Scientists have discovered a new species of lizard in the Peruvian Andes, the Natural History Museum of San Marcos University said Saturday.
The lizard measures between six and eight centimeters (2.4-3.2 inches) and has distinct coloration depending on ****** .
Females have square-shaped spots on their backs, while males have oblique spots and white scales that help them blend into their rocky surroundings.
The lizard feeds on plants and small arthropods, including spiders, beetles, true bugs and insect larvae.
The new species was found at an altitude of more than 4,800 meters (15,750 feet) in the southern Andean region of Arequipa and was given the name Liolaemus archipensis.

#species #peruvian #history

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons' opening loss at Pittsburgh only added more uncertainty to the quarterback question that has persisted since the start of training camp.
Cooper Rush's performance in the Falcons' 20-13 loss to the Steelers on Sunday had some fans wondering why undrafted rookie Jack Strand wasn't given an opportunity and more fans asking when Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa will be ready to play. Rush threw two interceptions, including T.J. Watt's pick-6 in the fourth quarter. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.
Rush was named the starter on Friday after Tagovailoa was ruled out with an oblique injury. Rush started despite having back spasms on Saturday. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Rush was close to full health, but the conservative game plan with an emphasis on short passes placed too much of a burden on running back Bijan Robinson.
Stefanski said Monday he had no update on Tagovailoa or on Penix, who did not play in the preseason as he continues his recovery from a torn ligament in his left knee that ended his 2025 season. Penix was cleared for full team drills late in training camp.
Both Tagovailoa and Penix were inactive against the Steelers, and it is not known if either will return for next Sunday's home opener against Carolina.

#penix #steelers #loss #training

Why Falcons likely won't bench Cooper Rush for beloved UDFA after rough Week 1 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Falcons have a very brutal quarterback situation during the 2026 NFL season. Michael Penix Jr. is supposed to be the starter, but he's coming off an injury and isn't 100% just yet.
Tua Tagovailoa was meant to be the starter, but he sustained an oblique injury during practice, leaving Cooper Rush to start. He, too, was dealing with an injury, but the Falcons stuck with him as the starter. That was a mistake, as he really struggled.
It wouldn't be surprising for fans and media to call for the Falcons to start beloved undrafted free agent quarterback Jack Strand in place of Rush. But, Marc Raimondi of ESPN shared why the Falcons won't make the switch, as they don't believe he's ready yet.
"It does not seem like the team thinks undrafted rookie Jack Strand, who played great in the preseason, is ready just yet," Raimondi writes.

#falcons #strand

How to Watch Steelers vs. Falcons Today: Channel, Live Stream & Start Time for Week 1 Game originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Steelers will begin the 2026 campaign with a home game against the Falcons on Sunday afternoon.
Aaron Rodgers will look to lead Pittsburgh back to the playoffs in the final season of his career alongside new coach Mike McCarthy, who replaced Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers will face backup quarterback Cooper Rush after Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out with an oblique injury. Can Pittsburgh keep the pressure on Rush and start the year with a win?
Here is everything you need to know about Steelers vs. Falcons, including TV and streaming options for Pittsburgh's season opener.

#falcons #sportsnet #start #game

The Atlanta Falcons' quarterback situation has somehow become even more complicated ahead of their Week 1 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The team announced on Saturday that quarterback Cooper Rush is dealing with back spasms. Despite the issue though, Rush remains on track to start against Pittsburgh.
Rush had already been pushed into the starting role after Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during Thursday's practice and was ruled out for Week 1. Michael Penix Jr. is also unavailable as he continues his recovery from the torn ACL he suffered last season.
That leaves rookie Jack Strand as Atlanta's primary backup behind Rush. The undrafted quarterback has drawn plenty of interest from Falcons fans, with many hoping to eventually see what Strand can do in regular-season action. Rush remains the clear starter for now, but his back issues could make Strand's status worth monitoring throughout Sunday's game.

