Andrew Heaney is headed to The Bronx from the Angels, The Post’s Joel Sherman confirmed. The 30-year-old left-hander has a 5.27 ERA with 113 strikeouts in 94 innings this season. Heaney has a career 4.57 ERA in 598 2/3 innings.

The Yankees are giving the Angels prospects Janson Junk and Elvis Peguero, according to YES Network.

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The Rays have traded for Minnesota slugger Nelson Cruz, the Twins announced on Thursday. Cruz, 41, earned his seventh career All-Star nod this season.

Minnesota received minor league pitchers Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman, while Tampa Bay also is acquiring minor league pitcher Calvin Faucher.

In 85 games for Minnesota this season, Cruz has 19 home runs with 50 RBIs and a slash line of .294/.370/.537. He has been mashing lefties to the tune of a 1.010 OPS in 119 plate appearances.

The move comes with the Rays (57-39) one game behind the AL East-leading Red Sox entering Thursday. The Yankees, who begin a four-game set in Boston on Thursday night, were seven games behind the Sox entering the series.

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The 24-year-old won the Claret Jug Sunday at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in his first appearance at the major, giving him his second career major title in eight major appearances. He won the 2020 PGA Championship in what was his first appearance at that major.

Morikawa shot a final-round 66 to finish 15-under and hold off Jordan Spieth, the three-time major champion who also shot 66 to finish 13-under. Spieth shot in the 60s in all four rounds.

According to ESPN, Morikawa is the only player ever other than Tiger Woods to win the British Open and PGA Championship before turning 25 years old.

There was more heartbreak for Louis Oosthuizen, who led going into the final round but could not finish the job once again as he shot 1-over 71 on Sunday. He finished tied for third place with Jon Rahm after ending as the runner-up in this year’s PGA Championship and U.S. Open.

Rahm, who won his first career major at last year’s U.S. Open, shot a final-round 66.

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Judge, catcher Kyle Higashioka and infielder Gio Urshela are the position players in the protocol, per the report. Yankees GM Brian Cashman said Thursday that pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes and Wandy Peralta tested positive for COVID-19 and that three other players had tests “pending.” The results of those pending tests are still unknown.

Judge played in the MLB All-Star Game in Denver on Tuesday.

Thursday night’s Yankees-Red Sox game in The Bronx was postponed because of the Yankees’ COVID issues.

The Yankees are one of the teams who have reached MLB’s 85-percent vaccination threshold, but not every player has been vaccinated. Cashman said most, but not all, of the six players who either tested positive or might have tested positive, were vaccinated.

This is the team’s second COVID outbreak this season, both coming after a large majority of the team received vaccines.

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In their first major final in 55 years, the Three Lions fell to Italy on Sunday in the Euro 2020 final on penalty kicks, 3-2, at Wembley Stadium after it was 1-1 through extra time.

Bukayo Saka had a chance to tie it with the final penalty kick, but Gianluigi Donnarumma saved the shot to win it for Italy.

Luke Shaw scored the fastest goal in Euro final history at one minute, 57 seconds. But Leonardo Bonucci tied the game in the 67th minute.

England hasn’t won a major title since the 1966 World Cup.

This was the second Euro final ever decided by penalties and the first since 1976.

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Their series opener against the Pirates on Thursday night in Flushing was postponed due to rain. The teams will play a single-admission doubleheader on Saturday starting at 4:10 p.m., marking the Mets’ 10th doubleheader of the season.

The postponement is the Mets’ third in the last week. The first game of the Subway Series against the Yankees in The Bronx last Friday was postponed, as was their Tuesday night game against the Brewers at Citi Field. The Mets played doubleheaders on Sunday and Wednesday.

The Mets (45-38) are scheduled to play four games against the Pirates this weekend before the All-Star break.

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“So the first thing they teach you in journalism school is don’t be the story. And I don’t plan to break that rule today or distract from a fantastic Finals,” Nichols said to open “The Jump” on ESPN 2. “But I also don’t want to let this moment pass without saying how much I respect, how much I value our colleagues here at ESPN. How deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt, particularly Maria Taylor, and how grateful I am to be part of this outstanding team.”

Former NBA players Richard Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins, Nichols’ co-stars on “The Jump,” expressed support for Nichols.

Clips obtained by the New York Times showed Nichols talking to Adam Mendelsohn, an adviser to LeBron James, while she was in the NBA bubble last July. Nichols was unaware her video camera was on while she was on the phone, and it was recorded and uploaded to an ESPN server.

