Mar 5, 2025; Bradenton, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jake Bloss (39) throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn ImagesTodays subject is in kind of an unusual spot as regards his prospect status. Bloss actually debuted two years ago, and as he turns 25 today (Happy Birthday, Jake) hes on the fringes of whats typically considered prospect eligibility. Hes also coming back from Tommy John surgery, which has eaten up the last 14 months for him when he would normally have been breaking into the MLB rotation. All that means the excitement about him is a little muted for a former top 100 prospect on the cusp of the majors. We ranked him as the systems #6 prospect coming into the season, and hes undoubtedly a key part of the organizations medium term hopes, but right at this minute the buzz is lacking. Hes back at AAA as of last week, though, and given the state of the back of the Jays rotation he might become a factor of the big league club soon if he looks up to the challenge. His rehab outing Statcast data offers some immediate intrigue. Last time we saw Bloss for a full season, in 2024, his four seamer sat 92-95 and touched 96. Its a small sample size, with only 95 heaters tracked (we only have public StatCast data for his three appearances with A Dunedin and one with AAA Buffalo), but since coming back hes sitting 95.8mph and regularly cresting 97. His hardest single pitch in 2024 was equivalent to his average in 2026, and he hasnt thrown a pitch classified as a four seamer this season as slow as his average from the earlier year. There were hints before he went down with the elbow injury last year that he was taking a step forward with his velocity, but what were seeing right now is a big leap. The pitch was already considered to be above average in spite of middling velocity because Bloss gets great extension and generates a lot of backspin and vertical carry. Thats all preserved, so if he maintains most of the velocity gain as he gets fully stretched out his fastball has improved from solid to an easy plus pitch.His sinker appears to have made the same gains, going from 93.3mph to 95.0. Hes spinning both fastballs harder by about 80rpm, which has preserved their total movement in spite of the velocity bump (slower pitches break more because they have more time to accelerate in whatever direction their spin is taking them before reaching the plate). He also seems to have made changes to his secondaries. His changeup has gotten harder, but by only 1.3mph (87.2 up to 88.5mph), and hes actually gotten better at killing the spin on the pitch, reducing the rotation by 100rpm. The result is that it has more drop and a bigger velocity gap off the fastball. The slider, like the fastballs, has picked up about 2mph and about 100rpm, breaking harder to cover the same distance in less time. His curveball, interestingly, hasnt seen the same gains in spin rate but is now almost 2.5mph harder, leading to less glove side break and a slightly more up and down shape. There have been the hiccoughs with command that youd expect from a guy coming back from surgery, and hes still only partially stretched out. Bloss probably wont be ready for the majors for a few weeks yet. The leap his stuff has taken during his rehab creates reason to be excited for him when he arrives, though.

Free agent guard Ayo Dosunmu, 26, a second-round pick from Illinois, intends to sign a five-year, $112 million contract to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves, with a player option in the fifth season, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Monday night.

Jake Paul has dialled up the drama once again -- literally -- personally calling Aussie world champ Cherneka Johnson to surprise her with a brand-new Harley-Davidson -- but theres a catch.

John Terry has admitted that he found it 'borderline offensive' to have been passed over by Chelsea for the interim manager role in favour of academy colleague Calum McFarlane.

Emma Raducanu has given British tennis fans genuine reason for optimism ahead of Wimbledon after reaching the final at Queen's Club this week.The 23-year-old delivered her most impressive tournament performance since that unforgettable US Open victory back in 2021, winning match after match without dropping a single set.Her aggressive, free-flowing style was back on full display in west London, and it's clear she's rediscovered her love for the game."I think it's the 'new Emma'," she said after her final defeat to Donna Vekic. "Because you take all the lessons and experience, all the different ups and downs, and you understand a lot more of what's going on and what works for you. I'm back and better."The decision to bring back Andrew Richardson as her coach looks like a masterstroke.Raducanu reunited with the man who guided her to US Open glory back in May, and they've now committed to working together for the rest of the season.Raducanu's old coach is backAt 6 feet 7 inches tall, Richardson earned the nickname "Flex" and brings an old-school work ethic combined with a lighter touch that clearly suits his charge.Tim Henman has been impressed by what he's seen."I think it is great Andrew Richardson is back in her corner," the four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist told Sky Sports. "You can hear his input from the side of the court, he was a good player himself, a very good coach and fingers crossed Emma will stick with it."Henman believes consistency has been the missing ingredient for years, and this partnership finally offers that stability.What makes her Queen's run even more remarkable is the challenging start she's had to 2026.Raducanu's illness finally overA nasty post-viral illness knocked her sideways earlier in the year, forcing her to withdraw from tournaments in Miami, Madrid and Rome.Before Queen's, she'd managed just a single victory since March and had suffered a first-round exit along the way.The fact she came through five matches on grass without any injury concerns is hugely encouraging just fatigue, which is entirely understandable given what she's been through."I think it was a really good stepping stone," Raducanu reflected. "The way I was feeling on the court, the way I was moving, the way I was expressing myself, just the whole package... I really enjoyed it."A Wimbledon seeding shake-up could cause problemsThere's a potential cloud on the horizon, though.Commentators Andrew Castle and John Lloyd have been pushing for Wimbledon to slash its seedings from 32 down to 16, arguing it would create more exciting early-round clashes.Castle made his case during the Queen's men's final: "I think there should be 16 and then we would have better matches in the first week, guaranteed."For Raducanu, currently sitting at world number 32 and expected to be seeded 30th at SW19, such a change could prove problematic.Without that protected seeding, she might find herself facing one of the sport's biggest names in the opening rounds rather than having a clearer path through the first week.The tournament begins on June 29, so time will tell whether any shake-up materialises.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Hull KR appoint Nathan Cayless as their head coach on a three-year deal from next season.

Watching football is an emotional rollercoaster - but is it good or bad for your health?

Venus Williams ist beim Tennis-Turnier in Bad Homburg bereits ausgeschieden. Im Kurpark fightete die mehrmalige Grand-Slam-Siegerin, verlor dann aber doch in einem echten Thriller.[mehr]