Carson Benge was removed from the Mets' game against the Pirates on Friday night after appearing to jam his right wrist on a sliding catch on the warning track in the left-field corner in the bottom of the third inning.After an athletic catch where Benge slid backward into the wall to rob Ronny Simon of extra bases, he lingered on the ground and showed clear discomfort. Benge, who initially stayed in the game, was replaced in left field by Cristian Pache before the bottom of the fourth inning. The Mets announced that Benge was lifted with left wrist soreness. WHAT. A. CATCH! pic.twitter.com/8u8exxLcTU New York Mets (@Mets) August 8, 2026

Laguna Beach (Calif.) is home to not just one but two of the states best edge rushers and Garrett Byerly is a stock up guy in our eyes.The Breakers are one of the more talented teams in the SoCal area. They have playmakers on both sides of the ball and are really strong up front.Earlier this off-season, edge Grayson Kazmouz committed to Boise State and he wont be the only Breaker lineman to play at the college level.Byerly is a next level player in his own right and has made some big strides this off-season. He had a big junior season, totaling 77 tackles including 17 for loss and 10 sacks.He played his junior year at around 6-foot-3, 190 pounds and was somewhat a of a tweener or hybrid. Byerly was an edge with a linebacker frame but put on 25 pounds of good weight while maintaining his burst and quickness and looks like a different player now.He dominated a recent 5v5 at Mission Viejo showing off a lightning quick get-off with the ability to win with a straight speed rush around the edge, the raw power to run right through an opposing tackle and plenty of change of direction to make it tough for anyone to stay in front of him.On the recruiting front, Byerly currently holds scholarship offers from Army, Idaho State, NAU, Cornell and Penn.Im also hearing from Fresno State, San Diego State and Wyoming, Byerly said. I dont really have a commitment timeframe right now.Im just focusing on getting better and getting ready for our senior season. I could commit before the season but I havent made that decision yet.Byerly is a player we think can definitely play at the Pac-12 or Mountain West level and should have a monster senior year. He has a solid frame, moves well and plays with advanced technique.He also has the motor your love to see and is a highly competitive player with a relentless style to him. Hes definitely a player we think is trending in the right direction and his recruitment should get a bump early this season.

ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 6: Ronald Acua Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting a home run in the third inning during the game against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on August 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesWere in for a major old friend alert Friday night as former World Series champion Braves pitcher Max Fried faces his former team for the first time as his second season with the Yankees nears the homestretch.On the Braves side, Tyler Mahle, acquired from the Giants ahead of the trade deadline, will make his team debut.Can the Braves make it nine straight wins in the Big Apple? Follow along with us here in the comments section!

The OregonDucks have had a history of being the home of some ingenious offensive coordinators calling the plays for the team. Chip Kelly is one that comes to mind, but those past coordinators had to be somewhat inventive to match up with defenses that probably had more talent.But here in 2026, that is far from reality as Oregon should have one of the more talented offenses in the nation. Couple that with an offensive coordinator who is described as a football Albert Einstein, and fans can expect the Ducks to be constantly in the end zone.Drew Mehringer is Oregon's OC this season, and the players are pumped for what he will bring to the offense this season."I'm excited about trusting his game plans," quarterback Dante Moore told reporters on Monday. "Coach (Will) Stein did one hell of a job here. He pushed the group and kept the offense operating the way it was supposed to operate. I hope he does great things at Kentucky, but Coach Mehringer is a scientist. He's really smart and does a great job dissecting defenses and making sure we have the right play called."It's always a huge plus when the Heisman-caliber quarterback and the offensive coordinator are on the same page. Oregon's offense became a little predictable under Stein at times last season, but under Mehringer, it might be just the opposite. According to offensive lineman Kawika Rogers, Mehringer will know what the defense plans to do almost immediately."He's like Albert Einstein for football. He's the man," Rogers said. "He'll look at it for five seconds and turn around and tell you what they're in, what the D-Line is in, tell you where they're going to rotate, what coverage they're in, everything. He can tell you what play to run, what play to pass, if we should pass, RPO. Coach Mehringer is like that."Mehringer's main philosophy seems to be to try to make individual players as good as they possibly can be and eventually that's going to lift up the group as a whole."I think we're all just trying to do the best we can to put them in the best position possible and continue to educate them on more than just what they do on any given play, but how the game works and what can prepare them to play at the next level and play for as long as they possibly can," Mehringer said. "I think anything like that is great. You've just got to go out, get a little bit better every day, keep teaching them and keep growing."Mehringer will have plenty of opportunity to show how much his teachings will maximize the potential of an Oregon offense that might be one of the best in the history of the program.Contact/Follow@Ducks_Wireon X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of OregonDucksnews, notes, and opinions.This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Drew Mehringer bringing 'Albert Einstein' level of genius to offense

