Phillies left-hander José Alvarado is reinstated following 80-game suspension for positive drug test
Alvarado's return follows an 80-game suspension for violating baseball's performance-enhancing drugs policy.
Alvarado is ineligible for the postseason, possibly impacting manager Rob Thomson's decision on who to use as closer in the final weeks of the regular season. Alvarado was 4-1 with seven saves and a 2.70 ERA before being placed on the restricted list by Major League Baseball on May 18.
Among other closer options in a deep bullpen are Jhoan Duran and Jordan Romano and set-up men Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm.
Alvarado, 30, has 52 career saves, including a career-high 13 in 2024.
At the time of Alvarado's suspension, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the positive test was caused by a weight loss drug Alvarado took during the offseason.
'It's not something he did knowingly,' Dombrowski said. 'I believe that, the way he talked to me.'
Alvarado allowed no runs in five rehab appearances with Lehigh Valley. He allowed four hits, struck out four batters and issued four walks across five innings.
To make room on the 26-man roster, right-hander Nolan Hoffman was optioned to Lehigh Valley. Left-hander Josh Walker was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Alvarado was the second player suspended this year under the big league testing program after Atlanta outfielder Jurickson Profar.
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Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘No Colon, Still Rollin'': Cass Bargell, US scrum-half and ostomy advocate, sets sights on World Cup
A few years ago, Cass Bargell gave a Ted Talk at Harvard, the same university where she studied integrative biology and played scrum-half, helping the Crimson to a national 15s title and earning nominations for US player of the year. Onstage, visibly nervous, she clutched a rugby ball as if for emotional support. 'I dropped the ball,' she says, laughing. 'They edited it out.' Bargell didn't drop the ball with her talk, which offered a compelling account of her traumatic experience with ulcerative colitis and her extraordinary recovery. It all began in late 2020, with alarming symptoms. Bargell kept playing through quickening pain but eventually, in November 2021, underwent ileostomy surgery to remove her colon and create a stoma, an opening in her abdomen to allow waste to pass. Just a few months later Bargell was back playing rugby, the sport she found as a middle-schooler in Summit, Colorado, as aggressive as ever but now wearing an ostomy bag. The title of her Ted Talk sums up her determination and her emergence as an advocate for life after surgery: No Colon, Still Rollin'. She has told her remarkable tale many times, including to former NFL Man of the Year and fellow patient Rolf Benirschke, for The Phoenix, official magazine of the United Ostomy Associations of America. But now, at 25 and eight times capped, Bargell is about to step onto the biggest stage of all – the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup in England, where the US kick-off against the hosts on Friday. Speaking to the Guardian, she said that though life with an ostomy had not 'gotten any easier … I think I've gotten a lot better at handling it. 'I think some things have actually gotten harder, in some ways. The longer I've had it, the more it feels like this daunting thing that's gonna go on for ever. And I think I have, like, those big emotional moments, but I'm a lot better at handling it day to day. I don't think about my bag and I know how to change it much faster now. I know how to handle my supplies.' Related: World Cup final to be most attended women's rugby match in history after ticket sellout Bargell's play gives no clues of her extra burden. In Washington in July against Fiji, as the Americans struggled to hold a narrowing lead, the 5ft 4in dynamo forced two crucial turnovers, stealing Fijiana ball at the ruck. Turning to the nearest reporter to ask 'Who's that flanker the Eagles brought on?', the Guardian was swiftly enlightened: not only was Bargell not a forward, but also, 'that's nothing: she plays with an ostomy bag.' Asked if that played on her mind during games, she said: 'No, I don't think about it. But I'm really lucky that I'm supported by my coaches too. 'When I'm playing and I get hit in the bag, I don't feel anything, I don't think anything. I just put the ball back strongly. But if we're in training and we're doing a drill … where we come up and hit each other and then backpedal, reload, come up at each other again, backpedal, reload, just like working on the constant up and back, as the attacker I was just getting hit straight in the bag over and over and over, and I was like, this never happens to me in a game, and I'm really uncomfortable. 'I wasn't hurt from it or anything. I just was like, that's wearing my bag down more than I need. And my coaches are like, perfect. 'No problem. You'll hold the pad next time.' So then everyone was in the line and I just had a [tackle] pad, and it was fine. 'So it's not like I love getting hit in the bag repetitively. It's just that when it happens, it's not a big deal. I also feel like my right fend has gotten much stronger since I got my ostomy. I don't like people getting that close, so when I can avoid it, I do.' She laughs again, and switches from hand-offs to helping hands, saluting the influence of Ilona Maher, the US center, Olympic sevens medalist and social media star who has fired global interest in the women's game. 