#quarterback #week #pittsburgh #back

Americans Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek won the 100m at the first World Athletics Ultimate Championship, the biggest track and field meet of 2026.
Jefferson-Wooden clocked 10.62 seconds, one hundredth off her personal best from winning the 2025 World ****** le. Julien Alfred, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist, was runner-up in 10.74, followed by 2024 Olympic silver medalist Sha'Carri Richardson in 10.76.
Jefferson-Wooden, who has one 100m defeat since taking bronze at the Paris Games, is the fourth-fastest woman in history behind American Florence Griffith Joyner (world record 10.49) and Jamaicans Elaine Thompson-Herah (10.54) and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.60).
Bednarek, a two-time Olympic 200m silver medalist, earned the biggest individual race win of his career. He ran 9.85, beating 2025 World champion Oblique Seville of Jamaica by five hundredths. Bednarek is also running Sunday in the 200, an event where's the world's fastest man this year.
ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Results | Broadcast Schedule

#bednarek #olympic

Washington Commanders LB K'Lavon Chaisson (knee), LB Odafe Oweh (calf) and DT Daron Payne (knee) were limited participants in practice Friday, Sept. 11, but are not listed on the Week 1 injury report. OG Nick Allegretti (calf), DT Javon Kinlaw (back), LB Jordan Magee (chest), QB Marcus Mariota (knee), DE Charles Omenihu (wrist) and TE Ben Sinnott (oblique) fully participated and are not on the injury report.
SOURCE: Commanders PR
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Week 1 injury report for Commanders

#injury #washington #odafe

Both the Steelers and the Falcons have new coaching staffs heading into Week 1. It's safe to say both franchises will be looking to start their new era off on the right foot with a victory. I spoke with Kevin Knight of The Falcoholic to learn a bit about what's new with the Atlanta Falcons.
Kevin Knight: Well, now even Tua Tagovailoa is out of the lineup thanks to an oblique injury suffered during individual drills on Thursday. That means Cooper Rush at the helm (who, in truth, may not be any worse than Tua based on the aforementioned preseason). What you're going to see is a lot of quick game, and as much Bijan Robinson as the team can muster. If Atlanta can run the ball well and get Bijan going, they can score points. So that'll be the plan, with the passing game largely taking a complementary role until Michael Penix Jr. returns.
Kevin Knight: This is a good defense that will have to find ways to manufacture pass rush. Thankfully, Jeff Ulbrich is an evil genius with his blitz packages, and he's got a lot of interesting looks planned. Expect to see a lot of linebacker and slot blitzes to supplement their weaker edge rusher room, along with a lot of emphasis on interior pass rush. Atlanta has a really nice interior duo with Brandon Dorlus (who was leading all interior defensive linemen in the NFC with 8.5 sacks last season before injury) and trade acquisition Gervon Dexter Sr. They're hoping the interior can offset some of their weaknesses outside.
Kevin Knight: I like Kevin Stefanski and think it pretty much takes a miracle worker to extract any amount of success from the Cleveland Browns organization. It does seem like there's a coherent, forward-thinking plan in place for this Falcons team for the first time in years. I don't necessarily expect a lot of success in 2026 based on the moves made to this point and the way the team is structured, but I do expect Atlanta to be one of the most aggressive teams in free agency and the draft in 2027.
Kevin Knight: As I mentioned before, Brandon Dorlus is a borderline-elite interior pass rusher who may also get some run on the edge. Linebacker Divine Deablo was the biggest surprise in last year's free agent class and completely transformed the defense when he was on the field. Second-year safety Xavier Watts was a DROY candidate in 2025 and forms a dynamic duo with veteran Jessie Bates III. Atlanta will be starting two rookies on defense: Avieon Terrell (brother of A.J. Terrell) in the slot, and Kendal Daniels at linebacker. Both impressed in training camp, with Daniels being a particularly pleasant surprise given his Day 3 selection.

