Reliever Brock Burke has been traded twice before, including this year, but never before at the trade deadline.I always live out of a suitcase this time of year anyway, the Cincinnati Reds left-hander said. I guess Im kind of always prepared.As the clocked inside of 24 hours until the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline, Burke joined a handful of Reds pending free agents waiting for the next shoe to drop in a trade market that began to buzz with activity over the previous two days if not the next clubhouse each will call home for the rest of the season.Reds win Pirates series Reds top Pirates behind some of their best young starsReds pitching injuries Nick Lodolo Will Nick Lodolo's new breaking ball be weapon for Reds in 2027?Id be lying if I said I didnt (think about it), said Burke, who added to his trade value the day before the deadline with a 1-2-3, two-strikeout seventh inning in the Reds victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.I just keep telling myself that in the end, baseballs baseball, said Burke, who lowered his season ERA to 2.52 in a league-high 56 appearances. Whenever I go out there I try to assume its a 0-0 game and were winning baseball games and all I can do is try to help the team win, whatever team I happen to be on.Burke, who turns 30 the day after the deadline, has played for the Rangers and Angels before getting swapped to the Reds over the winter in a deal that sent Gavin Lux to the Tampa Bay Rays.In the midst of his best season in four years, Burke has become one of the Reds potentially more valuable trade chips as relievers are expected to start moving in flurries over the final hours before the deadline.I feel good. I feel confident, he said. And the more I get in there, the better I feel, just the comfortability on the mound. Its been working.Burke doesnt have kids, so family considerations of a midseason trade involve just him and his wife. Shes pretty mobile as well, he said. Weve been married a couple years now, so she gets it.Burke was just one of seven pending Reds free agents on the block as the Reds waited to make their moves in the wake of big-ticket trades of pitchers Tarik Skubal (Tigers to Dodgers) and Freddy Peralta (Mets to Rays).The upside for that group is the chance to make what might be significant leaps in the standings with the opportunity to return to the playoffs.For Burke that would mean a second career October run, first since winning a championship with the Rangers in 2023.Itd be cool again, he said. Obviously, we won it all in 23, and that was a very cool experience. Back then I wish I pitched in more meaningful innings when it did come to that time. So hopefully I get redemption at that and get a chance to pitch for a team thats in the playoffs and to pitch some meaningful innings to help the team win.This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Brock Burke, Reds teammates brace for 24-hour trade flurry to deadline

Shams Charania: Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall has signed a three-year, $52.2 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN. The fully guaranteed deal takes Marshall through the 2029-30 season in Dallas.TwitterThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Mavs keep Naji Marshall under contract through 2030

Marc Stein: Naji Marshalls three-year contract extension with Dallas will start at $18.2 million in 2027-28 and decline in the following two seasons to $17.3 million in 2028-29 and $16.7 million in 2029-30, league sources tell @TheSteinLine and @DLLS_Sports.TwitterThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Marshalls three-year contract extension with Dallas

Bobby Marks: Naji Marshall becomes the 69th veteran to sign an extension since the CBA started in July 2023. Over $6.1B in vet extensions handed out For comparison, there were 74 veteran extensions from 2017-18 to 2022-23.TwitterThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Marshall becomes the 69th veteran to sign an extension

