David Fletcher, a former Los Angeles Angels infielder currently playing for the Atlanta Braves' Triple-A affiliate, and his friend, who also played in the minor leagues, both bet on sports with the Southern California bookmaker who took wagers from Shohei Ohtani's longtime interpreter, according to multiple sources detailing the activities.

Fletcher, who was Ohtani's teammate from 2018 to 2023 and has been described as one of his closest friends in baseball, placed bets with the bookmaking operation of Mathew Bowyer, according to the sources. Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, also bet with Bowyer and eventually stole nearly $17 million from the Japanese superstar to feed his addiction, according to prosecutors.

Fletcher's close friend, Colby Schultz, who played in the Kansas City Royals' system from 2018 to 2020, placed bets on baseball, including on Angels games that Fletcher played in while he was on the team, multiple sources told ESPN.

Fletcher bet on several sports but not baseball, according to multiple sources.

MLB players and employees are allowed to bet on sports other than baseball -- but not with illegal bookmakers such as Bowyer. The league rulebook states that players betting with illegal bookmakers are subject to punishment at the commissioner's discretion. A player who bets on baseball games in which he did not participate will be banned for one year. Any player who bets on his own games will be banned permanently.

MLB declined to comment, but a league source told ESPN that Fletcher had not previously been investigated, but is now expected to be.

Fletcher did not respond to multiple requests for comment. He was in the lineup for Gwinnett's game against the Memphis Redbirds on Friday night, batting second. Schultz could not be reached.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California declined to comment, as did the Braves.

Fletcher signed a five-year, $26 million extension with the Angels in 2021 that includes two option years in 2026 and 2027 worth $8 million and $8.5 million, respectively. The team traded him to the Braves in December.

While with the Angels, he was often described as Ohtani's closest friend on the team.

"We're good friends," Fletcher told ESPN on March 18 when asked about his relationship with Ohtani. "We would talk on the bus and at the hotel."

Multiple sources described Schultz as one of Fletcher's best friends. The two men, who are both 29, grew up in Orange County, California. Fletcher often appears in Schultz's Instagram posts.

In the federal complaint against Mizuhara, authorities say Bowyer sent Mizuhara's wire information to an associate known as "Bookmaker 3." The sources told ESPN that Schultz is Bookmaker 3.

In the March interview, Fletcher told ESPN that he was present at the 2021 poker game in San Diego where Mizuhara first met Bowyer. Fletcher said he did not introduce the interpreter to the bookie but that Bowyer gained entry to the poker game at the team hotel through an acquaintance of Fletcher's.

Fletcher also told ESPN in March he had met Bowyer once before while playing golf and that he knew Bowyer was a bookmaker at the time of the poker game. He said that he never placed a bet himself with Bowyer's organization.

ESPN's Paula Lavigne and T.J. Quinn contributed to this report.

Scarlets made two changes, with Lloyd replacing Wales team-mate Sam Costelow and a return for Alex Craig, who has made the second most tackles in the entire URC.

However the fit-again lock could not prevent Zebre captain Licata opening the scoring inside four minutes.

Zebre will have targeted this game against fellow strugglers to end their run of 11 league defeats in a row and dominated the opening stages.

But Scarlets hit back as Carwyn Tuipulotu, Johnny Williams, Kemsley Mathias and Taine Plumtree all went close before Davies' short pass opened space for Elias to cross.

Plumtree's outrageous one-handed offload to Lewis set up Davies for his first try as Scarlets found their rhythm.

Giovanni Montemauri nudged Zebre ahead with two penalties, but his casual pass was picked off by Davies who galloped half the pitch for his second.

Quick hands by Eddie James sent Lewis scampering over to score for the second game in a row and clinch a bonus point less than three minutes into the second half.

Scarlets looked in control at 26-13, but Davies' scuffed kick gifted Zebre a brief route back as prop Muhamed Hasa barged over in the corner.

But the visitors defied their recent poor form of four losses in a row by keeping their composure with an assured display.

Dan Davies' burst saw Zebre replacement scrum-half Thomas Dominguez shown a yellow card and Sam Costelow added points with the boot to ease Scarlets to victory.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: "We're absolutely delighted with the win. We dominated possession and took our chances when we go into their half.

"I felt at times we let them back in it but we took back control of the game and scored some good tries.

"They came after us but credit to the lads, we stuck at it, played in the right areas and got the rewards."

