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Player News
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Travis Etienne JAC RB
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Fifth-year option picked up
45m agoThe Jaguars officially exercised Etienne's fifth-year option Monday.
General manager Trent Baalke said Saturday that Jacksonville would pick up the fifth-year options of both Etienne and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and the team has now made both moves official. Since missing his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury, Etienne has compiled back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing campaigns, totaling 17 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Now signed through the 2025 season, Etienne is locked in atop Jacksonville's backfield for the next two years, with Tank Bigsby and D'Ernest Johnson available to back him up.
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Trevor Lawrence JAC QB
Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence: Fifth-year option exercised
1h agoThe Jaguars officially exercised Lawrence's fifth-year option Monday.
Lawrence and fellow 2021 first-round pick Travis Etienne both had their fifth-year options officially picked up Monday, a move general manager Trent Baalke announced on Saturday. Lawrence is coming off back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons, and Jacksonville had made moves to fill the void left by offseason departure Calvin Ridley by signing Gabe Davis to the wide receiver room and drafting rookie Brian Thomas 23rd overall. The Jaguars will continue working toward a long-term deal with Lawrence, but in the meantime he now remains under contract through 2025.
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Kingsley Enagbare GB LB
Packers' Kingsley Enagbare: Injury severity downplayed
2h agoEnagbare (knee) did not sustain a "complete tear" of his ACL in Green Bay's wild-card victory over Dallas, according to Ryan Wood of USA Today.
It had been assumed up to this point that Enagbare was working back from a severe injury that -- based on the timing -- could have cost him the entire 2024 season, but GM Brian Gutenkust revealed that he has not undergone surgery and may not need to, so he could be ready to return sooner than anticipated.
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Ezekiel Elliott NE RB
Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Returning to Dallas
5h agoElliott agreed to terms Monday to a contract with the Cowboys, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Elliott will attempt to reignite his career in Dallas, pending a physical, the team with which he spent the first seven years of his NFL career and earned two All-Pro nods. The Cowboys recently lost Tony Pollard to free agency and, to the surprise of most analysts, opted not to select a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, giving Elliott an easy path to the No. 1 role in a backfield that also includes Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn (ankle). It's unclear how much the former rushing champ has left in the tank entering his age-29 season, as across 17 games with the Patriots last season he carried 184 times for just 642 (3.5 YPC) plus three scores, while adding a 51-313-2 receiving line.
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Brandon Powell MIN WR
Vikings' Brandon Powell: Leading No. 3 WR candidate
13h agoPowell, Jalen Nailor and Trent Sherfield are the leading candidates for the No. 3 receiver role after the Vikings did not take a wide receiver in the 2024 Draft, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
It was a mild surprise the Vikings didn't draft a wide receiver after the departure of K.J. Osborn (New England) in free agency, leaving Powell as the leading candidate for the No. 3 receiver role. The Vikings could add a veteran free agent later this spring to compete for the job. Whoever wins the role could get a significant number of targets early in the season with tight end T.J. Hockenson likely to miss several games in coming back from January surgery for a torn ACL.
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Trey Sermon IND RB
Colts' Trey Sermon: Poised for backup role
14h agoWith the Colts not taking a running back in the 2024 Draft, Sermon and Evan Hull are the primary backups to starter Jonathan Taylor, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.
It was a mild surprise that the Colts didn't draft a running back or sign a prominent undrafted free agent to compete for the starting role. It's possible the Colts will sign a veteran free agent this spring for depth, but at this point Sermon could have a prominent backup role. He rushed 35 times, including 17 carries in Week 15, for 160 yards to go along with three catches for 13 yards with Indy last season.
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Nolan Jones COL LF
Rockies' Nolan Jones: Likely headed to IL
15m agoThe Rockies are expected to place Jones (back) on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Luke Zahlmann of The Denver Gazette reports.
Zahlmann notes that outfield prospect Jordan Beck is on track to receive a call-up from Triple-A Albuquerque, and given that he suffered a setback with his lingering back injury in Sunday's 8-2 loss to the Astros, Jones is an obvious candidate to come off the 26-man active roster in a corresponding move. Jones has been removed from games twice within the past week due to back stiffness, so it makes sense for the Rockies to get out in front of the issue and put him on the shelf for at least the next week and a half so he can rest up and recover. After a breakout 20-20 campaign with the Rockies in 2023, Jones has struggled mightily over the first month of the 2024 season, slashing just .170/.243/.277 while contributing one home run and two stolen bases over 103 plate appearances.
