Sports
Yankees’ Offseason Turmoil: Can They Recover from Soto’s Exit and a Spring Training Curse?
Christmas hadn’t even come, and New York Yankees fans probably felt like Santa Claus was never going to bring them another World Series trophy again.
On the heels of losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers on the biggest stage, the Yankees also lost slugger Juan Soto in a defection to the crosstown New York Mets in December. Being handed the biggest free-agent contract ever by Mets owner Steve Cohen, Soto was another in a continuing line of top free agents who chose not to fall in with the Bronx Bombers.
It seemed like too much indignity to bear. But general manager Brian Cashman was going to remove any egg sitting on his face and try to make an omelet anyway. He had a Plan B.
“In Juan Soto’s case, he was a generational talent that came off the board and went a different direction,” Cashman told reporters ahead of spring training. “So we adjusted.”
The Yankees traded with the Cubs for slugger Cody Bellinger and added closer Devin Williams in a trade with the Brewers. The big splash in free agency came with left-hander Max Fried, and they’re pinning hopes on slugger Paul Goldschmidt returning to form at first base after two declining seasons with the Cardinals. He replaces Anthony Rizzo. That should be a good swap, though.
They also took a flier on Carlos Carrasco. It’s not an even trade with the Mets for Soto, but it has to do for the moment. Right-hander Fernando Cruz is a promising bullpen addition from the Reds. Left-hander Tim Hill re-upped a week before spring training started. Left-hander Brent Headrick was a savvy waiver claim from the Twins. Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, a former annoyance with the Rays, signed in the waning days of spring training.
But more curveballs were coming in spring training thanks to an ever-expanding list of injuries. Biggest of all, ace right-hander Gerrit Cole is out for the season with Tommy John surgery. Can’t really plan for that.
But wait, there’s more—or is it less? Postseason hero Giancarlo Stanton felt something akin to tennis elbow in both arms. He’s out indefinitely. Infielder DJ LeMahieu is injured, too. And Cole wasn’t the only member of the starting rotation to go down. Luis Gil has a strained lat, and Clarke Schmidt has rotator cuff tendinitis. Bullpen depth Jake Cousins, Scott Effross and Ian Hamilton started the season unavailable, as did free agent Tyler Matzek, though he’s expected back any moment. Hamilton’s injury is a viral illness, so that’s better than a strain, right?
It was like somebody was messing with a Yankees voodoo doll. (Was it you, Santa?) Did Cashman have a Plan C through J to follow up? No matter, it was darn inconvenient considering who Cashman let go from the 2024 roster.
Left-hander Nestor Cortes was part of the cost for Williams, along with infield prospect Caleb Durbin. Utility player Jon Berti and reliever Tim Mayza were non-tendered. Lou Trivino had his option declined. Tommy Kahnle went to free agency. It might all seem short-sighted now to let these players go, but how was Cashman to know about the voodoo doll?
Also, Dom Smith had a promising camp as a free agent, but he opted out of his minor league deal. Does nobody want to be here?
All in all, first impressions for 2025 went OK on opening day at Yankee Stadium, with Bellinger and Williams helping the Yankees win their opener against the Brewers. Williams needed a little drama to give him some juice, so he worked out of a bases-loaded jam against his old team. Consider it a little karmic payback for making him shave his beard and then, literally a day later, changing the Yankees’ infamous facial hair policy.
Fried gets his first crack at taking over for Cole on Saturday when he takes the mound in a start against Cortes. That won’t make anyone squirm in their seats a little bit, will it?
The Yankees still have Aaron Judge and enough depth to be contenders in the AL East and perhaps more, but they have little margin for error and no tolerance for additional significant injuries. Here’s a mission for manager Aaron Boone: Find that voodoo doll and bury it in Monument Park.
Sports
Byron Buxton slam in 10-run fifth propels Twins to rout of Diamondbacks
Jun 20, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) hits a grand slam against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Byron Buxton’s grand slam highlighted a 10-run fifth inning for the Minnesota Twins, allowing them to coast to a 16-8 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night in Phoenix.
Brooks Lee had four hits, three runs scored and two RBIs, Victor Caratini had three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored, Ryan Kreidler had three hits and four RBIs, and Luke Keaschall also had three hits and scored three times for Minnesota, which has won five of six.
Twins starter Taj Bradley (6-3) allowed two runs and three hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked two.
Jorge Barrosa homered and doubled, Pavin Smith had two hits and an RBI, Tommy Troy had two hits and a run scored, and Ildemaro Vargas delivered a three-run double for Arizona, which had won four of five.
Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen (3-6) surrendered career highs of nine runs and 12 hits over four innings. The 2023 NL All Star struck out two and walked two.
Lee’s two-run single in the first gave the Twins an early 2-0 lead.
Gallen retired eight in a row before back-to-back soft-hit singles and a swinging bunt by Keaschall loaded the bases for Kreidler, who rolled a grounder up the middle that second baseman Ketel Marte could only knock down, extending the lead to 3-0.
Trevor Larnach followed with the fifth straight single for the Twins, driving in a pair of runs for a 5-0 lead.
After Gallen got the second out, Kody Clemens dropped a single into left-center field to score Kreidler and make it 6-0.
Lee began the 10-run fifth with a triple into the right-field corner. He scored when Caratini doubled into the right-center field gap to make it 7-0.
A single by Keaschall put runners on the corners, still with no outs, and ended Gallen’s night.
