Sports
Anthony Rizzo's playoff status unclear as Yanks, Pirates close regular season
Sep 28, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (48) reacts after being hit by a pitch during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images The New York Yankees received an unwanted reminder Saturday afternoon of how seemingly meaningless late-season games can suddenly become important for all the wrong reasons.
The Yankees will be without first baseman Anthony Rizzo on Sunday afternoon, when they finish tuning up for the playoffs by hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates in the regular-season finale for both clubs.
Right-hander Clarke Schmidt (5-5, 2.55 ERA) is slated to start for the Yankees against Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter (8-9, 4.26).
The Pirates locked up a series win Saturday afternoon, when they hit five homers in a 9-4 victory.
Despite the defeat, the American League East-winning Yankees (93-68) clinched the AL’s top overall seed hours later, when the AL Central champion Cleveland Guardians fell to the AL West champion Houston Astros 4-3.
But the Yankees likely weren’t in a celebratory mood due to the uncertainty surrounding Rizzo, who suffered fractures of the fourth and fifth fingers on his right hand when he was hit on the right hand in the seventh inning by Ryan Borucki’s 88-mph slider.
Rizzo initially remained in the game but was replaced at first base by Oswaldo Cabrera in the top of the eighth before X-rays revealed the fractures.
Manager Aaron Boone said it was too early to know if Rizzo could play in the postseason for the Yankees, who are scheduled to begin AL Division Series play on Oct. 5.
“We’ll see as the days unfold here what we have,” Boone said.
The injury continued a trying season for Rizzo, who will set full-season career-lows for homers (eight), RBIs (35) and OPS (.633). The Yankees went 29-33 without Rizzo from June 18-Aug. 31, when the four-time Gold Glove winner was sidelined with a broken right forearm.
Rookie Ben Rice and DJ LeMahieu got most of the starts at first base in Rizzo’s absence, but Rice was optioned to Triple-A on Sept. 1 and LeMahieu is on the injured list with a right hip impingement.
The victory continued an encouraging final weekend filled with potential glimpses at an intriguing future for the Pirates (76-85), who received a combined 9 2/3 solid innings from rookies Jared Jones, Paul Skenes and Mike Burrows in winning the first two games of the series.
Skenes, an NL Rookie of the Year contender, ended his season with two perfect innings before Burrows made his big league debut and earned the win after allowing two runs (one earned) over 3 1/3 innings. Burrows returned from Tommy John surgery this season and posted a 4.06 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis.
“A lot of people talk about our pitching and the depth and at times they forget to mention him,” manager Derek Shelton said of Burrows. “We feel that he’s still a big part of this.”
Schmidt took the loss in his most recent start Tuesday night, when he gave up three runs over 5 1/3 innings as the Yankees fell to the Baltimore Orioles 5-3. He has never opposed the Pirates.
Falter also took the defeat Tuesday after allowing four runs over five innings in the Pirates’ 7-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. He has never faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
With Michael Conforto waiting, Cubs vie to take rubber game from Tigers
Jul 21, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs designated hitter Michael Conforto (20) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs have been getting instant offense off the bench from Michael Conforto, who hit his MLB-leading fourth pinch-hit home run of the season in an 11-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
Conforto is an outfielder by trade but has had to carve out a bench role because Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki are entrenched as starters.
Conforto already has tied the franchise single-season record for pinch-hit homers, set by Glenallen Hill in 1999, and hopes to be involved in the decisive contest of a three-game series against visiting Detroit on Wednesday night.
“All year, it feels like (Michael’s) biggest hits have been pinch hits,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. “I don’t know if there’s any blueprint for it, but Michael has done a fabulous job at it. You feel like it’s a real weapon to have somebody like that.”
Wednesday’s matchup will be the rubber game of the series after Detroit won 8-6 in 10 innings on Monday and the Cubs took Tuesday’s game.
Colin Rea (7-6, 4.74 ERA) will start for Chicago on Wednesday. The right-hander snapped a two-start winning streak in his last appearance on Friday, allowing four runs (three earned) in six innings as the Cubs lost 5-2 to Minnesota.
Rea is 0-1 with a lifetime 6.43 ERA vs. Detroit in three appearances (one start).
Right-hander Keider Montero (6-5, 3.22 ERA) will start for Detroit on Wednesday. He has been used as a reliever throughout July after making starts in 15 of his first 16 appearances this season, but Montero is moving back into the rotation.
He got a win in his most recent outing, tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief as the Tigers beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 on Friday.
Montero has faced the Cubs once, on June 7, 2025. Serving as the bulk reliever on a bullpen day, he gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings and didn’t figure into the decision.
Montero has gone an inning-plus in every relief appearance he’s made this month. A versatile pitcher such as Montero gives Detroit manager A.J. Hinch extra flexibility as the team is in a stretch of playing 13 games in 13 days.
“I’ve always said when I pitch (Montero), I’m going to pitch him a lot,” Hinch told the Detroit Free Press.
“When you see him go out for a second inning or a third inning or a fourth inning, part of that is competitive and strategic. The other part of it is to keep him stretched out to where it doesn’t disrupt his volume.”
Montero’s ability to ease back into the rotation quickly took on even greater importance after the Tigers were forced to place Jack Flaherty (right flexor inflammation) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday. Flaherty reported discomfort after throwing four innings in the series opener the day before.
Hinch explained the decision to put Flaherty on the IL after Tuesday’s game.
“It wasn’t a clear-cut IL (decision) when we woke up this morning,” Hinch told reporters. “And then as the day went on and the more opinion we got, the more we realized he wasn’t going to pitch in five or six days.”
Flaherty has made 19 starts for Detroit this season, going 3-8 with a 4.59 ERA.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Heat: Link for LeBron James presser posted by mistake
Nov 5, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) reacts after making a basket against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Heat beat the Raptors 104-95. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images The Miami Heat said a live-stream link titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference” was posted by mistake to the team’s YouTube channel.
The post, which included the date July 27, was later deleted. A team spokesperson told ESPN on Tuesday night that the club’s social media department had been preparing for the possibility of the superstar forward rejoining the Heat and errantly published the link.
James, 41, who won two NBA championships in four seasons with Miami from 2010-14, is a free agent for the first time since 2018 after announcing last month that he would not re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Potential landing spots for the league’s all-time leading scorer other than Miami reportedly include the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers (another former team) and the Golden State Warriors.
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games with the Lakers in 2025-26. The four-time NBA champion owns career averages of 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in a record 1,622 games over 23 seasons.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spurs C Victor Wembanyama to grace NBA 2K27 cover
Dec 27, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts after scoring during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Spurs star Victor Wembanyama will grace the cover of the NBA 2K27 video game, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
The 7-foot-4 center powered San Antonio to the 2026 NBA Finals, with the Spurs falling to the New York Knicks in five games last month.
In his third NBA season, Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and a league-leading 3.1 blocks.
Previous cover athletes in the NBA 2K series have included Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Jayson Tatum.
Wembanyama, 22, is the third Spurs player to make the cover of at least one version of the game, joining Tony Parker (NBA 2K16, French version) and Pau Gasol (NBA 2K17, Spanish version).
–Field Level Media
With Michael Conforto waiting, Cubs vie to take rubber game from Tigers
Heat: Link for LeBron James presser posted by mistake
