Category: Sports

New Zealand’s Black Ferns may be the world champions, but in the northern hemisphere, there is no fixture that comes close to England vs France in women’s rugby. 

In saying that, the Red Roses have been utterly dominant of recent times and travel to the Stade Chaban-Delmas on Saturday seeking a third Grand Slam in succession – nobody has ever won more than three clean-sweeps in a row – and sixth consecutive title.

Yet, while England routinely beat their Celtic neighbours and Italy by scores in excess of 30 or 40 points (sometimes significantly more), Tests vs France are always that bit more competitive.

And when the games are in France, even more so.

Indeed, last year’s history-making Grand Slam-decider between the sides – a first ever standalone Red Roses Test at Twickenham in front of a world record 58,498 crowd – saw France push England all the way in a 38-33 Red Roses win.

In their World Cup pool meeting in 2022, France were arguably the better side as England edged to a 13-7 win Auckland, while the 2022 Six Nations meeting saw England come from behind to win 24-12 in Bayonne.

In 2021, England beat France twice by extremely narrow margins: 17-15 in Lille when, again, France had the better of a lot the game, which was controversially abandoned with 18 minutes left due to a floodlight failure, and 10-6 at Twickenham in the Six Nations as Emily Scarratt struck a final-minute insurance penalty.

In 2020 and 2019, England also won contests by two points: Scarratt kicking a penalty to win 25-23 with the last kick at Twickenham, and Lydia Thompson scoring in the final minute to win 17-15 at Sandy Park.

Invariably, contests are close and decide titles. Indeed, France’s last Six Nations trophy lift in 2018 saw them beat England with a final-minute try themselves in Grenoble.

“I’m excited, it’s Test match rugby and that’s what we train hard for. What we want is that competition and that challenge,” Red Roses No 8 Alex Matthews said.

“France always show up against us and bring another level. They have been growing throughout the campaign, but they will definitely show up and I think show something that we haven’t seen so far over the last few weeks.

“We have to be ready for all options and give it our best.”

Mitchell wants Red Roses playing on the edge, despite Women’s Six Nations red cards

In November 2022, the Red Roses faced New Zealand at Eden Park in the World Cup final as massive favourites. Wing Thompson was sent off in the 18th minute for a high tackle, and it cost England badly as they fell to a 34-31 defeat.

Despite dominating the world game ahead of the tournament, the Red Roses fell at the final hurdle, with the big picture being they haven’t won a World Cup since 2014.

This year, the Red Roses have been shown two red cards in four matches, with No 8 Sarah Beckett dismissed after 11 minutes in the opener against Italy for a dangerous clear-out and hooker Amy Cokayne sent off after two yellow cards for dangerous tackles against Scotland on 55 minutes.

Despite this, Mitchell has instructed his England team to continue playing on the edge irrespective of the disciplinary issues that have marred their campaign so far.

In both Tests, England crushed their opponents despite being reduced to 14 players, while scrum-half Lucy Packer was also sin-binned in victory against Ireland, giving away a penalty try for a maul collapse. Centre Helena Rowland was sin-binned too against Italy, reducing England to 13 players for a time in Parma.

While Mitchell wants technique to be refined where needed, he views his team’s physicality as an important weapon.

“I want us to continue to play on the edge, but I also want us to be aware around how we need to change our behaviour,” the Red Roses head coach said.

“In Amy’s incident, she needs to get her head under the ball. Obviously that’s something you put the ownership on the individual to change.

“There’s some good things we’ve learned from it, but we’re certainly not going to go away from being on the edge. It’s what drives us. It’s what the game’s all about and we want to turn defence into points.”

It hasn’t proven costly against teams beaten 48-0, 46-10, 46-0 and 88-10 this year, but an early red card away to France would change the game, as it did in that World Cup final.

England need to be wary of their discipline to avoid previous costly mistakes on the biggest occasions.

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1. QB CALEB WILLIAMS (Chicago Bears)

2. QB JAYDEN DANIELS (Washington Commanders)

3. QB DRAKE MAYE (New England Patriots)

4. WR MARVIN HARRISON JR. (Arizona Cardinals)

5. OT JOE ALT (LA Chargers)

6. WR MALIK NABERS (NY Giants)

7. OT JC LATHAM (Tennessee Titans)

8. QB MICHAEL PENIX JR. (Atlanta Falcons)

9. WR ROME ODUNZE (Chicago Bears)

10. QB JJ McCARTHY (Minnesota Vikings)

11. OT OLU FASHANU (NY Jets)

12. QB BO NIX (Denver Broncos)

13. TE BROCK BOWERS (Las Vegas Raiders)

14. OT TALIESE FUAGA (New Orleans Saints)

15. DE LAIATU LATU (Indianapolis Colts)

16. DL BYRON MURPHY (Seattle Seahawks)

17. LB DALLAS TURNER (Minnesota Vikings)

18. OT AMARIUS MIMS (Cincinnai Bengals)

19. DE JARED VERSE (LA Rams)

20. TROY FAUTANU (Pittsburgh Steelers)

21. LB CHOP ROBINSON (Miami Dolphins)

22. CB QUINYON MITCHELL (Philadelphia Eagles)

23. WR BRIAN THOMAS JR. (Jacksonville Jaguars)

24. CB TERRION ARNOLD (Detroit Lions)

25. OT JORDAN MORGAN (Green Bay Packers)

26. C GRAHAM BARTON (Tampa Bay Bucs)

27. DE DARIUS ROBINSON (Arizona Cardinals)

28. WR XAVIER WORTHY (Kansas City Chiefs)

29. OT TYLER GUYTON (Dallas Cowboys)

*****

30. CB NATE WIGGINS (Baltimore Ravens)

31. WR RICKY PEARSALL (San Francisco 49ers)

32. WR XAVIER LEGETTE (Carolina Panthers)

CHICAGO — The Bears unveiled a nearly $5 billion proposal Wednesday for an enclosed stadium next door to their current home at Soldier Field as part of a major project that would transform the city’s lakefront, and they are asking for public funding to help make it happen.

The plan calls for $3.2 billion for the new stadium plus an additional $1.5 billion in infrastructure. The team and the city said the project would add green and open space while improving access to the city’s Museum Campus and also could include a publicly owned hotel.

“This is not an easy project, but Chicago doesn’t like it easy,” Bears president Kevin Warren said.

The process, the vision and the steps that need to be taken to build a #StadiumForChicago ⤵️

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 24, 2024

The announcement at Soldier Field comes during a busy week for the Bears. They are expected to take 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the draft Thursday night and bank on the USC quarterback to solidify a position that has long been a sore spot for the founding NFL franchise.

The team said last month it was prepared to provide more than $2 billion in funding toward a publicly owned stadium in the city.

The proposal calls for $2.025 billion from the Bears, $300 million from an NFL loan and $900 million in bonds from the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. The funding from the ISFA would involve extending bonds of the existing 2% hotel tax.

The Bears said the project would generate $8 billion in economic impact for the region. It would be built in three phases, and construction would take up to five years. The new stadium would be constructed on a parking lot just south of Soldier Field, the Bears’ home since 1971. The team’s lease at the 100-year-old stadium runs through 2033.

Mayor Brandon Johnson gave a full-throated endorsement, saying the project is in line with Daniel Burnham’s 1909 “Plan of Chicago.” Johnson said there would be no tax hikes or new taxes for Chicago residents.

