Two of the greatest UFC fighters in history, Jon Jones and Islam Makhachev, have been trading shots.

Makhachev (29-1) broke the UFC’s official win-streak record in August when he defended his welterweight championship against Ian Garry for his 17th consecutive win. Former middleweight champion Anderson Silva held the previous record of 16. Jones, a former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, won 20 bouts in a row from 2010 to 2024, but a no-contest against Daniel Cormier in 2017 interrupted his streak. 

Makhachev recently gave an interview to a Russian news outlet in which he said Jones’s no-contest resulted from a failed drug test by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and that it invalidates his win streak.

“I’m not denying that Jon Jones is one of the greatest athletes in history, but he was caught doping twice,” Makhachev told Ushatayka. “I think that’s why his win streak isn’t considered valid. Because he went into a fight while on PEDs and won, that’s where a new count should have started.”

In 2017, Jones was fined and suspended for 15 months for testing positive for an extreme amount of steroid metabolites. Jones defeated Cormier in their fight, but it was later changed to a no-contest.

An independent arbitrator later stated he believed Jones unknowingly ingested the substance, and it was not performance-enhancing. Jones used this finding to argue for his innocence. He would do this again after responding to Makhachev’s comments.

Jones said on X, “If you believe USADA for finding a picogram in my system, then you must believe USADA when they say ‘It was not found to be PERFORMANCE ENHANCING or INTENTIONAL. You can’t have it both ways. Last I checked, my hand got raised every time I was in the Octagon, as far as any of you can remember. Your own coach said I was a ‘gift from God.’ Let’s not forget you’ve been KO’d, flatlined and gone night-night.

Makhachev’s only loss came by knockout to Adriano Martins in his second UFC fight in 2015. He would respond to Jones the following day, taking shots at Jones’ troubled legal history, both in and out of competition.

“Jon, I’m not trying to diminish your achievements in any way,” Makhachev wrote on X. “But your whole life seems to be tied to breaking the rules one way or another, and somehow, you’re never the one to be blamed.”

Washington Commanders WR Stefon Diggs was fined $14,926 for his touchdown celebration against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, as further infractions were released just ahead of Week 2’s slate. Diggs was penalized for the celebration as well, which cost them the chance to get a two-point conversion, which proved costly in their 24-22 loss.

Diggs caught a slant from QB Jayden Daniels for a touchdown and sprinted to the goalpost, catching himself with both arms and both legs and wrapping himself around the base of the pole.

Diggs admitted he quickly realized it wasn’t allowed, stating, “I have to be better.”

If Diggs commits similar misconduct again, he could be charged with over $20,000.

Diggs was not the only one to receive a fine, with Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs getting a $23,027 fine for dropping his helmet while running into New Orleans Saints’ Quincy Riley for a touchdown run. Gibbs was not penalized for the occurrence but received a bigger fine than Diggs.

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk also got fined this week for dropping his helmet, which was the second-biggest fine of the week at $20,033. The league has recently implemented this rule to protect player safety.

Both Gibbs and Juszczyk were fined less than the amount stated ($23,882), which shows the NFL isn’t treating every case the same.

Gibbs and Juszczyk being fined more than Diggs is still arguable as not as costly as the receiver’s situation, since the two-point loss could have looked different if Diggs hadn’t made the avoidable mistake.

The NFL continues to enforce its celebration and player-safety rules, with fines still handed out weekly for taunting penalties and vulgar celebrations.

The Chicago Bears offense took a big blow on Sunday when star QB Caleb Williams went down with an injury and left on a cart.

The injury’s severity was unknown after the game, but there’s good news for Bears fans: reports this Monday suggest Williams avoided the worst-case scenario, and he could even return without missing any time.

Even with the reports that Williams could return on Monday Night Football in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Ben Johnson disagreed with the level of optimism, stating “it sounds like a week-to-week deal,” and that he will “likely miss time.”

Williams shot up the MVP odds board after his Week 1 performance against the Carolina Panthers, where the Bears put up 59 points in a 22-point win. Williams accounted for four of the Bears’ eight touchdowns, throwing for two and rushing for two. His MVP odds were cut in half following the game, and any player as explosive as he is would be a huge loss for the Bears.

