UCF Knights quarterback Jacurri Brown scans the field for a passing lane while operating from the pocket during a home matchup against Cincinnati. The action occurred on October 12, 2024, at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, with Brown working through pressure as the Knights battled the Bearcats in second-half play. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Some takes are best left in Drafts, and sometimes things just don’t work out as planned. For the Minnesota Vikings’ sake, we track those items weekly in an article of “Nopey Nopes” — Vikings-themed content that is absurd, false, or didn’t unfold as expected.
This week lassoed a weird theory about rookie linebacker Jake Golday, a take on the Vikings’ quarterback room, and the state of Florida trying to flex on Teddy Bridgewater.
Vikings Offseason Debates Stretch from LB to QB
Cincinnati Bearcats linebacker Jake Golday smiles during spring practice as the program continues preparations for the upcoming season. The workout took place on April 12, 2025, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, where Golday worked with teammates and coaches during a series of offseason drills and evaluation sessions. Mandatory Credit: Albert Cesare-The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Nopedy Nope: Drafting Jake Golday was dumb because the Vikings already have Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson.
The Ringer‘s Diante Lee retweeted a posting about Golday, captioning, “I still struggle to see how Golday is going to find an outsized role on a defense where Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel are both better versions of what he can bring to the table. Minnesota didn’t need another downhill thumper or tweener type in its LB room.”
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He then noted that Minnesota’s existing linebackers won’t be around forever: “They’ll all be phased out soon, I know. Still don’t know if it justifies Golday being picked where he was.”
The tweet flummoxed Vikings fans.
The Vikings didn’t draft Golday just because they were bored. Looking ahead to 2026, Minnesota’s top linebackers from last season will be the following ages: Blake Cashman will be 30, Andrew Van Ginkel will be 31, and Eric Wilson will be 32. Additionally, Cashman and Van Ginkel are both set to enter free agency after this season.
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This situation is momentous. Three key linebackers are already on the wrong side of 30, and two of them could be leaving next March. From this perspective, it makes perfect sense why the Vikings would want to draft a linebacker early in April.
Lee’s point that Golday could fit into Brian Flores’ defense in 2026 is valid. While Golday may not have a prominent role immediately — rookies often take time to develop — the Vikings are not just focused on this season only for Golday. Golday’s career won’t be evaluated in January 2027. This pick is about preparing for 2027, 2028, and 2029, when Cashman and Van Ginkel may be gone, declining, or in different roles.
Minnesota didn’t draft Golday despite having older linebackers; they drafted him because the linebacker room is aging.
The Verdict: Nopedy nope on wondering why a team would draft a young linebacker when the other linebackers are age 30 or older.
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The Nopedy Nope: The Vikings’ quarterback room is one of the worst in the NFL.
Garrett Podell of CBS Sports called the Vikings’ QB room the seventh-worst in football, explaining, “One would think the Minnesota Vikings’ signing of two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray would keep them off this list, but that’s not the case. Murray earned his Pro Bowl selections in 2020 and 2021. That’s a lifetime ago in NFL years. From 2022 to 2025, Murray missed 30 of his possible 68 games.”
“In the five games Murray played for the Cardinals in 2025, he averaged a career low 227.0 total yards per game. Recent first-round pick J.J. McCarthy was the worst quarterback in the NFL in 2025, which sparked the signing of Murray. McCarthy’s performance was simply incredible considering the offensive ecosystem under 2024 Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell.”
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray celebrates after a dramatic overtime victory against the Las Vegas Raiders. The moment occurred on September 18, 2022, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, where Murray helped engineer a memorable comeback and guided Arizona to a 29-23 win in a thrilling contest. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Murray and McCarthy are on tap to battle for the QB1 job this summer.
“Despite an electrifying supporting cast, McCarthy ranked dead last in the league in completion percentage (57.6%), touchdown-to-interception ratio (11-12), and passer rating (72.6). Murray could rediscover his early career form with Minnesota,” Podell added.
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“Murray is one of just four players in NFL history with 20,000-plus passing yards (20,460) and 30-plus rushing touchdowns (32) through his first seven seasons, joining Josh Allen, Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson. Week 1 starter: Kyler Murray.”
