Vandeweghe, the former world No. 9, gave little effort in the second set of a U.S. Open tune-up in Landisville, Pennsylvania on Wednesday.

While playing against Georgian Ekaterine Gorgodze in extremely hot conditions, Vandeweghe barely chased after balls. The American had won the first set but dropped the second 6-3.

Vandeweghe was seen grabbing at her legs at times.

After Gorgodze claimed the second set, the American called for a medical time-out, and shortly after, play was suspended due to the heat.

“Coco was just about to call it a day when they said they’ve got to shut it down because of heat reasons,” a commentator said over the tournament’s live stream.

However, once the suspension lifted and Vandeweghe and Gorgodze returned to the court, the former’s lack of enthusiasm continued. When the pair warmed up, the Georgian was hitting forehands to Vandeweghe, who made it evident she had little interest in restarting the match.

She stood in place, hitting light forehands that came her way, but letting them go untouched if outside her immediate reach. To make a point, Vandeweghe switched to her non-dominant left hand for this bizarre warm-up, leaving the commentator gobsmacked.

“This is unbelievable. Coco doesn’t want to warm up,” he said. “And she says if you’re going to make me do it then I’m not going to move, I’m not going to do anything.

“I’ve never seen this in my life. This is wild. She’s going to do just enough here just so she doesn’t get in trouble.”

Within two games of the third set, the match was once again suspended, but this time due to rain. Gorgodze led 6-7, 6-3, 2-0.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

“Zach Wilson reminds me a little too much of Johnny Manziel,” Cowherd said Tuesday on “The Herd,” after the 2021 second-overall pick threw two interceptions in the Green & White scrimmage Saturday night. “Small, cocky and comes from wealth.”

Although both quarterbacks may be smaller than some signal-callers, the comparison has some holes in it.

Manziel infamously lasted just two seasons in the NFL following off-field issues, whereas there have been no signs of Wilson struggling in that department. There also hasn’t been any indication of Wilson being “cocky,” as Cowherd said.

It’s not unusual for rookie quarterbacks to struggle during training camp, and even the 22-year-old Wilson described his scrimmage performance as “not great.”

“For most rookies, it’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Monday. “It is what it is. There’s a lot of things that happen. There’s a reason why being a rookie is hard in this league. There was a Hall of Famer yesterday [Peyton Manning] that was inducted that had a 71 quarterback rating his rookie year. It’s not easy to play quarterback in this league as a rookie.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

Carl Lewis — who won nine gold medals in track for the U.S. between 1984-96 — slammed the men’s 4x100m team for its performance after to failing to even qualify for the final.

“The USA team did everything wrong in the men’s relay,” Lewis tweeted. “The passing system is wrong, athletes running the wrong legs, and it was clear that there was no leadership. It was a total embarrassment, and completely unacceptable for a USA team to look worse than the AAU kids I saw.”

A botched baton handoff between Ronnie Baker and Fred Kerley was the main reason for the disappointing effort. It took three attempts before the sprinters were able to successfully make the pass.

For the fourth consecutive Summer Olympics, the US failed to medal in the event, this year coming in sixth in its qualifying heat with a time of 38.10. Only the top five teams advance.

Even with three of the United States’ fastest men — Trayvon Bromell holds the fastest 100m time in the world this year, with Kerley and Baker finishing second and fifth in the Olympic final — the Americans never could regain their position in the race, losing the final spot in the finals to Ghana by two-hundredths of a second.

“This was a football coach taking a team to the Super Bowl and losing 99-0 because they were completely ill-prepared,” Lewis said to USA TODAY.

“It’s unacceptable. It’s so disheartening to see this because it’s people’s lives. We’re just playing games with people’s lives. That’s why I’m so upset. It’s totally avoidable. And America is sitting there rooting for the United States and then they have this clown show. I can’t take it anymore. It’s just unacceptable. It is not hard to do the relay.”

From the start, this relay team — who at one point were thought to be frontrunners in the relay — didn’t look in peak form, never breaking from the middle of the pack for the first two legs. When the baton pass happened, Kerley was so clumsy with the baton that Baker had to slow down to grasp it, losing the Americans vital time.

