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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels interim manager Phil Nevin was suspended 10 games and Seattle Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker received a seven-game ban from Major League Baseball for their roles in a benches-clearing brawl during the second inning of Sunday's game. Nevin and Winker were two of 12 players or coaches suspended between the teams, according to an MLB release Monday night. Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford received five games, Angels pitchers Ryan Tepera and Andrew Wantz were suspended for three and Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, Angels reliever Raisel Iglesias and major league interpreter Manny Del Campo received two games. Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon, who is out for the rest of the season after undergoing wrist surgery, will be suspended five games when he returns from the injured list. For now, he is prohibited from sitting on the bench for the next seven games. Nevin...

The Big 12 is targeting Brett Yormark to be its next commissioner, sources told ESPN on Monday night, confirming a Sports Illustrated report. Yormark is COO of Jay Z's Roc Nation, having been promoted in January. He was previously co-CEO of Roc Nation Unified, a global licensing division within the agency, along with his brother, Michael.  It would mark an out-of-the-box hire for the Big 12 amid the vastly changing collegiate landscape. Yormark has little experience at the college sports level. He did, however, spend nearly 15 years with Barclays Sports and Entertainment, including as CEO, before leaving for Roc Nation in 2019.  Yormark would replace Bob Bowlsby, who announced in April that he was stepping down as commissioner. Bowlsby was appointed to the role in 2012, following defections from Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado and Texas A&M to other leagues. He added TCU and West Virginia and was able to maintain the Big 12's role as a Power 5 league, and he reinstated the...

CLEVELAND -- Wes Johnson knows the timing isn't ideal for the Minnesota Twins. It's not easy for him, either, or without some personal pain. Johnson is leaving the Twins to return to his college coaching roots, taking over as LSU's pitching coach. He said the decision took an emotional toll on him. "Very tough," Johnson said Monday at Progressive Field ahead of the Twins' game against the Guardians. "I don't know if I've slept a lot in the last week. Very, very, very tough. This the toughest thing I've ever done.'' Johnson's move comes as the American League Central-leading Twins opened a five-game series against the second-place  Cleveland Guardians. Johnson will fulfill his duties as Minnesota's pitching coach through this series, which concludes Thursday. Sonny Gray pitched seven superb innings in Monday's opener, an 11-1 Twins win, then turned emotional postgame when talking about Johnson's departure.  "It's a tough one,'' said the right-hander, who allowed...

After agreeing to a buyout with the Houston Rockets, guard John Wall plans to sign a free-agent deal with the LA Clippers, sources told ESPN on Monday. Wall, who was due $47.4 million from the Rockets after exercising the player option for the final year of his contract, agreed to take $6.5 million less to become a free agent, a source told ESPN. That is roughly the amount of the taxpayer midlevel exception, which Wall could receive once he is able to negotiate a deal with the Clippers. The Rockets wanted to reach an agreement with Wall before free agency begins Thursday to maximize his options in selecting his next team, sources said. The Rockets and Wall, 31, reached a mutual decision for the veteran guard not to play last season with Houston in the early stages of a rebuild. The Rockets instead prioritized the development of young guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green, so Wall did not fit in the franchise's plans despite his $44.3...

Kyrie Irving is opting in to his $36.5 million option with the Brooklyn Nets for next season, he told The Athletic on Monday. "Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow," Irving told The Athletic. "I've made my decision to opt in. See you in the fall. A11even." Irving had created a list of teams he would have liked the Nets to consider working with on a sign-and-trade deal if they couldn't agree on terms for him to stay in Brooklyn, but the Los Angeles Lakers were the only team known to be interested, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.   Without the ability to find a sign-and-trade deal, Irving plans to exercise his player option, sources confirmed. He has until 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday to file the paperwork to opt in. Irving is now no longer eligible for a sign-and-trade deal. The Nets could still work to trade him as an expiring contract, but Irving would have no formal voice in a...

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder has not yet accepted a subpoena issued by the U.S. House Oversight Committee investigating allegations he fostered a toxic work culture in his organization, a spokesperson for the committee said in a statement on Monday. The committee attempted to send the subpoena to Snyder's attorney via email on Friday, but Karen Seymour, one of Snyder's lawyers, declined to accept it, according to two sources familiar with the ongoing negotiation between the committee and Snyder's attorneys. Last week, the chair of the committee, Carolyn Maloney (D-New York), announced she would issue the subpoena for Snyder to be deposed by Congressional investigators after his attorney repeatedly declined the committee's invitation to testify with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who appeared at a hearing last week. "The Committee will not be deterred from obtaining Mr. Snyder's testimony, and we remain committed to ensuring transparency about the toxic...

