New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr.The New York Mets are going to be sellers at the trade deadline, and teams are reportedly interested in Luis Robert Jr., according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon on Wednesday.Robert missed a chunk of the season with an injury, but was just activated off the injured list this week. He already has a home run since returning, but overall, his numbers are not great. He is hitting .211 with an OPS under .700 in 27 games.It is kind of a shock that teams are still interested, but his potential has always kept him relevant. He has played more than 110 games just once in his career, but in that season he hit 38 homers and stole 20 bases. He has a $20 million club option for next season.Despite the injury and struggles last year, teams could be hoping that he can still find a way to live up to his potential. He did not have a great year last year either, but in the second half he played 31 games, posting a .808 OPS. That version of Robert is what has teams thinking of trading for him.Shop Our Best Offer!BaseballNow.ShopLooking for the perfect gift for a baseball player in your life? Check out our brand new baseball lifestyle brand!As for the Mets, they do not really need him. This season is a lost cause, and A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge have proven they can be everyday players in the outfield with Juan Soto. The Mets are not going to get a haul for Robert, but any kind of return would be great. They will likely decline his option for next season anyway.More MLB:A's Reportedly 'Unlikely' To Trade Ideal Yankees, Red Sox Target

Fernando Alonso has scored one point so far in the 2026 drivers' championship [Getty Images]Fernando Alonso says he is "optimistic" about the major upgrade Aston Martin are introducing at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but has cautioned against expecting too much.Aston Martin are introducing a heavily revised car, which features less weight, including a new chassis, and a significant aerodynamic change.It is their first upgrade of the year after starting the season with a car and engine well below the best.Alonso said: "Budapest is a friendly circuit for us. Power is not the most important here, but we update the car and not the engine yet."I am more into the weekend, understanding the direction of the car, if we are in a good path and we can unlock finally the performance."Aston Martin have chosen to introduce their new parts all in one go rather than the more usual tactic of drip-feeding smaller upgrades over a number of races.This was done as the team decided it was the most efficient use of their budget within the sport's spending cap.But it means Aston Martin have progressively fallen further behind the field.How to follow Hungarian Grand Prix on the BBCThe last two circuits, Silverstone and Spa, have been particularly difficult for them because of the lack of performance of their Honda engine.But even at the Spanish Grand Prix last month, a more corner-dependent track, they were four seconds off pole position, and more than three seconds off the Racing Bulls and Audi teams at the front of the midfield.That is partly why Alonso is resisting the temptation to give any kind of judgement on where the term might end up this weekend."I am not thinking on numbers or positions," he said. "In the last five races we have very different gaps to the midfield."The other teams opted for a more conventional upgrade path, bringing 0.1-0.2secs every few races and then you end up with a second in race 12."We didn't do that and we try to catch up all in one go. It doesn't change your natural position in the end."The Honda engine is not changing this weekend - the Japanese company is taking a development engine to the next race, the Dutch Grand Prix, after Formula 1's four-week summer break.Aston Martin chief technical officer Adrian Newey said at the British Grand Prix earlier this month: "It became quite obvious very quickly that we were not going to be competitive in the early races."So, we took the painful but I believe correct decision to not do any developments through the first half of the year, knowing that that would actually mean, as everybody else develops, of course, the gap to the front would actually get bigger."But, with a view to then really getting ourselves better organised, putting lots of different systems into place for the future, and then really doing our research properly, because the '26-car was a very competitive timescale."So, it's enabled us to step back a bit, take a bit of pressure off ourselves, because I think we actually put ourselves under too much pressure over the winter, and take a deep breath, and really understand our problems, what we need to achieve, (with) this upgrade package that we go to Hungary as the first stage, the second stage in Zandvoort."Alonso needs 'enjoyment' and 'adrenaline' to continueAlonso made his debut in Formula 1 with Minardi at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix [Getty Images]Alonso, who is 