'Ilona, the version you see on the internet is how she is,' Bargell says. 'She's, like, a fun, big personality. And also everything she says about there needs to be more stars [in women's rugby] and we need to lift more women up, she lives that and walks it with us. She's helped me so much with sharing my story, with all the social media stuff and everything she talks about in that world. 'On the field, she's fast and she's powerful and she's strong and she can pass, and she brings so much to our team. I love training with her. She's also a really strong organizer, which I don't think people can always see, but she does communicate a lot and helps us all.' Bargell, Maher and the rest of the Eagles may need all the help they can get on Friday: England are favorites to win the World Cup, having crushed rivals France in their final warm-up while the US lost to Canada, another title contender. Looking at that game, Bargell identified a failing familiar from the meeting with Fiji in DC: a strong start not maintained. 'The first half felt easy,' says Bargell, who will start on the bench behind Olivia Ortiz on Friday. 'It felt like that's what we practiced in training, and it was just about executing it. 'We've been working a lot on finding our energy right after half-time and being able to come out and start the second half the way we started the first half, because it really wasn't like we weren't surprising ourselves with what we were doing that first half. It was what we practiced. And so it's just about finding a way to keep that energy throughout the whole game.' 'We really rise' Bargell is one of many Eagles who this year played in Women's Elite Rugby, the semi-pro league which has just completed its first season, with Bargell turning out for the Boston Banshees while working as a data analyst for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. She speaks favorably of WER as a step up from the amateur game, if not at the level of Premiership Women's Rugby, where senior Eagles including Ortiz play, where Maher shone for Bristol, and in which England's Red Roses ply their fearsome trade. 'I think an interesting part about our team is that we really rise,' Bargell says. 'We rise to the occasion. And so I know we'll rise [against England]. 'It's an incredible opportunity to be a part of that opening match at all, and I know everyone's really excited for it. We've honestly just been focused on building our own systems. It's not like these past three weeks were only focused on England.' True: Australia and Samoa also await, two wins most likely needed to make the quarter-finals. Australia offer the sterner test. In Perth in May, the Wallaroos downed the Eagles, 29-17. Bargell remains confident. 'We all believe we have a lot of threats, and like who we are as players,' she says. 'And so if we can bring our team together in that way, then we can compete.'
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Efton Chism III to trouble for Russell Wilson: NFL preseason storylines that actually matter
Most of the preseason is noise. Starters sit. Teams don't game plan. Coaches roll out bland schemes, evaluating their own roster rather than attacking the opposition. But there are always some threads that have a real, actual bearing on the regular season. Here are five storylines that look like they will matter in 2025. Jaxson Dart The Giants entered the year with a well reasoned quarterback plan. They would use 36-year-old Russell Wilson as a bridge starter until first-round pick Jaxson Dart was ready, probably somewhere around mid-season. Well, it appears that Dart is ready now. The rookie completed 14-of-16 passes for 137 yards with a passing touchdown and rushing score against the Jets in his second preseason game, building on a solid performance in his debut. Brian Daboll has done what good coaches should do: he has met Dart halfway. Rather than drowning his rookie in a complex system, Daboll has ported over big chunks of Dart's college playbook. It's Ole Miss concepts with pro gloss, designed to get Dart comfortable. The early returns have been promising. Dart does look comfortable in the pocket. He has been fine with the speed of the game. For a rookie starter, those are the first two boxes to check off. By making his offense as Dart-friendly as possible, Daboll has given the quarterback a platform to flash his arm talent. In his second outing, Dart didn't make as many 'wow' throws, but he showed a stronger grasp of the Giants' offense. Wilson, meanwhile, has been fine. Good in spurts. But he's the same old Russ we saw in Pittsburgh: capable of hitting beautiful strikes down the field, but limited in attacking the shorter and intermediate parts. With Dart in the lineup, the Giants can threaten every area of the field. He is a fearless deep-ball thrower and a genuine rushing threat, even if he's sometimes a danger to himself. The offense has also taken on a different rhythm with the rookie in the lineup. With Wilson under center, the Giants have looked mechanical and laborious. When Dart has taken over, the operation has been slicker, with Daboll ratcheting up the tempo. Running such a slim, up-tempo system won't be enough to navigate a full season, but it's enough of a starting point to chuck the rookie in until he can come to terms with a broader playbook. Daboll insists there is no competition. 