LAS VEGAS -- The Florida Panthers have an answer for why Sergei Bobrovsky allowed four goals and was pulled early in their 7-2 defeat Monday against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Their response? It's not Bobrovsky's fault that the Golden Knights have a 2-0 series lead. It's on the rest of the team.

Bobrovsky was pulled a little more than seven minutes into the second period after allowing four goals on 13 shots. It's the second consecutive game in which Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy recipient, allowed four goals with the biggest difference in Game 1 being the Golden Knights needed 33 shots throughout an entire 60-minute session to reach that mark.

"He's been our best player all playoffs," Panthers forward Sam Bennett said. "We have total belief in him. We have to do a better job helping him out and not give up so many grade-A chances on him. But yeah, there's no issue there. We have the utmost confidence in him."

It's the fourth time this postseason an opponent has found a way to score more than four goals against Bobrovsky. The Boston Bruins did it twice in the first round only to watch the Panthers rally to ultimately win the series after falling into a 3-1 series deficit.

Even then? It's not like the Golden Knights exclusively found success against Bobrovsky. They also scored three times against his replacement, Alex Lyon, with Lyon allowing three goals on 15 shots in relief of Bobrovsky.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice explained how his team must be better about not shielding Bobrovsky, a detail that proved to be an issue Monday. Jonathan Marchessault scored the power-play goal that gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead with 12:55 remaining in the first period. But it was captain Mark Stone who shielded Bobrovsky on the goal.

Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez's wrist shot from the left faceoff circle doubled the lead to 2-0 with 2:01 left in the first. But it was Panthers defenseman Josh Mahura who impaired Bobrovsky's site by shielding his goaltender on Martinez's shot.

Bobrovsky had two of his teammates in front of him in an attempt to take away space from Nicolas Roy before he pushed the lead to 3-0 with 17:01 in the second period. There was no screen but just a deft cross-ice pass that Stone played to find an unmarked Brett Howden, who skated in on net and went forehand to backhand to beat Bobrovsky for a 4-0 lead with 12:50 left in the game.

"Of course, we want to help Bob. He's been our best player and a huge part of our team," Panthers forward Anton Lundell said. "We can always trust him. But we need to help him more. We need to play better defense and we can't let too many chances for him."

It also appeared to happen to Lyon when Howden scored his second goal on a power-play opportunity that gave the Knights a 7-2 edge.

"If we're going to be there, you gotta block them," Maurice said about the screens that were set in front of Bobrovsky. "We gotta get in front of those shots. We're working at it. We're trying. But we're about three inches off those shots."

Maurice was also asked about what he could do in Game 3 regarding Bobrovsky, who was not made available to reporters after the game.

"We'll sweat about that for the next two days," Maurice said. "We can be a little better in front of our goaltender. He's been unbelievable for us, so I got him out to keep him rested."

While the screens were an issue, so was the fact the Panthers struggled to capitalize on the scoring chances they did have against the Golden Knights. Natural Stat Trick's data reveals the Panthers had a combined second-and third-period shot-share of more than 66 percent which means the Panthers were controlling possession in 5-on-5 play.

They finished with seven more scoring chances in 5-on-5 play than the Golden Knights while having 13 high-danger scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Panthers also had the same number of power-play chances as the Knights -- four -- but could not score whereas two of the Golden Knights goals came with the extra-skater advantage.

"Sometimes, that happens," Bennett said. "You get a lot of chances. You can't find a way to put it in and they went down and capitalized. Sometimes, that happens in games. Right now, you've got to regroup."

Between the goals they allowed and the goals they did not score, the Panthers now face a number of questions ahead of Game 3 on Thursday at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida.

Mounting a comeback in a series is one of the hallmarks the Panthers have used to reach the Cup Final. That detail could prove useful considering the Golden Knights held a 3-0 lead over the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final before the Stars won the next two contests before losing in six games.

Seeing Bobrovsky depart early, however, was also a reminder of another trend that has come to define the Golden Knights in the postseason. Monday was the fourth time that the Golden Knights have forced a starting goalie into an early exit. They did twice in the second round to Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner in the Western Conference semifinal round and once to Stars goalie Jake Oettinger in the Western Conference Final.

It was also the third game in a row and the eighth game overall this postseason in which they have scored more than five goals in a single contest.

"We have full belief in our team to come back," Bennett said. "One thing, I guarantee this team is not going to quit. We haven't all year. We have full belief that we're going to come back and all we gotta do is one game. So, it's one game at a time and it's all we gotta worry about."

