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  • Yankees’ ‘rough’ week, offensive drought continue vs. Tigers

    NEW YORK — The Yankees’ losing streak reached a season-long six games in a 9-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night with a blueprint that has become maddeningly familiar: falling behind big early as the short-handed offense sputters.

    This time, in a showdown between two of the best starting pitchers in the majors, the Tigers tallied four runs on three homers with two outs in the first inning off Cam Schlittler, who logged the worst start of his All-Star-caliber season. On the other side, Tarik Skubal recorded his best start since returning from his unprecedented elbow surgery earlier this month, holding the Yankees to two runs (one earned) on one hit with nine strikeouts over six innings.

    “This week’s been rough,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “There’s no sugarcoating it.”

    The Yankees’ 16 hits over their past five games are the fewest over a five-game span in franchise history. They narrowly avoided becoming the first major league team since 1900 to compile three or fewer hits in five consecutive games thanks to back-to-back two-out singles in the ninth inning. They are 8-for-107 (.075) with 38 strikeouts and a .264 OPS as a team against starting pitchers over those five losses.

    “We’re all trying to have good at-bats and put stuff together, and when you want to do it so badly, you probably press,” Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe said. “And it feels like, as an offense, we’re pressing.”

    The Yankees’ lineup Tuesday did not resemble anything close to the nine they fielded when the offense was humming earlier in the season.

    Aaron Judge (ribs), Giancarlo Stanton (calf), Trent Grisham (hamstring) and Ryan McMahon (throat infection) remain on the injured list. Cody Bellinger, who is 2-for-27 over his past eight games, was given the night off against the left-handed Skubal. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was available only in an emergency situation after exiting Monday’s game when he collided with Jasson Dominguez on a popup.

    Still, this historically barren stretch is baffling for a club with three healthy potential All-Stars in Bellinger, Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt. Last week, Goldschmidt slugged two home runs against Skubal before Domínguez delivered a go-ahead two-run shot off the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner in the Yankees’ 4-2 victory in Detroit.

    On Tuesday, Rice clubbed a solo home run in the first inning before Skubal retired 13 straight batters. The only other Yankees to reach against Skubal did so on a hit by pitch and an error in the sixth inning.

    “We know we have the talent,” said Rice, whose 23 home runs are tied for fifth in the majors. “But it’s such a long season. A lot of times, individually, we go through ups and downs. Sometimes the downs last a little longer than we’d like. It just so happens that right now it’s kind of like the whole team is going through something at once.”

    That surprisingly included Schlittler on Tuesday. The tall right-hander quickly dismissed the game’s first two batters before encountering trouble. First, Kerry Carpenter crushed a cutter that Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones caught with a leap before it popped out of his glove and over the wall. Riley Greene followed with a towering blast. Two batters later, Spencer Torkelson belted a two-run shot.

    Greene added another home run off Schlittler in the fourth inning, giving the Tigers four in three innings.

    Schlittler had given up six home runs in 121⅓ innings over his past 20 starts, including the postseason, according to ESPN Insights. His AL-leading 1.62 ERA climbed to 2.08 over his four-plus innings.

    “Not good,” Schlittler said. “I got ahead a lot in the first there. Just didn’t execute with two strikes, and for a team that likes to put the ball in the air on fastballs, I just didn’t get the job done.”

    The Yankees will look to avoid the sweep in a matinee Wednesday afternoon before welcoming back Grisham and McMahon from the injured list Friday. Bellinger will be in the lineup. Chisholm could be. Judge and Stanton remain out for an extended period, but the Yankees’ offense must figure it out without them.

    “It’s difficult, but all we can do is show up tomorrow and get to work,” Volpe said. “Everyone’s pissed, so just do what we gotta do, do our jobs to get a win and start from there.”

  • Edman homers, Roberts earns 1,000th managerial win as Dodgers beat A’s 9-3

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — — Tommy Edman had four hits including his first home run of the season, and Dave Roberts became the fastest manager in history to reach 1,000 career wins after the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Athletics 9-3 on Tuesday.