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams joined an exclusive trio with his performance in Sundays 5-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Williams notched 10 strikeouts with 1 walk in 5 2/3 innings. It was his fifth consecutive start with 10 or more strikeouts and only 1 walk, making him the third pitcher in MLB history to put together such a streak. Clayton Kershaw had a streak of six such starts in 2016 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chris Sale had five straight 10K/1 BB games when he pitched for the Boston Red Sox, according to MLB.coms Sarah Langs. Gavin Williams now has 10+ strikeouts in each of his last five starts! pic.twitter.com/p0oZ1azkkL Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) August 2, 2026Following Sundays effort, Williams has a 3.56 ERA and 11-6 record with 178 strikeouts in 139 innings. Williams also became the second pitcher in six seasons to have five straight games with 10-plus strikeouts, joining Shohei Ohtani in 2022. His five-game run included recording an immaculate inning during his July 23 start versus the Minnesota Twins. However, Williams achievement was overshadowed by one of baseballs longtime debates.Breaking one of baseballs unwritten rulesSundays game also came with some additional spice as Williams took a perfect game into the sixth inning. Diamondbacks center fielder Tim Tawa attempted to get his teams first hit of the game with a bunt. The attempt went foul, but Tawas intention violated one of baseballs unwritten rules and the Guardians were upset about it. Benches clear in the pouring rain after Dbacks Tim Tawa tried to break up Gavin Williams perfect game with a bunt pic.twitter.com/gWQjW59XYn Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 2, 2026Both catcher Patrick Bailey and shortstop Brayan Rocchio complained to Tawa about trying to break up Williams perfect game with a bunt. That became a moot point on the next pitch when Tawa hit a sweeper in the middle of the strike zone for a single. Williams retired Ildemaro Vargas on a groundout and struck out Tyler Locklear as rain began to fall heavily at Progressive Field. The conditions became more difficult while Williams got ahead of Corbin Carroll on a one-ball, two-strikes count, but then threw three consecutive pitches far out of the strike zone, the third being a wild pitch. With more rain falling and the field becoming soaked, umpires called for the grounds crew to roll out the tarp and cover the infield. As the tarp was being secured, Guardians third-base coach Rouglas Odor, manager Stephen Vogt and several players revisited the issue of Tawas bunt attempt and both dugouts emptied onto the field. The benches cleared as the grounds crew was putting the tarp on the field because the Guardians were pissed the Diamondbacks attempted a bunt to end Gavin Williams perfect game pic.twitter.com/BtozFJSj1W Punchoutpitch (@Punchoutpitch) August 2, 2026Vogt and D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo could be seen arguing about the bunt at home plate as a scrum gathered around them. No scuffles developed, though coaches and players were being held back by teammates, and the game went into a rain delay. Whether or not a team being held hitless should attempt to get that first hit with a bunt has been one of baseballs longtime debates. Traditionalists say bunting in that situation violates an unwritten rule. Others argue that a hitters job is to get on base. If that means laying down a bunt to get a hit, so be it. At least twice in MLB history, a perfect game was broken up by a bunt single. In 2017, Ben Davis of the San Diego Padres bunted to end Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schillings perfect game in the eighth inning. Jarrod Dyson broke up Justin Verlanders perfect game in the sixth during a 2017 game between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers.This argument ignited in 2019 when Ben Bowden of the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats took a combined no-hitter into the ninth inning. Down 3-0, the Trenton Thunders Matt Lipka laid down a bunt with one out for a single. That was Trentons only hit of the game and after the final out, both benches emptied onto the field to dispute the matter. After that game, MLB.coms Matt Kelly and David Adler asked 30 major-leaguers whether a bunt to break up a no-hitter or perfect game was acceptable. Opinions were nearly split down the middle with 14 players saying it was a fair tactic and 16 saying it violated a baseball code. That debate can now continue after the uproar in Cleveland.

Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley coaches during warm ups before the Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Editors note: Fifteenth in a series previewing each team in the Big 12 in 2026.Its a new era in Salt Lake City.After 21 seasons of Kyle Whittingham at the helm, there will be a new man leading the Utes out of the tunnel when Utah opens the season against Idaho on Sept. 3 Morgan Scalley, who became the 24th head coach in program history this December.Scalley has been on staff at Utah since 2006, when he was hired by Whittingham shortly after graduating, and has spent two decades learning from his former coach.Since starting his coaching journey, its always been Scalleys goal to be a head coach. He walked into Whittinghams office shortly after he was hired and told him that he wanted to be a head coach within five years and a head coach within 10.Little did I know how big of an aspiration that was, Scalley told the Deseret News earlier this summer.It took a little bit longer, but the moment is finally here for Scalley and hes prepared for it. He kept a notebook full of names for a potential staff throughout his time as an assistant coach, and after Whittingham stepped down, he started calling names from that list, assembling a staff quickly after Whittingham took many longtime assistant coaches with him to Michigan.Scalley has been preparing to become a head coach for years and took on additional duties in recent years to become more involved in the executive side of coaching. Utahs hope and Scalleys hope is that the coach-in-waiting plan pays off and Scalley can hit the ground running, providing the program a seamless transition.Scalley has been saying and doing the right things since taking over, and hes injected a new energy into the program. His players have bought into his RSNB culture and while the culture is much of the same as it was under Whittingham, Scalley has put his own stamp on everything from the strength and conditioning program to practice to high school recruiting and the transfer portal.After a whirlwind offseason, its finally time to actually play the games.I think this season, it does mean a lot. I think this is the first year of the new era of Utah is what were calling it, and the first time Scalley gets to be a head coach, quarterback Devon Dampier said. I think theres a lot of pressure for us coming into this year, but nothing we cant handle.I think the way Scalleys come in, the way our teams buying in, just the way this summers been, a lot of player-led things, just feels like were coming together as a team. So Im pretty excited just to kick off the new era of Utah football.Scalleys first season as head coach is buoyed by the return of starting quarterback Devon Dampier, who is back after throwing for 2,490 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushing for 835 yards and 10 scores while leading the Utes to an 11-2 record.He did all that while playing through a sports hernia and an ankle injury for much of the season. Scalley is excited for Ute fans to see a healthy Dampier this season.Devon played a lot of last year, not 100% sports hernia but that just goes to show how competitive he is and how tough he is, Scalley said. Im excited to see him play at full strength again.The dual-threat quarterback will have a new offensive coordinator for the first time in his collegiate career Kevin McGiven, who coached Utah States offense last year. The Bryson Barnes-led attack averaged 409.5 yards per game and 30.9 points per game, and thats with an offensive line that wasnt up to par.He let me know from the beginning that he loved my skillset and he has a way of allowing me to show that and do it at my best ability, Dampier said of McGiven. And I think just starting from then on, I felt myself getting progressively better physically and mentally is definitely where hes taken me to a whole nother level. But the offense is going to be whatever we do best, were going to showcase it. No doubt. New Utah offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven is eager to begin his tenure at Utah and looks to build on the momentum that was gained from the 2025 season. | Utah Athletics Dampier has what Scalley calls one of the best, if not the best receiver rooms that hes seen in his 20 seasons at Utah. Each year, Utahs wide receiver room seems to fall short of expectations, but this could be the season that they rise to the occasion.The Utes receiving options are led by Utah State transfer Braden Pegan (926 yards, five TDs) and San Jose State transfer Kyri Shoels (768 yards, two TDs). Larry Simmons, Creed Whittemore and Mississippi State transfer Ricky Johnson are in the mix for starting spots, and Utah has depth behind them in Tobias Merriweather, Daidren Zipperer and Nate Johnson.In