Renderings show the Bears’ stadium would have a translucent roof and massive glass panels that would bring in sunlight and allow for views of Chicago’s famed skyline. The plan is to host major concerts throughout the year as well as Super Bowls, Final Fours and Big Ten championship games.

Although Soldier Field’s famed colonnades would be preserved, the spaceship-like stadium that was installed in the renovation two decades ago would be torn out and replaced by playing fields and park space. The plan calls for a pedestrian mall, food and beverage options, a promenade and a plaza.

“My administration insisted that any new project — especially one on public land — must deliver strong public benefit and public use for the City of Chicago, and I am pleased today that this plan does exactly that,” Johnson said.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, however, said he wasn’t on board.

“I remain skeptical about this proposal, and I wonder whether it’s a good deal for the taxpayers,” Pritzker told reporters Wednesday at an unrelated news conference. “I’m not sure this is among the highest priorities for taxpayers.”

Johnson, however, said that the financing for the project will not implement “any new taxes on the residents of the city of Chicago.”

Illinois’ top legislative leaders also were doubtful.

“If we were to put this issue on the board for a vote right now, it would fail, and it would fail miserably,” Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said at an unrelated news conference. “There is no environment for something like this today.”

However, he added that the environment in Springfield does change.

The proposal comes as two other Chicago sports teams, the White Sox and Red Stars, have expressed interest in public funding for new stadiums.

Warren, who replaced the retired Ted Phillips a year ago, played a big role in the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis through a public-private partnership when he worked in the Minnesota Vikings‘ front office from 2005 to 2019.

The Bears spent $197.2 million over a year ago to purchase the site of the shuttered Arlington International Racecourse from Churchill Downs Inc. They envisioned building a stadium on the 326-acre tract of land some 30 miles northwest of Soldier Field, with restaurants, retail and more on the property — all for about $5 billion, with some taxpayer help.

The Bears had said they would pay for the stadium in Arlington Heights, with taxpayer dollars covering infrastructure costs such as roads and sewers. Those plans stalled, with the team citing a property assessment it said was too high.

By staying in Chicago, the Bears would remain tenants rather than owning a stadium in Arlington Heights. But Warren said he sees it as more of a partnership with the city rather than a landlord-tenant relationship.

“I believe in Mayor Johnson,” Warren said. “I believe in his staff, his vision; I believe in this city. I don’t look at it as being a renter. I look at it as being able to develop a relationship, to be able to come together. People asked that same question in Minnesota: Why would you want to be a renter?”

ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The pace that players are entering the transfer portal has slowed in the last two weeks, but some recent decisions by impact players have altered the rankings significantly.

Since our last update, Aaronette Vonleh left Colorado and sharpshooter Aaliyah Nye moved on from Alabama, putting two more players in the portal who each have one season remaining and could change the outlook for some major conference program.

Kiki Iriafen, who is moving on from Stanford, is the top player in the rankings who has yet to pick her destination.

Georgia Amoore, who made a quick decision to move from Virginia Tech to Kentucky to rejoin former Hokies’ head coach Kenny Brooks, remains our top-ranked transfer.

None of the eight players, including four starters, who are in the portal from Oregon State have selected their next school yet, but those decisions will have seismic impact on 2024-25.

The rankings have also shifted based on where certain players have landed. Fit matters, and it has elevated some players, such as Grace VanSlooten, on the list.

All college basketball transfers must be in the portal by May 1. More names could be added between now and then, but the focus the new few weeks will mostly turn to where these players will land.

Last updated: April 25

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1. Georgia Amoore, 5-6, G, Sr., Virginia Tech Hokies

Committed to Kentucky Wildcats
Amoore’s move to Kentucky to follow Brooks was no surprise after four years together in Blacksburg. Brooks can rebuild the Wildcats around a proven leader, scorer and All-American-caliber point guard. She averaged 18.6 points and an ACC-leading 6.8 assists this season. Amoore, along with Elizabeth Kitley and Brooks, changed Virginia Tech basketball, and was a likely first-round pick had she entered the WNBA draft. A two-time All-American (third team this year, honorable mention last), Amoore will be a game-changer for Kentucky, especially if her presence draws more players to Lexington. She will already be joined by former Hokies teammate Clara Strack, a 6-foot-5 center.

2. Kiki Iriafen, 6-3, F, Jr., Stanford Cardinal

The Pac-12’s most improved player and the leading scorer for the Cardinal, Iriafen became a star even playing alongside All-American Cameron Brink. Iriafen went from 6.7 points per game as a sophomore to 19.4 this season, and also pulled down 11.0 rebounds per contest. Her 41-point game against Iowa State likely saved Stanford from a second consecutive second-round NCAA tournament loss. Iriafen is from Los Angeles and has one year of eligibility remaining. With her versatility and efficiency as a scorer, Iriafen’s decision will have a major impact on the national landscape heading into next season.

3. Raegan Beers, 6-4, F, Soph., Oregon State Beavers

Beers is the most significant player on the Beavers’ roster to enter the transfer portal. She led Oregon State in scoring (17.5 PPG) and rebounding (10.6 RPG) and the country in field goal percentage (66.4%). She was the Pac-12’s freshman and sixth player of the year in 2023 and was a third-team All-American this season. One of the best post players in the country, Beers recorded 16 double-doubles despite missing time late in the season with a broken nose.

4. Charlisse Leger-Walker, 5-10, G, Sr., Washington State Cougars

The most important player in Cougar history leaves after guiding the program through its most successful period. Three NCAA tournament trips and a Pac-12 tournament title are as much a part of Leger-Walker’s legacy as her three honorable mention All-American selections and career averages of 16.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The New Zealand native suffered an ACL tear in January, which could impact her availability for the start of next season.

5. Lucy Olsen, 5-9, G, Jr., Villanova Wildcats

Committed to Iowa Hawkeyes
Only Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins averaged more points per game this season than Olsen. After the departure of Maddy Siegrist, Olsen thrived as the Wildcats’ new go-to player, jumping from 12.4 to 23.2 points per game and earning Big East most improved player honors. She also led the conference in minutes played and started all 105 of Villanova’s games over the past three seasons.

6. Timea Gardiner, 6-3, F, Soph., Oregon State Beavers

In Gardiner, Scott Rueck also has to say goodbye to the highest-rated high school player he ever brought to Corvallis. A McDonald’s All American out of Utah, Gardiner only played 15 games as a freshman because of injuries, but she had a breakout sophomore season, winning the Pac-12’s sixth player of the year. A good shooter (39.5% on 3-pointers) with size, Gardiner has two years of eligibility remaining.

7. Laila Phelia, 6-0, G, Jr., Michigan Wolverines

Committed to Texas Longhorns
Phelia’s decision to transfer is devastating for the Wolverines, who have lost six players to the transfer portal, but a huge boost for Texas. The first-team all-Big Ten selection, who led Michigan with 16.8 points per game, will be one of the country’s best third options in an offense that will also feature the return of Rori Harmon and Madison Booker. Phelia can shoot the 3-pointer (41.7% as a sophomore) and post up smaller guards, providing some extra versatility to the Longhorns’ offense.

