Titans have a major shakeup in their front office
The Tennessee Titans are getting thrown a curveball this week.
Tennessee president of football operations Chad Brinker announced in a statement on Tuesday that he is stepping down from his position. Brinker noted that “as I’ve spent less time in personnel, I have a renewed conviction that it is time to return to what I love and move towards my next chapter.”
You can read Brinker’s full statement here.
Titans President of Football Operations Chad Brinker announced he is stepping down.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 29, 2026
Here is his statement: pic.twitter.com/N9GqCZ0lgO
Brinker, 46, had been in charge of the Titans since 2024 after originally joining the team in 2023 as their assistant general manager. Prior to Tennessee, Brinker had been with the Green Bay Packers, spending over a decade there in various scouting roles.
During Brinker’s time at the helm, the Titans experienced back-to-back 3-14 seasons. Though that allowed them to draft franchise quarterback Cam Ward at No. 1 overall last year and wide receiver stud Carnell Tate at No. 4 overall this year, the team is still very much a work in progress.
Now Brinker has decided to resign from his post just days after the completion of the 2026 NFL Draft. That will give Tennessee an almost entirely clean slate coupled with the hires of new head coach Robert Saleh and a very well-known new offensive coordinator as well.
Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. takes a shot at Lakers in middle of playoff series
You at least cannot accuse Jabari Smith Jr. of frontrunning.
The Houston Rockets forward Smith spoke with reporters on Tuesday before Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. Houston is currently facing elimination in the first-round series as they trail the Lakers 3-1.
During his remarks, Smith took a shot at the Lakers. Smith said that the Rockets were “obviously” the better team than the Lakers despite being down in the series.
“We’re obviously the better team, I feel like,” said Smith, per Rockets analyst Adam Wexler.
“I just feel like from top to bottom, you could say it’s an opinion, you could say I’m biased, but I just think we’re the better team,” Smith continued.
While the Rockets did win Game 4 over the Lakers by a convincing 115-96 final score, there is not a lot of evidence to back up Smith’s claim right now. The Lakers had the better overall record and also won two out of three head-to-head matchups against the Rockets during the regular season. Now the Lakers have won three out of four playoff games against the Rockets as well, putting Houston at the brink of elimination.
That said, the first-round series would have been a lot more competitive if not for a disastrous late choke job by the Rockets in Game 3. Thus, Smith is clearly clinging onto hope that his team can somehow become the very first one in NBA history to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.
Lakers get worrisome news on Luka Doncic injury return timeline
The Los Angeles Lakers are up 3-1 in the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, and they have done that without Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic.
There is a chance that Reaves could return for Game 5 on Wednesday, but Doncic remains out for this series. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania had a worrisome update on Doncic, suggesting the Lakers star could remain out for the second-round series as well.
“The expectation is if the Lakers are able to beat Houston and advance, Luka Dončić will be out for the next series. There’s still no timetable for him as of right now,” Charania said on an episode of SportsCenter.
"It is a slow-path on the recovery front for Luka. The expectation is if the Lakers are able to beat Houston and advance Luka Dončić will be out for the next series. There's still no time table for him as of right now. He's starting to do more court movement as JJ Redick said the… pic.twitter.com/ayA0zuKreU
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) April 28, 2026
Doncic, who is the Lakers’ leading scorer, was diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain toward the end of the season, and the expectation all along was that he would miss the first-round series.
However, there was hope that Doncic would return for the second-round series, although Charania pushed back on that sentiment on Tuesday.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the next opponent for either the Lakers or Rockets after Oklahoma City swept the Phoenix Suns in four games, and th Lakers will need everyone available if they want any chance to knock off the defending NBA champions.
No. 1 college hoops recruit Tyran Stokes has announced his commitment
Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2026, has decided where he will play in college basketball.
Stokes announced on “Inside the NBA” that he is headed to the Kansas Jayhawks, and he made the announcement while holding a 2K video game with himself in a Kansas jersey on the cover.
Breaking: Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 recruit in the SC Next 100 Class of 2026, has committed to Kansas, he announced on Inside the NBA. pic.twitter.com/tPjZWdLYPo
— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2026
Stokes, who played at Rainier Beach High School in Louisville, Ky., is No. 1 in the SC Next, 247Sports and On3 rankings.
