Here's a pessimistic tidbit, at least for Rays fans: Tampa Bay could set a franchise record for wins and yet still miss the playoffs. After beating the Red Sox 7-4 on Monday to improve to 93-64, the Rays climbed a half-game ahead of the Indians for the second wild card. (They're 1½ games behind the A's.)

It was a nice comeback, as the Rays were trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth when they slammed three home runs and scored six runs: Ji-Man Choi hit a three-run homer off Jhoulys Chacin, Brandon Lowe tied it with a 441-foot blast to right-center and then Willy Adames hit a two-run shot off Bobby Poyner.

The Rays won 97 games during their World Series season in 2008; they would have to win all five of their remaining games to get to 98. They host the Yankees on Tuesday and Wednesday and finish up with three in Toronto. But if the Indians win their six remaining games -- on the road against the White Sox and Nationals -- they also finish with 98 wins, which would force a play-in game, assuming the A's finish better than that. If the Indians win that game, the Rays go home empty-handed.

That the Rays are in this position isn't a complete surprise. They won 90 games last year, including a 41-25 record in the second half. Given the paucity of go-for-it teams in a weak American League, the Rays were likely playoff contenders. Their biggest obstacle appeared to be the Yankees and Red Sox looking like potential 100-win teams. The Yankees were; the Red Sox were not.

But when you dig deeper, maybe it is a surprise the Rays are still hanging with Oakland and Cleveland. For all the attention awarded the Yankees for their string of injuries, the Rays have also played through a long list of setbacks. Consider:

-- They've had one healthy member of the rotation all season in Charlie Morton. Not including the starts made by opener Ryne Stanek, Blake Snell is second on the team with 22 starts. The Yankees have five pitchers with at least 22 starts, including three with at least 28.

-- Jose Alvarado started the season lights-out as the team's primary closer with a 1.38 ERA in April, but he threw just 17 innings since then and is out for the season with elbow inflammation.

-- Joey Wendle, who produced a 4.3-WAR season in 2018, hurt his hamstring four games into the season, returned on April 21, and four days later, suffered a fractured wrist when hit by a pitch. He's back now but has never gotten on track at the plate, perhaps hampered by the wrist.

-- Rookie Brandon Lowe saw his playing time increase after Wendle's injuries and made the All-Star team, but he just returned after missing the entire second half with leg issues.

-- Yandy Diaz had performed very well with a .270/.343/.480 line and 118 OPS+ but has been out since July 22 with a fracture in his foot.

The good news is Snell and Tyler Glasnow -- who was 6-1 with a 1.86 ERA when he down on May 10 -- are back on the mound, although still on limited pitch counts. Snell started Monday, his second game back since July, but lasted just 1⅔ innings and 52 pitches before Kevin Cash hooked him. Part of that was the pitch count, but Snell was struggling big time with his location and walked three batters. Still, with Yonny Chirinos also back, the Tampa staff is in its best shape since that dominant run early in the season.

Cash and pitching coach Kyle Snyder deserve a lot of credit for massaging the staff through the summer. The Rays are second in the majors in relief appearances (only the Red Sox have more). Some of that is a result of deploying the opener, but it's also the ripple effect of juggling the rotation without Snell, Glasnow and Chirinos.

Emilio Pagan, acquired from Oakland in the offseason as a bullpen depth piece, has been the big surprise in the pen, taking over as closer from Alvarado and Diego Castillo and posting a 2.38 ERA with 20 saves. But when he allowed two hits with one out in the ninth Monday, Cash turned to rookie lefty Colin Poche to face Mitch Moreland. Alex Cora countered with pinch hitters Christian Vazquez and Xander Bogaerts, getting the platoon advantage, but Poche struck out both to get his second save. He was the eighth Tampa reliever of the game.

So how does the wild-card race shake down the rest of the week? FanGraphs pegs the A's with a 95.8% chance of making the playoffs, the Rays at 66% and the Indians at 38.3% (plus Cleveland still has a non-zero chance of beating the Twins in the AL Central). I'm not sure I'd peg the Rays as 2-to-1 favorites over the Indians, even if Cleveland does have that six-game road trip. Led by Shane Bieber and Mike Clevinger and an underrated bullpen, the Indians have a 3.20 ERA since the beginning of July, best in the majors.

