CHICAGO Cincinnati Reds slugger Eugenio Surez sat before a bunch of his old media pals from Seattle and Cincinnati a few days before the trade deadline at T-Mobile Park and declared his love for Cincinnati and his desire to stay for the rest of the season.Those prayers were answered when the Reds took a talk-to-the-animals approach in a do-little deadline period.Now?Reds injury report Hunter Greene Reds' Hunter Greene to miss 2027 season after 2nd Tommy John surgeryReds bullpen Emilio Pagan Reds closer Emilio Pagn 'ready to go' after 'clean' MRI on sore handSurez has his sights set on sticking around for next season, too.Thats my goal, he said.The easy mechanism for that is a $16 million mutual option attached to the one-year contract that pays him $15 million this year.The reality is thats a lot of dough for a team like the Reds to pay, even for one year, to a 35-year-old DH who didnt perform well enough before the deadline to elicit enough interest to make a trade happen.Especially for a front office that plans to try to backfill for the 2027 loss of All-Star pitcher Hunter Greene (representing $15 million salary on the books/IL minus possible insurance claim).No matter how much everybody loves the guy.That leaves Surez with six weeks to do something about it. Or at least to enjoy what otherwise will be the final weeks of a one-year reunion with the team that helped launch his All-Star career (for which he has launched 207 home runs) and the city some of his family still calls home.God is good, he said. I said in Seattle that I dont want to leave the team. This was the team that gave me the opportunity to come back and help them win. And I just want to stay and do my best for them and help them win games.Im very glad that I can stay and finish my season with them.Surez, who was traded by Arizona to Seattle at the trade deadline a year ago, said he kept his mind off the rumors and the trade possibility this time around leading up to the Aug. 3 deadline.He knew the possibility was there, he said, but he also knew what his slow start to the season and first-half oblique injury contributed to the deadline equation.When you see my numbers, its not very likely for people to want to have (that) hitter, he said. Last year my numbers were very good (36 of his 49 homers with Arizona). But this year when you see Im hitting .200 without many home runs and RBIs, maybe teams dont want that.But Im happy to stay. Im happy where I am right now. And I feel really good to be with the Cincinnati team and city.When he says he feels good, that applies to health and comfort at the plate these days.In his last 24 games through the recent road trip that concluded in Chicago, Surez hit half of his 18 home runs with four doubles, nine walks, a .583 slugging percentage and .885 OPS.He followed that in the opener of this homestand with a double off former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara to drive in the only run of the game in a 1-0 victory over the Marlins.Hes trying to be a little more direct to the ball. Hes working hard, manager Terry Francona said. I give him credit. Hes a veteran. Hes got a lot of at-bats and got a lot of home runs (343) on his baseball card. But hes not too proud to work at it. And Im glad, because if we can keep him hot that will really help us.That was the idea when the Reds pivoted from a long-term free agent offer to hometown home run champ Kyle Schwarber and signed old-pal slugger Surez to that one year deal late in the offseason.Thats what I want to do with this team, Surez said. Ive been waiting for that time to get hot and help this team win, and to hit for power again and drive in RBIs and get hot with this team. I dont want to get hot with somebody else and then people talk about (not delivering with Reds).I just want to get hot here and finish strong here in Cincinnati and see what happens.The wait-and-see part of that involves two things, he said, including the fact the Reds were 16-10 since the All-Star break through that series opener against the Marlins.We still have a chance to make the playoffs, said Surez, whose Reds were five games out of playoff position through that game despite still being three games under .500 at 59-62.So right now I just think about finishing strong and doing my best for the team. And then see what happens next year.This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Eugenio Surez got his wish at deadline. What's next for Reds slugger?