Stokes is 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds and plays forward, and he is a massive get for Bill Self and the Jayhawks program.
The other two finalists for Tyran Stokes were Kentucky and Oregon, but Kansas landed a top player once again. Stokes also had offers from programs including Vanderbilt, Washington, Louisville and USC.
This past season, Kansas had Darryn Peterson on the team, and the freshman is now considered the potential top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after spending just one season in Lawrence with the Jayhawks.
Stokes is the fifth player to commit to Kansas in the 2026 class, joining four-stars Tay Kinney, Davion Adkins and Trent Perry and three-star Luke Barnett.
joins four-star point guard Tay Kinney (No. 17 NATL), four-star power forward Davion Adkins (No. 44 NATL), four-star small forward Trent Perry (No. 101 NATL), and three-star shooting guard Luke Barnett (No. 120 NATL).
Jets ‘considering’ 10-time Pro Bowler as backup to Geno Smith
The New York Jets quarterback room could soon get another addition in the form of a 10-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl winner.
The Jets are reportedly “considering” bringing in Russell Wilson to be the backup to Geno Smith, according to a report from Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.
Rosenblatt added that the Jets had Wilson in for a visit on Monday, and revealed that Smith is “excited” about the chance to work with Wilson again.
Geno Smith was presented with various options at backup quarterback and he was excited about the prospect of Russell Wilson, per source.
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) April 28, 2026
Jets and Wilson spoke at some point prior to the draft and scheduled Monday night’s visit then. https://t.co/BEdgecKfDI
Smith and Wilson were together with the Seattle Seahawks, although Smith was the backup to Wilson during that time.
Wilson, who began 2025 as the starter for the New York Giants, was later benched and replaced by rookie Jaxson Dart.
The Jets have been busy at the QB position. They traded Justin Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs and acquired Smith in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.
And, the Jets moved up in the 2026 NFL Draft to select Clemson QB Cade Klubnik in the fourth round.
Smith was selected by the Jets at No. 7 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft and began his career there before going to the Giants in 2017.
As it stands, all signs point to Smith being the Jets’ QB1 in 2026, even if Wilson signs with them, but he would add experience to the roster.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trolls Dillon Brooks with must-see photo edit
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a four-game sweep of the Phoenix Suns in the first round with a 131-122 win at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Suns veteran Dillon Brooks had been going at it all series, but it was the Thunder star who had the last laugh. On Tuesday, Gilgeous-Alexander dropped a series of photos on Instagram, and one of them was Brooks with an edited name on the back of his jersey.
The jersey read, “Cancun On 3.”
Gilgeous-Alexander’s Instagram caption also seemed directed towards Brooks: “everybody wants to be villainous until the brooms come out & the dust settles & you realize who the villain is.”
Brooks called out Gilgeous-Alexander for flopping, saying the Thunder star was “frail” and added it is a “man’s game” after some questions about flopping.
After the Thunder’s Game 4 win, Gilgeous-Alexander appeared to take the high road while talking about Brooks, calling him “a great guy, no matter what people say about him.”
However, Gilgeous-Alexander’s photo dump says otherwise. The series of photos also included several clips of Gilgeous-Alexander scoring on Brooks and a photo of Brooks looking upset in the background.
For now, Brooks and the Suns have seen their season come to an end, and Gilgeous-Alexander and the reigning defending champions will face the winner of the series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.
Former Kansas State coach Jerome Tang has landed a new job
Former Kansas State Wildcats men’s basketball coach has landed a new job just two months after being fired.
Baylor is finalizing a deal with Tang to make the program’s new associate head coach, and Tang was on the staff at Baylor from 2003 until 2022, when he left for the Kansas State job.
Sources: Baylor is finalizing a multi-year deal to hire Jerome Tang as the school’s new associate head coach. Tang was a long-time Baylor assistant under Scott Drew before taking the Kansas State head job in 2022. pic.twitter.com/IBaNX3ySKA
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 28, 2026
Tang’s tenure at Kansas State started off well as the Wildcats made the Elite Eight in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, which was Tang’s first season as the head coach.
Kansas State didn’t make the Big Dance since, and Tang made waves by ripping his players following a blowout loss in the 2025-26 season.
Tang said it was “embarrassing” and added that the players “don’t deserve to wear this uniform” following a blowout loss to Cincinnati.
