Sports
Utah, Kings receive defensive boosts ahead of clash
Jan 25, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson (44) passes the puck during the first period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Kings and the Utah Hockey Club are both expected to welcome back a key defenseman when they come off their two-week break on Saturday evening in Los Angeles.
Mikey Anderson, third on the Kings in average ice time at 22:50, is set to return after missing the past four games with an upper-body injury sustained against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 30.
Sean Durzi, who spent his first two NHL seasons with Los Angeles, is slated to return for Utah after missing 52 games with a shoulder injury. Durzi was injured on Oct. 14 against the New Jersey Devils after averaging 21:27 of ice time through the first four games.
“I think it’s a great boost. I think the player, but the person as well,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said of Durzi. “The energy, the leadership he brings, the commitment he has. It’s good to have him back and, obviously, he’s a good player.”
Both teams are as close to 100 percent healthy as they’ve been all season.
Drew Doughty returned on Jan. 29 after missing the first 47 games with a broken ankle, and the veteran defenseman then played for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off over the past two weeks.
After celebrating the win against the U.S. in the championship game on Thursday night, Doughty will be available to play on Saturday, Kings coach Jim Hiller told reporters on Friday.
“We get Dewey for a little bit, but now he’s got four more games under his belt at a very high pace, so that’s going to be really good for us and for him,” Anderson said. “I think everyone’s excited. It adds another layer to the team.”
Los Angeles forward Adrian Kempe is also coming off three games at 4 Nations with Team Sweden and is expected to play Saturday.
“I thought he had a great tournament and you could see by his ice time that the coaches felt the same way, too,” Hiller said of Kempe. “I think he really established himself. I think they knew he was a good player going in, but I always look at the ice time, that’s important, and in the coach’s eyes, they realized he was one of their go-to players. He set himself up really well going into next year’s Olympics, as far as his position on the team.”
With Durzi back, Utah will have its top three defensemen available for the first time this season.
Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino were acquired in the offseason, but Marino missed the first three months of the season after undergoing back surgery.
Tourigny doesn’t expect Durzi to come in and immediately play substantial minutes, however.
“He didn’t play for a long time, so we will keep the expectation as low as possible,” Tourigny said. “Just want to get his legs under himself and be him.”
Utah is not expected to have forward Logan Cooley available. Cooley, second on the team with 43 points (15 goals, 28 assists) in 50 games, sustained a lower-body injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 29 and is day-to-day.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Red Sox trading LHP Connelly Early for INF Curtis Mead
Jun 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images The Boston Red Sox are trading rookie left-hander Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.
The Red Sox reportedly are seeking help at shortstop ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline and were looking at Mead’s teammate, All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams. Boston’s Trevor Story, out since May 14, has played only 41 games because of a sports hernia.
Early, 24, hasn’t pitched since June 30, going on the injured list July 1 due to left elbow inflammation. The starting pitcher is expected to return in August.
Boston selected Early in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia.
Early is 7-5 this season with a 3.44 ERA, 34 walks and 93 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings over 17 starts. He appeared in four games (all starts) last season and went 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA over 19 1/3 innings.
Mead, a 25-year-old native of Australia, is batting .254 with a .352 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage after going 0-for-3 with two walks and one run after playing third base in Washington’s 5-3 home win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday. He has 17 home runs and 48 RBIs in 87 games.
Mead, who has played first, second and third base as well as designated hitter this season, is a career .244 hitter with 22 homers and 79 RBIs in 239 games for the Tampa Bay Rays (2023-25), Chicago White Sox (2025) and Nationals (2026).
He signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018 and was traded to the Rays in November 2019 for left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, who was selected to his second All-Star Game this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Felipe Mora goes out with a brace as Timbers edge Real Salt Lake
Jul 25, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Timbers forward Felipe Mora (9) high-fives fans before a game against Real Salt Lake at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Felipe Mora, playing in what was announced as his final match with host Portland, scored twice in the second half as the Timbers defeated 10-man Real Salt Lake 2-1 on Saturday night.