There was much for Jeff Lebby to discuss at the first day of fall camp on Thursday, even more than the need to develop depth and trust within the team. Here are some other things that stood out.Preparing for physicalityLebby wants the team to be physical, and fall camp will present the opportunity to build that trait. More will be apparent once the team puts on full pads.We're going to tackle in five different situations through fall camp, which is quite a bit," he said. "But we've got to get what we need while, at the same time, getting the right guys on the bus and making sure we're fresh and we're fast and we're ready to roll that first Saturday.Those situations will include three scrimmages and things that will be live in practices.A familiar resemblanceIts no secret that, throughout his career, Lebby has valued speed, especially on offense. He and assistant coach Philip Montgomery have talked about how the current group reminds them of the 2013 and 2014 Baylor Bears, back when Lebby was the running backs coach.During those two years, Baylor led the country with 600 yards and 50.3 points per game.Guys that have just elite track speed, but they're football players, and that's, again, that's a win for us, Lebby said. Weve got really fast guys that love to play football, and that's what we're looking for.A steady presenceCanon Boone, who was recently named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List, has been a steady leadership presence for his fellow offensive linemen.Boone, the lone returning starter from last years front five, has been the same guy every single day and is taking advantage of the opportunities presented to him.That's what I love about his story because he's got a great story, Lebby said of the center. So I appreciate just who he is, his consistency, and it's huge to have him anchor that offensive line for us.Time to go do itDuring assistant coach media availability on Monday, running backs coach Anthony Tucker said how, because this is Lebbys third season, theres not a ton of new.Lebby sees it as a big plus, as it gives the Bulldogs an opportunity to take what hes instilled to another level now that its been so long. It goes back to one of his first goals when he took the job: building something sustainable.There's no question we've got the best roster that we've had. There's no question we've got the best staff that we've had, and for us, it's Day 1 in this climb in this process, Lebby said. But we're so much further ahead than we were a year ago, and obviously two years ago, its not a comparison. So it's time to go do it.

TheHouston Rocketshave had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course ofRockets history.To honor all of the players who wore those numbers over the decades,Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatestRockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.And for today's article, we will continue with the ninth of 14 who wore the No. 25, forward Chandler Parsons. After ending his college career at Florida, Parson was picked up with the 38th overall selection of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.The Casselberry, Florida native played the first 3 seasons of his pro career with Houston, coming to an end when he signed with the Dallas Mavericks in 2014.During his time suiting up for the Rockets, Parsons wore only jersey No. 25 and put up 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKpiTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Houston Rockets jersey history No. 25 - Chandler Parsons (2011-14)

The Oklahoma City Thunder have developed their team over the decades via the usual ways most teams in the NBA have, finding special success through the NBA draft since their founding as the Seattle SuperSonics. Many of the franchise's top players have joined the team either through direct selections in the annual draft or via trades executed on that day.On top of this, the Thunder have selected not only several star players through the draft but also a number of notable alumni each offseason. A few colleges have been more prominently represented than others in sourcing those prospects, though OKC has always cast a wide net as well. Both prestigious programs and smaller institutions have consistently contributed high-caliber talent to the Thunder's roster over the years.So without further ado, let's take a look at every player who has been drafted by the Thunder out of Baylor.Vinnie Johnson - guardDraft year and position: 1st round (7th pick, 7th overall), 1979 NBA DraftSeasons at Baylor: 2Seasons played with Thunder: 3Perry Jones III - forwardDraft year and position: 1st round (28th pick, 28th overall), 2012 NBA DraftSeasons at Baylor: 2Seasons played with Thunder: 3All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Every Baylor player drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder

A Texas native, Drew Brees wanted to play football in his home state. But like the rest of his football journey, Brees took a fortuitous detour to Indiana, where he went to star in college at Purdue. After lighting it up for the Boilermakers, Brees eventually ascended to a Hall of Fame career in the NFL. So, its no surprise that Brees will have plenty of people to thank in his induction speech, set to take place in Canton on Saturday. Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, his head coach at New Orleans, will introduce Brees at the ceremony. Joining Brees on stage as part of this years Hall of Fame class include Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Vinatieri and Luke Kuechly. "The way I really look at it is, this is my opportunity to convey my appreciation, gratitude to so many of the people and places that were a part of this journey," Brees told reporters this week. "Thats what Im most looking forward to, is all the people Im going to have a chance to see and appreciate and let them know just how valued they are." Standing at exactly 6 feet tall and weighing 209 pounds, Brees did not have the ideal stature of a quarterback. But through grit, a relentless work ethic and cerebral approach to the game, Brees developed into a 13-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. Brees pointed to creating a culture of connectivity that led to sustainable winning during his time in the league, which included stints with the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints. "So much of my thought process each and every season was how do you recreate so much connectivity and chemistry with the guys that are on your side of the ball," Brees said. "And then the team dynamics. How are we feeding off each other and how are we complementing each other? To me, thats where a lot of the magic lies on a team is just how you build that chemistry. And how you build those relationships." Now, let's look at the 10 best moments from Brees' Hall of Fame career. 10. Winning Comeback Player Of The Year In 2004 Brees' tenure with the San Diego Chargers was a bit more successful than some might have remembered. After the Chargers took him with the first pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft, Brees earned the starting job a year later in 2002. He went 8-8 that year before going 2-9 as a starter in 2003. With Brees and the Chargers struggling in 2003, San Diego selected Philip Rivers in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. But Brees not only fended off Rivers for the starting job in each of the next two seasons, he also led the Chargers to the playoffs for the first time in seven years in 2004. He won the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year award for his play that season before going 9-7 as a starter in 2005. Brees finished his time in San Diego with a 30-28 record as a starter. He completed 62.2% of his passes for 12,348 yards, with 80 touchdown passes and 53 interceptions. 9. Gold Jacket Connection: Brees Catches TD From LT An underrated athlete and accomplished basketball player in high school, Brees got to show off his skills when he caught a 21-yard touchdown pass for a score from fellow Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson during a Week 4 contest against the Raiders in 2003. It was one of seven touchdown passes the multi-talented Tomlinson threw in his NFL career, and it was one of the eight receptions Brees made in his career. 8. Eclipsing Johnny Unitas Record For Consecutive Games With A TD Pass Breaking a record by Unitas that lasted in the record books for 52 years, Brees completed a touchdown pass in 54 consecutive games between the 2009 and 2012 seasons. Brees threw the touchdown that broke Unitas' record of 47 games against his former team, the Chargers, in Week 5 of the 2012 season with a 40-yard touchdown to Devery Henderson in the Superdome, giving him 48 at that time. His record of 54 consecutive games with a touchdown pass still stands. 7. Becoming The First QB To Throw For 5,000 Yards In Over 20 Years Dan Marino was the first quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards, totaling 5,084 passing yards in 1984. But Brees became the second quarterback to accomplish that feat when he threw for 5.069 yards in 2008. And he produced one of the most prolific seasons three years later, completing 71.2% of his passes for a career-high 5,476 yards, with 46 touchdown passes and a 110.6 passer rating in 2011. Brees holds the NFL record by eclipsing 5,000 passing yards in five different seasons. 6. Setting The NFL's Single-Season Record For Completion Percentage Accuracy is an important statistic NFL scouts and talent evaluators consider when assessing if a quarterback can make the transition to the pros. And while smaller in stature, Brees was the gold standard for moving inside the pocket and finding throwing lanes between linemen to push the ball down the field. Brees holds the NFL record for completion percentage in a single season, completing 74.4% of his passes in 2018. Brees actually holds three of the top five season marks for completion percentage in a season. His 67.7% career completion percentage is the third-best mark in NFL history. 5. Leading Saints To Victory In First New Orleans Game After Hurricane Katrina Brees' first home game with the Saints was one their fans will remember for ages. After Hurricane Katrina displaced the Saints for the 2005 season, they returned to the Superdome for the first time in Week 3 of the 2006 season. They decisively defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 23-3, with Steve Gleason's punt block that led to a touchdown return serving as the memorable moment from that game. Brees didn't put up terrific numbers, but he gave New Orleans a steady hand that night. He threw for 191 yards, leading his team to four scoring drives. 4. Surpassing Peyton Manning For Most TD Passes Ever For about a year, no quarterback had more regular-season touchdown passes than Brees. In Week 15 of the 2019 season, Brees threw his 540th career touchdown pass on a throw to tight end Josh Hill. The touchdown pass broke Peyton Manning's record for the most regular-season touchdown passes in NFL history, and it came against one of Manning's former teams, the Indianapolis Colts. Brees' pass to Hill was also his 20th-straight completion in that game. Tom Brady wound up breaking Brees' record in 2020. 3. Breaking The NFL's All-Time Passing Yards Record A year before Brees set the touchdown passes record, he broke the NFL's all-time passing yards record. He also surpassed Manning for that record when he threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith in Week 5 of the 2018 season. Brees would finish his NFL career with 80,358 passing yards, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 80,000 yards. When he retired in 2020, Brees was the NFL's all-time leader in passing yardage, completions (7,142) and passing attempts (10,551). Brady wound up breaking those marks in the following seasons. 2. Helping Saints Reach NFC Title Game In Year 1 Brees' tenure with the Chargers ended with him suffering a devastating shoulder injury, leading the team to part ways with him as a free agent in the 2006 offseason. But that opened the door for a move that helped change the course of NFL history. After the Miami Dolphins were urged by team doctors not to sign Brees due to his recent shoulder surgery, the Saints picked up the quarterback in March 2006. The Saints were rewarded for taking on a significant risk. He led the team to a 10-6 record in his first year and was named first-team All-Pro. Brees threw for 243 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' 27-24 divisional round win, helping the team secure their NFC Championship Game appearance. They lost to the Chicago Bears in that game. 1. Delivering First Super Bowl To New Orleans and Winning MVP The defining moment of Brees' career came in the 2009 season. Four years into his New Orleans tenure, Brees helped the Saints get over the hump when they defeated the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. His 32 completions were tied for the most in a Super Bowl at the time, and Brees won Super Bowl MVP as he threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns in that game.