'Russ is our starter. We're going to keep developing Jaxson,' Daboll said this week. That's understandable; Daboll wants to keep pressure off a first-year player and has a ready-made vet who could squeeze out a couple of wins until Dart can run a more sophisticated scheme. But Dart has shown enough in preseason that he should be chucked into the deep end for Week 1. The only reason to mess around with Wilson is to try to eke out a couple of wins so that the coaching staff and front office can keep their jobs. The Patriots' rookie class No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Yes, the Patriots have another shifty slot receiver. Efton Chism III has been a preseason darling. The undrafted rookie out of Eastern Washington is almost a meme of a New England slot: tough, undersized, a fidget spinner in and out of breaks, always open. With Josh McDaniels back running the offense, Chism is a lock to make the Patriots roster. And New England is sneakily deep at receiver: Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte bring a nice blend of veteran knowhow, toughness, and explosivity. Third-round pick Kyle Williams will be an immediate downfield threat, while Chism does damage underneath. It's a solid, varied collection of talent. Chism will probably make the team ahead of Ja'Lynn Polk (second round) and Javon Baker (fourth round), two draftees from a year ago. Baker is a possible trade candidate, while the Patriots are expected to stash Polk on injured reserve after a nightmare first year in the league. The injection of weapons is good news for Drake Maye, who was forced to throw to the weakest crop of receivers in the league as a rookie. Related: I played in the NFL. Outrage over male cheerleaders is really about attempts to control masculinity It's not just the receiving corps, either. If we're handing out preseason MVP awards, rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson would be near the top of the standings. Henderson was initially tabbed as a third-down specialist. He was a prolific receiver at Ohio State and the best pass-protecting running back in the rookie class. But Henderson has been given a full run with the offense in preseason, showing he can anchor the early-down run game, return kicks and add some juice to the passing attack. The Patriots needed their draft class to hit after last season's debacle, in which they ended the season 4-13. So far, so good this time around. Bills defense Buffalo spent the offseason fortifying their defensive line. But the preseason has exposed issues on the back end of the defense. The Bears roasted the Bills' backups in the second week of preseason, with three quarterbacks throwing for a combined 357 yards and two touchdowns. Being lit up by Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson is one thing; being shredded by Tyson Bagent and Austin Reed should set off a five-alarm fire. All over the league, teams look short at corner. The Eagles, Chiefs and other top contenders are scratching around for starters or backups in their secondary. But the Bills have three worries: who will start opposite Christian Benford at cornerback? What's the ideal safety tandem? Do they have enough depth? Sean McDermott is one of the league's best coaches when it comes to working with the secondary. He can find no-names and turn them into impactful starters. When McDermott starts grousing about a group, you know you're in trouble. And the coach has taken sporadic shots at his safety room throughout the preseason. That includes 2024 second-round pick Cole Bishop, who was slated to be a starter this season. 'Cole has missed quite a bit of time … It remains to be seen what he is truly able to do for us,' McDermott said after the Bears' trouncing. 'We're getting short on time.' There are concerns at cornerback, too. Rookie first-round pick Maxwell Hairston is dealing with an injury, pushing the returning Tre'Davious White into the starting lineup. Behind White, it's slim pickings. And at the safety spots, the Bills are relying on Bishop or Damar Hamlin to become consistent starters. For most teams, a secondary shortage would be a concern. For the Bills, it's borderline existential. Depth matters. The Bills played the fewest snaps in base defense last season (three linebackers) and led in their use of dime defense (six defensive backs). That's McDermott's vision for the defense. To hit those rates, the Bills need seven or eight reliable players in the secondary, given the potential for injuries and suspensions. Right now, they have one: Benford. Few teams are operating with as much urgency as Buffalo. Every year with Josh Allen in his prime is Super Bowl or bust. Last season, they were undone by a misfiring pass rush. They tried to address that in the offseason, but now look woefully short in the secondary. Isaac TeSlaa's breakout Lions general manager Brad Holmes has done it again. The Lions traded up to grab Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the third round of the draft, taking him 98 spots before the consensus big board – a reliable indicator of draft value. Holmes and the Lions do things their own way, routinely selecting players a round or two before the consensus board has them slotted. On many of those picks, Holmes has been proven correct. But there was a twinge of being high on his own supply in the most recent draft, giving up two future third-round picks to move up 32 spots to select TeSlaa. It's just preseason, but the early signals suggest Holmes was right again. It's hard not to get caught up in the TeSlaa hype. The long, rangy receiver is