The world is not high on the Vikings’ quarterback room.
The Verdict: “QB Room Power Rankings” don’t really matter in May, but to suggest the Vikings have the league’s seventh-worst group is a little strange. When did the world decide that Murray is a terrible passer?
The Nopedy Nope: Teddy Bridgewater was the villain and culprit for helping high school football players.
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Bridgewater won. Associated Pressreported Saturday: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the ‘Teddy Bridgewater Act’ into law Friday, meaning high school coaches in the state will now be able to use their own money to help their players with expenses such as food, transportation, physical therapy and rehabilitation services.”
“The Bridgewater Act is named for the Florida native and longtime NFL quarterback who coached his alma mater, Miami Northwestern High, to a state championship in 2024. But he was suspended for the 2025 season after revealing that he personally paid for meals, ride-share services and treatments for some players.”
All the Bridgewater fuss kicked up last summer, as the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) didn’t enjoy the fact that he accommodated his players to the utmost.
Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater leaves the field following a convincing road victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The scene unfolded on November 7, 2021, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, where Bridgewater and the Broncos secured one of the season’s more surprising results against a heavily favored opponent. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
“There will be strict rules regarding how — and how much — coaches can spend. It would apply to a team’s head coach only, cannot be used in recruiting, must be reported in full to a state agency and is capped at $15,000 per team per year,” AP added.
Bridgewater, now a backup quarterback for the Detroit Lions, was vindicated, paving the way for his return to high school coaching if he so desires when his NFL career ends.
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The Verdict: Nopedy nope on punishing Bridgewater for a righteous act.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
AEW stars Will Ospreay and his longtime partner, Alex Windsor, revealed some heartwarming news and took their relationship to the next level.
In a new Facebook post, Ospreay announced that he and Windsor recently got married. The Aerial Assassin is seen wearing a smashing suit, while Windsor is wearing a beautiful traditional white dress. The former AEW International Champion captioned his post with a four-word message:
“Hey we did it.”
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Will Ospreay and Alex Windsor have been together for several years and have been seen together on social media on numerous occasions. The couple had announced their engagement on June 14th 2025. They tied the knot exactly a year after that and have taken the next step in their lives.
On the other hand, both stars are thriving as major attractions in All Elite Wrestling. The Aerial Assassin joined the Death Riders faction sometime after returning from a neck injury and is one step closer to winning the Owen Hart Foundation Cup tournament this year. Alex Windsor is herself the NJPW Strong Women’s Champion and part of the Brawling Birds alongside Jamie Hayter.
AEW star Will Ospreay’s take on the upcoming pay-per-view
As mentioned, Will Ospreay is headed to the Owen Cup finals set to take place at AEW’s upcoming pay-per-view, Forbidden Door 2026. In an interview with njpw1972.com, the former International Champion gave his take on the entire event concept. Ospreay said that the show began as a platform for dream matches.
However, as the years progressed, it became a major stage for wrestling from different cultures. Moreover, Ospreay wanted to see more promotions included in future Forbidden Door events.
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“Well, at first it was about dream matches, and I think now it’s shifted a little bit. It’s a bigger look at the different cultures of pro-wrestling, be it Japanese, Mexican or the joshi style as well, which is different from Japanese men’s wrestling. I’d love to see a European company like RevPro in there as well to really accentuate things.”- H/T njpw1972.com
With The Aerial Assassin getting married right before his major showdown at Forbidden Door, it could surely bring some luck to win the Owen Cup this year. We at Sportskeeda extend our wishes to the newest married couple in town, Will Ospreay and Alex Windsor.
