Sports News Daily

(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)   Yordan Alvarez is the Houston Astros ‘ best hitter. It might sound like a controversial statement, but there isn’t much room for doubt at this point. It’s a rather impressive achievement or recognition, given that Jose Altuve , Alex Bregman , Kyle Tucker , Michael Brantley , Jeremy Pena and Jose Abreu all play in Houston. Yordan at his best is in a different tier, though. There were concerns regarding the health of his left hand during spring training. He reported soreness in the area, which was worrisome because it’s something that occurred to him last year, too. Astros GM Dana Brown implied that Alvarez wouldn’t be an everyday player initially to give his hand a chance to heal, or at least feel better. He was part of the Opening Day lineup, and even though his Astros couldn’t beat the Chicago White Sox, Alvarez reminded us that his hand is mostly fine. YORDAN. 442 FEET. pic.twitter.com/H0wYvIdvdt — Houston Astros (@astros...

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)   It was just a matter of time before the Baltimore Ravens and Greg Roman parted ways. Eventually, he decided to step aside after a disappointing end to the season, even though he still had one year left on his contract. Now, the former offensive coordinator claims that he’s going to try and stay busy, although he’s not looking forward to coaching any time soon, at least for the year. Greg Roman is taking the 2023 season off from coaching after four years as Ravens offensive coordinator. Roman said he will “have a hand” in high school football and a college program as well. “I’m going to try to stay pretty busy,” he said. pic.twitter.com/sOxqvrlCF1 — Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) March 31, 2023 This doesn’t come as a surprise after he turned down the OC job with the Washington Commanders. Roman faced plenty of criticism late last season, with RB J.K. Dobbins openly complaining about his lack of involvement in their playoff l...

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)   The Minnesota Timberwolves are the eighth seed in the West just before the playoffs begin and are hoping to have a very serious impact on their conference in the weeks ahead. Minnesota was one of the most-watched teams when the season began and people were expecting big things from them. If they wish to deliver those things, they will need many players performing as well as they can. Sadly, they’ll now be without one of their biggest up-and-coming stars. Marc J. Spears is reporting that promising center Naz Reid has a left wrist scaphoid fracture and will be off the court for an indefinite amount of time. T-Wolves say center Naz Reid has a left wrist scaphoid fracture and is out indefinitely. — Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) March 31, 2023 Reid experienced his injury on Wednesday night, falling during a game against the Phoenix Suns. His fall occurred late in the game when Reid attempted a dunk, missed, and landed awkward...

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)   The Los Angeles Angels played against the Oakland Athletics on Opening Day. They had Shohei Ohtani on the mound, and everything was going smoothly for seven full innings. The Angels were up 1-0 after Logan O’Hoppe singled in Gio Urshela in the fifth inning. However, as it has happened many times in Ohtani’s tenure with the Angels, the team lost the lead once he left. The usually reliable Aaron Loup conceded two runs and could get just a single out in the eighth inning, and the A’s took the lead and never looked back. The game ended in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss for LA. Sadly, it’s nothing new. Well, that’s what you would usually think, only that this time the Angels managed to outdo themselves and post a negative record. “Shohei Ohtani’s outing was the 26th since at least 1901 with 10+ strikeouts and no runs allowed on Opening Day. It’s the first time that pitcher’s team lost the game,” MLB stats expert Sarah Langs tweeted. Shohe...

(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)   For years, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has made a living out of shouting hot takes and hilarious rants about the NBA, the NFL , and whatnot. Smith has been one of the most prominent figures on the network over the past couple of years, and he’s a guy people actually want to hear, even if they don’t agree with him. Smith knows a thing or two about hoops, being a former basketball player himself. So, it’s not much of a surprise to see that he’s teaming up with renowned IMG Academy to conduct a basketball camp from August 6-12. Primetime duo @stephenasmith and IMG Academy host the ultimate camp experience, August 6-12   Campers will have the opportunity to meet ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, participate in a Q&A, and learn from top coaches with pro and collegiate experience!   : https://t.co/3ZnBUHsgNF pic.twitter.com/Aro6tbSlyj — IMG Academy (@IMGAcademy) March 30, 2023 As a part of the camp package, the c...