Zebre assistant coach Richard Hodges said: "Losing two key members of our backline so early really impacted us.

"We showed plenty of fight, but we probably made twice as many tackles as Scarlets did and that took its toll.

"Scarlets have good players and their kicking game in the second half with Sam Costelow put us in all sorts of areas where we didn't want to be. They deserved the win."

One in three high-profile athletes receive abusive messages from individuals with a "betting interest," and more than 540 men's and women's college basketball players received similar abuse, including death threats, during championship tournaments in March, the NCAA said in a release Friday.

The NCAA looked at athletes participating in sports that attract the most betting interest -- football and basketball, among others -- and found that online abuse is widespread. Signify, an artificial intelligence company and NCAA partner, covered 1,000 Division I men's and women's college basketball players, 64 teams, more than 200 coaches and 120 NCAA game officials during March Madness. The analysis, which is part of an NCAA initiative aimed at combating online abuse and harassment, found 4,000 posts or comments that were confirmed to be abusive or threatening during March Madness.

The NCAA said the data showed women's basketball players received approximately three times more overall threats than men's players and that 15-25% of abuse directed at players, coaches and officials who are involved in the most popular college sports was related to betting.

"Individuals who harass athletes, amateur or professional, over a sports bet should not be tolerated," Joe Maloney, senior vice president of strategic communications for the American Gaming Association, told ESPN in a statement. "Importantly, the legal sports wagering market is providing the transparency critical to discuss solutions to reducing player harassment for the first time -- an opportunity illegal market actors do not provide. We look forward to continuing our dialogue with the NCAA, professional leagues, and other stakeholders on the universal shared goal of reducing athlete harassment."

In March, Armando Bacot, a forward on the North Carolina men's basketball team, told reporters he received dozens of direct messages on social media criticizing him for his performance in the Tar Heels' win over Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

"It's terrible," Bacot said. "Even at the last game, I guess I didn't get enough rebounds or something. I thought I played pretty good last game, but I looked at my DMs, and I got like over 100 messages from people telling me I sucked and stuff like that because I didn't get enough rebounds."

The data released coincides with the NCAA's efforts to ban sportsbooks from offering prop betting on college players. Prop betting includes wagers such as the over/under on a player's points or rebounds. Ohio, Louisiana, Maryland and Vermont have passed recent legislation banning prop betting on college players, and more states are considering the issue.

Joe Brennan, a longtime internet gaming consultant and now executive director for online sportsbook Prime Sports, believes the NCAA is looking at the issue "from the wrong end of the telescope."

"This is a social media problem first and foremost," Brennan said. "The NCAA demanding the banning of college player props is a distraction from the root causes and likely solutions. Abusive speech towards teams and players is a sad reality in competitive sports. ... It's unfortunate that sports betting has now also become another subject in this, but it certainly didn't start it."

The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Craig Berube as their new head coach.

The Leafs fired head coach Sheldon Keefe on May 9 after they bowed out of the postseason in the first round for the third time in four full seasons under Keefe. Toronto general manager Brad Treliving said the team was targeting a fresh voice who could help it reach its full potential.

"In this business over a period of time, the message stops hitting home," Treliving said of moving on from Keefe. "It's not just changing the personnel but understanding why a message may not be getting through. So, our focus right now is trying to find that individual [as our next coach]."

This is Berube's third NHL head-coaching job. He was previously behind the bench in Philadelphia from 2013 to '15, guiding the Flyers to a playoff berth in 2014 before being let go following a poor sixth-place finish in the Metropolitan Division the following season.

Berube, 58, went on to coach the St. Louis Blues' American Hockey League affiliate in Chicago in 2016-17. At the end of that season, the Blues promoted Berube to be an assistant coach under Mike Yeo. When Yeo was fired in November 2018, Berube was named interim head coach for the struggling Blues. In January 2019, St. Louis was a lowly 15-18-4 and sitting last in league standings. The Blues rallied under Berube to not only reach the postseason as a third seed in the Central Division but eventually win St. Louis' first Stanley Cup.

That made Berube just the second interim head coach in league history to ever win a championship (Larry Robinson did it first with the 2000 New Jersey Devils).

In June 2019, the Blues removed Berube's interim tag and signed him to a three-year contract. He reupped with St. Louis on another three-year deal in February 2022 to take him through the 2024-25 season. St. Louis never matched the same success it had during Berube's early years there, and the Blues fired him in December 2023.

