Mike Williams Has Big Red-Zone Role

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams said he's being used often in the red zone and is gaining chemistry with quarterback Philip Rivers. "I've got a big role in the red zone right now," Williams said. "Henry was a big red zone threat, and that's a spot where I can help. So we're working […]

Jerick McKinnon May Not Be Bell-Cow Running Back

San Francisco 49ers running back Jerick McKinnon, who is being hyped up in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, may not be a bell-cow running back, in the opinion of ESPN.com's Dan Graziano. Backup Matt Breida should still have a role, and there could be some weeks where Breida is the early-down back over McKinnon. The […]

Jimmy Garoppolo More Comfortable With Offense

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo says he's much more comfortable running the offense this year. "Sometimes, he would call something, and I'd be in the game like, 'I'm not sure what this side has, but I know what this side has, so we're going to run it to this side. So now it's full […]

Kirk Cousins Needs To Improve His Freelancing

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins admitted that he'd like to get better outside of the pocket when a play breaks down. "I'd love to be a better quarterback off-schedule when the pocket breaks down," Cousins said. "Although, I have been a very good quarterback, I believe, on keepers, meaning bootlegs outside the pocket, which are […]

Julio Jones Focused On Fixing Red-Zone Woes

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is adamant about fixing the team's red-zone woes from last season. "It's very important for me and Matt to be on the same page down there in the red zone," Jones said. "Over the years, I have the ability to make plays, and he has the ability to put […]

Aaron Slegers Suffers Setback In Rehab

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Aaron Slegers (shoulder) was pulled off his rehab assignment after feeling pain in his shoulder. An MRI exam showed only inflammation, but he's being shut down for now. Slegers has made just three appearances over 12 2/3 innings in the majors this year and has a 5.68 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and […]

Adalberto Mejia To Throw Long Toss Thursday

With the swelling in Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Adalberto Mejia's wrist down, he will do some long tossing on Thursday and throw a bullpen session on Friday. A decision will be made after that if he can make his next start on Sunday against the Tigers. The left-hander tossed five scoreless innings against the first-place […]

Elehuris Montero Promoted To High-A

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Elehuris Montero was promoted to High-A Palm Beach a day after he was named Midwest Player of the Month for July. The 19-year-old hit a league-best .321 in 102 games with Single-A Peoria with 15 home runs, 28 doubles, 69 RBI and a .910 OPS. Montero is ranked as the […]

Nolan Gorman Promoted To Single-A

St. Louis Cardinals first-round pick Nolan Gorman has been promoted from the Rookie League to Single-A Peoria after hitting .345 with 11 home runs in 37 games with Johnson City. Gorman is ranked as the team's No. 3 prospect despite being just 18 years old. MLB.com already has him as the No. 100 prospect in […]

Austin Hays Back In Action At Double-A

Baltimore Orioles outfield prospect Austin Hays (ankle), who was out for two months with a lingering ankle injury, returned to Double-A Bowie this week. Hays took the time off to refocus mentally and mechanically, and he seems to be in a much better place with his approach at the plate. He's hitting .223 with six […]

Christian Vazquez Working Out In Florida

Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez (pinkie) is working out in Florida during the team's road trip. He's been out since July 8 with a broken right pinkie that needed surgery. Vazquez was batting just .213/.249/.300 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 60 games before his injury. He's more of a defensive player. […]

Ian Kinsler To Rehab At Single-A

Boston Red Sox second baseman Ian Kinsler (hamstring) will work with Single-A Lowell over the weekend and then join the team in Philadelphia on Tuesday. He is eligible to return from the disabled list on Wednesday, but the Red Sox may wait a few extra days to make sure he's fully recovered. Kinsler only played […]

Blake Swihart To Take Swings Friday

Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart (hamstring) will meet up with the team on Friday to take live batting practice on Friday. If all goes well, it appears that the team will activate Swihart from the disabled list next Tuesday when he's eligible. The 26-year-old has hit just .226 with one homer, six RBI and […]

Leonys Martin Placed On DL

Cleveland Indians outfielder Leonys Martin (illness) was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Thursday with a non-baseball condition. He did not play due to a stomach illness on Wednesday. He was hitting .333 with two home runs and four RBI in six games since being acquired from the Tigers at the trade deadline. Outfielder […]

Dalvin Cook Confident And Ready

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (knee) is very ready to begin the season after missing most of his rookie year in 2017 with a torn ACL. "I'm a thousand-percent confident in what I got going," Cook assured NFL Network's Stacey Dales on Wednesday's edition of NFL Total Access. "I put enough work and enough […]