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)   After several seasons of false starts, missed opportunities, and too much controversy, Kevin Durant’s time with the Brooklyn Nets came to an end back in February. In a blockbuster trade that could change the NBA, Durant headed to the Phoenix Suns and left the future of the Nets in limbo. Unsurprisingly, many fans of the Nets were very hurt by Durant’s departure and felt that he gave up on the team. But Durant still wants only the very best for his former squad. According to NBA Retweet, Durant had nothing but kind words and well wishes for the Nets. “I want the best for that organization. I wanted the best for us every game,” he said. Durant continued, “I hated it had to go down like that.” He concluded, “I wasn’t trying to prove the Nets is a s—-y organization. I was trying to prove that the Nets are a great organization.” If Kevin Durant feels some type of way after leaving Brooklyn: “Nah. He— nah. I want the best for that o...

(Photo by Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)   The Los Angeles Lakers now have a 38-38 record and hold the eighth spot in the Western Conference after winning four of their last five games. They have had an infamously rough up-and-down season but they are now on the verge of making the play-in games. A large part of their success has to do with Anthony Davis, who has averaged 23.7 points and 10.8 rebounds on a 61% field goal percentage over the last five games. Jay Williams had nothing but praise for Davis on Thursday’s episode of First Take. “Anthony Davis has been an absolute monster since LeBron James has been out and it’s time to start talking about how the narrative needs to be changed around his performance,” Williams said, citing his strong statistics and the improved defense of the team. . @RealJayWilliams thinks it's time to start switching the narrative around Anthony Davis “Anthony Davis has been an absolute MONSTER since LeBron James has been out … and it’s time to ...

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)   The Cleveland Guardians have locked up their second baseman of the future. Right before Opening Day, the Guardians agreed to a seven-year contract extension with Andres Gimenez . Last season, Gimenez had a career year. It was his second year in Cleveland, and he hit .297 with 17 home runs, 69 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases. He was also named to the All-Star team and finished sixth in AL MVP voting. Guardians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti had glowing praise for Gimenez. #Guardians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti on 2B Andres Gimenez: "We believe he's developed into one of the best all around middle infielders in baseball." — 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) March 30, 2023 Cleveland was one of the surprise teams in MLB last year. They won the AL Central and even advanced to the ALDS before losing to the New York Yankees. The Guardians are once again expected to be contenders in the A...

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)   The Phoenix Suns might be the most talented team in the NBA. Despite being in fourth place in the Western Conference, their trade for Kevin Durant made them title contenders. But, Durant has not played much since joining the Suns, as he has missed many games with different injuries. So far Durant has only played in four games with Phoenix. One player that has stepped up for the team all season is guard Devin Booker. Brian Windhorst believes that Booker can be the Suns’ leading scorer in a playoff series. . @WindhorstESPN wouldn't be surprised if the Suns got to the NBA Finals and Devin Booker wins Finals MVP "DBook, since the All-Star game, has been one of the top five players in the league. … In a playoff series, it would not surprise me if Booker is their leading scorer." pic.twitter.com/kWmTLffuUA — First Take (@FirstTake) March 30, 2023 One thing Booker has always done well is score the ball. This season...

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)   Before taking the field for the Opening Day game against the San Francisco Giants, the New York Yankees ‘ announcer introduced the players to the crowd. When it was the Yankees’ turn, Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe heard the loudest ovations. Judge is the Yankees’ star player, captain, leader, and reigning AL MVP. You would imagine he would get the applause. Volpe is the hometown guy making his MLB debut after winning the shortstop position in spring training. He is a top prospect and lifelong Yankees fan, so yes: people already like him. There were some boos, too. #Yankees booing count: #OpeningDay boos for both, Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson. — Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) March 30, 2023 Per Marly Rivera of ESPN, Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson were booed by fans in Yankee Stadium. Once a very good player, Hicks is already 33 and seems to be declining. He had a .333 slugging percentage in 2021, and it got worse last...

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)   The New York Yankees started their season with a bang. They opened the season at home taking on the San Francisco Giants. New York won the game, 5-0, and starter Gerrit Cole was one reason for the shutout. Cole is one of the best pitchers in baseball and is a favorite to win AL Cy Young . His Opening Day start was as advertised. Cole set a Yankees record for most strikeouts on Opening Day with 11. He also threw six shutout innings. It was a Cole day in the Bronx. #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/bZu5vWZWjo — MLB (@MLB) March 30, 2023 Yankees fans are ecstatic with how their ace opened up the season. my ace — Mike (@itsthatboymike) March 30, 2023 If the Yankees hope to make a run at the World Series this year, they will need Cole to stay healthy. They already have suffered a few injuries to their starting rotation, and can not afford to lose Cole. Some Yankees fans think this could be the year Cole wins his first Cy Youn...