#expect

With the Pittsburgh Steelers being less than five days away from their regular season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, the first set of injury reports for Week 1 are here.
Here's a look at every injury the Steelers and Falcons saw on Thursday as both teams prepare for an exciting Week 1 matchup, including just one setback for Steel City brand of football.
CB Joey Porter Jr. (back) ∣ Wednesday: LP ∣ Thursday: LP
QB Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) | Wednesday: (-) | Thursday: LP
QB Michael Penix Jr. (knee) | Wednesday: FP | Thursday: FP

#thursday #wednesday #falcons #city

Cooper Rush is about as good of a third quarterback as you'll find in today's NFL, and is certainly one of the most experienced. That said, when you're staring down the barrel of starting your QB3 in Week 1 of the NFL season, something has gone terribly awry.
We'll get more updates tomorrow, but that seems like a real possibility after Tua Tagovailoa left practice today with what the injury report classified as an oblique injury. He was listed as a limited participant—because he did participate before he got injured!—but we have no idea how significant that injury is at this point.
11Alive's Reggie Chatman Jr. got footage of the injury and aftermath.
If Tua's fine, he's starting against the Steelers in Week 1. If not, Cooper Rush will take the start with Jack Strand as his backup, and it would not be stunning to see the increasingly snakebitten Falcons adding another veteran quarterback to the practice squad. Things are getting real grim, real fast.
If Rush is up, he'll be making his 17th career start. He's completed 364 of 596 passes for 3,766 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions with 62 rushing attempts for 20 yards. The Falcons will be a little more likely to attack downfield with Rush under center in theory, but in practice I imagine he'll get an ultra-conservative gameplan that features a lot of Bijan Robinson.

#real #cooper #falcons #starting

Lane Thomas was a late scratch in the Braves lineup today. We have heard why from Walt Weiss.
I'm not a doctor, but as I understand it an intercostal strain is slightly different from an oblique strain. An intercostal strain affects the muscles under the ribs. An oblique strain affects the sides of the abdomen. In any case, it's an Injured List visit for Thomas. He will join Bryce Elder as the second Braves player placed there this week.
In case you missed it, Mauricio Dubon pulled away from the plate with an oblique issue in today's game. According to reports, Walt said postgame that he felt something in his back and it wasn't a big deal. We might see DaShawn Keirsey Jr. on the active roster for the Philadelphia series tomorrow, but we don't know at this point. I'm not sure what the Braves will do if that Dubon goes down. We will see more of Ha-Seong Kim, I'm sure. But I'll take two hits a game like today while he's gone.
Oblique injuries are going around. Y'all be safe out there.

#dubon #today #affects #case

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left practice Thursday with an oblique injury.
Tagovailoa bent over in obvious discomfort after throwing a pass during a portion of practice open to media and grabbed his right side. He dropped to the ground for a few seconds before getting up and trying to shake off the injury.
It's unclear if he returned to practice. The Falcons listed him as a limited participant.
Tagovailoa's first game with the Falcons is at Pittsburgh on Sunday. It's the same spot where he made the last start of his rocky final season with Miami.
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski announced Monday that Tagovailoa will open the season as the starter and Michael Penix Jr. will be inactive. Cooper Rush will be the backup.