8. Aaronette Vonleh, 6-3, F, Jr., Colorado Buffaloes

After earning first-team all-Pac-12 honors and establishing herself as one of the best centers in the country this season, Vonleh is leaving an already depleted Buffaloes team. Colorado now has now six players in the portal and is losing another five to graduation. Vonleh is the biggest loss. She averaged 14.0 points on 54.9% shooting one season after being named the Pac-12’s most improved player. Colorado reached the Sweet 16 in both of Vonleh’s seasons there.

9. Deja Kelly, 5-8, G, Sr., North Carolina Tar Heels

While her play might have been streaky, Kelly was the leader on North Carolina teams that consistently performed, making four straight NCAA tournaments. That was after the Tar Heels missed five of the six tournaments before her arrival. Kelly — who ranks eighth in career scoring in Tar Heel history — averaged 16.3 points and 3.2 assists per game this season.

10. Janiah Barker, 6-4, F, Soph., Texas A&M Aggies

The highest-rated recruit in Aggies history is leaving College Station. Barker was the No. 3 prospect in 2022, according to HoopGurlz, but has struggled to live up to those expectations and will seek a fresh start. In 49 games at Texas A&M (an injury limited Barker to 19 as a freshman), she averaged 12.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Barker has the size and all-around skill set to be an impact player immediately at another major conference school. Finding the consistency she never found with the Aggies will be key.

11. Kaitlyn Chen, 5-9, G, Sr., Princeton Tigers

The precedent has been set. Abby Meyers at Maryland and McKenzie Forbes (Harvard), Kayla Padilla (Penn) and Kaitlyn Davis (Columbia) at USC are all Ivy League grad transfers who have made an impact in a major conference. With the Ivy not allowing players who have graduated to continue playing, Chen made it clear she plans to play after Princeton, and she has been in the portal since the fall. The 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year and assist leader this season, Chen could step into any contender’s backcourt and upgrade its playmaking.

12. Talia von Oelhoffen, 5-11, G, Sr., Oregon State Beavers

The veteran leader of the young Beavers leaves the program after four years. Statistically, Von Oelhoffen is coming off the worst season of her career with 10.7 points per game on 38.7% shooting. But she led an Oregon State team otherwise made up of freshmen and sophomores to a surprise season and an impressive run to the Elite Eight. Von Oelhoffen can play either guard spot and will have one year of eligibility after earning her degree from Oregon State.

13. Grace VanSlooten, 6-3, F, Soph., Oregon Ducks

Committed to Michigan State Spartans
The Ducks went just 31-36 in VanSlooten’s two seasons in Eugene, and she is the best of four players to bolt the program. The Toledo native gets closer to home in East Lansing and helps the Spartans compensate for the losses of Moira Joiner (exhausted eligibility) and DeeDee Hagemann (transfer). VanSlooten, who averaged 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds at Oregon but might not yet have realized the potential that made her a top-15 recruit in 2022, should pair well with Julia Ayrault, who is staying at Michigan State for her extra season.

14. Hailey Van Lith, 5-7, G, Sr., LSU Tigers

Committed to TCU Horned Frogs
After a disappointing one season with the Tigers, Van Lith will finish her career at a third school. A likely move back to her more natural two-guard position awaits on a team that has been welcoming to transfers over the past two seasons under Mark Campbell. Van Lith struggled to transition to point guard this past season, and after averaging 14.4 and 19.7 points per game in her final two seasons at Louisville, Van Lith’s production dipped to 11.6 PPG this season. Her shooting percentage also was a career-worst 37.8%. Perhaps a new school can rekindle the clutch play that Van Lith was known for with the Cardinals. She averaged 23.8 PPG in four NCAA tournament games in 2023 and played in three Elite Eights with Louisville.

15. Liza Karlen, 6-2, F, Sr., Marquette Golden Eagles

Coach Megan Duffy left two days after Karlen entered the transfer portal, and Marquette is now losing its top five scorers. Karlen is the best of the bunch, coming off her most impressive college season. She was the Big East’s fourth-leading scorer (17.7 PPG) and sixth-best rebounder (7.9 RPG), with a career-high 25 3-pointers made.

16. Liatu King, 6-0, F, Sr., Pittsburgh Panthers

One of the most improved players in the country, King is leaving the Panthers after four years and will use her extra year of eligibility. After averaging 9.4 points per game as a junior, King exploded to 18.7 PPG this season, good for sixth in the ACC. Her 10.3 rebounds per game was second only to Kitley in the conference. Perhaps most impressive, King made 52.3% of her field goal attempts, all 2-pointers, on a Pitt team that finished 8-24 overall and tied for last in the ACC.

17. Ajae Petty, 6-3, F, Sr., Kentucky Wildcats

Committed to Ohio State Buckeyes
Kevin McGuff still has Cotie McMahon to build around but needed veteran talent to keep the Buckeyes competitive in the expanded Big Ten. Petty should give him an inside presence with versatility that he didn’t have this past season. A significantly better player this season than she was in the first three years of her career, Petty went from 5.7 points per game in 2022-23 to 14.7 in 2023-24. She was also playing her best basketball at the end of the season and ranked third in the SEC in rebounding (10.6 RPG) and fourth in field goal percentage (50.7%). With more talent around her, Petty, who began her career at LSU, could be even better.

18. Taliah Scott, 5-9, G, Fr., Arkansas Razorbacks

Committed to Auburn Tigers
With 29 and 25 points in her first two college games, Scott was in the same conversation as JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Madison Booker. The scoring remained (22.1 PPG), but the efficiency dipped and the turnovers rose. Injuries cost Scott some games in January, and then she ended her season in mid-February, citing family reasons before leaving the program altogether.

19. Aaliyah Nye, 6-0, G, Sr., Alabama Crimson Tide

The Crimson Tide’s momentum after advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament for just the second time in 25 years took a big blow when second-leading scorer Nye entered the portal. In her second season at Alabama, Nye became one of the SEC’s best shooters. She shot 41.5% from 3-point range and averaged 14.1 points per game. Only Caitlin Clark and Dyaisha Fair made more 3-pointers this season than Nye, who set the Alabama single-season record with 108.

20. Shayeann Day-Wilson, 5-6, G, Jr., Miami Hurricanes

Committed to LSU Tigers
Van Lith is moving on from the Tigers, but Kim Mulkey has added significant guard depth from the portal, led by Day-Wilson. After two seasons at Duke, where she was ACC freshman of the year in 2022, and one at Miami, Day-Wilson lands in Baton Rouge along with fellow transfers Kailyn Gilbert from Arizona and Mjracle Sheppard from Mississippi State. Day-Wilson led the Hurricanes with 11.9 points and 3.5 assists per game. With improved shooting and efficiency in Miami, Day-Wilson could be ready to step in as LSU’s new starting point guard.

21. Saylor Poffenbarger, 6-2, G, Soph., Arkansas Razorbacks

Committed to Maryland Terrapins
One of the first impact players to enter the portal, Poffenbarger just recently landed in College Park. After losing four players to the portal, Brenda Frese has now added Poffenbarger and Rhode Island’s Maye Toure, two players who combined for 18.9 rebounds per game, and VCU leading scorer Sarah Te-Biasu (16.3 PPG). Poffenbarger, who will have two more years of eligibility remaining, will be playing for her third school (she played 12 games at UConn as a freshman in 2021). Her offensive production faded at the end of the season (7.0 PPG in the last eight games), but Poffenbarger averaged a career-high 10.2 points per game on the season.