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India A batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was involved in a verbal exchange with some Sri Lanka A players after the end of their One-Day tri-series match in Dambulla on Monday, following a tense finish that was decided in a Super Over.The incident took place after the final ball of the Super Over. Chasing 19 for victory, India A needed eight runs off the last delivery. Sri Lanka A pacer Kugathas Mathulan bowled a yorker, and Vaibhav failed to make contact as Sri Lanka A sealed the win.As Sri Lanka A players began celebrating, Vaibhav appeared upset and exchanged words with one of the fielders. India A teammate Suryansh Shedge stepped in and pulled him away, but the youngster continued the exchange briefly before both teams completed the customary handshakes.The match had earlier ended in a tie after both teams scored 265 runs in their allotted 50 overs.Batting first, India A were bowled out for 265 in 49.2 overs. Suryansh Shedge top-scored with 72 off 66 balls, while Vipraj Nigam contributed 51 off 49 balls lower down the order.Sri Lanka A matched the total in their 50 overs, thanks largely to Sadeera Samarawickrama’s 93 off 113 balls, taking the contest into a Super Over.Sri Lanka A then posted 18 runs in the Super Over, setting India A a target of 19. Under fading conditions, India A found the chase difficult.Mathulan delivered the decisive over for Sri Lanka A. After keeping India A under pressure throughout the over, he finished with a yorker on the final ball when eight runs were required. India A could manage only nine runs in the Super Over, handing Sri Lanka A victory and the two points.
For Cape Verde, Monday’s match is much bigger than three points. It marks the nation’s first-ever appearance at a FIFA World Cup. The ten-island African archipelago booked its place in the tournament by edging out Cameroon in qualifying, producing one of the most notable stories of the qualification campaign.
Led by coach Pedro Leitão Brito, known widely as Bubista, the Blue Sharks arrive in North America with little external expectation but plenty of belief. Their opening assignment could hardly be tougher. Spain are European champions and among the favourites to win the tournament. Yet Cabo Verde will see this game as an opportunity rather than a burden. The players know lakhs back home will be watching as they step onto the biggest stage in football.
While many observers view the fixture as a mismatch, Bubista’s side has already exceeded expectations by qualifying. Even if results prove difficult against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia await later in the group. The primary objective may be to stay competitive, gain experience and prove they belong among the world’s best teams.
Roy Jones Jr has no doubt who would have come out on top in a fantasy match-up between Floyd Mayweather and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Boxing legends Mayweather and Leonard both have the honour of being five-weight world champions, but it is perhaps their respective times at welterweight where they were each at the peak of their powers.
It has often led fans to debate how a clash between Mayweather and Leonard would have played out were they to meet in their primes at welterweight, and Hall of Fame inductee Jones is certain what the result would have been.
“To me, people don’t give him enough credit. People always say ‘Well Floyd would have beaten Sugar,’ no baby, Floyd is not as nearly as mean as Sugar was.
“How? [would Mayweather win]. How you going to keep him off him? Sugar is a dog. People don’t understand. Just because his name’s Sugar don’t mean nothing! Sugar is a dog, people don’t give him enough credit for that.”
Jones is extremely confident that Leonard would have got his hand raised, something which actually happened when he took on Mayweather’s father Floyd Sr back in September 1978, claiming a 10th round stoppage win.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has warned the country’s cricketers that they will not be handed central contracts if they do not play domestic events, as the board unveiled a radical formula for the annual payments, a news report said on Monday. The new central contract model for 2026 replaced the traditional A, B, C, D categories with five format-based tracks, which the Pakistan Cricket Board claimed was a “world-first” structure in cricket, according to a report in Telecom Asia Sport.
Pakistan’s recent fall in Tests has prompted former players to suggest to the PCB that it make it mandatory for players to participate in domestic cricket, especially the first-class four-day matches, as it will help groom players for international challenges.
Pakistan finished ninth and last in the third cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) and lags eighth in the fourth cycle after a humiliating 2-0 defeat in Bangladesh, followed by a defeat at the same margin to the same team in 2024.
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Pakistan’s performances in the International Cricket Council (ICC) events are also poor as they crashed out of the T20I World Cup 2024, ODI World Cup 2023, and the Champions Trophy 2025 in the first round.
Pakistan also failed to qualify for the semi-final of the T20I World Cup this year. “To lift our standards, we want all the top players to compete in domestic cricket, and those who do not feature in first-class events will not get the central contracts,” said Naqvi, according to the report in www.telecomasia.net.
The new formula is also backed by Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, who said impactful performances will now be given more weightage. “This is a data-driven formula, and it will give players with impactful performances their rightful value,” said Hesson.