With two more legs to pull up, neither Baker nor Cravon Gillespie managed to find the speed they needed, taking them out of contention for a medal.

Lewis noted that the ordering of runners, particularly Baker, did not make sense and was poorly thought out by Team USA.

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“I’ve never seen Ronnie Baker run a turn in my life,” Lewis said. “Go back and watch the third leg, look at him, he looks like he’s running on ice because he’s never run a turn. He doesn’t run the (individual) 200, so why is he running a turn when he never runs a turn?”

The baton pass has been one of Team USA’s biggest struggles in the relay. Unlike other countries, which can spend months or even years perfecting passing, the rapid turnaround between the Olympic trials and the Summer Games makes baton passes less seamless. Baker said there was “not much” practicing as a team before the event.

“We’ve been talking about this forever. The relay program has been a disaster for years because there’s no leadership and no system. When I said everything is wrong, it is. If you break it down, people were in the wrong legs, obviously, they were not taught how to pass the baton in those legs. Just simple things like that. I watched it. I’m not blaming the athletes so much. This was leadership,” Lewis said.

In 2008, Darvis Patton send the baton rolling down the track after fumbling the pass. A 2016 baton pass occurred outside of the designated zone, disqualifying a U.S. team that thought it had just won a bronze medal.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

Cansu Ozbay and Meliha Ismailoglu collided after attempting to hit the ball at the same time.

Ozbay’s mouth was bleeding following the collision, but she and Ismailoglu returned after receiving medical treatment to help lead Turkey to a 3-2 win.

Ozbay, 24, and Ismailoglu, 27, both competed in the Turkish volleyball league and helped the national team win a silver medal at the 2019 European Championship.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

King, alongside fellow US swimmer Annie Lazor, won silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke, marking the seventh time two Team USA swimmers medaled in the same event.

The 24-year-old pushed back against the media and American public, who, in her view, often downplay a silver or bronze finish.

“Pardon my French, but the fact that we’re not able to celebrate silver and bronze is bull—t,” King said.

King previously won two gold medals in 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke in Rio and won the bronze in the 100-meter earlier this week,

King posted a time of 2:19.92, one of the fastest ever recorded. However, gold medal winner Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa broke the world record with a scorching time of 2:18.95, less than two hundredths quicker than the previous record.

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“It’s just an incredible swim,” said Lazor, who was proud with her third-place finish with a time of 2:20.84. “That world record has been standing for a little bit too long, I think. So to see someone finally crack 2:19, we’ve all been working towards that, I think, to see someone like her do it, she’s just a great person, just to be there and experience that with someone is something that you’ll really never forget.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

The 23-year-old tennis sensation took to the court Sunday for the first time since pulling out of the French Open in May to take a mental health break, besting Zheng Saisai of China 6-1, 6-4 in a first-round Olympic victory.

Afterward, Osaka spoke with the media for the first time since declining to speak with reporters at the French Open, a controversial decision that led to fines and her eventually withdrawing from the tournament.

“More than anything else, I’m just focused on playing tennis,” Osaka said. “The Olympics has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, so I feel like the break that I took was very needed. I feel definitely a little bit refreshed, and I’m happy again.”

Two months away from competition did not seem to affect the second-ranked Osaka, as she kicked off the match by launching an ace into the service box and built a 5-0 lead over the 52nd-ranked Zheng. Throughout the two sets, the Osaka, who is representing Japan, showed off her hardcourt dominance as she served six aces. Osaka produced 25 winners compared to Zheng’s 10.

Osaka pulled out of the French Open and Wimbledon to focus more on her mental health. She said she had “huge waves of anxiety” when speaking to the media and had been fined $15,000 by tennis officials for refusing to participate in press conferences.

Following the match Sunday, Osaka — clad in red and white braids for her native Japan — said that she felt “a little bit out of my body” speaking to reporters, emphasizing that it was from nervousness.

“There’s nothing wrong with my body; I just felt really nervous,” she said.

Of the match she said, “I haven’t played since France, so there were definitely some things that I did a bit wrong, but I think I can improve in the matches that I continue playing.”

