Sports
Utah's Josh Eilert faces familiar foe as West Virginia visits
Feb 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Utah assistant coach Josh Eilert, now the Utes’ interim head coach, talks with West Virginia University Athletic Director Wren Baker before their game at WVU Coliseum. Baker hired Eilert in June 2023 to serve as WVU interim head coach after Bob Huggins resigned. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images As the interim coach at Utah, Josh Eilert finds himself in the unusual position of facing the team he guided on an interim basis last year.
Tuesday night in Salt Lake City, Eilert leads Utah (16-13, 8-10 Big 12) against West Virginia (17-12, 8-10), the team he coached under difficult circumstances last year after the resignation of Bob Huggins.
Last week, Eilert was tabbed for interim duty again after Utah fired Craig Smith.
Upon his promotion from an assistant role, Eilert said that stepping into the West Virginia job last year was much more challenging given the timing of Huggins’ departure in the summer.
The result was a 9-23 record as the Mountaineers lost more games than any season in program history.
On Saturday, Utah ran away from Arizona State, 99-73, as Ezra Ausar powered inside for 25 points and Keanu Dawes added 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
Afterward, Eilert praised his players’ positivity.
“They’re not a bunch of guys who are out there for themselves,” he said. “The fact that they are still locking in on their teammates shows the character of the guys that Coach Smith brought into this program.”
The Utes and Mountaineers are among a jumble of teams vying to finish among the top eight in the Big 12 and earn a first-round bye in next week’s conference tournament.
West Virginia has lost eight of its last 12, including a humbling 77-56 defeat Saturday night at then-No. 25 BYU.
Several Big 12 teams have discovered the difficulty of the Utah two-step — playing the Cougars and the Utes on the same road trip. Kansas, Kansas State, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State each were swept making the two-game swing.
To avoid the same fate, West Virginia will turn to senior guard Javon Small (18.2 ppg, 5.5 apg) and hope that Eduardo Andre and Amani Hansberry can limit the Utes’ interior strength, which includes the 6-foot-9 Dawes, 6-8 Ausar and 7-1 Lawson Lovering.
The Mountaineers struggled to stop BYU’s reserve center Fousseyni Traore, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds. He helped the Cougars dominate the glass 43-32 and gain a 46-22 edge in points in the paint.
“It’s kind of one of those, you have to pick something,” West Virginia coach Darian DeVries said of his team’s focus on limiting the Cougars’ 3-point opportunities.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves put RF Ronald Acuna Jr. on IL, recall P Spencer Strider
May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Atlanta Braves star right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. went on the injured list on Sunday, with right-hander Spencer Strider returning from the IL to make his season debut against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
Acuna was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. The Braves selected fellow outfielder Jose Azocar from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Acuna’s spot on the roster.
Acuna exited in the second inning after limping toward first base on a groundout in Atlanta’s 9-1 victory over Colorado.
“It didn’t look great, him coming off the field,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “I am hoping it’s just some cramping and that type of thing, but he’s getting an MRI. That’s never good when you have to get an MRI.”
Acuna, 28, grabbed at his hamstring and pulled up when attempting to run out a grounder he hit in the second inning. He limped off the field under his own power after being examined by the team’s medical staff.
A five-time All-Star and 2023 National League MVP, Acuna is hitting .252 with two homers and nine RBIs in 34 games.
Acuna was replaced in right field by Eli White, who is hitting .196 with two homers and eight RBIs in 20 games.
Strider returned from his rehabilitation assignment and was reinstated to the roster to take the spot of fellow right-hander Hunter Stratton, who was optioned to Gwinnett following Saturday’s game.
After becoming the fastest pitcher to record 100 strikeouts (61 innings) in a season in modern MLB history in 2023, Strider made just two starts in 2024 before undergoing season-ending UCL surgery.
Last season, Strider went 7-14 with a 4.45 ERA across 23 starts in his return from injury.
Strider, 27, began this season on the injured list with an oblique strain but is prepared to rejoin the sizzling Braves. They have won both games of the weekend series to expand on the best record (24-10) in the majors.
Strider, meanwhile, has dominated the Rockies in three career appearances (two starts), going 2-0 with an 0.50 ERA. He struck out 16 batters and scattered two hits over eight innings in a 3-0 win over Colorado on Sept. 1, 2022, before striking out 13 Rockies in a six-inning win last June 14.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brewers recall RHP Logan Henderson to start vs. Nationals
Apr 4, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson (43) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Brewers recalled right-handed pitcher Logan Henderson from Triple-A Nashville and announced him as the starter for their Sunday afternoon road game against the Washington Nationals.
Henderson, 24, will be inserted into the lineup immediately, starting on the mound for the Brewers. Milwaukee has won five of its past six games.
Ranked as the No. 6 prospect and the top pitcher in the Brewers’ system by MLB Pipeline, Henderson will be making his second big league start of the season on Sunday.
He is 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA in one appearance. He gave up two runs on three hits in two innings as an opener in an 8-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals on April 4.
Last season, Henderson started five games for the Brewers and was 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA.
In five games (three starts) for Nashville this season, Henderson is 2-0 with a 1.02 ERA. He has struck out 26 batters in 17 2/3 innings.
In a corresponding move, the Brewers sent right-hander Easton McGee, 28, to Nashville. He pitched two innings of relief this season in two games and allowed just one base hit.
Washington left-hander Peter Poulin (2-0, 4.11 ERA) will oppose McGee in the series finale.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Raptors' Brandon Ingram in walking boot ahead of Game 7
Apr 26, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) shoots the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) defends during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram was seen in a walking boot during the team’s shootaround on Sunday morning, several hours before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first-round series against the host Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ingram is listed as questionable to play in the game due to right heel inflammation.
An All-Star this season for the second time in his career, Ingram was limited to 11 minutes and scored one point in Toronto’s 125-120 setback to Cleveland in Game 5 on Wednesday. He did not play in Toronto’s 112-110 overtime victory in Game 6 on Friday.
During the regular season, the 28-year-old Ingram averaged a team-high 21.5 points over 77 games. He also averaged 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists and drilled 38.2% of his 3-point attempts.
–Field Level Media
Braves put RF Ronald Acuna Jr. on IL, recall P Spencer Strider
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