The top format, named Track AB, will be for those who play Tests and ODIs, while Track A will be for dedicated Test-playing cricketers.
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“Those who play Tests only will be given added incentives and permission to play overseas first-class cricket to strengthen red-ball development,” said Aqib Javed, the director of High Performance. “The new framework aims to protect Test cricket and bring more transparency and fairness to contract decisions.”
Similarly, Track BC will be for white-ball specialists (ODI & T20I) while Track C will be for T20I & Franchise specialists.
The players who undergo development at the High Performance academy will get a Track D contract.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Uruguay and Saudi Arabia are the other sides in Group H, an intriguing little collection of sides. Here’s Chris Wilson‘s comprehensive guide:
Harry Latham-Coyle15 June 2026 14:25
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Spain boss provides Lamine Yamal update ahead of Cape Verde clash
Spain boss Luis De La Fuente has revealed Lamine Yamal is in “perfect condition” following injury concerns.
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The teenager has been sidelined since April with a hamstring problem and subsequently missed the final stages of Barcelona’s La Liga-winning season.
Spain kick off their Group H campaign against Cape Verde in Atlanta and De la Fuente provided an update on Yamal along with the rest of the squad ahead of their opening game.
“The best news is that he’s in perfect condition,” De La Fuente said. “The process we had planned has gone as expected and he’s arrived at the scheduled time.
“I can tell you that everyone will be available. That doesn’t mean they’ll be ready for the whole match, but the best news is that they’re in good form.”
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(Getty)
Harry Latham-Coyle15 June 2026 14:05
Spain vs Cape Verde LIVE
A very good afternoon. Another World Cup contender is just about ready to get underway in Atlanta, Spain looking to back up their European triumph with success on the global stage. They begin their tournament against debutants Cape Verde, with the archipelagic state raring to go for their first fixture on this stage.
It took just one game for Tunisia to realize it made a significant mistake in the 2026 World Cup. Following the team’s 5-1 defeat to Sweden to open the World Cup, Tunisia is expected to fire manager Sabri Lamouchi before the team takes the pitch again, per ESPN.
Lamouchi was still employed as of Monday morning, though the Tunisian Football Federation (FA) gave an ominous quote when asked about Lamouchi’s status by ESPN.
“We have a problem with the coach,” was all that the Tunisian FA could share with ESPN on Monday, when asked for comment, with no official statement given about the fate of the former France international.
It was a disheartening loss for Tunisia in their opening game against Sweden. Yasin Ayari, whose father is Tunisian, scored two goals against the country in Sweden’s win. Sweden then added three additional goals, making it the country’s highest-scoring World Cup match since 1938.
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While Tunisia is just 0-1, the team’s four-goal loss puts it in a rough spot in the Group Stage. In order to advance out of the Group Stage, a team needs to finish either first or second in that group. In the instance of ties, goal difference plays a significant role in which teams advance. Even if Tunisia rallies and plays well in its remaining games, making up that four-goal difference may prove too tough moving forward.
Tunisia has a few days to sit with Sunday’s loss before taking on Japan. That match is scheduled for Sunday, giving the Tunisian FA multiple days to make a decision on Lamouchi.
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Lamouchi, a former player, has plenty of experience as a manager, holding that role with multiple teams since 2012.
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With that said, he’s had a pretty rough go of it over the past year and a half. Lamouchi was fired by Al-Riyadh in April of 2025 and then fired by Al-Diriyah in December of that same year.
If he’s fired by Tunisia ahead of the team’s next game, it would make the third time in a little over a year Lamouchi has lost his job.
Sweden made a huge statement at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an impressive 5-1 victory over Tunisia in their opening Group F match.
The Scandinavian side produced one of the best attacking displays of the tournament so far, with Yasin Ayari scoring twice and star forwards Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres both finding the net. The result moved Sweden to the top of Group F after Japan and the Netherlands played out a 2-2 draw.
Here are some of the most interesting statistics from the match.
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Sweden Record One of the Biggest Win Of The Tournament So Far
Sweden’s 5-1 victory became one of the biggest wins of the World Cup to date and immediately sent a warning to the rest of Group F.