45 on 29 July, is out of contract at the end of the season and is weighing up whether to continue in F1. He has said that he is committed to Aston Martin for the long term whether he stays in F1 or not, and he repeated that on Thursday, saying: "I do have a contract, so I'm not moving."But he said his decision as to whether to keep racing in F1 would not be based solely on how the upgrade performed.He is also undecided on whether the high levels of energy management needed with the latest generation of F1 engine is satisfying for him as a driver.This issue is exacerbated on high-speed circuits such as Spa and Silverstone, whereas this weekend in Hungary there is expected to be no engine management because the circuit is slower and the engines will not be starved of energy."I have a pretty clear picture of the team that we will fix all the problems," Alonso said."They take time but I have no doubts Adrian will provide the best car on the grid sooner or later. I would like to see the first steps with this package."And the PU (power unit), I have no doubts, it is a matter of time before Honda fixes the issues."I am thinking I need to know what I do next year and the years to come. I feel fresh, motivated and fast but I need to enjoy what I do."Silverstone and Spa were not fun to drive. It is not fun to watch or drive. We have been saying the same thing, and it is not to criticise, it is to help everyone improve."The direction we took this year is not the same adrenaline I had before from an F1 car. It is a problem (as to whether) F1 gives me the adrenaline I need to live."Why was Hamilton penalised but not Leclerc? - F1 Q&A

The legal action against rugby's authorities has been going since 2020 [Getty Images]The cases of hundreds of players in rugby's multi-million-pound concussion legal battle remain in the balance.After two days of proceedings at the High Court, the judge said he would reserve judgement on whether the claimants have complied with an order to provide documents surrounding the neurological testing process.Senior Master Jeremy David Cook did not give a time frame for his decision, leaving both sides waiting for the next step of an already lengthy legal battle.He will consider whether there have been breaches, whether to strike out the claims and what relief may be granted.Players from both rugby union and rugby league claim the governing bodies failed to put safeguards in place to protect them from the consequences of repeated head impacts.World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Rugby Football League (RFL) deny breaching a duty of care to protect the players from injury.Lawyers acting for those organisations want cases involving 337 players in union and 153 in league to be struck out.Ben Youngs Investigates: How Safe Is Rugby?Brain injury legal action faces threat of collapsePlayers must provide medical records in concussion lawsuitThere have been legal clashes over the sharing of the former players' medical information since the action began in 2020.Lawyers for the governing bodies are asking for cases they claim do not have all the required documents to be struck out, in order to prevent more delays ahead of a trial.In a further development, lawyer Richard Boardman, who has represented the claimants through Rylands Garth, will no longer be acting on the ex-players' behalf.In a statement released after Wednesday's hearing, former Wales union forward Alix Popham said the former players thanked Rylands Garth for its work but felt the switch in representation was necessary because of the "scale and complexity" of the case.Popham said: "We believe this represents a positive step in progressing the litigation. We hope it will help provide the momentum required to move the proceedings forward as efficiently as possible and address some of the factors that have contributed to the pace of the litigation to date."With the claimants still in the process of finding new representation, Senior Master Cook said the statement raised "more questions than answers" amid concerns about further delays while any new representation gets up to speed.The judge criticised Boardman's reaction to the order, stating that there was "not a bit of mea culpa (my fault)" and that there had been a "total failure by Mr Boardman to get to grips and deal with the criticisms that have been made".Lawyers for the players said it would be a "significant injustice" if some players' claims are struck out and other are not.Senior Master Cook expressed his sympathy for the claimants at risk of having their cases struck out."We have got three buses full of passengers going to the same destination," he said."The first bus, the driver drives them off a cliff and the result is that they don't get to the destination."The other two get to the destination. What of those on the first bus?"England rugby union World Cup winners Steve Thompson, Mark Regan and Phil Vickery and former Wales internationals Colin Charvis, Gavin Henson, Ryan Jones, Lee Byrne and Popham are among the high-profile former players involved in the case.