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Carlos Correa MIN SS
Twins' Carlos Correa: Slated to return Monday
15m agoThe Twins will activate Correa (oblique) from the 10-day injured list prior to Monday's game versus the White Sox, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Correa will skip a rehab assignment and go ahead and rejoin the major-league roster instead following a two-plus-week absence with a right intercostal strain. Willi Castro has been operating as the Twins' everyday shortstop since Correa went down with the injury but will now re-enter the mix for starts at third base and also the outfield.
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Austin Martin MIN LF
Twins' Austin Martin: Expected to head to minors
21m agoThe Twins are expected to option Martin to Triple-A St. Paul ahead of Monday's game against the White Sox, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Shortstop Carlos Correa (oblique) is on track to come off the 10-day injured list Monday, and Martin looks like he'll move off the 26-man active roster in a corresponding move. Martin has been a near-everyday player for Minnesota since being called up from Triple-A on March 30 while slashing .226/.294/.371 across 68 plate appearances, but the Twins aren't expected to have regular at-bats available for both him and Trevor Larnach with Correa back in the fold and with Max Kepler recently coming off the IL. As a result, Martin will be the odd man out and head back to Triple-A, while Larnach should continue to play regularly versus right-handed pitching.
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Spencer Arrighetti HOU SP
Astros' Spencer Arrighetti: Stays in rotation this week
26m agoArrighetti is slated to start Thursday's game against the Guardians at Minute Maid Park.
With Justin Verlander recently returning from the injured list, Arrighetti looked like a candidate to lose out on a rotation spot, but Houston is ultimately keeping the rookie around as their No. 5 starter after the club instead chose to option J.P. France to Triple-A Sugar Land last week. Arrighetti likely doesn't have a long leash with Houston, however, as he's posted a 10.97 ERA and 2.34 WHIP in 10.2 innings through his first three big-league outings.
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Ben Brown CHC RP
Cubs' Ben Brown: Picks up another start
31m agoBrown is scheduled to start Thursday's game versus the Mets at Citi Field.
After making two consecutive appearances out of the bullpen, Brown moved back into the rotation over the weekend following Kyle Hendricks (back) move to the 15-day injured list. Brown ended up taking a loss in his start Saturday versus the Red Sox, striking out four over 3.2 innings while allowing three earned runs on seven hits and zero walks. Despite the lackluster outing, Brown will get at least one more turn through the rotation while the Cubs wait for both Hendricks and Jordan Wicks (forearm) to make their returns from the IL.
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Nick Martinez CIN SP
Reds' Nick Martinez: Remains in rotation this week
44m agoMartinez is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Padres at Petco Park.
He'll make a second straight turn through the rotation as a replacement for Frankie Montas (forearm), who was forced to the injured list April 22. In his return to a starting role last Thursday following a brief stint in the bullpen, Martinez was roughed up by the Phillies for five earned runs on 11 hits over six innings. Martinez should fare better Tuesday at Petco Park, where he turned in a 2.60 ERA over 62.1 innings in 2023 as a member of the Padres.
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Joel Embiid PHI C
76ers' Joel Embiid: Listed questionable for Tuesday
6m agoEmbiid is questionable for Tuesday's Game 5 due to left knee injury recovery.
Embiid has averaged 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in 40.3 minutes over the first four games of the opening-round series. However, the reigning MVP, who missed two months during the regular season after undergoing meniscus surgery, continues to be listed as questionable and has struggled in every fourth quarter thus far. With the 76ers facing elimination in New York on Tuesday, it'd be shocking if Embiid didn't suit up.
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Delon Wright MIA SG
Heat's Delon Wright: Cleared to play Monday
2h agoWright (personal) is available for Monday's Game 4 against the Celtics, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
As expected, Wright, who missed Miami's Game 3 loss for the birth of his daughter, has been upgraded from probable to available. In Game 1, Wright posted 17 points, three assists and two steals in 26 minutes off the bench, but he was a non-factor in Game 2.
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Jusuf Nurkic PHO C
Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Nearly double-doubles
2h agoNurkic provided nine points (3-5 FG, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds, five assists, one block and two steals over 20 minutes during Sunday's 122-116 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Nurkic was very inconsistent in the first round against the Timberwolves, which was the case for most of the team, to be fair. Overall, Nurkic had a solid regular season campaign for Phoenix, averaging 10.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals. Nurkic will remain under contract for two more seasons.