Here's how the pitching matchups line up for each team:

Tuesday

Oakland: Homer Bailey at Angels (Dillon Peters)

Tampa Bay: Brendan McKay vs. Yankees (undecided)

Cleveland: Mike Clevinger at White Sox (Hector Santiago)

Wednesday

Oakland: Brett Anderson at Angels (Andrew Heaney)

Tampa Bay: Charlie Morton vs. Yankees (undecided)

Cleveland: Shane Bieber at White Sox (Ross Detwiler)

Thursday

Oakland: Mike Fiers at Mariners (Felix Hernandez)

Cleveland: Aaron Civale at White Sox (Dylan Cease)

Friday

Oakland: Sean Manaea at Mariners (Justus Sheffield)

Tampa Bay: Tyler Glasnow at Blue Jays (T.J. Zeuch)

Cleveland: Zach Plesac at Nationals (Austin Voth)

Saturday

Oakland: Tanner Roark at Mariners (Marco Gonzales)

Tampa Bay: Ryan Yarbrough at Blue Jays (Trent Thornton)

Cleveland: Adam Plutko at Nationals (Patrick Corbin)

Sunday

Oakland: Homer Bailey at Mariners (Justin Dunn)

Tampa Bay: Blake Snell at Blue Jays (Clay Buchholz)

Cleveland: Mike Clevinger at Nationals (Max Scherzer)

Of course, Scherzer might not pitch that final Sunday if the Nationals have a playoff spot clinched (almost certainly will happen). That will help the Indians. If we end up tied after Sunday's action, the Rays would have Morton ready to go on Monday or for the wild-card game, and the Indians would have Bieber lined up for the same scenario. Of course, if a play-in game is required -- let alone with if we end up in a three-way tie -- then that creates all kinds of potential chaos for the wild-card game on Oct. 2.

Then again, if the Rays are forced into a bullpen game, perhaps no team is better equipped. They've been playing those types of games all season long.

Great throw of the night No. 1: Have to highlight this 305-foot throw from Mookie Betts to nail Avisail Garcia at third base:

Great throw of the night No. 2: And here's Bryce Harper luring the Nationals into sending Juan Soto home:

.@bryceharper3 recorded his 13th outfield assist in the first, tying his career high set in 2013. ? pic.twitter.com/msochVmGCx

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 23, 2019

Alas, the Nationals beat the Phillies 7-2, and the Phillies' tragic number is down to one. Next year, Bryce.

Star names are heading back to Scotland in 2020 thanks to a thrilling double bill

Glasgow was at the centre of the indoor athletics season this year when the Emirates Arena played host to the European Championships – and world class athletics will be heading to the venue once again in 2020 when the Scottish city stages both the Müller Indoor Grand Prix and, for the first time ever, the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships.

Getting Olympic and Paralympic year off and running in earnest, February 15 will see the finest athletes on the planet arrive in town for the Müller Indoor Grand Prix – the number one ranked indoor meet in the world – and what promises to be an amazing afternoon of sport at the very highest level.

The Müller Indoor Grand Prix was last staged in Glasgow in 2018 and saw the likes of Dina Asher-Smith, Elaine Thompson, Su Bingtian and Adam Gemili competing in front of what is always a vociferous crowd.

That showpiece will be swiftly followed by the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships on February 22-23, as Britain’s best battle it out for national titles and places on the team bound for the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Nanjing.

The SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships has taken place in both the EIS Sheffield and, for the past two years, Arena Birmingham. However, British Athletics Major Events Director Cherry Alexander OBE believes the decision to head north of the border makes perfect sense.

“The Müller Indoor Grand Prix will be the best indoor event ever staged in Scotland, with athletics fans in for a treat as world stars come to town,” she says.

“Olympic and Paralympic year is always very special and I am sure that the atmosphere will be amazing at Emirates Arena. Staging the British Athletics Indoor Season in Glasgow truly reflects the UK-wide interest in our sport and I am proud that we are taking the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships to Scotland for the first time – it is long overdue.