    Miguel Rojas also homered to help the Dodgers to their fourth straight victory and seventh in eight games. Edman had four RBI while Mookie Betts added three hits.

    Edman, who missed the first 73 games of the season recovering from right ankle surgery, crushed a first-pitch slider from A’s starter Jeffrey Springs for a three-run homer in the third inning. Edman also had a hit in the fifth then added an RBI single in the seventh.

    Roberts became the 69th manager in history to reach 1,000 wins and the quickest to do it. Roberts achieved his milestone managerial victory in 1,606 games. Cap Anson, the next fastest, needed 1,641 games and won his 1,000th in 1893.

    He is the second manager to reach the milestone in the past two days, after Detroit skipper A.J. Hinch won his 1,000th in a 7-3 Tigers win over the Yankees.

    Colby Thomas homered for the second consecutive game for the A’s.

    Justin Wrobleski (10-2) had a career-high 11 strikeouts in seven innings and allowed three runs and seven hits without a walk. Brock Stewart and Wyatt Mills retired three batters apiece.

    The Dodgers led 2-0 in the first inning on Betts’ RBI single and Teoscar Hernandez’s sacrifice fly.

    A’s catcher Shea Langeliers reached on an infield single in the bottom of the inning and scored from first on Jonah Heim’s single over the head of right fielder Kyle Tucker.

    After Edman’s homer off Springs in the third, Rojas connected for a solo shot in the sixth.

    Springs (3-8) allowed six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

  • Falcons TE Kyle Pitts after inking new contract: ‘There’s a lot more out there’

    As Kyle Pitts inked his big-money contract extension, the Atlanta Falcons tight end views it as just the start of the next phase of his career.

    “I think there’s a lot more out there, a lot more to get, and a lot more things to keep grinding towards. It’s cool to see,” Pitts said, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, adding he believes his best football is “100 percent” in the future.

    The No. 4 overall pick in 2021, Pitts burst out of the gate, generating 1,026 receiving yards during his rookie campaign to earn a Pro Bowl nod. However, his play waned the next several seasons. Over Years 2-4, he averaged 541.6 yards a season, struggling to find consistency. However, late last season he surged, becoming a playmaker with Kirk Cousins under center. He finished the year with 928 yards and career highs in receptions (88) and touchdowns (five).

    The Falcons franchise tagged Pitts early in the offseason process. There was some thought that with a new management structure and coaching staff in ATL, the club could play things out and make Pitts prove it before giving him a long-term payday. Instead, the brass showed confidence in the TE’s upward trajectory, signing him to a three-year, $54 million contract, which he officially signed on Monday. The $18 million-per-year contract slides in third among tight ends, behind George Kittle ($19.1 million) and Trey McBride ($19 million).

    Pitts said he was prepared to play under the franchise tag before the Falcons stepped up to lock him down long term.

    “It was more so, ‘OK, that was my opportunity that Atlanta picked it back up to give me another year to showcase,’” Pitts said. “And then it was just time to squeeze the rag and just grind. I was fortunate I got the call and the interest in the long term, and when it happened, it was pretty great.”

    With Kevin Stefanski taking the reins, Pitts believes his skill set, matched with an offense that has traditionally utilized the TE prolifically, will allow him to be even more diverse moving forward.

    “I would say adding more tools to my toolbox, letting me do a couple more things in terms of route running, schematically,” Pitts said of the new offense earlier this offseason. “Being an asset in this offense.”

    Pitts’ strength is using his athleticism in space to beat coverage. He continues to struggle with the inline blocking aspect of the position, but his pass-catching ability is key for a Falcons offense with questions behind Drake London at receiver.

    “I think Kyle is going to be a big piece of this thing,” offensive pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand said. “He had huge production last year. He’s clearly one of the top guys in the league at that spot. Hopefully, we see a lot more of what we saw last year out of him, and he can continue on that upward trend.”

  • Cowboys RB Javonte Williams: ‘I’ve still got a lot more to prove’

    Javonte Williams’ rookie promise from 2021 in Denver was detailed by a gruesome second-season knee injury that took years to fully recover from. Last season, fully healthy in Dallas, Williams finally got back to the runner he looked like from that first campaign, rumbling over defenders and gobbling up chunk gains.

