MLB Trade Rumors | Charlie Wright: The Yankees rearranged their planned starters for this weekend's series in Philadelphia. Cam Schlittler was **** ped up to start Friday on normal rest, with Will Warren pushed back to Sunday. Warren appeared in relief Wednesday to help provide some coverage during a doubleheader. With Max Fried back in the rotation and Carlos Rodón on the comeback trail, Warren's recent usage suggests his spot in the rotation could be in jeopardy.
MLB.com | Thomas Harrigan: The Yankees have gotten virtually no offensive production from the catcher position this season. With the trade deadline looming, expect them to pursue an upgrade. The most likely candidate is Minnesota's Ryan Jeffers, a righty bat who's a free agent after the season. The Athletics' Shea Langeliers and Colorado's Hunter Goodman are higher-upside plays with more years of club control, but there's no guarantee either will be moved. The Mets' Francisco Alvarez and Baltimore's Adley Rutschman loom as longshots, with Cincinnati's Tyler Stephenson and Minnesota's Victor Caratini less exciting backup plans should the rest fall through.
NJ.com | James Mertz: Paul Blackburn has broken out with the Yankees this year after moving to the bullpen full-time, posting a 2.00 ERA in 35 outings. He attributes the career renaissance in part with the consistency the Yankees have provided. The veteran contrasts that with his tenure with the Mets, who constantly shuttled him between the rotation and the bullpen. "I felt like we were just playing a video game," he said of his time across town, during which he posted a 6.00 ERA in 12 games.
CBS Sports | Rotowire Staff: Luis Gil faced live batters on Friday for the first time since early May, throwing BP. He's been on the minor-league IL, working back from right shoulder inflammation. The former Rookie of the Year was disastrous in four starts early this year and has no guaranteed role upon his return.

#warren #trade

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Dodgers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Even great teams have room for improvement, and for the Dodgers in 2026, one of those paths is in the acquisition of a catcher. Will Smith has been out since early June with neck inflammation, and updates on his condition have put into question if and when the veteran might be back. We asked the fans if the Dodgers should proceed with the current depth chart believing in Smith's return or plan for the worst while they still can.
All in all, with the resources that this team possesses and the lack of holes to fill, to look for a catching addition feels like a given. Perhaps more than what we may see with the bat, the Dodgers ought to look at adding a steady presence, a catcher who can be relied on to not only do his job but also excel behind the plate defensively.
What adds layers to this debate is that for a team on the market for a catcher, there are legit game-changing options to at least call about. Although none of them are explicitly on the block, controllable beyond just this current campaign, Hunter Goodman, Shea Langeliers, and Adley Rutschman each could be seen within reason as trade candidates. Acquiring any of them, though, would inevitably back the Dodgers into a corner down the line since Smith is going nowhere long-term.
Perhaps in Minnesota, the Dodgers might find targets that are more their speed in Ryan Jeffers or Victor Caratini. Quietly, one of the better-hitting catchers in the AL over the last four seasons, Jeffers has been phenomenal with a .933 OPS in a short sample (44 games) due to missed time this year. With Caratini, who is under contract through next season at a reasonable rate, the Dodgers would be getting stability above all else, adding a player perfectly willing to fade into a backup role down the line. Caratini might even provide Rushing insurance if the youngster hits his way into staying on as a starter in the playoffs.

#Dodgers #fans #smith #jeffers

The catcher position has been the Yankees' Achilles heel all season, but they may find their answer in the coming days.
The Yankees have the second-worst OPS (.531) from the catcher position in MLB. The duties have been split between Austin Wells, Ali Sanchez and J.C. Escarra this season, with Wells playing in 70 games and holding a .163 batting average and .524 OPS.
The Yankees are expected to pursue an upgrade at the position ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline, and The Athletic's Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal have thrown a new name into the mix.
Yankees -1.5 run line on DraftKings for Friday's series opener versus the Phillies. Our complete DraftKings Sportsbook review will show you how to sign up and use their platform.
"The Cincinnati Reds' Tyler Stephenson, one available catcher, might become an alternative for the Yankees, and other teams are pursuing the Minnesota Twins' Ryan Jeffers," Sammon and Rosenthal wrote on Thursday.

