Sports
Tigers CF Parker Meadows hospitalized after collision
Apr 9, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows (22) collides with left fielder Riley Greene (31) on a fly ball hit by Minnesota Twins designated hitter Josh Bell (not pictured) in the eighth inning at Target Field. Meadows left the game. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Detroit Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows will be hospitalized overnight in Minneapolis after being carted off the field due to a scary collision in the bottom of the eighth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon.
Meadows was playing center field and Riley Greene was playing left field when Twins hitter Josh Bell hit a slicing fly ball toward the left-center field gap. Both outfielders converged on the ball, and Greene made the catch but his head clipped the side of Meadows’ face as the players collided.
Meadows fell to the outfield grass and remained still for a few moments as teammates and trainers came to check on him. He rolled onto his back as trainers attended to him.
“That was an ugly, scary one, and there’s a lot of concern for him,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said after Detroit’s 3-1 loss. “When we got out there, it looked like he had bit his lip or inside his mouth, so there was some blood, and he was pretty out of it. …
“Those are scary collisions. You don’t know what you’re going to get when you get there. Obviously we’re going to get him checked out for everything, but this one worries me.”
Eventually, Meadows was able to sit up and gingerly get to his feet. He walked slowly a few steps to a cart that trainers had requested to take him off the field.
Greene was deeply concerned after the contest.
“It was a terrible feeling,” Greene said. “I still feel terrible.”
Javier Baez moved from shortstop to center field to replace Meadows. Kevin McGonigle entered the game to play shortstop.
Meadows went 0-for-3 and is hitting .250 with two RBIs and three stolen bases in 12 games. The 26-year-old is in his fourth season with the Tigers.
The Tigers open a three-game series against the visiting Miami Marlins on Friday and it’s still to be determined if Meadows will be able to play during the series.
But Detroit right-hander Jack Flaherty knows it’s not too soon for everyone to pull for Meadows.
“You just hope everybody has thoughts and prayers with him, and he’s going to be all right,” Flaherty said. “He’s a tough guy. We continue to pray over him. Tough way to end the series. Just pray to God for Parker. He’s as good of a guy as they come. Scary situation.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Austrian teen Lilli Tagger stuns No. 3 Liudmila Samsonova in Linz
Lilli Tagger celebrates winning her first-round match over Varvara Gracheva of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Thursday, March 5, 2026. Tagger, just 18-years-old, marked her first-ever WTA 1000 event win. Local wild-card competitor Lilli Tagger pulled off a 6-2, 7-6 (11) defeat of No. 3 Liudmila Samsonova of Russia on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz in Linz, Austria.
Tagger, who turned 18 in February, converted three of five break-point opportunities while winning 22 of 32 second-return points (69%). She staved off four set points in her final service game of the second set before clinching after a marathon second-set tiebreaker to reach her first clay-court semifinal on the WTA Tour.
Next up for Tagger is fellow Austrian Anastasia Potapova, who blew past Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch for a 6-2, 6-1 victory in 91 minutes, converting seven of her 14 break-point opportunities.
No. 2 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia was also ousted from the tournament in the second round, thrashed by unseeded Czech competitor Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-3 in 60 minutes.
Croatia’s Donna Vekic also advanced to the quarterfinals via walkover as Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina was forced to withdraw due to illness. She’ll face Pliskova for a semifinal on the side of the bracket which has no seeded players left after Thursday’s two upsets.
–Field Level Media
Sports
New York City FC's Drew Baiera (ACL) to undergo surgery
Mar 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC defender Drew Baiera (38) looks on during the second half against the Inter Miami at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images New York City FC defender Drew Baiera will undergo surgery to repair a ruptured ACL in his left knee, the team said Thursday.
Baiera played in 21 minutes over three matches for NYCFC and didn’t dent the scoresheet.
Per NYCFC.network, Baiera sustained the injury during his recent stint with the U.S. youth national team.
The 19-year-old will begin rehab immediately after the surgery.
New York City FC visit the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Michigan adds former Tennessee F J.P. Estrella
Tennessee forward J.P. Estrella (13) signals a close shot during the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 game against Michigan at the United Center in Chicago on March 29, 2026. Tennessee transfer forward J.P. Estrella told multiple media outlets on Thursday that he has committed to national champion Michigan.
Listed at 6-foot-11 and 240 pounds, Estrella averaged 10.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in 33 games (13 starts) with the Volunteers this past season. Tennessee’s season came to an end in the Elite Eight, courtesy of a 95-62 setback to the Wolverines on March 29.
Michigan went on to capture its second national championship and first since 1989 with a 69-63 victory over UConn on Monday.
Estrella missed all but three games in 2024-25 after having season-ending surgery on his left foot.
He was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023 out of Brewster Academy in South Portland, Maine.
–Field Level Media
Austrian teen Lilli Tagger stuns No. 3 Liudmila Samsonova in Linz
How to watch NRL live streams online for free