“This announcement demonstrates the strength of collaboration between British Athletics and our home nations athletics partners.”

Scotland scrum-half Ali Price is out of the World Cup because of a foot injury suffered in Sunday's defeat by Ireland.

The Glasgow Warriors player, 26, came on as a second-half substitute in place of Greig Laidlaw in the 27-3 loss in Yokohama.

Edinburgh's Henry Pyrgos will fly out as Price's replacement.

It comes a day after Scotland lost back-row Hamish Watson for the rest of the tournament, with Magnus Bradbury called up to replace him.

"We're disappointed for Ali to have to return home so early in the tournament," said Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend.

"Both Ali and Hamish invested a lot of effort in being in their best physical shape for the World Cup and it's a shame they've only been involved in one game.

"However, we have a lot of belief in our wilder group and the two new players who have been given this opportunity."

Scotland face Samoa in their next Group A match in Kobe on Monday (11:15 BST), before meetings with Russia and Japan.

The Carabao Cup so often provides big Premier League clubs the opportunity to blood their academy products on the verge of breaking into the first team. So with the competition's third round getting underway on Tuesday, and England's biggest clubs joining the fray, we take a look at the most promising youngsters looking to make their mark with the Big Six in the League Cup this season.

Gabriel Martinelli | 18 | Forward | Arsenal

Given that Arsenal remain thin on striking backup, it would do no harm for Martinelli to make a splash in the tie against Nottingham Forest. Big things are expected from the 18-year-old forward, and that is borne out by the fact that, rather than be sent back out on loan after joining from Ituano in July, he has immediately been involved with the first-team squad. He made his Premier League debut in the closing stages of the win at Newcastle in August and will surely be given the nod to start on Tuesday. "I got a little shy because I only saw [my new teammates] on television, on video games," he said of his first few days in north London, but this week he can make massive strides towards sharing a stage with them.

- Is VAR taking everything too far?
- How VAR decisions have affected every Premier League club

Charlie Brown | 20 | Forward | Chelsea

While Tammy Abraham has been making the headlines in Chelsea's first team, there are those who think Brown could be even better. The striker, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Monday, joined from Ipswich's academy in 2016 and has barely stopped scoring since. Last season he was top scorer in the UEFA Youth League with 11 goals -- five more than his closest competition -- and has stepped up against senior opponents too, netting five times in the Football League Trophy in the past year. Brown is left footed and, while a rapier-like finisher, also adept at linking the play and dropping deep. Grimsby, who Chelsea face on Wednesday, would appear the perfect opponents for a long-awaited senior debut.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis | 17 | Defender | Manchester City

With City so short of centre-back options, it would be a major boost if the 17-year-old Harwood-Bellis put in a commanding display against Championship high-fliers Preston. Pep Guardiola confirmed on Saturday that he is now a member of the first-team squad and appears to have been impressed by what he has seen so far. "He is aggressive, he wins duels, he pays attention," Guardiola said of the Stockport-born defender, who is also composed and confident on the ball. "From now on, he will train with us. Whether he will play or not, we'll see." Harwood-Bellis, who is believed to have impressed greatly during Manchester City's preseason trip to Asia, may well get the call to do it all again at Deepdale.

Troy Parrott | 17 | Forward | Tottenham

Parrott has set tongues wagging excitedly in recent months and looks likely to feature in Spurs' trip to League Two side Colchester United. The forward has made waves with a number of sublime goals of late, particularly a staggering scooped effort for Ireland's Under-21s earlier this month. Real Madrid and Juventus are among those credited with an interest in the 17-year-old, but Mauricio Pochettino has big plans for the academy product and a debut this week looks certain. "We cannot put his name in the spotlight every day because we're not going to help him by doing that," the Spurs manager said recently. Patience is definitely going to be vital for Parrott's development but he is staking an irresistible claim.