#catcher #sammon #draftkings #season

The Brooklyn Nets are now moving on with the rest of their offseason with the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League in the rearview mirror following a successful summer circuit. Brooklyn has made various moves over the course of the summer, including trading for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, and one of the ****** istant coaches approves of where the roster is at right now.
"What we’re excited about is the depth of legitimate NBA rotation players and potential rotation players we have now," a Nets ****** istant coach said of the team, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac. As the roster stands as of this writing, the starting lineup could be Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Demin, Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, and Day'Ron Sharpe.
"Not to speak ill of last year’s team, but we were down to rookies and non-NBA-level players by the end of the year. This year, we’ve got depth and the kids are improving too," the ****** istant coach continued, per Smith. Brooklyn finished the 2025-26 season with a lowly 20-62 record, rewarding them with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, allowing them to take Brown.
To the ****** istant coach's point, the Nets have re-signed Sharpe and forward Josh Minott while adding Randle, guard Keon Ellis, and center Mo Wagner (while his deal hasn't been officially announced yet). More to the point, Brooklyn has moved on from center Nic Claxton (who they traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of the four-team deal with the Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets) while forward Ziaire Williams signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in free-agency.
The Nets also added forwards Joshua Jefferson and Tyler Bilodeau in the 2026 draft to go along with the five first-rounders they took in the 2025 class that the team is hoping breaks through at some point. Time will tell how good this current roster will be next season but as it stands now, one of Brooklyn's ****** istant coaches believes that this roster is better than the one from last season.

#assistant #team #forward #year

Olympic gold medallist Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson eased into the 100m semi-finals at the US athletics championships on Thursday.
Lyles, who captured 100m gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024, won his heat in 9.97sec to book his semi-final berth with the second-quickest time of the day behind the 9.96 posted by former world champion Christian Coleman.
Richardson, the 2023 world champion and 2024 Olympic silver medallist, topped the women's heats in 10.90sec.
She will be a heavy favorite for the ****** le on Friday, with Melissa Jefferson-Wooden -- a treble gold medallist at last year's world championships -- opting to race the 200m only this week.
Lyles called his championships opener a good warm-up "just to get the engine firing".

#lyles

NEW YORK (AP) — Sha'Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles cruised through their first-round races of the 100 meters on Thursday at the U.S. track championships.
Richardson had the top time of 10.90 seconds in the women's race. That was despite taking an extra moment in the starting block to make sure she didn't false start and shutting it down early to conserve energy. Richardson is a big favorite to win with reigning 100-meter world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden skipping the event to focus on the 200.
The semifinals and final will be held Friday at Icahn Stadium.
Lyles, the reigning Olympic champion, started slow — just like Richardson — but quickly powered up to full speed. He finished in 9.97 seconds to edge Ronnie Baker in the second heat. The top time was turned in by Christian Coleman, who went 9.96 in the first heat. Kenny Bednarek, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 200, won his heat as well.
Bednarek and Lyles were involved in a shoving and shouting match at U.S. championships last summer as they crossed the finish line of a hotly contested 200-meter final at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

#olympic

One of the favorite offseason pieces of content is ranking the top players at every position and letting the discussion commence. Or arguments, or however folks like to get their points across.
Here's a take for you to ponder: Amon-Ra St. Brown as the fifth-best wide receiver in the NFL. That's where the Sun God landed in the wide receiver rankings over at Pro Football Focus, from Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick.
St. Brown has been as steady as they come over the past four seasons with the Lions. His 93.6 PFF receiving grade since 2022 ranks second in the NFL behind only Puka Nacua. No receiver has been better at moving the chains, as St. Brown's 285 combined receiving first downs and touchdowns over that span are 16 more than any other wide receiver. The former fourth-round pick's 33 receiving touchdowns over the past three seasons also lead the NFL.
Steady as they come. Excellent way to describe St. Brown. Since his breakout rookie season, St. Brown has been the straw that stirs the drink in the Lions' passing attack. Four straight 100-catch and 1,000-yard seasons, plus three straight seasons with double-digit touchdowns. He may not be the top guy for a lot of **** ysts, but he's not far off and is one of the very safe bets, especially if you are looking at him for your upcoming fantasy football drafts.
The only receivers ranked ahead of St. Brown on this list are Puka Nacua (Los Angeles Rams), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seattle Seahawks), Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings) and Ja'Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals).