Berube now joins the Leafs with a 281-190-72 record as an NHL coach.

The Alberta, Canada, native also played 17 seasons in the league, appearing in 1054 games, with 61 goals and 159 points. He also dressed in 40 games for the Leafs during this career, scoring five goals and 12 points during the 1991-92 season.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Sometime around 8 a.m. ET Friday, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was sitting in a holding cell at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, watching himself being arrested on TV.

About two hours earlier, Scheffler had been handcuffed and detained for allegedly not following a police officer's instructions while trying to drive into the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club, the site of this week's PGA Championship.

"I was just so confused at what was happening at the time," Scheffler said. "I didn't know what time it was. I didn't know what was going on. When I was sitting in the holding cell or whatever, there was a TV there and I could see myself on the TV, on ESPN.

"'Get Up' was on, so in the corner it showed the time and it said they were delayed, and I was kind of thinking about my tee time. I was like, 'Well, maybe I could be able to get out.'"

Scheffler, who described the situation with the police officer as a "big misunderstanding" and a "chaotic situation," wouldn't comment on the specifics of what exactly happened.

"I came here for a golf tournament," Scheffler said. "I was driving in this morning, trying to get to my warmup time and get ready for the round of golf. I didn't really have an understanding of what had transpired this morning."

The end of his strange and stressful day came around 3:30 p.m. ET, when Scheffler walked off the ninth hole, his 18th of the day, with playing partners Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman. Somehow, Scheffler posted a 5-under 66 for a 36-hole total of 9 under, which was good enough for a tie for second place, 2 shots behind then-clubhouse leader Collin Morikawa.

Only hours earlier, Scheffler wasn't sure he would be released from jail to make his tee time, let alone stay in contention for his second straight victory in a major championship.

Traffic outside the golf course had been stopped after an employee of a vendor was struck and killed by a shuttle bus while crossing the road around 5 a.m. ET.

What happened next is in dispute. In a statement earlier Friday, Scheffler said "there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions."

However, a Louisville Metro Police Department arrest report released Friday said Det. Bryan Gillis was dragged to the ground and suffered "pain, swelling and abrasions" to his left wrist and knee after Scheffler's SUV accelerated.

Gillis was transported to a hospital by emergency medical personnel for evaluation. The report said his uniform pants were also damaged beyond repair.

Scheffler faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic. The assault charge is a felony; the others are misdemeanors.

An arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET.

"That'll get resolved, I think fairly quickly," Scheffler said.

During his post-round news conference, Scheffler offered condolences to the family of John Mills, who was struck and killed by the bus.

"One day he's heading to the golf course to watch a tournament," Scheffler said. "A few moments later he's trying to cross the street, and now he's no longer with us. I can't imagine what they're going through. I feel for them. I'm sorry."

Scheffler, 27, said he tried to defuse the situation once he was handcuffed and arrested.

"I was just sitting there in the back of the car, just listening to the police officer as he's trying to figure out who I am, figure out my name," Scheffler said. "They were trying to find me in the system, but there was something wrong with going across state lines with the Social Security number and stuff like that. All around, it was a very confusing and chaotic situation, but I did my best to just follow instructions and do as I was told as I was sitting there handcuffed."

Scheffler said he never revealed his identity in an attempt to get out of the situation. He said he apologized to the officers and told them he was trying to get to his tee time.

"Outside of that, things escalated from there," Scheffler said. "I [made] numerous apologies and whatever, but like I said, it was chaotic. It's dark. It was raining. There's a lot of stuff going on. They had just had an accident. I didn't know what happened at the time, other than there was an accident. I didn't know that it was fatal."

PGA Tour players Min Woo Lee and Andrew Novak tweeted out #FreeScottie. And soon enough, fans on the grounds at Valhalla were wearing shirts printed with the "Free Scottie" saying. The reaction among Scheffler's peers seemed unanimous: They were surprised to wake up and see what had happened.

"Turn on ESPN and seeing Scottie in handcuffs, getting in a police car, I never would have thought I would have seen that this morning," Harris English said. "It was just wild. ... We had no idea what was going on. That could have been any one of us. We're all taking that same route coming into the club."

English was one of several players who had to make his way around the traffic delays on his way to the golf course. He described the morning as dark and rainy, with little visibility, but added that he had no problem getting into the course. Lee also said in his news conference that he took a similar route to the course as Scheffler in that he went around the traffic in order to make it inside the property. Like Scheffler did, several players described the scene as "chaotic."