Keagen Trost made his preseason debut on Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs, but the Los Angeles Rams third-round rookie didnt play beyond the first quarter. He suffered a hamstring injury in the first 15 minutes and was promptly ruled out by the team.Trost had been playing right tackle for the Rams in the preseason opener before going down. Los Angeles drafted him 93rd overall out of Missouri.Trost is essentially a lock for the 53-man roster but its unfortunate to see him go down so early in his NFL debut. Hopefully its only a minor injury and the team is being cautious because he has a real chance to be the backup right tackle behind Warren McClendon Jr. this season.The Rams have good depth along the offensive line but with the starters and David Quessenberry not dressing, they'll have to dip into that depth for the rest of the game.This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams rookie Keagen Trost ruled out after 1st-quarter hamstring injury

The Minnesota Vikings had a very messy preseason debut. The offense had its moments with various quarterbacks, they also had some mishaps. The defense looked the part start to finish, however, and it has us once again thinking Brian Flores may be the biggest x-factor for this team. For the offense, Kyler Murray played the opening drive, and the Vikings' offense moved pretty well. They settled for a field goal, but they were able to run the ball, Murray was nimble in the backfield, and it was fun to see the offense work within a different tempo. All of that seemingly went out the window when J.J. McCarthy came into the game. While the offense was hit or miss. The defense was the star of the game. You can read all of it in our recap, but this is where things settled for our grading by position within the report card. QuarterbacksGrade: B-No turnovers, only took one sack; this should be a higher grade, right? They lacked much explosiveness; they didn't make many splash plays, and it showed that Kyler Murray is still getting familiar with things. As for J.J. McCarthy, he looked like every throw took everything in him, and it resulted in bad timing with his receivers and a lack of being able to get the offense going. Running BacksGrade: AJordan Mason and Aaron Jones looked explosive at the start of the game. Mason especially looked to have an extra step in his ability to run between the tackles, and it has me personally excited to see this run game in 2026. Being able to pick up chunk yards on the ground is going to be pivotal for the Vikings this season. Wide Receivers and Tight EndsGrade: CThere were some bad drops, routes were a bit sloppy at times, and no receiver or tight end could really find a groove. Ironically, it was Myles Price who produced the most in the receiving game, but next week they should hopefully be more in a groove with the quarterbacks to make a play or two. Offensive LineGrade: A+This was a top-tier performance from the Vikings' offensive line. The starters looked great, the backups looked solid, and it should have fans thinking this offense could achieve something with this group if everyone stays healthy. They gave up one sack and helped the Vikings run for 111 yards on the ground, a perfect day.Defensive LineGrade: AThe Vikings' defensive line got a facelift this offseason, so all eyes were going to be on the group. Brian Flores has talked about wanting to stop the run more, and in holding the Giants to just 70 yards, you have to imagine he is happy. This group also got pressure on their quarterbacks from the start, and it speaks to the potential they have tp get this type of result with players at every level of the depth chart. LinebackersGrade: B+The Linebackers did a good job of containing the run; they also created some pressure. The unit played extremely well with Jamal Adams leading the way until his unfortunate injury. It seems it could be serious, which will hurt this unit but create an opportunity for a younger player to step up. SecondaryGrade: A+They got to the quarterback; they forced turnovers. This was a unit that showed they are ready for anything after seeing how Brian Flores schemed with them. They will be the star of the Vikings defense once again in 2026. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings Report Card: Grades from their preseason game with the Giants