    A year ago, the Cowboys viewed Williams as a low-cost replacement after letting Rico Dowdle walk in free agency. Dallas got more than they could have hoped for, with Williams bulldozing his way for 1,201 yards and 11 TDs on 252 carries — all career highs. He also averaged a career-best 4.8 yards per carry. The Cowboys inked the veteran to a three-year, $24 million extension this offseason to keep him as the bell cow.

    “It felt good, just knowing all my hard work paid off and I got a little bit of security,” Williams said of his new deal, via the Dallas Morning News. “But I’ve still got a lot more to prove. I at least want to go to the Pro Bowl and definitely want to get to a Super Bowl with the team. Just working hard, grinding, and trying to be a better version of myself. That’s all I’m worried about.”

    Williams credited his ability to stay healthy last year to a new routine that included a series of cold and hot tubs, massages, and — at the recommendation of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb — acupuncture sessions. Williams plans to keep that routine in place.

    “Same stuff,” Williams said. “I feel like if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

    Williams profiles as the clear lead back in Dallas, and his fit in Brian Schottenheimer’s scheme ensures he’ll retain the overwhelming majority of the early-down reps. The question in Dallas is who will grab the backup role. Malik Davis is currently the top early-down option should Williams go down.

    Dallas would love for Jaydon Blue to make a massive leap in Year 2 after his rookie struggles and snag the pass-catching back role, providing a change of pace to Williams’ rumbling style. The Cowboys could also look for Phil Mafah to take on more of a role. Dallas spent the offseason giving the two second-year backs more reps in the hope one would stand out. The club is likely to curtail Williams’ usage during training camp, allowing the youngsters to take on additional snaps and see who can take a step forward.

  • Cardinals CB Will Johnson on facing NFC West gauntlet: ‘I wouldn’t want it any other way’

    The Arizona Cardinals have the unfortunate burden of residing in the NFL’s most difficult division.

    With Super Bowl-or-bust clubs in the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, few, if any, give the Cardinals a chance to dig their way out of the basement. The Cards’ place in the division is perceived as akin to a mobile home inhabiting the same block as three mansions.

    The players care not for the outsider perception.

    Asked recently about the NFC West gauntlet during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Cardinals corner Will Johnson said he’s not shying away from taking on the giants.

    “I mean, I love it. I wouldn’t want it any other way,” he said. “That’s the best. You get to go against the best every week, and that’s how you prove you’re the best.”

    The Seahawks just lifted the Lombardi. The Rams traded for Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. The 49ers are getting healthier and still have top-tier talent. The Cardinals fall shy of those expectations.

    In rebuilding mode and lacking an obvious long-term starting quarterback situation, Arizona isn’t expected to be much more than fodder for the rest of the division. Those six division tilts against three playoff clubs are about as difficult as any half-dozen any other team will play in 2026.

    Still, NFL players can’t enter the year believing they’re fighting a hopeless cause. It’s incongruous to their nature. To play such a physically and emotionally taxing sport requires complete and total buy-in from Day 1. Hence, players like Johnson firmly believe they can stun the world.

    “It’s a great [division]. I think we got a good opportunity in front of us to surprise a lot of people this year,” he said. “They’re just continuing to try to stack the teams against us, but we gonna be ready when the time comes.”

    The Cards aren’t devoid of talent. Jeremiyah Love brings pizzazz to the offense and fellow running backs Tyler Allgeier and James Conner are proven bulldozers. If Marvin Harrison Jr. can develop, he, Michael Wilson, and star tight end Trey McBride can make a big impact through the air. There are some pieces on defense with Budda Baker, Josh Sweat, Johnson and others who, if they can stay healthy, can do damage. However, compared to its counterparts, it’s a thin roster, with a massive long-term question at quarterback — and a short-term one with Jacoby Brissett still looking for a reworked contract.

  • NFL news roundup: Jaguars announce promotions for coaches Shane Waldron, Heath Farwell

    NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Visit NFL.com’s transaction hub for a daily breakdown.