When Rickie Fowler heard the news about Scheffler, he thought it was fake.

"As we all know, Scottie isn't exactly someone you'd expect to be getting in trouble with the law, and then I saw video and photo proof," Fowler said. "Hopefully, everything can get sorted."

Scheffler said he was in shock and "pretty rattled" after he was arrested, asking the police officer who drove him to the jail if they could sit in the car and speak so he could calm down.

"I was shaking the whole time," Scheffler said. "I was shaking for like an hour."

Once inside the jail, Scheffler said the process of getting him booked in the system took on a different tone. One of the police officers, once they figured out who he was, asked him if he wanted "the full experience" and offered him a sandwich to eat. Scheffler, who said he hadn't eaten breakfast yet, took it.

Scheffler was then booked into the jail, his mug shot was snapped and he was placed in what he described as a holding cell. Unsure if he would be released or able to make his tee time, Scheffler went into warmup mode.

"I did spend some time stretching in a jail cell," Scheffler said. "That was a first for me. That was part of my warmup. I was just sitting there waiting and I started going through my warmup."

Eventually, Scheffler explained, a police officer knocked on the window of his cell and told him it was time to go.

"I didn't really feel like I would make my tee time until [then]," Scheffler said. "I didn't really know what was going on out there."

After being released, Scheffler said his manager asked if he still wanted to play. Scheffler did not hesitate.

"When they took me out and we got in the car on the way here, I figured I was ready to play," Scheffler said. "My manager asked me if I wanted to, and I was like, of course."

Scheffler was released from jail at 8:40 a.m. ET. He arrived at Valhalla at 9:12 a.m., less than an hour before his 10:08 tee time. He hugged his parents and went into the locker room to change.

After spending some time in the clubhouse, Scheffler made a beeline for the range, where he went through an abbreviated warmup session. With a throng of fans and reporters watching his every move, Scheffler appeared at ease, smiling even, as he talked with his caddie, Ted Scott, and swing coach, Randy Smith. He hit exactly one bunker shot and putted for a few minutes before heading to the 10th tee, where the gallery of fans immediately began chanting his name.

"Obviously I didn't have my normal warmup and I usually stick to my routine," Scheffler said. "I'm a big routine guy, especially when it comes to my preparation. But it took a few holes to settle in. It probably took a few holes to feel normal."

Despite not being fully settled in, Scheffler birdied his first hole and, though he bogeyed the next one, he was able to card five more birdies.

"Obviously, I was rooting for Scottie," Harman said. "I wasn't shocked he was going to come out here and play. He's a killer on the golf course. He can compartmentalize that stuff really well."

Scheffler said he tried his best to remain calm throughout the round and focus on his game. He did admit that getting inside the ropes helped, as did the support from the fans.

"I was grateful to be able to go out there and compete, and yeah, it was definitely a nice round of golf," Scheffler said. "I've kept myself in the tournament now with a pretty chaotic day."

PHOENIX -- Mike Budenholzer got a little teary-eyed talking about his past in Arizona, describing an idyllic childhood in the small town of Holbrook, about three hours northeast of Phoenix.

Those tears dried up in a hurry when talking about his future.

"It's mind-boggling to me, like mind-blowing, to think that I'm going to be the head coach of the Phoenix Suns," Budenholzer said Friday during an introductory news conference in downtown Phoenix.

Budenholzer, 54, replaces Frank Vogel, who was fired May 9 after one disappointing season. The two-time NBA Coach of the Year will be charged with getting more out of the team's All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal as the franchise continues to chase a championship.

The group never quite meshed last season under Vogel, finishing with a 49-33 record before getting swept by Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs.

"I'm excited about working with this roster and these players," Budenholzer said. "We have great players. And with great players come great expectations. I think we embrace that."

Budenholzer spoke Friday in front of a few dozen family and friends, including his 94-year-old dad Vince, whom Budenholzer called "the original coach Bud." Mike Budenholzer won the 2021 NBA title while leading the Milwaukee Bucks -- a championship that came at the expense of the Suns.

Phoenix has never won a title, advancing to the Finals three times in 56 seasons.

Budenholzer was fired by the Bucks in 2023 after five seasons and didn't coach in the NBA this past season. He also coached the Atlanta Hawks from 2013 to 2018 and has a 484-317 record over 10 seasons.