#brown

As we pass the midway point of the 2020s, it's worth looking back at which players made the biggest impact on the NFL over the past five season.
The Los Angeles Rams were one of three teams to have at least three players listed on Fox Sports' "Half-Decade Team," with Davante Adams, Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald all earning spots on the star-studded roster. Los Angeles tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the second-most representatives of any franchise, behind only the Baltimore Ravens' four. And if you're wondering where Matthew Stafford is, Fox Sports only picked one quarterback, and it was hard to leave Patrick Mahomes off this list.
But the Rams' total comes with an asterisk the Chiefs and Ravens don't share: two of the three honorees have spent a combined one season in Los Angeles so far. Adams arrived via trade in 2025 and just completed his first year with the team. Garrett only just joined this offseason after being dealt from Cleveland in a blockbuster move, and has yet to play a single snap in a Rams uniform. Only Donald's Rams tenure predates the recent roster overhaul — and he's been retired the past two seasons.
Adams made the cut at wide receiver alongside Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase. The 33-year-old is one of two receivers with three first-team All-Pro nods since 2020, alongside Tyreek Hill, and led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns in his first season with the Rams.
Garrett headlines the edge rusher spot after setting a single-season NFL record with 23 sacks last season — while still a Brown. No edge rusher in the league has more first-team All-Pro selections since 2020 than his five, a total he shares the position slot with Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt.

#season

Austin Wells has not had a good year, and the New York Yankees are in desperate need of an upgrade at catcher.
With Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton out, the offense is already down two big bats. Replacing players who are underperforming would do wonders for the team, and Wells is a clear candidate to be replaced. Ryan Jeffers will be a free agent after the season, and the Yankees have already reportedly shown interest in him.
Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley predicted the Yankees would pull off a trade for Jeffers, and it would certainly make them favorites in the American League. The Yankees already have the second-best record in the American League, despite playing without Judge and Stanton and missing Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon for extended periods of time.
Jeffers has a .950 OPS and has nine homers in 43 games. He is having his best offensive season and has picked up right where he left off after coming off the injured list.
Wells is hitting .158 with a .511 OPS. He is pretty much an automatic out at this point, and finding a better catcher should be the Yankees' top priority at the deadline. They know they will get Judge and Stanton back at some point, so upgrading at catcher should make them the clear favorites in the AL.

#judge #american #league

The New York Yankees' biggest roster hole couldn't be more obvious right now.
New York surprisingly is leading the American League with a +88 run differential despite the fact that it has struggled recently and has been missing Aaron Judge in the middle of the lineup.
The Yankees remain among the top contenders in the American League, but they desperately need a boost at catcher right now because of the fact that Austin Wells is hitting .158. That's not going to cut it at all.
On Tuesday, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal noted that Minnesota Twins backstop Ryan Jeffers appears to be the "most obvious" target for New York.
"The New York Yankees want to add a right-handed hitting catcher, and the Minnesota Twins' Ryan Jeffers still appears to be their most obvious target," Rosenthal wrote.

#obvious #league #twins

LAS VEGAS — Chris Cenac Jr. wasn’t expected to be available when the Celtics picked at No. 26 last month. However, the raw big man slipped down draft boards, leaving Boston with an emerging young talent to invest in.
The early returns remained promising on Monday night as Cenac Jr. bounced back from a tough first half to finish with 16 points, five rebounds and four blocks in Boston’s 102-90 loss to the Hawks.
Through three games, Cenac Jr. is averaging three blocks per game, putting him among the league leaders in Summer League as a 19-year-old. There have been flashes on both ends of the floor despite some inconsistency.
“Chris is really impressive, especially with his size,” Amile Jefferson said at a recent practice. “He has super big hands. He’s really mobile, he can move. It’s been really good. Just in this last week, see the growth, see how the coaching has impacted him, getting him to play really hard, screening, making points and then just being a connector for our team.”
With Mitchell Robinson, Neemias Queta and Luka Garza all ahead of him on Boston’s depth chart, the Celtics know they can take a long-term approach with Cenac’s development. The foundation in place give them a lot to work with since his athleticism and leaping ability look like he belongs in the NBA already.

The quarterback play of the Minnesota Vikings has been a rollercoaster in terms of who is under center in recent years. Despite that, the play of their passers has been decent up until last season, when an often-injured and inconsistent J.J. McCarthy made the offense come to a screeching halt.
The Minnesota Vikings need to have a better offense in 2026, plain and simple. The Vikings did what they could to improve it, and now they will be leaning on former Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray to lead them into their next chapter. That move was enough for Bleacher Report's Moe Moton to include them among his top five teams improved this offseason.
Moton writes, "Although Murray underperformed in Arizona over the last few years, he could see a career resurgence under O'Connell, who has called plays for a top-six passing offense in three of his four years with the Vikings. The 28-year-old signal-caller needs to stay healthy, though. Murray joined a team with a solid wide receiver duo in two-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Minnesota signed Jennings, who caught 55 passes for 643 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns last season with the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings will have a new dynamic starting quarterback and one of the league's best receiver trios this year. Expect this offense to rack up points as one of the top 10 scoring units."
Murray is going to have the best supporting cast of his career. Pairing that with a coaching staff that has shown they can get the most of reclamation projects at quarterback. The perfect storm could be brewing for the Vikings on offense in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings' offense earns praise for improvements from Bleacher Report