#tagovailoa #injury #season #thursday

Special thanks to Tristan Holmes, Addicted to Quack's Oregon football film reviewer, and Thomas Cicansky, my partner in this year's Big Ten preview series, for joining me on this week's podcast to discuss the Ducks' roster:
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Oregon's offensive coordinator for the last three seasons, Will Stein, departed to take the head coaching job at Kentucky, he's replaced by OC Mehringer who's been the TE coach since Coach Lanning took over the program in 2022. Mehringer's only direct playcalling experience was a decade ago at Rutgers when he was of the youngest in college football history to do so, I didn't find much value on investigating it. Since then my reading of Mehringer's roles at Texas, FAU, and New Mexico has been as a strategist and gameplanner; there's quite a bit of oblique praise from head coaches and OCs in the literature over this time for his role in gameweek preparations, but no evidence about his down-to-down playcalling preferences.
It's also difficult to disentangle some of the idiosyncracies ATQ film reviewers have noted in Stein's playcalling over the last three years — positive notes on counter-programming defensive substitution rules, negative ones on forgoing "money down" opportunities for deep shots and an ***** ytically unsupportable habit for perimeter screens — from Mehriner's potential influence, since their time at Oregon overlaps. It's possible that some, none, or all of those qualities were unique to Stein and he takes them with him to Lexington. ATQ devoted considerable effort this offseason determining if any statistically valid ***** ysis could be performed to quantify Mehringer's effects on play sequencing or outcomes at Oregon or previous stops, and we concluded that nothing we could publish would meet our standards – there are just too many variables involved. We're just going to have to wait and see how Mehringer calls the game.
Otherwise, my expectation is continuity for the Ducks offense, and if anything a return to historical trends after a one-off dip in certain metrics from charting caused by an offensive line quirk in 2025 which it looks like the squad has firmly put behind them in 2026 and beyond. The coaching staff under Lanning all returns, as does starter #5 QB Dante Moore, five of the top eight skill producers on offense in addition to a key 2024 receiver coming back from injury, and the top talent pipeline in the conference:

#down #ducks #mehringer

World sprint champions Oblique Seville and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden head a stellar cast of elite track and field athletes who will take part in the Diamond League meet in Poland on Sunday.
AFP Sport looks at four stand-out events in Silesia:
Women's 100m
Jefferson-Wooden will face stiff competition from US teammate Sha'Carri Richardson, Jamaican Tina Clayton and St Lucia's Olympic champion Julien Alfred.
Jefferson-Wooden made her Diamond League debut in Poland and went on to match Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's meet record of 10.66sec last year.

#wooden #World #oblique

SEATTLE — The Chicago Cubs bullpen has "La Gasolina" back.
The Cubs activated right-handed reliever Daniel Palencia from the 60-day injured list before Friday's series opener against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. In a corresponding move, the Cubs optioned right-hander Javier **** ad to Triple-A Iowa.
Palencia isn't expected to slide back into the closer role immediately as the Cubs look to ease him back with a focus on his workload. The 26-year-old has been limited to 16 2/3 innings in 19 big league appearances this year because of an oblique strain and a flexor strain. The latter had sidelined Palencia since June 16.
"For me, having this opportunity to be part of this and to have the chance to help the team is awesome for me," Palencia said Friday. "Like, that's what I want to be. I want to be part of this thing.
"I'm here to help my team, and I'm here open to every opportunity. I just want to pitch. Just want to be that guy, you know? That guy you can trust."

#Cubs #want

Daniel Palencia had a good year as Cubs closer in 2025 despite some injury issues. He had more time on the IL this year, first with an oblique strain and then a flexor injury.
Today, the Cubs activated Palencia from the injured list after five rehab outings, the last two of which were pretty good. He is not expected to immediately return to the closer role, instead serving as what manager Craig Counsell calls an "out-getter" in whatever situation he's needed. Overall this year in 19 MLB games, Palencia has a 2.70 ERA, 1.380 WHIP, three saves and 19 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.
To make room for Palencia on the 26-man active roster, right-hander Javier ******* ad has been optioned to Triple-A Iowa. I don't need to explain to you how this makes most Cubs fans feel. The only thing I can say is that ******* ad is likely back on Sept. 1 when rosters expand.
In addition, the Cubs added infielder Gabriel Arias, acquired Wednesday on waivers from the Mets, to the 26-man active roster. To make room for Arias, infielder Owen Miller was designated for ******* ignment. He's likely to clear waivers and will almost certainly be given the opportunity to remain in the organization.
As always, we await developments. Today's game preview will post at 7 p.m. CT.