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)   The Dallas Mavericks are currently out of playoff contention and time is quickly running out. They are the 11th seed in the West with a 37-40 record and have just five games to go before the play-in tournament begins. While the team is only one game out of the play-in games, they aren’t giving many reasons to believe they can turn things around. Even star player Kyrie Irving doesn’t seem too optimistic about where things stand for his team right now. The Mavs are currently one game out of the final play-in spot. pic.twitter.com/sWaiBwTt1W — NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 30, 2023 It’s never good to hear one of the best players on a team give such a bleak statement. But no one is disagreeing with Irving. The team has lost 8 of their last 11 games and is making serious mistakes again and again. Even when Irving and Luka Doncic are scoring double-digits, the team still finds a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and t...

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)   Earlier in the offseason, the New York Yankees had implied that veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks would get most of the playing time in left field. He had a rough couple of years in 2021 and 2022 with injuries and poor performance, yet the organization seems ready to let him play even over superior options. Well, manager Aaron Boone is keeping him on the bench for the Opening Day game against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday. Oswaldo Cabrera , who has a much better case to play the majority of games in left, is starting there in the first game of the season. “Aaron Boone said he went with Oswaldo Cabrera in LF because he’s ‘earned it.’ Said he liked what he saw from Cabrera the past few weeks at the plate and expects him to have a job role this season,” Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweeted. Aaron Boone said he went with Oswaldo Cabrera in LF because he’s “earned it.” Said he liked what he saw from Cabrera the past few weeks at ...

(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)   The NFL Draft is closing in, with the start of the first round set for April 27. We have already seen most of the pre-draft showcases completed. But, some colleges/universities will have their Pro Days upcoming. Now is the time that most NFL teams will be putting their draft boards together. One position group that seems full of talent in this draft class is cornerback. Any team interested in a corner will be happy to see all the talent on the board. Chris Simms released his top five cornerbacks, and they may surprise some people. Time for CB Draft ranks. Had a lot of fun watching this group, particularly the Top 2 pic.twitter.com/qH2lwBEEnc — Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) March 29, 2023 Simms has Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon as the top guy on his board. But, where many people are bound to disagree is with Michigan cornerback D.J. Turner. He is rarely seen that high on big boards around the NFL world. For instance,...

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)   The Golden State Warriors might not have had as good of a season as they had hoped. But they still find themselves in sixth place in the Western Conference standings with only five games left. Golden State hopes to avoid the play-in tournament, and they need to keep winning. On Tuesday night they had a massive win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite being down by 20 points at one point in the game, the Warriors showed their championship blood. They outscored the Pelicans by 28 in the second half to win the game by 11. One player that has been massive for the Warriors this year is Klay Thompson. He seems to be fully recovered from the ACL and Achilles injuries that cost him two seasons. In that win on Tuesday night, Thompson also set a personal record. His 278 made three-pointers this season are his career high. Also, he leads the NBA in made threes. NBA leader in made threes. Most made treys of his career. @KlayThompson pic....

(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)   We don’t have a clue about the kind of season that the Los Angeles Angels will have. We do know one thing: they had a good spring training, taking the unofficial Cactus League title, and they had a lot of fun on Tuesday night. In the spring finale, the Angels beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 13-5. 13-run fun to end our preseason pic.twitter.com/xlyAXF6q0I — Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 29, 2023 The Angeles punished Dodgers starter Ryan Pepiot , who conceded five runs in 3.2 innings of work. David Fletcher and Hunter Renfroe drove in two runs apiece, while Anthony Rendon doubled and brought in one more. Renfroe and Luis Rengifo went yard, something that Angels fans are eager to see in the regular season. Acquired via trade early in the offseason, Renfroe is expected to provide 30-homer power to the Angels lineup and complement Mike Trout , Shohei Ohtani , Rendon, Taylor Ward , Brandon Drury , and others. The offense, at...

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)   The New York Jets have gone all-in for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Green Bay Packers are set to move on from Rodgers, and the star quarterback said he wants to play in New York. We think it is only a matter of time before the two sides agree to a deal. But, if something were to go wrong, many people realize the Jets do not have a backup plan. Colin Cowherd thinks the Jets have a great backup plan if the Rodgers deal falls through. On his show, Cowherd said he would start Zach Wilson and tank for a top draft pick. . @ColinCowherd presents his backup plan for the Jets should they not land Aaron Rodgers… "Start Zach Wilson and go get one of the two great quarterbacks next year." pic.twitter.com/baAkqWe2Rd — Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 29, 2023 In next year’s NFL Draft, there are expected to be two top quarterback prospects in Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Both of them have star potential and can turn the Jets a...