If there is a theme for this year's Boston Celtics squad at the NBA's 2026 Las Vegas Summer League, it has been growing together. From the prospect added to the roster at the last minute to the players on contract with Boston all the way up to Sin City Celtics head coach Amile Jefferson, putting work to do their respective job with the Summer Celtics has been the focus. "For me, it was just finding ways to keep coaching these guys and keep motivating them," said Jefferson via CLNS Media.
"Trying to make our habits stronger than being tired, stronger than being comfortable, stronger than playing a back-to-back," added the Celtics **** istant. "How can we find our habits and regain the poise to fight"
"We brought in some guys at the end of the game who just played with energy and brought those habits back (...)," said Jefferson. "And so as a coach, I think you're always trying to help the guys, no matter what point in the game it is and no matter what the score is."
As for the players, Jefferson saw plenty of growth as well. "It's awesome. You really get proud of those guys when they don't stop," he said. "Sometimes things don't go your way. Sometimes you can't make a shot. And at the end of the day, can you lean in ... on your habits and on the effort and on competitive spirit?"
"And even when it's not going well, can you find ways to make a play? And is that a deflection? Is it a steal? Is it an offensive rebound? I tell all our guys every day, everyone can offensive rebound. Everyone can sprint the floor. Everyone can play defense. So just trying to keep the guys in the right mindset, no matter what the score is."

Three schools, three different seasons.
John Castrilla’s collegiate basketball journey started at Bryant and Stratton and ended at Fredonia State University.
“It’s something I wouldn’t change, but I wouldn’t do it again,” the Jefferson graduate said.
Castrilla, a 1000-plus point scorer for the Falcons, has decided to hang up the basketball shoes in the college setting.
“Based on my body, it wasn’t probably worth it [to play another season],” he said.

The Las Vegas Raiders' passing offense ranked 28th in the league last season, averaging 167.7 yards per game. It was a collective issue on offense, with the quarterbacks and offensive line also deserving blame for the lack of success. There's no denying that the wide receivers need to be better in 2026 though.
The Raiders made one splash in free agency at wide receiver. Elsewhere, they're relying on head coach Klint Kubiak and new quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins to drastically improve the aerial attack. Taking everything into consideration, we've ranked the Raiders' projected top five wide receivers from best to worst.
Tre Tucker led all Raiders pass catchers in receiving last year with 696 yards and five touchdowns. The former Cincinnati wideout is a speedster who possesses even more potential in Coach Kubiak's offensive scheme. Tucker should continue being a reliable outlet for the Raiders' quarterbacks while possibly taking his game to new heights in Kubiak's system.
The Raiders signed Jalen Nailor in free agency to a multi-year contract worth more than $11 million per season despite him never topping 444 yards in a single season throughout his four-year rookie deal. The belief is that getting Nailor away from the Minnesota Vikings, who have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison at the position, will make him significantly more productive. He'll likely see a career-high amount of targets in 2026, and possesses the athletic traits needed to take advantage of his opportunities.
Sophomore Jack Bech needs to be significantly better after producing just 20 catches for 224 yards and zero touchdowns as a rookie. The production did not meet the investment of a top-60 pick. Bech will possess every opportunity to be the starting slot receiver, so expectations are far higher.

The new 2027 rankings were released Monday and there were a lot of changes after all the big summer events. Here's the latest intel and some thoughts on the top players in California heading through July:
When Wright was committed to Georgia, a lot of the talk around him was that he was going to end up flipping but that Oregon was the biggest threat.
But there were people who kept saying Miami was the team to beat – although they were in the minority – and the Ducks seemed confident that they'd end up landing him in the end.
The new No. 1 cornerback in the Rivals rankings, the Long Beach Poly standout said he loved everything about Miami, how it got to the national championship last season, how coach Will Harris and Terry Jefferson interacted with him and a promise from coach Mario Cristobal that he'd have a big opportunity to start from Day 1.
From the early stages of his recruitment, USC was going to be tough to beat for the San Diego Cathedral Catholic two-way standout who idolized Reggie Bush and others from his hometown growing up.

