I Dig Sports
O's expect Henderson to return Friday vs. Royals
BALTIMORE -- Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson is expected to return to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday at Kansas City after missing the start of the season with a right intercostal strain.
Manager Brandon Hyde said Henderson is "probable" for the series opener against the Royals. He was not activated for Thursday's home game against Boston.
Henderson hit .281 with 37 home runs, 92 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 2024, finishing fourth in the American League MVP race.
Baltimore's offense has remained explosive without him, scoring at least eight runs in four of the team's first six games, although the Orioles were shut out by Boston on Wednesday night.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The once and possibly future home of the Tampa Bay Rays will get a new roof to replace the one shredded by Hurricane Milton with the goal of having the ballpark ready for the 2026 season, city officials decided in a vote Thursday.
The St. Petersburg City Council voted 7-1 to approve $22.5 million to begin the repairs at Tropicana Field, which will start with a membrane roof that must be in place before other work can continue. Although the Rays pulled out of a planned $1.3 billion new stadium deal, the city is still contractually obligated to fix the Trop.
"We are legally bound by an agreement. The agreement requires us to fix the stadium," said council member Lissett Hanewicz, who is an attorney. "We need to go forward with the roof repair so we can do the other repairs."
The hurricane damage forced the Rays to play home games this season at Steinbrenner Field across the bay in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The Rays went 4-2 on their first homestand ever at an open-air ballpark, which seats around 11,000 fans.
Under the current agreement with the city, the Rays owe three more seasons at the Trop once it's ready again for baseball, through 2028. It's unclear if the Rays will maintain a long-term commitment to the city or look to Tampa or someplace else for a new stadium. Major League Baseball has said keeping the team in the Tampa Bay region is a priority. The Rays have played at the Trop since their inception in 1998.
The team said it would have a statement on the vote later Thursday.
The overall cost of Tropicana Field repairs is estimated at $56 million, said city architect Raul Quintana. After the roof, the work includes fixing the playing surface, ensuring audio and visual electronics are working, installing flooring and drywall, getting concession stands running and other issues.
"This is a very complex project. We feel like we're in a good place," Quintana said at the council meeting Thursday.
Under the proposed timeline, the roof installation will take about 10 months. The unique membrane system is fabricated in Germany and assembled in China, Quintana said, adding that officials are examining how President Donald Trump's new tariffs might affect the cost.
The new roof, he added, will be able to withstand hurricane winds as high as 165 mph. Hurricane Milton, one of the strongest hurricanes ever in the Atlantic basin at one point, blasted ashore Oct. 9 south of Tampa Bay with Category 3 winds of about 125 mph.
Citing mounting costs, the Rays last month pulled out of a deal with the city and Pinellas County for a new $1.3 billion ballpark to be built near the Trop site. That was part of a broader $6.5 billion project known as the Historic Gas Plant district to bring housing, retail and restaurants, arts and a Black history museum to a once-thriving Black neighborhood razed for the original stadium.
The city council plans to vote on additional Trop repair costs over the next few months.
"This is our contractual obligation. I don't like it more than anybody else. I'd much rather be spending that money on hurricane recovery and helping residents in the most affected neighborhoods," council member Brandi Gabbard said. "These are the cards that we're dealt."
Top-20 players ask Grand Slams for more prize money
Prize money at last year's Wimbledon was 50m, exactly double the amount offered in 2014. In that 10-year period, prize money for first-round losers increased from 27,000 to 60,000.
But players have frequently pointed to the vast revenues generated by the Grand Slams, and feel they deserve a significantly larger return.
In the year up to July 2023, the All England Club (AELTC) had a turnover of 380m. But once the costs of running the Championships were deducted, the operating profit was just under 54m.
Nearly 49m of that went to the LTA, as the AELTC has agreed to pay the governing body 90% of its annual surplus until 2053.
Costs include prize money, employing more than 8,000 seasonal staff, preparing and developing the site and supporting other grass court events.
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen said increased prize money would be particularly welcomed by lower-ranked players, who can struggle to make ends meet at other times of the year.
"I think that's going to benefit all the players, not only the top players, especially those that work hard during the year and need to get paid from the Grand Slams and have to survive," added the Chinese world number eight.
"We try to do what we can, and then let's see what the gods bring to us. But at least we're trying."
Pollard did not think South Africa return was possible
In the time Pollard has played abroad he has helped South Africa win two World Cups.
He was with Montpellier when the Springboks won the title in 2019 by beating England in the final, then was called up during the 2023 tournament - after first proving his fitness with Tigers - to help them retain their crown.