Goalkeeper James Pantemis made three saves for the Timbers (6-8-3, 21 points), who improved to 2-0-1 under interim head coach Jack Cassidy.
Juan Manuel Sanabria tallied for Salt Lake (8-6-2, 26 points) and Rafael Cabral made five saves.
RSL’s Victor Olatunji put the ball in the net from just inside the top of the penalty area in second-half stoppage time but was ruled offside.
Mora got the equalizer in the 56th minute off a corner kick from Ariel Lassiter on the right wing. Lassiter found Mora at the top of the 6-yard box and his header took one bounce off the turf and into the far upper corner of the net.
Mora scored again in the 67th minute off a left-wing corner from Kristoffer Velde. Mora’s glancing header from the top of the 6-yard box reached the far upper corner of the net.
Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy announced Friday this would be the final match for Mora, the third-leading goal scorer in franchise history with 48, but didn’t indicate where the native of Chile would be going.
Reports on Saturday indicated Mora, who scored the tying goal in second-half stoppage time in a 2-2 draw with visiting FC Dallas on Wednesday, would head back to Liga MX.
Mora came off for substitute Alexander Aravena in the 72nd minute to a raucous standing ovation from the crowd at Providence Park, with fans chanting his name for a couple of minutes.
RSL opened the scoring in the 18th minute, Sanabria played a nifty give-and-go with Morgan Guilavogui, getting the ball back at the top left of the penalty area. Sanabria dribbled toward the top of the 6-yard box before putting a low toe punch into the far side netting.
Guilavogui was ejected in the 31st minute for a foul on Jimer Fory after both players tumbled to the ground while battling for the ball along the sideline. Guilavogui seemed to kick Fory in the chest as he rolled over and was originally issued a yellow card by referee Elijio Arreguin, but a video review showed he made contact with Fory’s chin and it was upgraded to a red.
–Field Level Media
Sports
PK save in final minutes helps Galaxy earn tie vs. Earthquakes
Jul 25, 2026; Stanford, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfield Nick Fernandez (20) and LA Galaxy midfield Lucas Sanabria (8) battle for the ball during the first half at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images James Marcinkowski saved a penalty shot five minutes into extra time as the visiting Los Angeles Galaxy preserved a 1-1 tie against the San Jose Earthquakes in the latest installment of the California Clasico rivalry at Stanford, Calif.
Marcinkowski, who is in his second season with the Galaxy after five seasons with the Earthquakes, made a dive to his left to stop a shot from the spot by the Earthquakes’ Timo Werner. Marcinkowski finished with five saves.
Joseph Paintsil scored a goal in the first half for Los Angeles (5-7-6, 21 points), who earned a point for the first time in three matches since the World Cup break ended.
Reid Roberts scored a goal in the 62nd minute for the Earthquakes (10-4-3, 33 points), who were unable to convert the go-ahead goal late in the match after Ousseni Bouda earned a penalty on a foul from Marcinkowski.
Angus Gunn, who played for Scotland in the World Cup, made one save in his second match since joining San Jose during the break.
The Galaxy opened the scoring in the 13th minute when 19-year-old Harbor Miller took the ball up the right side and found Marco Reus in the middle of the field. Reus sent Paintsil forward on a breakaway and the forward slid home his fourth goal of the season.
The Earthquakes got even in the 62nd minute after the Galaxy nearly coughed up an own goal on a clearance header that clanked off the crossbar.
The rebound came to the feet of San Jose’s Benji Kikanovich, who fired a shot that was knocked down in the penalty area. Roberts cleaned up a loose ball on the goal line for his second tally of the season.
Paintsil nearly gave Los Angeles the lead in the 83rd minute before Gunn used his right hand to swat away a shot headed toward the upper right corner of the goal.
While the Galaxy were without defenders Jakob Glesnes (yellow-card accumulation) and Emiro Garces (red card on Wednesday), the Earthquakes were without forward Preston Judd (yellow-card accumulation).
–Field Level Media
Reports: Red Sox trading LHP Connelly Early for INF Curtis Mead
Felipe Mora goes out with a brace as Timbers edge Real Salt Lake