22. Chance Gray, 5-9, G, Soph., Oregon Ducks

Committed to Ohio State Buckeyes
A native of Cincinnati and the 2022 Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year, Gray heading to the Buckeyes seems like a natural fit. Kevin McGuff must replace his entire backcourt, so getting Gray is a key acquisition for Ohio State. Gray averaged 13.9 points and 3.0 assists as the Ducks’ point guard. She was the No. 7 recruit in the country two years ago, but Gray and VanSlooten couldn’t make the 11-21 Ducks competitive in the Pac-12 this season. Durable and reliable, Gray started all 66 games she played at Oregon and will likely step in as Ohio State’s starting point guard.

23. Riley Nelson, 6-2, G, Fr., Maryland Terrapins

A torn ACL ended Nelson’s freshman season after just 16 games, and the former McDonald’s All American is now looking for a new school. She came off the bench to average 5.1 points per game but was expected to be a big part of the Terps’ future. She was the 18th-rated prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. Nelson is the 13th Maryland player to enter the transfer portal in the past five years.

24. Maddie Scherr, 5-10, G, Sr., Kentucky Wildcats

Committed to TCU Horned Frogs
Playing time at the two-guard spot with the Horned Frogs next season should be interesting. With Madison Conner, a 19.1 PPG scorer this season, back for her bonus year, Agnes Emma-Nnopu (10.6 PPG) returning and Van Lith also transferring in, coach Campbell will have a deep backcourt. Scherr, who played her first two seasons at Oregon before two more in Lexington, is coming off a career-high 12.5 PPG. She has the versatility to give Campbell options.

25. Eniya Russell, 6-0, G, Sr., Kentucky Wildcats

Committed to Mississippi State Bulldogs
With four of his top six scorers departing, Sam Purcell needed to make a portal splash and gets significant help with Russell. The Bulldogs represent her third SEC stop, and after two unproductive seasons at South Carolina and another with the Wildcats, Russell broke out in 2023-24, averaging 10.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. She now pairs with JerKaila Jordan to form an experienced Mississippi State backcourt.

Also considered: Aaliyah Alexander, Eastern Washington Eagles (committed to UNLV Lady Rebels); KK Bransford, Notre Dame Fighting Irish; Shay Ciezki, Penn State Lady Lions; Christina Dalce, Villanova Wildcats; Mama Dembele, Missouri Tigers (committed to South Florida Bulls); Kailyn Gilbert, Arizona Wildcats (committed to LSU Tigers); Lior Garzon, Oklahoma State Cowgirls; DeeDee Hagemann, Michigan State Spartans (committed to Ole Miss Rebels; Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas State Red Wolves (committed to Arkansas Razorbacks); Donovyn Hunter, Oregon State Beavers; Teonni Key, North Carolina Tar Heels (committed to Kentucky Wildcats); Jordan Obi, Pennsylvania Quakers; Paulina Paris, North Carolina Tar Heels; Emma Ronsiek, Creighton Bluejays (committed to Colorado State Rams); Karoline Striplin, Tennessee Lady Volunteers; Terren Ward, Georgia Southern Eagles.

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c3M9J3ZpZGVvLWFkLXdyYXBwZXInPgo8c2NyaXB0IGFzeW5jIHNyYz0nLy9j
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Marshall Levenson
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Rivals.com

National Recruiting Analyst

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England’s 50-over World Cup title defence in India last autumn was an unmitigated disaster. Just three wins in nine games, two of which came after they had been eliminated.

But now they get a do-over, of sorts.

Jos Buttler’s side will be out to defend their T20 World Cup title in the West Indies in June, live on Sky Sports, having won that tournament in Australia in late 2022.

Ben Stokes was the key man in a jittery run chase against Pakistan in the final at the MCG two years ago but will not be part of the 2024 tournament after making himself unavailable for selection.

So, who will make England’s provisional 15-man squad, which is due to be named next week ahead of a May 1 deadline? We look at those secure of their places, plus those still hoping and dreaming…

The certainties (if fit)

There seems little doubt that Buttler and Phil Salt will open the batting for England.

The skipper was always going to do that and looks in fine nick at the moment after two hundreds in three innings for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, while Salt sealed his spot on the tour of the Caribbean in December with back-to-back centuries, cracking a combined 19 sixes across those two innings.

Salt’s inclusion also gives Buttler the option of captaining from mid-off and handing his opening partner the wicketkeeping gloves instead – or perhaps Jonny Bairstow, if the latter makes the cut.

Harry Brook looks a lock in the middle order, while spin-bowling all-rounders Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali seem certain of a place in the squad if not the 11. It could be Moeen’s last hurrah in international cricket as he turns 37 midway through the tournament.

Moeen’s long-time spin-bowling partner Adil Rashid is arguably England’s most important player. The leggie rose to the top of the T20I rankings for the first time in his career during the series against West Indies late last year, going at just 6.20 an over while other bowlers were battered for sixes.

Seam-bowling-wise, Jofra Archer is expected to be named in England’s initial squad as he continues his comeback from a raft of injuries, while fellow speedster Mark Wood should join him.

We can probably also ink in all-rounder Sam Curran, Player of the Tournament at the last T20 World Cup.

The left-arm seamer had a shocker of a 50-over World Cup last year but is enjoying a decent IPL with the ball for Punjab Kings, while he began that competition with a half-century.

The hopefuls

Curran’s Kings team-mate Bairstow is not enjoying a decent IPL.

He was dropped by his franchise after averaging just 16 across his first six innings, carrying over his lean run of form from England’s 4-1 Test series defeat in India earlier this year in which he failed to reach 40 in 10 knocks.

England are loyal to players but can also be ruthless, as Jason Roy has found out ahead of the previous two World Cups. Bairstow – a key cog in his country’s white-ball rise post-2015 – may now be sweating on his place, even though he still seems likely to be in the top four.

Will Jacks appears odds-on to join him, with his hard-hitting batting – he crunched a 41-ball hundred in the SA20 earlier this year – and off-spin bowling making him an attractive pick.

Test opener Ben Duckett is also eyeing a T20 middle-order slot and with Stokes absent and Dawid Malan’s international career looking over, he would offer a valuable left-handed option.

Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton was viewed as a late bolter for the squad after an impressive run in franchise cricket around the world, including in last summer’s Hundred when he thumped over 200 runs at a strike-rate of 181.98 for Manchester Originals.

But the 30-year-old has now tweaked his back and been urged to rest for a couple of weeks before undergoing further tests. A T20 debut may have to wait.

Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed and left-arm spinner Tom Hartley could be vying for the final slow-bowling spot, while the other seamers in the running are Reece Topley, Tymal Mills, Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson.

Topley has arguably been England’s best white-ball bowler over the last few years when fit, Woakes has oodles of experience, Mills can mix extreme pace with canny slower deliveries, and Atkinson looks the long-term successor to fellow quick Wood in all formats.

The outsiders

It would be a surprise if anyone outside the players already mentioned gate-crashed the squad with Joe Root – for all of his reverse scoops – now seen as solely a Test and ODI player; England having moved on from the ageing Malan; and Zak Crawley’s path to a batting spot blocked by others.

Left-arm quick Luke Wood and right-arm fast bowlers Brydon Carse and Richard Gleeson will probably need injuries to others – and lots of them – to be involved in the World Cup.