#Cubs #assad #make

It has been an especially tough year for the Cubs on the injury front, as they have had to weather a veritable monsoon of ailments throughout the season.
But things had been trending better in that regard over the last few weeks, with multiple key players working toward a return.
And for the most part, the injury woes have hit the pitching staff, while the position player group has been largely healthy throughout the year.
Both aspects have now changed, as the Cubs were dealt a pair of injury blows Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals and will have to spend the next few weeks trying to keep the ship afloat in the aftermath.
The Cubs made a slew of roster moves Monday afternoon, placing shortstop Dansby Swanson on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain and right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera on the 15-day IL with a blister on his right hand. Rookie James Triantos was also optioned to Triple-A Iowa, with Javier ******* ad, Kevin Alcántara and Owen Miller coming up from the minors.

#Cubs #year #weeks

It didn't take long at all for Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson to know that something was wrong after he swung through a 96 mph fastball in the third inning of Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
And now, the Cubs might be without their starting shortstop for an extended time.
Almost immediately after the swing, Swanson tossed his batting helmet out of frustration and leaned forward in pain. He knew right away that it was the kind of injury that could sideline him. And after a brief conversation with the training staff and manager Craig Counsell, Swanson exited the game into the clubhouse.
During the game, the team described Swanson's injury as "left side discomfort." But after the 11-4 loss to the Cardinals, Counsell confirmed that it was an oblique injury for Swanson.
The team placed Swanson on the 10-day Injured List, and he's set to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.

#Cubs #dansby #almost

The San Francisco Giants made a handful of roster moves on Tuesday, ahead of their evening home game against the Houston Astros. As expected, the team found a veteran catcher to back up Drew Cavanaugh, and it's a familiar face: Andrew Knizner.
Knizner had been playing for the Boston Red Sox AAA affiliate until last week, but exercised an opt-out clause. The 31-year old had posted a 141 wRC+ with two home runs in 21 games for Boston's Minor League team (which came after a 123 wRC+ with 10 homers in 33 games with Colorado's AAA affiliate), and was hopeful that he could parlay that performance into another Major League opportunity.
That opportunity came calling quickly, as the Giants announced on Monday that catcher Daniel Susac had a fractured left knee patellar, which almost certainly ends his debut season. San Francisco had added Zach Morgan to the roster to back up Cavanaugh, with Morgan arriving in San Francisco during the third inning of the game. Morgan's debut stint in the Majors lasted less than a game: he didn't see any action, and was optioned to AAA Sacramento on Tuesday.
Knizner, a right-handed hitter who has seven Major League seasons under his belt, played 33 games for the Giants last year, and hit .221/.299/.299 for a 73 wRC+. Thanks to his solid defense behind the dish, though, he was still worth +0.2 fWAR. Knizner will play plenty, but will likely still be the backup to Cavanaugh, so that the Giants can give one of their rookies some serious run to better develop and evaluate him.
Elsewhere on the roster, the Giants activated outfielder Victor Bericoto off the 10-Day Injured List. Bericoto, who is in his debut season, hadn't played since injuring his oblique on July 9. The righty made four rehab appearances with Sacramento, and hit 1-14 with a double, a walk, and six strikeouts. With Heliot Ramos traded, Bericoto is expected to get a chance to be the everyday left fielder, which will serve as an audition for the same role in 2027. He's hitting .293/.305/.552 through 59 plate appearances this year, and jumps straight into the lineup tonight, starting in left field and hitting fifth.

