Over on Broadway, generations of theatre impresarios have held the belief that a bad dress rehearsal guarantees you a great opening night.

Nolan Arenado was slugging his way through the month of May when the Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman woke up one morning with an ailment that's familiar to those who felt invincible in their 20s but have advanced to their mid-to-late 30s.His back hurt.Not bad. Not enough to keep him out of the lineup. But it was one of those inexplicable moments that comes with being an aging Major League Baseball player threatening to derail a hot streak for an eight-time All-Star who just turned 35.There's more aches and pains, Arenado said. There's just a little more work in the gym, getting prepared for the game, than there used to be. That's a learning curve. "I've always been in the gym, always did that stuff, but there's definitely more maintenance.Arenado got past the minor back issue and is continuing a bounce-back season in the desert, batting .256 with eight homers and 30 RBIs through Monday's games. He's among a group of the 35-and-older crowd getting solid results at the plate, joining Los Angeles Dodgers veterans Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, along with Houston's Christian Walker.But it's a small club that's become smaller over the past decade.MLB hitters who are 35 or older have combined to provide just 5.6 WAR (Wins Above Replacement, per FanGraphs) through roughly the first 1/3 of the season, continuing a trend that's accelerated over the past decade. In the early 2000s, older stars were the norm in the big leagues. It peaked in 2003 when older hitters combined for 71.3 WAR, with a group highlighted by Barry Bonds, Frank Thomas, Kenny Lofton, Luis Gonzalez and Jeff Bagwell.So what's changed?Let's look at some of the reasons why MLB is skewing younger this days:Analytics like younger playersBaseball's analytical era can be traced back to the work of Bill James in the 1970s and 1980s, but terms like WAR, wOBA, BABIP, and OPS+ didn't start to become widespread in the big leagues until at least the late 2000s.Suddenly, the eye test wasn't enough for MLB general managers. Cold, hard numbers were in.And overwhelmingly those numbers showed that the best years for a big league hitter usually come from their mid-20s to early 30s.That's directly correlated to MLB teams locking up young players to long-term contracts. Arizona's Corbin Carroll, Detroit's Kevin McGonigle, Pittsburgh's Konnor Griffin, Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. and Seattle's Julio Rodriguez are among dozens of promising players who were signed to lucrative deals well before they reach free agency.Spending on veterans is no longer in vogue. Walker a three-time Gold Glove first baseman who has hit nearly 200 career homers signed with the Astros for a relatively modest $60 million, three-year deal after the 2024 season when he was 33 years old.I think it has a lot to do with the ability to measure guys value on the field, Walker said. For a long time, WAR didnt exist, wRC+ wasnt a stat, right? So, you went off of the optics or this guys a good clubhouse guy or hes got experience, hes been to a World Series.Velocity has exploded during their careersToday's young stars have come of age in a game where velocity is king, but it wasn't that way when Freeman and others broke through. The average MLB fastball in 2026 is north of 94 mph, with 18 qualified pitchers averaging at least 96. When Freeman debuted 17 years ago, the league-wide average was under 92 and no qualified pitchers averaged at least 96.Arenado said that one of the first things that becomes tougher for MLB veterans is the ability to handle really good fastballs particularly inside. It makes for tough matchups against pitchers like Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski, who routinely throws 100 mph.I feel like just the general age of the levels and the development is trending younger and younger, Walker said. And there might be something to that like your best bullets might be when youre 27 years old.Big league teams value flexibility more now, tooDodgers manager Dave Roberts has Freeman and Muncy in his lineup on nearly a daily basis. He also played in the big leagues until he was 36 years old, retiring in 2008, giving him some personal experience on the aging process.The hardest part is to expect and want the same output you've always had, but not be willing to change the equation, Roberts said. Roberts said the process is different for every player. Some need to work out more. Some less. Others need more sleep. Diet becomes more important. The tricky part is that the habits that brought you to the big leagues might not be the same ones that will keep you there in your mid-to-late 30s.Walker, who didn't become a starter in the big leagues until he was 28, said he's embraced getting older and enjoys analyzing his blood tests that might signal what's causing vitamin deficiencies or inflammation. The tests also show how much alcohol might affect his body or the importance of a good night's sleep.For myself, no real magic recipe, just chalk it up to being a late bloomer, Walker said. My age is older than most guys, but service time isnt. I havent been in the big leagues for 20 years or anything like that. Just fortunate that I still can help the team. Arenado embraces changeDiamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he believed there were two main reasons Arenado was still having success in his 14th big league season. First, he gave credit to the D-backs' hitting coaches. But maybe most importantly, Arenado has listened to those coaches, embraced change and found new ways to have success.There's an adjustment to work habits and mindset once you get to that level where things aren't as easy as they used to be, Lovullo said. Some say Ive had my career, it's not as easy as it once was, and I want to shut it down.'Later he added: "It's fun to watch Nolan Arenado have all this success, but he's worked his butt off. He's working as hard as any 22 or 23 year old we have on this team."___AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken in Houston contributed to this story.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Jury convicts Texas teen of murder in fatal stabbing of 17-year-old athlete from rival team at a high school track meet.

Serena Williams made a stunning comeback to professional tennis on Tuesday evening, securing victory alongside 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko at the HSBC Championships.The 44-year-old American had been absent from competitive play for 1,376 days before stepping onto the grass courts of Queen's Club in west London.Facing third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez, the pair claimed a 7-6, 6-2 triumph in one hour and 48 minutes.The opening set proved tightly contested, with Williams and Mboko eventually prevailing 7-2 in the tiebreak. They dominated the second set far more convincingly.Williams displayed impressive form throughout, recording serves exceeding 100mph and reaching 120mph at one stage. Both her daughters, Olympia and Adira, watched from the stands of the packed Andy Murray Arena.TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SayDuring her on-court interview, the 23-time Grand Slam champion addressed the historic significance of competing at a venue that had excluded women's professional tennis for over five decades.Queen's Club hosted exclusively male competition for 52 years before opening its doors to the WTA Tour last year.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSIran says ticket allocation for World Cup withdrawn just days before tournament startsChristian Horner's return to F1 delayed after discussions breakdownDonald Trump booed in New York as President attends NBA Finals"I never got to play here, it was always just the men," Williams remarked, prompting an audible cheer from someone in the crowd.The American swiftly admonished the spectator, responding: "No yay!"She then softened her tone, adding: "But it feels really special to play at a place so iconic that I saw so many of my friends win and do well in and just watch so many great matches, so it's kind of cool."When asked why she selected Queen's Club for her grand return, Williams offered a characteristically witty response."I don't know. I had nothing better to do, I got tired of sitting at home!" she told the crowd, drawing laughter. "My kids are out of school for the summer, so why not?"The legendary player was effusive in her praise for her young doubles partner."It was so fun! I had so much fun playing with Vicky," Williams said. "She really was able to hold up the team and really play big on the big points, I could really rely on her."Despite never having partnered together previously, Williams noted their collaboration felt entirely natural from the outset.Williams remains uncertain about whether she will extend her comeback to Wimbledon, with the All England Club set to announce wildcards next week."Like I said the other day, it's just a day at a time," she explained. "I still have a little time to decide, and they have been great about giving me that space and time to decide."The American has also ruled out an immediate return to singles competition."At the moment, it's a no. I feel I need to train a bit more if I want to play singles," Williams stated before her Queen's Club opener. "We'll see if I can manage it."Her next competitive outing will see her face Laura Siegemund and Leylah Fernandez in the quarter-finals, before heading to Berlin's WTA tournament next week for another doubles appearance.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

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