Watch every match from the T20 World Cup, plus England’s four-match T20I series at home to Pakistan in May, live on Sky Sports Cricket or stream with NOW.

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Looking at the standings, it’s apparently hip to be in disrepair.

Through 27 days of action, the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins all find themselves on pace to lose more than 120 games. The White Sox in particular have been historically bad, losing 20 of their first 23. That’s tied for the second-worst start by any team during the modern era. They also rank last in runs per game on offense (2.17), which is nearly two-thirds of a run beneath the next-worst team (Oakland’s 2.83) while pitching to the game’s third-worst ERA (5.14).

The Rockies, for their part, have been held to two runs or fewer in six of their first 11 games at Coors Field. Meanwhile, the Marlins can’t seem to keep any starting pitchers healthy, not to mention that the team is off to its second-worst 25-game start in franchise history.

When we look at these three teams, as fantasy managers we often can’t see further than a trio of dream matchups for our opposing players, especially starting pitchers. It’s not an outrageous takeaway, considering that 11 of the 20 best single-game, individual pitching scores of 2024 have come against these three teams. Yes, it seems highly likely that the White Sox at any venue and the Rockies away from Coors (and perhaps even sometimes at their hitting-heaven home) will remain the two most advantageous matchups for opposing pitchers all season.

But these teams, bad as they might be, can be a source of fantasy value.

Let’s flash back to last season, when four teams lost at least 100 games (the White Sox, Rockies, Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals). Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals was still the No. 14 overall scorer in terms of fantasy points. The Royals also had baseball’s third best-scoring pitcher over the season’s final two months in Cole Ragans. The White Sox had a pair of 300-point scorers in Luis Robert Jr. and Dylan Cease. Nolan Jones of the Rockies scored 268 points from the date of his May 26 recall forward. And even the Athletics got 166 points from Zack Gelof following his July 14 promotion.

The lesson is that the 2024 White Sox, Rockies and Marlins can still contribute something to our teams, be it over the entire remainder of the season, or a specific portion of it (as was true with Ragans and Gelof last year). A primary reason why is that these teams have more opportunities to hand out, being mired in rebuilding situations, and are in much better position to take chances on youngsters or reclamation projects from other teams (à la Ragans).

Going in reverse order of my projected, season-ending win totals for each, let’s take a look at what value you can extract from each of this seemingly sad-sack sides.

White Sox (projected record of 50-112)

Tuesday’s loss was particularly distressing, not only from a pure baseball perspective as the team blew a 5-2 lead after 7⅓ innings versus an 8-13 Minnesota Twins team, but especially so for fantasy, as we watched theoretical closer Michael Kopech contribute to the late-inning meltdown. Kopech, one of the few things that had gone right for the White Sox bullpen, entered in the bottom of the eighth and delivered his second poor outing in his past three (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 HR in this one).

As Kopech is an intriguing late-inning arm, his prospects for saves on what should be a terrible team rekindles the question about closers for 100-loss teams. There have been 42 teams to have lost that many in a season since 2000 and, among that group, their leading save-getters have averaged 17.4 saves. Fifteen (36% of the group) had a leading save-getter notch at least 20, six (14%) reached 25-plus, and three (7%) had 30-plus, with Ian Kennedy (30) of the 2019 Royals being the most recent.

However, the bar gets higher (and tougher to hurdle) when a team loses at least two-thirds of its games. Nine teams have done that since 2000, and the leading save-getter from that group has averaged just 13.2, with only two notching 20-plus — Shane Greene (22) with the 2019 Detroit Tigers and Trevor May (21) with the 2023 Athletics.

That tosses cold water on the Kopech enthusiasm, although a pitcher who can reach 100 mph — 24% of his fastballs thrown this year have reached at least that velocity — who can also add a slider that has a 53% whiff rate certainly bears watching.

As for the rest of the team, being a probably historically bad squad, short-term opportunities are the name of the game in anything 12-team mixed or smaller. Luis Robert Jr. is the most obvious fantasy asset on the roster, and news is that he will be on the shorter end of his recovery timetable of six to eight weeks from his Grade 2 hip flexor strain, putting him on track for a mid-to-late May return. That’s promising. He’ll instantly recapture universal fantasy start status once activated.

Beyond that, Andrew Vaughn and Eloy Jimenez, each off to terrible starts, should deliver fantasy utility in time. Jimenez’s downside is injury risk — the same as Robert’s — but his combination of above-average contact and raw power makes him worth slotting into your lineup anytime he’s healthy. Jimenez remains available in more than three-quarters of ESPN leagues.

Rotation members Erick Fedde and Garrett Crochet, too, warrant regular streaming status. Fedde, back in the States after a year in the KBO (South Korea), has brought back both the sweeper and splitter he developed overseas, fueling a 27.3% strikeout rate that’s well above any of his prior years in the majors. Crochet, thanks to his 96.3 mph fastball and slider, has a 32.7% strikeout rate. Still, as a converted reliever only two years removed from Tommy John surgery, workload will be a season-long question.

One final nugget: If you’re looking for a Gelof type for 2024, prospect Colson Montgomery could fit the bill. Though he is off to a sluggish start for Triple-A Charlotte, hitting just .219/.305/.343 through 18 games, he should be a candidate to take over the starting shortstop job sometime this summer.

Rockies (projected record of 51-111)

Despite their early struggles at Coors Field, Rockies hitters remain among the strongest streaming choices when scheduled for home games. Remember, offense tends to rise along with the temperatures at Coors. From 2021-23, the Rockies and their opponents averaged 10.92 runs per game at Coors in March and April, and 11.42 — half a run greater — from May 1 forward.

Charlie Blackmon, Elias Diaz, Ryan McMahon, Ezequiel Tovar and Nolan Jones all remain fantasy-relevant whenever they’re scheduled to play at Coors. Each averaged at least 1.86 fantasy points per game at home last season. Jones, off to one of the worst starts of any top-100 preseason pick, remains a top buy-low candidate.

It’s the road games that are the problem for Rockies hitters, and this year’s roster (outside of perhaps Jones) shapes up as a clear “stream them at home” squad. No Rockies hitter has scored as many as 140 fantasy points in their road games in any season since Nolan Arenado in 2019. To provide further perspective, 152 hitters scored more fantasy points on the road than the team’s highest scorer, McMahon (115), did last season alone.

Kris Bryant could be a fantasy factor in both home and road games, so long as the back injury that has him sidelined doesn’t become a long-term concern.

As for the pitching staff? No, nothing to see there.

Marlins (projected record of 60-102)

Though not forecasted as a playoff team, no one expected the Marlins to be as historically bad as they have been through nearly a month’s worth of play. The Marlins have a near-entire rotation’s worth of pitching on the IL in Sandy Alcantara (out for the season due to Tommy John surgery), Eury Perez (ditto), Braxton Garrett and A.J. Puk, which is what made Max Meyer‘s recent demotion to the minors so puzzling.

Pitching is usually the name of the game in Miami, if only because of the team’s pitcher-friendly home environment at LoanDepot Park. Jesus Luzardo, the Marlins’ earliest-drafted player on average during the preseason, remains an attractive buy-low candidate for so long as his underlying metrics indicate bad fortune (6.58 ERA, but 4.70 Statcast xERA). His average fastball velocity might be down slightly, but he’s still getting better-than-40% whiff rates with both his slider and changeup.