Adrian Peterson and Le'Veon Bell have signed contracts for a heavyweight boxing exhibition on July 30 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, sources told ESPN on Monday. Both former All-Pro running backs will be competing in a boxing ring for the first time, but since it's an exhibition, the fight won't officially mark their pro boxing debuts. The deal continues a trend of big-time athletes and social media stars crossing over into boxing. Frank Gore, another All-Pro running back, fought NBA All-Star Deron Williams in an exhibition on the December undercard of Jake Paul-Tyron Woodley 2. Gore then made his pro debut in May with a fourth-round knockout. Peterson and Bell will meet on the undercard of Social Gloves 2, an event promoted by YouTube star Austin McBroom. McBroom will take on fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib in the main event. Rapper Blueface will fight former NBA player Nick Young on the undercard. Peterson, 37, is a former MVP who is No. 5 on the NFL's career rushing yards...

The Hockey Hall of Fame welcomed forwards  Henrik  and Daniel Sedin, forward Daniel Alfredsson and goaltender Roberto Luongo into its 2022 induction class, the Hall announced on Monday. Also included in the class, in the builders' category, were Finnish women's hockey icon Hanna-Riikka Sallinen and Herb Carnegie, a Canadian player of Jamaican descent who starred outside of the NHL. He is honored posthumously, having died in March 2012. The Sedins and Luongo were teammates on the Vancouver Canucks and were in their first year of eligibility. Henrik Sedin, a center, had 1,070 points and won the 2009-10 Hart Trophy as league MVP -- receiving the award in a season when his twin brother, Daniel, was limited to 63 games because of injury. Henrik was third in scoring among centers during his 17-year NHL career, behind only Joe Thornton and Sidney Crosby. Like his brother, Daniel Sedin had a career points-per-game average of 0.80....

BOSTON -- All those wins and playoff appearances weren't enough for Bruce Cassidy to keep his job as Boston Bruins coach. But they earned general manager Don Sweeney a contract extension. The Bruins said on Monday they have signed Sweeney to a multiyear extension, six weeks after they lost in the first round of the playoffs and three weeks after he fired Cassidy. "Under his management, the Boston Bruins have been one of the winningest franchises in the league and a perennial playoff contender year in and year out," CEO Charlie Jacobs said. "While we recognize there is work to be done to achieve the ultimate goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Boston, I'm confident that Don's commitment to being best-in-class on and off the ice will help us climb that mountain once again." Under Sweeney, the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, had the best record in the league the next year and tallied at least 100 points in four of the past five seasons. Of course,...

Marlin Briscoe, who became the first Black starting quarterback in the American Football League more than 50 years ago, died Monday. His daughter, Angela Marriott, told The Associated Press that Briscoe, 76, died of pneumonia at a hospital in Norwalk, California. He had been hospitalized with circulation issues in his legs. Briscoe, who was from Omaha, Nebraska, was a star quarterback at Omaha University before the Denver Broncos drafted him as a cornerback in the 14th round in 1968. Briscoe told the team he'd return home to become a teacher if he couldn't get a tryout at quarterback. Denver agreed to an audition, and the 5-foot-10 dynamo nicknamed the Magician nearly rallied the Broncos to victory as a reserve against the Boston Patriots on Sept. 29 before earning the historic start on Oct. 6. "He's made an immense contribution to the sport,'' Marriott said. "I hope that he continues to get recognized for the contributions that he made. He was so proud of that...

BOSTON -- All those wins and playoff appearances weren't enough for Bruce Cassidy to keep his job as Boston Bruins coach. But they earned general manager Don Sweeney a contract extension. The Bruins said on Monday they have signed Sweeney to a multiyear extension, six weeks after they lost in the first round of the playoffs and three weeks after he fired Cassidy. "Under his management, the Boston Bruins have been one of the winningest franchises in the league and a perennial playoff contender year in and year out," CEO Charlie Jacobs said. "While we recognize there is work to be done to achieve the ultimate goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Boston, I'm confident that Don's commitment to being best-in-class on and off the ice will help us climb that mountain once again." Under Sweeney, the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, had the best record in the league the next year, and tallied at least 100 points in each of the past four full, non-pandemic...

Outside of the Los Angeles Lakers, there are currently no known teams planning to pursue sign-and-trade deals for Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, sources told ESPN. Irving needs a trade partner to coordinate an agreement on a deal to get a long-term, maximum contract, but only the Lakers have interest in executing a sign-and-trade once free agency opens on Thursday night, sources said. So far, the Nets have no interest in taking back the available Lakers packages, sources said. The uncertainty surrounding Irving's future with the Nets continues to leave the franchise vulnerable to a Kevin Durant trade request, but that has yet to materialize, sources said. Durant has four years left on his contract and remains an advocate for the Nets to commit to a long-term deal for Irving, sources said. Numerous teams around the league are preparing to pursue Durant, one of the elite players in the sport, if he becomes available. Irving has until Wednesday to...