The four-goal winning margin also boosted Sweden’s goal difference, which could prove important later in the competition.
Ayari Joins The Brace Club
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Midfielder Yasin Ayari was the star of the night with two spectacular long-range goals.
His first effort came with the Tunisian goalkeeper stranded off his line, while his second was a powerful strike from outside the penalty area.
Ayari became one of the few players at the tournament to score twice in a single match and the first Swedish player to register a brace at this World Cup.
Isak And Gyokeres Show Deadly Partnership
Sweden’s two main strikers proved why they are regarded as one of the most dangerous attacking partnerships in international football.
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Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres both scored and also helped create chances for each other throughout the game.
Their understanding caused constant problems for Tunisia’s defence and played a major role in Sweden’s five-goal haul.
Svanberg Scores Just 16 Seconds After Coming On
Substitute Mattias Svanberg made an immediate impact after entering the match.
The midfielder needed only 16 seconds to score, one of the fastest goals by a substitute at the 2026 World Cup.
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His goal highlighted Sweden’s strength in depth and showed that even their players on the bench can change games quickly.
Sweden Take Early Control Of Group F
With the Netherlands and Japan drawing 2-2 earlier in the day, Sweden’s victory moved them to the top of Group F.
The five goals scored and three points earned have put Graham Potter’s side in a strong position heading into their next matches.
If Sweden maintain this attacking form, they could become one of the surprise contenders at the tournament.
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The performance was not only entertaining but also a reminder of Sweden’s growing strength under Potter, with five different moments of quality helping them begin their World Cup journey in style.
TORONTO — A tug-of-war over the pitch clock is the newest element in the Toronto Blue Jays’ rivalry with the New York Yankees, with a strange incident representative of how hard the two teams fight for every inch against one another.
Centre stage was Jose Caballero, who during the sixth inning of New York’s 8-3 win Sunday, stretched the limits of the rule that batters must be alert to the pitcher once the timer hits eight seconds, earning a warning from umpire Steven Jaschinski for “intentionally delaying.”
At issue was the way Caballero stepped into the box against Spencer Miles and positioned his body for the pitch, but took his time raising his head to the pitcher. He twice skirted the line before Jaschinski took action and issued the warning, saying if it happened again, he’d be charged a strike.
The Blue Jays were frustrated that more than two minutes of discussion took place before play could resume, and Miles was left idle, unable to throw a pitch, since Caballero, Jaschinski, Yankees manager Aaron Boone, and eventually crew chief John Tumpane were all standing over home plate.
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That’s why when Blue Jays manager John Schneider came out to argue an eighth-inning balk call on Jeff Hoffman with Jaschinski, a native of Burlington, Ont., he had more than just that play on his mind.
“Upset about the balk initially and upset about some other things,” explained Schneider, ejected for the second time this season. “It’s not why we lost, but Hoff has a good inside move. He’s done it quite a bit this year. It’s kind of what I was relaying to them and didn’t think it was a balk. Thought they could have maybe put as much focus and attention on that play as they did the 10-minute conversation with Jose Caballero, who seems to have a problem with the pitch clock. That’s when I got a little bit upset.”
Schneider said he didn’t get any further explanation of the Caballero situation beyond the in-stadium announcement from Jaschinski about the warning, but took issue with the latitude granted to the Yankees infielder.
“There are a lot of major-league players in this league. There seems to be one guy that has an issue with it,” said Schneider. “It sucks that Spencer Miles has to sit out there for as long as he did. Seems like it could have been handled a lot quicker and a lot more efficiently than it was. That’s not why we lost, but it’s major-league baseball and everyone knows the rules.”
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Caballero told reporters in the Yankees clubhouse that he was simply doing the same pre-pitch setup he always does and that “it’s not my fault the pitchers rush a little bit.”
Miles said while “it was tough,” he made a point of staying focused mentally throughout the delay, especially since he was unable to throw any warm-up pitches during or after, but added Caballero’s antics didn’t come as a surprise.