The reigning U.S. Open and Australian Open champion also elaborated on lighting the Olympic flame, revealing that she had kept it a secret since March. Osaka’s match against Zheng was initially scheduled for Saturday but was pushed back a day to accommodate for her role in the Opening Ceremony.

“When I lit the flame, I was super honored,” Osaka said. “I think that’s a position that you dream about and not anyone can do it. So, for me, when they asked me if I wanted to, I was very surprised but very honored. And I’m just very happy to be here and very happy to play — especially in Tokyo.”

The Olympic field has cleared out for Osaka. Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the world, fell in her first-round match against Spain’s Sara Sarribes Tormo. No. 4 Sofia Kenin and No. 5 Bianca Andreescu decided not to compete in the Summer Games this year.

In the second round, Osaka will face Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, who is ranked 50th in the world.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

While golfing on Saturday during the celebrity-packed American Century Championship golf tournament in Tahoe, Rodgers was asked by NBC about his future with the Packers.

“I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this week,” the 37-year-old Rodgers said, “and then I’m going to get back to working out, and figure things out in a couple weeks.”

The timetable the quarterback set up fits nicely with the kickoff of Packers training camp on July 28, seen by many as the last call for the disgruntled QB – though he could hold out at the start of camp and show up before the NFL season kicks off in September.

Rodgers did not attend the Packers’ mandatory minicamp last month and also skipped OTAs for a vacation to Hawaii, but the fines increase for missing training camp to $50,000 per day, and his absence would be far more detrimental to the team if he does plan to play this season.

The reigning league MVP reportedly wants out of Green Bay. Rodgers complained that the “culture” in the front office failed in “doing things the right way.”

The MVP has dropped cryptic hints about whether he will play for the franchise, or play at all, this upcoming season, but nothing has been confirmed from either party.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

The No. 6-seeded Federer struggled throughout the entire matchup, missing key shots against the 24-year-old upstart.

Hurkacz out-aced Federer 10 to five. Federer missed two volleys in the second set tiebreak, slipping on one gimme.

In the third set, No. 14 Hurkacz truly shined, bageling the 39-year-old. Federer continued to struggle, missing numerous forehands.

The Polish player will now face either No. 7 Matteo Berrettini or No. 16 Felix Auger-Aliassime in Friday’s semifinals.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

After DeChambeau revealed he and his caddie, Tim Tucker, would not be working together for the immediate future — Tucker was nowhere to be seen at the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club — Koepka took the opportunity to add another chapter to golf’s on-going rivalry.

Koepka, not playing in the Classic, mocked his longtime foe with a gushing tweet about his relationship with his own caddie, Ricky Elliot.

“Couldn’t do it without my guy Rick!” Koepka wrote. “Best friend and greatest caddie to do it! @RickyElliott appreciation day!”

This is just the latest edition of the continuous feud between the pair that goes back to 2019 when Koepka complained about DeChambeau’s meticulous, but slow speed of play. DeChambeau fired back that the 31-year-old did not have abs in the ESPN’s “The Body Issue.” Koepka responded with a GIF that not-so-subtly accused DeChambeau of steroid use since the 27-year-old had bulked up.

Most recently, Koepka lost his train of thought during an interview and complained about DeChambeau’s “bulls—t” after just seeing the other golfer.

The duo has not been paired up together in a match since the start of their feud two years ago. Both will be playing starting July 15 at the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s Golf Club.

Most likely, DeChambeau will be going to the United Kingdom without Tucker.

While DeChambeau and Tucker split up in 2017 and reunited in 2018, according to “No Laying Up,” a prominent golf podcast, the pair “are unlikely to work together again.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

The Post’s Joel Sherman reports that the Yankees obtained Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Tim Locastro for Double-A pitcher Keegan Curtis.

Locastro will take some of the weight off Aaron Judge, as he can make starts in center field against left-handers.

In addition, the 28-year-old is a major speed threat. In 2019, he stole 17 bases in 91 games. He holds the record of most stolen bases without being caught to start a career at 29.

