July 22, 2026 4:26 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Max Fried will come off the injured list ahead of schedule Wednesday to pitch for the New York Yankees in the second game of their day-night doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The ace left-hander has been sidelined since May 14 because of a left elbow bone bruise and had been lined up to make a second minor league rehab start Wednesday. But when the Yankees announced their starting pitching plans Tuesday night for Wednesday’s twinbill, they listed Gerrit Cole in the opener and Fried in Game 2. Fried, a three-time All-Star, is 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA in 10 starts for New York this season. He threw 52 pitches over three innings last Friday in a rehab outing for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
July 22, 2026 4:29 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball players have proposed expanding eligibility for the amateur draft rather than decreasing it, maintaining 20 rounds of selections and moving it back to June. It’s another signal the sport is heading to a labor confrontation this offseason. The union proposed allowing college sophomores to be eligible for the draft along with those finishing their junior years. That’s a group eligible under the current rules along with high school seniors. Players proposed moving the draft back to June, when it was held through 2020. They asked that draft slot values continue to be increased at the same percentage as industry revenue through 2027.
July 22, 2026 4:28 am
The World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico wasn’t perfect, but has still been widely hailed as a success. The tournament featured 48 teams and 104 games, with stars like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé captivating audiences. Despite some political issues and weather challenges, the games mostly went smoothly. Fox and Telemundo reported strong viewership, with the Spain-Argentina final drawing millions. Fox said Tuesday that the Spain-Argentina game drew 38.937 million viewers — including a peak of 51.685 million — which easily set the record as the most-watched English language soccer telecast in U.S. history, according to Nielsen Media Research.
July 21, 2026 4:30 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered in consecutive at-bats against All-Star Braxton Ashcraft and drove in five runs, powering the New York Yankees to an 8-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both benches and bullpens emptied after José Caballero bounced into an inning-ending double play against Pirates reliever Dennis Santana in the eighth. Santana became heated and started yelling at Caballero on the field. The right-hander was restrained by teammates before order was restored after a few minutes without any punches or ejections. On a night when New York squandered an early four-run cushion, Chisholm’s 10th career multihomer game and first since Sept. 2 last year helped the Yankees win for the third time in their last 12 home games.
Pirates reliever Dennis Santana said he yelled at José Caballero for taking too long to get ready in the batter’s box, triggering a heated altercation in Monday’s loss to the New York Yankees. Both benches and bullpens emptied after Caballero bounced into an inning-ending double play in the eighth. Santana got angry following the play, gesturing and shouting a few times at Caballero on the field. The right-hander was restrained by teammates Rafael Flores and Bryan Reynolds before order was restored after a few minutes without any punches or ejections.
July 21, 2026 4:33 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey says the SEC is having serious talks about breaking away from the NCAA. On Monday, Sankey explained that school presidents are frustrated and considering significant changes. However, he emphasized that this isn’t their preferred solution. The SEC is dealing with issues like Congressional legislation, new eligibility rules, and transparency around player payments. Despite these challenges, Sankey highlighted the league’s 13 national championships last season as a reason to stay within the current framework. He believes there’s value in participating in a national organization.
July 21, 2026 4:31 am
MADRID (AP) — Spain’s World Cup-winning soccer team has returned home to an estimated crowd of almost 2 million. The 26 players and their coaching staff met with the country’s royals and then with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez after arriving in the Spanish capital a day after beating Argentina 1-0 in the final in New Jersey. The team then boarded an open-top bus for a raucous parade through central Madrid. “Stars shine together” was written on the bus, which also carried photos of the footballers. Players danced and interacted with the fans along the route.
July 20, 2026 4:46 am
CLEVELAND (AP) — Paul Skenes allowed one run and struck out eight in seven innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-1. Skenes went at least seven innings for the first time since May 12. The All-Star right-hander gave up seven hits. Billy Cook had a career-high three hits and drove in two runs, Esmerlyn Valdez continued his torrid July with a two-run homer in the ninth and Nick Gonzales had two doubles for the Pirates. Steven Kwan had two hits for Cleveland.
July 20, 2026 4:46 am
CLEVELAND (AP) — Esmerlyn Valdez’s strong start to his major league career is showing no signs of slowing down. The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie outfielder’s two-run homer in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians made him the fourth player in major league history with at least 12 homers and 31 RBIs in their first 31 games. The 22-year-old Valdez, nicknamed “The Magician” because his first name sounds like Merlin, has hit safely in 19 of his past 22 games He is the first Pirates hitter with an extra-base hit and RBI in seven straight games since Willie Stargell in 1971.
July 20, 2026 4:48 am
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Spain substitute Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute to give his team a 1-0 win over defending champion Argentina in the World Cup final. Spain was absolutely dominant in terms of possession and shot attempts. Lionel Messi and Argentina found a way to hang on and force extra time — but barely. And in the opening moment of the second 15-minute period of extra time, Torres pounced on a bouncing ball in the box and used his left foot to bury a shot just under the crossbar and into the back of the net.
July 20, 2026 4:49 am
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Ryan Fox capped off an amazing week at the British Open with a finish he won’t forget. The 39-year-old from New Zealand made a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 68 to capture his first major championship. It was only the fifth birdie on the tough closing hole at Royal Birkdale on Sunday. It gave Fox a one-shot victory over hard-luck Cameron Young. The American shot a 64 and waited more than two hours to see if it would hold up. It almost did until Fox kept bouncing back from bogeys and finished with a birdie.