Edward Cabrera, Trevor Rogers, Meyer and Garrett remain streaming options for their home games or against below-average offenses, at the very least. Cabrera’s raw stuff makes him a prospective breakthrough candidate, as he has thrown four different pitches at least 15% of the time in his two starts, and three of them (changeup, curveball and slider) have generated at least a 32% whiff rate.

How about the closer situation, which ties back to the previous point about closers on 100-loss teams? Tanner Scott appears to have a grip on that role, thanks to his combination of a 96-mph fastball and an elite slider, though his historically shaky control leads to inconsistency. Scott is one of the game’s more underrated save-getters, but the worry with him, which ties to the team’s performance, is that he’d be one of the most likely relief pitchers to be traded in-season. That’s why there’s so much chatter about how Anthony Bender, Andrew Nardi and Sixto Sanchez are faring behind him, and fantasy managers should be vigilant as to who is next in line all summer.

On offense, the slow-starting Luis Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are worthy every-week fantasy options. The former represents a buy-low candidate; the latter would qualify except for his checkered injury history. Fantasy managers could probably also squeeze situational value out of players such as Tim Anderson, Josh Bell and Bryan De La Cruz.

CINCINNATI — Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson requested a trade Wednesday, his agent, Harold Lewis, confirmed to ESPN.

Lewis told ESPN that Hendrickson’s request is about a long-term investment from the franchise after the two sides settled on a one-year extension last year.

“Our No. 1 goal is to get a long-term commitment from them,” Lewis said on the eve of the NFL draft. “If we can’t, then we’re asking for a trade. And hopefully if he gets traded, that’s what we do — get a long-term commitment with somewhere else.”

Last year, Hendrickson received a one-year contract extension worth $21 million, which included an $8 million signing bonus, according to Roster Management System. After another season in which he was one of the league’s best defensive ends, Hendrickson is looking to cash in again.

Lewis said he and Hendrickson met with the Bengals in a two-hour meeting in March to discuss the possibility of a potential trade. Hendrickson’s agent said that the team is willing to discuss a potential new deal next year, with his current contract set to turn through the 2025 season. In that meeting, the Bengals indicated they had no interest in trading Hendrickson.

A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Cincinnati is not interested in trading Hendrickson.

In 2023, Hendrickson finished the season with 17.5 sacks, which was second in the NFL behind the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ T.J. Watt. It is the highest total for the Bengals since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

The advanced metrics were equally as impressive. Hendrickson finished 11th in pass rush win rate as an edge rusher, an ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen Stats, and created the second-most sacks (18) in the league, trailing only the Kansas City Chiefs‘ Chris Jones. When Hendrickson registered the first pressure, opponents’ completion rate was just 26.7%, according to ESPN Stats & Information data.

While Hendrickson’s on-field performance puts him in the same tier as the league’s best, his contract numbers lag behind. According to data from OverTheCap.com, the average annual value of Hendrickson’s extension that he signed in 2023 ranked 11th among all edge rushers.

Hendrickson has overdelivered on the four-year deal worth $60 million he signed in 2021. The former third-round pick out of Florida Atlantic reached the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons with Cincinnati, and he has registered 39.5 total sacks with the club.

“He has his own way about going about his business, and his is about being the best player he can be and making sure we’re the best team we can be,” Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said of Hendrickson at the NFL scouting combine Feb. 29.

Hendrickson is the second star player to have requested a trade from the Bengals this offseason. Wide receiver Tee Higgins, who received the franchise tag from the team, requested to be traded in March. However, Higgins said earlier this month he expected to play for the Bengals this season.

Lewis said Hendrickson isn’t looking to be the highest-paid player at his position and that he has gone above and beyond during his time with the Bengals. In addition to his on-field numbers, Hendrickson also played through a broken wrist at the end of the 2022 season. He missed only one week despite looking at an initial prognosis that could have kept him out for four weeks. That season, Cincinnati repeated as AFC North winners and went to the AFC Championship Game for the second straight year, losing to Kansas City.

“I have a lot of respect for the organization,” Lewis said. “[Vice president] Troy Blackburn’s a good guy and he’s running a family business over there. But every player wants security. They want to know that they’re going to be around there for a while. This is a vicious game.”

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CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals made perhaps the easiest decision it’ll have all week, picking up the fifth-year option on wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase‘s rookie deal.

The deal, announced one day before the NFL draft, ensures Chase’s fifth-year salary for the 2025 season will be fully guaranteed. The option year will carry an estimated value of $21.8 million, according to a projection from OverTheCap.com.

Chase, the fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, has not only proved that Cincinnati made the right choice in pairing him with Joe Burrow, his college quarterback at LSU, but also that Chase is among the league’s best receivers. He has reached the Pro Bowl in each of his first three NFL seasons, which has led to an extra $7.5 million on his rookie option.

Since the start of the 2021 season, Chase is tied for third in the league in receiving touchdowns (29) and is seventh in total receiving yards (3,717), according to ESPN Stats & Information. He also holds the franchise record for most receiving yards in a single game (266) and a single season (1,455), both of which were set during his rookie season.

Chase is currently eligible for a contract extension and is looking to be paid near the top of a market that is starting to gain some movement. On Wednesday, Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown agreed to terms on a new contract that gave him $77 million in guaranteed money, the most for a receiver in NFL history. Brown, a fourth-round pick in 2021, is behind Chase in total receiving yards since he entered the league.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who was also at LSU with Burrow and Chase when the Tigers won the national championship in January 2020, has the most receiving yards of any extension-eligible receiver currently on a rookie contract, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Jefferson, a first-round selection in 2020, has yet to receive a contract extension, but Chase is following.

“I need to see some more numbers from him,” Chase said with a smile when asked about the situation ahead of the Bengals’ win over the Vikings last December.

The rate of pitcher injuries in baseball has been a topic of conversation across the sport in recent years, but debate reached a boiling point when aces Shane Bieber and Spencer Strider and budding star Eury Perez all suffered season-ending elbow injuries just weeks into the 2024 MLB season. The wave of injuries led to dueling statements from the MLBPA and MLB about the potential root cause of the injuries.

We asked our MLB experts to talk to a handful of pitchers about what they believe is behind the rise — and what steps they would take to solve the growing problem.

How bad is MLB’s pitcher injury problem right now?

Trevor Rogers, starter, Miami Marlins: It’s definitely something that’s alarming. A fan that wants to see a game, it’s different when [Jacob] deGrom is on the mound or Gerrit Cole or Sandy [Alcantara]. Guys consistently going down is alarming.

Caleb Ferguson, reliever, New York Yankees: I definitely think it’s more now. And, to your point, it’s definitely the faces of the league.

Kirby Yates, reliever, Texas Rangers: I don’t know where the numbers are, but I think over the last two or three years, pitchers have been getting hurt at a very, very high rate [34.4% of MLB pitchers in 2022 and 35.3% in 2023 had undergone Tommy John surgery, according to baseball injury researcher Jon Roegele]. It’s getting magnified now because some of our best have been getting hurt. It’s definitely a concern. But with the way the game is going, and the way velocities are, how good hitters are, how small the strike zone has gotten, I don’t know how you change it.

Max Fried, starter, Atlanta Braves: There are injuries every year. There are definitely more high-profile injuries this year, but it’s definitely a tough subject just because there are so many different variables for why players get injuries.