GREEN BAY The Green Bay Packers whittled their quarterback depth chart down to three, releasing undrafted rookie Kyron Drones.His release leaves Kyle McCord as the frontrunner to be the Packers third quarterback, a spot that would likely land him on the practice squad. McCord, a sixth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025, spent all of his rookie season on the Eagles practice squad. He has been with the Packers since signing a reserve/future contract after last season, affording him a head start in learning coach Matt LaFleurs playbook.McCord showed potential in directing the Packers offense during the teams preseason opener at the Pittsburgh Steelers, completing 12-of-16 passes for 102 yards and no interceptions. Though he did not throw a touchdown pass, he led the offense into field-goal position on a drive that started from the Packers 25-yard line with 38 seconds left before halftime. McCord completed four straight passes for 35 yards, setting up rookie Trey Smacks 58-yard field goal.Drones did not complete his lone pass in the Packers preseason opener at Pittsburgh. He was sacked three times.If McCord continues to build on his preseason opener this week in Denver and in the teams preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals, he could get a chance to further develop behind Jordan Love and backup Tyrod Taylor.This article originally appeared on Packers News: Green Bay Packers release rookie quarterback Kyron Drones

Arne Engels is the second high-profile departure from Celtic this summer following Daizen Maeda's move to promoted Ipswich [Shutterstock]West Ham United have broken the EFL transfer record by paying a 22m fee to sign Arne Engels from Scottish champions Celtic.The 22-year-old Belgium international has signed a five-year contract after West Ham paid what they called a "record fee paid by an EFL Championship club".It tops the 17.5m paid by Ipswich Town a year ago to sign Norway forward Sindre Walle Egeli.Following relegation in May, West Ham start their first Championship season since 2012 with a trip to Burnley on Sunday.But Engels, who can play in midfield, right-back or right-wing, will not be available to make his debut until the home league derby against Charlton Athletic at the London Stadium on Saturday, 22 August.Relive the Championship action on a busy opening SaturdayEngels is West Ham's fourth summer signing after the recruitment of Venezuela midfielder Keiber Lamadrid, Dutch defender Joel Veltman and Israel winger Manor Solomon.West Ham director of player recruitment Nils Koppen told the club website: "Arne is a player we have been tracking for some time as a key target."For a player who is still very young with his best years in front of him, he has very good experience and has established himself at a big club, showing consistency and confidence."Arne has the right traits, both as a player and as a character, to fit into what we are trying to build moving forward. He is very motivated to be here for this challenge."Engels, who has made four appearances for Belgium, won back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles with Celtic after arriving from Augsburg in August 2024, having begun his career at Club Brugge."It's a really nice project to come into," he said. "To try to go back to the Premier League. That's the big goal. "It's just up to me to hopefully help the team with it and together with the supporters to get some wins. Hopefully it's going to be a good year."West Ham's boardroom battle on eve of Championship seasonWill West Ham bounce straight back up?Quiz: How much do you remember about West Ham's 2011-12 season?

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. After taking Friday off, the New England Patriots returned to the practice field on Saturday, following Thursday's 13-13 tie with the Indianapolis Colts in the preseason opener. The team is looking to take whatever lessons they can from the game and use them in their preparation for Week 2. And with that, they turned the page to the scheduled preseason game and two scheduled joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles next week. Here were the biggest takeaways from Day 15 of training camp practice: 1. Romeo Doubs continues to impressRomeo Doubs has been coming alive during these past few practices and had some highlight-reel plays on Saturday, hauling in multiple touchdowns, including contested catches over the defense. Specifically, he had an impressive grab over Charles Woods during Drake Maye's one-minute drive for the touchdown, after Kayshon Boutte's massive gain moved the chains and put them in the red zone.Just new offense, new year, figuring out the player, getting to know him," Vrabel said before practice. "Really, a lot of positive things, I think, trending in the right direction.2. Dre'Mont Jones leaves earlyEdge rusher Dre'Mont Jones left practice early, being spotted walking off with a member of the training staff. With him out, it was rookie Gabe Jacas who slotted in, playing opposite Elijah Ponder. He shined, having several run stuffs during the team periods. 