Rhian Brewster | 19 | Forward | Liverpool

Brewster's name may already sound familiar and that is because he has been trailed as one of Liverpool and England's most exciting young strikers for several years. His progress in the past year and three quarters has been hampered by serious injuries to his ankle and knee that he sustained in an Under-23 match against Manchester City; he recovered well enough to make the bench for the Champions League semifinal epic against Barcelona and then the final against Spurs, so the esteem in which Jurgen Klopp holds him appears clear enough. Having been courted by Bundesliga sides over the summer -- Borussia Monchengladbach were among those said to be interested -- he opted to stay put and should finally get his reward in the form of a first-team debut when Liverpool face MK Dons. The signs are that he will be worth the wait.

James Garner | 18 | Midfielder | Manchester United

Such is United's current form that anyone who impresses in the local derby against League One side Rochdale could find themselves in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Premier League team before they know it. Garner certainly has a chance to push on this season given their midfield issues, and the 18-year-old already has a modicum of first-team experience. He came on as a late substitute in the Premier League win at Crystal Palace in February and impressed during preseason, heightening hopes that he can follow Mason Greenwood into the senior spotlight. Garner, who has been with United for a decade, has exceptional vision and passing range while looking happy to get stuck in, too. He has captained England's Under-17s and there is genuine hope that he will be a future leader for United, too. A strong showing on Wednesday could be the kind of green shoot his club are desperate for.

Jamaica Tallawahs 127 (Phillips 41, Lewis 27, Lamichhane 2-17) beat Barbados Tridents 122 for 9 (Charles 31, Reifer 26, Imran 3-19, Springer 3-32) by five runs

Glenn Phillips or nothing. That is the perception Jamaica Tallawahs had built around themselves so far in CPL 2019. All that changed on Monday, after their bowlers came to the party to defend a modest 127, fuelled by Phillips' 41 and a late 22-ball 27 from No. 9 Ramaal Lewis. This helped them beat Barbados Tridents by five runs and notch up their second win in eight games but not before a late scare from Raymon Reifer, whose quickfire 26 brought the equation down to six runs off three deliveries at one stage.

Sandeep Lamichhane, who earlier in the day ended with 2 for 17 in his final CPL game of the season, had the opportunity to hit the final ball for a six and win the game for his side. He couldn't and Tridents slumped to their eighth successive loss at home across seasons. They are, however, still fourth on the points table, one point separating them and the bottom-ranked St Lucia Zouks.

Among those in the crowd were Garry Sobers, the all-time great, and Jofra Archer, the Barbados-born World Cup winner with England. Archer, seen having a keen eye on the contest, would've particularly loved bowling on this Kensington Oval deck, the same one on which England were bowled out for 77 and 246 in a 381-run loss against West Indies earlier this year.

A reprieve and a stunner

Jason Holder had Chris Gayle chop on in the second over to give Tridents a dream start. Things could've been even better for Holder in his second over but Phillips was reprieved on 16 when he top-edged a pull that swirled high only for wicketkeeper Johnson Charles and the slip fielder to leave it to the other even as both ran back for the catch. In the end, neither managed to get a hand on the ball. The missed chance of Charles was somewhat compensated by Ashley Nurse's anticipation at slip. He moved instinctively to his right and Chadwick Walton's thick outside edge to a drive off legspinner Lamichhane stuck in his outstretched right hand.

Phillips, Smith and the late finish

Phillips mellowed down quickly after the top-order wobble, slipping into accumulation mode, but it didn't help that his senior partners kept letting him down. Dwayne Smith, not picked in the draft by the Tridents, had the opportunity to prove them wrong. Having hit three of his four CPL centuries at this venue, he walked in with Tallawahs 51 for 3 and walked off to leave them 55 for 4 after a mistimed pull to deep midwicket to give Lamichhane his second wicket. It was his fourth single-digit score since being summoned as an injury replacement.

Phillips followed suit and soon the innings was on a downward spiral until a rain break, with Tallawahs on 108 for 8 in 18.3 overs, brought about a change in luck. After resumption, Lewis carted left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer for consecutive sixes in the final over, as the last nine balls produced 19 runs. Tallawahs suddenly had something to defend.

