Sports
Sens F Brady Tkachuk expected to return for start of playoffs
Mar 25, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) during a stoppage in play against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images Expect captain Brady Tkachuk to be on the ice for the Ottawa Senators when the Stanley Cup playoffs start on Saturday.
That word comes from head coach Travis Green, who had this simple response Monday when asked if Tkachuk would be back in time for the start of the playoffs: “I do.”
Tkachuk, 25, practiced Monday for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury from a hit by Pittsburgh’s Ryan Graves on March 30. The forward leads Ottawa with 29 goals and is tied for third on the team with 55 points in 71 games.
“He has to (practice),” Green said. “If you want to be on top of your game after you’ve been out … he’s no different than any other player, you’ve got to come back and get some practice time. He’s skated on his own for a bit now and it’s good to get him with the group. I thought he looked sharp. And I’m sure he’ll skate again (Tuesday).”
Tkachuk will miss his eighth consecutive game Tuesday when the Sens host the Chicago Blackhawks. It is uncertain if he will play in the regular-season finale Thursday against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reds activate three players from injured list
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Alexis Diaz (43) delivers the pitch in the ninth inning of the MLB game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. Cincinnati Reds defeated Houston Astros 1-0. The Cincinnati Reds activated outfielder Austin Hays, second baseman Matt McLain and reliever Alexis Diaz from the injured list on Tuesday.
Hays (calf) and McLain (hamstring) were on the 10-day IL and Diaz (hamstring) was on the 15-day IL.
Hays, 29, has yet to make his Reds debut. The former All-Star split last season with the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies and signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Reds in January.
McLain, 25, has appeared in eight games this season for Cincinnati, batting .214 with three homers and five RBIs.
Diaz, 28, has yet to play for the Reds this season after serving as their closer the past two years. The right-hander made the All-Star team and finished with 37 saves in 2023.
The Reds optioned outfielder Jacob Hurtubise and infielder Noelvi Marte to Triple-A Louisville in corresponding transactions.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Leafs hope D Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be ready by playoffs
Mar 22, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) looks to pass the puck during the first period of the game against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is expected to be ready for the playoffs, head coach Craig Berube said on Tuesday.
Ekman-Larsson, 33, hasn’t played since sustaining an upper-body injury while falling awkwardly on a breakaway in a 4-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning last Wednesday.
The Maple Leafs (50-26-4, 104 points) visit the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night and host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday to conclude the regular season.
Toronto is four points up on the second-place Lightning in the race for the Atlantic Division title. The postseason begins on Saturday.
“Right now, I mean, I expect (Ekman-Larsson) to play, but you never know,” Berube said on Tuesday. “He’s tough. He’ll play through things. And if he’s not in the lineup, somebody else is going to have to step up. That’s just the bottom line. That’s part of the playoffs.”
Edman-Larsson, 33, has four goals, 25 assists, a plus-14 rating, 52 penalty minutes, 83 blocks, 108 hits and a 21:04 average ice time in 77 games in his first season with Toronto.
He has 500 career points (148 goals, 362 assists) in 1,059 games with the then-Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (2010-21), Vancouver Canucks (2021-23), Florida Panthers (2023-24) and Maple Leafs.
Defenseman Jake McCabe will miss his sixth consecutive game on Tuesday because of an upper-body injury. He might not return before the first-round playoff series is underway.
“There’s always a concern, right?” Berube said. “It’s just a little ways away yet for me to make those kinds of decisions and things like that. I’ve got to see them up close a little bit more here and talk to these guys and see where they’re at.”
McCabe, 31, has two goals, 21 assists, a plus-23 rating, 40 penalty minutes, 135 blocks and 118 hits while averaging a team-high 21:31 of ice time in 66 games this season.
He has 175 career points (35 goals, 140 assists) in 643 games with the Sabres (2013-21), Chicago Blackhawks (2021-23) and Maple Leafs (February 2023-present).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Final round of Masters draws big ratings for CBS Sports
Apr 13, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy and his caddie Harry Diamond celebrate with the trophy after winning the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images Rory McIlroy took viewers on a wild ride this past weekend at the Masters, with the end result being the completion of a career Grand Slam for the Northern Irishman and big ratings for CBS Sports.
Per the network, Sunday’s final round averaged 12.707 million viewers — which is up 33 percent from 2024. Scottie Scheffler mastered the tournament at Augusta National for the second time in three years last April with a four-stroke win over Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg.
CBS also reported that viewership Sunday reached its peak from 7-7:15 p.m. ET at 19.543 million. It also marked the most watched final round of the tournament since Patrick Reed defeated Rickie Fowler by one stroke in 2018, with that round pulling in 13.03 million viewers.
McIlroy birdied the first playoff hole with a short putt after missing a chance to win in regulation, capturing the Masters on Sunday in Augusta, Ga.
McIlroy’s 1-over-par 73 left him tied with England’s Justin Rose, who posted 66 and waited for McIlroy to finish. They both shot 11-under 277 for the week.
It marked the fifth major championship for McIlroy, and his first since capturing the PGA Championship for the second time in 2014.
–Field Level Media
Reds activate three players from injured list
Leafs hope D Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be ready by playoffs