New York Yankees shortstop Jos Caballero was targeted by Major League Baseball for some pest control, sparking yet another squabble. Weary of Caballero's routine of waiting to acknowledge the pitcher just before the pitch clock reaches eight seconds, MLB told umpires Wednesday his regimen amounted to deception. Plate umpire Quinn Wolcott charged Caballero with a pitch-clock violation in the sixth inning that led to a strikeout and the ejection of hitting coach James Rowson as New York lost a doubleheader opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3 in 10 innings. "Ive seen other guys do some other things, and they dont call anything on them," Caballero said. "Theyre just picking on me." Caballero was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays last July 31 and Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged his thoughts on the utilityman spun 180 degrees with the swap. "Hes one of those guys I would yell at from the dugout," Boone said Wednesday morning. "He was a pest, and I didnt like it. Now I like him because he's a good player and he's on our side. But, yeah, we've had a laugh about that." During a June 14 game at the Toronto Blue Jays, Caballero twice was deliberate in raising his head until eight seconds remained on the pitch clock, leading to a warning by plate umpire Steven Jaschinsk. That prompted a delay of more than two minutes while Caballero, Jaschinski, Boone and crew chief John Tumpane discussed the situation. Benches and bullpens cleared at the end of the eighth inning during Monday night's series opener when Pirates reliever Dennis Santana yelled at Caballero for taking too long to get ready in the batters box. Then on Wednesday, Wolcott charged Caballero with a violation in the sixth inning while the batter faced Carmen Mlodzinski with the Yankees trailing 2-0. After a delay of 2 1/2 minutes, Cabellero took a called third strike that stranded a runner. "Hes not allowed to do an inordinate amount of time looking down, trying to get the pitcher to cause a violation," Wolcott told a pool reporter. "Theres no other hitter that gets in the box, takes the amount of the time that Caballero does while looking down, not making eye contact with the pitcher. Obviously, its caused a lot of problems in the past. Its not going to be allowed anymore." MLB adopted the pitch clock for the 2023 season in an effort to cut game times. It has been 15 seconds with no runners and 18 seconds with runners since 2024. In cracking down on Caballero, MLB cited a provision in its Pace of Game Procedures that states: "Conduct by batters designed to deceive a pitcher into beginning their windup or coming to the set position in violation of these regulations shall be considered circumvention." Crew chief Adrian Johnson said the series-opener skirmish caused MLB to take action. "Its not allowed anymore. It was the cause of a bench-clearing situation on Monday night. Major League Baseball stepped in, and they wanted enforced," crew chief Adrian Johnson said. "We were instructed not to warn him. We were instructed to violate him." Boone said MLB didn't inform the Yankees before the game of the change in stance. "It's embarrassing," he said. Based on previous conversations with MLB, Boone instructed Caballero to "make sure youre looking up at nine so that you are alert by eight." "He actually said that they were making new rules today, and its on me because I was deceiving or something like that to the pitcher, which doesnt make sense," Caballero said. "I dont know, maybe my English is so bad that I dont understand, but deceiving kind of means that youre trying to trick someone, and Im not trying to trick someone because I do the same thing over and over. You can check my last 50 at-bats and see if I do it the same or not, or check maybe 100 at-bats or 150." MLB issued a memo in 2023 warning batters not to keep a foot out of the batter's box, which Willson Contreras called "the Willson rule." Caballero claims he is being singled out. "For everyone, it is eight seconds. For me, [it] was nine," he said. "But now they just dont want me to do my routine, so its kind of like tricky for me because its the way that I get settled, the way that I try to approach my at-bats." Caballero is concerned about giving pitchers control of the timing of pitches. "If I get in the box, and they have 16, 17 seconds left, they can hold the ball on me all that time, and Id be tied up," he said. Reporting by The Associated Press.

