Sports
Guardians need to cut down on defensive lapses vs. Blue Jays
Apr 21, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Patrick Corbin (46) throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images The visiting Cleveland Guardians could use improved fielding Sunday afternoon to help their chances in the rubber match of the three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays took the middle game of the three-game series on Saturday 5-3 with some help from some shaky Guardians defense.
Guardians second baseman Juan Brito let Daulton Varsho’s grounder squirt past him for an RBI single in Toronto’s three-run sixth.
“We should have been out of that inning with maybe one run scoring,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We had a tough inning defensively. It happens.”
Brito has had other defensive lapses but Vogt said he will keep playing him.
“He’ll be out there again Sunday,” Vogt said. “He’s continuing to work. … and, you know, this turf maybe hops a little different, but we’ve got to be better. We’ve got to catch the ball, and we’re going to continue to work defensively. We need to get better. That’s clear, and we’re going to do that.”
Left fielder George Valera also had an adventurous day. He overran Myles Straw’s fifth-inning fly that dropped for a double down the left-field line. Valera’s sliding attempt came up short in the sixth on Andres Gimenez’s two-run, two-out double on the left-field line.
Right-hander Slade Cecconi (0-3, 6.20 ERA) is the scheduled starter Sunday for the Guardians. He has not faced the Blue Jays.
Toronto is slated to start Patrick Corbin (0-0, 3.68). He is 1-1 with a 4.44 ERA in five career starts against Cleveland. Right-hander Dylan Cease was originally named to start Sunday but he was moved to Monday to face the Boston Red Sox to give him an extra day after a 110-pitch outing on April 20.
Steven Kwan was out of the Guardians lineup for the second consecutive game on Saturday. He was given a scheduled day off on Friday to provide a break from the artificial turf at Rogers Centre and was used as a ninth-inning defensive replacement.
Kwan was in the lineup for Saturday but was a late scratch because of a stiff neck.
“This is independent of yesterday,” Vogt said. “We put him in the game Friday and he was fine.”
Kwan said he woke up with a stiff neck.
With Toronto’s Jeff Hoffman removed from the closer’s role, Louis Varland pitched a shaky ninth Saturday to pick up the save. He allowed a run, three hits and a walk before ending the game with two strikeouts.
“Louis has the mentality to do that,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He has great numbers. It’s not going to be perfect and it’s not going to be perfect for anyone, so I hope people have a little bit of sympathy for Hoffman. This is not easy. “
Toronto put Nathan Lukes on the injured list with a strained left hamstring and promoted outfielder Yohendrick Pinango from Triple-A Buffalo.
Lukes suffered the injury running out a first-inning double on Friday and left the game immediately.
“He’s kind of week-to-week,” Schneider said. “It feels like anyone who’s playing good is not allowed to play anymore.”
Pinango was batting .288/.370/.488 with three home runs and 13 RBIs in 22 games at Buffalo.
“He hits the ball hard,” Schneider said. “The way the hitting guys talk about it is that he has some bad intentions at the plate. He’s not just trying to touch it.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Packers extend WR Jayden Reed's contract for reported 3 years, $50.25M
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (11) runs the ball during the first quarter of their wild card playoff game against the Chicago Bears Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Green Bay Packers announced the signing of wide receiver Jayden Reed to a contract extension on Friday, with ESPN reporting the deal is for three years and worth $50.25 million.
Reed, who was entering the final year of his rookie contract, will be signed through 2029. The deal includes $20 million guaranteed, Reed’s agents Drew Rosenhaus and Ian Grutman told ESPN.
Reed, who turns 26 on Tuesday, is coming off of an abbreviated season marred by shoulder and foot injuries that both required surgery in Week 3.
He finished with 19 receptions on 22 targets for 207 yards and one touchdown in seven regular-season games (three starts). He also started the NFC wild-card playoff loss to the Chicago Bears and made four catches for 43 yards and a TD.
Reed has 138 receptions on 191 targets for 1,857 yards, 15 touchdowns and 13.5 yards per catch in 40 regular-season games (26 starts). He has another 12 catches for 124 yards and one TD in four playoff games (three starts).
Green Bay selected Reed in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He led the team in receiving in each of his first two seasons.
The Packers have overhauled their receiving corps, allowing Romeo Doubs to leave as a free agent for the New England Patriots and a four-year, $68 million contract in March. In early April, they traded wideout Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2026 fifth-round draft pick and 2027 sixth-rounder.
Green Bay still has receivers Christian Watson, 26, and Matthew Golden, 22, the latter a first-round pick in 2025.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Resurgent offenses of D.C. United, Orlando City set for battle
Apr 18, 2026; Chester, Pennsylvania, USA; DC United defender Lucas Bartlett (3) reacts with forward Tai Baribo (9) against the Philadelphia Union in the first half at Subaru Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Orlando City and D.C. United both ended scoring droughts in a big way on Wednesday night, each putting up a season-high four goals.
When the sides meet Saturday night in Washington, they’ll try to maintain the momentum for their newfound attacks.
After being outscored 13-1 in their previous four MLS matches, Orlando City broke out with a 4-1 home win against Charlotte FC earlier this week.
Martin Ojeda had a brace and 19-year-old Luis Otavio scored his first goal as a pro for the Lions (2-6-1, 7 points).
Orlando was efficient at the offensive end, hitting the back of the net on four of its six shots on goal. At the other end, goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau had four saves.
After starting the season with three straight defeats, Orlando dismissed coach Oscar Pareja in his seventh season and promoted assistant Martin Perelman to the interim head coach role. The Lions are 2-3-1 since the switch.
Ojeda (four goals) is the top scorer, while veteran Ivan Angulo (five assists) and newcomer Tiago Souza (three assists) are the top facilitators.
“We’re working. The team is growing. The players are doing an amazing effort,” Perelman said. “This is a long season. What matters is where we stand at the end. That is our mindset.”
D.C. United’s offense had failed to produce a goal in four straight MLS matches before playing the host New York Red Bulls to a 4-4 draw on Wednesday.
D.C. (2-4-3, 9 points) entered with a league-low four goals, but Tai Baribo notched a hat trick and Jackson Hopkins added a goal and an assist, fueling a rally from a 3-1 second-half deficit.
On Saturday, D.C. United will try to solve their woes at home, where they have won just one of their last 14 MLS matches dating back to May of last year.
“I think they will be more compact because of the change of the coach,” D.C. manager Rene Weiler said of Orlando. “The players, they want to show their best side to the new coach.”
Orlando has gone 3-0-1 against D.C. the last two seasons to square the all-time series 9-9-3.
— Field Level Media
Sports
Duke F Cameron Boozer declares for NBA Draft
Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) dunks March 21, 2026 during the second half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game with TCU at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Standout Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, the 2025-26 Naismith National Player of the Year, declared for the 2026 NBA Draft Friday night.
He announced the news on his Instagram account with the caption, “Thank you for everything @dukeuniversity. Duke Blue forever.”
The son of former Duke star Carlos Boozer, Cameron Boozer was second in the Atlantic Coast Conference and ninth nationally with 22.5 points per game, led the conference with 10.2 rebounds per game and tacked on 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 38 games.
He was a first-team All American and is projected as a top-three pick in this summer’s draft alongside BYU forward AJ Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who also both declared for the draft this week.
His twin brother, Cayden, announced he’s returning to Duke for his sophomore season after averaging 7.7 points, 3.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds as a freshman.
–Field Level Media
Packers extend WR Jayden Reed's contract for reported 3 years, $50.25M
Resurgent offenses of D.C. United, Orlando City set for battle