Tridents collapse after bright start

Alex Hales took a liking to George Worker's left-arm spin by hitting him for a four and two sixes before Jade Dernbach's brilliant catch at backward square leg terminated Hales' innings in the fourth over. Three balls later, Zahir Khan reprieved Charles at short fine leg, and the Tridents wicketkeeper steadied himself thereafter to make 31. After missing a stumping and fumbling a bit earlier in the day, this could've been a shot at redemption, but Charles, who saw JP Duminy and Jonathan Carter fall around him, failed while attempting a desperate pull. That left Tridents five down, with 50 still to get off 34 balls.

Reifer threatens a heist

Tridents needed 30 from 12 balls. Reifer, whose stance and batting style resembles that of former West Indies wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, feasted on some loose bowling as Tallawahs went into meltdown mode. Shamar Springer, a hero until that point with figures of 3 for 17 from three overs, got clobbered for two fours and a six in a 15-run over. When he went full, Reifer belted him over long-off. He bowled length, only to be swatted to deep midwicket. Then he tried a slower ball but was forehanded over mid-off.

Smith now had a chance to redeem himself in the final over but saw his second ball smacked out of the ground at deep midwicket. Eight required from four now. Gayle and Walton had in a mini-conference with the bowler. Smith went full, and Reifer took two to long-off. With six needed off three, he bowled full and wide this time, Reifer reached out but holed out to deep cover. That there was the game.

Cricket Australia has moved to avoid a repeat of the controversial World Cup final in the BBL and WBBL by adjusting the playing regulations to ensure that further Super Overs take place, instead of a boundary countback, in the event of a tied game and a tied Super Over.

England's win in the World Cup on a boundary countback when scores were level after both 100 overs and the Super Over against New Zealand caused a lot of discussion and debate in the aftermath.

Cricket Australia explored all options of how to resolve such a scenario if it were to happen in a BBL or WBBL final. It has occurred twice in the WBBL where tied Super Overs have resulted in games being decided by the boundary count.

CA decided in the event of a tied Super Over, playing further Super Overs was the logical solution. This will apply to all finals in the BBL and WBBL. In the event of tied games and then tied Super Overs in home and away fixtures in both competitions the points are split.

One of the issues CA had to deal with was some grounds around Australia, like the SCG, have a curfew on when the lights must be turned off, which in the event of multiple Super Overs of a night fixture could cause the game to remain uncompleted. The WBBL also has some double-headers which could cause time constraints for further Super Overs to be completed if the next game needs to start.

Cricket Australia added a provision to the playing conditions that states, "In circumstances where Cricket Australia has unavoidable time restraints, such as, but not limited to, double-header semi-finals, it shall limit the number of possible super overs and advise teams either pre-match, or prior to the final super over. In the case of a tied super over under (such) circumstances then, the higher placed team will be declared the winner."

CA's head of Big Bash Leagues, Alistair Dobson, said multiple Super Overs was the best way to resolve a tie. "We hope that allowing for multiple Super Overs in WBBL and BBL Finals will provide our teams and fans with the best possible experience," he said. We look forward to another competitive season for both leagues and believe we have a strong system in place should a nail-biting knockout match arise."

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Washington Redskins proved the perfect remedy for struggling Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

After coming under intense scrutiny for not throwing a touchdown pass in either of Chicago's first two games, Trubisky passed for three touchdowns, all of them to wide receiver Taylor Gabriel, before halftime in Monday night's 31-15 win against Washington.

Trubisky finished the first half 20-of-23 for 173 yards and three touchdowns (137.6 quarterback rating), the most completions in a first half in the young quarterback's career. He finished the game 25-of-31 for 231 yards, with his lone blemish an interception to Josh Norman at the Washington 6-yard line late in the third quarter.

Gabriel became the first Bears receiver with three receiving touchdowns in a game since Brandon Marshall in 2014.

"I want to give credit to Mitch," head coach Matt Nagy said after the game. "He had a really good week of practice. He was very mentally prepared. He's mentally strong. He understands that throughout this process, there's a lot of weight on his shoulders to do well ... I like where he's at. We're slowly getting better."

Trubisky's first two touchdowns to Gabriel both occurred inside the 5-yard line, but the 25-year-old quarterback's third touchdown toss was arguably his best play of the season to date.