a splash play waiting to happen. There is almost a languid feel to how he cuts across the field. But when he explodes, he's gone. TeSlaa offers a big target to Jared Goff, and he can play above the rim, leaping and plucking balls out of the clouds. TeSlaa's traits have translated into preseason production. He has grabbed 8 of his 11 targets, scoring two touchdowns and averaging 13.1 yards a catch. In college, TeSlaa was not a go-to target. He is still raw and inconsistent. But the Lions don't need him to be a volume player. With Amon-Ra St Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta, Detroit have plenty of dependable weapons. TeSlaa will add extra pop to an already explosive unit. At this point, it's almost unfair. Indy's quarterback competition Nothing can sap the energy out of a fanbase like a quarterback competition featuring Daniel Jones. The only thing less inspiring may be Jones winning one. Jones has been named the Colts' starter over Anthony Richardson despite a blah preseason showing. The Colts opened the preseason with a plan to give the two QBs an equal number of drives and reps to decide who would be the team's starter. The plan was for Richardson to take the bulk of snaps in the first week, with Jones getting the majority in the second week. That idea dissolved when Richardson went down with a hand injury on the first drive of the preseason and Jones entered the lineup. Shane Steichen reset in Week 2, flipping his approach and giving Richardson the game time he was intended to receive in the opening week. But it was telling that Jones, who took fewer snaps, still received more reps with the Colts' starting offense. Snap by snap, there was little to split the two. Richardson remains all upside and volatility, while Jones was steadier. Does anything scream Daniel Jones louder than an 11-play, 77-yard drive that ends in a field goal? Does anything say Anthony Richardson like producing the throw of the preseason (called back for a flag) after butchering a snap and blowing two pre-snap protection checks? It's funny, in a sense, that Jones is the quarterback painted as the stabilizing force. He finished with 42 interceptions and 50 fumbles in 69 starts with the Giants, producing one of the highest turnover rates in the league. Like Richardson, Jones is a volatile quarterback, albeit one in dink-and-dunk clothing. Picking between the two came down to trust. 'It's everything,' Steichen said about choosing a starter. 'It's the operation, the communication in the huddle, the checks, the consistency.' Richardson's inability to coordinate the game pre-snap and stick to the rhythm of the system continues to ding his progress – and his agent said on Tuesday that he is unsure of his client's long-term future with the team. For all the sizzle he can provide an offense, Richardson – who the Colts took with the No 4 overall pick just two years ago – still struggles with the basic mechanics of operating and processing a pro offense, and he has yet to prove he can stay healthy. There wasn't a right call for Steichen to make; both quarterbacks will probably see playing time this season. In a few drives with the Colts, Jones still looked like a liability, but the offense was more polished with him under center. For that alone, he's been given the first crack.
New York Times
27 minutes ago
- New York Times
2025 Tour Championship odds, DFS picks: Can anyone challenge Scottie Scheffler?
The PGA Tour season comes to an end this week at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The story of the season has been Scottie Scheffler's dominance, and he clinched his fifth win at the BMW Championship last week. Scheffler's chip from off the green on 17 has been replayed more than any other shot of this year's tour. Scheffler's two-season run can only be compared to the greatest ever to play the game. His 12 wins during the 2024 and 2025 PGA Tour seasons have only been matched by Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. Advertisement Scheffler will be looking to defend his Tour Championship title from 2024 this week, but he will have a tougher time doing so as everyone in the field will be starting the tournament on level terms. The old system was underwhelming for both fans and players. This new system isn't perfect, but at least the best players in the world will have a tougher challenge to test who is at their best to end the season. And, yes, East Lake Golf Club should prove to be a strong test for the players this week. A few recent updates: The 14th hole at East Lake Golf Club has been changed from a Par 5 to a Par 4, and the rough has been lengthened a bit. The greens should be more settled after the changes that Andrew Green put in place in 2024. The key stats I will focus on include driving accuracy, strokes gained on approach, strokes gained on approach from 125 to 150 yards, 3-putt avoidance and strokes gained on difficult Par-70 golf courses that are over 7,400 yards. I will be using weighted strokes gained this week with the stacked field and the challenging course. I will play around with the number of rounds a bit, as I want to play the players who are at their best at this moment. Course: East Lake Golf Club Location: Atlanta Designer: Tom Bendelow (redesigned by Donald Ross, George Cobb, Rees Jones and Andrew Green) Par: 70 Length: 7,490 yards Average green size: 6,238 square feet Past champions: 2024 Scottie Scheffler, 2023 Viktor Hovland, 2022 Rory McIlroy, 2021 Patrick Cantlay, 2020 Dustin Johnson, 2019 Rory