Sports
Mike Trout Is Making Adjustments in His Latest Comeback Bid With Los Angeles Angels
Known for Hall of Fame-level offensive production, perhaps the most iconic image of Mike Trout came on defense, back when he was a rookie, with much of his upper torso above the center-field wall as if taking flight.
It was only fitting that a catch that would come to define Trout’s determination was made up against an advertisement for a major airline.
Takeoff. Flight. A perfect landing.
That was way back in 2012, at Baltimore’s Camden Yards, when Trout was sharing center-field duties and headed toward the American League Rookie of the Year Award. A home run-robbing catch of a drive from J.J. Hardy was a taste of what was to come.
Two seasons later, Trout would turn his all-around game into the first of three AL MVP Awards.
The first teammate to slap gloves in celebration with Trout after his memorable catch was then-right fielder Torii Hunter, a once-dynamic, home run-robbing center fielder himself, who had moved to right field to limit wear and tear in his later years.
This season, at age 33 and following a string of injuries that have limited him to no more than 82 games in three of the past four full seasons, Trout is the one moving to right field in the hope that his star can shine for an extended period once more.
Trout’s first game in right since 2012 came in a spring training game Monday that was uneventful, aside from a walk and a run scored at the plate. In three innings, Trout did not have a chance to make a play, but the short appearance served its purpose.
“It felt good,” Trout said afterward. “Just different angles, things you work on in BP. Just getting comfortable (and) trying to get a fly ball.”
The comfort level increased immediately with Trout hitting a home run in his second spring game Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds. The 11-time All-Star said he made adjustments between his games Monday and Wednesday.
His first adjustment of 2025, he said, is to remember who he has been in the past and not chase pitches. Hammer the strikes and let the walks come if pitchers want to avoid the plate.
At 33, Trout is on the back nine of his career, but that doesn’t mean production has to wane. In his one month of action last season, Trout had an MLB-best 10 home runs over his first 29 games.
He is just 22 home runs from 400 in his career and 46 RBIs away from 1,000. He has a career .299 batting average and a .991 OPS that he built in 1,518 career games over 14 seasons.
A .410 career on-base percentage speaks to Trout’s desire to reach first by any means necessary.
If moving Trout to right field can help him get anywhere close to his elite-level offensive production, then everything will feel right again. Time is running out to savor Trout’s greatness, and the Angels’ lack of playoff appearances has kept him off baseball’s biggest stage since 2014.
Trout said he had found a mechanical adjustment to get his swing on track last season, and the adjustment will be put into play again this season. It’s a promising sign that he can look something like his MVP self, ideally for long stretches.
Trout also won’t take his move to right field for granted, saying he wants to work on getting reads off the bat. He will have less ground to cover in right, which will help put less stress on his legs, and there will be days when he serves as the designated hitter, even if the role goes against his desire to be an all-around player. Jorge Soler was brought in to be the primary DH.
Trout was the DH in Wednesday’s spring game and is scheduled to be back in right field Friday.
As Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell share center-field duties for now, Angels manager Ron Washington had one major directive for his younger players, and it is one that everybody can rally around.
“The only thing that I think that we’re concerned about, and we got with everyone, is the communication,” Washington said. “We don’t need nobody running into Mike Trout.”
Sports
Wolves, Nuggets each bring an edge into finale of season series
Jan 31, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images The Minnesota Timberwolves wrap up a three-game road trip at the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon with a chance to improve their seeding in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Minnesota has won the first two games of its trip and now faces a tough task against its Northwest Division rival.
Denver already secured the tiebreaker in the season series by winning the first three matchups. With both teams holding identical 37-23 records, the winner of Sunday’s game will have sole possession of fourth in the Western Conference standings.
The Nuggets have lost three of their first five games out of the All-Star break, including a 127-121 overtime setback at Oklahoma City on Friday night. Sunday’s game gives them a chance to get back some momentum.
The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic appears to already have a postseason mindset after mixing it up with the Thunder during the loss.
Jokic was knocked down when Luguentz Dort hit him with his hip in the fourth quarter and then confronted the Oklahoma City forward. There was pushing and shoving before Dort was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected.
Jokic, who leads Denver in points (28.7), rebounds (12.6) and assists (10.5), has a casual and deliberate demeanor on the court that belies his competitive nature.
“I think he was reacting to what was being done to him,” Denver head coach David Adelman said. “And his reaction’s not going to be to cower away. He’s competitive.”
Playing Minnesota again should keep that fiery spirit alive for Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets. The teams have forged a rivalry over the last four seasons, including two playoff series.
There is no question about the fiery nature and competitive spirit of Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.
Edwards missed the first game against the Nuggets this season but is averaging 35.0 points in the two games between the teams. That includes a 44-point performance on Christmas night before he was ejected in overtime for arguing foul calls.