The Houston Texans were formally named as defendants Monday in the ongoing civil litigation involving their former quarterback, Deshaun Watson. "Today we filed the first case of what will likely be many against the Houston Texans related to Deshaun Watson's behavior. Suffice it to say, the overwhelming evidence collected indicating that the Houston Texans enabled Watson's behavior is incredibly damning," said Tony Buzbee, the Houston attorney who at one time represented 25 different women with lawsuits against Watson. "We believe the Texans knew or most certainly should have known of Watson's conduct. Beyond that, we believe the filing speaks for itself," Buzbee said. Monday's lawsuit provides the most detailed account yet of what, if any, prior knowledge people within the Texans organization had of Watson's behavior. In November 2020, the lawsuit states, Watson used Instagram to meet and arrange a massage with the plaintiff, even though she was only a massage...

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sided with a football coach from Washington state who sought to kneel and pray on the field after games. The court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines for Joseph Kennedy, an assistant coach for Bremerton High School's varsity football team and head coach of the junior varsity team for seven years. Kennedy started coaching at the school in 2008 and initially prayed alone on the 50-yard line at the end of games. Students started joining him, and over time he began to deliver a short, inspirational talk with religious references. Kennedy did that for years and also led students in locker room prayers. The school district learned what he was doing in 2015 and asked him to stop out of concerns the district could be sued for violating students' religious freedom rights. Kennedy stopped leading students in prayer in the locker room and on the field but wanted to continue kneeling and praying on the field himself after games. The school asked...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday sided with a football coach from Washington state who sought to kneel and pray on the field after games. The court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines for Joseph Kennedy, an assistant coach for Bremerton High School's varsity football team and head coach of the junior varsity team for seven years. For nearly a decade, Kennedy led prayers after games, with students often joining him. Kennedy said he had a commitment to God to take a knee and say a brief prayer after each game right at midfield. Concerned about being sued for violating students' religious freedom rights, Bremerton, Wash. public school officials asked him to stop praying publicly, but he refused. Officials placed Kennedy on leave, and his contract was not renewed in 2015. Kennedy sued and, with the support of conservative activists, his case ended up at the Supreme Court. During an oral argument, the court's three more liberal members compared Kennedy's prayers to the...

MOSCOW -- More than four months after she was arrested at a Moscow airport for alleged cannabis possession, a Russian court has set the start date for the trial of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for Friday. The Phoenix Mercury star was also ordered to remain in custody for the duration of her criminal trial. She could face 10 years in prison if convicted on charges of large-scale transportation of drugs. Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in the U.S., acquittals can be overturned. On Monday, the court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki extended Griner's detention for another six months after she appeared for a preliminary hearing held behind closed doors. Photos obtained by the AP showed her appearing in handcuffs. Griner had previously been ordered to remain in pretrial detention until Saturday. Several officials and experts familiar with Griner's case told ESPN's T.J. Quinn that a trial -- and a conviction -- were always likely...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- DeAngelo Jones scored 28 points as Northern Arizona beat turnover-prone Santa Clara 88-72 on Wednesday night in the West Coast Classic. Cameron Jones, Gabe Rogers and Eric Platt each added 14 points for the Lumberjacks (2-2). Northern Arizona shot 52.7 percent from the field and connected on 7 of 17 3-point attempts. Kevin Foster led the Broncos (2-3) with 14 points. Robert Smith scored 13 while Marc Trasolini added 12 points and seven rebounds. NAU's trapping defense contributed to 16 Broncos turnovers in the first half which the Lumberjacks converted into 12 points. Santa Clara turned the ball over on three straight possessions at the end of the half, helping the Lumberjacks open up a 44-36 lead at the break. The Broncos entered the game averaging 15.5 turnovers and finished with 21.

All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt was left "very disappointed" by the ATP's and WTA's decision to strip Wimbledon of ranking points, but he added that the championships were left with "no other viable" alternative than banning players from Russia and Belarus from competing this year. Hewitt also said the decision was also motivated by the desire to prevent the Championships from being used to promote Russia's political agenda.   The organisers of Wimbledon made the decision, back in April, to ban players from Russia and Belarus in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The ATP and WTA responded to the All England Club's decision by stripping Wimbledon of any ranking points, saying the exclusion of players "undermined" the integrity of the tour. But Hewitt, talking to ESPN on Sunday, said the call to ban players from Russia and Belarus was a decision that was "beyond the interests of tennis alone" and was "influenced by the directive guidance which the government gave us in...

TAMPA, Fla. -- The night before the  Colorado Avalanche won their first Stanley Cup in over two decades by defeating the  Tampa Bay Lightning  2-1 in Game 6 on Sunday, they called a players-only meeting. Colorado could have clinched the Cup on home ice in Game 5. Instead, Tampa Bay extended the series with a 3-2 win. The Avalanche's leadership group had been through too much heartbreak before, making three consecutive second-round series exits prior to this season. No way would they let another opportunity slip. "We knew the job that we had to do," said  Cale Makar, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason's most valuable player. "But we needed to just talk about staying mentally locked in and not looking too far ahead. It was [ Andrew Cogliano] and [ Gabriel Landeskog] and [ Nathan MacKinnon] speaking and basically just calming the guys down and making sure that regardless of the outcome, just put it all out...