On third-and-17 from the Redskins' 36-yard line, Washington's pass rush forced Trubisky to move up in the pocket and slide to the left. On the move, Trubisky fired a pass downfield to Gabriel near the front right corner of the end zone. Gabriel was initially ruled out of bounds, but the replay clearly showed that the veteran receiver got both feet in bounds, and the call was reversed.

"I think we're still growing and evolving as an offense," Trubisky said. "I don't know if I'd call it a breakthrough yet. We got to keep getting better, keep growing. Definitely room for improvement and definitely in the second half, especially on my part. If we just stick to the process and keep growing and keep learning and sticking together, we're going to be all right."

The Bears desperately needed Trubisky -- drafted second overall in 2017 -- to have a good showing at FedEx Field after he sputtered through the first two weeks of the regular season.

Through two games in 2019, Trubisky's completion percentage (58.3), passing yards (348), touchdowns (zero), Total QBR (27.5), yards per attempt (4.8) and number of attempts that traveled 10-plus yards in the air (16) were substantially worse than his play in the opening two games of the 2018 season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The Bears faced third-and-7 or worse on 16 of 26 conversion attempts (62%) against Green Bay and Denver. Last season, the Bears needed seven or more yards on just 43% of their third-down plays.

On Monday, Trubisky proved prolific on third down, going 10-for-11 for 133 yards and a touchdown.

Washington entered Week 3 with the second-worst passing defense by total QBR.

PHOENIX -- Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run home run on Monday in his return to Chase Field as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 32-year-old Goldschmidt spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was a fan favorite during his tenure. He hit .297 with 209 homers and 710 RBIs in his eight years in the desert, helping the franchise make the playoffs in 2011 and 2017.

The Diamondbacks honored Goldschmidt with a tribute video before the game that highlighted some of his best moments. He got a big ovation before his first at-bat in the first inning, in which he drew a walk.

In the third, he drove a changeup from Alex Young over the right-center-field fence for his 32nd homer of the year. It was his 100th career homer at Chase Field, which is a stadium record. He finished 2-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout to go with the home run in a 9-7 win.

Goldschmidt was traded during the offseason for catcher Carson Kelly, pitcher Luke Weaver, infielder Andy Young and a draft pick.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES -- Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt still cares whether you believe he's a cheater -- almost as much as he cares about never seeing another player go through the humiliation he has endured.

"No one in the world can say that they don't care that people think they're a cheater," Schmidt told ESPN after a Knights preseason game last week.

"If I'm the last guy it ever happens to, I'm OK with that."

After being suspended for the first 20 games of the 2018-19 season for violating the NHL/NHL Players Association Performance Enhancing Substances Program, Schmidt said he has worked with the NHLPA in an effort to change the league's minimum threshold for a PED violation.

The topic has been discussed recently as part of the ongoing collective bargaining talks between the players and the NHL, and there's reason for optimism that the policy will be amended.

"I knew the NHL and the NHLPA were putting the final touches on, and trying to amend, the testing system," Schmidt said. "Once I heard there were some possible changes, some dialogue about it, that's when I started to feel better about what happened."

On Sept. 2, 2018, the NHL announced that Schmidt had been suspended, without pay, for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. The 20-game ban was notable for its rarity, as Schmidt was the fifth NHL player suspended for PEDs since the league's current CBA was ratified in 2013. The most recent suspension before that was in 2016.

It was also notable for the pushback it received from the Golden Knights, who emphatically stood by their player and signed him to a six-year contract extension, and from Schmidt himself, who released a detailed statement vehemently denying PED use. Among the memorable defenses: an expert testifying that the substance in Schmidt's system was at levels so minuscule that it was "the equivalent of a pinch of salt in an Olympic-sized swimming pool."

He returned to the ice after 20 games, playing 61 games on the season and putting up 30 points. His agent, Matt Keator, said that's just how Schmidt is wired.

"He's such a resilient kid," Keator said. "He saw this as a bump in the road. He used this to strengthen himself. It was motivation to prove himself. And obviously, with that contract, Vegas believed in him."

His game was back. But Schmidt believes his reputation never fully recovered.