Edwards, who leads the Timberwolves in scoring at 29.6 points a game, doesn’t confine his arguments to opponents and officials. He got into a verbal exchange with head coach Chris Finch after hitting a 3-pointer to seal a 94-88 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
It is a feature of their relationship, according to teammates.
“They go at it. Honestly, they do,” Timberwolves guard Mike Conley said. “They go at it… They have days where they’re getting ready to fight, and then after the game they hug each other.”
Finch confirmed that in an interview on Fox Sports Radio.
“We’re both fiery competitors. It’s been part of our relationship since Day 1. … We say these things to each other and we move on,” Finch said. “We don’t take it personally.”
The task of stopping Jokic will fall mainly on Rudy Gobert, who leads Minnesota in rebounds (11.4) and blocks (1.7). Nobody could stop Jokic when the teams met on Christmas, with the three-time MVP recording a 56-point triple-double, including 18 points in overtime.
Jokic has averaged 36.0 points 15.7 rebounds and 12.0 assists in the three games against the Timberwolves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cincinnati cruises past Oklahoma State with 3-point barrage
Cincinnati Bearcats forward Baba Miller (18) makes a basket from the two point line in the first half of a NCAA men’s basketball game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Oklahoma State Cowboys, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. Day Day Thomas heated up from long range, draining seven 3-pointers en route to a 26-point performance, Moustapha Thiam added 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and host Cincinnati rolled to a 91-68 home victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon.
The Bearcats (16-13, 8-8 Big 12), which entered No. 54 in the NET rankings, have won five of their last six. Jizzle James and Baba Miller each finished with 11 points for Cincinnati.
Oklahoma State (17-12, 5-11), playing its first game since losing big man Parsa Fallah to a torn ACL, was overwhelmed throughout. Vyctorius Miller led the team with 15 points, while Jaylen Curry and Kanye Clary both added 11 points. The Cowboys have lost six of their last seven games.
The Bearcats seized control early, going on an 11-2 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Thomas and Thiam to lead 12-4 less than four minutes into the game.
Those early minutes foreshadowed the rest of the game.
Cincinnati dominated from the start, leading 51-33 at halftime. The Bearcats shot 53.1% from the floor, made seven three-pointers and won the rebounding battle 20-15 in the first half. They finished with a two-handed dunk by Thiam. Miller was credited with an assist on the play as he found Thiam open underneath.
In the second half, the Bearcats pulled away. They went on an 11-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Thomas to lead 65-37 with just under 15 minutes remaining. Cincinnati continued to extend the lead, reaching as many as 32 points, with an 81-49 advantage after another 3 from Thomas at the 8:22 mark.
Cincinnati finished with 14 made 3s, dished out 24 assists, and had a 24-7 edge in second-chance points. The Bearcats also led for 39:24 of the 40 minutes and improved to 14-3 at home.
Both teams return to action on Tuesday. Cincinnati hosts No. 19 BYU, while Oklahoma State travels to UCF.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bobby Durkin has career night as Minnesota tops UCLA
Feb 24, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Bobby Durkin (3) dribbles against Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) in the second half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Bobby Durkin scored a season-high 23 points with seven made 3-pointers and Langston Reynolds added 21 points with six assists as Minnesota claimed another victim at home with a 78-73 victory over UCLA at Minneapolis.
Cade Tyson also scored 21 points for the Golden Gophers (14-15, 7-11 Big Ten), who shot 62.3% from the floor and 52.2% from 3-point range. Durkin, who reached 1,000 points for his college career in the first half, went 7 of 11 from long range.
Minnesota improved to 12-4 at home this season with victories in its own building over a trio of ranked teams in Indiana, Iowa and Michigan State.
Tyler Bilodeau scored 32 points with eight rebounds and Eric Dailey Jr. added 18 points for the Bruins (19-10, 11-7), who failed to build off huge victories over No. 10 Illinois and rival Southern California over the past week.
Skyy Clark scored 17 points, while Donovan Dent had 15 assists but just three points, as UCLA now prepares for a key home game upcoming against No. 12 Nebraska.
With the game tied 61-61 with 7:59 remaining, Cade scored four points in a 6-0 run for Minnesota to give the Gophers a 67-61 lead with 6:15 left. The Bruins got within 76-73 on a three-point play from Bilodeau with 1:50 remaining.
The Bruins then missed four consecutive 3-pointers over the final 1:08, including two by Bilodeau, as the Gophers held on for the victory.
In a first half of swings, Minnesota led by as many as nine points early before UCLA went on a 17-3 run to lead by as many as seven points before taking a 41-40 lead into the break. Bilodeau had 16 points in the first half, while Dent had nine assists for UCLA.
Durkin scored 15 points in the first half for Minnesota and reached 1,000 points on one of his five 3-pointers before halftime. UCLA’s Clark reached 1,000 career points on a basket in the second half.
–Field Level Media
Wolves, Nuggets each bring an edge into finale of season series
Cincinnati cruises past Oklahoma State with 3-point barrage
