Sports
Reports: Vikings QB Sam Darnold (knee) to undergo MRI exam
Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) is injured against the Houston Texans in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is slated to undergo an MRI exam on his left knee on Monday, multiple media outlets reported Sunday.
Darnold took a low hit from Houston Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter, a former Vikings star, in the third quarter and missed just one play before returning.
After the 34-7 victory, Darnold attempted to downplay the situation but did reveal there would be more information about the injury on Monday.
“Getting hit low there, we will evaluate it,” Darnold said during his postgame news conference. “We’ll look at it but it felt good enough to go back in the game.”
Asked how the knee was feeling after the contest, Darnold was brief: “It feels good. Like I said, we’re going to look at it tomorrow.”
Darnold was then asked if he might be in jeopardy of missing practice or be hindered in a game.
“I’m not sure,” Darnold said. “I’m not going to speak on specifics like that. Evaluating it tomorrow, I feel like we will have more information on it tomorrow.”
Darnold emphasized that there was nothing dirty about Hunter’s hit.
Darnold passed for 181 yards and four touchdowns against the Texans as Minnesota (3-0) continued its hot start. In three games, he has completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 657 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
Darnold was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft by the New York Jets. He started 38 games for the Jets over three seasons before bouncing around to the Carolina Panthers (2021-22) and San Francisco 49ers (2023) before joining the Vikings in March.
During the preseason, Minnesota lost rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy for the season. The injury to the first-round draft choice assured that Darnold would open the season as the Vikings’ starting quarterback.
Nick Mullens is Minnesota’s backup quarterback and Brett Rypien is No. 3 on the depth chart.
–Field Level Media
Sports
JJ Wetherholt's HR stands up as Cardinals blank Angels
Jul 22, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins (40) pitches during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images JJ Wetherholt hit a home run and four St. Louis pitchers combined on a seven-hitter as the Cardinals blanked the Los Angeles Angels 1-0 to salvage the final game of their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon in Anaheim, Calif.
Hunter Dobbins (2-1) picked up the victory, allowing six hits over six innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out five to pick up his sixth career major league win.
Luis Gastelum, George Soriano and All-Star closer Riley O’Brien each pitched a scoreless inning of relief after that with O’Brien notching his 26th save.
The win, just the fifth in the last 15 games for the Cardinals, snapped a season-high matching four-game losing streak for St. Louis. It marked the first time since May 17, 2025 at Kansas City that the Cardinals won a 1-0 game.
Wade Meckler and Josh Lowe each had two hits for Los Angeles, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Reid Detmers (3-7) was the hard-luck loser, giving up one run on two hits over 5 1/3 innings. It marked his 19th straight start at Angel Stadium without picking up a win dating back to 2024.
St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the sixth inning on Wetherholt’s 15th home run of the season, a 409-foot drive to left-center.
Los Angeles had multiple runners on base in four different innings, including the bottom of the ninth against O’Brien. Jo Adell and Meckler both walked with one out but O’Brien bounced back to strike out Oswald Peraza and Josh Lowe to get out of the jam.
St. Louis had blown six leads in its 10 losses over a 15-game stretch, including back-to-back walk-off losses at Arizona on Sunday and to the Angels on Monday night when O’Brien hit Adell with a pitch with the bases loaded. That snapped a streak of 106 games that the Angels had lost when trailing after eight innings, including 48 this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees LHP Max Fried activated for Game 2 of Pirates doubleheader
New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) throws during the first inning of their game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, May 8, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Between games of their day/night doubleheader with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, the New York Yankees activated left-hander Max Fried so he could start Game 2.
Fried, 32, had not appeared in a major league game since May 13, when he left after three innings against the Baltimore Orioles. He went on the injured list three days later (retroactive to May 14) with a bone bruise on his left elbow.
Fried entered Wednesday’s game with a 4-3 record and a 3.21 ERA in 61 2/3 innings spread across 10 starts. He owned a 4-1 mark and a 2.09 ERA through April, but surrendered 11 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings during May before going on the shelf.
To make room for Fried, the Yankees sent right-hander Kervin Castro to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Castro, 27, was called up in the middle of Sunday’s doubleheader with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He allowed one run in two innings on May 8 in his only game for the Yankees, which doubled as his first MLB appearance since 2022.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pirates scratch CF Jake Mangum (foot) for Game 2 vs. Yankees
Jul 22, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Billy Cook (25) scores on a RBI single hit by center fielder Jake Mangum (not pictured) against New York Yankees catcher Ali Sanchez (39) during the tenth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Jake Mangum was scratched from the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the host New York Yankees due to right foot discomfort.
Mangum was slated to lead off against New York left-hander Max Fried before getting scratched to have his foot examined. Nick Gonzales moved up to the leadoff spot and Billy Cook replaced Mangum in center.
Mangum fouled a ball off his foot during Pittsburgh’s 5-3 win in Game 1, but he stayed in the game. He had two hits in Pittsburgh’s ninth win in 13 games, including an RBI single in a two-run 10th inning off Fernando Cruz.
Mangum is hitting .303 with two homers and 21 RBIs in 81 games this season. His 19 stolen bases rank third on the Pirates behind Konnor Griffin and Oneil Cruz, both of whom are on the injured list.
–Field Level Media
JJ Wetherholt's HR stands up as Cardinals blank Angels
King Of The Hill’s Newest Season Is Dadcore Perfection