“I think everyone in here knows what’s going on. I think it’s pretty common him doing that, and I think the umpire finally caught on,” said Miles. “He did it again there. Like he looked at me and looked back down. So it’s out of habit. But I think everyone in here kind of knows that deal. So just be ready to pitch it when he’s looking at you.”
BUSY BULLPEN: Five of the 22 most frequently used big-league relievers are Blue Jays, with Mason Fluharty’s 38 appearances tops in the majors and Braydon Fisher’s 36 outings tied for second.
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Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers are next among the group tied for sixth at 34 outings, while Jeff Hoffman is among the 11 pitchers tied for 12th at 33 games.
The Blue Jays have the most relievers among that top group — the Yankees and Athletics each have three — and it’s demonstrative of how they’re trying to concentrate leverage innings among their most trusted arms. However, some of their blips over the weekend — Varland giving up Paul Goldschmidt’s two-run homer in the ninth Saturday, Fisher coughing up a two-run shot to Ben Rice in the ninth Sunday — might be reflective of the wear from all those outings.
“Yeah, probably,” said John Schneider. “The life of a reliever is really, really hard, and when they’re available, they’re available, and when not, they are not. But over the course of time, it takes its toll on you a little bit, and we’re asking a ton out of those guys.”
That’s the way the relievers like it, of course, and Fisher wasn’t ready to use that as an excuse.
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He conceded that heavy workloads can impact performance “sometimes,” but he quickly added that “I don’t think that was the case” against Rice. The slider down and on the inner edge of the zone that the emergent force in the Yankees lineup clubbed over the right-field wall “would have been like the most perfect strike pitch,” he said, “but to strike him out, maybe get it a little lower, a little more in. Preferably a little bit lower, but I’m not trying to be perfect; nobody’s perfect. Maybe looking back, we throw him a different pitch, or maybe I do just throw one 40 feet before I throw it more in the zone.”
Fisher has been invaluable this season, a prime option for Schneider to put out rallies in the middle innings, open in front of a starter, set up in the late innings or even close, with one save to his credit. During busy periods, he throttles down both his catch play and his warmups in the bullpen.
Fluharty, who atypically walked lefty Jazz Chisholm Jr. on four pitches to open the eighth after recording two outs in the seventh, does the same thing. He makes a point of “utilizing all the recovery resources, treadmill pool, all that stuff,” he said. “Making sure I’m on top of arm-care with the trainers. Some days just taking off when I can.”
“Early on in the season, still building up this workload, it was a little tough,” Fluharty continued. “After like the first three weeks, I think, stuff and velo started to trend down a little bit until my body and my arm realized, like, this is where we’ve got to be. Now I feel like my arm and my body are in a spot to where this is my workload and now it’s all balanced out. Everything feels good, so now I’m at a point where I’m used to it.”
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Ultimately, Fisher insisted, this is what each of them wants.
“We all love being out there,” he said. “Obviously, we’ve had some struggles with the IL this year and we’re getting our guys back here soon, so the workload will go down a little bit, and we’ll all be happy and sad about that. It’s good for the team as a whole and for each other individually. But we like earning our money.”
GARCIA GETTING CLOSE: Yimi Garcia’s second rehab outing with triple-A Buffalo — an inning of one-run ball in Saturday’s 8-7 win over Syracuse — went much better than his first, with his fastball averaging 95.5 m.p.h. and topping out at 97.1.
Three days earlier, he topped out at only 92.9, an unusually low number for him, so the jump back to normal levels was important.
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“Reports were good, velo was better and him after the game reported feeling good,” John Schneider said, although when it comes to his next steps, the Blue Jays are “not quite sure. We’re going to get in touch with him as we get going to Boston to see how he feels, and if he needs another one, we’ll see. But the reports were good and he felt better after that one.”
One factor, and it’s vital for the Blue Jays, is whether Garcia is ready to pitch every other day. Thus far in his rehab from elbow surgery, he’s only pitched once on two days of rest, the others coming with at least three.
He’ll need to be available for a much heavier workload once he’s reinstated, and barring an injury, the Blue Jays will need to create a spot for him in the bullpen that doesn’t have easily optionable bullpen arms.