Clarke Schmidt, starter, Yankees: It’s definitely scary and it’s something you definitely have to be cognizant of. But, obviously, you can’t just sit there and worry about it all day long. But I think it’s in the back of guys’ minds. But it’s just part of the game. Definitely a factor — and a little scary that they’re picking up a lot.

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Velocity has been cited as one of the factors in rising injuries. How much do you believe that plays into the problem?

Ferguson: There’s a common theme with all these guys that are going down: They all throw 100. We’ve pushed velo so hard in the game that this is where we’re at and we have to try to figure out how to fix it.

Fried: There’s a correlation to it: The more velocity you have, the more stress it puts on joints, ligaments, etc. It’s obviously something that’s part of the equation.

Rogers: The past two years I was hunting velo and I got hurt. Thankfully it wasn’t season-ending. It was something I had to learn — that velo helps, it always plays. But there is more than one way to get a guy out. That’s by pitching and having velo. If you just focus on velo, it’s only a matter of time.

Drew Smyly, reliever, Chicago Cubs: Players know that “the harder I throw, the nastier my pitches are, the more money teams will throw at me.” That’s a real thing, too, and something every team promotes. The time of commanding pitches down and away and mixing speeds, that’s just not how the game is. Players know how to make money. That’s another element. There is so much information now. It goes all the way down to the high school kids. They know what spin rate is, what vertical movement is and what velocity they need to get to.

Steven Wilson, reliever, Chicago White Sox: There is a strong correlation between velocity and arm injuries. But there is also a strong correlation between velocity and people not hitting the ball. Guys want to get paid so they’re chasing velocity, which I don’t think is wrong. And I don’t think it’s going to change because if it is harder to hit, that’s what we’re trying to do.

Will Smith, reliever, Kansas City Royals: Velo is king right now, that’s for sure. Guys are chasing the high velo, and it makes sense. It’s harder to hit. I mean, if you give a guy less time to make a decision, they already don’t have much time to make a decision with the 90 [mph] now, and 100, 101 just cuts it in half almost. … When you see results like you do, you can’t help but to chase it down.

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What about the pitch clock?

Mark Leiter Jr., reliever, Chicago Cubs: It’s probably the main factor. You have less time to recover. It’s really like we’re a big experiment and they’re seeing what they can do.

Fried: I don’t think [the pitch clock] is the sole reason, but it’s one of the variables. I think there’s a certain way to pace yourself, but any time you have to speed up and you’re tired and out of sync, you’re more susceptible to get out of rhythm.

Smyly: There are times throughout the game you definitely feel rushed or tired and not able to catch your breath, which could promote an injury. Our trainers say there have been studies that the oxygen in your [shoulder] muscles — when you’re doing something quick without a chance to recover — that could increase your chance for injury. With the pitch clock, sometimes you don’t have that time to take a deep breath.

Adam Ottavino, reliever, New York Mets: I don’t buy it as, like, the reason. But we don’t know the effects of the pitch clock. I mean I personally haven’t felt like it’s putting that type of stress on me, like, acute fatigue or whatever, something that would lend itself to me getting really hurt. But at the same time, if you have a really long inning out there and you have a hard time stopping yourself — you can get pretty gassed. Maybe that has some effect.

Ferguson: I think they made it too quick [by taking two more seconds off]. I’m telling you right now, my pitches in between innings have never felt more rushed. And like when I run out from the bullpen, I’ve never felt like I’ve been as rushed as what I have these past couple years — this year especially. … It’s just like, at what point are we just doing too much harm to put more butts in the seats?

Wilson: For lack of a better term, we s— the bed with that. We reduced the game by 37 minutes last year and they wanted more? How about a 20-second pitch clock all the time? There is a reason powerlifters don’t go rapidly. There needs to be a certain amount of recovery time in between max effort. Being fatigued can put you in a bad spot mechanically, and you can do it on one pitch.

Gerrit Cole, starter, Yankees: It is something that we have to adapt to. And every time you adapt to something there is a cost. I can’t sit here and show you exactly what the data is that says what exactly the cost is. … Everybody’s talking about the effect of the pitch clock just in one year. But what are MRIs going to look like 10 years from now? Five years from now? What are guys’ elbows going to look like pitching under the pitch clock for a prolonged period of time?

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Is the baseball itself part of the problem?

Yates: I didn’t pitch for 2½ years [due to a 2021 Tommy John surgery], and when I started pitching again, there was a noticeable difference. Sometimes you get seams that are super high that kind of hurt your finger, and other times, you don’t have any seams. Sometimes the cover is really slick, and sometimes they are rubbed up well. There are inconsistencies all across the board. We deal with it every day and so we’re kind of used to it, but you know, it’s definitely frustrating.

Wilson: Yes. The clubbies are rubbing these balls up at noon. We’re getting the ball at 8:30 at night. When we get it, it’s basically covered in loose dirt. The mud has since dried. I’ll throw a ball out because there are no seams. The next one could be a high school ball with the seams. It’s very inconsistent.

Fried: To be completely honest, that’s not necessarily something that I notice. Do I think that sometimes the balls on some days, am I sweating a little bit more and I have a little less grip on the ball? Absolutely. Other days, are there days when I feel great and the ball feels great? Yes. I think this is in the category of “these are the conditions you have to play in today and you have to make the most of it.” The conditions are never going to be the same. … For me, there has always been a varied state of baseballs, and I just have to try to make the most of it.

Chris Flexen, starter, Chicago White Sox: It’s impossible to make zero imperfections, but the differences this year are not different than in the past. There are irregularities with the ball. Sometimes you get a ball that feels larger in the hand. Sometimes the laces feel higher. Sometimes there are no laces. Sometimes it feels like a cue ball.

Jordan Wicks, starter, Chicago Cubs: I think the ball is fine. Balls are going to be different. You can’t make every ball the same. They tried last year at Double-A, that was terrible. Balls in April, in Boston, are going to feel different than balls in Miami in July. That’s just a part of the game.

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What are some other factors contributing to the rise?

Ferguson: Analytics. Not to beat a dead horse — but I think Verlander’s interview was spot on with it. I think it’s a combination of everything that you put into the game now. The pitch clock. The sticky [stuff]. The analytics. The baseball. Everything is different. … Now it’s not about pitching. It’s just about the stuff.

Garrett Crochet, starter, Chicago White Sox: I think it’s a culmination of everything. When I was in youth baseball, I didn’t throw hard. And when I was in high school, I wasn’t chasing velocity or spin rate or anything. It was just, “Oh, that looked good.” The accessibility to all the technology has changed things. … Everyone wants to throw the grossest pitch possible and now you have numbers that you can literally chase.

Cole: In 2017 I finished the year with a 4.20 and led the league in games started and had over 200 innings. It would be hard for somebody in this game right now to run a 4.20 out there, and their club’s going to push them for 33 starts and over 200 innings because the standard of performance is higher. The league is demanding that you throw your best pitch every single time because the hitters are better, the strike zone is smaller, the balls are different, the bats are different. We’ve just evolved into just a higher performance product, which is good. …

When guys were more healthy, we weren’t able to go into a pitching lab and concoct a new pitch and then use that at a 35% clip for the next six months and only have practiced it two months before we roll it out. Like we have no data on that. … It’s certainly a variable that’s out there. Along with the importance of spin, the importance of velocity and the importance of location … They’re all contributing factors.