the backfield, star Wayshawn Parker returns after putting up 981 yards and six scores on just 149 carries (6.58 yards per carry). Byrd Ficklin coming back is huge for the offense the backup quarterback played an integral role last year, rushing for 513 yards and 10 scores and playing an important part in multiple Utah wins.After years of middling backup quarterback play, the Utes have their best quarterback room in a while, and could be among the best in the nation.The tight end position isnt a sure thing a departure from previous seasons. Weber State transfer Noah Bennee (23 catches for 264) returns to Utah to lead the tight ends, and Hunter Andrews is back from a season-ending injury, but the group will have to prove themselves.Of course, the entire offense hinges on the performance of a completely rebuilt offensive line.Utahs front five was stellar last season, led by first-round NFL tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, and powered the Utes to school records in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.I think this season, it does mean a lot. I think this is the first year of the new era of Utah is what were calling it, and the first time Scalley gets to be a head coach. I think theres a lot of pressure for us coming into this year, but nothing we cant handle.Utah QB Devon DampierIf the best five can gel and play above average, this offense could be good for the second year in a row, but if they underperform, it could derail a promising season for the Utes.New offensive line coach Jordan Gross will work to assemble the best starting lineup for the Utes this season. Keith Olson, Alex Harrison, Zereoue Williams, Solatoa Moeai and Roger Alderman all played at least 130 snaps last season thanks to Utahs large margin of victory, and Harrison, Olson, Williams, Moeai and Montana State transfer Cedric Jefferson are all veterans. Five-star true freshman Kelvin Obot and sophomore Isaiah Garcia, whose season ended before it started last year, are the only players battling for starting spots that dont have much experience.Scalley told the Deseret News earlier this summer that one of the biggest spring camp surprises was the play of both of the lines.Because a lot of question marks losing five guys, two first-round draft picks, Im really excited about our offensive line, really excited about our defensive line, Scalley said.And if youre going to win championships, you have to have great offensive, defensive lines. Higher levels of competition expose soft play, expose poor line play, and so thats what Im excited about and probably the two biggest pleasant surprises is the development already of the offense and defensive line.On defense, Scalley relinquishes the reins for the first time in a decade, but make no mistake, it will still be a classic Scalley/Whittingham defense, even with linebackers coach Colton Swan calling it.The strength of the defense should be the safety position, which returns Jackson Bennee (64 tackles, four interceptions, five pass breakups) and gets Rabbit Evans back after a season-ending injury. Its by far the most experienced position on the defense.At linebacker, established starter Johnathan Hall (67 tackles, 2.5 sacks, four pass breakups, one interception) was a big re-signing, but the Utes need to replace longtime players Lander Barton and Levani Damuni. Trey Reynolds has played in every game the last two seasons and is ready to step up, and Cyrus Polu also made an impression in spring camp. Utah Utes linebacker Johnathan Hall (7) reacts after the play during game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News Utah also has to replace nickelback Smith Snowden and cornerback Blake Cotton. Starter Elijah Davis returns to lead the unit, and Rock Caldwell, who helped at safety last year, slides back into the nickel position. From there, it will be a battle between a bevy of transfers to earn the other starting outside cornerback position. Akron cornerback Elijah Reed and USF transfer James Chenault are ones to keep an eye on during fall camp.Just like the offense, the biggest question mark on the defense is the defensive line, a position that is usually a strength for the Utes.All of Utahs starters are gone on the defensive line. The defensive tackles room, which underperformed last year, will be led by three underclassmen Karson Kaufusi, Pupu Sepulona and Jireh Moe.Kaufusi and Sepulona both played last season, with Kaufusi totaling 13 tackles in 177 snaps and Sepulona tallying 13 in 137 snaps. San Jose State transfer Jireh Moe (28 tackles last season) stood out in spring practices. The Utes will need all three to make big leaps this season.At defensive end, the Utes are more established, though theyll miss sack leader John Henry Daley and Logan Fano. Lance Holtzclaw (26 tackles, 1.5 sacks) and Kash Dillon (35 tackles, 3.5 sacks) are ready for starting roles, and the Utes added North Texass Ethan Day (48 tackles, 4.5 sacks) as well.The defensive line has a lot to prove this year.In Scalleys first year, theres a wide range of outcomes depending on health and line play, but the Utes could be Big 12 contenders if everything goes right. The Utes avoid playing conference favorite Texas Tech and get contenders BYU and Houston at home. The key stretch will be in November, when Utah plays BYU at Rice-Eccles Stadium, then hits the road to play Arizona and TCU. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, left, talks with quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson during spring camp April 14, 2026, in Salt Lake City. | Utah Athletics 2026 Utah Utes at a glance2025 record: 11-2 (7-2 Big 12)2026 scheduleSept. 3 vs. IdahoSept. 12 vs. ArkansasSept. 19 vs. Utah StateSept. 26 at Iowa StateOct. 10 vs. KansasOct. 17 at ColoradoOct. 24 vs. HoustonOct. 31 at CincinnatiNov. 7 vs. BYUNov. 14 at ArizonaNov. 21 at TCUNov. 27 vs. West Virginia

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak left the game between the Detroit Tigers and Athletics after taking a foul ball off his mask.Rehak was hurt with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning on Sunday when A's outfielder Henry Bolte fouled off a pitch from Keider Montero. The ball hit Rehak squarely in the mask, knocking it to the ground.Tigers catcher Eduardo Valencia quickly checked on Rehak, who was then attended to by a trainer. After a few minutes, Rehak left the game and there was a brief delay as second base umpire Adam Beck went back to the umpires' locker room beyond the center-field wall to put on the equipment and take over behind the plate.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

CLEVELAND (AP) Gavin Williams allowed one hit in 5 2/3 innings and struck out 10, Chase DeLauter drove in three runs and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 Sunday to avoid being swept in a weekend series.Patrick Bailey snapped an 0-for-13 skid with a home run in the second inning off Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly (8-9).Williams (11-6) retired the first 15 batters he faced before Tim Tawa led off the sixth with a base hit to right. Tawa tried to bunt on the previous pitch but fouled it off, which drew plenty of criticism from the Guardians.When the tarp came out with two outs in the sixth inning, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt and third-base coach Rouglas Odor charged from the dugout and began exchanging words with Diamondbacks players and coaches. The benches emptied for both teams, but calm was restored a couple minutes later.The game resumed after an hour, 34-minute rain delay.Arizona had the bases loaded in the sixth and ninth innings but couldn't get any runs.Williams has double-digit strikeouts in five straight games, the longest run by a Cleveland pitcher since Shane Bieber had a six-game run in 2020-21. Williams has eight games with at least 10 strikeouts this season, which leads the American League.The right-hander struck out six of the first nine hitters he faced, including five straight in the second and third innings.DeLauter lined a RBI single up the middle in the second to extend Cleveland's lead to 2-0. The rookie right fielder then had a two-run double in the fifth to make it 4-0. DeLauter scored on Kyle Manzardo's base hit.Kelly allowed five runs on eight hits and struck out five in five innings.Up nextDiamondbacks: Return home to face San Diego in a four-game series. RHP Brandon Pfaadt (5-1, 4.00 ERA) gets the start on Monday.Guardians: Continue their homestand on Tuesday against the New York Mets with LHP Joey Cantillo (8-6, 3.98 ERA) taking the mound.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

With a week of practices in the books, here's The Tennessean's latest projection as to what the Tennessee Titans' 53-man roster will look like when the roster gets cut from 91 players to 53 players at the end of August.For the sake of this exercise, we'll divide the roster into five groups: The locks, the guys who ought to be feeling pretty good, the players on the right side of the bubble, the players on the wrong side of the bubble, and the players who've got a lot of work to do.Following practice on Aug. 1, here's our projection:Tennessee Titans 53-man roster projectionThe locks (40 players)Cam Ward, Mitchell Trubisky, Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Nick Singleton, Carnell Tate, Wan'Dale Robinson, Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Gunnar Helm, Daniel Bellinger, Dan Moore Jr., Peter Skoronski, Austin Schlottmann, Cordell Volson, JC Latham, Jackson Slater, Pat Coogan, Fernando Carmona Jr., Jeffery Simmons, John Franklin-Myers, Jordan