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Jacoby Brissett’s OTA Absence Raises Early Concerns for Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals started OTAs (organized team activities) on Monday and had a notable absentee.

Starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett didn’t attend Cardinals OTAs. Even though he’s in line to be the team’s starting quarterback with first year head coach Mike LaFleur, Brissett wants to be compensated as a starting quarterback.

Before the overreactions get started, it’s worth noting that these OTAs are voluntary. Players have held out of them before and returned for mandatory minicamp and training camps without any issue. It’s also understandable that Brissett wants to be paid. For years, he’s been viewed as one of the elite backup quarterbacks in the NFL. He finally gets an opportunity to start a season, and wants to be paid as such

Totally normal.

However, a contract dispute with the team’s starting quarterback to begin the LaFleur era in Arizona might foreshadow how this season will go for the Cardinals – not very well.

Behind Brissett resides Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck, who was Arizona’s third-round draft pick last month. It’s a roster that doesn’t have much talent, despite selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love in the top five selections. They only won three games last season, gave up on Kyler Murray and decided to draft a running back behind one of the worst offensive lines in football.

LaFleur worked magic with Matthew Stafford during his time as the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams. But let’s be clear about a few things. Sean McVay runs the offense in Los Angeles.

And Brissett isn’t Stafford.

With that in mind, Brissett’s absence will sting the Cardinals even more so. Around the NFL, teams with new head coaches utilize OTAs to apply the classroom install work onto the practice field. Without the starting quarterback present for this voluntary portion of the offseason, the Cardinals are going to be playing catch up once the calendar flips to June – or whenever Brissett decides to arrive.

Brissett is in the second season of a two-year deal that he signed with the Cardinals. He’s set to earn $9 million, but only $1.5 million of that is guaranteed. As a starting quarterback, Brissett is well within his rights to search for a little pay increase to serve as additional security for risking his body for 17 regular season games in a Cardinals jersey.

But that doesn’t change the fact that the longer this bleeds on, the more of a distraction that it will become, and the less likely it will be for Brissett to flourish with LaFleur in their first season together.

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Dodgers place RHP Blake Treinen (elbow inflammation) on 15-day IL

Apr 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen (49) pitches during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn ImagesApr 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen (49) pitches during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images

The Dodgers placed right-hander Blake Treinen on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation ahead of Saturday night’s game against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

Los Angeles recalled right-hander Chayce McDermott from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.

Treinen, who turns 38 on June 30, is in his sixth season with the Dodgers. He has a 4-1 record and 3.52 ERA in 29 relief appearances this season with 25 strikeouts, 10 walks and one save. The 2018 All-Star has a 49-42 record, 83 saves and a career 2.93 ERA over 560 games (seven starts) with the Washington Nationals (2014-17), Oakland Athletics (2017-19) and Dodgers (2020-22; 2024-26). He has tossed 621 strikeouts against 233 walks.

McDermott, 27, is entering his second major league stint of the season. He made one previous appearance with the Dodgers, tossing one shutout inning with a strikeout May 17 against the Angels. He has an 0-1 career record and 11.85 ERA over six games (two starts) at the major league level, pitching sparingly for the Orioles the prior two seasons.

–Field Level Media

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Travis Bazzana's career night powers Guardians past Astros

Jun 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA;  Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana (37) watches his three-run home run against the Houston Astros in the fifth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn ImagesJun 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana (37) watches his three-run home run against the Houston Astros in the fifth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Travis Bazzana recorded his first career four-hit game and first multi-homer game while Joey Cantillo worked a career-high-tying eight innings as the visiting Cleveland Guardians rolled to an 8-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday.

Bazzana finished 4-for-4 with three runs and five RBIs — also a single-game best. The former first overall draft pick homered in the first and fifth innings and carried the offense alongside Kyle Manzardo, who finished 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs.

Cantillo (6-3) logged more than six innings for the first time this season en route to his third quality start. Cantillo allowed one run on four hits and struck out a season-high-tying nine batters.

Bazzana started the scoring with haste, drilling the first pitch of the game from Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (7-3) out to right-center field. Bazzana spotted the Guardians a 1-0 lead with his second career leadoff home run and sixth homer of the season.

Arrighetti appeared to settle down following the Bazzana blast and retired six batters in a row. But even after receiving some help from his defense in the third, Arrighetti faltered that frame.

Astros center fielder Jake Meyers erased Patrick Bailey as he attempted to go from first to third on a Bazzana single for the second out of the inning. But Manzardo followed with his ninth homer of the season, a two-run shot to left-center that plated Bazzana and lifted Cleveland to a 3-1 lead.

Two innings later, with Steven Kwan (hit by pitch) and Bailey (single) on base, Bazzana blasted his seventh home run 406 feet to right-center as the Guardians stretched their advantage to 6-1.

Arrighetti, the American League Pitcher of the month in May, continued his June swoon. He allowed a season-worst six runs on six hits while posting eight strikeouts over six innings. Arrighetti is 0-2 with a 6.95 ERA across four starts this month.

Cantillo surrendered three consecutive hits in the second, including an RBI single to Yainer Diaz that plated Isaac Paredes. He was untouchable the rest of the way and retired the final 14 batters he faced.

–Field Level Media

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Eloy Room helps Curacao earn first World Cup point with Ecuador draw

June 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.; Curacao's Eloy Room reacts.  Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images June 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.; Curacao’s Eloy Room reacts. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

Curacao found a comfort level in their second-ever World Cup match, pulling off a 0-0 tie with Ecuador behind the play of goalkeeper Eloy Room to earn the country’s first-ever point in a Group E match Saturday night in Kansas City.

Room made 15 saves, just shy of the record 16 made by the United States’ Tim Howard in a 2014 World Cup match against Belgium. The effort helped Curacao rebound from a 7-1 loss to Germany in their World Cup debut last Sunday.

At the final whistle, Room went to his knees, and the 37-year-old bowed his head onto the turf in relief.

Ecuador’s disappointing World Cup run continued with a second consecutive scoreless match. They lost to Ivory Coast 1-0 on Sunday.

Neither team was officially eliminated from advancing to the knockout round, although they will each need a win on the final matchday to stay alive.

Ecuador (0-1-1, 1 point) has a daunting task ahead with a match against Germany on Thursday at East Rutherford, N.J. Curacao (0-1-1, 1 point) will complete their group-stage schedule with a simultaneous match against Ivory Coast at Philadelphia.

Among the many high-level saves Room made, the most impressive might have come in the third minute on a shot from close range from Ecuador’s Enner Valencia. With a clean look at goal, Valencia’s shot was stopped on a dive from Room to his left.

The stop set a high standard that the goalkeeper from Miami FC of the second-division USL Championship was able to maintain throughout.

Ecuador primary held possession on Curacao’s end in the closing minutes. Early in stoppage time, Ecuador substitute Angelo Preciado took a shot from long range that rebounded off the top of the crossbar.

Room reached 15 saves on a long-range shot from Ecuador’s Pedro Vite in the 80th minute. Ecuador was unable to get another shot on target despite constant pressure.

Ecuador dominated the run of play with 63% of possession to 26% for Curacao. Ecuador also had a 28-10 advantage on shots with Curacao taking three on target.

–Field Level Media

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