“I wish Maria Taylor all the success in the world — she covers football, she covers basketball,” Nichols said in one clip. “If you need to give her more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity — which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it — like, go for it. Just find it somewhere else. You are not going to find it from me or taking my thing away.

“I just want them to go somewhere else — it’s in my contract, by the way; this job is in my contract in writing,” Nichols added.

Many ESPN employees were “outraged” by Nichols’ comments in the video, The Times reported. An ESPN employee who is a part of the network’s NBA coverage told The Times that Nichols not getting punished over her comments was “an active source of pain.”

Taylor’s ESPN contract is set to expire in roughly two weeks. The Post’s Andrew Marchand reported last week she had turned down an offer that would’ve escalated to nearly $5 million a year.

Taylor has not commented publicly since the release of the clip and declined comment to The Times.

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The fan reached over the left-field fence to catch a ball off the bat of Jose Peraza that caused brief confusion about the outcome of the play.

Peraza cracked a ball toward the wall with the bases loaded, no outs and the score tied 5-5 after Aroldis Chapman imploded again, blowing another save. A fan in a blue Mets jersey used a glove to catch a ball that was clearly going to hit the top of the wall and was out of the reach of left fielder Tim Locastro.

Initially, all the Mets rounded the bases, but the umpires ruled it a ground-rule double and sent Peraza back to second base and Kevin Pillar to third. The Mets went up 7-5 and scored three more runs to finish with a 10-5 victory.

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With the Bucks winning the Eastern Conference finals by defeating the Hawks in Game 6 Saturday night, the longtime NBA play-by-play voice called his final game as the 80-year-old Brooklyn native heads off into retirement.

“I wish I was starting all over again. It has been such a joy. So for the last time, thanks so much for watching. I’m Marv Albert saying thank you, and goodnight,” Albert said in his final TNT signoff.

The Hall of Famer called his first Knicks game in 1963 and was a staple on Knicks and NBA broadcasts for the last 55 years.

“You gifted the game of basketball with your voice,” Albert’s broadcast partner Reggie Miller said on air.

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A story by Robert Snell this week outlined a 2007 transcript from the racketeering trial of Jack Giacalone, who was “a reputed organized crime leader in Metro Detroit,” according to the report. “Dandy” Don DeSeranno — whom The Detroit News described as “one of the biggest gamblers in Detroit history” — said in the transcript he “couldn’t pay” Mickelson $500,000 after booking a bet for him.

Mickelson wasn’t accused of wrongdoing, per the report, and his attorney, Glenn Cohen told ESPN the story was true. But the pair are angry about the report coming after something they say happened more than 20 years ago.

“I feel that Rob Snell made an article this week that was very opportunistic and selfish and irresponsible,” Mickelson said Thursday after shooting 3-under 69 in the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

The 51-year-old Mickelson was particularly upset because he says he normally wouldn’t play this week amid a busy schedule, but wanted to help the tournament. He said that after becoming the oldest golfer to win a major when he took home the PGA Championship in May, he put a lot of preparation into last month’s U.S. Open before playing at the Travelers Championship last week.

He’s at Detroit this week before teaming up with Tom Brady in “The Match” on Tuesday to face Bryson DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers. Mickelson will then play in the British Open in two weeks.

“It was so much effort for me to be here and to have that type of unnecessary attack — not like I care, It happened 20-something years ago — but it’s just the lack of appreciation,” Mickelson said. “Yeah, I don’t see that happening. I don’t see me coming back. Not that I don’t love the people here. They have been great. But not with that type of thing happening.”

Cohen told ESPN that Mickelson and some friends bet on sports and pooled together money for a large bet. He claimed the report was designed to “embarrass” Mickelson.

“The bottom line is Phil wasn’t paid. The guy who took the bet turned out to be a crook and Phil didn’t know it. But it’s irrelevant,” Cohen said. “Whether this guy was the worst human being alive or had anything to do with Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance, what is the newsworthiness of this article now? There isn’t any.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Tasch

Their Thursday matinee against the Angels in The Bronx was postponed due to rain in the forecast. The game will be made up on Aug. 16 at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees were facing a quick turnaround from their crushing Wednesday loss – which ended early Thursday morning because of a rain delay – in which Aroldis Chapman gave up a game-tying grand slam in the ninth and Lucas Luetge gave up three more runs in the 11-8 defeat.

