-old, who joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk for £62 million ($83 million) in 2023, has not played since November 2024.
READ: Croatian football player doping ban doubled to 4 years
“It will take time,” Alonso said. “But once there’s a change, things will start moving, and for him, it’s a massive change (from) training on his own every day.
“I think that had to be really, really hard because he wanted to play football, he wanted to be part of the team, and he was not allowed to do that for such a long time.
“So once this meeting has happened, now we can move on and after we will see if he makes progress quicker or slower. But we need to do the work.”
Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi managed Mudryk at Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk and was also happy to see him back.
“He’s my son, he’s a cool guy, a top player, hopefully he can show what he suffered the last two seasons in this coming season, maybe not against Tottenham, but he’s a lovely guy,” said the Italian.
Mudryk filed his appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport and changes to WADA procedures in the interim meant that had his failed test produced the same result now, charges would not have been brought.
Sports
Football: Brentford sign Ligue 1 star Mamadou Sangaré for €48 million – Sports
Mali’s international Mamadou Sangaré is heading to the Premier League following a stellar season with french club Lens. He has officially joined Brentford in a landmark €48 million transfer, setting a new record sale for the French club.
Following her sprint victory on the first stage of the Tour de France, Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes took the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification. Defending champion and favourite Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt finished eighth. Today, the peloton will compete in a new stage between Aigle and Geneva, Switzerland.
In swimming, Léon Marchand has allayed concerns about his participation in the ongoing European Championships in Paris. Despite his adductor injury, the French swimmer believes he has a chance in the butterfly and freestyle events, but has ruled out the breaststroke.
Sports
SummerSlam results: Oba Femi pins Brock Lesnar in a Hell in a Cell match
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The beast has been slayed. The next big thing is in the past. The future is now.
Oba Femi ruled the ring and defeated Brock Lesnar in an epic Hell in a Cell match at SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. It was a car crash from the start.
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Brock Lesnar raises Oba Femi’s hand during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 1, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
The two major stars of WWE were locked inside the monstrous structure and nearly ripped the ring apart. Lesnar did as much as he could. He took Femi to Suplex City, but it didn’t have much effect on “The Ruler.” Lesnar crushed Femi with the steel steps and hit him with multiple F5s but still couldn’t keep him down.
For his last act, Lesnar ripped the canvas to expose the wood blocks underneath. He hit Femi with a tombstone piledriver in an apparent nod to The Undertaker. He came within a millisecond of beating Femi.
But Femi kicked out and delivered a Fall from Grace. He finally was able to pin Lesnar and conquer someone who was deemed to be unconquerable. Femi celebrated the victory in the ring as Lesnar and Paul Heyman watched.

Oba Femi faces Brock Lesnar during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 1, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
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Lesnar got the last word.
“This is the future, ladies and gentlemen,” Lesnar said, referencing Femi. “This is the past. This is the future.”
Lesnar seemingly retired after losing to Femi the first time at WrestleMania 42. He left his boots in the ring and waved goodbye to the crowd at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. While Lesnar looked teary-eyed, he raised Femi’s hand as the premium live event went off the air.

Brock Lesnar faces Oba Femi during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 1, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
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Femi is clearly the next person in line to get a title shot and his eyes will certainly be on the outcome of the World Heavyweight Championship match between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins on Night 2 of SummerSlam.
Sports
Jim Crowley: Ex-champion jockey retires 10 months after serious fall at York
Former champion jockey Jim Crowley has retired 10 months after sustaining serious injuries in a fall, saying it was “the most difficult decision” of his life.
Crowley, 48, announced his retirement on Saturday at Goodwood, 20 years after he rode his first Group-race winner.
He was injured at York in September when his mount Almeraq was brought down after clipping heels with a rival and then rolled over Crowley.
The jockey was taken to Leeds General Infirmary and has since had multiple operations on his pelvis and legs.
“It’s been a great career, it’s just unfortunate that after my accident at York my body couldn’t get back to the level I want to be to race ride again,” said Crowley.
“To come from jumping and do as well as I did on the Flat was amazing. I partnered some great horses and it gave me days I could only dream of…
“It’s nice to announce the retirement at Goodwood. It’s my home track and I’ve had so many good days here.”
Crowley, who secured 29 Group One wins, began his time in the saddle as a National Hunt jockey before switching to the Flat.
He rode his first Group-race winner on Hawridge Prince in the 2006 Jockey Club Cup and became champion jockey in 2016.
He was subsequently appointed as the retained rider for Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Shadwell Stud.
Sports
Alex Eala marvels at Naomi Osaka after stunning win at DC Open
Alex Eala of the Philippines shakes hands with Naomi Osaka of Japan after a women’s singles match on day six of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala grew up watching four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka.