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Stewart Cink doesn’t care that he turned 50 last month. He’ll do anything to play in the U.S. Open, even if that means going 36 holes against some kids who weren’t even born when he played his first one 27 years ago.

Cink got a pep talk from his wife Monday to keep patient, and he ran off five birdies over six holes at Brookside Golf & Country Club to become one of 11 players to earn spots out of the Columbus, Ohio, qualifier.

“I just love playing in majors,” said Cink, a former Open Championship winner. “I’m a one-trick pony, and you can’t be a one-trick pony if you can’t do your trick. I’ll keep trying to qualify forever.”

Cink was among 45 players trying to qualify for the U.S. Open, to be played June 15-18 at Los Angeles Country Club. Roughly 45% of the 156-man field have to qualify.

Columbus was among 10 final qualifying sites (known as Golf's Longest Day) from California to Canada, from New Jersey to Florida, some of them requiring sudden-death playoffs to see who got in.

Columbus had the most PGA Tour players because of the Memorial Tournament that finished on Sunday. Viktor Hovland already is exempt for the U.S. Open. He still showed up at qualifying to caddie 36 holes for former Oklahoma State roommate Zach Bauchou, who didn’t make it.

The medalist was Olin Browne Jr., the son of PGA Tour winner Olin Browne, and the connection to qualifying was what makes this long day so appealing.

It was in 2005 when the father shot 73 over the first 18 holes and contemplated withdrawing because he was so far behind. Browne changed his mind thinking, “How can you quit at something and then tell your kids you can’t quit.”

He shot 59 that day and two weeks later was in the penultimate group at Pinehurst No. 2. The son remembers that moment well.

“He called me up on the phone. I said, ‘How did it go?’” Olin Browne Jr. said. “He said, ‘Oh, I shot 69.’ And I was like, ‘Sorry you missed.’ He said, ‘No, no. I shot 59.’ I misunderstood him. It’s a vivid memory. I remember hollering at him in the car on the drive home.”

And now it’s the son’s turn, and the father couldn’t be more proud.

“It’s gratifying that he’s been able to do something that makes him feel like all the work has been worth it,” the father said. “It’s the national championship and it’s a big deal. Qualifying is something those of us who weren’t consistent stars on Tour had to face on a yearly basis.”

Browne Jr. had rounds of 66 (The Lakes) and 67 (Brookside) to lead 11 qualifiers, the most of any of the 10 final qualifying sites.

Others to advance out of Columbus were Davis Thompson, Eric Cole, Nico Echavarria, Corey Pereira, Luke List, Patrick Rodgers, Kevin Streelman, Nick Dunlap and David Nyfjall. The last three were in a four-man playoff. The odd man out was former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, and it was a painful to watch.

Glover shot 9-under 63 with a three-putt on the final hole at The Lakes. But he struggled to a 73 at Brookside. In the third playoff hole, Glover missed a 2-foot par putt and was eliminated. He recently switched to a long putter, hopeful it would cure what he described as the yips.

Four players with LIV Golf made it through in playoffs — Sebastian Munoz made it out of the Maryland qualifier, while Carlos Ortiz advanced through Florida, both in playoffs. David Puig shot 64 to grab one of five spots in Los Angeles. Last month, Sergio Garcia advanced through a qualifier in Texas.

Florida senior Fred Biondi gave up his exemption for winning the NCAA title, saying he was going to turn pro. That spot went to the first alternate from the England qualifier, Jordan Gumberg, based on a USGA formula for distributing spots.

In other qualifiers:

— In the second Ohio qualifier, Taylor Pendrith and Nick Hardy were among four PGA Tour players to advance. The fifth spot came down to a playoff that Alex Schaake won over Max Moldovan in a playoff that lasted nine holes and ended with Schaake’s 3-foot birdie putt in the dark.

— In Los Angeles, UCLA sophomore Omar Morales led five qualifiers, with two spots to be decided in a 3-for-2 playoff Tuesday morning at Hillcrest Country Club. The playoff is among Charley Hoffman, Preston Summerhays and Josh Anderson.

— In Toronto, the qualifier held before the Canadian Open, Ryan Gerard led three qualifiers. Gerard has played well enough this year to earn special temporary membership on the PGA Tour. The other two were Vincent Norrman and Ryan Armour. Among those missing was Michael Block, the California club pro who tied for 15th in the PGA Championship.

— In Florida, Ortiz won a 3-for-1 playoff for the last spot over Wesley Bryan and Luis Gagne. The other two qualifiers were Austen Truslow and Brendan Valdes.

— In Georgia, former NCAA champion Gordon Sargent of Vanderbilt led three qualifiers.

— In North Carolina, Yuto Katsuragawa of Japan led five qualifiers. Among those missing out were North Carolina native Harold Varner III.

— In New Jersey, former U.S. Junior Amateur champion Michael Thorbjornsen led four qualifiers. Thorbjornsen, who just finished his junior year at Stanford, will be playing his third U.S. Open.

— In Maryland, Munoz made a 25-foot putt in a 4-for-2 playoff to join four other qualifiers. Among those who lost in the playoff was Ben Kohles, who leads the Korn Ferry Tour points list.

— In Washington state, Jesse Schutte and Alexander Yang shared medalist honors and earned the two spots available.

After the Los Angeles playoff, the U.S. Open field will be 150 players. The USGA is reserving six spots for players who will move into the top 60 on Sunday — such as Adam Schenk — and if the Canadian Open winner gets his second PGA Tour win since the last U.S. Open.

LAS VEGAS -- Down 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, Florida Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk hasn't lost his confidence. Instead, he's doubling down.

"(The Vegas Golden Knights) are halfway there and hopefully they're thinking about that a little bit when they're coming back to Florida," Tkachuk said following his team's 7-2 loss in Game 2 on Monday night.

While the eighth-seeded Panthers, who qualified for the postseason by just one point, lost consecutive road games for the first time since March, Tkachuk pointed out that Vegas has "run the table at home" for most of the playoffs.

And despite the score in Game 2, Tkachuk never believed his team was out of it.

"They might have thought that game was a little bit out of reach maybe in the second period," Tkachuk said. "But we certainly didn't. We've scored seven goals in a period before. You never know in the playoffs."

It was an eventful night for Tkachuk, who got into a scuffle with Vegas goalie Adin Hill in the first period and didn't let up from there. In the second period, Tkachuk delivered a crushing open ice hit on forward Jack Eichel that sent the Vegas star directly to the dressing room.

"I just came off the bench and saw him in the middle of the ice with his head down. It doesn't matter who you are, you shouldn't be going through the middle with your head down, you're going to get hit," Tkachuk said. "I would go get hit too if I had my head down in the middle. It's not a big deal. He's a really good player. Really good players can get hit, too."

Eichel agreed the hit -- which was not penalized -- was clean, telling reporters that he put some of the blame on himself, as he "toe picked a little bit and saw him at the last minute."

Eichel returned to the game for the third period and notched an assist on his first shift back.

That said, the hit was an inflection point for tempers on both sides. A massive scrum ensued, which led to Tkachuk and Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev each receiving a 10-minute game misconduct penalty.

For his role in the mayhem, Tkachuk was incredulous.

"I was surprised. I went to the bench thinking I'd get some rest before the power play," he said. "Then I was sent off for it."

Tkachuk also received a 10-minute misconduct late in the third period -- his third such of the series after also being sent off for the end of Game 1.

It's been a penalty-filled series through two games. The Panthers have a total of 130 penalty minutes and the Golden Knights have 72.

"I just don't think there are teams that are as physical as we are," Tkachuk said. "So maybe you guys (in the media) think it's too much, but at the end of the day it's just how we played. If we were playing physical and we were up in the game, you guys would say that's the recipe for success."

The first two periods of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final were pretty even; in fact, the score was tied 2-2 heading into the third period of Game 1. Then, the Vegas Golden Knights scored three straight goals to win 5-2 ...

... and then another four straight to open Game 2, en route to a 7-2 victory over the Florida Panthers, and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

As the scene shifts to Florida for Games 3 and 4, what have we learned so far, and how will those lessons impact the remainder of the Final?

ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Emily Kaplan, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski check in with their thoughts after a wild Game 2:

Bobrovsky or Lyon?

Do we have a goaltending controversy in Florida? It's hard to remember, but it was actually 30-year-old journeyman Alex Lyon who started the playoffs in net for the Panthers. He went 1-2 against the record-setting Bruins, Sergei Bobrovsky came in and well, the rest was history.

Bobrovsky played up to his $10 million-per-year contract with a .935 save percentage entering the Stanley Cup Final. But he has allowed eight goals in four and a half periods, getting pulled in Game 2 once the Golden Knights went up 4-0. That said, the defensive coverage in front of him was less than spectacular. So who gets the nod in Game 3? -- Kaplan

Tkachuk's wild night

With 2:04 left in the second period, it appeared that Matthew Tkachuk might have changed the complexion of the series with one legal hit.

As Vegas star Jack Eichel stickhandled the puck, Tkachuk skated at him with considerable velocity. Eichel sensed a hit was coming, but in bracing for impact his left skate toe-picked on the ice. That sent him awkwardly into the on-charging Tkachuk, who sent Eichel to the ice with a thunderous check.

Eichel immediately left for the trainers' room, causing concern that the Golden Knights' leading scorer might have been injured. Both Tkachuk and Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev were given roughing minors and 10-minute misconduct penalties in the aftermath, as Barbashev went after Tkachuk following the hit.

Luckily for Vegas, Eichel only got the wind knocked out of him and returned to play the third period -- setting up a critical Jonathan Marchessault goal that made it 5-1 and put a final stake in the heart of the Panthers for Game 2. Tkachuk returned in the third period and earned his first point of the Stanley Cup Final, scoring his 10th goal of the playoffs at 12:44.

But then at 14:01 of the third, Tkachuk's night was officially over. He earned a second misconduct penalty in the game -- and his third of the series. On his way off the ice, he slapped a plastic rat that had been tossed by a fan over the boards. -- Wyshynski

No Gudas, big problems?

Losing Eetu Luostarinen after the Eastern Conference finals meant the Panthers were already without a dependable depth option who has five points in 16 playoff games. But losing defenseman Radko Gudas for the rest of Game 2 -- and perhaps beyond -- is the sort of loss that was only made worse when they allowed an onslaught of goals thereafter.

While Gudas is fifth among Panthers defensemen in 5-on-5 ice time, his Game 2 departure left the Panthers without a player who has seen the third-most ice time on their penalty kill. That loss was felt quickly, with Marchessault scoring shortly after Gudas exited the game following the hit from Barbashev. -- Clark

Florida must get out to a better start

The Panthers have rarely looked rattled in this postseason. The first period of Game 2 was one of the moments where they did.

The Panthers were passive until the final few minutes of the frame, and then tried to get something going on the power play. Ultimately they gave up two goals (one right after their man advantage) and looked deflated. It makes you wonder how resilient Florida can continue to be as this series rolls on. The Panthers haven't faced a ton of adversity since that first-round series against the Boston Bruins, and even getting five shots on their first power-play try wasn't enough to get them on the scoresheet early.

Instead, they were playing from behind -- again. They'll hope for a better start in Game 3. -- Shilton

The task ahead for Florida

The Panthers have two hills to conquer now: Vegas goalie Adin Hill, who is clearly locked in and tending some of the best goal of his NHL career; and the hill that is a 2-0 series deficit.

Teams with a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup playoffs hold a series record of 347-55 (.863). In the 2023 postseason, teams are 5-1 in that situation. In the Stanley Cup Final, the hill becomes an even steeper climb: Teams that take a 2-0 Final lead have won the Cup 48 out of 53 times.

When you factor in that the Golden Knights went up 2-0 on home ice, that hill starts to resemble Mount Kilimanjaro: 38 out of the 41 teams that won the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final on home ice went on to win the series. That said, two teams in the salary cap era (2005-06 and on) have rallied to win after dropping the first two games of their series on the road: the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, who lost two games in Detroit before winning in seven, and the 2011 Bruins, who dropped two games in Vancouver before winning in seven. So the climb will be arduous for Florida, but the hill isn't insurmountable. -- Wyshynski

Barbashev coming on at the right time

Barbashev has been an absolute wrecking ball for the Golden Knights, though his linemates have been getting most of the attention these playoffs. Eichel has been sensational leading the team in points (22) and stellar defensive play, while original Golden Misfit Marchessault has been on an incredible tear, with 12 goals in his past 12 games.

But Barbashev, acquired from the Blues at the 2023 trade deadline, has also been buzzing. It's these types of smart acquisitions that have kept Vegas so competitive. Barbashev has delivered massive hits -- sometimes two on one shift -- including the blow that eliminated Florida defenseman Gudas from Game 2. The 27-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent and has likely earned himself a raise from the two-year, $4.5 million deal he's finishing this season. -- Kaplan

Alek Manoah was a finalist for the Cy Young last season, with his wins (16) and ERA (2.24) each ranking third in the American League.

This season has been a completely different story.

Manoah has struggled from the start, and after his latest clunker -- he retired just one of the nine Houston Astros batters he faced Monday night -- some in the crowd of 23,982 at Rogers Centre showered him with boos.

"A lot of things I've been working on, I didn't really have a chance to go out there and use that," Manoah said after the shortest start of his career resulted in an 11-4 Toronto loss. "Just got to show up tomorrow and get ready for the next one."

But when will that next one be?

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters he "thinks" Manoah will make his next scheduled start but he indicated it's not a certainty, either.

"When I say that everything is on the table, yeah, everything is," Schneider said. "We're just trying to help him get back to the caliber of pitcher that he was."

Manoah (1-7) failed to get out of the first inning in his seventh straight losing decision. He allowed six runs on seven hits and walked one, while watching his ERA rise from 5.46 to 6.36.

Things were so bad that he appeared to try and blow a Jeremy Pena bunt down the third-base line foul in the first inning, and even that didn't work.

The right-hander has given up 45 runs so far this season in 58 innings pitched. He allowed 55 runs in 196.2 innings last season.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Florida State is back in a familiar position.

Kathryn Sandercock and Makenna Reid combined for five innings of scoreless relief to help No. 3 seed Florida State defeat No. 4 Tennessee 5-1 on Monday night and advance to the Women's College World Series championship series.

Sandercock, the Seminoles' veteran ace, allowed one hit and struck out four in three innings to claim her 10th save of the year. Reid, a freshman, gave way to Sandercock after allowing one hit in two innings. She claimed the win to improve to 13-0 this season.

This is more like it for Florida State. Last year, the Seminoles were the No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament but lost in regionals. Now, they are in the championship series for the third time in the past five finals.

"It's just every athlete's dream to end their career in a national championship game," Sandercock said. "I always knew that we could do it, so I'm just really, really, really proud of the team today. Like, I just don't think that words could even express how happy. I'm just so elated to be playing one more day and getting to put the jersey on one more time."

Florida State (58-9) will play No. 1 seed Oklahoma (59-1) in a best-of-three series for the national title starting Wednesday. It's a rematch of the 2021 series that Oklahoma won.

Oklahoma looks to become the first program since UCLA from 1988 to 1990 to win three straight national championships. The Sooners have won four of the past six titles.

Oklahoma defeated No. 9 Stanford 4-2 earlier in the day and waited for the evening winner.

Tennessee's Zaida Puni hit a solo shot off Mack Leonard in the first to open the scoring. It was her sixth NCAA tournament home run in nine games.

Florida State's Michaela Edenfield answered with a solo home run in the second. Bethaney Keen's first homer of the season pushed the Seminoles' lead to 2-1 in the third, and Jahni Kerr's RBI single in the fifth pushed Florida State's lead to 3-1.

Tennessee starter Payton Gottshall took the loss. Lady Vols ace Ashley Rogers entered the game in the fifth, but Hallie Wacaser's two-run shot off her in the sixth made it 5-1. It was Wacaser's fourth homer of the year.

The home runs by Keen and Wacaser were examples of how Florida State gets contributions from various sources and finds ways to win.

"The ultimate goal when you get here is can you have everything firing on all cylinders," Florida State coach Lonni Alameda said. "There's no book written on how to do that. You have to go from your previous experiences, your upperclassmen, what you think they can consistently bring, how you can grow your young ones."

Tennessee's Kiki Milloy, a first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American, was held hitless in four at-bats after being one of the best performers in the tournament. The Lady Vols (51-10) left seven runners on base.

"We had some opportunities," Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said. "You kind of knew if they got to a point where they had a lead, you were going to see Sandercock. She's very good. She's one of the best pitchers. You saw why tonight."

LAS VEGAS -- Florida Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas left Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals and did not return.

Although the Panthers did not disclose the injury, when announcing his departure during the second period, Gudas was on the other end of a hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev with 13:23 left in the first.

Barbashev was trying to gain control of the puck when Gudas was closing in before Barbashev delivered the hit.

Replays showed that Barbashev's right shoulder connected with Gudas' face and the back of Gudas' head hit the ice as he fell to the ground. Gudas would skate back to the Panthers' bench under his own power but immediately went to the team's dressing room.

Gudas' exit came shortly before Jonathan Marchessault scored a power-play goal to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead. Marchessault's goal was the first of four unanswered Vegas would score to take a 4-0 lead with more than 13 minutes remaining in the second.

Florida coach Paul Maurice elected to play seven defenseman and 11 forwards for Game 3. So, even with Gudas' exit, the Panthers had a full three pairs of blue-liners the rest of the way.

That said, Gudas adds to a growing list of injury concerns for the Panthers. Forward Eetu Luostarinen has missed both game so the Final, after sustaining an injury in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner spent Monday at U.S. Open final qualifying sites and in between live updates and interviewing players, they got a chance to talk about a busy few days in golf.

In this Golf Channel Podcast with Rex & Lav, Hoggard talks about the Memorial Tournament, where Viktor Hovland prevailed but the highs and lows of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler were also a huge story.

McIlroy's wedge game was awful on Sunday. Scheffler's putting (once again) was bad all week.

Are the fellas high or low on Nos. 1 and 3 in the world with the U.S. Open looming? And, for that matter, could Hovland break through for his first major win at Los Angeles Country Club?

Hoggard also notes that as soon as the Memorial was over on Sunday, people in the press center wanted the TV channels changed ... to watch Rose Zhang.

Lavner, who has followed Zhang throughout her amateur career, weighs in on her pro-debut victory at the Mizuho Americas Open. And with her immediate success – and fame – how will her LPGA peers react?

Check out the podcast above and check out the timecodes below:

• (0:00) Intro
• (5:06) Rory McIlroy's and Scottie Scheffler's struggle at concern?
• (18:10) Viktor Hovland wins Memorial; ready for a major title?
• (26:15) Rose Zhang’s debut win and her future on tour
• (33:45) What's on the grill? Oh, it's Rex's birthday coming up!
• (37:05) Can an alcohol or grilling company please sponsor this podcast?

Two Western Conference All-Star forwards -- the New Orleans Pelicans' Brandon Ingram and the Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. -- are committed to playing for Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup championships this summer in the Philippines, sources told ESPN on Monday.

USA Basketball executive director Grant Hill and coach Steve Kerr are still finalizing a 12-man roster to compete at the event beginning Aug. 25 in Manila.

The USA roster is still in flux and is expected to be completed sometime later in June, sources said.

The World Cup roster will be different from the Olympic team for Paris 2024, but there could be some continuity between the two teams.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jacob deGrom's return for the AL West-leading Texas Rangers has been pushed back until at least late June after the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner was transferred to the 60-day injured list Monday.

DeGrom hasn't pitched since April 28, when he exited early because of injury concerns for the second time in a span of three starts. He was placed on the 15-day IL the following day after an MRI showed inflammation in his right elbow.

General manager Chris Young said Monday that deGrom "hasn't improved maybe as quickly as we had hoped" after five bullpen sessions since going on the IL. Another MRI and additional testing are now planned for the 34-year-old right-hander the Rangers signed to a $185 million, five-year contract in December.

The transfer to the 60-day IL makes June 28 the earliest he could be activated.

"We don't see anything before that as a possibility," Young said. "We want to make sure that we proceed cautiously."

DeGrom was back with the team Monday after going home to Florida for the birth of his third child. He flew there after a bullpen session Wednesday in Detroit, which was his fifth since going on the IL.

Young said deGrom has dealt with some soreness during those sessions.

"There have been good days and bad, as with most recoveries," Young said. "I don't know specifically how he felt in the bullpen [in Detroit]. I heard the ball was coming out well. ... Honestly, he's going through a life moment at home, and this is one we didn't call checking in every hour to see how he was doing."

The Rangers signed deGrom in free agency after he had played his first nine big league seasons with the New York Mets. He was limited by injuries to 156 1/3 innings over 26 starts his last two years in New York.

He had a career-low 1.08 ERA over 92 innings during the 2021 season before missing the final three months with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow. He didn't make his first big league start last year until Aug. 2 after being shut down late in spring training because of a stress reaction in his right scapula.

Texas has won all six games started by deGrom (2-0), but the right-hander has pitched only 30 1/3 innings. He has a 2.67 ERA with 45 strikeouts and four walks. He threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the New York Yankees on April 28 before leaving that game because of discomfort in his arm.

"I believe he's the best in the world when he's pitching. ... It's just captivating when he's on the mound," Young said. "But the decision to bring him here was a five-year decision, and we're taking that into consideration in terms of how we're proceeding here."

DeGrom wasn't in the clubhouse before the series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, which was before the Rangers announced the change in his status.

"He's so happy for the team and the way we've played. But he wants to be a part of it. He wants to be out there," said Young, a former big league pitcher. "I've been in his shoes, so I understand how it goes. And you want to push to be out there, but you don't want to push at the risk of making things worse or having setbacks or anything like that."

Transferring deGrom to the 60-day IL opened a spot on the Rangers' 40-man roster to activate Spencer Howard from the 60-day IL. Howard missed the first 58 games because of a right lat strain.