SportsLine's model simulated San Diego Padres vs. Atlanta Braves 10,000 times and revealed its MLB picks for Thursday's matchup

Pakistan will tour England for a five-match ODI series in May 2027 as part of their preparations for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, scheduled to be held later that year in October-November.The series will get underway in Southampton on May 15 before moving to Manchester (May 19), Leeds (May 21), Chester-le-Street (May 23), and Cardiff (May 26). The 50-over contest will serve as crucial match practice ahead of the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia from October 4 to November 21, 2027.Pakistan are currently touring the West Indies for a two-match Test series and are also set to return to England next month for a three-Test series, which will be played between August 19 and September 13. The last time Pakistan toured England for an ODI series was in 2021, when the hosts completed a comprehensive 3-0 whitewash in the three-match series.Pakistan's ODI Tour of England 2027 ScheduleMatchFixtureDateVenue1st ODIEngland vs PakistanMay 15, 2027Southampton2nd ODIEngland vs PakistanMay 19, 2027Manchester3rd ODIEngland vs PakistanMay 21, 2027Leeds4th ODIEngland vs PakistanMay 23, 2027Chester-le-Street5th ODIEngland vs PakistanMay 26, 2027Cardiff

In less than 50 days, Team USA vs. Team Europe will tee off for the 20th edition of the Solheim Cup at Bernardus in the Netherlands.The number of events to qualify is limited, with this week's ISPS Handa Womens Scottish Open providing one of the last two opportunities for Europeans to earn points before captain Anna Nordqvist finalizes her roster after the AIG Women's Open at Royal Lytham. Points are awarded to the top 40 participants, and doubled at major championships. For the Americans, world No. 1 Nelly Korda is the only player to officially clinch her spot on the U.S. team captained by Angela Stanford. Here's a look how the qualifying system works for both teams and who is leading the current standings as the timeline for roster decisions continues to shrink. U.S. Solheim Cup qualificationThe U.S. qualification period concludes at the 2026 CPKC Womens Open, set for Aug. 20-23. The top seven players in the U.S. Solheim Cup points standings will be named to the team. They will be joined by the top two players in the Rolex Womens World Golf Rankings not already qualified and three captains picks.Europe Solheim Cup qualificationEurope has eight automatic qualifiers, the top two players from the LET points list and another six from the Rolex Rankings. The last four roster spots are captain's picks. Prague visit, Scottish Open, Solheim Cup: Nelly Kordas busy past, present and future Nelly Kordas extended European stay has provided her the ability to return to Prague, drive on the only side of the road in Scotland, and get ready for the Solheim Cup. Steve Coulter, Steve Coulter,Current standingsNordqvist's European roster is looking like it will be led by Charley Hull who has a commanding lead in LET scoring. Second on that list is less of a sure thing. Chiara Tamburlini enters the Scottish as second in LET points but Helen Briem is not far off. Both are almost sure-things to be at Bernardus regardless of who gets runner-up to Hull and who gets in via the Rolex Rankings. World No. 5 Lottie Woad looks to also be locked in to make the roster through an automatic qualifying bid. Same goes for Maja Stark (No. 24), Celine Boutier (No. 31), Carlota Ciganda (No. 43) and Linn Grant (No. 45). European Team Points StandingsOn the U.S. side, Angel Yin is second to Korda in points. Yin is followed by Jennifer Kupcho, Auston Kim, Allisen Corpuz, and Yealimi Noh. The seventh and final automatic qualifying spot would go to Lauren Coughlin as of Thursday, July 23. Under current standings, Andrea Lee (No. 35) and Lindy Duncan (No. 55) hold the two automatic world ranking spots. U.S. Team Points StandingsNames to watchJenny Bae (No. 58) and Alison Lee (No. 61) are next in line for the Americans.Bae helped her cause Thursday with an even round, tied for lowest scoring U.S. player in the clubhouse at Dundonald.Other contenders include Megan Khang, Lucy Li, Rose Zhang and Lilia Vu. Three European names to watch for over the next week who outside the automatic world ranking bubble: Germany's Esther Henseleit (No. 51), Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen (No. 61) and Ireland's Leona Maguire (No. 82). Other names to consider would be Agathe Laisne and Cara Gainer. Henseleit is currently T-4, the top ranking European player at the Scottish Open and four shots back of clubhouse leader Jenny Shin (-6). Madsen and Maguire do bring in past Solheim Cup experience and could be tabbed as eventual captain picks when the time comes, if they don't qualify. ISPS HANDA Womens Scottish Open - Rd 2Tune in for the second round of the ISPS HANDA Womens Scottish Open at Dundonald Links in Scotland.