LAS VEGAS -- Brooklyn Nets forward Julius Randle came to the Nets this offseason after being with the Minnesota Timberwolves and competing for championships over the past two seasons. While Brooklyn likely has hopes of taking another step forward next season, that step may not be anything close to getting to the NBA Finals. Randle is understanding of that, but also sees the upside.
"I really think it’s just mindset and approach. The league is more balanced than it has ever been. Every game is a different game, every game matters," Randle said to the media in Las Vegas over the weekend. Randle, 31, joins a Brooklyn team that is coming off a 20-62 record in the 2025-26 season and despite adding the three-time All-Star, the Nets are likely winning around 30 games, barring any unforeseen moves.
"So, it's different obviously than the team I was on, than I was at in Minnesota; but I believe in our team. I believe in the talent that we have," Randle continued. "And I think it's really just how we approach every single game. It's really about what we believe as a group and not the outside noise or the expectation. It’s our expectation amongst ourselves, and what we believe as a group."
Randle is coming off another solid season as he averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.0 ******* ists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 48.1% from the field and 31.5% from behind the three-point line in 79 games played for the Timberwolves. As Minnesota was looking to return this summer, they traded Randle and the No. 28 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft (forward Joshua Jefferson) to the Nets in exchange for the No. 33 pick.
Randle goes from playing alongside Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert to sharing the floor with forward Michael Porter Jr. and guard Egor Demin, among others. Despite the fact that the Nets are leaning into the development of the younger players on the roster in Demin and guard Mikel Brown Jr., Randle is confident in what the team currently has and it seems like it will come down to how the team prepares for the upcoming season in training camp.

The Washington Commanders are a team of mystery in 2026. Washington has new offensive and defensive coordinators in 2026. David Blough and Daronte Jones are both first-time NFL coordinators, and Blough is entering only his third season as a coach after last playing in the NFL in 2023.
When you have first-time coordinators, there's a bit of a mystery about what type of schemes they'll run. Jones has worked under several notable defensive minds, such as Mike Zimmer, Lou Anarumo, Marvin Lewis and, most recently, Brian Flores.
As for Blough, he spent time under Ben Johnson, Kevin O'Connell and former Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. While Blough's scheme is expected to feature some of what Kingsbury did, everyone expects a Johnson-influenced offense with more play action, pre-snap motion, and quarterback Jayden Daniels under center more frequently.
One reason head coach Dan Quinn moved on from Kingsbury was that he and GM Adam Peters wanted a different offensive approach. Less of the fast-break, no-huddle approach from Kingsbury, and more of a traditional offense to take advantage of Daniels' dual-threat ability.
There's more mystery about Washington's offensive playmakers around Daniels. Did Peters do enough to improve the offense around Daniels? That's been a featured question throughout the offseason. Peters made significant investments in the defense, which should help Daniels more than anything. Offensively, the Commanders added some interesting names in free agency, including tight end Chig Okonkwo, running back Rachaad White, and receivers Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson, as well as Antonio Williams via the NFL draft.

Here is the week-by-week 2026 schedule for central Ohio high school football. Schedules were obtained from area schools and are subject to change.
Fairbanks at North Robinson Colonel Crawford; Harvest Prep at Versailles
Africentric at Groveport; Amanda-Clearcreek at West Jefferson; Bellville Clear Fork at Granville; Berlin Center Western Reserve at Whetstone; Berne Union at Bidwell River Valley; Bloom-Carroll at Caledonia River Valley; Bucyrus Wynford at Cardington; Canal Winchester at Grove City; Centennial at Grandview Heights; Centerburg at Utica; Chillicothe Southeastern at Fairfield Christian; Circleville at Chillicothe; Dalton at Danville; Dayton Dunbar at Briggs; Delaware at Buckeye Valley; Dublin Coffman at Hartley; Dublin Scioto at Thomas Worthington; East Knox at Northridge; Eastmoor Academy vs. Ready at Fortress Obetz; Fisher Catholic at Belpre; Franklin Heights at West; Fredericktown at Highland; Hamilton Township at Whitehall; Heath at Duncan Falls Philo; Hilliard Bradley at Big Walnut; Hilliard Darby at Lancaster; Huntington at Newark Catholic; KIPP Columbus at Beechcroft; Liberty Union at Woodsfield Monroe Central; Licking Heights at Newark; Linden-McKinley at Bexley; Logan Elm at Chillicothe Zane Trace; Madison-Plains at Westfall; Mansfield Senior at Hilliard Davidson; Marion Pleasant at North Union; Martins Ferry at Mount Gilead; Marysville at Westerville North; Millersport at Portsmouth Sciotoville East; Mount Vernon at Marion Harding; New Albany at London; New Lexington at Fairfield Union; Northland at Columbus Academy; Olentangy Liberty vs. Lakewood St. Edward at Lakewood; Olentangy Orange at Olentangy Berlin; Pickerington Central at Gahanna; Pickerington North at Troy; Reynoldsburg at Toledo Whitmer; St. Charles at Central Crossing; South at Mifflin; Thornville Sheridan at Licking Valley; Upper Arlington at Olentangy; Vermilion at Johnstown; Walnut Ridge at East; Watkins Memorial at Worthington Kilbourne; Watterson at Whitehouse Anthony Wayne; West Liberty-Salem at Jonathan Alder; Westerville Central at Marion-Franklin; Westerville South at Dublin Jerome; Westland at Teays Valley; Worthington Christian at Grove City Christian; Youngstown Ursuline at DeSales; Zanesville West Muskingum at Lakewood
Independence vs. Dayton Meadowdale at Welcome Stadium; Columbus Crusaders at Byron Center (Michigan) Grand Valley Christian
Beechcroft at Independence; Berne Union at Chillicothe Huntington; Bexley at Worthington Christian; Big Walnut at Dublin Coffman; Briggs at Dublin Scioto; Buckeye Valley at Africentric; Bucyrus Wynford at East Knox; Canal Winchester at New Albany; Cardington at Sycamore Mohawk; Centerburg at Johnstown; Cincinnati Aiken at Northland; Circleville at Washington Court House; Cleveland Glenville at Olentangy Liberty; Cleveland St. Ignatius at Pickerington North; Danville at Utica; DeSales at Walnut Ridge; East at Whitehall; Eastmoor Academy at Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy; Franklin Heights at Linden-McKi