Pollard kicked his nation to victory in the decider against New Zealand, scoring every point in their 12-11 win.
But despite his success at international level, he has gone without a trophy with Tigers so far.
He moved to Leicester after their Premiership title success of 2022, and after reaching the Premiership semi-finals in his first season in the East Midlands they finished eighth last term.
But with two months of the season and his Tigers career left, Leicester are well placed to challenge for league and European silverware.
On Saturday they face Glasgow Warriors in the last 16 of the European Champions Cup.
"I've had the most amazing time abroad. I fell in love with Leicester and it's been an unbelievable experience and I'll miss it one day, for sure," Pollard added, when asked about how he might look back at his time with Tigers.
"But there's still quite a lot to do, isn't there? There's a few big games to play."
Northampton: Ramm; Freeman, Odendaal, Dingwall (capt), Hendy; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock, Augustus.
Replacements: Walker, West, Green, Lockett, Scott-Young, Pearson, James, Hutchinson.
Clermont Auvergne: Newsome; Delguy, Simone, Moala, Raka; Belleau, Bezy; Akhaladze, Massa, Ojovan, Simmons, Ceyte, Sowakula, Tixeront, Lee (capt).
Replacements: Fainga'a, Falgoux, Ala'alatoa, Hemery, Fischer, Bousquet, Urdapilleta, Fouyssac.
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Last year the RFU's Tier 2 Board ran an open tender process to the whole game for any club, college or university to join the Championship - the level below the Premiership - for the 2025-26 season if they could meet the league's minimum operating standards and growth strategy.
Worcester were admitted on a majority decision, but the Tier 2 Board said Wasps and London Irish were not in a position at the end of last year to meet the minimum criteria.
Approval means Worcester will be admitted alongside the winners of the National League 1 division, currently being led by Richmond.
Richmond were the first professional club in England after the game went open in 1995 but when they went bust in 1999, they were relegated to the bottom of the league pyramid and have worked their way up since.
Warriors owner Holland said: "Had we opted to restart at the bottom of the rugby pyramid, as others have before us, the obligation to settle rugby creditors would have been removed.
"After careful consideration we chose to make the application to the new league under the name Worcester Warriors, a club founded in 1871, to preserve its history and legacy.
"As a result, even though we applied as a new non-league entrant, we are required to settle rugby creditors as defined by the RFU Regulation 5. We acknowledge and fully own this process and the responsibility that comes with it.
"We have taken full responsibility for addressing these inherited obligations."
Businessman Holland also owns the intellectual property for Wasps where he was a non-executive director. Should they return to the league structure he would have to relinquish ownership of one club.
It is understood the Warriors, who plan to have a new logo and resurfaced artificial pitch, have been putting people and processes in place in order to be ready for the start of next season in the Championship.
Thursday's announcement comes one week after RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney survived a vote of no confidence at a special general meeting.
The meeting was called in part by vociferous Championship clubs who have been unhappy at funding cuts from the game's organising body in England.
In a statement, Simon Gillham, Tier 2 Board chairman, said there was "still a great deal still to achieve".
He added: "The vision for this league is really ambitious and so much work and collaboration has taken place over nearly two years to establish a path towards a vibrant and self-sustaining competition.
"Today marks a significant step forward with Worcester Warriors returning to professional rugby under new ownership in a heartland for our sport, with the club's new owners having provided a financial security guarantee, held by the RFU, as well as committing to paying off debts left by the previous owners to rugby creditors."
Plans for the Championship's full competition structure are still to be announced.
With no relegation from the Championship into National League 1 this season, it means only two teams, instead of the usual three, will be relegated from National 1.
CONCORD, N.C. Most drivers entering a new season after clinching their first championship wouldnt dare part with the comforts of the equipment and processes that brought their success.
But Seth Bergman isnt like most drivers.
Over the winter, the 37-year-old Washington native, now residing in Owasso, Okla., began completely overhauling his teams equipment. Only weeks removed from finally achieving his longtime goal of clinching an American Sprint Car Series National Tour points championship, Bergman began the process of acquiring several new assets including a new truck and trailer, tools and other various working equipment, two brand-new Triple X Chassis and a new Rider Racing Engine.
In short, no expense was spared in the budget to ensure his best chance for a repeat as champion of the National Tour in 2025. So, why did he exchange his tried-and-true materials that which propelled the No. 23 team to seven Feature wins on the Tour last season for equipment much newer, yet less familiar?