The injury didn’t occur until midway through the fourth quarter, so it is tough to blame the loss fully on his exit, as they still could not score a touchdown with him; however, Williams has won games late before with clutch game-winning drives, so the injury still leaves a what-if scenario for Bears fans.

Williams has also suffered a hamstring injury at USC, where he started in college. The injury he suffered in December 2022 seems similar to what the Bears originally thought.

If Williams does not return next week against the Eagles, Bears fans will still be happy with the news they woke up to this morning.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye becomes the second quarterback in the past 25 seasons to throw three interceptions in the fourth quarter of a season opener.

Maye threw three interceptions in a 13-10 season opener loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Maye, along with the entire Patriots organization, was looking forward to their Week 1 game after falling short in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks.

Maye felt that his performance was “unacceptable.” “That wasn’t how I play football and how I want to represent my game and playing quarterback for the Patriots,” he said.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold left the game early in the first quarter with a hip injury; the Patriots, after a slow start, led 10-0 in the third quarter. The offense stalled, and after three interceptions from Maye, the Patriots suffered an upset loss to the Drew Lock-led Seahawks.

Two of Maye’s interceptions completed a Seahawks comeback after Maye threw a contested deep ball to receiver Romeo Doubs and a throw over the middle on 3rd and 14 to Pop Douglas. Those turnovers were converted to 10 fourth-quarter points for the Seahawks.

“I thought we had the game under control. I thought we had a good plan to try to start chipping away and be patient. Lost patience, and it cost us – decisions that cost us the game on my part, on my end. I vow to myself to be better and realize it’s a long season. But at the same time, you can’t have those. It’s unacceptable,” Maye said

Maye completed 23 out of 33 passes for 178 yards along with one touchdown and three interceptions.

The Seahawks took a 3-point lead deep in the fourth quarter, when the Patriots began to drive down the field. With 26 seconds left on the Seahawks’ 16-yard line, Maye drifted out of the pocket toward the right sideline and threw a pass fading back to receiver Mack Hollins, but Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe picked it off to seal the victory.

“It was something where we had a certain protection on, we were cutting with offensive tackles, and I was trying to get rid of it,” Maye said. “I realized Mack was there in the back and didn’t put enough on it to get it out of bounds. It was just unacceptable. With a chance to send it to overtime at the worst, and the only thing you can do is turn the ball for that not to happen,  that’s what I did.” Maye said

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said the Patriots wanted to be aggressive but not reckless in late-game situations.

“It’s a long season; we’re going to hold our head up high. We have nothing but the utmost confidence in him. He’s going to make a lot of plays for us,” Vrabel said

The Patriots hope to bounce back after this defeat and get back to winning ways against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The LIV Golf League is bankrupt, and the future of the rival league to the PGA Tour remains unknown.

LIV Golf was established in 2022 by the Saudi PIF, a public investment fund that backed the league and aimed to grow the game in a team format rather than the PGA Tour’s format. Former golfer Greg Norman was the face of the organization as its first CEO, and fan favorite Phil Mickelson was the first player to announce his support and became the league’s player face, even though he was in the back half of his career.

Since then, the league has signed many stars and split the sport into two leagues, and even though Mickelson has been absent lately, it was a big deal.

Stars such as Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm signed with the league over the years for amounts as big as $500 million.

Prize pools were much larger than the PGA Tour’s, as the Saudi PIF had unlimited resources to attract players, especially those in the back half of their careers.

The downfall began last year when Brooks Koepka exited the league; he originally joined because it got his brother, Chase Koepka, a spot as well, which got him off the mini tours. The mini tours are a tough life, so Brooks was happy to set his brother up for life, but when Chase was relegated, Brooks no longer needed to be there and left.

Earlier this year, the Saudi PIF pulled their funding from the league, leaving the already non-profit league in shambles. There were reports that new investors were coming in, but that seems unlikely now that the bankruptcy news has broken.

The future remains unknown, but this is likely the league’s final year. The league never made a profit on its sales, relying on unlimited PIF resources, so it is hard to see how it can survive without Saudi Arabian involvement.

Aaron Judge has made his long-awaited return from injury to help the New York Yankees secure the top wild card spot in the AL.

The back-to-back AL MVP rejoins a Yankees club that is four games back of the Rays for the division with 17 games to play and only two games clear of the Red Sox for the top AL wild card. Despite this, they have survived his absence, going 45-39 while he was gone they had to deal with other injuries during that span.