McIlroy Rory McIlroy (+850) is looking for his fourth Tour Championship win this week. Scheffler is the betting favorite with very short odds; when the best golfer in the world is a less than 2-to-1 favorite to win a golf tournament, you have to find some value in other spots. McIlroy had some rust to his game last week at the BMW Championship, but seemed to knock it off by the fourth round when he managed to drive a Par-4 green with a 3-wood. He will need to be a little sharper with his wedges to win this week, but I wouldn't be surprised if he wins. Advertisement Viktor Hovland (+2200) has been on fire since his poor first round at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He has gained over nine strokes combined on approach over his last two tournaments, and he has been positive with the putter for four straight tournaments. He may not be on Michael Kim's Christmas card list this year (knocked Kim out of the Tour Championship with a birdie on the last hole at the BMW Championship), but he would be on mine if he could pull out a win this week. Tommy Fleetwood (+800) doesn't have a win on the PGA Tour, and that is not going to change this week. Fleetwood has been excellent down the stretch of the season and sits second in my power rankings and in my strokes gained weighted over his last 36 rounds. Fleetwood has gained over 10.3 strokes combined on approach over his last two tournaments. He has gained over 15 strokes putting over his last three tournaments. If it weren't for some late Sunday meltdowns and bad luck, he would be coming into this week with multiple wins on tour this season. Betting him this way, we can root for Fleetwood without the inevitable heartbreak. Russell Henley (+1200) comes into this week third on the PGA Tour in proximity to the fairway while hitting the fairway with his drives at almost a 68 percent pace. He has had an excellent season, and his finishes in the playoffs would have been a little better if he had been a little hotter with the putter. He has gained strokes on approach in six straight tournaments. Scottie Scheffler ($13,900) has five wins on the PGA Tour season and is the defending champion coming into this week. He will have Tedd Scott back on his bag this week after winning last week for the first time without Scott on the bag. Fading Scheffler with his form is almost impossible to do. He would have to be priced in the 15k range for me to even think about it. Tommy Fleetwood ($9,900) See above. Advertisement Russell Henley ($9,600) See above. Viktor Hovland ($9,400) See above. Sam Burns ($8,500) gained strokes across the board here in 2023, and he gained over four strokes on approach here last year. Burns has gained strokes on approach in four straight tournaments and is on an absolute heater with the putter, gaining over 12 strokes combined putting in his last two tournaments. J.J. Spaun ($8,100) is making his Tour Championship debut, but the 2025 U.S. Open winner can't be overlooked. He has gained almost 12 strokes combined on approach in the last two weeks and has been a hot putter away from winning. He is well inside the top of my model and is coming in at a nice salary-relief price. Cameron Young ($7,900) has had an excellent end to the PGA Tour season with a win at the Wyndham and then two straight top-11 finishes in the playoffs. He has gained over 12 strokes combined off the tee in his last three tournaments and is one of the hottest putters on the PGA Tour. He struggled with his approach shots and around the greens in his only trip here in 2022, but should have a better showing this week with his current form. Sepp Straka ($7,600) is a must-play every time he is priced in this range. Straka has had such a strong season, and hopefully the issues he had to deal with off the course last week won't affect him this week. He has gained over eight strokes combined on approach in his three trips to East Lake. He will need to drive the ball better than he has at past Tour Championships to make some noise this week. Maverick McNealy ($7,300) gained strokes across the board on Sunday at the BMW Championship, which led to a very nice third-place finish. He is also making his debut at the Tour Championship this week, but could make some noise with his current form. Harris English ($6,900) is priced too low to ignore with how he has played this season. The issue is that he has struggled with his approach shots during the playoffs, which has kept him from having a good end to the season. He has never driven it well here in three trips. I'm going to play him a little less than what it seems the public is this week. Advertisement Akshay Bhatia ($6,700) almost choked his way out of making it to East Lake on Sunday. He couldn't hit a green or make a putt to save his life down the stretch, but somehow made his way to the Tour Championship. I think he will play well this week after getting through all of that pressure on Sunday. It should free him up for a nice finish to the season. His overall game fits this course really well, and his price is nice. Shane Lowry ($6,400) gained strokes everywhere except around the green here last year when he finished T9. He has been struggling a bit to end the year, but this course suits his game pretty well. We need to save some money somewhere, and Lowry seems like a decent choice. I want to play Sungjae Im ($6,200) so bad, but I can't after he lost over 10.7 strokes on approach last week. (Photo of Scottie Scheffler: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