On Sunday, the Filipino knocked off the former World No. 1 to advance to her first career WTA 500 final at the Mubadala DC Open.
Shortly after stunning the third-seeded Osaka, 6-4, 6-2, in their first-ever meeting, Eala couldn’t help but be in awe of the Japanese star.
The dream run continues for Alex Eala 💚#MubadalaDCOpen pic.twitter.com/S4Mh4Acoax
— wta (@WTA) August 1, 2026
“She definitely has aura, and she definitely has power, I can tell you,” Eala said in an interview with the Tennis Channel.
The Filipino tennis ace even recalled the time watching the Grand Slam finals of Osaka, who won twice both in the Australian Open (2019 and 2021) and US Open (2018 and 2020).
“I remember watching her finals in the Australian Open and also in the US Open. Really a great experience to share the court with her and I’m really happy that I was able to produce that level against her,” Eala said.
READ: Alex Eala sees improved self ahead of Jessica Pegula rematch at DC Open final
The 28-year-old Osaka won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 and ruled the US Open courts in 2018 and 2020.
Facing a proven winner in Osaka, Eala knew she needed to be at her best to prevail.
“I’m super proud of my performance. I think I played really well and I had a great mentality and I stayed locked in till the end,” she said.
Her return game was also key in beating Osaka.
“It really depends on the moment because there are so many factors when it comes to returning. What’s the situation? What are you looking for in the ball? And at the end of the day, you don’t know what serve is going to come at you. So you kind of have to be ready for anything. But I think whatever I try to do best, what I can control. So whatever I can control, I try to do my 100 percent,” Eala said.
Eala battles World No. 3 Jessica Pegula on Monday at 12 a.m., hoping to clinch her maiden WTA 500 title.
The 21-year-old Eala has been on a tear since reaching the round of 16 at Wimbledon.
She opened her DC campaign by rallying past Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, before ousting defending champion Leylah Fernandez, and sweeping second seed Elina Svitolina and Osaka to make the final.
Sports
Report: Sparks to trade five-time all-star Kelsey Plum to Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury have added one of the biggest names in the WNBA.
The Mercury have acquired five time all-star Kelsey Plum from the Los Angeles Sparks for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Kendra Andrews reported early Sunday morning.
Plum is closing in on a return after missing the past 11 games with a lower leg injury.
The Sparks went 2-9 without Plum.
The Sparks acquired Plum from the Las Vegas Aces prior to the 2025 season. She won two WNBA titles with Las Vegas.
Plum is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
The WNBA trade deadline is Sunday at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT.
Sports
Former undisputed champion says Conor Benn is not even British level ahead of Garcia title fight
Conor Benn has been accused of having done very little to deserve his WBC title shot against Ryan Garcia, who many feel is a level or two above the Brit.
Regardless, the two welterweights will collide for Garcia’s world title on September 12, headlining an event at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
The champion claimed his strap by dethroning Mario Barrios, who many considered one of the sport’s weaker titleholders, with a unanimous decision victory in February.
This was the first time Garcia felt what it was like to have his hand raised since April 2024, when he initially claimed a majority decision triumph over Devin Haney, only for the result to be ruled a no-contest after he tested positive for banned substance ostarine.
Benn, too, has previously failed two doping tests – both for clomifene in October 2022 – but has since found himself in two high-profile middleweight encounters with Chris Eubank Jr.
Their first fight, in April 2025, saw him suffer a unanimous decision defeat, before exacting his revenge by the same verdict in their November rematch.
Most recently, though, the 29-year-old outpointed a faded and since-retired Regis Prograis in April, emerging victorious at a catchweight of 150lbs.
Based on that performance, former undisputed super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor has told Fight Your Corner that he struggles to see Benn defeating British champion Conah Walker, let alone Garcia.
“Yeah [I stand by that he’s not British level.] I think there’s guys in the UK that would beat Conor Benn. I think Conah Walker would beat him.
“In that second Eubank fight, I thought [Benn] was very good. But then I watched him against Prograis and thought he was terrible.
“I just don’t think he’s on [Garcia’s] level. I don’t think he merits that fight.”
Not only is Benn yet to face a world-class fighter in his prime but, crucially, ‘The Destroyer’ has not fought at 147lbs since his second-round finish over Chris van Heerden in 2022.
Sports
BBC Sport quiz: Who am I? Guess Premier League footballer No 13
Welcome to our Who am I? game.
The rules are simple. Each day there’s a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.
After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.
Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.
So take part and return for more tomorrow.
Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Joe Rindl.
After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.
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