“Terrible loss,” Aaron Boone said afterward.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Tasch

Mariners pitcher Hector Santiago was ejected from Sunday’s game against the White Sox during the fifth inning after umpires examined his glove as he was taken out for a new pitcher. Santiago, who was born in Newark and went to Bloomfield Tech in Bloomfield, N.J., is the first pitcher ejected since MLB’s new protocols on foreign substances began last Monday.

Santiago’s glove was taken away and will be analyzed further.

MLB began it’s crackdown last Monday, with Mets ace Jacob deGrom the first pitcher checked by umpires for illegal substances. The league issued a memo to teams stating pitchers will be subjected to ejections and 10-game suspensions if caught using foreign substances. Penalties will rise for repeat offenders.

Santiago, who pitched for the Mets in 2019, gave up one run on three hits and two walks while striking out four in 2 1/3 innings of relief on Sunday. He has a 2.65 ERA in nine appearances this season. Santiago was an All-Star with the Angels in 2015.

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And that is the limitations of a 53-man roster, every spot so precious that they must be reserved for the best possible players, meaning Tebow’s tight end experiment will likely be brief.

“That’s new to me. That’s the reality of the NFL that you have 90 players [before training camp cuts,]” Meyer told USA Today regarding the roster size when asked what Tebow needs to show to earn a spot.

“So to me, he’s one of 90. He’s a guy that’s — you know, what’s the difference between him and the other 40 guys trying to make the team? To me it’s all the same. This is their livelihood. This is a job. This is a way to make a living. And the reality is that a good percentage of your roster’s gonna get cut or transition out of here — which, to me, that’s completely new. In college, you’ve got your 85, 95 guys and you fit them in and you put the puzzle together. It’s much different here.”

The Jaguars signed Tebow, 33, last month after he had a tryout as a tight end and was with the team for offseason practices. The former Heisman Trophy winner — whom Meyer coached in college at Florida — hasn’t played in the NFL since 2012 with the Jets after three seasons as a quarterback. He had stints with the Patriots and Eagles, the latter coming in 2015, but never made another regular-season roster.

Tebow, a college football analyst for the SEC Network, then embarked on a minor-league baseball career with the Mets in 2016 before retiring from baseball earlier this year.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Tasch

The Rangers legend has been hired by ESPN as an NHL studio analyst on a multiyear deal, the network announced Thursday.

“The game of hockey, and the NHL, have afforded me enormous opportunity, success and experiences on the ice and in my life,” Messier said in a release. “My passion for the game is as strong as it has ever been and I am looking forward to sharing that passion, plus my insights and analysis with the sport’s incredible fans.”

Messier, 60, has previously made guest appearances on Versus and NBC’s NHL coverage.

The six-time Stanley Cup champion — who led the Rangers to their 1994 Stanley Cup win, ending the franchise’s 54-year title drought — made waves last month during an interview on ESPN New York’s “The Michael Kay Show” just hours after Jim Dolan dumped his president and general manager.

“I’ve made it very clear that I’ve been standing by ready to help out in any way for many years,” Messier said on May 5. “I don’t really know what else to say.”

The former Rangers captain said he could “one thousand percent” coach without any prior experience; this was a week before new president-GM Chris Drury fired David Quinn.

Messier, who previously was a special assistant to former general manager Glen Sather, was considered for the Blueshirts’ head-coaching job in 2013 before they hired Alain Vigneault.

ESPN has already added former Rangers goalie Kevin Weekes as well as Ray Ferraro and Brian Boucher as analysts. Leah Hextall was hired to do play-by-play and other roles. Messier’s former teammate, NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, recently joined TNT as an analyst.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Tasch

The Indiana Pacers are hiring Carlisle to be their new head coach, according to multiple reports. The 61-year-old is getting a four-year, $29 million contract, per ESPN.

Carlisle was previously the Pacers’ head coach for four seasons — he was fired in 2007 — before his 13-year run with the Dallas Mavericks. Carlisle, who led the Mavs to an NBA championship in 2011, left the organization last week. He was also an assistant with the Pacers before his first head-coaching gig with the Detroit Pistons.

The Pacers now have the experienced, championship-winning coach they hope can get them over the hump after a failed experiment with Nate Bjorkgren, whom they fired two weeks ago after one turmoil-filled season. The Pacers went 34-38 this season, finishing in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. They crushed the Hornets in the first game of the play-in tournament but lost to the Washington Wizards to miss out on the final playoff spot. Bjorkgren was an assistant on the Raptors’ 2019 championship team.

