Sports
Ellie Kam, Danny O'Shea delighted to defy expectations, win US team title
Feb 8, 2026; Milan, Italy; Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea of the United States of America react after performing in the pair skating finals during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images MILAN, Italy — Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea said they were thrilled to defy expectations and deliver a clean, season-best pairs performance at the Winter Olympics on Sunday, a result that proved pivotal as the United States edged Japan to win a second straight gold in the team event.
Kam and O’Shea scored 135.36 points to earn seven points for Team USA in the pairs segment, and their fourth-place finish preserved a slim cushion over Japan in a nerve-jangling final day of competition.
Because of their performance, the United States carried a two-point lead into the women’s free skate, where Amber Glenn struggled and placed third, leaving the U.S. tied with Japan entering the men’s free skate finale.
“Quad God” Ilia Malinin then delivered to secure the decisive point and clinch the title for the Americans.
“Honestly, we were just ready to come out and perform,” O’Shea told Reuters on Monday.
“We walked into the rink with a great attitude. We were ready to go and felt like it was going to go well from the moment we stepped in,” he said.
While Malinin is the overwhelming favorite for the men’s gold, and Glenn and Alysa Liu are contenders on the women’s side, Kam and O’Shea are carrying somewhat lower expectations going into the pairs event in Milan.
“We’re grateful to have gone out there and performed well for our team and gotten an extra point that might not have been expected of us,” he added.
“Then we saw everybody doing their best, and Ilia brought it home. It was awesome.”
The performance was also redemption for the 21-year-old Kam and 34-year-old O’Shea, who had a fall during their short program in the team competition two days earlier.
Kam, who was seen shedding tears of joy on the podium during the U.S. national anthem, said the moment reflected years of effort to deliver under pressure on the sport’s biggest stage.
“I feel like Danny and I have worked so hard to get to this moment and show what we are capable of,” she said.
“We’ve been kind of clawing our way there and to be able to put out a performance that we’re proud of on one of the biggest stages means so much.”
“And hearing the anthem feels so solid,” Kam added.
“It’s like, we did that, that is playing for us. We represented our country well and made everybody proud.”
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
Rockies sign P Tomoyuki Sugano, put OF Kris Bryant on 60-day IL
Aug 31, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (19) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the second inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images The Colorado Rockies signed right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano to a one-year contract on Tuesday and placed outfielder Kris Bryant on the 60-day injured list.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed for Sugano, however multiple media outlets reported it was worth $5.1 million.
Sugano, 36, signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles ahead of last season after spending 12 campaigns with the Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball. He posted a 10-10 record with a 4.64 ERA in 30 games (all starts) with the Orioles.
Sugano joins a Rockies rotation that includes Michael Lorenzen, Kyle Freeland, Ryan Feltner and likely Chase Dollander.
Bryant, 34, is nursing a degenerative lumbar condition in his lower back. He played in just 11 games last season and 170 over the first four campaigns of a seven-year, $182 million contract with Colorado.
A four-time All-Star and 2016 National League MVP, Bryant is hitting .273 with 184 home runs and 548 RBIs in 1,054 career games with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Rockies.
–Field Level Media
Sports
RHP Justin Verlander returning to Tigers on 1-year, $13M deal
Sep 17, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander (35) watches from the dugout after pitching 7 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2011 American League MVP Justin Verlander is returning to where the right-hander’s highly decorated career started, agreeing with the Detroit Tigers on a one-year contract worth $13 million guaranteed, the team announced on Tuesday.
Verlander, who turns 43 on Feb. 20, will receive $11 million in deferred payments starting in 2030 as part of the deal.
A nine-time All-Star, Verlander pitched last season for the San Francisco Giants in his lone campaign on a National League team. After a 0-8 start with a 4.99 ERA, he finished 4-11 with 3.85 ERA, 52 walks and 137 strikeouts in 152 innings over 29 starts.
For his career, Verlander is 266-158 with a 3.32 ERA, 1,004 walks and 3,553 strikeouts in 3567 2/3 innings over 555 regular-season games (all starts) for the Tigers (2005-17), Houston Astros (2017-20, 2022, 2023-24), New York Mets (2023) and Giants (2025). He missed the 2021 season after having Tommy John surgery in September 2020.
In 13 years with the Tigers, Verlander was 183-114 with a 3.49 ERA, 766 walks and 2,373 strikeouts in 2,511 innings over 380 regular-season games. He was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2006 and swept AL MVP and Cy Young honors in 2011.
Verlander is MLB’s active leader in wins (266, 37th all-time), complete games (26), losses (158), games started (555), strikeouts (3,553, eighth all-time), innings pitched (3,567 2/3), walks (1,004), hits allowed (3,046), earned runs allowed (1,317) and batters faced (14,607).
He has a playoff record of 17-12 with a 3.58 ERA, 74 walks and 244 strikeouts in 266 innings over 38 games (37 starts) with one shutout. He was on World Series championship teams with the Astros in 2017 — when he was voted American League Championship Series MVP — and 2022.
Verlander collected Cy Young Awards in 2011 with Detroit, and 2019 and 2022 with Houston. He made the AL All-Star team in 2007, 2009-13, 2018-19 and 2022.
Only Verlander and Hall of Famer Don Newcombe have won Rookie of the Year, MVP and Cy Young honors.
Detroit selected Verlander with the second overall pick of the 2004 MLB Draft out of Old Dominion University.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees acquire IF Max Schuemann in trade with Athletics
Sep 8, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics third baseman Max Schuemann (12) throws the ball to first against the Boston Red Sox during the third inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images The New York Yankees acquired infielder Max Schuemann in a trade with the Athletics on Monday, sending right-handed pitching prospect Luis Burgos as the return.
Schuemann, 28, has appeared in 234 major league games over the 2024-25 seasons for the Athletics, who drafted him in the 20th round of 2018 MLB Draft.
He has a .212 career batting average and .306 on-base percentage with nine home runs, 18 doubles, 47 RBIs and 154 strikeouts to 69 walks. Last season, he hit .197 with two homers and 13 RBI in 101 games.
After largely playing shortstop (93 games) in 2024, Schuemann played his most games (39) at second base followed by third base (27) in 2025. He’s also played each of the outfield spots, bringing some real positional versatility to the Yankees.
Burgos, 20, was a Yankees undrafted-free-agent signing out of the Dominican Republic in June of 2024. He’s posted a 4-4 record and 3.39 ERA over 25 games (10 starts) in two seasons in New York’s farm system.
To make room for Schuemann, the Yankees designated outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez for assignment.
–Field Level Media
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