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Cardi B seems to respond to Stefon Diggs breakup rumors

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Rapper Cardi B seemed to respond on Tuesday to rumors about her potentially breaking up with Stefon Diggs.

Cardi B and Diggs went public with their relationship in May when they attended a New York Knicks playoff game together. But Cardi B recently scrubbed Diggs from her Instagram page, leading many to speculate that she had broken up with the wide receiver.

Cardi B may have seen those rumors, because she shared some posts on X that stated a strong message.

“Shut the f–k up,” she wrote in one post on X (profanity edited by LBS).

She also seemed to suggest that those creating rumors need to find something different to do with their time.

“Go to dinner ,go shopping, go to the park …Get off the internet…ENOUGH!!” she wrote on X.

She also told fans to “ignore the bored.”

Cardi B still has multiple photos of her with rapper Offset on her Instagram profile even though the two are no longer together. It seems odd that she wouldn’t have scrubbed those photos but has taken off ones that included Diggs.

Amid the rumors about a breakup, Diggs shared a clip on YouTube of him and Cardi B working out.

Maybe that was his way of responding to the rumors.

Brewers manager has great quote about Jacob Misiorowski

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Jacob Misiorowski has been a revelation for the Milwaukee Brewers this season, and his manager has put the young pitcher’s emergence into context.

Misiorowski, 23, was a second-round pick by the Brewers in 2022. He battled elevated walk totals but ascended through the Brewers’ minor-league system to get promoted to the big club in June. Entering his start on Tuesday, Misiorowski was 3-1 with a 3.20 ERA in four starts. He had allowed just three hits and two runs over his first 16 MLB innings. Brewers manager Pat Murphy thinks this is only the start for The Miz.

Murphy gave a great quote about Misiorowski ahead of the pitcher’s start against the Dodgers on Tuesday.

“He’s just broken the shell, man. He’s just out of the egg, all arms and legs. He’s still got gooey stuff coming off him. He’s something special,” Murphy said.

The thought of Misiorowski as a baby dinosaur cracking the shell is a humorous one, but it puts things into context. Misiorowski is only 23 and just getting started. He’s listed at 6-foot-7 and 197 pounds. He still might be able to put some more weight onto his frame and improve his velocity and command.

Misiorowski’s average fastball velocity in MLB this season has been 99.3 mph. There aren’t many pitchers who can do that as a starter, but he’s one of them.

Nikola Jokic makes decision on contract extension with Nuggets

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Nikola Jokic has made a decision regarding his contract extension with the Denver Nuggets.

Jokic on Tuesday became eligible for a contract extension with the Nuggets. The extension could have added three years and $212 million to his existing contract. However, Jokic informed the Nuggets he would not sign an extension this summer. Instead, he plans to delay his decision until next year, when he will be eligible to sign for even more money.

Jokic’s current contract is a 5-year, $276 million deal he signed in July 2022. He is set to make $55 million next season and $59 million the season after that. Jokic also has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-2028.

By waiting until next year, Jokic would be eligible to make $80 million more on his contract extension. The 30-year-old center was offered the opportunity to add an additional $212 million onto his contract now, but he has decided to wait until next year.

One has to wonder how much of Jokic’s decision has to do with money and how much is rooted in his uncertainty over the team’s future. The Nuggets finished tied for the third-best record in the West last season at 50-32. They lost in seven games in their conference semifinals series against the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Denver also fired Michael Malone, who had been the head coach of the Nuggets for Jokic’s entire career. Jokic made it clear that he felt the team was not good enough last season.

Jokic is a three-time NBA MVP. He averaged 29.6 points, 10.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.0 three-pointers made per game last season, all of which were career-high marks.

Big 12 commissioner makes bold declaration

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Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark made a bold declaration on Tuesday.

Yormark spoke at the Big 12 Media Days at The Star in Frisco, Texas. He has been the Big 12 commissioner for nearly three years and has done big things with the conference. Under his leadership, the Big 12 survived and expanded while the Pac-12 contracted and was pilfered. Yormark feels his conference is just getting started.

“I believe we will be the deepest football conference in America,” Yormark said. “No league offers the competitive balance that we do … I fully expect the Big 12 to earn multiple College Football Playoff bids this year, and to show once again that we can compete with anyone.”