Dodgers earn envious 'industry favorite' label in Tarik Skubal sweepstakes originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Los Angeles Dodgers are sitting atop the NL West, and look to be en route to a first-round bye this season as they pursue a third straight World Series title. This superteam is already incredible, but they could get even better.At the 2026 MLB trade deadline, with a massive crop of prospects to trade from, the Dodgers can land just about any player they want. But what about Tarik Skubal, the best player who could be on the move this summer?Katie Woo, Will Sammon, and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic tiered each team's odds to land Skubal, and they gave the Dodgers the envious label of "industry favorite," as they're the most likely team to trade for Skubal this summer.Dodgers are 'industry favorite' to trade for Tarik Skubal"Few teams have the financial security to even consider trading for Skubal. And the Dodgers have made clear that anything less than a third consecutive World Series title this year would be a failure," The Athletic trio writes. "So of course, it makes sense the industry sees Los Angeles as Skubal's most logical destination."There might be other teams that could justify the price and swing a blockbuster deal for Skubal, like the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies.But no team can compare to how well situated the Dodgers are when it comes to the potential to acquire Skubal this summer.MORE:Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani injury update essentially ends Cy Young chancesEven though the Dodgers don't necessarily need to add Skubal, with their rotation already strong enough as it is now, picking up the Detroit Tigers' back-to-back Cy Young winner would be a huge help.Not only would it give them another ace-level pitcher, but it would block their top competition from being able to improve significantly as well.Major League Baseball's industry, both inside the league and with reporters, sees the Dodgers as the clear top option for Skubal this deadline. As The Athletic trio notes, "If the Dodgers want Skubal, they'll get him."The Dodgers are the "industry favorite" to trade for Skubal, and while a deal is not a guarantee, it would hardly be a surprise if Skubal joined Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and others in the Dodgers rotation by August 3.More MLB news:Braves injury update on Spencer Strider has execs pessimistic about a 2026 returnWhite Sox have strong interest in Mets Clay Holmes with scout attending rehab assignmentYankees send scouts to Cubs vs. Twins series amid trade interest in three playersPhillies would love to trade for Mets reliever Luke WeaverMLB execs believe Padres will trade Mason Miller at trade deadline

Over 82,000 Argentina fans have signed a petition for the FIFA World Cup Final to be replayed -Credit:Anadolu, Anadolu via Getty ImagesThousands of furious Argentina supporters are calling for the FIFA World Cup Final to be replayed following what they describe as a "corrupt" officiating display.Argentina fell 1-0 to Spain in extra time of the tournament showpiece in New Jersey on Sunday. Ferran Torres' strike proved decisive for the commanding Spanish side, who relentlessly pressured the Argentina goal throughout the game.Defending champions Argentina failed to register a single shot on target in regulation and were reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernndez received a red card in the 93rd minute. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martnez was kept constantly busy before finally being beaten by Torres' effort in the 106th minute.Donald Trump sparks outrage with Harry Kane World Cup commentsArgentina World Cup Final red card rescinded, face potential FIFA disciplinary action -Credit:Maja Hitij - FIFA, FIFA via Getty ImagesArgentina took the defeat badly, with unsavory scenes erupting at the final whistle. Leandro Paredes was seen kicking and punching as he pushed Eric Garcia to the ground and clashed with Gavi, while Nahuel Molina appeared to have sparked the confrontation by throwing a punch at Rodri, as per The Mirror.Some supporters of the side are equally bitter, as evidenced by the more than 82,000 signatures on a petition demanding the final be replayed. Change.org petition author Gisela Sanchez contends that FIFA should overturn the result based on the performance of Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic."The recent final between Argentina and Spain was tarnished by the controversial and corrupt performance of the referee who, according to video evidence, was bought to influence the match's outcome," Sanchez writes. "It is a monumental disappointment for the players, coaches, and, above all, for the fans who crave to see a game decided by talent and dedication on the pitch, and not by rigged refereeing decisions."If we allow corruption to go unnoticed on this global stage, we are setting a bad example for future generations of athletes and fans."Therefore, we ask Fifa to review these incidents with seriousness and transparency, and to consider replaying the final this time without the influence of a corrupt referee."To listen to the latest episode of 'All Out Soccer' - CLICK HEREChange.org is awash with petitions of a strikingly different character - ones demanding FIFA prohibit Argentina from future competitions. One appeal seeking the team's exclusion from ALL upcoming World Cups accumulated over 29 million signatures before being closed.Vincic sounded his whistle on 46 occasions for infractions, 25 of which were committed by Argentina players. Fernndez received his marching orders after collecting two yellow cards in the second half - one for dissent following a denied free-kick and another for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi.The game unfolded in a disjointed fashion due to Argentina's disruptive approach, but Spain ultimately broke through during extra time. FIFA are examining the conduct of Argentina's players following the match, which drew widespread condemnation."It's a disgrace," Gary Neville said on ITV. "I love the competitiveness of the Argentines, fighting and scrapping for their lives, Messi has propped them up, but it's been a disgrace the last few games."