Sports
Red Sox P Lucas Giolito looks to put pieces together vs. Jays in debut
Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito throws a pitch during a rehab start with Triple-A Worcester on April 25, 2025. Lucas Giolito finally will make his season debut on Wednesday night in a bid to help the Boston Red Sox clinch their three-game series against the host Toronto Blue Jays.
The Red Sox signed the 30-year-old right-hander before the 2024 season to bolster their rotation.
In his first spring training with Boston, however, Giolito developed an elbow injury that required surgery that ended his season.
Giolito sustained a hamstring injury during spring training this year, and he opened the season on the injured list. He has been deemed ready to pitch on Wednesday after completing a rehabilitation assignment.
“It felt like a piece of myself was missing for a while last year, watching our games; this year, watching our games,” he said Tuesday before the Red Sox defeated the Blue Jays 10-2 in the series opener.
“I signed with this team for a reason. I wanted to contribute the best way I know how to, which is to take the ball and be available to throw 100-plus pitches every start.”
Giolito’s starts will be closely monitored, with the Red Sox planning to exercise patience.
“To be honest with you, we don’t know what’s going to happen (Wednesday),” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “The cool thing is he is going to be on a big-league field if everything goes well. And we will work with him to help him to be successful.”
Giolito is 2-3 with a 5.40 ERA in eight career starts against Toronto.
The Blue Jays had not named a starting pitcher for Wednesday but are expected to send out a parade of relievers. It did not help the bullpen situation after Bowden Francis allowed seven runs — including five homers — and lasted only three innings in his start on Tuesday.
The Red Sox will attempt to avenge losing three of four games at home to the Blue Jays from April 7-10.
The fortunes of the teams have changed recently. Boston has won three games in a row and Toronto has lost eight of nine.
Wilyer Abreu hit a three-run homer for the Red Sox on Tuesday and Jarren Duran, Alex Bregman, Kristian Campbell and Rafael Devers added solo shots.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run homer for Toronto. The Blue Jays have only 16 home runs this season, second fewest in the majors. They have allowed the most homers (42)l.
A lack of scoring continued to be a problem for the Blue Jays, who had only four hits on Tuesday.
“I think everyone wants to be the one who stops it, you know what I mean?” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “You have to continue to pull for one another. The work is good. The prep is good. The attitude is good.”
Toronto did get a spectacular return from shoulder surgery by center fielder Daulton Varsho on Tuesday. He celebrated his season debut with a stunning catch in the fourth inning on Duran’s fly to the warning track. Varsho tripped, rolled, and reached up to make a back-handed catch.
“I just stuck my glove out and somehow it went in,” Varsho said.
Toronto right-hander Casey Lawrence, recently claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners, allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings on Tuesday. Toronto optioned right-hander Paxton Schultz and infielder Will Wagner to Triple-A Buffalo.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami to visit White House
Dec 6, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) lifts the Philip F. Anschutz trophy after winning the 2025 MLS Cup against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Inter Miami received an invitation to the White House to commemorate the team’s MLS Cup championship in 2025, The Athletic reported.
The Miami Herald confirmed that the Herons will visit the White House on Thursday, two days before they play D.C. United in Washington, D.C. The newspaper also reported that every player — including superstar Lionel Messi — is expected to attend the ceremony with President Donald Trump.
Inter Miami captured the franchise’s first MLS Cup trophy by posting a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Dec. 6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Herons co-owner David Beckham previously attended a White House ceremony while with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2012. The Galaxy won the title in 2011.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Giants planning to release LB Bobby Okereke
Nov 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) leaves the field after losing to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images The New York Giants are planning to cut inside linebacker Bobby Okereke in a cost-saving move, The Athletic reported Saturday.
Releasing the seven-year NFL veteran, who turns 30 in July, will save the Giants $9 million against the 2026 salary cap.
Okereke has led New York in tackles in two of his three seasons with the team, including 143 stops in 2025 and 149 in 2023.
Okereke added one sack, two interceptions and one fumble recovery in 17 games (all starts) for the Giants in 2025.
He has recorded 805 tackles, 7.5 sacks, seven interceptions and 11 forced fumbles in 110 career games (95 starts) with the Colts (2019-22) and Giants. Indianapolis drafted him in the third round in 2019.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tyler Reddick starts bid for 3rd straight NASCAR Cup win with pole run
Feb 22, 2026; Hampton, Georgia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick rounds the track at EchoPark Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images AUSTIN, Texas — One of the few things that wasn’t startling about Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Circuit of the Americas was Tyler Reddick’s run for the pole position.
Negotiating the 2.4-mile road course in 97.760 seconds (88.380 mph) in the second qualifying group, Reddick claimed his third Busch Light Pole Award in six attempts at the track. He will lead the field to green in Sunday’s DuraMAX Grand Prix Powered by Reladyne (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Of course, there’s more at stake for Reddick than simply a victory at COTA. In winning at EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta last Sunday, the driver of the No. 45 Toyota became the sixth Cup competitor to start a season with two consecutive wins. No driver has ever won three straight to open a season.
The 23XI Racing driver acknowledged that the pole position, the 12th of his career, is a positive first step toward that goal.
“It helps the chances, certainly,” said Reddick, whose series-best average finish of 4.6 at COTA includes a victory in 2023. “I think starting up front is huge.”
Michael McDowell led the first qualifying group of 19 drivers with a lap at 88.031 mph but fell to sixth soon after the second group took to the track. Ultimately, Ross Chastain posted the second-fastest lap at 88.256 mph (97.897 seconds) and will start on the front row beside Reddick.
The shocker was not that Chastain, the 2022 COTA winner, fashioned an excellent lap. What was surprising was that his two Trackhouse Racing teammates, Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch — both vaunted road course racers — failed to crack the top 10 in qualifying.
Van Gisbergen was 13th fastest on his third lap. Zilisch could do no better than 25th. Van Gisbergen is seeking his sixth straight road course victory in the Cup Series, a mark that would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon for most consecutive road course wins.
Chase Briscoe (88.242 mph) will start third, followed by Ryan Blaney (88.179 mph) and Chase Elliott (88.161 mph). Elliott leads active drivers with seven road course victories.
Behind McDowell in sixth, AJ Allmendinger qualified seventh, followed by defending race winner Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs and William Byron.
“We’ll see how it gets going,” Reddick said. “Certainly, Ross, Shane, Ryan Blaney-there’s a number of good drivers who were really strong in practice today. We’ll try to understand what that all looks like and make our best decisions on the car and everything.”
–Field Level Media
Reports: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami to visit White House
Report: Giants planning to release LB Bobby Okereke