Shortly after, Tang was fired for cause, and Kansas State ended up hiring Belmont coach Casey Alexander after the season.
Tang and Baylor head coach Scott Drew go way back, and they have been together a long time in Waco, Texas. Their time together included the 2021 national title, five Sweet 16 trips and three Elite Eight appearances, so Baylor is hoping that magic can return with Jerome Tang returning to the program.
Details emerge regarding Lawrence Taylor’s health issue
New details have emerged regarding the health issue that put legendary New York Giants pass rusher Lawrence Taylor in the hospital last week.
Taylor is receiving treatment for pancreatitis, according to TMZ. The 67-year-old remains hospitalized as of Tuesday, but has been showing steady improvement. The condition was never considered life-threatening, and there is hope that he will be discharged in the near future.
While he did not confirm the diagnosis, Taylor’s agent Mark Lepselter suggested that the NFL legend is making progress.
“Lawrence is getting better every day and is looking forward to getting back on his feet,” Lepselter told TMZ.
Taylor was hospitalized in New Jersey last Friday for what was said to be a medical emergency. He was initially admitted to the emergency room before being transferred to a different part of the hospital.
Taylor is widely regarded as the best defensive player in NFL history. He officially had 132.5 career sacks, and is one of just two defensive players to ever win Most Valuable Player honors.
Even Carnell Tate was surprised to go 4th overall to Titans
The Tennessee Titans caught a lot of people off guard by selecting Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft. It turns out Tate himself was one of those people.
Bleacher Report shared a behind-the-scenes video from the first round of the draft, and it included Tate’s Ohio State teammate Sonny Styles reacting after the wide receiver got drafted. Evidently, Tate and Styles had chatted about possible landing spots, because Styles admitted that Tate had not even been thinking about possibly landing with the Titans.
“He wasn’t even thinking about the Titans,” Styles said.
Sonny Styles said Carnell Tate "wasn't thinking about the Titans" before getting drafted pic.twitter.com/ok8deusWjM
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 28, 2026
To be clear, Styles was pleased for his teammate, and felt the Titans were “a good spot for him” given their relative lack of offensive weapons around young quarterback Cam Ward.
Still, many felt that Tate was probably a top-10 pick, not necessarily top-5. That clearly didn’t bother the Titans, and the wide receiver will not be seen as the only reach of the night, either.
Younghoe Koo’s horrific botched field goal accidentally saved a fan’s life
Younghoe Koo turned in the worst field goal attempt of the 2025 NFL season. In doing so, he accidentally played a role in saving a fan’s life.
Mark Toothaker, a thoroughbred trainer from Lexington, Ky., was watching “Monday Night Football” on Dec. 1, 2025 when Koo infamously whiffed on a field goal try during the New York Giants’ 33-15 loss to the New England Patriots. Toothaker laughed so hard at the kick attempt that he had a seizure, which he compared to being “electrocuted.”
A CT scan revealed that the 59-year-old had a tumor the size of a tennis ball on the left side of his brain, though he had not displayed any symptoms. It was surgically removed and found to be benign.
Toothaker thinks Koo helped save his life, because the seizure could have happened at another time when it would have been more dangerous to himself or others.
“(The) kicker saved my life because it could’ve happened any other time,” Toothaker told Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press. “I wholeheartedly believe I was in the right spot at the right time, and he was the trigger for that happening. It was a miracle.”
Toothaker said he would love to take Koo to the Kentucky Derby, but the kicker did not respond to the AP’s requests for comment. Considering he lost his job after the kick, it’s probably not necessarily something he is looking to relive.
Koo has let to land a new kicking job since the Giants released him. Presumably, he will keep himself ready for whenever an NFL team inevitably needs to bring in a veteran kicker for a short-term fix.
Reason for Ravens’ decision to sign Diego Pavia has been revealed
Diego Pavia did not even have to wait until the Baltimore Ravens’ rookie minicamp to secure a contract with the team, and now we know why.
The Ravens surprisingly signed Pavia to a three-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move was unexpected, as Pavia had been slated for a tryout this weekend.