TAMPA, Fla. -- The night before the  Colorado Avalanche won their first Stanley Cup in over two decades by defeating the  Tampa Bay Lightning  2-1 in Game 6 on Sunday, they called a players-only meeting. Colorado could have clinched the Cup on home ice in Game 5. Instead, Tampa Bay extended the series with a 3-2 win. The Avalanche's leadership group had been through too much heartbreak before, making three consecutive second-round series exits prior to this season. No way would they let another opportunity slip. "We knew the job that we had to do," said  Cale Makar, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason's most valuable player. "But we needed to just talk about staying mentally locked in and not looking too far ahead. It was [ Andrew Cogliano] and [ Gabriel Landeskog] and [ Nathan MacKinnon] speaking and basically just calming the guys down and making sure that regardless of the outcome, just put it all out...

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning fell short of the first Stanley Cup three-peat since 1983 -- but they don't believe their dynasty has crumbled. "Who said we're done?" Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said after his team's 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday night. "This core is here. We've battled. We've been through everything you can think of and, for the most part, we've found a way to come out on top." The Avalanche captured their first Stanley Cup since 2001 with the victory. They were favored to win the Cup as the playoffs began as well as to win this series. "It's not like we lost to some powder puff," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "That's a baller team over there. We never had home ice. We played all these star-studded teams. They found a way. We just ran into one more brick wall, and we just couldn't get through this one." Cooper agreed with Stamkos that the Lightning's run didn't end...

NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge walked over to the stands and gave his bat to Spike Lee, a  New York Yankees fan famous for scripting Hollywood dramas. This weekend's Yankees- Houston Astros series had all the ups, downs and twist endings audiences could handle. And when baseball's award season arrives, bet on critics taking a hard look at Judge's leading role. "I told him I have to quit taking him for granted," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. Judge drove a three-run homer in the 10th inning for his second walk-off hit against the Astros in four days, and New York recovered after nearly being no-hit for the second consecutive game to beat Houston 6-3 on Sunday. "These guys, they never waver," Judge said. "They stick to their plan, stick to their approach and continue to grind it out. And then Big G hit one about 120 to center, so it was all good." Giancarlo Stanton ended a historic hitless drought for New York with a one-out, 111 mph homer in the...

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Colorado Avalanche are Stanley Cup champions for the first time since 2001 after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 of the Cup Final on Sunday. Artturi Lehkonen scored the Avalanche's game winner in the second period. Darcy Kuemper registered 22 saves in the victory. Tampa Bay was making its third consecutive appearance in the Cup Final following back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021. The Lightning would have been the NHL's first team to win three straight Cups since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980 to 1983. Earning the victory took another come-from-behind effort from the Avalanche to clinch their franchise's first championship in two decades. They'd also played from behind in two of their three previous series-clinching games. Steven Stamkos scored his 11th goal of the postseason 5-hole on Kuemper early in the first period, giving the Lightning a 1-0 lead. Tampa Bay outshot Colorado...

WNBA star Brittney Griner will have a preliminary hearing on Monday morning in Moscow, her lawyer, Alexander Boikov, told ABC News. Griner has been held in Russia since Feb. 17 on accusations that she was trying to bring vape cartridges with hashish oil into the country. The U.S. Department of State declared in May that officials consider her to be wrongfully detained. Prosecutors in Russia were granted another extension on June 14 in Griner's case, the Russian state news agency TASS previously reported. Both U.S. officials and sources close to Griner have said they expect Russian courts to keep extending her detention until a deal is reached for her release. On June 13, officials from the State Department met with Griner's  Phoenix Mercury teammates. "There is a lot involved in getting her back home and safe; they're working relentlessly," Mercury star  Diana Taurasi said in a statement released by the team. Last week, the State...

NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge walked over to the stands and gave his bat to Spike Lee, a  New York Yankees fan famous for scripting Hollywood dramas. This weekend's Yankees- Houston Astros series had all the ups, downs and twist endings audiences could handle. And when baseball's award season arrives, bet on critics taking a hard look at Judge's leading role. "I told him I have to quit taking him for granted," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. Judge drove a three-run homer in the 10th inning for his second walk-off hit against the Astros in four days, and New York recovered after nearly being no-hit for the second consecutive game to beat Houston 6-3 on Sunday. "These guys, they never waver," Judge said. "They stick to their plan, stick to their approach and continue to grind it out. And then Big G hit one about 120 to center, so it was all good." Giancarlo Stanton ended a historic hitless drought for New York with a one-out, 111 mph homer in the...

Matthew Wolff, whose meteoric rise at the start of his PGA Tour career was as surprising as his struggles in recent months, is the latest player to defect to the LIV Golf Invitational Series, sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday. Wolff, 23, is planning to play in this week's LIV Golf tournament at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon, the first to take place in the United States. An announcement is expected on Monday. Wolff, whose unorthodox swing made him one of the most popular young players on tour, tied for 40th in the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, on Sunday. It might have been his last PGA Tour start, as commissioner Jay Monahan has indefinitely suspended members as soon as they tee it up in a LIV Golf event. The Telegraph of London first reported Wolff's departure from the PGA Tour. A star player at Oklahoma State, Wolff turned pro in June 2019 and won less than a month later, while playing on a sponsor's exemption at the 3M Open....