Yormark believes the Big 12 will be the deepest football conference is a bold claim, especially in a world where the Big Ten and SEC both exist. The Big Ten put four teams into the 12-team playoff last season, including the eventual winner Ohio State. The SEC put three teams into the group. The Big 12 had just one school in there, and it was Arizona State. Maybe the Big 12 is headed in the right direction, but to think they will be the deepest conference for the upcoming season seems to be a stretch.

The Big 12 has 16 teams in the conference. That includes Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah, who all came over when the Pac-12 imploded.

Simone Biles appears to have gotten a boob job

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Simone Biles shared some photos to her social media page this week that show apparent changes she has made to her look.

Biles shared three photos of herself in a bikini. She is lounging on a day bed in what appears to be a poolside-type setting. The Olympic champion had husband Jonathan Owens with her in one of the photos, and she had tagged the location as San Pedro, Belize.

Here is a before photo from two years ago for comparison:

There is little doubt that her body has changed. The question is whether or not this has any foreshadowing about her gymnastics future.

Biles, 28, has not stated yet whether she will attempt to compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The gymnast has competed in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games and has taken home 7 gold medals, two silvers and two bronzes. She has also won 30 World Championship medals.

A change like that to her body might signal she does not intend on continuing to compete. We’ve seen how this sort of thing can negatively affect athletes.

Giants legend Will Clark addressed why Rafael Devers stood him up

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Rafael Devers may have stood up a San Francisco Giants legend shortly after the slugger was traded, but it sounds like there is a reasonable explanation for what happened.

On Monday, Red Sox radio announcer Will Flemming revealed that the Giants tried to have Devers get together with former San Francisco first basemen Will Clark to have Devers practice playing the position, but the three-time All-Star did not show up.

As it turns out, Clark addressed the alleged no-show during an appearance on the No Filter Network last week. Clark said he was supposed to work with Devers the first weekend after the Giants acquired the 28-year-old in a blockbuster trade. San Francisco was playing the Boston Red Sox in that series, and Clark says Devers did not want to take reps at first base with his former team breathing down his neck.

“Friday, Saturday, Sunday, he did not come out early, at all. Period, not all. In fact, he didn’t even hit on the field,” Clark said, via Mike Axisa of CBS Sports. Everybody’s like, ‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Will. I’m so sorry. … I know what the (expletive) happened. I said, he didn’t want to go out and be at first base and be 20 feet in front of their freaking dugout with what went on in Boston, and now he’s working with me at first base. He didn’t want to have to go through all that (expletive) through the press in the media. So, I completely understand.”

The Red Sox traded Devers to the Giants in a stunning blockbuster deal last month. During his introductory press conference with his new team, Devers said he was open to playing first base or any other position the Giants wanted him to play.

Devers was angry with the Red Sox when they signed Alex Bregman over the winter and moved Devers from third base to DH. After Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury in May, the Red Sox approached Devers about the idea of playing first base. Devers refused and publicly bashed the team’s front office.

That is why fans in Boston were unhappy when Devers said he would play first with the Giants.

Clark is a six-time All-Star and former Gold Glove Award winner. His No. 22 jersey is retired by the Giants. While Devers has yet to play first base for the Giants, it sounds like there is a chance he might work with Clark at some point in the future.

Mary Lou Retton was in rough shape in mug shot, arrest video

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Former Olympics hero Mary Lou Retton was arrested in May on suspicion of driving while under the influence, and a new mug shot that was released gives a glimpse into the type of shape she was in.

Retton was arrested on May 17 after police in Fairmont, W.V., received reports of a Porsche with Texas license plates that was driving “all over the roadway.” Officers then found Retton pulled over in a parking lot with a bottle of wine in the passenger seat.

Police said Retton smelled of alcohol and was slurring her words, which are both signs of impairment. The 57-year-old looked impaired while taking three different field sobriety tests and refused to have her blood tested.

On Tuesday, police in West Virginia released Retton’s mug shot and some footage from the arrest. Entertainment Tonight shared the full video of the arrest, during which Retton seemed aggravated with officers for making her undergo field sobriety tests. At one point, she could be heard responding “oh, my God” to an officer who asked her to balance longer.

You can see the full video:

Retton also appeared to be in rough shape while having her mug shots taken:

Retton was cited for one count of misdemeanor DUI and given a $1,500 personal recognizance bond.

Retton became famous after starring in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Calif. She won five medals in gymnastics, including a gold medal in the all-around. She was the first American to win a gold medal at the Olympics in the all-around.