Kyndryl Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KD) is one of the best up and coming tech stocks to buy now. On June 18, Kyndryl and Amazon Web Services/AWS announced an expanded strategic collaboration agreement designed to help enterprise customers move beyond AI experimentation to the deployment of agentic AI. Through increased investment in talent development and joint solution engineering, the partners aim to help organizations automate operations and modernize mission-critical workloads on AWS.
The collaboration focuses on creating industry-specific modernization blueprints that leverage agentic AI to reduce manual effort and improve operational efficiency. This initiative addresses a common challenge identified in the Kyndryl Readiness Report, where many businesses struggle to realize tangible benefits from their heavy AI investments.
Photo by Jefferson Santos on Unsplash
By combining Kyndryl Holdings Inc.'s (NYSE:KD) expertise in mission-critical IT services with AWS's cloud infrastructure, the companies plan to accelerate business transformation for global customers. The agreement also supports their collaborative efforts in Europe, specifically regarding the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, ensuring that organizations can modernize their environments while maintaining data control and system reliability.
Kyndryl Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KD) provides IT infrastructure services, including cloud migration, network management, cybersecurity, and digital workplace solutions. The company was spun off from IBM in 2021 and operates globally with a focus on modernizing legacy systems and supporting digital transformation.

LAS VEGAS -- Brooklyn Nets rookie forward Joshua Jefferson had to wait a long time before he could officially step onto an NBA floor as a member of the Nets. The trade that brought Minnesota forward Julius Randle to Brooklyn was officially completed on Friday, paving the way for Jefferson to make his Las Vegas Summer League debut and he gave his thoughts on how he played.
"Definitely. I think today was my first game in like four months since March when I got hurt. So, it's really been a long time since I've been in a playing setting because I wasn't able to get any practice reps either," Jefferson said to the media following Saturday's 83-76 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Jefferson finished the game with nine points and two steals, but he also shot just 1-of-8 from the field.
"So, I definitely think I'm gonna be fine. I showed some glimpses today of what I can do with the ball in my hand so I just got to keep playing," Jefferson continued before explaining how his skillset fits with Brooklyn's roster. "I think just the way my passing can affect the game, making everybody feel involved, get the ball flying around. It's easy to guard people when the ball's sticking in one person's hand."
Coming into the 2026 NBA Draft, Jefferson, whom the Nets selected with the No. 28 pick, was heralded as a forward with the versatility to be a playmaker within an offense along with bringing some intriguing long-range shooting if he improves in that area. Jefferson wasn't able to practice with Brooklyn in an official capacity until the trade was finalized, but he made up for lost time with how aggressive he was on the offensive end.
Heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, Jefferson is likely to be coming off the bench at the forward spot given that Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle will be in the starting lineup come opening night. However, if Jefferson's debut is any indication, he is looking to earn playing time from now through training camp, especially now that he is officially able to play during summer league as a member of the roster.