“Best player in the world,” manager Aaron Boone said over the weekend. “I think it would give us a lot of balance, too, to give us that right-handed hitter. On the days we’re facing a righty, where we got all our lefties, to have a right-handed hitter in that two-three hole, I think goes a long way. Not only potentially having his production back in there, but hopefully putting the other guys in a better spot, too.” 

Judge petitioned his way out of a rehab assignment before being activated; many thought he would ease back into the squad.

 During his second game back against the Colorado Rockies, Judge went 2/4 at the plate, where he connected with two balls to earn a single in the 3rd and 8th innings. The single in the third inning led to a George Lombard Jr. grand slam in the third inning that earned Judge a run.

The last game Judge played was May 31, when the Yankees beat the Athletics to improve to 36-23. They started 10-5 without him before a disappointing 4-14 stretch into July. But they began to pick up form, not by relying on scoring but by leaning on their bullpen and pitching staff.

With 17 games left in the season, the Yankees hope that Judge, alongside his teammates, stay healthy as they hope to reach the World Series after crashing out in the ALDS last year.

Frances Tiafoe is now undefeated at 10-0 on the Billie Jean King Tennis Center’s second-biggest court, Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The American lives for the US Open, and it showed again last night as he stormed past former champion and world number one Daniil Medvedev.

Medvedev, who has struggled a bit as of late, is still a top player on the hard court surface, making this Tiafoe’s most impressive win at this year’s tournament.

The first set saw both players trading a ton of break points, with Tiafoe eventually winning the tiebreak 7-1.

The crowd was behind him the entire night, with a massive sound pop at the end of the second set when Tiafoe took that set 6-4.

To Medvedev’s credit, he did not play that poorly; Tiafoe’s level was incredible, and the match was much closer than the scoreline suggested. Tiafoe just played the big points better, and exemplified that by saving set points in the third-set tiebreak and eventually finishing the match there.

Tiafoe is a huge fan favorite, but he will face another American next round. Young rising talent Alex Michelsen has been on the run of his life and is the only player in the tournament to this point that hasn’t lost a set in the men’s draw.

Michelsen will be a tough out for Tiafoe, who will still be the slight favorite. Unfortunately, the winner of that will have a huge task ahead of them, either taking on defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or big-serving lefty Ben Shelton.

Shelton, Michelsen, and Tiafoe are all trying to end a historic 23-year drought since the last time an American man has won a Grand Slam. Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open, and since then, plenty of hopefuls have come along, but nobody has done it.

These three players, along with another young star in Learner Tien, are the next generation of American men and are all in a close race for the American top rank throughout the year.

Unfortunately, Tiafoe won’t get to play on Louis Armstrong Stadium for his quarterfinal match against Michelsen. That match will take the big stage on the main court, Arthur Ashe Stadium, at no earlier than 1:00 p.m. EST.

The Kansas City Chiefs were left with one major decision before completing their 53-man roster cuts before heading into the regular season. Patrick Mahomes is still the starting quarterback despite his injury setback, with Justin Fields as the backup. The final roster spot was decided for the third-string quarterback spot.

After trading for Fields from the New York Jets, it was unclear whether there would be room for another quarterback.

Assistant general manager Mike Bradway suggested keeping three quarterbacks was possible; it would come down to Garrett Nussmeier and Chris Oladokun. Nussmeier was a seventh-round pick out of LSU, while Oladokun is a veteran quarterback with five seasons in the league. Nussmeier was allowed to showcase his skills in the preseason finale after Oladokun left the game due to concussion protocol. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 198 yards against the Seattle Seahawks; he finished the preseason with 370 passing yards.

On Aug. 30, the Chiefs announced their 53-man roster with Nussmeier securing his spot as the third-choice quarterback. With three quarterbacks, the Chiefs waived Oladokun, who had spent four seasons with the team.

This decision comes in part because of Mahomes’ health after he recovered from ACL and LCL injuries he suffered last December. Mahomes did not play in any preseason game as he focused on recovery and progressing through training camp. As of now, Mahomes is expected to start Week 1.

The Chiefs open the regular season against division rivals the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14 on Monday Night Football.

Aaron Donald is returning to the NFL post-retirement. He is returning to the Rams for the first time since 2023 and is eager to get back on the field.

