Carlos Martinez To Begin Rehab Assignment Thursday

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (shoulder) will start a rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield on Thursday and will pitch in games on Friday and Sunday, too. He will rejoin the Cardinals next week. Martinez will be rejoining the team in the bullpen for the stretch run, so he loses pretty much all of […]

Joe Ross Has Scoreless Rehab Outing

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Joe Ross (elbow), the brother of Tyson Ross, tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings (63 pitches) and gave up one hit in his rehab start for Single-A Potomac on Thursday. Ross is coming back from Tommy John surgery and will need to make several more starts in the minors before becoming an […]

Patriots, Chris Hogan Apart In Contract Talks

The New England Patriots and wide receiver Chris Hogan have had discussions about a contract extension, but the two sides are too far apart in the early stages of the process, according to a source. There is still plenty of time for the two sides to come to an agreement. Hogan is the clear No. […]

Edwin Diaz Generating A Ton Of Whiffs

Seattle Mariners closer Edwin Diaz, who leads baseball with 47 saves and who has a decent shot of breaking the single-season record of 62 set in 2008 by Francisco Rodriguez, has a 40.7 percent swing-and-miss rate, which is the best among 335 relievers who have generated at least 300 swings. He has struck out 103 […]

Giancarlo Stanton Hopes To Return To Outfield Soon

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) is hoping to return to the outfield soon after being relegated to designated hitter duties since Aug. 8 due to tightness in his left hamstring. Manager Aaron Boone will have to decide if Stanton is ready for the outfield with an upcoming series in a National League park […]

Aaron Judge Hopes To Ramp Up Activities

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (wrist) said a cortisone shot he received in his right wrist on Tuesday is "definitely" helping, and his goal is to ramp things up before a two-game series with the Marlins next Tuesday. He's hoping to take dry swings or play catch. Judge's pace of returning has been slower […]

Deshaun Watson Should Play More Saturday

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (knee) is expected to see more playing time in the preseason game against the 49ers on Saturday, but it doesn't sound as though that'll come with a big increase in snaps. He received five snaps in the preseason opener last week, and the Texans have liked what they've seen from […]

Myles Garrett Hungry To Improve

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 draft, dedicated himself in the offseason to becoming "more proficient" in a variety of pass-rushing moves. Garrett missed five games in his rookie season with ankle and concussion issues but managed seven sacks. "My arsenal is different," the 22-year-old […]

David Johnson Motivated To Have Big Year

Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson, who missed the final 15 games of the 2017 season due to a wrist injury, is highly motivated to prove that he's still one of the best backs in the NFL. He's less than two years removed from leading the league and setting a team record with 2,118 yards […]

Doug Baldwin Doing Sprints Thursday

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (knee) was seen doing sprints on the field on Thursday. While Baldwin isn't expected to play at all in the preseason, this is a great sign that he'll be ready for Week 1 against the Broncos. With not many other reliable options behind him, Seattle desperately needs Baldwin healthy […]

Yusei Kikuchi Expected To Be Available Through Posting System

Many within baseball believe that Saitama Seibu Lions left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi of the Japanese League will be available through the posting system this offseason. MLB scouts think Kikuchi has the upside to be a No. 2 starter in the major leagues thanks to a fastball that averages between 92 and 94 mph. He could […]

Bengals Receivers Having Good Camp

Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Tyler Boyd, Josh Malone and John Ross are all having good training camps, but Ross needs to translate it to production in games. Ross didn't have a good showing in the first preseason game and even fumbled and was involved in an interception that was returned for a touchdown. After a […]

Delanie Walker Injured In Practice Thursday

Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker is being evaluated for an undisclosed injury in practice on Thursday. We'll update you when we know more about the specific nature and severity of the injury. Walker is a very important part of an improving offense, and the 34-year-old has posted at least 800 yards receiving in each […]

Alex Okafor Has Sprained Ankle, Bone Bruise

New Orleans Saints defensive end Alex Okafor (ankle, knee) was diagnosed with a sprained ankle and knee bone bruise after he underwent an MRI exam on Wednesday, according to sources informed of the situation. He's considered week-to-week and it's unclear when he'll return to practice. Okafor is coming off a torn Achilles in Week 11 […]

Caleb Sturgis, Roberto Aguayo In Spirited Kicking Battle

Los Angeles Chargers place kickers Caleb Sturgis and Roberto Aguayo have been battling it out heading into the second preseason game this week. During full team drills on Wednesday, Sturgis made all seven of his field goal attempts with a long of 53 yards, while Aguayo made four of seven with two misses from 50-plus […]

Stephen Morris Cut

The Houston Texans released quarterback Stephen Morris on Thursday, according to a league source. The Texans also have Brandon Weeden and Joe Webb as backups to Deshaun Watson. Morris has been on three different rosters in the offseason and spent parts of the previous two years with the Colts, Eagles and Jaguars.