3. Carlton Davis struggled against receiversWith Christian Gonzalez sidelined, it was Carlton Davis and Charles Woods who served as the starting cornerbacks, but they struggled to stop the receiver group. Davis gave up a few touchdowns in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 red zone reps, followed by being beaten by Kayshon Boutte during the one-minute drill to end practice, which ultimately set up a touchdown on the next play.As for Woods, while he was back out there, he was in a red non-contact jersey. He also got beat a few times, often by Romeo Doubs. 4. Andy Borregales bounces backAfter his struggles during the team's first preseason game, where he missed three field goals, Andy Borregales came into practice ready to prove himself, and he did just that. The kicker was reunited with longsnapper Julian Ashby, who missed the first preseason game due to injury, and ended practice by making all six of his attempts, working on the skinny field goal posts. 5. QB statsDrake Maye: 1-for-5 in 7s, 10-for-16 in 11sTommy DeVito: 4-for-4 in 7s, 6-for-13 in 11sBehren Morton: 2-for-3 in 11s6. AttendanceAbsent:CB Christian Gonzalez, WR Kobe Prentice, DB Eric Butler, LB Chad Muma, LS Niko Lalos, OLB Xavier Holmes, OL Andrew Rupcich, OL Ben Brown, WR Kyle Dixon, DL Christian BarmoreInjured:OLB DreMont JonesReturning:LS Julian Ashby, CB Charles Woods (red non-contact jersey)Limited:LB Christian EllissPUP/NFI:ED Harold Landry III, S Brenden SchoolerHead coach Mike Vrabel reiterated that Christian Gonzalez's absence is due to a slight injury he sustained rather than it being contract-related. As for Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich, they were both missing after suffering injuries in Thursday's preseason game, with Brown expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the preseason. With that, the Patriots signed two new offensive linemen: Darrian Dalcourt (No. 61) and Joe Michalski (No. 60).7. Other notesMarcus Bryant, Mehki Butler, Jacob Rizy, James Hudson, and Caleb Lomu all repped in the second offensive line unit with Brown and Rupcich out. It was Rizy who took over at center. Patriots were down two of their top linebackers with Christian Ellisslimited andChad Mumaout, so it was KJ Brittwho slotted in with the starters. Kindle Vildor and Karon Prunty both recorded pass breakups during the team periods. What's next?The Patriots will hold a closed walkthrough practice on Sunday, Aug. 16, with just the media in attendance. They will be back out on Monday and Tuesday to prepare for joint practices with the Eagles on Wednesday and Thursday. Follow Patriots Wire onTwitterandFacebook.This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 7 takeaways from Day 15 of Patriots training camp

Marseille reach agreement with West Hams Jean-Clair TodiboOlympique de Marseille are reported to have reached an agreement with West Hams Jean-Clair Todibo (26) on the terms of a potential transfer, according to information from Foot Mercato.With three years remaining on his contract, which runs until 2029, the centre-back is said to be open to a hypothetical return to France. However, nothing is yet certain for OM, who will need not only to reach an agreement with the Hammers to secure the Cayenne-born player, but also to free up funds through the sale of some of their own players.Should the deal go through, Todibo could return to Ligue 1, where he shone for Toulouse FC and OGC Nice, making a total of 125 appearances.Having arrived in the Premier League two years ago, the French international who has two caps has established himself as a key defender, making 50 league appearances (42 as a starter) over the last two seasons.GFFN|Lo Aschi

The atmosphere at Covenant Health Park on Aug. 14 felt like the postseason, as the Knoxville Smokies narrowly walked away with a 5-4 win over the visiting Rocket City Trash Pandas following a high-stakes ninth inning. Rocket City loaded the bases with one out in the ninth when reliever Grayson Moore entered the game. With the tying run at third base, Moore induced a soft groundout to end the game and preserve a Smokies win."I'd be lying if I said that didn't feel a little different than coming in in like the sixth inning," Moore told Knox News. "But it was fun. I just try to go out there and compete and really just control what I can control." Knoxville starter Luis Martinez-Gomez bounced back from a first-inning home run to deliver five strong innings. He allowed three hits and three walks before lefty Jackson Brockett followed with three scoreless innings, tossing 26 pitches for nine outs.Marino Santy struggled to close the game in the ninth, giving up a hit and three walks before Moore cleaned up the mess. Buy Smokies tickets! Rocket City three-hole hitter Eddie Michelletti Jr. pounced on the first pitch he saw in the first inning, sending the first blast of the series over the right field fence. An Edgar Alvarez sacrifice fly knotted the score at 1-1 for the Smokies in the second inning.Center fielder Kane Kepley ripped a two-RBI double to right field to put the Smokies ahead in the fifth inning. Left fielder