Elliott, Solomon Thomas, Jermaine Johnson II, Keldric Faulk, Jacob Martin, Femi Oladejo, Cody Barton, Cedric Gray, Anthony Hill Jr., Alontae Taylor, Cor'Dale Flott, Marcus Harris, Amani Hooker, Kevin Winston Jr., Tony Adams, Joey Slye, Tommy Townsend, Morgan CoxRoster watches focus on the players at the bottom of the roster, but don't lose sight of the starters. These are the guys who are going to matter most come September.Guys who ought to be feeling good (6 players)Jaren Kanak, Austin Deculus, Jackie Marshall, Mohamoud Diabate, Dorian Mausi, Joshua Williams Not necessarily locks, but also not on the bubble. A couple of draft picks who'll have to lose spots to miss the team, a couple of free agent depth pieces who have priority over younger or less experienced players and some depth for the inside linebacker room in the form of two players who'll be able to contribute in the rotation and on special teams.The right side of the bubble (7 players)Will Levis, Kalel Mullings, Bryce Oliver, David Martin-Robinson, Jaylen Harrell, Jalen McMurray, Kendell BrooksCaveat: No pads are on yet. It's still early. But let's keep Levis on the squad until further notice, give Mullings the nod as a special teams option in the backfield, lean on Oliver's special teams skills as WR6, keep Martin-Robinson around for depth, let Harrell develop one more year off the edge and bring back Brooks as valuable safety depth. And oh yeah, not to pander, but it's no fun to do a prediction with no UDFAs and the Titans need a backup nickel option so McMurray the former Vol is getting rewarded for a nice couple of practices.The wrong side of the bubble (11 players)Michael Carter, Julius Chestnut, K.J. Osborn, Xavier Restrepo, Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Timmy Horne, Truman Jones, James Williams Sr., Micah Robinson, Keydrain Calligan, Jerrick Reed II Any of these guys could land on the right side of the bubble soon enough. Osborn and Restrepo are still in the mix for a receiver spot. Carter and Chestnut are getting looks alongside Mullings (and Singleton). And everyone else here was good enough to survive the total roster turnover from 2025 to 2026, with almost all of them spending most of last season on the active roster.A lot of work to do (27 players)Hendon Hooker, Mason Kinsey, Hank Beatty, Tyren Montgomery, Courtney Jackson, Lance McCutcheon, Joel Wilson, Kylen Granson, Andre James, Rasheed Miller, Drew Moss, Aamil Wagner, Garrett Dellinger, Zachary Thomas, Malik Herring, Jalyn Holmes, Earnest Brown IV, Shad Banks Jr., Sean Brown, Mani Powell, Mario Goodrich, Nazeeh Johnson, Bishop Fitzgerald, Erick Hallett II, Derrick Canteen, Khalen Saunders, Laki TasiThere are some nice players in the bunch here, but no one who's really high on the radar . . . yet. Let's see how the projection morphs as the pads come on and competitions takes a different shape.Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick atnsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X@nicksuss. Subscribe to theTalkin Titans newsletterfor updates sent directly to your inbox.This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Projecting Tennessee Titans' 53-man roster, depth chart after 1 week of training camp

BALTIMORE (AP) Bryce Harper and Bryan De La Cruz both homered, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-0 on Sunday in a game halted by rain after 5 1/2 innings.The rain was steady for much of the afternoon. The game started on time, but players had to deal with wet weather until the field was pretty well soaked after the top of the third. There was a delay for 1 hour, 49 minutes that knocked Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler and Baltimore's Kyle Bradish (7-10) out of the game.The Phillies then scored twice in the fourth, once in the fifth and three times in the sixth before another delay, which was followed by the game being called.This was the last game for both teams before Monday's trade deadline. Philadelphia occupies a wild card in the National League. The Orioles fell to 2 1/2 games behind the final playoff spot in the AL.De La Cruz's two-run homer in the third opened the scoring. After the first delay, Anthony Nunez came on for the Orioles and loaded the bases by allowing two singles and a walk. Then he walked Bryson Stott on four pitches to make it 3-0. Justin Crawford's groundout brought in another run.Harper hit a solo homer in the fifth, his 23rd of the season. Crawford added an RBI single in the sixth, and De La Cruz and Kyle Schwarber hit sacrifice flies.Reliever Tim Mayza (3-3) got the win.Up nextThe Phillies return home to face Washington on Monday night. Aaron Nola (3-9, 5.61 ERA) starts for Philadelphia.Baltimore is off Monday before hosting the Los Angeles Angels.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb