KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Patrick Mahomes won't often wear the championship ring he collected Thursday night for the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LVII victory. He'll keep it in a safe at home, safely tucked away and out of view.

That doesn't mean he won't cherish it, just as he does the ring commemorating the Chiefs' win in Super Bowl LIV.

"That's what you work for, was to win the Super Bowl and get those rings," Mahomes said before the Chiefs handed out the rings at a private ceremony at Kansas City's Union Station. "They last a lifetime. To be able to see them, I know they've done a great job with them. I got to help out a little bit with the creating process.

"I got to see the process of it and gave some ideas and stuff like that. So they did a great job and they mean [a lot] even with whatever they look like. You get to have them forever and they mean the world. It's cool to be able to have two of them now."

The Chiefs welcomed back a number of players and coaches now with other teams for the ceremony. One was former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who now holds the same position with the Washington Commanders.

Bieniemy also joined the Chiefs last week for their visit to the White House with President Joe Biden.

"It was tough because of the workload that I have," Bieniemy said. "I wasn't sure if I was going to be here or not because of work, but we got everything done. We got everything finalized, and it was easy to make sure that I was here tonight. And so I'm glad that I'm here to be a part of this, just to have this opportunity to share this moment in time with everybody."

The Chiefs are able to celebrate this Super Bowl victory differently than the last one. The Super Bowl LIV win happened in the days before the COVID-19 pandemic, so there was no White House visit.

They had a ring ceremony that year, but it was a socially distanced affair on the playing field at Arrowhead Stadium.

"I guess it is our first time going through it all, so it's all new to me and it feels right," tight end Travis Kelce said. "I think this is the last hurrah, though. I think everybody in this building is kind of ready to go after 2023 here and put this one in the past. But it's going to be cool seeing these rings and reminisce for one more time."

UFC star Conor McGregor has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman during an NBA Finals game last week in Miami, according to legal letters obtained Thursday by ESPN.

The woman said McGregor "violently" forced himself on her inside a VIP men's bathroom at Kaseya Center, according to a letter sent to McGregor and his team. She said that McGregor "aggressively kissed her" before also attempting to force her into multiple sexual acts.

Asked Thursday by ESPN about the McGregor allegations, a spokesperson for the Miami Police Department said its special victims unit is investigating a report filed Sunday and no additional information will be released at this time.

The incident allegedly occurred during Game 4 of the Finals on Friday. The woman has accused the Miami Heat and NBA security of aiding McGregor in the attack by separating her from her friend and forcing her into the bathroom.

McGregor, 34, denied the allegations through his attorney Barbara Llanes.

"Mr. McGregor will not be intimidated," Llanes wrote in a statement to ESPN.

Attorney Ariel Mitchell, who is representing the woman, wrote in the letter to McGregor that the woman immediately contacted law enforcement and her law firm after the alleged attack. The letter warned of possible litigation and called for McGregor to preserve all potential evidence. Mitchell also sent legal letters to the Heat and the NBA.

UFC issued a statement Thursday saying it was aware of the allegations against McGregor, adding that it "will continue to gather additional details regarding the incident. UFC will allow the legal process to play out before making any additional statements."

McGregor was at the game as a guest of the NBA and the Heat, who were playing the Denver Nuggets in the Finals. During halftime of Game 4, McGregor took part in a skit to promote a recovery spray in which he punched Heat mascot Burnie twice, which sent the man portraying the mascot to the emergency room to receive pain medication.

The Heat and NBA both acknowledged the woman's allegations in statements.

"We are aware of the allegations and are conducting a full investigation," the Heat said. "Pending the outcome of the investigation, we will withhold further comment."

The NBA said it was working with the Heat to gather more information.

McGregor has been accused of sexual assault four previous times outside the United States, although he has not faced any legal punishment and at least one case was dropped.

TMZ first reported the latest allegations against McGregor.

A former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, McGregor is the biggest money-making star in mixed martial arts history, taking part in several of the highest-selling pay-per-view events, including a 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. McGregor has been recovering from a broken leg since July 2021 and is a coach on the current season of "The Ultimate Fighter," which was filmed in Las Vegas earlier this year.

ESPN's Nick Friedell contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES -- Rickie Fowler was two holes away from finishing one of the best rounds in U.S. Open history on Thursday when he pushed his tee shot on the par-5 eighth hole right. His ball had found its way into one of Los Angeles Country Club's sandy barrancas, but somehow, in between a tree and a bridge, Fowler had a window.

He later said he didn't want to overthink the shot, so he pulled a pitching wedge and hit it perfectly over and through every possible hazard. The subsequent approach shot left him 13 feet for an improbable birdie -- his 10th of the day -- which he sank on his way to a U.S. Open-record 62.

Fowler didn't hold the mark by himself for long. Less than 30 minutes later, Xander Schauffele carded his own 8-under 62 -- a round free of bogeys and featuring eight birdies.

"It's not really what you expect at a U.S. Open," said Schauffele, who added that "I was just chasing Rickie up the leaderboard."

Branden Grace was previously the only player to fire a 62 at a major, accomplishing the feat in the third round of the 2017 Open Championship.

Previously, there had been only two 8-under rounds in U.S. Open history: Justin Thomas in 2017 at Erin Hills (9-under 63 in third round) and Johnny Miller in 1973 at Oakmont (8-under 63 in final round).

Fowler and Schauffele lead the field by two shots after the first round.

Do this again tomorrow @RickieFowler ? https://t.co/7eY2SFH91u

— Xander Schauffele (@XSchauffele) June 15, 2023

Despite carding two bogeys, Fowler -- who started on the back nine -- made five birdies in his first nine holes and had four in a row between the 18th hole and the third. By the time he made the 13-foot putt on the eighth hole, he had already made four putts of over 10 feet.

"I just had to trust it," Fowler said of his putter.

Fowler also led players in the first round in strokes gained putting, picking up 4.81 strokes on the field. The last time Fowler led a PGA Tour event in that category was at the 2019 Waste Management Open, his last Tour victory. (Fowler gained 9.54 strokes on the field in that event.)

The road back to contention has been long for Fowler, who did not qualify for the U.S. Open the past two years or the Masters this year but has had six top-10 finishes on Tour in 2023. The putter that was hot on Thursday has been a key factor in his resurgence. It was also a putter he did not have until just a few months ago.

As his caddie Rickie Romano explained after the round, Fowler's long Odyssey Versa Jailbird is a replica of Romano's own putter, which Fowler fell in love with ahead of the American Express tournament in Palm Springs, California, earlier this year when the two played nine holes at the nearby Madison Club.

"On the putting green, I rolled in a couple and he kind of looked over and was like, 'Hey, can I see that?'" Romano told ESPN after the round Thursday. "We went out on the course and played, and he grabbed it on every green. And then he used it on every green. And then on the fourth green, he said 'This putter's like cheating.' ... It freed him up."

Fowler looked more than freed up Thursday at LACC. In fact, he said the way he's been playing lately has felt like the closest he's gotten to 2014, one of the best years of his career when he finished in the top five in every major.

"I've been playing fairly consistently, but a lot of it for me is what I've been able to get out of off weeks where I'm not playing very well," Fowler said. "Still being able to make the cut and kind of turn those into at least top 20s or top 10s, where the last few years those were missed cuts and going home."

"He's been trending in the right direction and just kind of all came together today," Romano said.

Fowler, of course, was branded one of the sport's next young stars when he first turned pro in 2009. He became not just a big name on the course but a brand off it. The signature win of his career at The Players Championship, however, came over eight years ago in 2015. Though he's come close to winning majors, he has yet to add one to his résumé.

If there's one person who knows about coming close in those four events each year, it's Schauffele, who has six top-five major finishes and no wins in his career. The California native had some familiarity with this course and it showed in the first round. Schauffele's ballstriking was as close to perfection, leading to 16 greens in regulation and an average of just over 1.5 putts per hole.

Schauffele, for his part, downplayed the accomplishment of shooting 62, noting that the cloudy weather and mist during the morning made the greens and fairways softer and more amenable to scoring. Scottie Scheffler, who finished with a 3-under 67, said he expected Thursday to be the easiest conditions they'll play in all week.

"I personally did not see a 62 out there, though," Scheffler said. "I guess it was out there."

With warmer weather incoming and the USGA likely to consider setting up the course tougher in the forthcoming days, the players are expecting higher scores.

"It's just Thursday," Schauffele reminded the media. "It's literally the first day of the week."

Fowler reiterated a similar thought, noting there was still plenty of golf ahead. But for a player who has only qualified for the PGA Championship the past two years and hasn't won a tournament since 2019, a record-breaking round undeniably had more significance.

"It's definitely been long and tough," Fowler said. "A lot longer being in that situation than you'd ever want to. But it makes it so worth it having gone through that and being back where we are now."

The United States men's national team is back in action against rivals Mexico at the Concacaf Nations League semifinals. The winner of Thursday night's match at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will take on Canada on Sunday at the same venue for the title.

In 2021, the USMNT defeated El Tri 3-2 in Denver at the inaugural final of this competition in an all-time classic that saw Christian Pulisic score a penalty in extra-time and keeper Ethan Horvath make a clutch save off Andres Guardaro's attempt from the spot in the last moments to seal the trophy.

Will the USMNT extend their five-game unbeaten streak against their regional rivals, or will Mexico come up with the winning hand in Sin City? Follow along for updates, instant analysis and all the key moments.

Victor Wembanyama's season with Metropolitans 92 ended Thursday night in Paris with a 92-85 loss to Monaco in Game 3 of LNB Pro A's championship series, paving the way for Wembanyama to be the first pick in the 2023 NBA draft next week in Brooklyn.

Wembanyama, one of the biggest prospects in NBA history, had 22 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks in his final game for Metropolitans 92, who were swept out of the championship series by Monaco, one of the best teams in Europe and the dominant team in France's top league this season. Monaco's roster features several players with previous NBA experience, including guards Mike James, Elie Okobo and Jordan Loyd and center Donatas Motiejunas.

After leading for most of the game, Monaco pulled ahead in the closing minutes thanks to back-to-back 3s from Loyd, allowing the franchise to claim its first ever French LNB Pro A title. Monaco outscored Metropolitans 92 29-15 in the fourth quarter.

For the rest of the basketball world, however, the importance of the game was it wrapping up Wembanyama's season in France, one that saw him claim the league's Most Valuable Player award and lead his team to the championship round by beating his former team, ASVEL -- owned by Hall of Fame point guard Tony Parker -- in the semifinal round of the playoffs.

Now, Wembanyama can fully focus on next week's NBA draft, where he will be the top pick by the Spurs when it is held at Barclays Center next Thursday night.

The 7-foot-5 French player is one of the most unprecedented prospects in the history of basketball, with a 10-foot standing reach and impressive athleticism, allowing him to cover tremendous ground defensively while being someone who can shoot outside the 3-point line offensively.

Once he's officially a Spur, he'll become the centerpiece of San Antonio's rebuild, becoming the third top overall pick in the history of the franchise and following David Robinson and Tim Duncan as generational big men to go to San Antonio.

In addition to partnering with coach Gregg Popovich, Wenbanyama will also be joining a roster with talented young players around him, including forwards Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell.

NEW YORK -- Robot umpires likely won't be ready for a big league call-up next season.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred says the automatic ball-strike system (ABS) being used in Triple-A is not likely to be used in the big leagues in 2024.

"I think there's some sentiment among the group that we made had a lot of changes here," Manfred said Thursday following an owners meeting. "We ought to let the dust settle, and there are clearly unresolved operational issues with respect to ABS. Despite all the testing, we still have some things that are unresolved."

Defining a computerized strike zone is among the issues.

The independent Atlantic League tried the ABS system at its 2019 All-Star Game, and it was used in that's year Arizona Fall League of top prospects. The ABS was used at eight of nine ballparks of the Low-A Southeast League in 2021 then moved up to Triple-A in 2022.

At Triple-A this year, half the games use the robots for ball/strike calls and half have a human making decisions that are subject to appeals by teams to the ABS.

MLB adopted a pitch clock this year along with restrictions on defensive shifts, pitcher disengagements such as pickoff attempts and larger bases.

The average time of a nine-inning game has dropped to 2 hours, 38 minutes from 3 hours, 5 minutes through a similar number of games last year. The .248 big league batting average is up from .243 for the full 2022 season and on track to be the highest since 2019.

"Still being a believer in the truism that the big leagues are different, the fact of the matter is the outcomes so far have looked very much like what we saw in the experimentation in minor league baseball, both in terms of game time, number of violations per game, the number of violations coming down over time," Manfred said.

Average attendance of 27,630 is up from 25,620 through the same number of dates last year.

"We're going to be up somewhere in the 6-8% range, which is nice number for us," Manfred said.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Tampa Bay Rays became the first team to 50 wins, and for the Oakland Athletics splitting a four-game series against baseball's best spelled success.

At 50-22, the Rays reached 50 wins in the fewest games in franchise history, and it's tied for the second fastest any team has reached 50 wins in the past 20 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Luke Raley hit a go-ahead solo homer with one out in the eighth, Manuel Margot connected earlier, and the Rays beat the 19-win A's 4-3 on Thursday.

Rays rookie top prospect Taj Bradley struck out the first six A's batters in order and a career-high 11 in all, surrendering Seth Brown's tying two-run single in the fifth.

Sure, the Rays are happy with their win total at this stage.

"That sounds really good, I'm really excited to get out of here, though," manager Kevin Cash said.

The A's loaded the bases against former Oakland pitcher Jake Diekman in the seventh only for the defense to deliver a brilliant play. Seth Brown hit a hard grounder -- with an exit velocity of 107.9 mph -- that second baseman Taylor Walls fielded and fired home to save a run, and then catcher Francisco Mejia threw to first for the inning-ending double play.

"Honestly, I knew I had time because of the force out at home so I kind of took a half-step back before that," Walls said. "That ball was smoked, so I didn't really have time to think about anything. But after I realized I gloved it clean I knew that it was a chance for a double play."

Robert Stephenson (1-0) came in for Diekman to get the final out of the seventh. Right-hander Pete Fairbanks returned from the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his left hip and finished for his sixth save.

Fairbanks is nursing a black eye on the right side of his face after dunking while playing basketball in his family's pool with 3-year-old son Isak and hitting the backboard.

"Teach him an early lesson in life: When you're in the paint, you cannot be caught unaware underneath the basket," Fairbanks said. "Did that end up with me with a black eye? Yes. So, it was fun. My wife has been making fun of me about it, as has pretty much everybody here. So, it's been a good past five days or whatever."

Paul Blackburn struck out a career-high nine for the A's, who had their season-best seven-game winning streak snapped a night earlier. Austin Pruitt (1-4) took the loss.

JJ Bleday beat out an infield single to start the third for the first baserunner against Bradley.

"Electric stuff," Oakland's Tony Kemp said about Bradley.

Before Thursday, the only Rays pitcher to retire the first six batters by strikeout was Blake Snell against the Mariners on June 3, 2018. It marked the first time the first six A's batters struck out in a game since April 8, 1987, against Frank Viola and the Twins.

Margot connected for his third homer in the fourth to support Bradley a day after hitting three doubles. All three of Margot's homers have come against the A's.

Blackburn ran into trouble in the second, when Harold Ramirez reached on an error before the right-hander surrendered a single to Raley, Isaac Paredes' RBI single and then an RBI double to Walls.

Richard Lovelady relieved Blackburn but had to exit in the seventh because of an injury. Manager Mark Kotsay said the pitcher experienced a burning sensation in his elbow 20 months post-Tommy John surgery and would undergo an MRI exam.

Kemp snapped a career-long 0-for-24 hitless stretch with a single in the third -- his third hit in day games. He earlier had stretch of 23 straight hitless at-bats.

The Rays won the season series for the second straight year, going 5-2 after a three-game sweep in Tampa from April 5 to 7 in which they outscored the A's 31-5 with a pair of 11-0 victories.

Oakland is celebrating its progress in a tough first half.

"Coming back home after a really good road trip and taking the first two from them I feel like it kind of [opened] some people's eyes in here a little bit," Blackburn said, "we're a good team."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo on Thursday signed the bill pledging $380 million in taxpayer money toward a $1.5 billion stadium for the Oakland Athletics to move to Las Vegas, leaving only the approval of Major League Baseball to finalize the first relocation of a franchise in nearly two decades.

SB1, the bill passed by the Nevada legislature during a seven-day special session called for by Lombardo to hammer out a financing package, was approved this week by the state Senate and Assembly after the addition of amendments that called upon the A's organization to guarantee $2 million annually to the community, among other small concessions.

Lombardo signing the bill was the latest victory for A's owner John Fisher, who over protests from Oakland fans and politicians had focused efforts in recent months on moving the team from its home since 1968. The last MLB team to move was the Montreal Expos, who in 2005 became the Washington Nationals. The A's need the support of the other teams, who are expected to rubber-stamp the move in the coming months without the team needing to pay the standard $1 billion relocation fee after commissioner Rob Manfred said he would waive it as long as the organization received public funding to support its stadium efforts.

"I'm excited to officially sign SB1 this afternoon," Lombardo said in a statement. "This is an incredible opportunity to bring the A's to Nevada, and this legislation reflects months of negotiations between the team, the state, the county, and the league. Las Vegas' position as a global sports destination is only growing, and Major League Baseball is another tremendous asset for the city."

The A's, whose lease at the dilapidated Oakland Coliseum runs through 2024, are expected to move at latest in 2025 to Las Vegas, a city that before the NHL's Golden Knights arrived in 2017 didn't have a major professional sports team. The team hopes the proposed stadium, a 30,000-seat retractable-roof building at the site of the Tropicana hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, would be ready by 2028. Until then, the A's would play about 30 minutes west, at their AAA affiliate's 10,000-seat park, before moving into the smallest stadium in MLB.

The A's move, initiated by Fisher following more than two decades of failed efforts to build a stadium in the Bay Area, prompted Oakland fans to initiate a so-called reverse boycott Tuesday, in which they drew a season-high 27,759 fans, many of whom spent the game chanting for Fisher to "sell the team."

Fisher, an heir to the Gap clothing fortune who bought the team in 2005, declined comment at the quarterly owners' meetings in New York this week. Manfred, who spoke derisively about the fans showing up for the reverse boycott, said: "I feel sorry for the fans in Oakland. I do not like this outcome. I understand why they feel the way they do. I think the real question is what is it that Oakland was prepared to do? There is no Oakland offer. They never got to the point where they had a plan to build a stadium at any site. It's not just John Fisher. ... The community has to provide support, and at some point you come to the realization that it's just not going to happen."

Oakland mayor Sheng Thao has said previously that the city had $375 million in commitments toward a new stadium. The desire of Fisher and A's president Dave Kaval to instead pursue a massive, $12 billion development project at Oakland's Howard Terminal site, a spokesperson for the mayor said in a statement, complicated what could have been a straightforward transaction.

"There was a very concrete proposal under discussion and Oakland had gone above and beyond to clear hurdles, including securing funding for infrastructure, providing an environmental review and working with other agencies to finalize proposals," the mayor's statement said. "The reality is the A's ownership had insisted on a multibillion-dollar, 55-acre project that included a ballpark, residential, commercial and retail space. In Las Vegas, for whatever reason, they seem satisfied with a 9-acre leased ballpark on leased land. If they had proposed a similar project in Oakland, we feel confident a new ballpark would already be under construction."

Over the last two years, as the A's received permission from MLB to pursue relocation, Las Vegas emerged as the favorite to land its third major men's team, after the Knights and the NFL's Raiders, who also moved from Oakland. Over the last five years, all of Oakland's pro sports teams -- the A's, Raiders and the NBA's Warriors -- have moved out of the city.

"We will now begin the process with MLB to apply for relocation to Las Vegas," the A's said in a statement. "We are excited about Southern Nevada's dynamic and vibrant professional sports scene, and we look forward to becoming a valued community member through jobs, economic development, and the quality of life and civic pride of a Major League Baseball team."

The A's have spent most of the season as the worst team in MLB. Fisher forced the trades of key Oakland players, and after going 60-102 last season, they're on pace to finish a historically bad 43-119 this season.

The Tampa Bay Rays still rule, but the Baltimore Orioles are coming on fast in this week's MLB Power Rankings.

The O's -- led by American League Player of the Week Gunnar Henderson -- move up a spot to enter the top five, one of four AL East teams in the top 10.

Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers hold firm at No. 2, missing a chance at passing the Rays by dropping two of three to them last weekend at the Trop. Still, the AL West rival Houston Astros have not only dropped from the top five but have lost slugger Yordan Alvarez to the injured list.

In the National League, the Atlanta Braves remain third, while two NL West contenders both rose one spot -- the Los Angeles Dodgers to No. 4 and the Arizona Diamondbacks to No. 7.

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we've seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and Joon Lee to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 10 | Preseason rankings

1. Tampa Bay Rays

Record: 49-22

Previous ranking: 1

Tampa Bay feared some regression following the injuries to Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen, but the return of Tyler Glasnow provided a significant reinforcement for the Rays' rotation. Glasnow allowed just one run on one hit and struck out six in six innings Friday against the Rangers, who have the highest-scoring offense in baseball. If Glasnow stays healthy, he and lefty Shane McClanahan could provide the Rays with one of the game's best one-two punches. -- Lee

2. Texas Rangers

Record: 42-25

Previous ranking: 2

It wasn't the best week for the Rangers, yet they maintained a healthy lead over second-place Houston thanks to a deep offense, led by Corey Seager. The veteran shortstop was 8-for-19 over a five-game stretch last week, which included a five-hit effort Saturday against the Rays. That was part of Texas' lone win over Tampa Bay in a three-game showdown with the only team higher in our rankings. Do the Rangers have enough on the mound? Last week wasn't great, but they've mostly been good despite losing Jacob deGrom. -- Rogers

3. Atlanta Braves

Record: 42-26

Previous ranking: 3

The Braves had a seven-game winning streak snapped on Sunday, a stretch that included a wild 13-10 win over the Mets last Thursday (the finale of a three-game sweep). The anticipated Justin Verlander-Spencer Strider duel was hardly that, as Verlander lasted three innings and Strider allowed eight runs in four, the worst start of his career. The Braves, however, tied it with two in the eighth (a Travis d'Arnaud home run) and one in the ninth (Orlando Arcia's home run) and then won it on Ozzie Albies' three-run walk-off home run. The Braves trailed by at least three runs in all three wins against the Mets -- the first time since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966 that it won three straight games after trailing by three runs. -- Schoenfield

4. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 38-30

Previous ranking: 5

The Dodgers are coming off a brutal road trip that saw them go 2-4 and suffer three -- that's right, three -- walk-off losses. Moving forward, though, the health of their starting rotation is a much bigger concern. Julio Urias and Dustin May are still on the injured list, Noah Syndergaard -- dealing with a blister -- is basically un-pitchable, and the Dodgers might have to navigate the rest of this month with a four-man rotation, a stunning development for a team that has boasted some of the industry's best pitching depth in recent years. To top it all off, Tony Gonsolin has been pitching with diminished velocity of late. Clayton Kershaw and Bobby Miller, at least, have been pitching very well. -- Gonzalez

5. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 42-25

Previous ranking: 6

The Orioles continue to flourish and there's growing reason to fear the birds. For one, rookie Gunnar Henderson seems to be finding his stroke. In the past week, the 21-year-old infielder had 13 hits and four homers in 24 at-bats after entering the month barely peeking over the Mendoza Line. With outfielder Cedric Mullins working his way back from the injured list, Baltimore's offense could take another big leap. -- Lee

6. Houston Astros

Record: 39-29

Previous ranking: 4

The Astros' near-term quest of catching the Rangers in the AL West was complicated considerably this week when Yordan Alvarez wound up on the IL with an oblique injury. The range of outlooks for oblique issues is large, but Houston general manager Dana Brown told reporters Alvarez won't participate in baseball activities for at least three weeks. That's a crushing blow to an Astros offense that has been considerably less prolific than usual. That means Alvarez's absence could encompass a rough upcoming stretch of schedule that includes a key 10-game road trip with series against the Dodgers and Cardinals and a huge four-game set at Texas. While an Astros collapse seems exceedingly unlikely, it's going to be a challenge. Alvarez has missed his share of time in recent seasons despite consistently putting up MVP-level numbers. Overall, Houston has held its own, going 32-24 in games Alvarez has missed since the start of the 2021 season. -- Doolittle

7. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 41-27

Previous ranking: 8

The Dodgers might still be ahead of the Diamondbacks in our rankings, but the D-backs are ahead of them in the standings. They woke up Tuesday morning with a four-game cushion in the NL West thanks in large part to a six-game winning streak. By then, they had won 12 times in a stretch of 14 games. That 14-game span saw the D-backs post an .827 OPS, average more than six runs per game and steal 11 bases. We've hit the midway point of June, and seven members of their lineup -- Christian Walker, Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Corbin Carroll, Evan Longoria and Emmanuel Rivera -- have accumulated at least 120 plate appearances and are producing an OPS+ more than 20% above league average. -- Gonzalez

8. New York Yankees

Record: 39-30

Previous ranking: 7

The Yankees' offense is sputtering without Aaron Judge. With the reigning AL MVP on the injured list following his wall-crashing catch at Dodger Stadium, New York suffered a pair of series losses to the White Sox and Red Sox. Another injured Yankee, lefty Carlos Rodon, inches closer to his season debut after throwing a pair of live batting practices last week, with another scheduled for Thursday ahead of a potential rehab assignment. But the Yankees have cause for concern with starter Luis Severino, who has struggled since coming back from the IL -- with a 6.48 ERA in five starts and decreased velocity. -- Lee

9. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 38-31

Previous ranking: 9

Toronto made a statement in taking three of four against the Astros over the weekend. A potential massive development for the Blue Jays: George Springer is hitting the ball much better over the past week, collecting seven hits in 20 at-bats. A healthy and hitting Springer could take Toronto's offense to another level in a powerhouse AL East. -- Lee

10. Minnesota Twins

Record: 35-33

Previous ranking: 10

The Twins' best hope for creating some separation between themselves and their sub-.500 pursuers in the AL Central would be for Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton to produce at near-MVP levels for the rest of the season. Buxton is waiting out yet another injury, but while Correa's overall numbers this season still lag well behind his career standard, he's shown some signs that maybe, just maybe, he's on the verge of a hot streak. Correa homered three times over the past week while tacking on about 50 points to his OPS. Two of those homers were huge: a go-ahead, seventh-inning grand slam against Toronto and, three days later, a game-ending, two-run shot off elite Milwaukee closer Devin Williams. -- Doolittle

11. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 38-32

Previous ranking: 17

The Angels are rolling of late, winning eight of their past 10 games, including two of their first three against the first-place Rangers. Shohei Ohtani has been a major driver offensively, slashing .423/.500/.904 in the month of June. But the Angels' best brand of baseball is happening while Mike Trout is navigating through one of the worst slumps of his career. Trout is batting only .202/.329/.370 with 42 strikeouts over a 33-game stretch since May 8. That certainly won't continue -- which makes you wonder how much upside this Angels team might actually have. This much is probably certain by this point: The Angels won't be trading Ohtani next month. It's hard to see them falling out of contention by then. -- Gonzalez

12. Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 34-34

Previous ranking: 12

It came apart at the seams for Milwaukee over the weekend as it caught a red-hot A's team -- yes the A's beat up on the Brewers in Milwaukee. The Brewers managed nine runs over the three-game sweep. Slugger Rowdy Tellez is in a big slump -- his most recent home run came last month, and when he's not hitting them, the Brewers are in trouble. Milwaukee is last in the NL in OPS with little hope of climbing out of its offensive doldrums. The Brewers will need to pitch their way to the postseason, but injuries on the mound have put a dent in that plan. Wade Miley, Eric Lauer, Matt Bush and Bennett Sousa haven't been available (or very good) -- not to mention how much the loss of righty Brandon Woodruff has hurt the Brew Crew. All could contribute in the second half, though. -- Rogers

13. Boston Red Sox

Record: 34-35

Previous ranking: 11

It's inconsistency galore for Boston. The Red Sox took their weekend series against the Yankees in the Bronx, then dropped their next series to the Rockies at Fenway. Manager Alex Cora moved Enrique Hernandez off shortstop after a series of costly defensive blunders and announced Justin Turner will play more at first base over struggling rookie Triston Casas. On the bright side, lefty James Paxton looks excellent through his first six starts, posting a 3.09 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. -- Lee

14. Miami Marlins

Record: 38-31

Previous ranking: 14

The Marlins' outfield production has been abysmal in recent seasons, but they're finally getting some offense from Bryan De La Cruz and Jesus Sanchez. De La Cruz had a slow April but hit .337 in May and had 12 RBIs in the first 12 games of June. Sanchez, who hit well in half a season in 2021 but was terrible last year, started off slow and then missed two weeks with a hamstring injury, but he is hitting better (except for his current 1-for-17 skid). We'll see if Sanchez can maintain his production, as his peripheral numbers such as zone contact rate, whiff rate and chase rate are all similar to last season, so on the surface there hasn't been a dramatic change in his approach. -- Schoenfield

15. San Diego Padres

Record: 33-34

Previous ranking: 18

The Padres have been playing better of late, winning eight of their first 12 games in June as they creep back toward .500. And Gary Sanchez has been something of a revelation. Sanchez, a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger with the Yankees, couldn't latch on with the Giants and Mets earlier this season. But he has been a monumental addition for a Padres team desperate for offense from its catchers, slugging .589 with six home runs through his first 14 games and even finding himself in the cleanup spot on some nights. With Sanchez providing a spark and Manny Machado back from injury, the Padres' vaunted offense might finally get going. -- Gonzalez

16. Seattle Mariners

Record: 33-34

Previous ranking: 16

Manager Scott Servais called out the club for a lack of focus after Sunday's loss to the Angels dropped them to 3-8 over their previous 11 games. "I'm frustrated by it. I think we all are. I think at times it's a lack of focus," he said. "These are things that we've talked about. It's really important not to give up outs on the bases. We've addressed it multiple times and lack of focus; we make mistakes in critical times." Of course, "lack of focus" is just a generic excuse. The bigger problems: The Mariners have the third-most strikeouts in the majors and the rotation has a 5.74 ERA in June. Outs on the bases? The Mariners are 19th (meaning 18 teams have more outs on the bases). Here's an idea: Hit better, pitch better. -- Schoenfield

17. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 34-34

Previous ranking: 19

The Phillies had back-to-back walk-off wins last Thursday and Friday against the Tigers and Dodgers. The Detroit game was a big win as Zack Wheeler took a no-hitter into the eighth. Following an error and a base hit, Wheeler was removed after 108 pitches, but the Tigers tied the game on a bunt single and then took a 2-1 lead in the ninth off Craig Kimbrel. But Bryce Harper led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to start a two-run rally, with Kody Clemens driving in the winning run. The Phillies can also hope Tuesday's 15-run, 20-hit outburst will be the offensive breakout the team needs, as all nine starters got a hit and eight had at least two. -- Schoenfield

18. San Francisco Giants

Record: 36-32

Previous ranking: 20

Mitch Haniger and J.D. Davis, two key offensive contributors for a Giants team that has been playing at a 97-win pace since the start of May, went down in a span of two pitches in Tuesday's 11-3 win over the Cardinals. Davis, with an .845 OPS this season, sprained his right ankle while sliding into third base. Then Haniger, who had shown signs of finally getting going recently, fractured his right forearm on an 89 mph sinker from Jack Flaherty. Haniger, at least, is expected to be out a while. But in his absence, the Giants have called up hot-hitting prospect Luis Matos, who carried a 1.120 OPS with the team's Triple-A affiliate. -- Gonzalez

19. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 34-32

Previous ranking: 15

The Pirates have shown few signs of giving up their hold of a weak division. Derek Shelton might be a finalist for NL Manager of the Year, though he's not likely to win with a team just a few games over .500. Still, the Pirates keep piling up series wins, like the one over the Mets last weekend. Andrew McCutchen's 2,000th career hit was just another highlight in a half-season full of them in Pittsburgh. His addition has been huge, both on and off the field. -- Rogers

20. New York Mets

Record: 32-36

Previous ranking: 13

It's been an ugly stretch, as the Mets lost three straight series to the Blue Jays, Braves and Pirates, going 1-8 and seeing Pete Alonso land on the IL after he got hit on a wrist. He's expected to miss three to four weeks, leaving the Mets without their top power hitter. The rotation, meanwhile, continues to struggle. Max Scherzer had his second straight rough outing in Tuesday's loss to the Yankees, getting knocked out in the fourth inning. He's just not getting enough swing-and-miss on his slider. Last year, batters hit .183 with a 46% whiff rate and no home runs against it. In 2023, batters are hitting .319 with a 30% whiff rate and five home runs already. Drew Smith will also face a suspension after getting caught with sticky fingers -- leading Scherzer to once again complain about that issue, even though only three pitchers (Smith, Scherzer and the Yankees' Domingo German) have been suspended this season. -- Schoenfield

21. Cleveland Guardians

Record: 31-36

Previous ranking: 21

The Guardians have gotten more collective production from rookie pitchers than any other club in the majors this season. On the other hand, Cleveland's rookie hitters had not distinguished themselves until outfielder Will Brennan surged over recent weeks. Brennan, an eighth-round draft pick in 2019 out of Kansas State, was hitting .204 with an OPS of .534 through May 28. The next day, he went on an 11-game spree that featured a .455 average and 1.217 OPS, highlighted by a number of big hits. Those included a go-ahead two-run homer on June 3 and game-ending 14th-inning double against the Astros on June 9. -- Doolittle

22. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 34-35

Previous ranking: 23

The much-anticipated debut of Elly De La Cruz didn't disappoint. The Royals finally put a stop to his hitting, as he went 0-for-5 on Monday, but not before he collected eight hits in his first six games, including a double, triple and home run in his first two. His foot speed is as devastating as his bat speed, as he went from home to third on his triple faster than anyone this season. -- Rogers

23. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 27-42

Previous ranking: 24

The realization that this just might not be the Cardinals' year has to be setting in, as the team simply can't get into gear. St. Louis hasn't won a series yet this month and has taken up residence in the NL Central cellar. Manager Oliver Marmol's seat might be getting hot, but the real issue is what St. Louis didn't do to improve on the mound. A once-vaunted staff sits in the bottom third of the league in many categories. It was a bit better over the past week, but it didn't stop the Cards from losing a weekend series to the Reds. -- Rogers

24. Chicago Cubs

Record: 30-37

Previous ranking: 22

A 4-6 West Coast trip didn't do much for the Cubs in the standings, as their problems keep moving around the diamond. Mostly, their power has dried up, especially without Cody Bellinger in the lineup. He's due back soon but could play first base, as journeyman Mike Tauchman has been impressive in center field. The headline of the week came from Marcus Stroman, who tweeted that the Cubs haven't engaged him in contract extension talks. That can't sit well with management, as the message was sent while the Cubs were 10 games under .500. -- Rogers

25. Chicago White Sox

Record: 30-39

Previous ranking: 25

The White Sox didn't fare too well in the initial All-Star balloting released by MLB this week. Given Chicago's lackluster start to the season, there aren't too many ChiSox in a position to complain with one glaring exception: center fielder Luis Robert Jr. Robert's first half has been uneven offensively, but he has created runs about 16% above the big league average. More importantly, Roberts' defensive metrics have been among the best in the game. You can quibble with whether or not that all adds up to a starting spot in the Midsummer Classic, but Roberts didn't place in the top 20 among AL outfielders. He deserves better than that, right? -- Doolittle

26. Washington Nationals

Record: 26-40

Previous ranking: 27

Who will be the Nationals' All-Star rep? Let's be honest: There aren't any strong candidates. Third baseman Jeimer Candelario has been OK and his OPS crept over .800 for one day earlier this month, and a usually loaded position is a bit weaker with guys like Manny Machado and Austin Riley not at their usual standards. Lane Thomas has been solid, but even among NL outfielders, he ranks just 21st in fWAR. Josiah Gray has a 3.19 ERA, so that puts him in the running, although his peripheral stats are much weaker. Maybe one of the relievers? Hunter Harvey has the best overall numbers, including a 1.05 WHIP. The last time the Nationals had a token All-Star rep was 2010, when reliever Matt Capps made it (he did have 23 saves at the break but had allowed 49 hits in 39 IP). -- Schoenfield

27. Colorado Rockies

Record: 29-41

Previous ranking: 28

The Rockies suffered through a six-game losing streak last week. When they finally won again on Sunday, Charlie Blackmon, their longtime outfielder, landed on the injured list with a fracture in the fifth metacarpal on his right hand, an ailment that is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks. Blackmon will now join Kris Bryant and C.J. Cron on the shelf -- three key power sources for an offense that has been basically middle of the pack in production despite spending its home games in the sport's most hitter-friendly environment. Bryant (heel bruise) and Cron (back spasms) don't have firm return dates yet. -- Gonzalez

28. Detroit Tigers

Record: 27-39

Previous ranking: 26

Just last week, we placed the Tigers in a "special" tier of teams that have all the markers of a trade-deadline subtractor but might choose to do otherwise simply because their soft division might keep them close to playoff contention. As it turns out, the Tigers were very much in the midst of trying to clarify their status by plunging into a nine-game losing streak that mercifully ended with a comeback win against the Braves on Monday. The skid solidifies the consensus view of Detroit as a non-contender, though the point about the division stands -- the Tigers remain a winning streak away from closing in on the division lead once again. But more than the games-behind column, the streak does underscore the reality that a team on pace to lose 94 games is not going to be a playoff contender. So we can start looking at the Tigers' tradeable veterans through the prism of what kind of deals might help Detroit in the longer term, a list that includes a number of relievers and offseason pickup Michael Lorenzen, who has quietly put together a nice season in the Tigers' rotation. -- Doolittle

29. Kansas City Royals

Record: 18-50

Previous ranking: 29

A team can be bad and still fun to watch. You'd have to be an extremely rosy-eyed follower of the Royals to have enjoyed the 2023 edition of the club. They have hit poorly, pitched poorly, blown leads, blundered on the basepaths. And while some struggling teams are fun because they have clearly rising young players on display, the Royals' best young players have collectively shown startlingly little progress -- on the pitching staff, they have gotten just four innings from rookies. Still, there is hope for at least a little fun: unsung, 30-year-old prospect Dairon Blanco was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. While almost by definition a 30-year-old is not a prospect, Blanco's circuitous route from Cuba to the majors during a time of pandemic is in itself a great story. Then there is what Blanco does on the field, which is, basically, steal bases at a higher rate than just about any player in professional baseball. At Omaha this season, Blanco stole 47 bases in 49 games, a rate that would turn Rickey Henderson green with envy. Alas, in another example of what kind of season this has been for Kansas City, Blanco was thrown out on his first big league steal attempt after being recalled. -- Doolittle

30. Oakland Athletics

Record: 19-51

Previous ranking: 30

Oakland's fans had a remarkable showing Tuesday night, putting together a reverse boycott to demonstrate that the city still wants its baseball team. In a year when the franchise has averaged 8,555 fans at home games, 27,759 A's fans showed up to create a playoff-esque atmosphere for a team flirting with one of the worst winning percentages in MLB history. Both the Nevada Senate and Assembly, however, passed a $380 million bill to fund the team's new stadium in Las Vegas, a huge step toward moving the team out of the East Bay. -- Lee

European 1500m record of 3:27.95 by Ingebrigtsen while fellow Norwegian Warholm clocks 46.52 for 400m hurdles on home soil in Oslo

On a glorious night for Norwegian athletics, Jakob Ingebrigtsen stormed to a European 1500m record of 3:27.95 while Karsten Warholm ran 46.52 for 400m hurdles. Punching the air in delight, both men celebrated like they’d scored in a Champions’ League final. Winning in such style on home soil clearly meant a lot.

Norway’s neighbours in Scandinavia have enjoyed periods of brilliance in the past. Most notably the Flying Finns of Hannes Kolehmainen, Paavo Nurmi and Lasse Viren dominated the distance running world. At the turn of the millennium Carolina Klüft led a series of superb Swedish performances and everyone was keen to copy their blueprint of success.

Now, the endurance running world in particular is fascinated by the “Norwegian model” of training – with an emphasis on building an aerobic engine via high mileage and ‘double threshold’ sessions. It’s not just their runners either, as Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden have enjoyed massive success in triathlon too. Certainly after Ingebrigtsen’s latest record-breaking feat, the hype will grow even more intense.

It wasn’t all about Ingebrigtsen, though. He was chased home by a world-class field at this Diamond League meeting with runner-up Mo Katir of Spain clocking 3:28.89 and Yared Nuguse of the United States running a North American record of 3:29.02 in third. It is 37 years since Steve Cram and Said Aouita became the first men to break the 3:30 barrier – in Nice in 1985 – but here a total of eight men ran sub-3:30.

Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya was fourth with 3:29.09 followed by Mario Garcia of Spain with 3:29.18, then Azzedine Habz of France with 3:29.26, Olli Hoare of Australia with an Oceania record of 3:29.41 and Narve Gilje Nordås – another Norwegian coached by Jakob’s father, Gjert Ingebrigtsen – enjoying another big PB with 3:29.47.

Spare a thought for British duo Josh Kerr and Neil Gourley, who ran 3:30.07 and a PB of 3:30.88 respectively but found themselves back in eighth and ninth.

There was talk of a possible crack at Hicham El Guerrouj’s world record of 3:26.00 and Ingebrigtsen’s early pace of 55.7 at 400m, 1:51.9 at 800m and 2:46.9 at 1200m was not far off the Moroccan’s pace in Rome from 25 years ago of 54.3, 1:50.7 and 2:46.4.

Ingebrigtsen found himself in a more competitive race, though, with a number of rivals breathing down his neck. Such a rugged pace softened up his pursuers but he still had company from Katir in particular entering the home straight but he kicked clear, with a last 200m of 27.1, to win in style.

“Being out by myself, it was a good race,” he said. “The race went as expected – running by myself as usual and the crowd was amazing – it was amazing to perform this way in front of my home crowd, it’s a dream come true.

“I won it last year but this year running in my main event is an incredible experience. I know that I was able to run fast like in Paris (where he set a world two miles best) – that’s what it’s all about – not what you do in training or so you’re going to do but actually running fast in the races when it matters.”

After finishing less than two seconds outside El Guerrouj’s world record, he added: “I 100% have more left in me. It’s all about consistency and delivering good performances in all of the races, I’ve done it before and we have it all under control. I just have to keep focused on each race ahead in the build up to Budapest, where it really matters.”

Reigning world champion Jake Wightman, on the comeback trail from injury, will have been an interested spectator from his current training camp as he prepares to defend his title in August.

Similarly impressive was Warholm as he ran a Diamond League record and the fourth quickest time in history to finish just over a second ahead of in-form American CJ Allen (47.58). Not surprisingly it was a world lead, too, beating Rai Benjamin’s 47.74.

It was Warholm’s first race since he took the European indoor 400m title in Istanbul in March and he said: “When you’re on the track, you’re in the bubble but I really felt the crowd lift me in the home straight – the adrenaline was really pumping in the last 100m. It was a race I will always remember – I felt really good today and knew something special was coming. Today shows in the right circumstances, I can really attack the world record, maybe even this year.

“It really sucked to be out injured last year and I wanted to make sure I came back with a big boom,” he added. “I’ve worked really hard to get back to this level so I’m really happy. I’m of course hoping for the world gold medal this year, that would be amazing to have again.”

Such was the standard of athletics at these Bislett Games, Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia and Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda enjoyed one of the greatest 5000m battles in history but their exploits won’t earn many headlines.

It is 41 years since Dave Moorcroft sliced almost six seconds off Henry Rono’s world record for the distance in Oslo with 13:00.41 but here Kejelcha and Kiplimo both ran a meeting record of 12:41.73 with the Ethiopian narrowly getting the nod after a photo finish decision.

Only four men have run quicker – Joshua Cheptegei with the world record of 12:35.36, Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie and Daniel Komen. And such was the quality of this race, Telehun Bekele of Ethiopia ran 12:46.21 but was only third with Joe Klecker of the United States clocking 12:56.59 in fourth but finishing the length of the home straight behind the top two men.

As world indoor mile record-holder, Kejelcha is known for his speed. Kiplimo meanwhile won the world cross-country title in March. Together they battled out a tremendous final few laps with their final 3000m in around 7:30, their final 1600m in 3:54.33 and last 800m in 1:54.17.

With Ingebrigtsen excelling over 1500m, the historic Dream Mile was staged for women instead and saw an eye-catching victory from teenager Birke Haylom. The Ethiopian is only 17 and is already a world under-20 champion and here she ran a meeting record and world junior record of 4:17.13 as she ran away from the field with 600m to go.

Chasing hard from behind, Cory McGee of the United States was runner-up with 4:18.11 with Jess Hull of Australia running an Oceania record of 4:18.24 in third. It wasn’t a good night for Ireland’s Ciara Mageean, though, as she wound up 11^th in 4:22.03 while Britain’s Katie Snowden did not start.

There was another superb East African victory in the women’s 3000m with Beatrice Chebet, the Commonwealth 5000m and world cross-country champion from Kenya, clocking 8:25.01 – a world lead and also inside Sonia O’Sullivan’s meet record. Behind, Jess Warner-Judd didn’t enjoy a great race as she ran 8:53.10 in 13^th.

There was big British interest in the women’s 100m with Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita and Imani Lansiquot all in action but they were blown away by Marie-Josée Ta Lou as the Ivory Coast athlete had an inspired race with a 10.75 (0.9) victory.

Anthonique Strachan was runner-up with 10.92 and Shericka Jackson third with 10.98. In a big scrap for the minor places, Asher-Smith and Neita also ran 10.98 and the photo finish judge was unable to separate them as they were awarded equal fourth place as Lansiquot was seventh in 11.10.

“Today I just came to enjoy it. I relaxed and did what my coach told me to do! Like a fine wine, I’m getting better with age,” said Ta Lou.

“Today I just came to enjoy it. I relaxed and did what my coach told me to do! Like a fine wine, I’m getting better with age.”@majotalou tells @stuartweir about her 10.75 win over 100m in Oslo. pic.twitter.com/rDR2NpBxcU

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) June 15, 2023

Elsewhere, Erriyon Knighton of the United States impressed again as he took down Usain Bolt’s 200m meet record with 19.77 (0.6).

Competing in his first Diamond League since 2017, world record-holder Wayde van Niekerk won the men’s 400m in 44.38 ahead of Commonwealth champion Muzala Samukonga (44.49) with Britain’s Matt Hudson-Smith fifth in 44.92.

In her first major competition of the summer, Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela won the triple jump with 14.91m (+2.1) ahead of Leyanis Hernández’s 14.87m and Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk’s 14.75m.

Femke Bol ran a world lead and meeting record of 52.30 in the women’s 400m hurdles and Mondo Duplantis took the men’s pole vault win in 6.01m on a night peppered with world-class results.

“I’d like to jump another world record for sure this year but the main focus is the World Champs. That’s the goal right now.”@mondohoss600 after his 6.01m victory at the Bislett Games in Oslo.

?️ @stuartweir pic.twitter.com/ceJPfOEueC

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) June 15, 2023

Full results here.