#games

Phillies with bad news as RP Caleb Kilian goes on the IL with left oblique strain
Thoughts on why Alex McFarlane isn't getting the call up and Chase Shugart is
As we all might be thinking, don't expect this bullpen to be any better than it currently is
Pondering life and the Phillies after that Toronto Blue Jays series from Matt Gelb ($$)
Returning injured players who could majorly factor into playoff races

#Phillies #chase #toronto

76ers fans noticed the same worrying thing about Joel Embiid in viral photo originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Joel Embiid's health remains the biggest worry for the Philadelphia 76ers. Multiple knee surgeries, meniscus tears, and foot injuries limited the center to just 96 regular-season games over the last three years.
Last season, an oblique strain and an emergency appendectomy on April 9 cut his year to 38 games. This followed the 2024-25 season, when the team sat him out entirely because of his knee.
When the 76ers posted photos of a slimmer Embiid practicing with rookie VJ Edgecombe, fans quickly noticed a troubling detail. NBC Sports' John Clark, who shared the image sent out by the 76ers themselves, noted that Embiid has shed some pounds this summer and called it "very promising."
But close-up views of the image showed his left knee appearing noticeably larger and more swollen. That left knee is the root of almost all his physical trouble. It is the same leg that suffered a torn meniscus back when Jonathan **** inga fell on it during a game against the Warriors.

#last #fans #meniscus

Noah Lyles ran a world-leading 9.79 seconds as he claimed an impressive victory in the 100m at the US athletics championships.
He also equalled his personal best, which he set in winning gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, with the run at the Icahn Stadium in New York City.
The previous best 100m in 2026 was the 9.82 set by Jamaica's Oblique Seville in June.
"I think I made that 'I'm still the world's fastest man' statement," said Lyles.
The 29-year-old American finished ahead of Ronnie Baker in second and third-placed Kenny Bednarek, who were both given a time of 9.88s, while former world champion Christian Coleman was fourth in 9.93.

#noah

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 22: Gleyber Torres #25 of the Detroit Tigers plays against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park on May 22, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The MLB trade deadline is less than two weeks away. As teams look to fortify their rosters for the stretch run, fantasy managers can help their squads by scouring the waiver wire for reinforcements. Let’s highlight five players to consider adding who are still available in the majority of Yahoo leagues.
Torres has been limited to 46 games this season because of injury. He recently missed over a month with an oblique ailment. Across three games since making his return, he is 3-for-11 with two walks and a run scored. He continues to show a good eye at the plate, recording a 15.3% walk rate and a 19.2% strikeout rate for the season. That has enabled him to record a .351 wOBA. The Tigers will play six games next, including three at the Athletics’ hitter-friendly park. Don’t hesitate to add Torres if you need help at second base.
Sasaki is coming off a good start against the Yankees in which he gave up one unearned run over 5 2/3 innings. The most encouraging stat from that outing was that he didn’t give up a home run for the first time since the middle of May. In Week 19, he is lined up to make a start at home against the Mariners. He has been good there, recording a 3.69 xFIP, 1.29 WHIP and 26.4% strikeout rate in Los Angeles. Consider him one of the better streaming options to target.
Ewing is swinging a hot bat, hitting 17-for-53 (.321) with two home runs and four doubles across his last 12 games. He even stole three bases during that span, giving him a total of 11 steals over 63 games. After showing an adept skill of getting on base throughout his time in the minors, he is batting .274 with a .345 OBP with the Mets. New York is slated to play seven games next week, so Ewing will have plenty of opportunities to provide fantasy value.