Retton made headlines in 2023 when her daughter disclosed the former gymnast was in intensive care dealing with a rare form of pneumonia. Her daughter had launched a crowd-funding effort to help pay for Retton’s medical bills.

Angel Reese smacks away clipboard during Sky’s loss

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Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese lost her cool during the waning moments of the team’s loss on Tuesday, and took some of her frustration out on an assistant coach’s clipboard.

Reese was livid with a foul call that went against the Sky with about 30 seconds left in the game against the Washington Mystics at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Va. As Reese went to the sideline during a timeout, she was seen smacking the clipboard out of a Sky assistant’s hands.

Reese has been very frustrated with officiating lately, and that may have played into her frustrations here as well. The Mystics got four free throws during the final minute of play, including a pair with 2.1 seconds left to win the game 81-79.

Despite the circumstances, this is not a great look for Reese, who has a reputation for being aggressive at times. The staff member did not seem to care, but it probably is not something Reese should be in the habit of doing.

Reese tallied another double-double in the losing effort with 22 points and 15 rebounds. The defeat dropped Chicago to just 5-13 on the season despite the gaudy numbers she put up.

Lakers legend says Luka Doncic needs to have 1 offseason focus

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Luka Doncic appears to be taking the concerns about his weight seriously this offseason, but one Los Angeles Lakers legend believes there is one other area where the five-time All-Star needs to focus more of his attention.

Robert Horry, who won three of his seven NBA titles with the Lakers, was asked during a Tuesday appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” about the ongoing talk regarding Doncic’s weight and conditioning. Horry said he is far less concerned about Doncic’s weight than he is about the former Rookie of the Year’s defensive effort.

“I don’t care about his weight. You need to get him in the gym and teach him how to play defense,” Horry said. “You know, that’s the thing, because you can give someone 40 points, but if you’re giving up 35 on the other end, those 40 points don’t mean anything.”

Horry, who currently works as a commentator for Spectrum SportsNet, believes Doncic has to “want to play defense.”

“He gets blown by and they’re getting layups. If you watch stretches of games where Luka just stayed in front, because he’s a big body, offensive players are bouncing off him if he stays in front,” Horry added. “He needs to want to play defense, because so many times he saves his energy for the offensive side.”

Doncic seems to be fully committed to slimming down before his first full season with the Lakers. He is said to have dropped a significant amount of weight and looked shockingly skinny in a recent photo with a fan.

Even Lakers head coach J.J. Redick has challenged Doncic to get into better shape.

While being in better shape should benefit Doncic, Horry emphasized that it will not solve everything. The way Horry sees it, Doncic’s explosiveness on the offensive end proves that he is capable of sticking with players on the defensive end.

Ideally, the Lakers would like to see a bit of both. If Doncic gets into better shape and dedicates time to improving his defense, he will be an even greater asset in L.A.

Jalen Brunson’s dad is being demoted by Knicks

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Jalen Brunson’s father is getting demoted by the New York Knicks under new head coach Mike Brown.

Rick Brunson will retain a lesser role on the Knicks’ bench next season as Brown hires his own associate head coach, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Brunson is on board with the move.

“This is what’s best for the organization and the players,” a source told Bondy.

The move is at least partly meant to counter the perception that Brunson has outsized influence over a team on which his son is the star player. Some unflattering reports emerged after the season ended suggesting Brunson’s presence was viewed unfavorably by other players, and that he was viewed as the most powerful member of the organization. A demotion might not fully counter those claims, but it will presumably give Brown the chance to assert his own authority after being hired as coach.

There have certainly been times where Brunson’s presence has been a distraction. Whatever his role on the staff is, it is pretty easy to make accusations about impropriety or conflicts of interest.

Rick Brunson was hired as an assistant head coach in 2022, just before Jalen joined the team as a free agent. That signing has been a coup for the Knicks, but three years later, it might be time for his father to take on a lesser role around the team.

Rex Ryan wore legendary shirt for 4th of July

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Rex Ryan had himself a blast over the 4th of July weekend, and the former NFL head coach wore the shirt to prove it.

Sage Steele shared a photo on social media on Tuesday that showed her posing with Ryan and fellow former ESPN host Sam Ponder. Ryan had his arm around Steele and Ponder and was happily sporting one of the best 4th of July shirts you will ever see.

The shirt said “Just Here to Bang.”