OMAHA, Neb. -- The last team to get into the NCAA baseball tournament was the last team standing. Ole Miss scored twice on wild pitches in a three-run eighth inning and the Rebels won their first national baseball title, sweeping Oklahoma in the Men's College World Series finals with a 4-2 victory Sunday. The Rebels (42-23) became the eighth national champion since 2009 to come out of the Southeastern Conference and third straight, and the trophy will stay in the Magnolia State for another year. Mississippi State won last year. "There is so much to be said for how much we overcame this year, how much we had to fight through, how much we had to pick each other up and never let ourselves get down,'' team captain Tim Elko said. "The story of our season is going to be told for years and years to come." Ole Miss benefited from a runner-interference call that took a run away from Oklahoma (45-24) in the sixth inning. The Rebels also overcame a spectacular pitching performance by Cade...

Quarterback Jaden Rashada, ranked No. 22 in the ESPN 300 Class of 2023, committed to Miami on Sunday, choosing to join the Hurricanes over offers from LSU, Florida, Mississippi and Texas A&M. Rashada initially wanted to commit on June 18, his father's birthday, but pushed his announcement eight days to his grandmother's birthday. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Rashada, who plays at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, California, gives new Miami coach Mario Cristobal a big boost as he attempts to return the program back to prominence. Rashada is the second ESPN 300 recruit for Miami in the 2023 cycle, joining Miami Killian High School wide receiver Robby Washington (No. 280). Rashada becomes the fourth ESPN 300 quarterback to commit to Miami since 2020, following Tyler Van Dyke (2020), Jake Garcia (2021) and Jacurri Brown (2022). With Arch Manning (Texas) and Rashada now both off the board, Dante Moore (No. 8) is the top uncommitted quarterback in the 2023 class.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels engaged in a lengthy full-team brawl in the second inning on Sunday after tensions over two days of inside pitches boiled over. Seattle manager Scott Servais, Los Angeles interim manager Phil Nevin and six players were ejected after the brouhaha, which stopped and started twice before Angels closer Raisel Iglesias came back out to the empty field to throw large containers of sunflower seeds and gum onto the infield. Seattle lost three of the first four hitters in its lineup: Jesse Winker, Julio Rodriguez and J.P. Crawford. Angels pitchers Iglesias, Andrew Wantz and Ryan Tepera also were tossed. The Mariners' Winker was hit by the first pitch of the second inning by Angels opener Wantz, who also had thrown a pitch behind the head of Rodriguez in the first inning. The first pitch to Rodriguez appeared to be a response to Erik Swanson's 95 mph...

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said he expects to go with the same lineup in Game 6 that he used in Game 5, meaning center Brayden Point will miss his fourth straight game of the Stanley Cup Final. Point skated with the team again ahead of Sunday night's Game 6 in Tampa, with the Colorado Avalanche leading the series 3-2. "It's extremely difficult for everyone involved because everyone cares so much. But there's no animosity or anything like that. They're just difficult conversations because everybody wants the same thing," Cooper said. Point missed the Lightning's second- and third-round series victories with a lower-body injury he suffered in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 14. He returned in the Stanley Cup Final, playing the first two games in Denver. He picked up an assist in their Game 1 loss but clearly didn't have the same explosive skating that has defined him with the Lightning. The team scratched him for...

The Arizona Diamondbacks have called up Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel to start Sunday's game against the Detroit Tigers. Keuchel, 34, had signed a minor league contract with the Diamondbacks earlier this month. He had been released by the Chicago White Sox after going 2-5 with a 7.88 ERA through eight starts this season. "He threw the ball really well in his last outing," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "We've been having a lot of discussions. We had some internal options. We feel like he deserves this opportunity, and he's been working really hard to make this happen." Keuchel won the American League Cy Young Award with the Houston Astros in 2015 and is a two-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner. He has been reunited in Arizona with pitching coach Brent Strom, who worked with Keuchel in Houston from 2014 to 2018. By adding Keuchel to the 40-man roster, the Diamondbacks are responsible for a $396,154 salary, a prorated...

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper has a broken left thumb after being hit by a 97 mph fastball from Blake Snell in the fourth inning Saturday night against the San Diego Padres. The Phillies announced that the reigning National League MVP will be out indefinitely. He will undergo further evaluation in the next few days. "I've never had a hand injury like this," Harper, who was wearing a splint on the injured thumb, said Saturday. "Never broken anything in my life. This is new to me, so I'm just going to go day by day, see kind of where we're at and see the specialist in Philly. And if I do need to see another specialist somewhere, then I will." Harper checked his swing as the pitch from Snell rode inside and high before hitting him on the outside of the left hand. Harper immediately fell to the ground and was in visible pain as he held the hand while on his knees for several minutes with Phillies head trainer Paul Buchheit attending to him. "I...

If Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mateusz Gamrot was a look into the future of the UFC lightweight division, then that future looks awfully bright. Gamrot beat Tsarukyan by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas. But the result could have gone either way, and both men -- two of the top up-and-coming fighters at 155 pounds in the world -- performed at an incredibly high level. "This was very tough fight," Gamrot said in his postfight interview. "Arman is high-level guy, from the new generation. I wish the best for Arman. I hope we train in the future." Tsarukyan was ESPN's No. 10-ranked lightweight coming in, while Gamrot was unranked, though that is likely to change. Afterward, Gamrot called out former UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, who is coming off a title fight loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 274 last month. "Justin Gaethje is the most brutal guy in the division," Gamrot...

The basketball card that rapper and NBA superfan Drake spent at least $200,000 trying to find -- the 2020-21 Panini Flawless Triple Logoman LeBron James card, numbered one-of-one -- sold at auction Saturday night with collectibles marketplace Goldin for $2.4 million, including buyer's premium. Logoman cards, which feature the NBA logo cut from a player's jersey, are some of the most sought-after modern cards in the hobby. Panini's 2020-21 Flawless release (10-card Hobby boxes are selling for roughly $15,000) includes five Triple Logoman cards, all numbered one-of-one, among them a Draymond Green/ Stephen Curry/ Klay Thompson, Anthony Edwards/ LaMelo Ball/ Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum/ Luka Doncic/ Zion Williamson and Giannis Antetokounmpo/ Kevin Durant/Curry. The fifth card is the James version that just sold, embedded with NBA logo patches from "game-worn/used" jerseys from each of...

SAN DIEGO -- Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper left with an apparent injury to his right hand after being hit by a 97 mph fastball from Blake Snell in the fourth inning Saturday night against the San Diego Padres. The nature and extent of the injury were not immediately known. Harper, serving as the Phillies' designated hitter, was replaced by Johan Camargo. Harper checked his swing and the pitch rode inside and high toward his right shoulder. The ball appeared to hit him on the outside of the right hand. Harper immediately crumbled to the ground and was in visible pain as he held the hand while on his knees for several minutes with the Phillies' trainer attending to him. As Harper was halfway to Philadelphia's dugout, he started yelling at Snell and motioning with his injured hand toward the Padres' starting pitcher. Snell eventually shouted something back at Harper. Many of the fans at Petco Park started to boo Harper after...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Ole Miss, one of the last four teams invited to the NCAA baseball tournament, is now one win away from being the last team standing. Mississippi defeated Oklahoma 10-3 in the first contest of the best-of-three Men's College World Series finals Saturday, powered to the victory by an unlikely arm: relief pitcher Jack Dougherty. A sophomore out of Collierville, Tennessee, Dougherty was forced into service as a starter because the team's two aces had been used up in Mississippi's march to this championship series. "Coach [Mike Bianco] grabbed me before the game and said, 'Just be you,'" Dougherty said after the game. "'Go out, attack with your fastball, get ahead in counts and just pitch like you pitch and you'll be successful.'" The righty responded with his longest outing of the season: five innings of perfect baseball before leaving the mound in the sixth with a 4-1 lead and the bases loaded with no outs. His relief came by way of freshman right-hander Mason...

SAN DIEGO -- Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper left with an apparent injury to his right hand after being hit by a 97-mph fastball from Blake Snell in the fourth inning Saturday night against the San Diego Padres. The nature and extent of the injury were not immediately known. Harper, serving as the Phillies' designated hitter, was replaced by Johan Camargo. Harper checked his swing and the pitch rode inside and high toward his shoulder. The ball appeared to hit him on the outside of the right hand. Harper immediately crumbled to the ground and was in visible pain as he held his hand while on his knees for several minutes with the Phillies' trainer attending to him. As Harper was halfway to Philadelphia's dugout, he started yelling at Snell and motioning with his injured hand toward the Padres starting pitcher. Snell eventually shouted something back at Harper. Many of the fans at Petco Park fans started to boo Harper after...

Catarina Macario was meant to be the focal point of the United States women's national soccer team's generational transition. That plan, however, had to be put on hold after the 22-year-old tore her left ACL in May in Lyon's final match of the season. On Saturday, ahead of next month's World Cup qualifiers, the Americans got their first look at life without Macario -- and a preview of what much of qualifying will look like against lower-ranked opposition. The U.S. slogged through a scoreless first half against Colombia at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, before scoring three times in a much better second 45 minutes to win 3-0. Washington Spirit striker Ashley Hatch started in the No. 9 role Saturday ahead of Alex Morgan, who leads the National Women's Soccer League with 11 goals in 10 regular-season games (17 goals in 17 games in all competitions). Hatch is a seasoned poacher who won the NWSL Golden Boot last season and is the most traditional center-forward...