He believes he hasn’t missed a beat and is ready to compete at a high level. When asked, he responded with a firm “yes” and said “100%” when asked if he can still be himself.

The three-time defensive player of the year will join forces with another all-time talent in Myles Garrett. The two defensive linemen in their prime together would have been unfair and unheard of. It remains to be seen whether Donald’s confidence will translate into the same level of play he brought before retirement, but the upside of what Donald could bring should definitely excite Rams fans.

Donald looks forward to working alongside all the talent that the Rams have on defense. “I already thought it was a stacked D-line,” he said during a visit with the media.

Whether Donald will play week 1 is still up in the air. The Rams play the 49ers in Australia to open their season, and Coach Sean McVay declined to comment on Donald’s timetable. He did say that the Rams were “excited to have him back.”

The Rams are one of the Super Bowl favorites, and it is tough to see this addition hurt the team more than it could help. Even if Donald plays at 75%, it is an upgrade over almost anyone in the league at that position. The game in Melbourne is the first time the NFL heads to Australia for a regular-season game and would be an awesome spot for Donald to return, but the team isn’t rushing him back, and when he returns, it will be when he is fully ready to go.

Venus Williams, 46, is out of the US Open after losing in straight sets to Sofia Kenin. The match started at 12:13 a.m. local time, the latest start time in the tournament’s history.

She lost 6-2, 7-6 (6) and had a handful of set points in the second set that she could not capitalize on. It was not an uncompetitive loss like some of her other losses over the past year, but it wasn’t pretty either.

The delay stemmed from the five-set bout between Mariano Navone and Novak Djokovic, in which Navone pulled off the upset. The start was six minutes later than the previous start-time record, set in 2024.

Williams, who received a wild card into the event, has received wild cards throughout the year at many tournaments. She has now lost 15 consecutive matches in singles and hasn’t picked up a victory in over a year. Her last win came in July 2025, and many people are questioning whether she should keep playing and whether these tournaments should keep giving her wild cards.

The road for Venus Williams at the US Open is not over yet. She will play doubles with her sister, Serena Williams. The sister duo has won the US Open doubles title twice, including as teenagers in 1999. Serena recently returned from retirement after being away from the sport. Serena just played mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, and they picked up a win in that tournament before losing in the second round. The Williams sisters played doubles in Cincinnati and lost in the first round.

As her career winds down, Venus’s timetable is unknown, but she hasn’t won a US Open match since 2019 and would need a wild card to get another opportunity. The US Open would probably give her one for her farewell tour if she chooses, but there is no guarantee.

Last year, the US Open decided to format its mixed doubles championship differently than it ever had.

Instead of holding the competition alongside the other doubles and singles championships, they moved it outside the standard fortnight and into fan week. Fan week takes place the week before the main draws begin, with exhibitions and fan events all leading up to the Sunday start.

Many tennis fans don’t watch much of the mixed doubles draw in most tournaments because it is just a lot of tennis with all the other draws going on, and for the same reason, many singles players and stars don’t play mixed doubles if they are already playing in the other draws.

The USTA moving the mixed doubles draw to a fast format (sets that are first to four instead of six) and during fan week has attracted singles stars and has drawn more eyeballs on the event. This also makes the US Open a full-blown three-week event, unlike any other Grand Slam.

However successful as last year’s event was, it did come with one issue. The problem with the inaugural run was that only one team in the 16-team draw was made up of doubles specialists. If you watch tennis, you learn quickly that singles and doubles are two completely different sports.

Many great doubles players aren’t great singles players, and vice versa. Many doubles specialists were upset that singles players took their spot. Singles rankings were how you qualified, and plenty of teams had never played with their partner before or played much doubles at all in the past. Doubles specialists practice week in and week out with the same partner, mastering their craft as a team.

This was highlighted when the singular doubles specialist team in the draw won the whole thing. Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani are an Italian duo who have each won multiple Grand Slams. They opened casual fans’ eyes to just how different doubles and singles are. En route to their title, they defeated some of the best singles players in the world.

In the final, the pair beat six-time singles grand slam champion Iga Swiatek and her partner, two-time grand slam finalist Casper Ruud. Keep in mind Errani and Vavassori are two players that probably wouldn’t win more than a game against these stars in singles. Errani has not won a main draw singles match in over two years and is unranked, while Vavassori is ranked 613 in the world in singles. Swiatek was the reigning ladies’ Wimbledon champion when this took place.

This year, the draw has been expanded to get the best doubles specialists in the tournament. An eight-team qualifying draw begins today, filled with doubles specialists. Two teams will move on to the 16-team main draw that starts tomorrow, still primarily filled with singles players.

The change sets the event up for massive success, with all the eyeballs on it, while not completely taking spots away from doubles players. Some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams, will be playing in the event.

Adding more doubles specialists will also be great for the sport, as it will continue to highlight how good these doubles athletes are. Doubles doesn’t get the same recognition as singles on TV, but it is very popular recreationally and is entertaining to watch when it is available to the casual fan.

The favorites to win the event will undoubtedly be the doubles specialists, but there are some primary singles players in the event that know their way around a doubles court, so there is always potential for an upset.

Fan week at the US Open will continue until Saturday, and the main singles draws will begin on Sunday.

A family rift has erupted at the top of the Los Angeles Lakers, as Jeanie Buss publicly opposes her siblings’ plan to sell the family’s remaining ownership stake in the team.

The Deal at the Center of the Dispute

Five of the six Buss siblings — Joey, Jesse, Jim, Johnny and Janie — support selling the family’s remaining 17.8% stake in the Lakers to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner for roughly $12.5 billion. The sale would push Iger and Kushner’s combined ownership from about 65% to around 83% of the franchise, following their earlier purchase of Mark Walter‘s controlling stake.

Why Jeanie Is Fighting the Sale

Jeanie Buss is the lone holdout, and her opposition centers on control rather than money alone. NBA rules require a team governor to hold at least 15% ownership, and losing the family’s stake would strip her of the governor role she’s held since 2017 — a position she’s occupied since her father, Dr. Jerry Buss, died in 2013. Through attorney Adam Streisand, Jeanie argues a 2017 court order requires her approval as co-trustee of the family trust before any sale of the remaining shares can proceed, calling any vote to sell “a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty” and “in contempt of court.”

The Other Side

The five siblings backing the sale pushed back publicly, saying in a joint statement that they’re ready to “exit gracefully while we still can.” Their support triggered a tag-along clause forcing a family vote on the transaction.

A Family With a History of Conflict

This isn’t the Buss family’s first internal battle. Jeanie fired brother Jim from his basketball operations role back in 2017, and siblings Joey and Jesse were dismissed from front-office positions in late 2025 after initially opposing the sale of majority control to Mark Walter — a deal Jeanie ultimately cast the deciding vote to approve.

What’s at Stake

Beyond family politics, the outcome could affect Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, a Jeanie ally, and comes as star Luka Dončić approaches free agency in 2028. Any sale would also require NBA Board of Governors approval, and Kushner would first need to divest from the Miami Heat.

The New York Giants made two notable roster moves on Tuesday, signing running back Najee Harris while releasing wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Why the Giants Needed Harris

The move comes after running back Dante Miller suffered a preseason groin injury, leaving the Giants short on depth in the backfield, according to the team’s official site. Harris steps in as a proven veteran presence, standing 6’1″ and weighing 242 pounds, with 71 career games and 68 starts under his belt and a career average of 3.9 yards per carry.

Harris’s Path to New York

A former first-round pick, Harris was drafted 24th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021 and earned a Pro Bowl selection while rushing for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first four NFL seasons. He signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025 but tore his Achilles in Week 3 against Denver, ending that season prematurely. The Giants signing gives him a fresh opportunity to prove he’s fully recovered.

A Familiar Face for the Coaching Staff

Giants head coach John Harbaugh is no stranger to Harris, having faced him repeatedly during his time coaching in the AFC North. “I felt like the hair on the back of my neck stood up when I saw him,” Harbaugh said, describing Harris as “a downhill runner, physical runner.”

Harris’s Mindset Heading In

A two-time national champion and Doak Walker Award winner at Alabama, Harris made clear he’s motivated to reestablish himself after the injury. “I have a lot to prove as somebody coming back from a torn Achilles,” he said.