    NOTE: Teams listed in alphabetical order
    READ: NFL training camp schedules, locations
    Jacksonville Jaguars
    COACHING NEWS

    Heath Farwell was promoted to associate head coach/special teams coordinator, the team announced. Farwell is entering his fifth season with the Jaguars, having served as their special teams coordinator since 2022.
    Shane Waldron was promoted to assistant head coach/pass game coordinator, the team announced. Waldron worked as Jacksonville’s pass game coordinator in 2025.
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    OTHER NEWS

    The NFL, NFLPA and Brendan Sorsby reached a settlement which resolves any legal claims regarding the league’s decision to forgo a supplemental draft this offseason and cements Sorsby’s eligibility for the 2027 draft, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported.

  • NFL Network: QB Brendan Sorsby will sit out 2026, be eligible for 2027 NFL Draft

    Quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s timeline to play in the NFL now has clarity.

    The NFL, NFLPA and Sorsby reached a settlement which resolves any legal claims regarding the league’s decision to forgo a supplemental draft this offseason and cements Sorsby’s eligibility for the 2027 draft, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday.

    “We have confirmed with the NFLPA and Brendan Sorsby that there will be no further litigation regarding his entry into the NFL — and that instead, Mr. Sorsby will focus on his preparation for entry into the League via the 2027 NFL Draft,” a memo, which was sent to all clubs and obtained by Rapoport and Pelissero, read. “For purposes of League and CBA rules, Mr. Sorsby will be considered a ‘Draft-Eligible’ player for the 2027 NFL Draft. Mr. Sorsby will not be eligible to sign an NFL Player Contract until the completion of the 2027 NFL Draft.”

    As part of the settlement, Sorsby will be allowed to participate in normal pre-draft processes, such as the Senior Bowl, holding a pro day and going on team visits. The NFL will not discipline Sorsby for his known misconduct in college, which included making bets worth at least $90,000 while a student athlete at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech, but does reserve the right to investigate Sorsby’s conduct beyond what is in the current public filings and can also take Sorsby’s past transgressions into consideration should the league ever need to discipline him for future violation, Rapoport added.

    Sorsby, who played four collegiate seasons split between Indiana and Cincinnati before transferring to Texas Tech in January, appeared in 35 games with 7,208 passing yards, 60 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, plus another 22 scores and 1,295 yards on the ground.

    After his gambling activity came to light following his transfer to play for the Red Raiders, Sorsby admitted himself into a residential treatment program for gambling addiction in April. The NCAA initially deemed him ineligible to play college football in 2026. A temporary injunction on June 8 then allowed him to serve a two-game suspension, but Sorsby shortly after became ineligible again by dropping his lawsuit against the NCAA with the intention to enter the supplemental draft.

    The NFL, however, announced to teams on June 23 it would not to hold a supplemental draft, a right afforded to them by the current collective bargaining agreement. The Canadian Football League also announced on June 26 that it would not allow Sorsby to sign with any teams or be placed on their negotiation lists.

    As part of Tuesday’s decision to refrain from any further litigation, Sorsby also released a statement.

    “There has been a lot of news about me out there and I want to share this statement to make sure things are clear,” his statement read. “I accept 100% responsibility for my actions. I did not have control of my gambling problem and it took getting caught for me to realize that, but it was truly the best thing that could’ve happened to me. Because of this, I have been able get the help I need and fully focus on my recovery.

    “The news about the supplemental draft changes nothing about my recovery journey — I will continue to take it one day at a time. Focusing on making myself better throughout this process and making sure to share what I have learned and will continue to learn with others going forward. I am fully committed to being the best version of myself that I can be while getting ready for the 2027 draft. God makes no mistakes and I look forward to seeing the good that is to come from this.”

    The agreement by all parties to allow Sorsby to maintain eligibility for the ’27 draft as he sits out the upcoming season, in effect, establishes a de facto one-year suspension at all levels of the game — college, the NFL and the CFL.

    He had no further avenues to play football in a traditional capacity in 2026. His road to finding his place in the NFL next season now begins in earnest.