(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)   The Houston Texans have had a nearly-perfect offseason, and we haven’t even reached the NFL Draft yet. The Texans made it a priority to upgrade the QB position, and they’re in a prime position to land a potential building block in either Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud. But that means they also need to get some guys to keep their new franchise QB safe, and that’s exactly what they did by trading for veteran star Shaq Mason. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saved some extra cap space by moving on from the two-time Super Bowl champion, who took to social media to show his excitement ahead of this new chapter in his career. Let's get to it @ShaqDiesel_70 pic.twitter.com/i5I0kakp0N — Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) March 29, 2023 Mason, a fourth-round pick in 2015, spent the first seven seasons of his career with the New England Patriots, making 103 appearances (98 starts) and helping them win a couple of Vince Lombardi trophies. He was later tr...

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)   The Lamar Jackson saga has been one of the big storylines of the NFL offseason. The Baltimore Ravens decided to give him the non-exclusive franchise tag, which gives Jackson the ability to negotiate with any other team in the league. But, so far through free agency, it seems like no teams have presented Jackson with an offer. This is one of the strangest things we have seen in a long time. Jackson is a former MVP quarterback, who is still only 26 years old. There should be about 20 teams interested in a player like that. One team in particular that should be interested is the New England Patriots. They had a 20-year dynasty while Tom Brady was quarterback, but have not won a playoff game since he left. For some reason, the Patriots are deciding to stick with Mac Jones. According to Jeff Howe, the Patriots have no plans to pursue the former MVP. The Patriots will not be pursuing Lamar Jackson, although he has interest in the te...

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)   The NFL offseason has been full of signings and big-name players changing teams. But, one of the big names in the sport still has not found a team. That is former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The former All-Pro did not play last season as he was recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in the Super Bowl. But, there seem to be plenty of teams interested in signing him this offseason. Beckham held a workout for teams a few weeks ago and seems to be ready to roll for training camp. All he needs to do now is find a team. There have been plenty of videos of Beckham working out this offseason. Josina Anderson posted one of him jumping off one leg during a workout in Arizona. Obj has been in the Arizona area training. Here was our visit to the facility Monday. https://t.co/p6EzxbGxOf — JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 28, 2023 When healthy, Beckham was one of the most explosive players in the league...

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)   Being the son of one of the greatest players in NBA history sure comes with plenty of attention. But so far, Bronny James has done pretty well for himself, keeping basketball as the main thing and slowly working on his craft. Bronny went from an afterthought to a potential top-10 pick in less than a year, and he showcased his skills and athleticism with an impressive performance at the McDonald’s All-American Game Slam Dunk Contest. The elder son of the James household finished second in the contest, but he had quite an impressive performance nonetheless. That’s why Shannon Sharpe claims that he’s looking forward to watching him either go and play in college or take his talents to the G League, as he proved that he belongs on a bigger basketball scene. Bronny James places second in McDonald’s All-American dunk contest: “I thought he was very impressive. He showed he belongs.” — @ShannonSharpe pic.twitter.com/1KFqz1D9mD — UN...

(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)   JJ Redick spent many years in the NBA so he knows a thing or two about basketball and what it takes to be a brilliant player. Therefore, when he created a list of the five hardest players to guard, people paid attention. Redick revealed his list on Tuesday’s episode of First Take and it was filled with some of the superstars you’d expect. He said that Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets are currently the hardest athletes to guard. . @jj_redick 's hardest NBA players to guard: Giannis Antetokounmpo Steph Curry Kevin Durant Joel Embiid Nikola Jokić pic.twitter.com/QXUY4P3NNQ — First Take (@FirstTake) March 28, 2023 Redick’s list was compiled through a number of advanced statistics as well as a deep knowledge of the game. What’s interesting about this assortment ...

(Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)   Los Angeles Angels  outfielder Mike Trout is the owner of the largest contract ever signed by a baseball player, at $426.5 million. New York Mets aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander earn the highest annual salary in MLB, at $43.3 million per season. However, if we combine MLB salary with endorsement deals, no baseball player makes more money than Angels star and Trout’s teammate, Shohei Ohtani . “MLB’s highest-paid player, per @Forbes : Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is set to earn a record $65 million this year — with at least $35 million coming from endorsements like New Balance, Hugo Boss, ASICS, and Japan Airlines,” Front Office Sports tweeted. MLB’s highest-paid player, per @Forbes : Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is set to earn a record $65 million this year — with at least $35 million coming from endorsements like New Balance, Hugo Boss, ASICS, and Japan Airlines. pic.twitter.com/495mMQHz5j — Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 28, ...