What It Means for the Roster

Releasing Smith-Schuster clears a spot as the Giants pivot toward shoring up their running game rather than their receiving corps, underscoring how significant Miller’s injury was to their roster planning. With Harris now in the fold, the Giants add a physical, experienced ball carrier just as the season approaches — a low-risk, potentially high-reward addition if he returns to form.

Golden State Warriors rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg wasted little time establishing his competitive edge, throwing some pointed trash talk at Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks during a livestream over the weekend.

On his Kick stream Saturday, a fan asked Lendeborg whether he was excited for his eventual matchup against Brooks, one of the NBA’s most notorious instigators. He didn’t hesitate. “Am I excited for the Dillon Brooks matchup? I’m finna give Dillon Brooks belt, man. Stop playing, bruh,” Lendeborg said, using slang for thoroughly dominating an opponent.

The comment quickly circulated across social media and NBA outlets, adding another layer to an already spicy rivalry between the Suns forward and Golden State.

Brooks has built a reputation over the years as one of the league’s most disliked and combative players, with a particularly pointed history against the Warriors. During Golden State’s 2026 playoff run, Brooks made it clear he hoped the Warriors would advance past the Clippers so his Suns could face them, naming Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr as the primary reasons he wanted the matchup.

Phoenix ultimately delivered on that wish, eliminating Golden State from playoff contention last season, adding extra motivation to what’s already a heated dynamic heading into 2026-27.

Lendeborg, the 11th overall pick out of Michigan in this year’s draft, has quickly developed a reputation for candid, unfiltered commentary since arriving in the league. He’s previously admitted he once disliked both Curry and Green before joining the Warriors, remarks that reportedly irritated Green, who has said he’s looking forward to training camp so he can help rein in the rookie’s outspoken tendencies.

On the same stream where he called out Brooks, Lendeborg also laid out his own expectations for his rookie season, setting a personal bar of roughly 15 points, six rebounds and three to four assists per game, and saying anything below that would represent a disappointment by his own standards.

The 23-year-old’s confidence stems in part from a standout Summer League performance, where he averaged 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists while leading the Warriors to the Summer League championship, earning him MVP honors for the event.

Fans won’t have to wait long to see whether Lendeborg backs up his words. The Warriors and Suns are scheduled to meet twice early in the 2026-27 regular season, first on Oct. 24 in Phoenix and again on Nov. 2 at Chase Center in San Francisco.

St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Joshua Báez etched his name into the MLB record books on Saturday, becoming the first player in league history to hit a home run in each of his first three career at-bats. His historic debut powered the Cardinals to an 8-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

A Record-Breaking First Game

Báez, 23, wasted no time making an impact. His first career home run came on the very first pitch he saw in the majors, a blast off Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd that landed an estimated 449 feet away in the left-center field bleachers. He wasn’t done there — Báez went on to hit two more home runs later in the game, each on a different pitch and to a different field, completing an unprecedented three-for-three power display in his first big-league appearance.

How It Compares to MLB History

Before Saturday, only two players had ever homered in each of their first two major league at-bats: Bob Nieman of the St. Louis Browns in 1951 and Keith McDonald, who did it for the Cardinals themselves in 2000. Neither carried the feat into a third at-bat. Báez’s performance surpasses both, giving the Cardinals a second entry in that exclusive club and a new franchise and MLB milestone in the process.

The Path to the Majors

Báez earned his call-up after a standout run in Triple-A, where he led all hitters in the league with 34 home runs, including four separate multi-homer games. That power surge made him one of the most closely watched prospects in the Cardinals’ system heading into his debut, and Saturday’s performance suggests the hype was warranted.

Why It Matters

A three-home-run debut of this magnitude is exceedingly rare in professional sports, let alone baseball, where rookies often need time to adjust to major league pitching. Báez’s instant impact gives the Cardinals a jolt of power in their lineup and signals he could be a fixture in St. Louis for years to come. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on whether he can sustain the kind of production that made his first game an instant piece of baseball history.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza made an impressive first appearance in an NFL uniform Thursday night, completing 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown during the Raiders’ preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals.

Mendoza played four drives in the Raiders’ 27-14 loss to the Cardinals, giving Las Vegas fans an early glimpse of the No. 1 overall pick’s potential. His touchdown pass went to second-year wide receiver Jack Bech.

The performance was notable historically as well. Mendoza became the first No. 1 overall pick since Baker Mayfield in 2018 to throw a touchdown pass in his preseason debut.

