12:57 PM ET Associated Press SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Charlie Blackmon, the most prolific leadoff hitter in Colorado Rockies history, is back at the top of the batting order this season. “I’ll be comfortable there, no problem,” Blackmon said. Blackmon was the Rockies’ primary leadoff hitter from his first season as a regular in 2014 through
Month: April 2022
12:53 PM ET The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox swapped veteran outfielder AJ Pollock and veteran closer Craig Kimbrel on Friday, a rare one-for-one trade — with no money exchanged — that cleared up uncertainties for two championship contenders. From the Dodgers’ perspective, the deal frees up more playing time for the
7:00 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. Beyond the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames leading their respective divisions, the NHL’s Western Conference playoff races remain fairly wide open. Four weeks from today we’ll have much more clarity on the first-round
12:02 PM ET Six days before the start of the 86th Masters, defending champion Hideki Matsuyama was forced to withdraw from the second round of the Valero Texas Open on Friday because of a neck injury. Matsuyama, who last season became the first man from Japan to win a major championship and the first Asian
Report He came to the rescue after a shaky chase to lift Knight Riders to the top of the table Kolkata Knight Riders 141 for 4 (Russell 70*, Shreyas 26, Chahar 2-13) beat Punjab Kings 137 (Rajapaksha 31, Umesh 4-23) by six wickets Zero backward steps taken. Two of the most exciting sides in this
Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges says she has been “harassed and demonised” after being told she cannot compete in the National Omnium Championships. However, she still has “little clarity” around her “alleged ineligibility”. “No-one should have to choose between being who they are and participating in the sport that they love,” she said in a statement
12:38 PM ET Associated Press TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays extended manager Charlie Montoyo’s contract through the 2023 season on Friday. Montoyo, 57, has overseen a tumultuous period in Blue Jays history, with the team playing home games in three cities last season, including two minor league parks, because of border restrictions related to
12:11 PM ET The transfer portal is a bigger part of college football than ever. With the season winding down, potentially high-impact players have already announced their intentions to find a new home for next season. Whether a player has entered the portal and not yet chosen a destination or someone has committed to a
7:31 AM ET Pete ThamelESPN NEW ORLEANS — A canvassing of Duke Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career as an NCAA tournament coach doubles as a historical study of the sport itself. No forum better showcased, defined and occasionally humbled Krzyzewski than the NCAA tournament over the span of 131 games. His rise to the
11:16 AM ET Nikola Jokic remains the consensus odds-on favorite to win the regular-season MVP award at sportsbooks, but a big week from Giannis Antetokounmpo has put the Milwaukee Bucks big man back in the mix. Antetokounmpo’s MVP odds have improved from 12-1 to 5-1 this week, making him the third choice behind Jokic (-200)
11:01 AM ET Butler announced Friday it was firing men’s basketball coach LaVall Jordan after five seasons. Jordan met with athletic director Barry Collier multiple times since the Bulldogs’ season ended, sources told ESPN, but the amount of buyout money Jordan would be owed in case of a firing dropped on Friday. “After a thorough
10:23 AM ET Umpires will now be equipped with on-field microphones to inform the crowd and television audience of instant replay reviews beginning with exhibition games at stadiums this weekend, Major League Baseball announced Friday. Crew chiefs will wear a microphone, via a belt pack, and will proceed to one of the baselines when a
Olympic champions Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald have been named in the Great Britain team for the UCI Track Nations Cup. The pair will be part of the women’s endurance squad at the event, which starts in Glasgow on 21 April. It will be their first race in Britain since winning madison gold together at
9:55 AM ET Nick Kyrgios has been fined $35,000 for his behaviour during a fourth-round loss to Jannik Sinner at the Miami Open in which he criticised the umpire and smashed his racket, the sport’s governing ATP said on Thursday. After repeatedly berating umpire Carlos Bernardes for failing to control the crowd at the Masters
8:05 AM ET ONE DAY DURING a recent college football bowl season, Las Vegas-based analysts tasked with monitoring for suspicious activity in sports betting noticed a sudden, dramatic change in the line for one of the next day’s games. The odds for a team that had been a significant favorite were dropping rapidly, and money
8:00 AM ET ESPN Fantasy staff The NFL offseason has featured tons of head-turning moves. Each one has an impact on the fantasy football landscape. Throughout the offseason, our ESPN Fantasy analysts will offer their thoughts on a variety of topics that fantasy managers should be thinking about. In this installment, Matt Bowen, Tristan H.
8:00 AM ET New Los Angeles Lakers are typically brought to owner Jeanie Buss’ second-floor office overlooking the practice floor at the team’s training facility. And with good reason: On a specially designed credenza under a wide window sit 11 Larry O’Brien trophies — the centerpieces of the building and the sources of constant motivation
7:56 AM ET William E. Ricks One of college basketball’s most storied rivalries takes center stage in the Final Four as the 2-seeded Duke Blue Devils face the 8-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday in New Orleans. It will be the first time the two schools meet in the NCAA tournament. 2 Related Duke