Ravens are signing former Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia to a three-year deal, per source. Pavia was supposed to try out this weekend, but the Ravens signed him in advance. pic.twitter.com/UfDEabnXo4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2026
The decision to sign Pavia should not be taken as a sign that he has secured a future with the organization, however. ESPN’s Jamison Hensley reported that the Ravens opted to sign Pavia after signing UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano, who also went undrafted. The Ravens want to ensure that both Pavia and Fagnano are on equal footing heading into minicamp.
Pavia and Fagnano are essentially getting the first crack at the team’s No. 3 quarterback job. The Ravens had the available roster spots to use on both, and may ultimately wind up keeping both, one, or even neither of them.
Pavia, 24, was a Heisman finalist and an SEC Offensive Player of the Year winner in 2025 after throwing for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns at Vanderbilt (plus adding 862 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground). With real questions over his height and arm strength, Pavia was ultimately not selected in the NFL Draft this week, and there do not appear to be very high expectations for how his tryout will go.
Magic may be without key player for crucial Game 5
The Orlando Magic may have to win shorthanded in Wednesday’s Game 5 if they want to close out the Detroit Pistons.
Franz Wagner, who left Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal in the third quarter with a calf issue, has been diagnosed with a right calf strain, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. His availability will depend on how the injury responds to treatment between now and Wednesday.
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner has been diagnosed with a right calf strain and his availability for Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday is uncertain and will depend on response to treatment, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/C1xWoqVrsl
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 28, 2026
Wagner has been essential to the 3-1 series lead the Magic have built. He scored 19 points in Game 4 before departing, and he essentially acted as the closer in Game 3 to hold off a late Detroit rally.
Only Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane have averaged more points per game in the series so far than Wagner has.
The Magic have outplayed the top-seeded Pistons through the first four games of the series, and they will want to close out the favorite as quickly as possible. Plus, Wagner has some playoff demons he would like to do away with.
Terry Rozier hit with new charge in gambling investigation
Former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is facing a new charge in relation to his alleged gambling.
Federal prosecutors intend to accuse Rozier of soliciting and accepting a bribe, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The indictment will essentially argue that Rozier accepted a bribe relating to sports betting, and that the NBA and the Charlotte Hornets were victims of that scheme.
Rozier’s attorney said he was informed of the new charges two hours before Monday’s hearing.
Rozier was initially accused of wire fraud for allegedly telling a friend he would leave a March 2023 game early. The friend then shared that information to allow gamblers to profit by betting on Rozier’s playing time. The new indictment may allege that Rozier essentially took a bribe to divulge that information and profit off it.
The claim that the NBA counts as a victim is an interesting one, since there were reports that the league worked with Rozier to sweep the incident under the rug when it initially happened.
Rozier is one of several high-profile figures indicted by federal prosecutors as part of an investigation into NBA-related gambling schemes. Another individual indicted in the scheme decided to plead guilty recently.
Dianna Russini appeared to make Spotify playlist for Mike Vrabel
Another clue has emerged regarding the relationship between former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
David Covucci of FOIAball discovered what appears to be a Spotify playlist Russini made for Vrabel in December of 2022. The playlist, titled “TURNIN THE PAGE,” was shared with a user named Mike on December 19, 2022, which coincided with a four-game losing streak for the Tennessee Titans, the team Vrabel was coaching at the time.
Dianna Russini made a Spotify playlist called "TURNIN THE PAGE" that she shared with a user named "Mike" on December 19, 2022.
— David Covucci (@DavidCovucci) April 27, 2026
Which just so happens to coincide with a four-game Titans losing streak pic.twitter.com/IkIdwLUPHi
The 15-song playlist included several of Vrabel’s favorite songs. An article from 2023 noted that Vrabel’s favorite songs were played during practice on his birthday, and those songs appear on the playlist.
Thanks to Jared, this was the 8/14/2023 Titans training camp playlist highlights. Mentioned is Guns N Roses (dancing to Welcome to The Jungle), Styx’s Renegade, Def Leppard, and Mötley Crüe.