The Twins continued to pad their lead against Yilber Diaz, loading the bases for Buxton, who went the other way for a grand slam over the right-field fence, extending the lead to 12-0.
A two-run single from Caratine and a two-run triple from Kreidler capped off the massive inning,
Barrosa went deep with a runner aboard in the fifth to cut it to 16-2. The D-Backs plated another run when the first four batters of the seventh walked and then scored three on Vargas’ double to make it 16-6.
Smith cut it to 16-7 with a two-out RBI single later in the inning, and Arizona tacked on another run in the eighth on a run-scoring groundout to make it 16-8.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Japan shut out Tunisia, which will not advance from group stage
June 20, 2026; Monterrey, Mexico; Japan’s Ayase Ueda scores their second goal. Mandatory Credit: Eloisa Sanchez-Reuters via Imagn Images Ayase Ueda scored twice and had an assist to help Japan to a 4-0 Group F victory on Saturday night in Monterrey, Mexico, to eliminate Tunisia and spoil the debut of their coach Herve Renard.
Tunisia (0-2-0, 0 points) were eliminated while Japan and Netherlands each have four points (1-0-1) and a plus-4 goal differential.
Sweden (1-1-0) have three points heading into the final group matches on Thursday when Japan plays Sweden and Netherlands faces Tunisia.
Daichi Kamada opened the scoring in the 4th minute, the fastest goal ever for the Japanese in a World Cup match. The previous mark was Shinji Kagawa’s score against Colombia in the sixth minute of their 2018 match.
Ueda made it 2-0 in the 31st minute, Junya Ito scored in the 69th and Ueda’s header in the 83rd made Japan the first Asian team to score four goals in the World Cup.
This was the 1,000th World Cup match since the inaugural tournament in Uruguay in 1930.
Tunisia were embarrassed after their 5-1 loss to Sweden in the opener on June 14, resulting in the firing of Sabri Lamouchi. Renard coached Saudia Arabia in the 2022 World Cup when they upset eventual champion Argentina 2-1 in their opener.
The change didn’t help.
Kamada, scoring in a second straight match, made a run toward the near post when Keito Nakamura from the left side sent a cross from the end line that Kamada was able to redirect for his 14th goal in 51 matches.
Renard made several changes with the most obvious being the return of veteran goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen after Lamouchi made the questionable decision to start the inexperienced Mouhib Chamakh, who played poorly against Sweden.
Dahmen was in goal for the 2022 World Cup, including a 0-0 tie with Denmark.
He made a spectacular save in the 10th minute on Saturday to keep it a one-goal deficit when he got his left arm on the ball and prevented it from going completely over the goal line by inches on a shot by Takehiro Tomiyasu.
But Dahmen could do nothing on the brilliant strike from the edge of the box by Ueda, who dribbled toward the goal as Montassar Talbi backed off. Ueda’s strike went between the defender’s legs and tucked into the lower left corner.
Ito took a pass in stride from Ueda, held off Mohamed Amine, and slipped a shot past Dahmen for the 3-0 lead.
Japan goalie Zion Suzuki did not have to make a save as Tunisia totaled two shots and none on target.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spacestation Gaming move atop OWCS Stage 2 standings
YMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year. Spacestation Gaming moved atop the standings with another convincing victory on Sunday in Stage 2 of North American qualifying for the Overwatch Champions Series.
Spacestation, which played just one match in the opening week, beat The Kafe 3-1 in its first of two Week 2 matches. They hold a narrow edge in match differential over Team Liquid (plus-five to plus-four) as the lone unbeaten teams left.
LuneX Gaming swept Disguised 3-0 in the day’s other match to move into third place. Saturday’s two winning teams will face off on Sunday.
The six teams in contention will engage in round-robin matches during the regular season, with the top four qualifying for the regional playoffs, which will be double elimination on July 3-5. All matches are best-of-five until the grand final, which will be best-of-seven.
In addition to the $75,000 prize pool, the top four Stage 2 finishers will advance to Stage 3. The three finishers will also qualify for the Midseason Championship.
Spacestation Gaming was even with The Kafe through two matches after they opened with a 2-0 win on Ilios and The Kafe responded with a 3-2 triumph on Circuit Royal. Spacestation closed out the match with a pair of 3-1 wins on King’s Row and New Junk City.
LuneX Gaming had an easier time on Saturday, completing the sweep with a 2-0 win on Oasis, 119.7m-108.96m victory on New Queen Street and a 3-2 clincher on New Junk City.
Week 2 concludes with three more matches Sunday.
Sunday schedule
–Spacestation Gaming vs. LuneX Gaming
–The Kafe vs. Disguised
–Dallas Fuel vs. Team Liquid
Standings (team, record, match differential)
1. Spacestation Gaming, 2-0, +5
2. Team Liquid, 2-0, +4
3. LuneX Gaming, 2-1, +4
4. Dallas Fuel, 1-1, 0
5. Disguised, 0-2, -5
6. The Kafe, 0-3, -8
Prize pool:
1. $30,000, qualifies for Midseason Invitational, qualifies for NA Stage 3
2. $15,000, qualifies for Midseason Invitational, qualifies for NA Stage 3
3. $12,000, qualifies for Midseason Invitational, qualifies for NA Stage 3
4. $8,000, qualifies for NA Stage 3
5-6. $5,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2 promotion/relegation
–Field Level Media
Byron Buxton slam in 10-run fifth propels Twins to rout of Diamondbacks
Japan shut out Tunisia, which will not advance from group stage