“If Rex Ryan’s t-shirt doesn’t make your day like it made mine (and @samponder) not sure what will. Happy belated 4th of July!” Steele wrote on X.

Ryan currently works as an analyst for ESPN. In addition to being a former head coach and defensive mastermind, he is known for his great sense of humor and lack of filter. We have seen countless examples of that over the years, especially when Ryan has trolled himself over his foot fetish.

Steele and Ponder both left ESPN in recent years for controversial reasons that were similar, but it looks like they have maintained a close relationship with Ryan. With shirts like that, it is easy to see why.

Anthony Davis underwent surgery to address nasty injury

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Anthony Davis missed time because of an abductor strain after he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks last season, but that was not the only significant injury that the 10-time All-Star dealt with.

Davis recently underwent surgery to repair a detached retina that he suffered during the season, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Tuesday.

Davis is expected to be fully recovered by the start of training camp.

A detached retina is typically an emergency situation that requires immediate surgery, so it is unclear why Davis did not have the procedure sooner.

As Charania noted, Davis was hit in the face multiple times during the season. He took a vicious elbow to the right eye from a teammate while fighting for a loose ball during an April game against the Atlanta Hawks (video here). Davis briefly left that game but was able to return.

Davis is entering his first full season with the Mavericks after they acquired him when they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Kyrie Irving is expected to miss much of the 2025-26 season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Dallas will be relying on Davis and rookie No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg in Irving’s absence.

Brad Stevens expects Celtics to lose key player

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The Boston Celtics parted ways with two of their best players recently when they traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens is bracing for another to depart.

Stevens told reporters on Tuesday that he believes it is “unlikely” the Celtics will re-sign veteran big man Al Horford. Stevens said the team has made an offer to Horford, but it sounds like the expectation is that the 39-year-old will move on.

“We made offers to both Luke (Kornet) and Al (Horford). We would love to have both of them back. I’d say that’s unlikely,” Stevens said. “The only reason I haven’t talked about Al is because it’s not final. I could probably talk about Al my whole press conference and not say enough, but I don’t want to speak in absolute terms until an ultimate decision is made.”

Stevens added that he views Horford as “an all-time Celtic”

The Celtics have been trying to get below the second apron, which is why they traded Holiday and Porzingis. They probably know that Horford is going to receive better offers from other teams.

Horford, a five-time All-Star, averaged 9.0 points and 6.2 rebounds in 27.7 minutes per game for Boston this past season. He can hit the occasional three-pointer and has made 37.7 percent of his career attempts from beyond the arc. Horford is also a strong rebounder and low-post defender.

Jayson Tatum is also expected to miss most — if not all — of the 2025-26 season, so the Celtics are unlikely to be the highest bidder for Horford with their championship aspirations in question for next year.

Horford has reportedly drawn significant interest from contending teams. He should find a new home in the near future.

Dwight Howard’s wife files for divorce 6 months after marriage

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Dwight Howard shared some surprising news late last year when he revealed that he was engaged, but the former NBA star’s new marriage did not last very long.

Howard announced in December 2024 that he had gotten engaged to rapper Amber Rose, who goes by Amy Luciani to avoid confusion with the famous model and influencer Amber Rose. Very few people knew that Howard and Rose were in a relationship prior to that.

According to a report from TMZ on Tuesday, things between Howard and Rose did not work out. Court documents show that Rose filed for a divorce from Howard in Georgia on July 1, stating that “the marriage is irretrievably broken” and “there are no prospects for reconciliation.”

The documents state that Howard and Rose got married on Jan. 11.

Rose has asked that all marital assets be “equitably divided” and is seeking alimony.

Rose is known for her rap career as Luciani and for being part of the cast of the television show “Love and Hip-Hop: Atlanta.” 

Howard, 39, currently plays in the Big3 for the Los Angeles Riot. The eight-time NBA All-Star has five children by five different women. Howard was embroiled in a since-dismissed lawsuit last year in which details of his sex life went public.

The divorce is not the only issue Howard has had in his personal life recently. The three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year took to social media last month to ask for help after his dog was killed in a hit-and-run accident.

Kirk Cousins says he felt ‘misled’ by Falcons

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Kirk Cousins tried his best to take the high road after the Atlanta Falcons made the shocking decision to draft Michael Penix Jr., but the veteran quarterback clearly was not happy about the situation.