Before he went to Atlanta, Budenholzer spent 17 years as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs and coach Gregg Popovich.

"This year, for me, was really healthy," Budenholzer said. "I kind of had a list of priorities, diving into my kids and my family, super important. We've been through a lot. So really, the time with my kids was just amazing. My son's a senior in high school -- going to every one of his games -- driving home you're like, 'Wow, I got a gift."

As much as he loved the chance to recharge, he's ready to get back on the court.

"I'd like to keep coaching as much and as long as I can," he added.

In addition to bringing in Budenholzer, the Suns are closing in on hiring Brooklyn Nets executive Matt Tellem to the franchise's front office, sources told ESPN's Tim MacMahon on Friday.

The organization faces a difficult task in reshaping the Suns' roster. Phoenix doesn't have much room to maneuver under the league's salary cap because of the big contracts for Booker, Durant and Beal. The team's other two projected starters -- Grayson Allen and Jusuf Nurkic -- are also under contract for next season.

The Suns didn't have a true point guard last season and struggled with turnovers, particularly in the fourth quarter. Budenholzer made it sound like he'd like to add at least one point guard during the offseason.

"The conversations have been great and there's no doubt that we need to look at the whole roster and talk about point guard," Budenholzer said. "I'm sure it's a hot-button issue here, whether it's with the media, players or the front office. We need to think about it.

"We need to be able to play without one. We probably need to be able to have one. We need to be versatile -- play different ways."

But before he starts thinking about point guards or turnovers, the coach spent much of Friday savoring his chance at a dream job.

"The biggest message I want you to hear is that I would coach this team if it was on the moon," Budenholzer said, grinning. "I would coach this team if it was in Alaska. If these players were in Denmark. ... I would go anywhere to coach this team."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CLEVELAND -- Guardians leadoff hitter and left fielder Steven Kwan took batting practice on Friday for the first time since hurting his left hamstring and going on the injured list.

Kwan was leading the AL in hitting when he was pulled from a May 4 game with tightness in his hamstring. He got hurt while chasing after a fly ball down the left-field line.

The two-time Gold Glove winner was placed on the 15-day IL on May 6, and the team said at the time it would be at least four weeks before he returned to the lineup.

"He's progressing well," manager Stephen Vogt said before Friday's series opener against Minnesota. "Still don't have a timetable, but the fact that he's already back to baseball activity is a good sign. He's feeling well and been running relatively pain-free, so he's on a good track'

The Guardians have managed to stay atop the AL Central without Kwan, who was batting .353 with 47 hits, three homers and 11 RBI before he got hurt.

Kwan dealt with hamstring injuries while at Oregon State.

The 26-year-old Kwan has become one of the league's best top-of-the-order hitters in just over two seasons. He batted .298 as a rookie and .268 last season while playing 158 games.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, who injured his left shoulder when he crashed into a wall in Sunday's home game against the Cincinnati Reds, will undergo season-ending surgery in the next couple of weeks, the team announced Friday.

Lee, initially diagnosed with a dislocation, underwent testing and was found to have structural damage in the shoulder. Friday's announcement comes after Lee met with Dr. Neal ElAttrache to receive a second opinion Thursday in Los Angeles.

Lee was one of the big offseason additions for the Giants after starring for years playing professionally in his native South Korea. He signed a $113 million, six-year contract with San Francisco and has been the team's starting center fielder this season.

Lee is batting .262 with two homers, eight RBIs and .641 OPS in 37 games as he adjusts to a new league, but has excelled in the field.

Luis Matos has moved over to center field in place of Lee.

Maitland began his career with Canterbury in New Zealand, where he was born, before moving to Crusaders and then on to Glasgow Warriors in 2012.

He made his international debut the following year and joined London Irish in 2015.

Moving across the capital to Saracens the following year, he has played 147 games during his time in north London.

He scored in the 2018-19 Premiership final win against Exeter Chiefs as Saracens won a league and Champions Cup double.

Maitland also helped them win the Championship in 2020-21 after the club was relegated due to breaching salary cap rules.

He represented Scotland in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups and on the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia.

Saracens' director of rugby, Mark McCall, said: "We feel very fortunate to have shared the last eight years with Sean.

"He has been an outstanding competitor on the field and a brilliant team mate off it.

"Sean is loyal, humble, fun and in his own quiet way has played a key role in driving the values we hold dear. He is respected by everyone and will be greatly missed by us all."