We won the championship last year, but we were by no means as I feel like as good as we couldve been, Bergman said. There was a lot of things that we can correct and make a lot better, and I think Im in the pursuit of that just getting better.
For us, were just kinda getting to a point where were looking forward into the future too and just trying to make sure whatever it is we want to do, were built for it. We have the team in a spot to where we can do whatever we want to do, whether its race at a very high level with ASCS or whatever else.
As the new assets began to arrive at the shop, Bergman and the team got to work, preparing the new cars and transporter for the 40-plus Tour races on their 2025 calendar. However, the volume of remaining work exceeded the available time before the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park, and the team decided to skip the event altogether.
For us, its been a really, really busy offseason; weve definitely needed the time that weve had off to get everything where it needs to be, Bergman said. Just recently, weve gotten to a point where we feel like were ready.
Despite missing the opening three races at Volusia, Bergman will still defend his championship as a member of the full-time ASCS roster in 2025. As announced in January, all drivers will have their worst points finish between Jan. 30 and July 30 dropped from their championship points tally. Since the events at Volusia were counted as one race in the points standings, Bergman (and multiple other full-time drivers) used Volusia as his drop race.
Even at the height of his career, Bergman still reflects on his earliest seasons on the road, when his budget was tighter, and a national sprint car championship seemed like a pipe dream. But those closest to him know that his present-day racing luxuries were never an idea that spawned overnight.
I think people look at it now and think one thing or another, but Ive had these goals for a long, long time, Bergman said. For myself, its just been a steady, consistent effort over a long period of time. Weve acquired things slowly over time. Ive always made sure Ive been putting in the work so I can do my part, so we can go to the track and get results.
However, new equipment wont be the only thing carrying the team into the future. A good team has experienced, knowledgeable crew members, and Bergman is making room for that as well.
Honestly, were trying to build a very high-level sprint car team that is a good home for somebody, he said. Lets say you have a very high-level mechanic, and he wants to be a part of a great race team. Were trying to have a good race team to where were a good team to work for. Were competitive, we have nice equipment, and we can go and get results as well.
Last weekend, Bergman got his first taste of good results in the ASCS Sooner Region opener at Creek County Speedway on Friday and Enid Speedway on Saturday, posting runner-up finishes in both races with the new equipment.
All-in-all, it was still for me not being happy with where we were we still raced for two wins, both nights, Bergman said. Ultimately, just ended up second. But it was a solid start to a lot of work thats gone in over the off season. Everything performed well. It was good just to get everything to the track and run through the motions.
In less than two weeks time, Bergman and the rest of the ASCS National Tour roster will get back into action Saturday, April 12 at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Oklahoma in what will be Bergmans first National Tour event since he clinched the championship at Creek County Speedway in November.
With new equipment in-hand and a renewed commitment to chasing a championship, Bergman has never been more ready for the start of a new season.
Its a unique race track, given its high banks, and it creates some different racing that you wouldnt always see on our average, run-of-the-mill race track, he said of Salina Highbanks. I think itll be a great race track to get the season started.
Herrin Begins Title Defense At Barber Motorsports Park
LEEDS, Ala. When Josh Herrin won the 2013 AMA Superbike Championship, he didnt get the chance to run the big No. 1 the following season as he was whisked overseas for a rather miserable season in the Moto2 World Championship.
This coming weekend at Barber Motorsports Park, that all changes when Herrin and his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R will don the number-one plate as the defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champions, with the series kicking off its highly anticipated 2025 season.
Based on his performance of a year ago, Herrin will start the season as the favorite to defend his MotoAmerica Superbike title. And why not?
Herrin won last years championship by a whopping 55 points after putting together a season that included six wins and 13 total podium finishes. His season started slowly with fifth- and ninth-place finishes in the two races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Herrin earned his first podium of the young season in the first of three races at Barber Motorsports Park, but he followed that up with a crash in race two and a fourth-place finish in race three. Still, after five races, Herrin was sixth and 48 points behind early season leader Cameron Beaubier.
Then he went on a tear, with podiums in 12 of the next 15 races.
Herrins main rival a year ago will likely be his main rival again Tytlers Cycle Racings Beaubier, the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion. Beaubier looked to be headed for title number six when he crashed out of the wet first race at Road America, smashing his heel and forcing him out of the next three races. He tried to come back at Ridge Motorsports Park, but he wasnt physically ready, and he came out of the round in Washington with just eight points to show for it.