Carter Trice launched a leadoff homer in the sixth inning to put Knoxville ahead by four runs, giving the Smokies their first blast of the week. Trice added insurance with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly, which turned out to be the game-winning run."It's hard to keep this offense down for nine innings," manager Lance Rymel told Knox News. "It hasn't happened very often this year. We do a good job of rallying and answering back when they score." Smokies player of the game, top moments: Friday, Aug. 14Player of the game: Carter Trice recorded three of Knoxville's seven hits in the win, including his 14th homer of the year. Trice's late plate appearance - which didn't count as an at-bat because of the sacrifice fly - proved to be the deciding run. "Any time we can add an insurance run with a Carter Trice home run," Rymel said, "that obviously helps tremendously."Stranding them all: Rocket City loaded the bases with two outs in the third inning, but Luis Martinez-Gomez blew strike three past a watching Caleb Bartolero to end the threat. Thanks, I'll take that: Shortstop Karson Simas stole his 40th base of the year in the fifth inning to become the first Smokies player with 40-plus stolen bases in a season since Tony Campana in 2010. "I'm proud of him," Rymel said. "Our goal is to get more than that, but to get 40 is a big deal." Upcoming games, promotions at Covenant Health ParkThe Smokies went ahead the series 3-1 with a clutch save. Here are the remaining promotions at Covenant Health Park with the Trash Pandas in town:7 p.m. Aug. 15:Tennessee Night (themed University of Tennessee-style jerseys), Tennessee Night Bobblehead Giveaway (first 1,000 fans receive DeSean Bishop bobblehead), Summer Fireworks Series2 p.m. Aug. 16:Crayola Day (specialty jerseys), Color Your Own Lunch Box Giveaway (first 1,000 kids receive color your own lunch box)Smokies record in Southern League NorthThe Smokies havealready clinched a playoff spotby capturing the first-half title and are in first place in the Southern League North.Southern League North standingsKnoxville Smokies (23-20 second half, 61-51 overall)Rocket City Trash Pandas (22-21 second half, 57-54 overall)Birmingham Barons (19-23 second half, 45-66 overall)Chattanooga Lookouts (14-29 second half, 51-61 overall)Southern League South standingsPensacola Blue Wahoos (26-16 second half, 62-49 overall)Montgomery Biscuits (24-19 second half, 59-53 overall)Columbus Clingstones (22-20 second half, 51-55 overall)Biloxi Shuckers (20-22 second half, 55-52 overall)**Records reflect the standings as of 10 p.m. Aug.14.Trevor McGeecovers the Knoxville Smokies and One Knox SC for Knox News. Email:trevor.mcgee@knoxnews.com;X: @TrevorMcGee12This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Smokies hold off late Trash Pandas rally, stranding tying run at third

Aug 9, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Brewers and Dodgers are two teams with struggling offenses who have had to fight for every run theyve earned through the first two games of this four-game series. The teams have split the first two, with a combined score of 7-6 in favor of the Dodgers. Things wont get easier for the Dodgers offense, at least, as today the Brewers send Jacob Misiorowski to the mound to face the high-powered Los Angeles lineup. The Dodgers counter with an All-Star of their own, Justin Wrobelski, who is having a bit of a breakout season in his third season in the big leagues.Before we get to the pitching matchup, weve got a roster move to report, as the Brewers continue to struggle to find a last guy on the bench. After less than a week, the Jihwan Bae era in Milwaukee as over, as the Brewers have acquired the recently-DFAd Jonathan Ornelas from the Athletics for cash. Ornelas, 26, is a right-handed hitting infielder who was a third-round pick of the Rangers way back in 2018. He first appeared in a major-league game in 2023, but has only had sporadic action since thenhe has just 71 plate appearances scattered over 38 games in four major-league seasons. This year, Ornelas went 2-for-12 in six games with the Athletics, though he spent most of the season in the Yankees system, where he hit a solid .299/.362/.480 in 75 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.Welcome, Jonathan! https://t.co/CcFBtocdq7pic.twitter.com/DyFjoExR9H Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 15, 2026Back to the pitching matchup! Misiorowski is looking to bounce back off of a couple of starts that, while not remotely bad, werent as good as he surely would have liked. Miz pitched well on August 2nd against the Angels but his offense failed him, as the Brewers lost 3-0 in a game in which the young ace went seven innings, allowed two runs, and struck out ten. Last time against the Twins, Miz went six, struck out nine, and allowed three runs to the Twins, but the