"You only get one name," he said. "It means a lot to me and to my family. That's the part that really bummed me out: My mom and dad, my brother and my sister and my family, them going through that stuff, that was the hardest part. I know that my family will love me no matter what. But it was hard."

Schmidt paused, looked skyward and composed himself.

"Sorry," he continued. "It's an emotional thing. It's an emotional time in your life."

Both Schmidt and Keator stressed that they have no desire to relitigate the past.

"The people closest to me feel like it's been resolved, and that's the most important support factor for me," Schmidt said.

Now Schmidt wants to influence the future of PED testing in the NHL.

Both his agent and the NHLPA confirm that Schmidt has been a "passionate" voice in trying to get the testing thresholds raised. While these discussions would have likely occurred anyway during the CBA talks, Schmidt raised so much awareness about the perceived injustice of his suspension that it served as an important example for why the standards might need to be amended.

The NHL declined to comment when asked about those discussions.

Schmidt wouldn't offer specifics about what changes he's seeking, but he hasn't been all that specific about the details of his positive test, either -- other than unambiguously stating that he disagreed with his suspension.

"Throughout my playing career I have been tested numerous times, including twice last season, and I have never before tested positive. It was utterly shocking to be informed that I tested positive for a microscopic amount of a tainted substance. Not only did I not intentionally take a banned substance, I could not have received any performance enhancement benefit from the trace amount that inadvertently got into my system at a level that was far too small to have any effect. This low amount was consistent with environmental contamination that I could not possibly have prevented," he said in a statement last September.

The working theory, multiple sources have told ESPN, is that Schmidt's positive test was the result of his consuming tainted meat.

If that sounds familiar, it's the same argument made by boxer Canelo Alvarez in 2018. He tested positive twice for clenbuterol, a substance used by farmers in Mexico in their cattle feed to reduce fat and increase lean muscle mass. A hair sample taken from Alvarez didn't detect any performance-enhancing drugs. An expert did the same with Schmidt's hair and "concluded there was no evidence of intentional use," according to the player's statement last year.

It hasn't been easy for Schmidt after the suspension. He said he started to work through his bitterness in the second half of the season, concentrating on helping the Knights back to the playoffs.

"That was from a hockey standpoint," he said. "But my job wasn't done. I didn't want that to happen to another player."

As he enters his seventh NHL season and third with the Vegas Golden Knights, Schmidt admitted that getting the NHL's PED system changed could, in some small way, change perceptions about his own "cheating." If the thresholds were seen to be too low -- something the World Anti-Doping Agency is reportedly looking into as well -- then Schmidt's positive test would seem unmerited in hindsight. If the testing standards were amended, then his suspension would be viewed as unwarranted.

Those would be the ancillary benefits to the NHL and the NHLPA coming together to change their minimum PED testing thresholds. But Schmidt said the main objective remains protecting other players from the embarrassment and frustration he suffered last season. He doesn't necessarily need that validation for himself.

"At the end of the day, I know I didn't do it," Schmidt said. "That's what gets me over the hump: that I can look in the mirror and know I didn't do it. And then get back to being me."

The Memphis Grizzlies and Andre Iguodala have mutually agreed to let him stay away from the team, sources confirmed to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Memphis has no plans to negotiate a contract buyout and continues to expect that it will find a trade for Iguodala prior to the Feb. 6 deadline, sources said.

The Daily Memphian was first to report that Iguodala would be away from the team.

"... we're trying to figure out things on both sides," Iguodala told NBC Sports Bay Area in an interview published Monday. "They're trying to figure out some things, and I'm trying to figure out some things. As of today, we're on the same page. Camp opens the next week. We'll see. We're on the same page, though."

The Golden State Warriors sent Iguodala, who is due $17.2 million next season in the final year of his contract, along with a lightly protected 2024 first-round pick to the rebuilding Grizzlies because they needed to shed his salary to execute a three-team, sign-and-trade deal for All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell.

Iguodala, 35, a critical piece of the Warriors' three championships and five consecutive Finals appearances, is considered one of the league's elite wing defenders and is an excellent passer and threat off the dribble. He averaged 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game as Golden State's sixth man last season. Those averages increased to 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists during the playoffs, in which Iguodala started the majority of the games.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.