Curtis currently holds a 3.94 ERA in the minors this season over 16 innings. In his three-year minor league career, the 25-year-old has 83 strikeouts with an opponent batting average of .205.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

On Monday night. Angels pitcher Dylan Bundy hunched over after the third inning and vomited behind the mound at Yankee Stadium.

The two-time NBA champion had a front-row seat to one of the more nauseating moments of the MLB season and did not take his eyes away from the scene unfolding on the mound, even offering a smile.

The 28-year-old Bundy was suffering from heat exhaustion as the temperature was 90 degrees Fahrenheit at first pitch. Trainers walked Bundy back to the dugout immediately after.

YES Network analyst Paul O’Neill discussed Durant’s reaction as Bundy was walked off the field.

“The look on Kevin Durant’s face tells you all you need to know right there,” he said.

The night didn’t go so well for the Bronx Bombers either, as they fell to Los Angeles, 5-3.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

In 1961, 10-year-old Gwen Goldman wrote to her favorite team and asked to become its bat girl. Then-general manager Roy Hamey declined her request in a letter that has been sitting in Goldman’s living room since.

“While we agree with you that girls are certainly as capable as boys, and no doubt would be an attractive addition on the playing field, I am sure you can understand that in a game dominated by men a young lady such as yourself would feel out of place in a dugout,” he wrote.

Goldman’s daughter, Abby, forwarded the letter to current general manager Brian Cashman, who penned a new letter stating that Goldman could finally fulfill her childhood dream. Monday, she served as the Bronx Bombers’ honorary bat girl and threw the ceremonial first pitch.

“Here at the Yankees, we have championed to break down gender barriers in our industry. It is an ongoing commitment rooted in the belief that a woman belongs everywhere a man does, including the dugout,” Cashman wrote. “Despite the fact that six decades have passed since you first aspired to hold down the position as a New York Yankees Bat Girl, it is not too late to reward and recognize the ambition you showed in writing that letter to us as a 10-year-old girl.”

Goldman pointed to the changes that have taken place in sports to allow her to reach this moment. While there are still no women playing in MLB, over the past decade women have begun to serve in almost every other position in the league.

The Yankees are the only professional sports team to have had two female assistant GMs — one of whom, Kim Ng, was hired as the league’s first female GM in November.

“The Yankees have just been so gracious to honor me with this to be able to start off Hope Week and to see that girls can stand here, and we can be bat girls, too, and we can be in the front office,” she said.

Goldman was the first honoree for 2021 Hope Week, which celebrates the accomplishments of a different fan or organization each day. Goldman donned a full Yankees uniform and spent some time before the game with ace Gerrit Cole.

“Gerrit will probably have her in good hands and making sure she’s safe and where she needs to be. Hopefully, it’s an experience of a lifetime for her and a long one coming,” manager Aaron Boone said.

When asked if he gave Goldman any advice before the game, Cole simply responded: “Just have fun.”

“I told her that I watch more games than I actually play in, so I have a good feel for how the dugout works. If she needs any pointers, go ahead and reach out. I just want her to be comfortable, have fun tonight,” he said.

Joined by her husband, two daughters, son-in-law and her two grandchildren, Goldman said she’s never had such an “amazing” feeling as she did prior to the game. Before the matchup, she read her old letter and shed some tears, so in awe of the experience she would take part in.

The 70-year-old native of Westport, Conn., who now lives in Newtown, Conn., fell in love with the Yankees because of her father, who would take her to games. When she attended summer camp, he mailed her clippings with the Yankees’ record.

Goldman said she hopes pursuing her goals will inspire young women, including her daughters, Abby and Sarah, and granddaughter, Lila, to chase their dreams, as well.

“It was worth writing that letter. It was worth having that. It was worth pursuing that and trying,” she said. “You want to do something go after it.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

Yes, Morgan — for many years the darling of women’s soccer in America — is all the way back, and the timing could not be better.

That goal recently played out for the Orlando Pride in the NWSL, and we just as easily could see such a flourish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which — fortuitously for Morgan — are being held next month, not a year ago.