#good #rate #ewing

The MLB trade deadline is now under two weeks away. While everybody is focused on the big names who could be moved, like Tarik Skubal or Mason Miller, it can often be most beneficial to think about the players who remain and still wind up benefiting from the trade. In this article, I'm going to look at players who could see their fantasy value improve actionably at the deadline, whether they are the ones traded away or the ones who find themselves filling a vacated role.
For this article, I'm only going to focus on trades that seem likely. So I know that Shea Langeliers and Hunter Goodman are being floated in trade rumors, but I don't think either one of them is going to be moved, so we're not going to discuss which catchers could step into starting roles in two offensive-friendly environments. I will admit that left us with a list that doesn't include a lot of "league winners," but that's also the nature of the expanded playoff format. There are a lot of teams that still find themselves in contention, so we may not see as many impact hitters be traded away, which means there might be fewer openings in lineups.
With that preamble out of the way, let's get to the names.
Cole Carrigg - OF, Rockies: Carrigg has hit well in his rookie season, slashing .287/.367/.519 in 34 games with four home runs, 27 runs scored, and 23 RBI. He has slightly below-average barrel rates and hard-hit rates, so he's not tearing the cover off of the ball, but he has good bat speed and is making better-than-league-average zone contact, which is a nice profile in Coors Field. Yet, despite being a switch hitter, Carrigg seems to be splitting playing time with Tyler Freeman. A trade of one or both of Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak would open up an everyday role for Carrigg, who wouldn't be a MUST ADD, but would be a nice depth outfield piece in a great home park.
Victor Bericoto - OF, Giants: Bericoto is currently on the injured list with a strained oblique, but by the time the trade deadline rolls around, he will have already missed a month, which means he could be returning shortly thereafter. The rookie has slashed .293/.305/.552 in 59 plate appearances with four home runs, nine RBI, and one steal. He has a 46.5% hard-hit rate and also posted a 50.4% hard-hit rate in Triple-A while posting elite bat speed numbers, so the power production could be very real. He does have some swing and miss in his game because he is an aggressive hitter, but he also has league-average zone contact rates in the minors and a 91.5% rate in his limited MLB sample, so he might make enough contact to make the power work. The Giants are currently shopping Jung Hoo Lee, which could open up a regular outfield spot for Bericoto when he's back from injury.

#trade

The Orioles only got to send one representative to the All-Star game this season, but Adley Rutschman earned the opportunity. Rutschman made his third All Star appearance after slashing .253/.327/.436 in the first half.
Rutschman’s strong start to the season represented a bounceback for the former first overall pick. The Oregon State product posted a below-average 89 OPS+ while missing time with oblique issues in 2025. Baltimore made waves by inking catcher Samuel Basallo to an eight-year extension and signing free agent Pete Alonso to a five-year deal, but it was Rutschman representing the Orioles in Philadelphia tonight.
Basallo and Alonso have played well for Baltimore. Alonso felt like a legitimate snub after slashing .252/.346/.474 with 21 homers in the first half, but Rutschman deserves credit for finding his way back into the spotlight.
That spotlight came with questions about trade rumors and potential contract extensions. Rutschman handled himself well this week without expressing anything really worthy of discussion. The backstop said he’s had a “phenomenal experience so far with Baltimore,” and reiterated that he doesn’t spend any time thinking about trade rumors or his contract. Rutschman is under team control in Baltimore through next season.
Rutschman was named an All-Star reserve behind AL starter Shea Langeliers and fellow reserve Dillon Dingler. Langeliers entered the break slashing .257/.324/.483 with 21 homers, and Dingler received the nod after slashing .262/.323/.508 with 19 long **** . Langeliers walked and scored a run in the first inning and singled in the third. Dingler struck out in his only at bat.

Baker Mayfield's performance declined in his third year as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback last season. But he was apparently dealing with injuries that weren't previously reported.
Mayfield reveals that he played with a sprained MCL and PCL in his knee since Week 2 on the new season of Netflix's "Quarterback" docuseries, via the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. The third season of "Quarterback" premieres July 14.
If that was indeed the case, it's presumably news to the NFL. Mayfield's knee wasn't mentioned much during the season on the league's injury report. "Knee" is only listed four times among the 10 weeks when Mayfield's name was among the Bucs' injuries — in Weeks 5, 8 10 and 18 — as Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio highlights.
Otherwise, biceps, oblique and shoulder injuries, in addition to illness were mentioned for Mayfield on the injury report.
Mayfield's revelation confirms what linebacker Lavonte David said on "The Arena" podcast in April about the quarterback on the show's April 6 episode.