— Chase Snyder (@ChasingSnyder) April 28, 2026
On the Russini/“Mike” playlist created in December 2022, all of those were added. https://t.co/3olO4u3Jav pic.twitter.com/1eDz3CnFhH
Russini’s Spotify account has since been scrubbed. The Mike in question changed his Spotify name to “Tycar,” which just happens to be a mashup of Vrabel’s sons’ names.
if i was trying to cover my tracks here, i would not rename my spotify account to a mashup of my two sons names https://t.co/5njPkCP0nl pic.twitter.com/YAdnHJp3Hg
— David Covucci (@DavidCovucci) April 28, 2026
The relationship between Vrabel and Russini has been scrutinized since photos were published of the two seemingly being affectionate at an Arizona resort in March. More photos have since emerged dating all the way back to March 2020.
Both Russini and Vrabel have publicly denied that there was anything inappropriate about their relationship. Despite those denials, Vrabel said he was seeking counseling for his family’s benefit, and missed the third day of the NFL Draft in order to attend.
Alex Cora already turned down an MLB manager job
Former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora turned down the opportunity to get back into Major League Baseball almost immediately.
The Philadelphia Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday, making him the second managerial casualty of the season. Speculation quickly turned to Cora as a possible replacement given his ties to Phillies president Dave Dombrowski, who worked with him in Boston.
That apparently will not be happening. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Cora was quickly offered the Phillies job but declined, preferring to spend more time with his family.
Alex Cora was offered the Philadelphia Phillies' managerial job before Don Mattingly, but declined.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 28, 2026
He has decided to spend time with his family.
Don Mattingly was named interim manager of the Phillies, and it appears he will continue in that role for a while.
The Red Sox still owe Cora roughly $12 million, so he will be getting a substantial payday even if he does not work. That may have factored into his thinking. There is also the realistic thought that taking over a 9-19 Phillies team just wasn’t all that enticing, and he would be better served by waiting for other opportunities instead of taking the first one that comes his way.
Cora was fired on Saturday with the Red Sox off to a 10-17 start. Red Sox players were openly displeased with that decision, a clear signal of how well-respected Cora is despite the poor start.
Angel Reese appears to take a shot at her ex-boyfriend Jalen Duren
Angel Reese is back at it again.
The Atlanta Dream star has another reason to celebrate after the Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons on Monday, 94-88, at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla., to take a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
It hasn’t been a secret that Reese is cheering for the Magic to pull off a playoff upset against Detroit. After all, Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. is her boyfriend.
But Carter isn’t the only figure in the series with a romantic link to Reese.
Playing for the Pistons is her ex-boyfriend, Jalen Duren, who is not having a great series, to say the least.
It got worse for Duren on Monday, when he got put on the poster by Magic backup forward Jamal Cain in the fourth quarter.
JAMAL CAIN ATTACKS THE RIM AND THROWS IT DOWN💥
— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2026
A BIG-TIME POSTER JAM IN GAME 4! pic.twitter.com/oGxTm1uRpb
After the game, Reese shared the Magic’s Instagram post highlighting the team’s Game 5 win. The clip opened with Cain’s dunk over Duren, meaning anyone viewing Reese’s story would see that posterization first.
Angel Reese on IG 😅 pic.twitter.com/VJeAOdzC9N
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 28, 2026
For what it’s worth, Carter outplayed Duren in Game 5, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 boards to go with 4 assists and 2 blocks. Duren, on the other hand, had 12 points with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.
It’s hard to ascertain whether Reese shared that with the intent of making Duren’s day worse, but it’s clear that she’s happy that the Magic are just a win away from eliminating the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed.
Browns rookie had an emotional reaction to seeing his NFL jersey
Cleveland Browns rookie offensive lineman Spencer Fano will experience a lot of firsts in his rookie season in the NFL.
He already had one of those, not long after the Browns took him ninth overall in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Browns shared a video of Fano walking into the team’s locker room and seeing his No. 55 Cleveland jersey for the first time.
The former Utah Utes star thought about his grandfather as he savored the emotional moment.
“I just wish my grandpa was here to see his name on a jersey,” Fano said.
He also provided a bit of history about his choice of number.
“My brother wore five when I was in Little League, and I was a running back all growing up. And then right when I got too big to play running back, I said, ‘I’ll do two fives now,” Fano explained.
Here’s the video of that entire moment.
a moment Spencer will remember forever pic.twitter.com/qy7xHNVgaW
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 26, 2026
Now that he’s made it to the NFL and seen his jersey, Fano’s focus will be on making a strong impression for the Browns. He has a chance of becoming a Week 1 starter, and that will largely depend on his showing in training camp.