VLAD AND GIMENEZ: The Blue Jays had several potential lineups Sunday morning and they ended up using the one without Vladimir Guerrero Jr., out a second day due to lower tightness in his back, and Andres Gimenez, a late scratch due to left wrist soreness.
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But the news was better by the end of the game, as Guerrero tested himself during the game and was on deck to pinch-hit for Yohendrick Pinango in the ninth had the lineup gotten there.
“Vlad felt better as the game went on,” said John Schneider. “Gimenez was still a little bit sore, but I think the off-day will be good for him and Vlad. … After the off-day, they should both be good.”
Guerrero’s back began tightening up before he played Friday while Gimenez jammed his wrist diving into first base Saturday to beat out an infield single.
He explained that he “hit the bag really hard because of the late slide. It wasn’t in my head (to slide) until I saw (Cam Schlittler) getting closer to me. Then I decided to slide, so it was late.”
A “rebuilt” mind, family and friends, and an innovative part called the Macarena. These are just some of the building blocks in Lewis Hamilton’s resurgence at the front of the Formula 1 field.
The seven-time champion’s breakthrough first win with Ferrari on Sunday, his first since 2024, left him second in the standings and cut into the overall lead of Kimi Antonelli, the driver who replaced Hamilton when he left Mercedes.
Getting back to the front has been a long and painful process and Hamilton shed some light on his journey after the win in Spain.
Mental well-being takes priority
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Hamilton said he’d trained harder than ever ahead of this season to keep up with younger rivals like the 19-year-old Antonelli, after an injury dogged him through 2025 and he started to doubt his abilities.
That paid off as Hamilton became, at 41 years, 5 months, the oldest F1 winner since 1970, but it wasn’t all about physical fitness. Mental well-being has been central to his recovery.
“I’ve rebuilt my mind to this point, to get myself back to where I was,” he said Sunday, adding he’d focused on a message of “never second-guess yourself, never doubt yourself.”
That meant a social media detox and valuable real-world time with family and friends.
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“I’m only human. So, you know, there’s moments where I see the stuff (on social media) and for sure there’s moments where I allowed it to get to me and penetrate deeply,” he said.
“I went through a sequence of unplugging from that matrix. I spent lots of time with family, lots of time with friends, real people that know me, that have never doubted me, have stuck to and by me my whole life.”
At the track, Hamilton’s had support from Kim Kardashian, while he and his new race engineer Carlo Santi have been exchanging warm words of support over the radio after often-awkward exchanges with Riccardo Adami last year.
Ferrari’s newfound innovation
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Signing Hamilton in 2024 was something of a risk for Ferrari, too, given that when the move was announced, his most recent win had been more than two years before.
With plenty of runner-up finishes but no constructors’ title since 2008, under team principal Fred Vasseur’s leadership, Ferrari seems keener to take risks in a push to speed clear of the field rather than just be among the leading pack.
Hamilton talked up his meetings with senior Ferrari staff last year to plan out 2026, and the collaborative approach seems to be working.
“These guys have really listened and really worked hard to add performance and be innovative. This year is all about innovation,” Hamilton said, singling out the “Macarena” rear wing, which turns upside-down for better straight-line speed.
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“This is what I was asking for last year. This team has to be the leaders in that, and they’ve shown that they can and they will.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff brought out an old F1 cliche Sunday after watching Antonelli break down on track, the second Mercedes non-finish in three races.
“To finish first, first you have to finish,” he told Sky Sports.
Hamilton is the only driver to finish in the top 10 of every race this season while Mercedes seeks to sort out its issues. That streak of results might not last for Hamilton, though. Teammate Charles Leclerc had to retire Sunday with an issue affecting his brakes and steering.
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Mercedes still has the edge
Hamilton says an historic eighth title hasn’t been on his mind, and Antonelli’s lead still stands at a formidable 41 points. Still, there are grounds for optimism for Hamilton.
F1 is heading into a run of European tracks which Hamilton knows well — including his home race in Britain next month — and where Antonelli largely underperformed last year.
In terms of car development, Wolff has suggested spending limits could restrict Mercedes’ response to the package of new parts Ferrari used so effectively in Barcelona.
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