Carlisle’s Dallas departure added to an already tumultuous offseason for the Mavericks, who parted ways with longtime GM Donnie Nelson amid a report from The Athletic that Luka Doncic’s future with the team is in doubt. The report pointed to the influence of Haralabos Voulgaris, the team’s director of quantitative research and development, on Mark Cuban’s decision-making as the source of friction.

After leading the Mavericks to an NBA title, Carlisle has not won a playoff series since. His Mavericks got bounced in the first round six times, including each of the last two seasons, and missed the playoffs four times. He led the Pacers to four playoff appearances during his first stint with Indiana, reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 2004.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Tasch

An MRI exam on Marcus Stroman’s hip showed no significant issues, The Post’s Mike Puma reports, and the right-hander is considered day-to-day.

The 30-year-old left during the second inning of the Mets’ loss to the Braves on Tuesday night.

“Everything’s gonna be okay,” Stroman wrote on Twitter Wednesday morning.

The Mets have been devastated by injuries, including several big blows to their pitching staff, and have dealt with several close calls with ace Jacob deGrom.

Joey Lucchesi, who had been turning his season around, needs Tommy John surgery and is out for the year. Robert Gsellman won’t throw for six weeks after tearing his lat, and Jeurys Familia is on the injured list with a right hip impingement. All of those injuries were suffered within the last week.

Stroman has been one of the pillars of the Mets’ success this year, pitching to a 2.32 ERA over 85.1 innings.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Tasch

Owner Steve Cohen announced the news in an email to Mets employees on Monday. Lindvall and Cohen will stay with the team during a transition period while the team looks to fill their roles.

The Mets hired WilmerHale after general manager Jared Porter was fired for harassing a female journalist in 2016 with lewd text messages while Porter was with the Cubs. Former Mets manager Mickey Callaway was also accused of harassing female reporters while he was with the club. Former minor league coordinator Ryan Ellis was let go after three women reported inappropriate conduct to human resources.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Tasch

Aaron Boone told reporters Tuesday that Severino suffered a “low grade 2 groin strain” during his rehab start on Saturday.

Severino has been working his way back from Tommy John surgery. The Yankees were hopeful the 27-year-old right-hander could return by the end of the month, but it now appears he won’t be ready until at least the end of July.

The Yankees are also without right-hander Corey Kluber, who’s on the injured list with a shoulder strain.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Tasch

The Nets on Monday ruled out Kyrie Irving and James Harden for Game 5 of their second-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, leaving Kevin Durant as the only member of the Big 3 standing.

Irving suffered a right ankle sprain Sunday, while Harden has not played since the opening minute of Game 1 because of right hamstring tightness.

Brooklyn, which hosts Game 5 Tuesday at Barclays Center, dropped Game 4 on Sunday after Irving hurt his ankle falling onto Giannis Antetokounmpo’s foot in the first half.

Harden was injured 43 seconds into the Nets’ Game 1 win.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Tasch

Hill was still allowed by local Arizona referee Al Guinee to take punishment from Craig as his arm gruesomely dangled before the bout was finally stopped. Guinee received criticism afterward for taking too long to step in.

“When an arm is flopping around like [that] and going both ways, you should probably stop the fight,” UFC president Dana White said. “Arizona’s been very, very good to us. I don’t want to s—t on Arizona after they’ve been so good to us, but that’s a rough one. I hear this guy’s a jiu-jitsu black belt.”

White then jokingly called Guinee the “Arizona Mazzagatti,” referring to Steve Mazzagatti, a former UFC ref infamous for his poor decision-making.

Retired UFC referee John McCarthy took to Twitter to address the fight — which was ultimately stopped at 1:59 of the first round via technical submission — pointing the finger at the Arizona athletic commission.

“This is where you as the A/C have to take responsibility,” McCarthy wrote. “Did you put the very best person in that cage with the fighters? You like your local guy who does all your local events, but when your referee stands by unaware that a man’s arm has been dislocated, we have serious issues.”

White said he couldn’t “f–king believe” that Hill’s arm wasn’t broken, telling reporters the arm was popped back in and Hill has full range of motion.

“I’m ok!!! To the ppl that support me I love u all!!” Hill, who took his first career MMA loss (8-1,) wrote on Twitter after the fight. “@PCraigmma thank u for the lesson I will be back and stronger because of it!!! This is part of the game an I will accept it and keep moving forward!!!”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Tasch