Former MVP Tina Charles and the Phoenix Mercury have parted ways in a surprising development for last season's WNBA runner-up team. The Mercury announced Saturday that the franchise and Charles had agreed to terms on an immediate contract divorce. "After discussions with Tina and her agent, it was best for both parties to go our separate ways at this time," Mercury general manager Jim Pitman said. "Due to circumstances both in and out of our control, our season has not gone according to our plan, and we will continue to pursue all avenues for improvement." Phoenix coach Vanessa Nygaard declined to discuss the reasons behind the separation but said it was "best for both parties" and that the team is "ready to move forward." A source told ESPN that Charles' divorce from the Mercury had been in the making for most of the season. She had been unhappy with her role in the offense, which included a desire for more shots, for some time. Charles expected to be used in a...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Ole Miss, one of the last four teams invited to the NCAA baseball tournament, is now only one win away from being the last team standing. Mississippi defeated Oklahoma 10-3 in the first contest of the best-of-three Men's College World Series finals, powered to the victory by an unlikely arm: relief pitcher Jack Dougherty. The sophomore out of Collierville, Tennessee, was forced into service as a starter because the team's 1-2 aces had been used up in Mississippi's march to this championship series. The righty responded with his longest outing of the season: five innings of perfect baseball before leaving the mound in the sixth with a 4-1 lead and the bases loaded with no outs. His relief came by way of a freshman right-hander Mason Nichols, who struck out five of the seven batters he faced in two innings of work and surrendered only one run, charged to Dougherty. A trio Ole Miss pitchers -- Dougherty, Nichols and sophomore Josh Mallitz -- enjoyed an...

BETHESDA, Md. -- In Gee Chun shot a 3-over 75 on Saturday to take a 3-stroke lead into the final round of the Women's PGA Championship. On a day when Congressional Country Club gave the leaders plenty of trouble, Chun was holding her own until she made a double bogey on the par-5 16th hole. The two-time major champion from South Korea led by 5 shots after the first round and 6 at the halfway point, but that 36-hole advantage has been cut in half. She had an 8-under 208 total. Lydia Ko (76) and Jennifer Kupcho (74) -- Chun's playing partners -- had their own problems, but Lexi Thompson and Hye-Jin Choi both shot 70 and were tied for second with Sei Young Kim (71) at 5 under. Chun bogeyed Nos. 1 and 11 but birdied 2 and 12. She had a 5-shot lead when she had to play her third shot on the 16th. That shot put her in even more trouble, in an area with tall grass and some thick trees. She took an unplayable lie and went back to the previous spot to re-hit. Chun hit an 8-iron and sent...

NEW YORK -- Like most pitchers,  Houston Astros pitcher Cristian Javier grew up dreaming of one day throwing a no-hitter. While he still has yet to toss a complete game in 84 professional starts, the 25-year-old was part of one for the first time as a big leaguer Saturday afternoon in the Bronx. Javier,  Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly combined for the first no-hitter against the New York Yankees in 19 years, shutting down the best team in baseball for a 3-0 victory at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. "I feel really happy, really proud right now for this moment that God has given me," Javier said on the field just after the game, via an interpreter. Moments later, in Houston's clubhouse, he was handed the game ball by teammate  Justin Verlander, who threw the Astros' last no-hitter in 2019, to raucous applause that could be heard in the hallway outside. Javier (5-3), who set career highs with 13 strikeouts on 115 pitches over...

Deshaun Watson's hearing before the NFL and NFL Players Association's jointly appointed disciplinary officer, Sue L. Robinson, is scheduled to begin Tuesday, league sources told ESPN on Saturday. Robinson will listen as the NFL expects to push for a "lengthy" suspension for Watson while the NFLPA defends the Cleveland Browns quarterback, who has been accused of harassing, assaulting or touching 26 women during massage appointments when he was with the Houston Texans. The NFL is likely to base its proposed discipline on only a fraction of those women's testimony, one source said, as the league was unable to speak with a number of women who interacted with Watson. Watson was at one point facing 24 civil lawsuits that accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions. He has agreed to settle 20 of those suits. Robinson has no track record of ruling on cases involving NFL players, though one source said her decision could come within a...

Former MVP Tina Charles and the Phoenix Mercury have parted ways in a surprising development for last season's WNBA runner-up team. The Mercury announced Saturday that the franchise and Charles had agreed to terms on an immediate contract divorce. "After discussions with Tina and her agent, it was best for both parties to go our separate ways at this time," Mercury general manager Jim Pitman said. "Due to circumstances both in and out of our control, our season has not gone according to our plan, and we will continue to pursue all avenues for improvement." Phoenix coach Vanessa Nygaard declined to discuss the reasons behind the separation but said it was "best for both parties" and that the team is "ready to move forward." Charles will have to clear waivers, which she is expected to do because no team appears to have the salary-cap space to pick up her pre-divorce contract. Once she is cleared, she can become an unrestricted free agent and sign with a team that...