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Bradley Beal PHO SG
Suns' Bradley Beal: Ineffective in Game 4 loss
2h agoBeal posted nine points (4-13 FG, 1-5 3Pt), one rebound, two assists and one block over 31 minutes before fouling out of Sunday's 122-116 loss to Minnesota in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
This was Beal's worst game of the playoffs, and it resulted in the Suns getting swept by the Timberwolves in the first round. For the fifth straight campaign, Beal was unable to eclipse 60 games and struggled with injuries. He ended up making 53 appearances in his first season with the Suns, posting averages of 18.2 points, 5.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.9 three-pointers.
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Kevin Durant PHO PF
Suns' Kevin Durant: Plays well in Game 4 loss
3h agoDurant supplied 33 points (12-17 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 7-9 FT), nine rebounds, five assists and four blocks over 46 minutes during Sunday's 122-116 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
With the Suns dropping Game 4, they were swept by the Timberwolves and will fall short of their hefty expectations. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Durant had "persistent issues" with the offense and felt as if he was relegated to the corner too often. It will be an interesting offseason for Phoenix, to put it mildly. Durant finished the regular season with averages of 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 blocks, 0.9 steals and 2.2 three-pointers.
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Nickeil Alexander-Walker MIN SF
Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Quiet in Game 4 win
3h agoAlexander-Walker finished Sunday's 122-116 victory over Phoenix in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with five points (2-9 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds, four assists and two steals in 31 minutes.
Alexander-Walker wasn't able to get much going offensively, but coach Chris Finch still trusted him with a significant workload. That's been the case for the entire series, as Alexander-Walker averaged 12.3 points, 4.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.3 three-pointers in 31.0 minutes per game as the Timberwolves completed their sweep of the Suns.
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Vladislav Namestnikov WPG C
Jets' Vladislav Namestnikov: Dealing with fractured cheekbone
36m agoNamestnikov (face) has a fractured cheekbone, but he hasn't been ruled out of Tuesday's must-win Game 5 versus the Avalanche, Mitchell Clinton of the Jets' official site says.
It sounds like Namestnikov may put on a full cage and try to gut it out Tuesday, but his status for Game 5 may not be confirmed until the Jets take the ice for pregame warmups. He's picked up one goal and a minus-3 rating through the first four games of the Jets' first-round series versus Colorado.
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Brenden Dillon WPG D
Jets' Brenden Dillon: Ruled out for Game 5
1h agoDillon (hand) will not be available against Colorado for Game 5 on Tuesday, John Lu of TSN reports.
Dillon is stuck in a 12-game goal drought during which he recorded four assists, 10 assists and 45 hits while averaging 19:49 of ice time. With Dillon sidelined, Logan Stanley stepped into the lineup for Game 4 and figures to remain in that role heading into Tuesday's tilt as well.
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Morgan Barron WPG C
Jets' Morgan Barron: Still not skating
1h agoBarron (lower body) won't be available for Game 5 versus Colorado on Tuesday, Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press reports.
Barron, who hasn't resumed skating yet, will miss his sixth straight contest after getting hurt in the penultimate game of the regular season. He registered 11 goals, 18 points, 94 shots on net and 122 hits in 80 appearances during the 2023-24 campaign.
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Auston Matthews TOR C
Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Traveling with team
1h agoMatthews (illness) will join the Leafs when they travel to Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday but remains questionable after coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters, "We're hopeful he's available and feeling good and back to himself," per ESPN's Kristen Shilton.
Matthews has scored just one goal in his last six contests despite having racked up 34 shots on net over that stretch. Without the world-class center at practice Tuesday, Toronto shifted Max Domi to center in addition to slotting him into Matthews' spot on the No. 1 power-play unit. Still, if Matthews can get even close to 100 percent, he should reclaim both those roles heading into Tuesday's tilt.
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Justin Brazeau BOS RW
Bruins' Justin Brazeau: Available to return
2h agoBrazeau (upper body) will be an option for Game 5 versus Toronto on Tuesday, per Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe.
Brazeau was initially not expected to be available until the second round but was a full participant in Monday's practice. He sat out the final six games of the regular season and Boston's first four playoff outings. Brazeau had five goals, seven points, 31 shots on net and 43 hits in 19 NHL appearances during the 2023-24 campaign. If he does draw into the lineup for Game 5, the 26-year-old forward will probably occupy a bottom-six role.
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Semyon Varlamov NYI G
Islanders' Semyon Varlamov: Gets starting nod for Tuesday
2h agoVarlamov will be between the road pipes for Game 5 against the Hurricanes on Tuesday, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.
As expected Varlamov gets the nod after having put together a strong showing in the previous outings in which he stopped 42 of 44 shots on net. At this point, the 36-year-old Varlamov figures to continue trying to stave off elimination for the Isles as long as he can.