Many view 6-foot-5 and 311-pound Fano as an athletic freak, having run a 4.91 on the 40-yard dash and reaching 32 inches in the vertical jump at the NFL Combine. It will be up to him and the Browns to translate those physical gifts into on-field success.
Anze Kopitar had the most adorable reaction to life after his final NHL game
Even after his final NHL game, Anze Kopitar still has plenty to look forward to.
The Los Angeles Kings star is now ready to be a full-time dad to his two kids, daughter Neza and son Jakob.
Kopitar’s playing career ended when the Kings suffered a 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday in Game 4 of a first-round series at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Cali.
The Kings were sent home packing by the Avs via a series sweep, and while Kopitar will not be returning for another season, he’ll have his hands full taking care of Neza and Jakob.
“I think they’re extremely happy because now they get their dad for themselves,” the 38-year-old Kopitar said in his final postgame press conference with his kids beside him.”
Kopitar then discussed the challenges he faced as a parent during his NHL career as he looks to be fully present for his kids.
“They’ve been 11 years, 9 years with a so-called part time dad and now they get that full time,” Kopitar added.
“I think they’re extremely happy because now they get dad for themselves.” 🥹
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 27, 2026
Anze Kopitar speaks on what’s next after playing his final NHL game. pic.twitter.com/Thujbpu1yo
Kopitar may be less visible to Kings fans going forward, but they will always remember his huge role in helping the team win two Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014.
The two-time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner exits the NHL with career totals of 452 goals and 864 assists in 1,521 games, all with the Kings.
Yankees announce a major Giancarlo Stanton injury development
Giancarlo Stanton will miss more time after the New York Yankees made the decision to place the slugger on the 10-day injured list.
The Yankees made the move on Stanton after an MRI showed a “low-grade” calf strain, via Greg Joyce of the New York Post.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone tried to allay fears about the severity of Stanton’s injury, as he implied that the former National League Most Valuable Player
“Doesn’t look too serious, but enough to not want to wait a couple more days,” Boone said of Stanton following the Yankees’ 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. “So we’ll see what we have as the week unfolds.”
Stanton injured his calf in last Friday’s game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, and has not appeared in a game since. The Yankees initially tried to let the injury heal to avoid an IL stint, but ultimately decided to place him on the injured list.
The Yankees recalled Jasson Dominguez before the Rangers game, and he served as the team’s designated hitter in lieu of Stanton. Dominguez went 1-for-4 with a strikeout against Texas.
Before tweaking his calf, the 36-year-old Stanton was hitting .256/.302/.422 with 3 home runs and 14 RBIs across 24 games and 96 plate appearances.
Mike Conley Jr. reveals his message to Jaden McDaniels amid hostile atmosphere
Jaden McDaniels isn’t exactly a fan favorite in Mile High City.
The Minnesota Timberwolves forward has become a public enemy in the eyes of Denver Nuggets fans after he belittled the defensive abilities of Nuggets players following his team’s 119-114 win in Game 2 of the first-round series at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. Then in Game 4 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., he nearly sparked a brawl late in the contest when he went for a meaningless layup.
After winning Games 3 and 4 at Target Center, McDaniels and the Timberwolves looked to eliminate the Nuggets on Tuesday at Ball Arena but lost 125-113. McDaniels was relentlessly booed by the Denver crowd, but veteran Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. knew exactly what to say to lift his teammate’s spirits amid the hostile environment.
“I told him as much hate as you’re getting tonight, it’s gonna be about 100 times more love for you when you go back to Minnesota. So just know that,” Conley said, via podcaster Dane Moore.
Mike Conley when asked what he said to Jaden McDaniels during the game when he was getting booed.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) April 28, 2026
"I told him as much hate as you're getting tonight, it's gonna be about 100 times more love for you when you go back to Minnesota. So just know that." pic.twitter.com/PQZg42Mcpr
McDaniels likely expected the treatment he would receive from Nuggets fans heading into Game 5, and it may have affected him. He finished with 13 points on 5/11 shooting, which are good numbers, but also had five turnovers and was tied with Rudy Gobert for a game-worst minus-25 plus/minus.
Jaden McDaniels and the Timberwolves will look to have the last laugh on Wednesday, when they return to Target Center for Game 6.