Starting pitcher Blake Snell is expected to make his return to the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers next week.The left-handed pitcher is expected to start for the Dodgers on Tuesday, Aug. 11, according to manager Dave Roberts.The two-time Cy Young winner made his way back from an elbow injury and recently participated in a minor league rehab assignment for the organization's Triple-A affiliate. He pitched 3 innings in the Aug. 4 game, striking out three in 73 pitches (41 strikes). But Snell also allowed five hits, two home runs and four walks during the outing.Blake Snell 2026 season statsSnell has pitched just three innings against the Atlanta Braves on May 9 and was credited with the loss in his only start this season. He struck out five runners but allowed six hits, five runs (four earned runs) and two walks this season.Blake Snell career statsThe 33-year-old pitcher is in his 11th season in the majors. He began his big-league career with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2016 and played there for five seasons, winning the 2018 AL Cy Young Award.He was traded to the San Diego Padres following the 2020 season, adding an NL Cy Young Award in 2023 in his final season with the team.Snell then signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants ahead of the 2024 season before the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him as a free agent on Nov. 30, 2024.During his career, Snell has started 223 games and posted a win-loss record of 81-63 with a 3.17 ERA and 1,445 strikeouts. He holds the MLB career record with 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blake Snell injury update: Dodgers pitching ace to return after long layoff