Kendall Wright Could Be Game-Day Inactive Often

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Kendall Wright doesn't do much on special teams, so head coach Mike Zimmer hinted that Wright could be inactive on game days. "Probably won't be dressed on game day," Zimmer said. "I can't dress six WRs on game day and they don't help us on special teams." The 28-year-old has one […]

Frank Gore Impressed By Kenyan Drake

Miami Dolphins veteran running back Frank Gore is impressed by fellow teammate Kenyan Drake. “I was like, ‘Man, I kinda see why they traded Jay Ajayi,’” Gore said. “He’s very talented. Jay Ajayi was a great back, too, but Kenyan is a very talented guy. He’s smart. He can do everything on the field. I […]

Chandler Catanzaro Having Great Camp

Tampa Bay Buccaneers place kicker Chandler Catanzaro is having a great training camp and has rarely missed his field goal attempts. The Bucs failed with Roberto Aguayo and Nick Folk in recent years, and Catanzaro also has a stronger leg. The 27-year-old booter made 25 of his 30 attempts (83.3 percent) with the Jets last […]

Ronald Jones II Struggling In Pass Protection

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Ronald Jones II has had his good and bad days in training camp, but he's struggling mostly with pass protection. He also only had 32 catches in three years in college. "They've improved since he's been here,'' running backs coach Tim Spencer said. "They didn't throw him a lot […]

J.P. Crawford Could Come Off DL Friday

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop J.P. Crawford (hand) could be activated from the disabled list on Friday. He has been on a rehab assignment with High-A Clearwater. Crawford has been out with a broken hand but is nearing a return. He was hitting just .194/.312/.333 with two home runs and eight RBI in 93 at-bats before his […]

Cardinals Happy With Christian Kirk's Progression

Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks has been happy with rookie wide receiver Christian Kirk's progression in training camp as he competes for the No. 2 job with the likes of Brice Butler, J.J. Nelson, Chad Williams and Greg Little. “The one thing that I love about him is his motor,” Wilks said. “Of course […]

Adam Wainwright Unlikely To Retire After This Year

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright said he'd like to keep playing in 2019. "I want to see how things end," Wainwright said. "But it would be really surprising to me if I came out and said I’m retiring." Waino is expected to throw a bullpen session this week as he recovers from an […]

Garrett Cooper Could Return Soon

Miami Marlins outfielder Garrett Cooper (wrist) could return soon, and manager Don Mattingly is optimistic that Cooper will see 100 at-bats by the end of the year. Cooper had only seven at-bats before landing on the disabled list to begin the season and hit .231 in 26 at-bats before re-injuring his wrist in July. He […]

Jacob Nix To Make Debut Friday

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Jacob Nix, the team's No. 14 prospect, will be called up from Triple-A El Paso to make his major league debut and start against the Phillies on Friday. The right-hander has gone 3-3 with a 1.84 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 6.8 K/9 in 10 starts between El Paso and Double-A […]

Tyler O'Neill Takes Batting Practice Wednesday

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O'Neill (groin) took batting practice on Wednesday. O'Neill is expected to come off the disabled list after 10 days when he's eligible. He has 17 hits in 55 at-bats (.309) this year with three homers and nine RBI and should see regular playing time when he's ready with Dexter Fowler […]

Jimmy Graham Doubtful To Play In Preseason Opener

Green Bay Packers tight end Jimmy Graham (knee) is dealing with a minor knee injury and was held out of practice on Wednesday as a precaution. He is doubtful to play in the preseason opener on Thursday. Graham finished as a top-five fantasy tight end in his final year in Seattle, but he became completely […]

Demaryius Thomas Rejuvenated After Contemplating Retirement

Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said the labrum in his hip is partially torn and has bothered him for years, but he's managed to fight through the pain and play a full 16 games each of the last six seasons. "For, like, the past two years, for real, it's been my neck and my […]

Antonio Callaway Travels With Team For First Preseason Game

Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver Antonio Callaway has made the trip with the team to New York for their preseason opener against the Giants on Thursday. His attorney rescheduled his hearing for a minor misdemeanor marijuana possession and driving with a suspended license from Thursday to Aug. 23. Callaway was also found to have a […]

No Structural Damage For Kelvin Herrera

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said relief pitcher Kelvin Herrera's (shoulder) MRI exam showed inflammation and no structural damage. He will be shut down for three to four days, but the hope is that he can resume throwing next week. It's good news for Herrera, but he still may be out for a few weeks. […]

Ryan Madson To Close For Nats

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Ryan Madson will move into the closer's role, but the team will watch his workload like usual. Koda Glover, who was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday, could also be used in high-leverage situations. Madson has a 4.32 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 39 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings this year and […]