Players on the Boston Red Sox are being reminded of their travel ball days as they deal with flight delays, with an expected arrival in New York on Friday just ahead of game time.

The Red Sox have experienced a multiple flight issues over two separate days and remained grounded at Chicago’s Midway Airport ahead of a scheduled 7:15 p.m. start against the New York Mets.

As of 2 p.m. ET, Friday’s game time was unchanged.

The Red Sox’s original flight was scheduled to leave Chicago on Thursday at 8:45 p.m. local time following a 2-1 afternoon victory over the White Sox.

The current flight plan has the team arriving at New York’s LaGuardia Airport around 4:10 p.m. ET. The airport is only 3 miles from the Mets’ home ballpark.

Most players arrive at the ballpark for road games around four or five hours before first pitch.

Boston finished off a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox on Thursday afternoon. They have won a season-high six consecutive games and 11 of their last 13.

–Field Level Media

The field that will be used for the World Cup final later this month is about to fetch some serious green.

According to The Athletic, FIFA will sell four different tiers of souvenir turf that will be harvested after the world’s most-watched sporting event concludes July 19 at East Rutherford, N.J.

The sale, which is only available for customers in the United States and Europe, is expected to generate over $11 million.

In addition to the high-priced tickets and memorabilia for the tournament, it will cost $3,000 for the highest priced tier of souvenir turf. The 3-inch by 3-inch portion of grass will include a gold-etched replica ticket, a replica mini World Cup ball and a crystal-cut World Cup trophy.

The three other tiers of souvenir turf will sell for $450, $900 and $1,200.

There will be no more than 2,026 pieces available in any one tier.

The report indicated that the turf which will be used for the World Cup final was grown at a turf farm in North Carolina.

For consistency, new turf fields were installed at all World Cup venues, including those that typically have artificial surfaces like the stadiums in Seattle, Atlanta, East Rutherford, Vancouver, Canada, Arlington, Texas, and Inglewood, Calif.

There is no indication of what will happen to the turf fields that are not being used for the final.

The 2026 World Cup consisted of a record 48 teams that will end up playing 104 matches in three countries. A total of 16 venues are being used for the tournament.

–Field Level Media

A’ja Wilson wasn’t the least bit hindered in her return from a three-game injury absence Thursday night.

Wilson takes aim at another strong outing on Saturday when the Las Vegas Aces host the Phoenix Mercury.

The four-time league MVP missed three games with an injured right ankle and wasted no time returning to her usual standard. She ended up with a game-high 32 points and 10 rebounds to help Las Vegas notch an 88-80 road victory over the Portland Fire.

“Early on, I was just testing my ankle to see if it was ready to rock and roll,” Wilson told reporters. “I felt like I was ready a couple of games ago, but the medical staff said something different.

“I just knew that I had to be aggressive and take what the defense was giving me.”

Wilson made 10 of 19 field-goal attempts – splitting two 3-point tries – and hit 11 of 13 free throws while playing 30 minutes.

Jackie Young added 19 points, 11 assists and three steals as Las Vegas (16-6) moved into a tie with the Minnesota Lynx for the best record in the WNBA.

That victory also gave Becky Hammon one of the coaching spots for the All-Star Game July 25 in Chicago. The coaches of the teams with the two best records as of Friday receive that honor. Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve will be the other coach.

Phoenix (8-15) and Las Vegas split two meetings earlier this season. The Mercury notched their most impressive win of the season in their 2026 opener when they blew out the host Aces 99-66 on May 9 in Sin City.

On Tuesday, Phoenix veteran DeWanna Bonner became the third player in WNBA history to exceed 8,000 career points. Bonner (8,014) trails Tina Charles (8,396) and Mercury legend Diana Taurasi (10,646), the latter a former teammate.

Bonner, who turns 39 next month, averages 9.0 points per game this season in her 17th WNBA campaign.

“The older you get, just understanding what to put in your body and what fuels you,” Bonner told the team website. “What it takes to warm up, and how you treat your body after a game is huge. It’s important. You take a beating out there, so you have to love on your body a little bit more. Especially the older you get.”

Bonner had nine points and a team-high seven rebounds in Thursday’s 92-89 home loss to the Indiana Fever. Alyssa Thomas led the way with 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Phoenix has lost consecutive games after winning its previous three.

–Field Level Media