The Falcons signed Cousins to a massive contract last offseason that included $100 million in guaranteed money. They then drafted Penix with the No. 8 overall pick, which virtually no one saw coming.

When asked at the time if he would have reconsidered signing with Atlanta had he known about the draft plans, Cousins said he does not “deal in hypotheticals.”

Cousins was much more candid during the filming of Netflix’s newest “Quarterback” series, which premiered on Tuesday. The four-time Pro Bowl QB admitted he felt a “little bit misled” by the Falcons. Cousins also said he would have preferred to remain with the Minnesota Vikings, who were committed to drafting a quarterback, had he known Atlanta was going to do the same.

“Certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would’ve affected my decision,” Cousins said, via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high. But I’ve also learned in 12 years in this league that you’re not entitled to anything. It’s all about being able to earn your spot and prove yourself.”

The Vikings, of course, would not have given Cousins $100 million guaranteed. They were committed to moving on at that point and drafted J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick. But if Cousins did not have many options outside of Atlanta, it is possible he would have returned to Minnesota on some sort of bridge deal.

The Falcons have tried to trade Cousins, but no one wants to take on the remainder of his 4-year, $180 million contract. The 36-year-old also has a no-trade clause and probably is not inclined to waive it unless he has a clear path to a starting job elsewhere.

For now, Cousins appears committed to being the highest-paid backup in the NFL.

MLB agent being investigated for alleged financial misconduct

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The MLB Players Association is reportedly investigating an agent over allegations of financial misconduct.

Yasser Mendez, an agent who was formerly with Rep 1 Baseball, is being investigated by the MLBPA over a grievance that was filed by Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas in August 2024. According to documents that were reviewed by Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic, Mendez is accused of misleading Rojas and giving harmful financial advice.

Rojas claims in the grievance that Mendez advised him to take out two separate advances against future MLB contracts in 2019 and 2022 that totaled $875,000. Mendez then allegedly convinced Rojas to invest $450,000 in 4Pro, which is Mendez’s Venezuelan-based baseball academy. Mendez told Rojas that the then-minor leaguer would see returns of more than 25 percent on his investment.

Rojas also accuses Mendez of underpaying Rojas’ taxes in 2020 and not paying them at all in 2022 after Mendez told Rojas that some of the roughly $450,000 would be used to cover tax liabilities.

The grievance states that the advice from Mendez was “intentionally, recklessly, or negligently wrong for Rojas.”

Rep 1 Baseball was acquired by Klutch Sports in 2023. A lawyer for Klutch told The Athletic that Mendez was terminated in 2024, though he did not provide a reason. The attorney also said that “neither Klutch nor any of its employees had knowledge of the alleged conduct described in this article.”

Andrew Latack, a lawyer who represents Klutch and Rep 1 Baseball, said in a response to the grievance that Rojas has tried to extort the agency out of $7.5 million. The response claimed Mendez discouraged Rojas from taking out advances against future earnings but that Rojas “voluntarily and eagerly participated in the investments.”

The Athletic reports that at least one other player, New York Yankees infielder Oswald Peraza, took out loans against future earnings to invest in Mendez’s academy while he was represented by Mendez. It is unclear if those investments are part of the MLBPA’s investigation.

The allegations against Mendez are similar to allegations that Fernando Tatis Jr. made in a recent lawsuit that was filed by the San Diego Padres star.

Rojas is in his third MLB season with the Phillies. He is batting .226 through 63 games this year.

Book reveals new reasons Caitlin Clark was snubbed from Olympic team

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Many fans were outraged when Caitlin Clark was left off the roster for the women’s U.S. Olympic team in Paris last summer, and a new book has provided more context about the controversial decision.

Clark was not one of the 12 players who won a gold medal with Team USA following a thrilling 67-66 win over host nation France in the women’s basketball final. The Indiana Fever star was already one of the most popular players in the WNBA at the time and had averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game through her first 16 games.

USA Today’s Christine Brennan reported at the time that one of the reasons Clark was left off the team was that USA Basketball feared backlash from Clark’s fans if the former Iowa star saw limited playing time in Paris. Brennan reiterated that and went into further detail in her new book “On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports,” which was released on Tuesday.

Brennan wrote that USA Basketball was “concerned about critical posts on X and Facebook and the like” and that the organization “didn’t want to deal,” according to Christian Arnold of the New York Post. The reporter also noted that there were really only 11 roster spots because Diana Taurasi was a lock for the team as a “farewell present by USA Basketball.”

