Sports
Astros' AJ Blubaugh set for big-league debut vs. Tigers
Feb 14, 2024; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; Houston Astros pitcher A.J. Blubaugh (69) works out during spring training at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe, set for the seventh outing of his major league career, will be the more experienced starter on the mound when he faces the host Houston Astros on Wednesday afternoon.
The Astros are calling up their top pitching prospect, right-hander AJ Blubaugh, for his major league debut as they shoot for a three-game series sweep.
Blubaugh went 2-2 with 3.86 ERA in five games (four starts) for Triple-A Sugar Land this season, recording 28 strikeouts and 10 walks in 21 innings.
The 24-year-old Ohio native was a seventh-round pick out of Wisconsin-Milwaukee by the Astros in the 2022 draft. He has recorded 297 strikeouts and 112 walks over 268 1/3 innings in 65 appearances (44 starts) in the minors.
Blubaugh will start in place of right-hander Hayden Wesneski, who is getting extra rest between outings.
“We’re going to give him a couple of more days to recover from his last start,” Espada said of Wesneski, who is 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA through five starts. “Yes, he’s healthy. …
“I just want to make sure he plays catch, recovers well and I’ll make a decision on (whether he starts this weekend vs. the White Sox in Chicago).”
Wesneski has lasted at least five innings in each of starts for the Astros, who acquired him as part of the trade that sent Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in December. Most recently, he threw a season-low 80 pitches while tossing five-plus innings of two-run ball in a 2-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Friday.
Jobe (2-0, 2.70 ERA) earned his second consecutive winning decision on April 18 against the Royals, allowing one run on five hits over five innings, but he hasn’t pitched since. That outing followed a 4-0 road win over the Minnesota Twins on April 12, when Jobe worked six scoreless innings. He made his major league debut on Sept. 25, 2024, and appeared twice as a reliever for the Tigers that month.
Jobe will be making his first career regular-season appearance against the Astros. He faced Houston in Game 2 of the 2024 American League wild-card series and surrendered two runs on two hits while recording one out in a no-decision during the Tigers’ 5-2, series-clinching win.
As the organization’s top pitching prospect, the Tigers are exercising caution in utilizing Jobe. However, the time between his starts was extended a bit beyond what they considered ideal.
“He’s more than ready to go,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “Poor guy, he’s been waiting and waiting and waiting. The best-laid plans were we loved the fact that we were going to get him extra rest. We didn’t know or intend for it to be this long. He will be eager for the day game. Day game after a night game has its own challenges. It will not be a challenge for Jackson.
“The work (between starts) is great. But I think the routine part of the season and the rhythm and being able to be in competition is important. That’s the one downside. He hasn’t competed in 10 to 12 days. It doesn’t mean it’s not an issue, but it will be fine once he gets back in rhythm.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Owners finalizing extension for Roger Goodell
Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images NFL owners expect to finalize a contract extension with commissioner Roger Goodell “in the coming months,” Front Office Sports reported Monday.
Goodell’s current contract expires in March 2027. The extension would keep him place to oversee negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement with the players and new broadcasting deals, per the report.
Goodell, 67, will mark his 20th anniversary as the NFL boss this September.
The report said there is no known opposition to an extension, which could be announced as soon as the special Aug. 26 owners’ meeting in Atlanta where the proposed sale of the Seattle Seahawks is expected to be ratified. The owners also have a quarterly meeting scheduled for October in New York.
The NFL declined to comment on the report from Front Office Sports.
The league’s current CBA with the NFL Players Association runs through the 2030 season. The major sticking point to be ironed out in the near future is a potential 18-game regular season.
The current broadcasting rights deals signed in 2021 were valued at $110 billion over 11 years, but the NFL can opt out early.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brooke Henderson announces engagement to Twins prospect
Jun 28, 2026; Chaska, Minnesota, USA; Brooke Henderson takes a tee shot off of hole 1 during the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images World No. 13 golfer Brooke Henderson announced her engagement to Minnesota Twins prospect Ricky Castro over social media.
The pair’s post on Instagram Sunday came one week after Henderson nearly won the Evian Championship, losing in a playoff to Haeran Ryu of South Korea. Henderson officially became engaged two days later.
“Engaged! 7/14/26. The beginning of forever,” the post began. “We are beyond excited and blessed to announce our engagement with one another! God is so good for giving us each other!”
The couple started dating in March 2025 after meeting in Naples, Fla., where Henderson has a home.
Henderson, 28, has two major titles (2016 Women’s PGA Championship, 2022 Evian Championship) among her 14 wins on the LPGA Tour. The Canadian’s most recent victory came on home soil at the CPKC Women’s Open in August 2025 in Mississauga, Ontario.
Castro, 26, is a right-hander currently pitching for Triple-A St. Paul, where he is 2-1 with a 4.13 ERA in 10 appearances (four starts) with the Saints.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Gotham FC head coach taking 5-week parental leave
Nov 22, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Gotham FC head coach Juan Carlos Amoros speaks to media after defeating the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL Championship at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Gotham FC head coach Juan Carlos Amoros began a five-week parental leave on Monday following the birth of his family’s second child.
The NWSL club announced that lead assistant coach Shaun Harris will serve as acting coach until Amoros returns in early September.
“I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at Gotham FC for supporting us unconditionally while we were deciding to take this step,” Amoros said. “This is a personal decision for our family, but I also recognize the visibility that comes with my role. When fathers take parental leave, particularly men in leadership positions, it helps normalize an important principle: Caring for children is a shared responsibility between parents. I need to be there for my family.”
Amoros, 42, has coached Gotham since 2023 and guided the squad to league championships in 2023 and 2025. He was the 2023 NWSL Coach of the Year.
“We are proud to be a club that recognizes that creating an equitable environment requires supporting all parents,” said Yael Averbuch West, president of soccer operations for Gotham FC. “We appreciate that Juan is using his platform to reinforce that message. We have great confidence in Shaun and our entire technical staff to continue leading the team during this period, and we look forward to welcoming Juan back in September.”
Harris served as acting head coach for three matches earlier this season and has been with the club for three years.
–Field Level Media
Report: Owners finalizing extension for Roger Goodell
Raunchy Stargate SG-1 Episode Is So Bad Even The Show Made Fun Of It