Reds $15 million slugger tabbed as 'buy low' trade target for 49 homer reason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cincinnati Reds are not in the best of shape to make a postseason run this season, so it wouldn't be a huge surprise if they were trade deadline sellers.
While players like Elly De La Cruz, Chase Burns, and Hunter Greene won't be on the move, the Reds could look to move some of their impending free agents. One such player is a $15 million slugger who likely could be had for cheap.
Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report highlighted Eugenio Suarez, the Reds' $15 million free-agent signing, as a player teams could "buy low" on this summer thanks to a simple 49 home-run reason.
"Things haven't gone according to plan, as a left oblique strain cost Suarez a month and the Reds find themselves in last place in the NL Central..." Kelly writes. "... Sure, he's only hit nine home runs this season, but he clubbed 49 a year ago between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Mariners."

This afternoon, the San Francisco Giants announced that they placed Victor Bericoto on the 10-day IL "with an oblique strain" and taking his spot on the roster is 25-year old Grant McCray, in the majors for the first time in 2026.
McCray had surgery back in June to repair his left hamate bone and up to that point he'd been hitting just .237/.360/.370. He made just three starts since being activated, but he's 4-for-8 with a homer, a double, a strikeout and a walk. He also stole 3 bases and didn't get caught. McCray's defense will come in handy. His bat remains the central question.
He'll be taking Victor Bericoto's roster spot. An oblique strain is a tough injury for a hitter and it's a real shame to see such a young player have some quite positive momentum halted by the injury bug. Such is baseball, I suppose. Then again, it's remarkable to consider how much these two players mirror each other. In 59 plate appearances, the 24-year old Bericoto had 15 strikeouts against just 1 walk but 4 homers and 3 doubles. In McCray's debut age-23 season, he swatted 5 homers in 130 plate appearances and had 56 strikeouts against just 6 walks. Not exactly the same, but close enough in terms of those three true outcomes. Although, it's absolutely worth mentioning that Bericoto's line in a much smaller sample is much, much better than what McCray did in 2024: .293/.305/.552 vs. .202/.238/.379.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the outfield defense aligns late in games because McCray is an outstanding defender in center and right and with Jung Hoo Lee and Drew Gilbert on the roster (at least for now), his playing time seems a little fuzzy.
The bigger surprise is the return of Keaton Winn, who comes off the IL after being seemingly lost to the vagaries of Tony Vitello's managing. But, nope. After hitting the IL on June 8th, he returned and rehabbed on July 3 and made 3 total appearances across the Giants minor leagues (who were playing home games in Northern California). He struck out 3 in three innings while walking 2 and allowing just a hit. He ******* ps Carson Whisenhunt back to the minors because, as Alex Pavlovic points out, "With the All-Star break, he wasn't going to be in line to start for at least a week."

The Diamond League season continues with a fascinating field in action in Monaco.
The men’s 100m looks packed with quality, with Oblique Seville, Letsile Tebogo and Jordan Anthony all in action – though Marcell Jacobs has been forced to withdraw after a rapid wind-assisted time recently.
The women’s sprinters will be on show in the 200 metres, too, with Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred battling Gabrielle Thomas, winner over the longer distance at Paris 2024.
British interest includes middle-distance star Jake Wightman and Alex Yee, with the triathlete looking to lower his personal best in a rare track outing in what could be a fast and furious 5000m.
Here’s everything you need to know.

Where to watch Diamond League Monaco: Full schedule, times, channels, live streams for 2026 track and field meet originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After a thrilling weekend in the United States, the Wanda Diamond League will head back to Europe to continue its 2026 season with a meet in Monaco.
The 10th meet of the year will bring a stacked lineup of Olympic and world champion athletes together for a world-class competition in glamorous Monaco. Diamond League is officially in the back end of its 2026 schedule, with only a handful of meets remaining before the two-day final in Brussels on September 4-5.
In recent years, Monaco has seen several world records during Diamond League competitions, and this year should be no different. Fans will see Jamaica's Oblique Seville headline the men's 100m, while Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred will compete in the women's 200m. Masai Russell will also continue to chase a world record in the women's 100m hurdles.
You won't want to miss this.