  • Phil Mickelson out of Open Championship, to miss all four majors for first time in professional career

    Phil Mickelson will miss all four majors for the first time in his professional career.

    Mickelson’s name is no longer listed in the Open Championship’s field on the tournament’s website, instead moving to the non-playing portion of exempt players. Mickelson captured the claret jug in 2013 at Muirfield, and past champions are allowed to compete until 60 years old.

    Mickelson’s only competitive appearance of the year came in mid-March at LIV Golf’s South Africa event, where he tied for 48th. Ahead of the LIV Golf season opener in Saudi Arabia, Mickelson posted on social media he would not be able to play in LIV’s first two events because he and wife Amy needed to be present for a family health matter. He missed the Masters in April for the same reason, saying he would be “out for an extended period of time.” He withdrew from the PGA Championship and wasn’t extended a special invitation for the U.S. Open.

    Earlier this month, Golf Digest reported that Mickelson is no longer a member of his hometown club, the Farms outside San Diego, after a female club employee accused the six-time major champion of making nonconsensual, inappropriate contact with her before a round of golf. Mickelson declined invitations to comment directly on the allegations, but a spokesperson for the golfer offered the following statement to Golf Digest: “Any misunderstanding has been cleared up. Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.” Mickelson’s defamation lawyer Tom Clare also told Golf Digest, “There is a great deal of misinformation circulating and, while Phil’s full attention is devoted to a private family health matter, he has retained defamation counsel and is determined to hold accountable any publication or individual trafficking in speculation or false rumors.”

    This will be the first time Mickelson has missed the Open since 2009, when he pulled out of the event to be with Amy during cancer treatments. Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson and Ernie Els are other past champions not in the field at Royal Birkdale. Earlier this weekend Dustin Johnson pulled out of Open local qualifying. The Open begins July 16. Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion.

  • Johnson to miss first Open since 2009 as major streak ends

    Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson will miss his first Open Championship since his debut in 2009 after withdrawing from final qualifying.

    The 42-year-old, who has managed just one top-20 finish in his past 15 majors, has never won the Open, with his best result a tie for second in 2011.

    As he did not qualify automatically, the American had entered final qualifying at Dundonald Links, one of four venues offering five places each for next month’s championship at Royal Birkdale.

    However, the 2016 US Open and 2020 Masters champion has been removed from the entry list, with no reason given for his withdrawal.

    It means the former world number one will miss a major for the first time since the 2017 Masters, ending a streak of 38 consecutive major starts.

    Johnson, who plays on the breakaway LIV Golf tour, made the cut in all three of his major starts this year.

    This year’s Open Championship begins on 16 July.

  • Reports: Pistons C Jalen Duren aiming to join Kings in sign-and-trade

    June 29 – Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren plans to meet with the Sacramento Kings when free agency begins ​to pursue a sign-and-trade deal, NBA on ‌Prime and The Athletic reported Monday.

    Duren and the Pistons were far apart in recent negotiations, per reports, with ​the big man eligible for a five-year, $287.1 million ​extension — $57.42 million per year — because he was ⁠named to the All-NBA third team this year. ​HoopsHype recently reported that Duren’s camp was seeking $40 ​million per year.

    While Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 70 games (all starts) in the regular season, his fourth ​season in the NBA, the first-time All-Star ​was far less effective in two playoff series for the ‌top-seeded ⁠Pistons.

    The eighth-seeded Orlando Magic and fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers both pushed Detroit to seven games before the Cavaliers eliminated the Pistons in the second round. Duren ​averaged 10.2 ​points and ⁠8.5 rebounds in 14 postseason games, including four games in single-figure scoring in ​the Cleveland series.

    The Athletic reported that “the ​most likely ⁠scenario” in a Duren sign-and-trade to Sacramento would involve Domantas Sabonis being sent to Detroit.

    Sabonis, a ⁠three-time ​All-Star center/forward, has career averages of ​16.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 665 career ​games for Oklahoma City (2016-17), Indiana (2017-22) and Sacramento (2022-26).