Guard Layden Blocker, the No. 28 recruit in the ESPN 100 for 2023, on Saturday announced his commitment to Arkansas, becoming the Razorbacks' first commitment in the class. Blocker visited the Fayetteville campus in early June and Arkansas, and was considered the heavy favorite entering the weekend. "They have a winning culture in basketball and other sports," Blocker told ESPN. "Coach Muss has coached in the NBA and he has an NBA style of play. He is a cool guy off the court. He's intense on the court. My goal is to play in the NBA." Blocker becomes the 12th ESPN 100 prospect to commit to Arkansas since Eric Musselman's first full recruiting class in 2020. The Razorbacks signed six ESPN 100 prospects -- including three five-stars -- in the 2022 class, finishing with the No. 2 recruiting class in the country. "When I attended their practices, it was intense with high energy," Blocker said. "I liked the atmosphere. On my visit they had an in-depth breakdown of my...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Troy Murphy didn't need to say a word to his Indiana Pacers teammates. He let his play in the fourth quarter speak volumes. After struggling from the field through three quarters, Murphy scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth to help the Pacers beat the Los Angeles Clippers 86-73 on Wednesday night and snap their four-game losing streak. Murphy's effort was especially important for the short-handed Pacers (6-7). Indiana played without All-Star swingman Danny Granger, who missed the game with a sprained ligament in his left knee. "I'm not a real big rah-rah type guy," said Murphy, who also grabbed 11 rebounds. "I just let my play do the talking. That's the way I've always been." Without Granger, the NBA's eighth-leading scorer at 25.2 points per game, the Pacers needed a combined effort on the offensive end. Dahntay Jones had 18 points, Luther Head scored 14 and Brandon Rush added 13. "It's harder for an opposing team to scout where...

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's timetable for throwing remains on schedule after offseason shoulder surgery, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Saturday. The expectation has been Garoppolo, who had the procedure on his right shoulder in March, will throw over the next few weeks after he's been cleared, and that plan remains in place. Once this happens and Garoppolo can pass a physical, the trade market for him could heat up. Trey Lance has worked as the 49ers' starting quarterback during the offseason program while Garoppolo, who has been the Niners' starter since late in the 2017 season, has spent most of his offseason rehabbing in Southern California. Garoppolo was excused from the team's mandatory minicamp in early June after not taking part in the team's offseason conditioning program. Veteran Nate Sudfeld has been the team's No. 2 quarterback behind Lance in OTAs with rookie Brock Purdy in the No. 3 spot. Garoppolo is...

LONDON -- Rafael Nadal on Saturday said the procedure he had on his chronic foot injury after Roland Garros has meant he is largely pain-free, but he is unsure how long the treatment will be effective. "The feeling and overall feelings are positive, no, because I am in a positive way in terms of pain, and that's the main thing," Nadal said. Nadal has been suffering with Muller-Weiss syndrome, a rare condition which causes chronic pain in his left foot. He numbed the injury at Roland Garros by injecting the nerve to allow him to play. The injury causes him to be in pain when walking, let alone playing. After Roland Garros, Nadal underwent a radiofrequency nerve ablation, which targets the specific nerve leading to the painful area of his foot. At the time, Nadal said the success of that procedure would dictate whether he was going to play at Wimbledon, as he was not willing to again undergo daily injections. If the procedure didn't work, Nadal said he then would have...

LONDON -- Serena Williams said she was motivated to play this year's Wimbledon to ensure her final memories of the championship were not retiring injured as she was forced to do in last year's first round. Williams, 40, has not played a competitive singles match since last year's first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich. There she suffered a torn hamstring after slipping on Centre Court during the first set and had to withdraw injured. She originally hoped to return in time for the US Open but ended up having a prolonged spell away from the sport. But on June 14 she announced she'd play at this year's Wimbledon and made her comeback to competitive tennis last week when she played doubles with Ons Jabeur in Eastbourne. Williams opens her Wimbledon championship against Harmony Tan and said a large motivating factor for her competing here was to form fresh memories of the place after suffering the heartbreak of retiring last year. "Yeah, it...

Mark Appel, the 2013 No. 1 overall pick whose baseball career included a three-season absence from the sport, is getting his first major league call-up Saturday at the age of 30. The Philadelphia Phillies are bringing in the right-handed Appel from Triple-A Lehigh Valley because reliever Connor Brogdon is on the COVID-19 injured list, interim manager Rob Thomson told reporters Friday night. "Completely overwhelmed. I have so many thoughts I want to share but can't find the words, so I'll just say this: I'm thankful," Appel tweeted Saturday morning. "Today, I get to play a game I love as a Major League Baseball player." Appel has spent the past two seasons pitching in Double- and Triple-A for the Phillies. He has a 5-0 record and 1.61 ERA in 19 appearances for Lehigh Valley this season. He rejoined the Phillies' organization in 2021 after announcing in February 2018 that he was stepping away from baseball following injuries to his labrum and rotator cuff...