Sports
Injury-plagued Tigers hope Troy Melton continues success vs. White Sox
Detroit Tigers pitcher Troy Melton (52) throws against Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Troy Melton missed his most recent turn in the Detroit rotation due to back tightness. The right-hander avoided a trip to the injured list, however, and is scheduled to start for the Tigers against the visiting Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
The Tigers won the opener of the three-game series 4-3 on Friday.
Melton (3-0, 2.81 ERA) had his season debut delayed until late May due to right elbow inflammation. He has wasted no time giving the Tigers’ rotation a boost, winning three of his first four starts.
The only time Melton didn’t notch a victory came against the White Sox on May 29, but it was a quality performance. He limited Chicago to one run and six hits in seven innings, but the Tigers lost 4-3 in 10 innings.
Melton is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three career outings (two starts) against the White Sox.
Keeping Melton healthy is crucial for the Tigers, who continue to deal with a host of injuries.
Justin Verlander, who has pitched just once this season due to a left hip ailment, was slated to return on Sunday. Instead, he will be out several more weeks due to a left hamstring strain.
Starter Jack Flaherty is on the injured list due to a left ankle injury.
Key position players Gleyber Torres, Wenceel Perez, Javier Baez and Parker Meadows are also sidelined. Perez fractured his left orbital bone in Houston this week when he was hit in the face by a resistance band.
“We will know more when we get through the eye doctor and face doctor and see where he’s at in terms of activity level. But he’s safe and he’s in a good place,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “The swelling has started to go down.”
The Tigers called up 27-year-old outfielder Trei Cruz from Triple-A Toledo to take his place. Cruz’s grandfather, Jose Cruz, and father, Jose Cruz Jr., both played in the majors. Trei Cruz went hitless in three at-bats on Friday in his major league debut.
“He’s had to work hard to get here,” Hinch said. “It just shows, not everyone’s journey to the big leagues is a smooth ride. I love that he’s been tough enough to handle it.”
No matter who is wearing the White Sox uniform this season is seemingly producing. Chicago called up Junior Perez from Triple-A Charlotte this week to fill in for Everson Pereira, who sustained a concussion while hitting the outfield wall as he made a catch against the New York Yankees on Wednesday.
Perez delivered the first two hits of his career on Friday, including a solo homer.
“He is an above-average runner, defender on the corners and projects about average in center field,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Stolen bases are part of his game. He has plus power and makes plus decisions at the plate. He is very similar to Pereira.”
Perez played 36 games for Triple-A Las Vegas in the Athletics’ system this season before the White Sox acquired him in a trade last month.
Sean Newcomb was a late choice to be the opener for the Saturday contest as Venable will employ a bullpen game. It will be his first start this year after 28 relief outings.
The 33-year-old left-hander exited his most recent appearance on Wednesday against the Yankees due to a left triceps contusion after getting hit by Anthony Volpe’s line drive. He allowed three runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Newcomb has a 1.74 ERA and no decisions in five career appearances (all in relief) vs. the Tigers. He did not give up a hit in 2 2/3 scoreless innings against Detroit on May 29.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lynx rally past Valkyries, stay perfect in all-time series
Jun 19, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) drives in against Golden State Valkyries guard Kaila Charles (6) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images Nia Coffey missed her career-high by one with 22 points, Courtney Williams added 21 as part of a double-double and the Minnesota Lynx continued their lifetime winning streak over the Golden State Valkyries with an 81-75 victory Friday night in San Francisco.
Kayla McBride chipped in with 17 points and Natasha Howard added 10 to go with eight rebounds for the Lynx (13-3), who overcame a 1-for-10, seven-point, six-turnover night from rookie star Olivia Miles.
Seeking a fifth straight win, the Valkyries (10-6) led by as many as 12 in the first half, but were held to 29 second-half points in a duel of the league’s top two defensive clubs.
The Lynx took the lead for good at 63-62 on a jumper by Williams with 1:39 remaining in the third quarter, then let their suffocating defense dictate the outcome in the final period, during which they outscored the hosts 18-13.
Golden State got within three with 26.0 seconds left and 77-75 after a Cecilia Zandalasini 3-pointer with 21.8 seconds remaining. But the Lynx kept the hosts at arm’s length thanks to a pair of free throws each by Williams, Miles and Anastasiia Olairi Kosu.
Williams completed her double-double with a game-high 12 rebounds and also found time for a team-high five assists for Minnesota, which has prevailed in all eight meetings with Golden State since the Valkyries joined the league last year.
Miles aided the Minnesota cause with five rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks. The Lynx blocked nine shots, including two apiece by Williams and Kosu.
Zandalasini connected on four 3-pointers to account for a majority of her game-high 23 points for the Valkyries, who outscored the Lynx 36-18 from beyond the arc, but needed 27 more attempts (40 to 13) to do it.