Fernando Mendoza Shows Poise in Raiders Debut

Mendoza’s numbers were solid, but his composure appeared to attract even more attention. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak described the rookie as an “ascending player” after the game, while emphasizing that Mendoza still has plenty to learn as he adjusts to professional football.

The rookie was not completely satisfied with his performance. Following the game, Mendoza acknowledged that he needed to improve his timing and anticipation and said he planned to study the film closely. He even expressed disappointment that he had not done enough for his teammates, despite producing a touchdown on his first NFL preseason appearance.

That self-criticism did not appear to diminish the Raiders’ enthusiasm about his development.

Kirk Cousins Remains Raiders QB1

Despite Mendoza’s encouraging debut, veteran Kirk Cousins remains the expected starter entering the regular season. Cousins played only one series against Arizona and led the Raiders to a touchdown before giving way to the rookie.

That makes Mendoza’s preseason opportunities particularly important. The Raiders can give their highly drafted quarterback meaningful repetitions without immediately placing him under the pressure of starting an NFL regular-season game.

Mendoza entered the league after a spectacular college career at Indiana, where he won the 2025 Heisman Trophy and became the first overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft. His first preseason performance will inevitably fuel speculation about how quickly he could challenge Cousins for the starting job.

For now, however, the Raiders appear determined to develop him methodically.

The loss to Arizona ultimately matters little in the preseason. For Las Vegas, the bigger story was seeing its prized rookie handle his first extended taste of NFL action — and Mendoza gave the Raiders plenty of reason to remain excited about his future.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman appears to have avoided a serious injury after a frightening fall into the Kansas City Royals’ dugout Wednesday night.

Freddie Freeman Takes Frightening Fall Against Royals

The incident occurred during the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory over Kansas City at Dodger Stadium. Freeman was chasing a foul popup off the bat of Royals infielder Isaac Collins when he tumbled down the dugout stairs while attempting to make the catch.

The veteran first baseman remained down briefly as trainers from both teams rushed to check on him. Freeman eventually returned to the field and finished the defensive inning, but he was replaced by a pinch-hitter in his next at-bat and did not return to first base.

Dodgers Injury Update on Freddie Freeman

The encouraging news for Los Angeles is that Freeman does not appear to have suffered a major injury.

Freeman is listed as day-to-day with total-body soreness. He reported soreness in several areas, including his knees, shoulder, hand and wrist, but remained in good spirits following the incident.

Freeman also emphasized how fortunate he was to avoid a potentially much more serious outcome. He did not hit his head during the fall, which proved to be a crucial factor in limiting the severity of the incident.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the club was fortunate Freeman escaped without a more significant injury. His availability for the team’s next game will depend on how his body responds.

Will Freddie Freeman Play Against the Brewers?

The Dodgers now turn their attention to an important four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, with Freeman’s status one of the team’s biggest storylines.

Freeman was uncertain about whether he would be able to play in the series opener.

The timing is significant for Los Angeles. Freeman has been productive at the plate recently, batting .417 over his previous 19 games entering Wednesday’s contest, according to Reuters.

The Dodgers ultimately completed a three-game sweep of the Royals, with Shohei Ohtani hitting a two-run homer in the 4-2 victory.

For now, Dodgers fans have reason to breathe easier. What initially looked like a potentially devastating injury instead appears to be a painful scare, with Freeman considered day-to-day as Los Angeles prepares for its next major test.

Blake Snell struck out 10 batters over six innings of one-run ball Tuesday night in his return to the Dodgers’ rotation, more than three months after his last MLB appearance, as Los Angeles beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 in 10 innings on a Max Muncy walk-off hit.

Snell allowed just three hits and a walk, retiring his first 10 batters in order and striking out the side in the first inning on three different pitches — a changeup, a four-seamer and a curveball. He ran into his only trouble in the fourth, allowing a run on back-to-back singles and a Salvador Perez sacrifice fly, but shut the door from there. He finished with 84 pitches, well beyond the 75-80 pitch target the Dodgers had set for him, and picked up a no-decision.

“That’s the Snell that we’re used to seeing,” Muncy said after his game-ending hit sealed the win.