Twins have 'no interest' in selling .948 OPS catcher at trade deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Minnesota Twins are not having the season many might've expected coming into the year. Instead of sitting at the bottom of the AL Central and looking like one of the worst teams in the league, the Twins are in the thick of the postseason hunt.
Sitting at 47-49, the Twins are right in lock-step with the Seattle Mariners for the third and final AL Wild Card spot, and they're only 3.0 games back in the AL Central. This team might not sell; they could be deadline buyers.
Amid such a potential plan for the Twins, USA Today's Bob Nightengale is reporting that the Twins have "no interest" in trading away a key trade chip in Ryan Jeffers this summer, despite plenty of interest from around the league.
"... and the Twins have no interest in trading Jeffers unless they fall out of the mediocre AL Central race, hanging just 2 games back," Nightengale writes.

LAS VEGAS — Oh yes, the art of the buzzkill.
For a minute there, when the lights went down in Las Vegas, and the fascia ring lit up with the familiar Irish colors at the T-Mobile Arena, everyone stood on their feet to catch a glimpse of Conor McGregor making his way to the Octagon. You can say what you want about McGregor's many inconvenient truths, the hysteria of his fight nights is next to a religious experience in the game.
If there was a snake, it would've been passed around.
In a conversation with Marc Ratner, the UFC's Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, he mentioned being there for Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns back in the 1980s when he headed up the Nevada Athletic Commission. He understood a big-fight feel, is what he was saying, looking around at the atmosphere Saturday at UFC 329.
One group of fans, while walking from New York, New York Hotel to the arena, were singing Bowie's "Five Years" because, well, that's how long it had been. Five years. A lot has happened. Lifetimes. Wars. Twitter's conversion into X. Everyone from Justin Jefferson to Tucker Carlson to Anthony Kiedis was there, along with the full galaxy of Vons, from Theo to Vince Vaughn to Erich von Stroheim — or at least that's who the UFC might've misidentified Justin Gaethje as when showing him on the celebrity cam.

Timberwolves officially ties with declining $100 million ex-Lakers, Knicks forward via four-team trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are moving on from a declining former Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks forward after two seasons with the franchise.
On Friday, Minnesota completed a monster four-team LaMelo Ball-centered deal to send the 31-year-old veteran to the Brooklyn Nets.
“The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has acquired guards LaMelo Ball and Josh Green from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for forward Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, three second-round picks, and three future first-round pick swaps,” the franchise’s press release stated.
“As part of the four-team deal, which includes the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls, the Timberwolves will receive the draft rights to guard Isaiah Evans from the Nets in exchange for forward Julius Randle and the draft rights to forward Joshua Jefferson.”

The Brooklyn Nets made one of the bigger moves this offseason when they reportedly acquired forward Julius Randle and the No. 28 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Brooklyn still officially doesn't have Randle or Iowa State Joshua Jefferson (the No. 28 pick) on the roster due to the deal still pending, but there appears to be another reason as well.
"Brooklyn does still possess the cap ******* e to furnish Watson with an offer sheet in his desired salary range, but I'm told that the Nets have been internally ******* sing how to utilize their available spending power before officially completing their multi-team trade," NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote on the Nets for The Stein Line. Brooklyn is one of just a few teams that can offer Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson the kind of money he's looking for in restricted free-agency.
Whether the Nets are pursuing Watson in free-agency will depend on how much they're willing to pay him to bring him in the building following his breakout season. NBA salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan reported on July 6 that Brooklyn had nearly $25 million in cap ******* e after signing center Day'Ron Sharpe, forward Josh Minott, and guard Keon Ellis. Watson reportedly is looking for his next deal to average $25 million per year.
"They could spend it, then go over the cap to sign Moe Wagner (room mid-level) and trade for Julius Randle (expanded TPE)," Gozlan wrote on X explaining the options that the Nets have at that moment. "That amount will be reduced if they do any of those two transactions first. They won't have much time to use it, since they probably can't hold up the four-team Nets-Hornets-Wolves-Bulls trade for too long."
At this point in free-agency, Watson is considered one of the best free-agents on the market that is a realistic target for the Nets along with players like Los Angeles Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin and Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan ******* inga. Brooklyn still pending transactions involving Randle and Orlando Magic center Mo Wagner, but it seems like they're to maximize what they can do with their cap ******* e at the moment.