The United States women’s national team is looking to become the first team in history to win the World Cup and an Olympic gold medal back-to-back. And Morgan, penciled in as the squad’s starting center forward, will be a crucial part to achieving that exacta in Tokyo.

Morgan gave birth to her daughter, Charlie, two months before the Olympics were slated to begin in 2020. While she had been preparing to return to the field quickly, the yearlong delay due to the coronavirus pandemic has provided her the opportunity and time to regain her top form.

“It was going to be a really tight turnaround and I was going to have to force my body to recover faster than I would have liked,” Morgan told Yahoo Sports. “Thinking about the positives, I was really able to spend more time with my daughter and give my body the rest and recovery it needed from giving birth. All the uncertainty has really taught the team to take it one day at a time.”

In October 2019, when Vlatko Andonovski was introduced as U.S. head coach just days after Morgan announced she was pregnant, he said the U.S. federation was looking into every option to speed up Morgan’s return to the field.

“We’re going to do everything in our power, use the resources that the federation is providing, whether it’s high-performance director, staff, anything that we can do on our side to help her get back for the Olympics,” Andonovski said.

However, Morgan knew that despite her wishes to get back on the field and compete, she was working against a force that she could not control, even on her best days.

“In 2020, I knew that honestly, some of it wasn’t really up to me,” Morgan said. “It was just up to how my body was going to recover.”

The 31-year-old decided the best way to continue prepping for the Olympics was to continue playing throughout the year and get back into a top training environment. The NWSL played four games last fall, which Morgan felt would not be enough. She signed with Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Women in England in September 2020. In the four games she played overseas, she scored two goals.

“It wasn’t my intention to go to Orlando and then decide to play for another club in another country,” the two-time World Cup champion recently said in a press conference, “but I wanted to give myself the best opportunity to get back to full fitness, get back to playing consistent matches, get back to feeling like myself, or even surpassing that, and to be able to do that I needed to play consistent games, period.”

The extra reps are paying off for Morgan. She has been in electric form with the Pride in NWSL play this spring. She became the first NWSL player to begin the season with a four-goal streak in the first four matches, earning NWSL Player of the Month in May.

Andonovski called Morgan’s NWSL performance has been “extraordinary” and said the league games had been exceptionally beneficial for her.

“She’s very involved in everything the Pride are doing, which makes me happy,” he said. “It is very similar to how we see her role with us, being involved in the attack, organizing the attacking, but also getting behind the through balls and finishing those attacks.”

Since the start of the year, Morgan and Carli Lloyd have primarily split the starting position at the No. 9 spot for the USWNT. But in two recent warmup matches, against highly ranked France in April and against Portugal in mid-June, Morgan got the starting nod with Megan Rapinoe and Christen Press on the wings — an indication this trio will be the first choice to start at the Olympics.

The trail to Tokyo has been difficult for Morgan, from her 2019 patella stress reaction to her pregnancy and childbirth to the brutal training schedule she’s put herself through to prepare for this Olympic moment. Now it’s nearly here — and she appears ready.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

Then came the boos.

As the 25-year-old right-hander approached the Mets dugout, the umpires stopped him. Then, they demanded a dreaded foreign substance check – spoiling his special moment.

Mets fans booed the umpires until the search was completed. The SNY booth chimed in with their displeasure and felt that the search was “unbelievable,” especially after the fanfare that Megill was enjoying.

“Talk about a buzzkill,” Gary Cohen said. “I mean, he’s getting this great ovation walking off and they’re gonna do a strip search?”

Megill had already finished his contribution to the Mets’ 7-3 win. If he was caught with illegal sticky substances, it would be too late to do anything about it.

“They want to make sure he doesn’t stick to his steering wheel. Unbelievable,” Ron Darling responded.

Megill was called up from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday to pitch against the Braves, with Marcus Stroman and Joey Lucchesi injured.

On Monday, umpires started checking pitcher’s gloves, hats, and belts for illegal sticky substances. Since then, many aces have become frustrated with the increased patrols.