A Tough Road Back

The outing marked just Snell’s second appearance of the 2026 season. He opened the year on the injured list with lingering shoulder fatigue, returned briefly in May, then landed back on the IL after loose bodies were discovered in his pitching elbow. He underwent a NanoNeedle Scope procedure to remove them, a surgery that expedited his recovery but still kept him sidelined until August.

Manager Dave Roberts credited Snell’s growth since his rocky May 9 season debut, when he allowed five runs in three innings. “Coming back from rehab and to kind of feel your way into the middle of a season is very difficult,” Roberts said. “I do think that he learned from the first one. We needed to win tonight, and we needed to win a series, and it started with him.”

Salt Lake City Silver Lining

Snell said a difficult final rehab start in high-altitude Salt Lake City — where he allowed three runs, four walks and two homers in 3 2/3 innings — ultimately sharpened his command by forcing him to adjust his pitch shapes. “To have that start and be that frustrated pitching… to be able to come here and just pitch and know I can throw a curveball where I want, whenever I want, and a fastball — that felt way better,” Snell said.

It was the seventh double-digit strikeout start by a Dodger this season, and Snell said his surgically repaired arm now “feels as good as it has in years.”

The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to former Disney CEO Bob Iger and Thrive Capital co-founder Josh Kushner for more than $12.5 billion, a record price for a professional sports franchise. The deal comes just 14 months after billionaire Mark Walter bought a controlling stake in the team from the Buss family at a then-record $10 billion valuation.

Kushner and Iger, who is also an adviser at Thrive Capital, approached Walter with an aggressive offer on Sunday, and the deal came together quickly. The pair had previously been involved in NBA expansion discussions tied to Las Vegas before pivoting to pursue the Lakers instead.

“As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers,” Iger and Kushner said in a joint statement, adding that their “long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles.”

Walter Nets $2.5 Billion Profit

Walter, who purchased the team from the Buss family in 2025, is set to walk away with a roughly $2.5 billion profit after owning the franchise for just over a year. “Owning the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the great honors of my life,” Walter said in a statement, thanking Jeanie Buss, the Buss family, players and staff. “The Lakers belong to Los Angeles, and I have every confidence the best is still ahead.”

The sale comes as Walter and Guggenheim Partners face an investigation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and the Securities and Exchange Commission over potential insurance fraud, though it’s unclear whether that scrutiny factored into his decision to sell.

A Franchise in Transition

The ownership change lands during a turbulent offseason for the Lakers, who lost superstar LeBron James in free agency after eight seasons when he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. The team still features Luka Dončić as its cornerstone as it heads into a new ownership era under Iger and Kushner.

Bryce Young found himself in the middle of a training camp scuffle during the Carolina Panthers’ Monday practice, according to The Athletic‘s Joe Person, who reported the quarterback “took offense” after safety Lathan Ransom tried to hit running back Jonathon Brooks on a run play.

What followed was a “big fight” that saw Young and cornerback Mike Jackson jawing at each other — a confrontation that reportedly continued for several minutes. An offensive lineman also got pulled into the fray at some point, and Person indicated someone took a hit to the head during the melee.

Person added that after practice wrapped, Young, Jackson and safety Nick Scott had a lengthy conversation to smooth things over. Scott later addressed the incident in his post-practice press conference, chalking it up to the natural physicality of camp.

“At this point in camp, there’s just a level of physicality that naturally happens,” Scott said. “We haven’t seen a different color in a long, long time… that’s part of the game. You want it. But at the same time, there’s that aspect of protecting the team and guys that you’re going to need on Sunday.”

Scott pushed back on the idea that the scuffle was a bigger deal than it looked, saying it was “starting to turn into something bigger than it is.” He added: “This is not like the sitcom of the Panthers. We’re having fun. Camp is going really well.”

Canales Praises “Physical, Competitive” Practice

Head coach Dave Canales opened his own press conference by calling Monday a “fantastic practice,” using words like “physical,” “competitive” and “passionate” to describe the session. Asked directly whether he had an issue with the play that sparked the fight, Canales declined to weigh in.

“We’re not out here practicing for a different sport,” Canales said. “Our sport’s physical… but we can do it the right way.”

Young did not hold a formal press conference Monday. The Panthers’ starters are next scheduled to play in the preseason opener at Buffalo on Saturday, Aug. 15, the first game at the newly built Highmark Stadium.