Yates: The strike zone has gotten smaller, and guys are pitching to the computer — having to spin the ball to a certain amount, to make them break a certain amount. Hitters are really good in the strike zone. So you have to be really good in the strike zone, and everything you throw has to be nasty, with high intensity. … You don’t really have a grace period off the strike zone. In the past, with some umpires, you’d get the outside corner, but they wouldn’t give you the inside corner. Stuff like that. Now, you have to get the ball over the plate, and you have to be really good over the plate. You can’t really trick anybody. It’s really hard to do.

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What is the first step you would take to address MLB’s pitching injury issue?

Cole: Well, we can start by having more helpful conversations and not pointing fingers. And not saying that it’s absolutely this or it’s absolutely not that. And we can make it feel like players aren’t necessarily caught in the middle of all of it. Especially because pitchers are so different. Each guy is different. Some guys train better with high volume and low intensity. Some guys train better with low volume and high intensity. It’s just different organisms. So it’s not a blanket thing for the league. One of these rule changes — or one of these variables could’ve affected a certain group of guys more than another group of guys. And vice versa. … We need to get on the same page to at least try to fix it.

Ferguson: I think with pushing velo and pushing stuff as hard as what we have, now we have to figure out how to bring it back but keep everything else that’s been added to a pitcher’s routine before he throws a pitch. You gotta figure out how to keep all that and bring back down all the injuries.

Ottavino: Ultimately, [it’s] never going to stop until they engineer the game to take some of that out of it, whether it’s rule changes or roster limits, that kind of stuff, which is probably going to come down the pike at some point. I also think scouts just decide, “We’re not interested in high school guys that throw 95,” which will probably never happen. But if they were prioritizing a guy who can grow into his body but had the pitchability and threw like 90, 94, I feel like that type of trajectory lends itself to maybe having a little more of a chance of staying healthy. I worry about guys that throw 100 in the minor leagues. How long can you do that for?

Yates: We pitchers have complained about pitchers having a grip on a baseball for years and they’ve done absolutely nothing to help out with that, it’s actually the reverse. We could start there. If they addressed the cover of the baseball and we could hold on a little bit better, it might make us spin the ball a little bit better.

I do think there was a point where the stickiness got carried away — I do agree with that — but as pitchers, it’s a very uncomfortable feeling when you don’t have a good grip on the baseball. When you don’t have a good grip, you tend to squeeze the life out of it. I’m not an expert, but I think that just based on feel, and having to grip a baseball really tight, when you wake up the next morning, your arm does feel a little bit different. Fix the baseball, start there. And then you see what happens.

Wilson: A lot of it is individual. Each guy’s body moves differently. Each guy’s arm moves differently. I think it’s up to the individual to find a good strength and conditioning program to get their body right, to get their mechanics right. We need to be in good, healthier positions. There is enough biomechanical data to know there is less stress on the arm if it’s higher up at foot plant. Nothing will eliminate TJ [Tommy John surgery] — but things like this could help.

Greg Norman denied that LIV Golf made an offer to Rory McIlroy to switch from the PGA Tour, but added the door remains open for anyone interested in joining the series.

Four-time major winner McIlroy, once one of LIV’s staunchest critics but who has adopted a more conciliatory tone recently, was reported last week to have turned down a £627m offer to switch allegiance.

McIlroy was quick to shut down the rumours, insisting he had no ambitions to play anywhere other than the PGA Tour.

Speaking ahead of this week’s tournament in Adelaide, LIV chief executive Norman dismissed any notion an offer had been put forward to McIlroy, although the two-time Open champion would welcome talks with the 34-year-old or other players about what the Saudi-backed series could offer them.

“LIV never put an offer to him,” Norman said. “We didn’t need to make a comment about this, this is just typical white noise that gets out there in the industry.

“If Rory was willing to sit down and have a conversation with us, would we be happy to sit down with him? One hundred per cent, no different than any other player who would be interested in coming on and playing with us.

“It’s understanding the facts about what LIV represents and what LIV can deliver on a global basis, it’s up to you to determine it. I’ve sat down with one top, top PGA TOUR player in his house with another member of my team, walking through the whole process, and he was so impressed.

“He said, ‘well, that’s not what we’re told in the locker room. This is really impressive’, but he made the decision, he told me up two days later and said, ‘I’ve decided to stay where I’m at’.

“I said, ‘happy days. You made a decision on fact. If you’re happier over here, fine, stay there. Your door is always open; if you want to come back and have a conversation with us, happy to do that’.”

Along with pledging his future to the PGA Tour ahead of last week’s RBC Heritage, McIlroy is set to re-join the PGA Tour policy board just five months after stepping down from it.

The Northern Irishman’s decision to take a place on the board as one of six player representatives, taking over from Webb Simpson, comes at a time when negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV’s financial backers PIF are understood to be stalling.

Despite a framework agreement between the different factions in men’s professional golf being announced 10 months ago, they have not yet signed off on a formal reunification.

However, Norman insisted he had no insight into how negotiations are progressing and that his only focus is on continuing to grow LIV, which reaches the midway point of it 12-event 2024 schedule at The Grange in Adelaide this week.

“Our investor wanted to invest into LIV because he loved the opportunity of the franchise model, what he could do with it and how we can build it out on a global platform,” Norman said.

“So, me specifically, I don’t know what’s going on over there. I really don’t want to know what’s going on over there because we are so fixated on growing and developing and building out what LIV is today and looking and doing our schedule for 2025 and going into 2026.

“Our responsibility is to look after our people, our players, and where we want to go. I don’t have an answer.”

Could LIV move to 72-hole events in future?

One of LIV’s biggest differences from the traditional tournaments on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour is that, along with the team element, it is played over a 54-hole no-cut format as opposed to 72-hole events with a cut after the second round.

However, Jon Rahm, who moved to LIV in December last year, recently suggested the series should look at moving to a 72-hole format to build trust among sceptical golf fans and expanded on that ahead of the Adelaide event.

“I think there’s a level of comfort when I say that because it’s a little bit more of what we’re used to seeing in golf,” Rahm said. “I came to this realization, and I think it could help a lot of fans’ trust in LIV a little bit more because that’s a lot of the complaints that I see from a lot of people, but I made the analogy a little bit ago of why I think we can end up with a great product.

“In football… the one thing I realized is they [across different leagues and competitions] all play under the same set of rules. While we play under most set of rules, the one key difference is 72 holes.

“The only sport that I see that does it a little bit different to where they play pretty much the same and then the Grand Slams are different is tennis.

“But at the end of the day, LIV is a business. If it doesn’t fit the product, it doesn’t fit the product. I’m just a player. There’s a lot of people that are a lot smarter than me that can figure it out and explain why they believe 54 holes may be better for them.”

Norman admitted moving to 72 holes is something which is being discussed, although added that it would have to make sense economically and would take away the intensity of players having to perform right from the start of a tournament.

“When you can tee up on Friday, it’s a sprint to the end,” Norman said. “Sometimes you can have an average first round and then you come back and shoot a 64 and get yourself back into it, now you’re into the weekend.

“It is intense pressure on it straight away because you have to perform immediately right off the bat.

“It’s a great conversation to have. We will continue to have that conversation going forward.

“There are things that we sit back and look at to see what is the most optimal solution to make this a better and better and better event, and 72 holes is discussed.”

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