Within 24 hours of the new policy, both Nationals’ Max Scherzer and A’s Sergio Romo threatened to take off their pants off during checks. Scherzer was searched three times during a Tuesday night game against the Phillies, one time being at the request from Philadelphia manager Joe Girardi, who said Scherzer seemed “suspicious.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

Udoka was among the three finalists who were invited to a second interview with Boston. The other two candidates were Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups and Bucks assistant Darvin Ham.

Udoka, who interviewed for the Knicks job last season, played for the Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Kings over his seven years in the league.

He was an assistant with the Spurs for seven years, then spent one year with the Sixers before 2020 when he joined the Nets staff.

The Celtics job opened when Brad Stevens was promoted from head coach to the front office after Danny Ainge’s departure. Stevens was charged with finding his replacement, and landed on the 43-year-old Udoka.

With the Celtics position seemingly cemented, there remain six other head coaching vacancies in the league: The Wizards, Pacers, Trail Blazers, Magic, Pacers and Mavericks.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

The 23-year-old Jets running back failed to shotgun a beer on Thursday while pre-gaming en route to the Islanders’ Game 3 matchup against the Lightning in Uniondale.

Someone on the party bus called for a shotgunning contest, which is where it all went downhill for the running back. In the tragic video from TMZ, Perine spills the beer all over himself.

In the video, Perine tries to drink out of the side of the can without popping the tab, which prevents air from going through the can. Once he opens the top, somehow things only got worse as he drenches himself and his sneakers with Bud Light.

“I almost threw up,” he says at the end of the clip after a glorious two seconds of chugging.

“Damn they got my dawg,” Cashman wrote on Twitter. “lmao we tried to teach him. Cut my boy some slack tho he’s a first timer.”

The night didn’t go much better for the Isles who fell 2-1 to Tampa Bay following what some can argue was a made up penalty against Adam Pelech.

Perine has more than just his chugging abilities to prove this season. The sixth-round pick of the 2020 draft struggled through injuries, caught COVID-19, and now has to fight for his spot in the backfield against Tevin Coleman.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

Spaeder, an MLB writer, statistician, and analyst, sent a long stream of tweets accusing teams and players within the league of cheating. One day later, he’s taking all his allegations back with an apology.

“I deeply regret everything that I said — it has turned my life upside down. It was a mistake, and I should not have reported on unfounded allegations. I sincerely apologize to all of those impacted — it should not have happened, and it will not happen again. Stick to stats,” he wrote.

Hours after the MLB made the decision to crack down on illegal sticky substances for pitchers, Spaeder came out with a since-deleted tweet claiming he would expose the MLB in the morning.

“I’ve had enough, I think I am coming out with everything tomorrow…going to sleep on it,” he wrote.

Spaeder woke up and made the bizarre decision to begin making allegations without presenting any proof of cheating, beginning his tweetstorm with: “Everything that I am about to say was verified by more than one player. I do not mean to burn anyone, and I love baseball … I’ve just had enough of this bulls—t.”

He claimed that there were cameras in Yankee Stadium outfield aimed at opposing pitcher’s gloves to identify grip, citing the difference between Aaron Judge’s 2017 batting average splits. Judge batted .312/.440/.725 at home that year and .256/.404/.531 at away games. Similar allegations were made by Spaeder about the Dodgers who he claimed had an employee wear an MLB polo to illegally set up cameras during the 2020 World Series.

Moreover, Spaeder accused his “favorite player ever” Phillies’ Chase Utley of being “the biggest cheater of all-time.”

He also fired an allegation of cheating at former Rangers infielder Adrian Beltre.

“As insane as this sounds, I’ve heard this from multiple players, Adrian Beltre had a buddy with binoculars in dead center who would wave a beater (undershirt) if he was getting something off speed in 2017,” Spaeder wrote.

Following his series of conspiracies, he was backed up by former ESPN employee Darren Rovell and Barstool Sports. Spaeder has since deleted all of his allegations.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

An MRI exam of the Rays ace’s right arm revealed a partial UCL tear and a flexor strain, the team announced Tuesday, and Glasnow knows who to blame.

The right-hander, who said he typically uses sunscreen and rosin to get a grip on the ball, cited MLB’s recent crackdown on foreign substances used by pitchers as the cause on his injury.

