April 3, 2026 4:23 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up 19-year-old shortstop Konnor Griffin, the top prospect in baseball, before the club’s home opener against the Baltimore Orioles. A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press the club is making the move because Griffin is the best shortstop in the organization. Griffin hit .438 with three doubles, an RBI and three stolen bases at Triple-A Indianapolis. Griffin’s arrival comes less than two years after the Pirates selected him with the ninth pick in the 2024 draft. He rocketed through the lower minors last season, hitting .333 with 21 homers, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases.
April 3, 2026 4:26 am
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Kirk Cousins has agreed to a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. His agent announced the agreement on Thursday morning. Cousins gives them a veteran quarterback to help ease the expected selection of Fernando Mendoza with the top draft pick. Cousins posted “The Autumn Wind…” in a nod to the Raiders’ theme that is played before every home game and was made famous by NFL Films. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak and general manager John Spytek telegraphed this kind of move, saying they wouldn’t want to throw a rookie quarterback into the starting lineup.
April 2, 2026 10:49 am
It’s official, the Pirates are promoting MLB’s top prospect Konnor Griffin. The 19 year old shortstop will make his major league debut at Friday’s home opener at PNC Park. He was selected ninth overall by the Pirates in the 2024 draft out of Jackson Prep High School in Jackson, Mississippi. He played in just five games with Triple-A Indianapolis and had seven hits in 16 at bats with three doubles.
April 2, 2026 2:38 am
CINCINNATI (AP) — Oneil Cruz had a three-run homer, his third in two games, Paul Skenes allowed one run in five innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 to take the three-game series. Eugenio Suárez had a pinch-hit, two-run shot in the sixth inning for the Reds. Cruz then connected on a 2-1 curveball that was over the bottom part of the plate and drove it 407 feet over the wall in right field. Skenes returned to his All-Star form after giving up five runs in two-thirds of an inning in last Thursday’s opener against the New York Mets. The reigning NL Cy Young winner allowed three hits, walked two and struck out five.
April 2, 2026 4:29 am
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self is returning for a 24th season with the Jayhawks. The program released a statement Wednesday. That confirmed his return to a program where he has won 21 regular-season conference championships, reached four Final Fours and won two national championships. The Jayhawks fell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They lost on a buzzer-beater to St. John’s and fellow Hall of Famer Rick Pitino. Health has been an issue for Self in recent years. He had two stents inserted in 2023 and two more last year. He made a precautionary hospital trip earlier this year.
April 2, 2026 4:28 am
Tiger Woods has formally turned down the Ryder Cup captaincy as he steps away from golf activities. And a Florida judge approved his motion to leave the country to seek treatment. These developments come a day after Woods entered a not guilty plea to suspicion of driving under the influence. His SUV clipped a trailer and flipped on its side last week near his home in Florida. Woods posted a statement Tuesday night saying he was stepping away indefinitely to focus on his health. His attorney, Douglas Duncan, said Woods needs comprehensive inpatient treatment that cannot be done safely in the United States.
March 31, 2026 4:28 am
CINCINNATI (AP) — Oneil Cruz homered twice and Ryan O’Hearn hit a three-run shot as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-3. O’Hearn and Bryan Reynolds went back-to-back in the second inning. Cruz finished with three hits and three RBIs. He also scored three times. The Reds were held hitless until Jose Trevino singled off reliever Hunter Barco with one out in the seventh. Pirates rookie starter Bubba Chandler tossed 4 1/3 innings with six strikeouts, but also walked six. Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz hit consecutive homers off Barco to trim the Pirates’ lead to 6-3 in the eighth.Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly was ejected in the eighth for arguing with plate umpire Jordan Baker.
April 1, 2026 4:30 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rickard Rakell, Anthony Mantha and Egor Chinakov scored first-period goals as the Penguins raced past Detroit 5-1. Evgeni Malkin added an assist for his 1,399th career point in his return from an upper-body injury that forced him to miss four games. The Penguins remained in second place in the Metropolitan Division with the victory. Dylan Larkin scored his 30th of the season but Detroit’s postseason hopes took another hit following its fourth loss in five games.
April 1, 2026 4:32 am
PHOENIX (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he has no plans to end the league’s Rooney Rule despite recent objections from Florida’s attorney general, who wrote that the league’s minority hiring guidelines violate Florida state law. Goodell was speaking on Tuesday at the end of the NFL league meetings. He acknowledged the changing political landscape for diversity initiatives in the U.S., but added that he didn’t believe there should be any legal issues with the league’s policy. Also on Tuesday, the NFL’s competition committee approved a one-year rule for the upcoming season that would allow the replay center in New York to correct “clear and obvious mistakes made by on-field officials that impact the game” in case of a work stoppage involving the NFL Referees Association.
April 1, 2026 4:31 am
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods says he’ll step away and seek treatment after his SUV crash in Florida. Woods made his comments Tuesday, four days after the crash that led to his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. Woods pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in his driving under the influence case. The plea came hours after a sheriff’s report said he had pain pills in his pocket and showed signs of impairment at the crash scene last week. I’s the second time Woods has taken a leave following a car crash. In 2009, he announced a leave after his SUV plowed into a fire hydrant and tree outside his home near Orlando.
