With the 2026 season opener three weeks away, most of the Astros Opening Day 26-man roster is coming into focus. A few spots, however, remain unsettled. Heres my first pass at how things could shake out:Starting pitchers:Hunter Brown, Christian Javier, Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows, Spencer Arrighetti, Lance McCullers JrAlso considered:Colton Gordon, AJ BlubaughAssuming health, the first four appeared to be locks at the start of spring training, and all four appear to be healthy. Because of his contract, McCullers is a lock to make the team out of camp, and his first spring start last week was encouraging.That leaves Arrighetti, who was hit around in his lone spring appearance, but Im not going to overreact to that. Some red flags will start to rise if he struggles in his next couple of outings, but well cross that bridge when we get there.Bullpen:Bryan Abreu, Bryan King, Steven Okert, AJ Blubaugh, Ryan Weiss, Bennett Sousa, Enyel De Los SantosAlso considered:Josh Hader, Roddery Muoz, Colton Gordon, Jason Alexander, Nate PearsonI am working under the assumption that Hader, who has yet to throw a bullpen this spring, will start the season on the IL, as will Pearson after Joe Espada told reporters he felt some soreness in his elbow.Blubaugh has carried his terrific finish to last season into the spring, and he could be valuable as a long man early in the year while starters build up their pitch counts. The same could be said for Weiss, who looked good in his first outing Tuesday and is under contract for more than $2 million.Sousas work last season should guarantee him an Opening Day roster spot in 2026.An ankle injury has put De Los Santos behind schedule, but he was scheduled to throw a bullpen Wednesday, which should leave him enough time to get up to speed. Still, the Astros could choose to slow-play things to get a longer look at Muoz, who, as a Rule 5 pick, must remain on the active roster all season or be offered back to the Reds.Gordons results in three spring outings have been terrific, and its likely the Astros keep him stretched out and have him start the season in Sugar Lands rotation. The same goes for Alexander, who pitched well Sunday after a rough first outing.Catchers:Yainer Diaz, Csar SalazarAlso considered:NoneDiaz is locked in as the Astros primary catcher, and Salazar is the only other catcher in camp with 40-man roster status or major league experience.Infielders: Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Jeremy Pea, Christian Walker, Isaac Paredes, Nick AllenAlso considered:Brice Matthews, Zach DezenzoThe Astros have done nothing to address their infield logjam, so well roll with this for now. Matthews has had a nice spring, but it makes more sense for him to play every day in Sugar Land than to serve in a bench role in the big leagues. It would also give him an opportunity to get more reps in the outfield.Outfielders/DH:Yordan Alvarez Jake Meyers, Zach Cole, Cam Smith, Taylor TrammellAlso considered:Joey Loperfido, Zach DezenzoCole doesnt have a hit this spring, but hes made consistent hard contact and controlled the strike zone. Smith has also strung together productive at-bats. Loperfido and Dezenzo havent produced, which creates an opportunity for Trammell, who is 5-for-14 with two walks in six games and offers the versatility and athleticism the Astros covet.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers made a second trade this week with the Oilers, receiving forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach on Wednesday.

Ally Sentnor scored in the 55th minute and the United States beat Canada 1-0 on Wednesday in the SheBelieves Cup tournament in Columbus, Ohio.

Tottenham interim boss Igor Tudor insists fighting to avoid relegation is not real pressure as he urged his struggling team to show the courage required to win their survival battle.

The surprising news is set to spark a race across the NFL to sign the 28-year-old, who averages over 13 yards a catch in each of the last three seasons.

Gareth Bale has disclosed that he competed throughout his entire professional football career whilst suffering from a torn disc in his back, an injury sustained when he was just 18 years old at Tottenham.The Welsh star, now 36, chose to conceal the condition during his playing days to avoid criticism."I tore my disc in my back when I was 18 at Tottenham. I played my whole career with that," Bale revealed on the Stick to Football podcast."I never came out and said this when I was playing because some people would say 'he's making excuses'."TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SayThe five-time Champions League winner retired at 33 following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the persistent injury ultimately contributing to his decision to step away from the sport.The back condition was the root cause of the numerous calf injuries that plagued Bale throughout his career, though he described it as "manageable" initially before it eventually caught up with him.Real Madrid, who signed him in a then-world record transfer in 2013, were fully informed about his condition.Bale went to extraordinary lengths to protect himself, even standing on his heels whilst brushing his teeth to minimise the risk of triggering a calf problem."I never knew when it would come," he explained."Obviously people were like, 'oh, he doesn't look after himself' [but] I would literally make sure my calves and soleus were bulletproof.LATEST SPORTS NEWS:Winter Olympics athlete reveals health issue after he admitted to cheating on his girlfriendEmma Raducanu takes aim at former coaches as she explains fall from grace since spectacular US Open triumphLewis Hamilton demands Africa 'take back' land from Britain as start of new F1 season looms"But again, if it misfires and it goes, there's nothing I could do about it. I'd have an injection in my back to calm it all down."Despite the physical challenges, Bale established himself as arguably Wales' finest ever footballer, setting national records for both appearances and goals.He made his international debut aged just 16 and went on to accumulate 111 caps and 41 goals for his country.His performances proved instrumental as Wales reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals, while he also guided them to the last 16 at Euro 2020.Perhaps his most significant contribution came when he scored the crucial goal against Ukraine that secured Wales' place at the 2022 World Cup, their first appearance at the tournament in 64 years.At club level, Bale claimed five Champions League titles with Real Madrid, cementing his status as one of Britain's most decorated players.Bale acknowledged that he had reached a point where he questioned his motivation to continue, feeling he had accomplished everything he set out to achieve."The last thing I did was qualify for a World Cup, which was the one thing that was last on my list," he said.He admitted he had probably been ready to retire a few years earlier, with a family illness also influencing his decision to announce his retirement in January 2023.Since stepping away, Bale has expressed interest in club ownership rather than coaching, having been part of a consortium that explored purchasing Cardiff City last summer, though the bid did not progress.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

The world's most famous dog show gets underway in Birmingham.

Erstmals seit 20 Jahren ist die deutsche Eishockey-Nationalmannschaft wieder bei den Paralympics vertreten. Mit dabei: vier "Veteranen", Euphorie und ein Trainer, der die USA bereits zu WM-Gold knetete.[mehr]

SANTA CRUZ, CA - The Santa Cruz Warriors (13-12) battled back from a 16-point third-quarter deficit to steal a 121-117 victory away from the Birmingha... - G League Santa Cruz Warriors

Ce vendredi se droule Lille un procs qui met en lumire un systme prsum de faux agents dans le monde du football, notamment celui dun homme qui aurait agi en tant quintermdiaire dans plusieurs recrutements de joueurs sans pour autant possder la licence ncessaire cette activit. Joueur semi-professionnel, le Franais Antoine Lemari est lorigine de ce signalement devant la justice franaise en 2023. Explications.