“Do it in the offseason. Give us a chance to adjust to it,” he told reporters Tuesday. “I just threw 80 … innings, and then you told me I can’t use anything in the middle of the year. I had to change everything I’ve been doing the entire season. … And I’m telling you, I truly believe that’s why I got hurt.”

The 27-year-old left his start Monday, in a Rays win at the White Sox, following the fourth inning after he felt pain in his right elbow. In the course of the game, he struck out six and walked one, throwing 40 of his 53 pitches for strikes.

“The last couple of pitches I felt just a little tug,” Glasnow said following the game. “I didn’t want to go out and chance it. The [velocity] was still there, it just felt not right.”

Further medical evaluation will be needed to establish a timeline for Glasnow’s return. He was placed on the 10-day injured list.

Glasnow told reporters he will “try to rehab” with an eye toward returning for the postseason. According to ESPN, the Rays and Glasnow are hoping to avoid Tommy John’s surgery.

If he must have surgery, Glasnow would be out for the rest of 2021 and for a good part of next season too. Glasnow is 5-2 this season with a 2.66 ERA and 123 strikeouts — second-most in MLB — in 88 innings.

The injury is a big blow for the Rays (43-24), who entered Tuesday with the best record in the majors. They held a three-game lead on the Red Sox in the AL East and were up nine games on the fourth-place Yankees.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

The Arizona Cardinals franchise quarterback is about to enter his third NFL season and Murray can’t seem to go all-in for football.

Before he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cardinals in 2019, Murray already was a big baseball prospect — to date, he is the only athlete to ever be selected in the first round of both a NFL and a MLB draft. Murray was slated to report to the Oakland Athletics’ spring training in 2019, but after winning the Heisman Trophy, he moved his focus over to football.

According to Murray, no one should rule out his return to baseball.

“I know everybody around (the organization) probably feels different about it,” Murray told media this week. “But me personally, I played the game my whole life. If I ever had the opportunity, for sure, I would definitely go for it. What are we talking about? I’m sure anyone asking me about it would (take that opportunity) too. I’m not trying to start anything. I’m just talking.”

He, alongside Bronny James, appears on the cover of Sports Illustration with FaZe Clan, a high-profile esports group that Murray is a part of. Despite his apparent gaming and football successes, baseball seems to stay on his mind — even though his Cardinals contract prohibits it.

“I still hold on to the three-sport title,” Murray said. “If the time came where I got to do what I wanted to do, which, I don’t know, but I’m leaving it open. I think I can still play, for sure, but we’ll add the gaming on to that. Don’t shortchange me.”

It is not inconceivable for him to eventually make a major career move, as he is only 23 years old. It’s not unheard of for players to leave football for baseball, or even to compete at the sports simultaneously — Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson managed careers in the MLB and the NFL. Tim Tebow made the transition to baseball for four years before returning to football as a tight end with the Jacksonville Jaguars in May.

The speedy quarterback can begin negotiating his second contract after the 2021 season — and it will be interesting to see if that deal would have any baseball provisions in it.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen

During the Mets’ 10-3 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday night, the disgusted play-by-play man blasted MLB for its instant replay system, referring to it as “pathetic.”

The lengthy rant stemmed from a call in the bottom half of the first inning. Initially, the first base umpire blew the call and Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle was called safe. Then there was an extended replay review and Mountcastle was found to be safe again, even though it seemed fairly clear he was out.

Following the replay crew’s call, Cohen blasted not only the blown call but also for how long it took them to review the play.

“These are the ones that just make you tear whatever hair you have left out. There’s just no reason for this to be taking so long. They’re worried about pace of play? Nothing slows down the pace of play more than this,” the SNY broadcaster said.

After instant replay “confirmed” the dubious call, it brought about a second tongue lashing from Cohen.

“They take so much time and they get it wrong. I just don’t understand. How can that be? What is the point in having review if they don’t even get the calls right? It’s pathetic. It’s just pathetic. Just take the whole system and throw it in the garbage,” Cohen said. “It’s a joke. It’s a total and utter joke.”

Ron Darling added that the call was “just awful” after the replay decision.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Elizabeth Karpen