The Tennessee ****** ans are off on summer vacation and won't return until training camp begins in late July. Coach Robert Saleh and general manager Mike Borgonzi have spent half a year reinventing the ****** ans depth chart in Saleh's image, making changes in an attempt to create depth and playmaking dynamism after back-to-back 3-14 seasons.
To bridge the summer break into the season, The Tennessean is looking at each ****** ans position group individually and evaluating the big questions that will determine how the ****** ans' 2026 season goes. We now look at Carnell Tate and the ****** ans' wide receivers.
Let's talk about Justin Jefferson for a second.
Since the Minnesota Vikings drafted Jefferson in 2020, he's made four All-Pro teams and put up six straight 1,000-yard seasons. His name's never been far from the "best receiver in football" debate, and for good reason. No one in NFL history's accounted for more receiving yards in his first six seasons than Jefferson.
Jefferson was the fifth receiver off the board when the Vikings picked him No. 22 overall in 2020. In retrospect, it's hard to separate Jefferson's now-laughable draft slide from his status on one of the best college football teams ever. Jefferson was the second fiddle on LSU's championship 2019 receiving corps behind Ja'Marr Chase, a superstar prospect who's lived up to his billing and has a good shot at breaking Jefferson's first-six-years-in-the-league receiving record in 2026.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Vikings fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It is time. . .once again. . .for another of our SB Nation Reacts surveys about our Minnesota Vikings, where we ask the readers of the internet’s best site about this particular football team their opinion on a matter of importance. Since we asked about who will lead the team in a notable defensive statistical category last week, we’ve decided to move over to the offensive side of the ball this week.
Specifically, we want to know who you think will lead the Vikings in touchdown catches for the 2026 season. I know that the instinct for a lot of folks is going to be for the great Justin Jefferson to have a big-time bounce-back season after a rough 2025, but it’s worth pointing out an important stat. For as great as Jefferson has been, he’s only outright led the Vikings in touchdown receptions twice in his six seasons with the team: 2022 and 2024. He tied for the team lead in 2021 with Adam Thielen, so he’s had a share in the team lead three times in his six seasons with the Vikings.
Jefferson’s new teammate, Jauan Jennings, led the San Francisco 49ers in touchdown receptions last season with nine, and Jordan Addison had 10 touchdown catches in his rookie season back in 2023, so this team has three different receivers who have each led their team in touchdown catches at some point. T.J. Hockenson is still in the mix as well and could certainly factor in as a red zone threat.
With all of those things in mind, we want to hear your opinion on who you think is going to lead this team in touchdown catches in 2026. Will it be one of the big three receivers? Can Hockenson regain some of the form he had prior to his knee injury? Or is there a player that we’re not seeing that is going to surprise us somehow?

OTTUMWA — It may be the last time an Ottumwa High School softball team competes on the field that bares his name.
Frank Huston made sure to get the final ball thrown in a game on what has been, for the past 52 years, the home diamond of the 28-time state qualifiers and two-time state champions. Huston came very close this season to achieving one last milestone on the field he has helped oversee and take care of for the past five decades, reaching 1,899 career wins on Monday with Ottumwa's doubleheader sweep of Cedar Rapids Jefferson.
The Bulldogs made short work of the final scheduled high school varsity softball doubleheader to be played at Huston Field, winning each game in four innings with a 12-1 win in game one and a 13-3 win in game two. Breanna Griffiths and Caysen Thompson, two of Ottumwa's four seniors to play in their final scheduled home game for the program, each hit their very first home runs at Huston Field as part of the opening-game victory for the Bulldogs while Lily Garrison connected on her second career Huston Field homer in game two helping OHS erase an early three-run deficit.
"There have been a lot of good memories here. It's hard to leave," Huston said. "If everything goes according to plan, this field will be used next season as the junior high's home field."
That would be because Ottumwa is scheduled to have a new home softball complex to call home next season. As part of the Greater Ottumwa Park renovation plan that was approved three years ago, the quadrant of the park where John Hart Stadium and the Ottumwa Babe Ruth baseball complex is located is set to have 16 new fields in place including what would be the new diamond for the Bulldog high school softball team.

WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — Michael Alfonso, the 26-year-old son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, has an answer for people who say he doesn't have the experience necessary to join Congress as its youngest member.
He points to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
"They were 26 when they were first elected to public office," said Alfonso, a Republican.
Alfonso is trying to ride support from his father-in-law to win his old House seat in rural northern Wisconsin. Duffy has repeatedly jetted back to the district to campaign and raise money for Alfonso, and he's tapped $1 million from his old congressional account to support Alfonso's candidacy.
Alfonso has also scored the endorsement of President Donald Trump, who called him a "MAGA warrior." But to Alfonso's detractors, including prominent Republicans in the 7th Congressional District, he's too young and inexperienced for the job.

Yankees have 3 other catcher trade options besides Ryan Jeffers to consider originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Yankees need an upgrade at the catcher position.
Badly.
Austin Wells is having one of the worst offensive seasons in the organization's history. He has a .483 OPS through 201 plate appearances.
As the trade deadline approaches, the Yankees will almost certainly be in the market for another backstop.