Brewers were able to win that game in ten innings. This will be Misiorowskis first career start against the Dodgers, though he did of course throw five innings in game three of last years NLCS when he followed opener Aaron Ashby. In that game, Miz struck out nine and allowed only one earned run (and one further run of the unearned variety), but the Brewers could only score once.Wrobleski, who turned 26 last month and is left-handed, is having a solid season: in 20 games (19 starts) and 120 1/3 innings, hes got a 3.44 ERA and an 11-4 record. He isnt striknig out a ton of batters this season (7.0 per nine innings), but hes not walking them, either (2.0/9). That said, he does sport a FIP thats quite a bit higher than his ERA (4.13) and his Statcast page has a lot of blue, so the Brewers will hope theres some regression there. Wrobleski primarily uses a four-seamer/slider combination, though hes got a bunch of other pitches that hell mix in occasionally.Brice Turang remains out of the Brewers lineup, though Curt Hogg mentioned that hell do some work on the field today and is optimistic he wont have to go on the IL. (That decision would likely come tomorrow, as they can only backdate an IL stint three days, and Turang has already missed three games.) Ornelas, the new guy, gets a start todaywhy not try anything to wake the offense up?and will start at second base, giving Hamilton the evening off against the lefty. There are further shakeups to the batting order: Luis Lara, who is playing center field, moves up to the two-hole, while Andrew Vaughn (again at third base) bats third, Jake Bauers (in right field) hits fourth, and Gary Snchez (first base) hits fifth. The lineup is rounded out by Christian Yelich, William Contreras, Joey Ortiz (at shortstop), and Ornelas.First pitch is at 6:15 p.m., and recall that this game is being nationally televised on Fox rather than on Brewers TV. As always, itll be on the Brewers Radio Network as well.It's Miz Day: FOX: WTMJ#ThisIsMyCrew x @NicoletLawpic.twitter.com/dsOAWhYz7d Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 15, 2026

Compared to their preseason debut, the Carolina Panthers' second outing this month was a total bummer. Today, the Panthers visited the Buffalo Bills at the new Highmark Stadium, and will be taking home a 29-7 loss.There were several players who stood out in a good way, but not everyone had a solid outing. Here are a few players whose stock is trending down after a rough preseason showing . . .QB Kyle TraskFollowing Haynes Kings hamstring injury, the Panthers needed a new third-string quarterbackso they signed Kyle Trask earlier this week. His first action in process blue was forgettable, though. The former second-round pick threw a heinous interception on just his second pass attempt, one that the defender seemingly read long before the ball ever left Trasks hand. That set up a quick touchdown for Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. in the fourth quarter.Trask did, however, at least find the end zone on a 9-yard connection with wideout John Metchie III in the final minute of the game. RB Trevor EtienneIn Etienne's defense, Carolinas running backs didnt get much help in the run blocking department today. Starter Jonathan Brooks managed just five yards on three carries, while Etienne was only able to post seven yards on six attemptswith his best going for just three yards.Etienne did chip in another 18 yards on four receptions, but he may have to do more as a rusher to keep veteran AJ Dillon off his No. 3 spot in the room.G Chandler ZavalaThe Panthers were missing multiple starters, including their two highly-paid guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt.Zavala started in place of Lewis, and certainly didn't hold down the fort. Quarterback Bryce Young was pressured consistently on the first team's three drives, with Zavala appearing to be the weakest link.Entering his fourth season, Zavala continues show he's still not very reliable.OLB Trevis Gipson IIOn Buffalos second drive of the game, the Panthers had the Bills at a third-and-15but a big blunder from Gipson gave them another chance. After getting into the backfield, Gipson reached out for quarterback Josh Allen and got a handful of his face maskresulting in a 15-yard penalty. Allen quickly took advantage, side-stepping another pass rush and delivering a touchdown to wideout Keon Coleman on the next play. Tackling Allen is easier said than done, but Carolina's defense cant afford that kind of mistake. Gipson also had issues setting the edge against the run.Solid performances from fellow edge rushers Princely Umanmielen and Cam Gill may not have helped Gipson's case either.Follow@ThePanthersWireon Twitter/X for more Panthers content.This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 4 Panthers who hurt their stock in preseason loss to Bills