Gabby Williams had a team-high eight rebounds to complement 15 points and Janelle Salaun also had 15 for Golden State, which had won four in a row.
Veronica Burton had a team-high five assists and two steals for the Valkyries.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Team Spirit, Team Falcons prevail at IEM Cologne playoffs
Nolan Starkey, a senior at Rossville High School, plays Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Monday, April 15, 2019, in Rossville. Starkey signed his letter of intent Wednesday to play esports at Trine University in Angola, Ind.
Rossville High School Senior Signs With Trine University To Play Esports
As the top performing team during Stage 3 group play, it is unsurprising that Team Spirit got off to a strong start during the eight-team playoff on Friday.
Team Falcons, on the other hand, had perhaps more success than expected as the fifth seed.
Both teams earned 2-1 victories in the quarterfinals Friday to advance to face one another in the next round on Saturday.
The Counter-Strike 2 tournament with 32 entrants competing for their share of a $1.25 million prize pool began June 2 with the start of the first stage.
The field was ultimately trimmed to the final eight playoff teams through a series of three stages, where all matches were best-of-three, as is most of the playoffs. Sunday’s grand final will be best-of-five, with the winner taking home $500,000.
Spirit, unblemished in Stage 3, picked up where they left off by handling G2 Esports. Despite absorbing a surprising 13-9 loss on Overpass to open, the Russian esports team showed resilience in rallying for a 16-14 overtime win on Dust II and a 25-22 quadruple-OT victory on Mirage.
As expected for such a closely contested match, multiple players racked up impressive kill numbers. Spirit’s Danil “donk” Kryshkovets paced all players with 81 kills and a 1.32 rating, though teammate Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov added 75 kills against just 56 deaths.
G2 was paced by Matus “MATYS” Simko’s 71 kills and 1.19 rating.
The Falcons established an advantage over fourth-seeded Team Vitality with a 13-11 win on Anubis to begin play. When Vitality rallied to win 13-11 on Inferno in Game 2, Team Falcons responded with a 13-11 closeout victory on Dust II.
Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov led all scorers with 63 kills, while his Falcons teammate Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin (52 kills) had the match’s highest rating at 1.43.
Vitality was led by Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut’s 54 kills and 1.16 rating.
The semifinals will be contested on Saturday. Previous qualifiers FURIA and Aurora Gaming face off in the first match of the day before Spirit and Falcons match up later in the day.
Intel Extreme Masters Cologne prize pool
1. $500,000
2. $170,000
3-4. $80,000
5-8. $45,000 — BetBoom Team, 9z Team, Team Vitality, G2 Esports
9-11. $15,000 — Natus Vincere, FUT Esports, The MongolZ
12-14. $15,000 — MOUZ, Monte, Legacy
15-16. $15,000 — B8, PARIVISION
17-19. $10,000 — paiN Gaming, TYLOO, BIG
20-22. $10,000 — MIBR, M80, Astralis
23-24. $10,000 — GamerLegion, FlyQuest
25-27. $5,000 — Lynn Vision Gaming, NRG, Team Liquid
28-30. $5,000 — THUNDERdOWNUNDER, Sharks Esports, HEROIC
31-32. $5,000 — Gaimin Gladiators, SINNERS Esports
–Field Level Media
Sports
Paraguay's Miguel Almiron gets red card due to covering mouth
June 19, 2026; Santa Clara, California, U.S.; Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron argues with referee Ivan Barton. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Paraguay’s road to the knockout rounds at the World Cup grew a little more difficult on Friday night.
In the third minute of first-half stoppage time during the La Albirroja’s match against Turkey in Santa Clara, Calif., Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron was sent off with a red card, putting his team a man down the remainder of the match.
With Paraguay up 1-0, Almiron covered his mouth while talking to Turkey defender Mert Muldur. That drew the red card based on one of FIFA’s new rules for this World Cup.
According to a FIFA press release: “At the discretion of the competition organizer, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card.”
The rule was put in place in an attempt to stem racist comments being directed by one player to another with the offending player covering his mouth so as to not get caught.
Almiron, who entered the match with disciplinary concerns as he drew a yellow card in the 4-1 loss to the United States in their World Cup opener on June 12, will now miss Paraguay’s final Group D match, against Australia in Santa Clara next Thursday.
Australia will be looking for a win after falling to the United States 2-0 earlier Friday. With the two wins, the U.S. have already booked a spot in the knockout round. Should Paraguay beat or draw with Turkey, the U.S. would clinch the group before playing Turkey next Thursday.
Almiron, 32, is in the second season of his second stint with MLS team Atlanta United. He scored six goals in 31 matches last season but has yet to score in eight matches in 2026. He previously played for Atlanta in 2017 and ’18 before spending seven seasons with Newcastle United of the Premier League.
–Field Level Media
Lynx rally past Valkyries, stay perfect in all-time series
Team Spirit, Team Falcons prevail at IEM Cologne playoffs