Josh Allen, Corey Coleman To Work With Second-String Offense

Buffalo Bills rookie quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Corey Coleman are expected to work with the second-team offense in the preseason game against the Browns on Friday. For the first time in training camp, the Bills kept Allen with the second group exclusively all week, which is an indication they are ready to see […]

Baker Mayfield Making Consistent Progress

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield continues to impress the coaching staff after one week in the preseason. “He’s made consistent progress, and that’s a good sign,” offensive coordinator Todd Haley said Wednesday before the 15th practice of training camp. “But, for his first game, he had an opportunity to get out there and run […]

Sam Darnold Looks Poised To Be Starter

New York Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold is in line to make his first preseason start Thursday against the Redskins, and the Jets have been privately giddy about him. He's been the real deal, and barring a deer-in-the-headlights moment in the next couple of weeks, it'd be an upset if Darnold isn't the team's Week […]

Several Jets Players Won't Play Thursday

New York Jets running back Isaiah Crowell (head), wide receivers Quincy Enunwa (thumb) and Terrelle Pryor (ankle) and tight end Chris Herndon are not expected to play in the preseason game on Thursday. All of these players should be fine, but the Jets are just being cautious with several weeks to go before the regular […]

A.J. Green Not Planning On Slowing Down

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, who is now 30 and is the oldest receiver on the team by six years, said he still has a lot left in the tank. “I ain’t an old man,” Green said. “I've always got juice. I've had it for a long time. I'm not going anywhere any time […]

Ben Roethlisberger Out Of Concussion Protocol

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (head) is no longer in the concussion protocol. Big Ben is fine, although he's still unlikely to play in the second preseason game this week. The oft-injured quarterback needs to take better care of his body as he ages, and that's one of the biggest reasons why he's not as […]

Saquon Barkley Sitting Out Of Practice

New York Giants rookie running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) is sitting out of practice for the third straight day on Thursday. The Giants are being extra cautious with their stud rookie, and it's probably unlikely that he'll play in the second preseason game on Friday. Barkley was as advertised in the first preseason game and […]

Odell Beckham Jr. Not Worried About Contract

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. isn't worried about long-term contract extension talks. "I definitely think it's going to work itself out. When is it going to happen? You don't know ... It's a matter of time, just like everything in life," Beckham said. He's likely to continue to sit out preseason games […]

Rex Burkhead, Sony Michel Not Expected To Play Thursday

New England Patriots running backs Rex Burkhead and Sony Michel (knee) are not expected to play in the preseason game against the Eagles on Thursday. The Patriots are just being cautious here, and Michel might not play at all in the preseason. That'll obviously hurt his fantasy stock going into the season in what'll be […]

Tom Brady Expected To Play Thursday

The plan is for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (back) to play in the preseason game on Thursday against the Eagles, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he plays deep into the first half. Brady was dealing with a minor back injury last week and was unsurprisingly held out of the first preseason […]

Jhoulys Chacin To Start Sunday

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin will start against the Cardinals in the series finale on Sunday. Chase Anderson will be pushed back to Monday against the Reds to get some extra rest. Chacin has been the much more reliable pitcher this year for the Brew Crew and is 12-4 with a 3.72 ERA, 1.19 […]

Griff Whalen Working Ahead Of Ryan Switzer

Both Oakland Raiders wide receivers Griff Whalen and Ryan Switzer have been working out of the slot, but Whalen has worked ahead of Switzer in practices. The two are both undersized slot men with experience in the return game. “It’s neck-and-neck with those guys. When Seth Roberts gets back, it’s a very competitive position at […]

Seth Roberts A Trade Candidate

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Seth Roberts is an obvious trade candidate, and the Raiders could be off the hook for his $2.25 million salary. He hasn't been healthy in training camp, although he returned to practice Wednesday. Ryan Switzer and Griff Whalen have handled most of the slot work in Roberts' absence. It seems as […]

Astros Option Derek Fisher

The Houston Astros optioned outfield prospect Derek Fisher to Triple-A Fresno after the game on Thursday in anticipation of outfielder George Springer (thumb) coming off the disabled list. Fisher has a promising future in the long term, but he's the odd man out in a crowded Houston outfield with Springer set to return. The left-handed […]