A healthy Beaubier won three races after that to match Herrins six victories, but he couldnt overcome the fact that he failed to score points in six of the 20 races.
Bobby Fong finished third in last years championship, highlighted by a pair of victories at Brainerd Intl Raceway. His speed and newfound consistency earned him a factory ride for 2025 on the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1, alongside three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne.
Gagne, meanwhile, is hoping to bounce back from a horrid 2024 season that saw him win just one race and ultimately call it quits as his arm-pump problems continued to cause him woes. Gagne will return to action and is hopeful that his health is back to normal. If it is, there is no reason why he cant challenge for a fourth title.
Sean Dylan Kelly had a breakout rookie season in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, taking his first career Superbike win while earning six additional podiums. He ended the year fourth on his Top Pro Racing BMW M 1000 RR, but then the rug was pulled out from under him as the teams major sponsor pulled out, leaving Kelly without a ride.
That didnt last long as Kelly got the call to return to the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team with which he won the 2021 Supersport title. Kelly will ride one of two Suzuki GSX-R1000R under the M4 awning with his old Supersport rival Richie Escalante returning to the team after injuries forced him to miss 12 races in 2025. When he did come back, Escalante earned his first Superbike podium at Circuit of The Americas.
With the support of American Honda, Hayden Gillim is hoping that focusing solely on the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will bring the results he knows hes capable of. Riding under the Real Steel Honda banner, Gillim should be a factor, and it wouldnt be a big surprise to see him and his Honda CBR1000RR-R SP sneak into the top five in the title chase.
Two-time MotoAmerica Superbike winner and two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion JD Beach will be the second rider in the Real Steel Honda team, though Beach will focus on bringing Honda another Stock 1000 Championship while also competing for the MotoAmerica Superbike Cup.
Jones Hondas Ashton Yates is returning for another season on the teams Honda CBR1000RR-R SP after riding the bike to 10th in last years championship with a best finish of sixth. Yates, who won the MotoAmerica Superbike Cup last year with seven straight wins to close out the season, will also race in Stock 1000.
Scheibe Racing owner Steve Scheibe fields Brazilian Danilo Lewis, the Superbike Cup Championship runner-up, on his tried-and-true BMW S 1000RR that was ridden to 18th in last years championship by Ezra Beaubier.
Max Flinders will again be racing his signature yellow Thrashed Bike Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 in the 2025 championship, hoping to improve upon his 16th-place finish in last years title chase.
Six Yamaha YZF-R1s are entered in the series opener and one of those will be raced by FLO4LAW/SBU Racings Benjamin Smith, who fell just two points shy of a top 10 championship finish in 2024.
Bryce Kornbau (Bryce Prince) will lead his two-man team in the opening round of the 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike title chase where he will be joined by Deion Campbell.
Edge Racings Josh Waters will ride one of the four BMWs entered in the opening round; ditto for Edge Racings Jesse Ruehling, with Joseph Giannotto set to ride the Limitless Racing Honda CBR1000RR-R SP.
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães will requires surgery on his hamstring injury and will miss the rest of the season as a result, the Premier League club confirmed on Thursday.
Gabriel, 27, was replaced by Jakub Kiwior in the 16th minute of Arsenal's 2-1 win over Fulham on Tuesday with head coach Mikel Arteta admitting he was "worried" about the Brazil international.
"Gabi will undergo a surgical repair procedure to his hamstring in the coming days, and immediately begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, with the aim to be ready for the start of next season," Arsenal said in a statement.
"Everyone at the club will be fully focused on supporting Gabi to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible."
The centre-back's injury is the latest in a long list of issues suffered by some of Arsenal's key players. Their absences have played a part in scuppering the north London club's hopes of challenging Liverpool for the Premier League title.
Forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are also missing for the rest of a campaign -- which has also seen Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Ben White and Gabriel Martinelli absent for long periods through injury.
Arsenal face Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday before hosting Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on April 8.
Spain's sports ministry (CSD) have ruled that Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor can continue to play for Barcelona until the end of the season.
The CSD handed Olmo and Víctor temporary registrations in January while they assessed Barça's appeal against LaLiga and the Spanish Football Federation's (RFEF) decision to revoke the duo's registrations.
LaLiga said not only did Barça miss a Dec. 31 deadline to prove they were compliant with financial regulations, but that they have "never had" the capacity to register Olmo and Víctor within their league-imposed spending limit.
The CSD, however, consider that the players have a "right to work" and have therefore adjudicated that Barça can continue to field them until the end of the campaign.
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