Taurasi had won five gold medals with Team USA, and the sixth was a record. Brennan says the team was committed to giving Taurasi a roster spot “unless she was totally injured and couldn’t play.”

Of course, many fans believed that Clark was left off the team because some of her peers were jealous of her and did not want her stealing the spotlight. Clark chose to take the high road when asked about the snub.

New unflattering rumor about Rafael Devers surfaces

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Rafael Devers has expressed a willingness to play first base for the San Francisco Giants, but the slugger’s actions may tell a different story.

The Boston Red Sox traded Devers to the Giants in a stunning blockbuster deal last month. During his introductory press conference with his new team, Devers said he was open to playing first base or any other position the Giants wanted him to play.

According to Red Sox radio broadcaster Will Flemming, the Giants attempted to have Devers put in some work at first base with franchise legend Will Clark. Devers apparently did not show up to the session with the former first baseman.

“They don’t yet know what is gonna happen with the player. I was there the second day. Will Clark was there to work on ground balls with him at first base and Raffy didn’t show up,” Flemming said Monday. “So, that’s the person that these guys have been dealing with for a long time.”

Clark is a six-time All-Star and former Gold Glove Award winner. His No. 22 jersey is retired by the Giants. If Devers actually did stand Clark up, that is certainly a bad look.

Devers was angry with the Red Sox when they signed Alex Bregman over the winter and moved Devers from third base to DH. After Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury in May, the Red Sox approached Devers about the idea of playing first base. Devers refused and publicly bashed the team’s front office.

That is why fans in Boston were unhappy when Devers said he would play first with the Giants.

Devers had played in 20 games for San Francisco entering Tuesday, and none of them were at first base. It is possible that is the way it will stay, at least for the remainder of his first season with the Giants.

Umpire Phil Cuzzi makes terrible calls against Phillies

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Philadelphia Phillies fans were furious with umpire Phil Cuzzi over some of his calls in Monday night’s game.

The Phillies lost 3-1 to the San Francisco Giants in their game at Oracle Park. There were a few bad calls during the eighth inning made by Cuzzi, who was the homeplate umpire in the game.

In the top of the eighth inning, Bryce Harper was batting with a runner on first with nobody out. Cuzzi called the first two pitches against him strikes even though they were out of the zone.

Harper ended up grounding out in the at-bat, and the Phillies stranded Kyle Schwarber at second.

In the bottom of the 8th, Orion Kerkering was pitching to Matt Chapman with a runner on first. He threw three consecutive 2-strike pitches that were in the zone. Cuzzi called all three pitches balls.

Thanks to receiving the benefit on the calls, Chapman’s at-bat was extended and the count went full. He ended up singling to right and playing a key role in a 2-run rally to help his Giants go up 3-1, which ended up as the final score.

You see those missed calls and can understand why Phillies fans were upset.

Lakers player notably decides to waive his no-trade clause

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The Los Angeles Lakers will have one additional chess piece on the board if they want to go big-game hunting.

Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has decided to waive his no-trade clause to re-sign with the team, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported on Monday. As a result, the only trade restriction on Hayes will be that he cannot get moved until mid-December (as is the case with any free agent who signs a new deal over the summer).

Hayes decided to return to the Lakers on a one-year deal earlier this month. It was a fairly surprising move on Hayes’ part since he was previously reported to be unhappy with the team.

Per the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, an implied no-trade clause arises when a player signs a one-year deal (or a two-year deal with an option in the second year) with the team that he previously played for. The player has the option of waiving that implied no-trade clause however in order to potentially facilitate a move elsewhere. That previously happened with the Lakers and former guard D’Angelo Russell (who signed a new deal with the team in 2023, waived his implied no-trade clause, and was eventually traded away by the team in 2024).

The former lottery pick Hayes, 25, made 35 starts for the Lakers last season but now returns as their backup center after the addition of Deandre Ayton earlier this summer. Hayes, a seven-footer, managed to post 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 2024-25 but is likely to see a decrease in his numbers if Ayton is able to maintain the Lakers’ starting center job next season.

In waiving his implied no-trade clause, Hayes will give the Lakers some increased flexibility to make upgrades and will also open the door for himself to potentially end up in a better situation elsewhere. The Lakers probably won’t be adding another center in free agency with both Ayton and Hayes now in town. But they have been linked to a couple of noteworthy centers on the trade market in months past.

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