The St. Louis Cardinals aren't panicking over having the worst record in the National League, but Adam Wainwright offered a suggestion amid St. Louis' latest swoon.

"More urgency wouldn't hurt," the veteran pitcher told reporters, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, after the Cardinals were swept over the weekend by the Pirates.

The Cardinals (25-35) enter Monday 7½ games behind the first-place Brewers (32-27) in the NL Central and have lost five of their past six contests, scoring just 14 runs over that stretch.

Wainwright, in his 19th season with the club, was asked if the underachieving Cardinals are concerned about being in last place 60 games into the season.

"I don't think 'concerned' is the right word," he said, according to the Post-Dispatch. "I think 'pissed' is the right word. I think everyone is pissed at a lot of different things. We come in here and we look around and we're like, 'What the heck?' Some things can't be explained. You've just got to go and perform."

The Cardinals appeared headed in the right direction two weeks ago, when they reeled off 11 wins in 14 games after a 10-24 start. But they have gone 4-8 over a rough 12-game stretch punctuated by their weekend sweep in Pittsburgh, where they combined to leave 27 men on base over the three games.

"It's the same thing all year -- this series," Wainwright said. "We've been one big moment away from winning all of these games."

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol that it was "tough to string anything together offensively" against the Pirates but balked at the idea that his team had regressed to their April form.

"Not even [expletive] close," he told reporters. "No, not close. It doesn't feel that way at all. In April, we handed over a lot of games in a lot of different ways. Pittsburgh beat us. That feels different than April."

Right-hander Miles Mikolas, who recorded the loss Sunday after allowing two runs and 10 hits over five innings, acknowledged the Cardinals have "a lot of ground to make up."

"For the people out there getting upset, it's understandable, but I wouldn't count us out," Mikolas said. "This isn't the start we wanted, but we have veterans and young guys starting to step up. It's time to see who wants it -- be a leader and get the job done."

The Cardinals fittingly will turn to Wainwright, 41, who will start Monday's series opener in Texas against the first-place Rangers. The three-time All-Star is 2-1 with a 6.15 ERA in five starts this season.

"We need to go on a run here where we win a lot of games and find ways to win games and not find ways to lose games," Wainwright said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Retired slugger Albert Pujols was named a special assistant to Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred on Monday.

Pujols will consult with MLB on a range of topics, including player relations and issues regarding his home country, the Dominican Republic. He will also work as an on-air analyst for MLB Network.

"Beyond his long list of accomplishments on the field, Albert is a highly respected figure who represents the game extraordinarily well," Manfred said in a news release. "He cares greatly about making a difference in our communities. We are excited for Albert to join other former players who are doing important work for our sport, and we will welcome his perspective across our efforts."

Pujols, 43, retired after the 2022 season with 3,384 hits and 703 home runs. The three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star played 12 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, 10 with the Los Angeles Angels and one with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I couldn't be more excited for this next chapter of my career," Pujols said. "Commissioner Manfred and I share the same passion for growing the game in the Dominican Republic and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together. I'm also grateful for the opportunity to join the MLB Network family. I've been a huge fan since the very beginning and can't wait to get started."

Pujols will make his MLB Network debut Tuesday morning. He will contribute to the network's on-site coverage of MLB's London Series on June 23 between the Cardinals and Chicago Cubs.

Pujols joins a group of former players working in various capacities for MLB that includes Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., CC Sabathia and Joe Torre.

Everything you need to know about this week’s big off-road endurance running event in Austria

The best mountain and trail runners in the world descend on Innsbruck-Stubai in Austria this week for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships.

Taking place just eight months after the inaugural event in Chiang Mai in Thailand, a 30-plus-strong British team will be challenging for medals. That’s twice as many athletes as the GB team for this year’s World Cross Country Championships in Australia. A sign of the times? Or is it merely a reflection of the fact there are 10 races over a four-day period from June 7-10?

British hopes will be high too as the squad features Jon Albon, Scout Adkin and junior Rebecca Flaherty (all pictured in main image above) among others. Runners from Uganda and Kenya will be difficult to beat, though, while Italy, Switzerland, France and Spain all have a good tradition on the hills and trails.

In total 1500 athletes from around 70 countries will take part in an event which sees World Athletics joining forces with the World Mountain Running Association, International Trail Running Association and the International Association of Ultrarunners.

For our coverage of last year’s event in Chiang Mai, click here, whereas you can find an in-depth feature on the background to the 2023 event here.

June 7: Senior men’s and women’s uphill only vertical race (7.3km, 1020m elevation)

This uphill event starts in Neustift in Stubai and, after a circuit of the village, heads on to narrow forest trails.

Leading contenders are expected to be last year’s one-two, Allie McLaughlin of the United States and Andrea Mayr of Austria, in the women’s race, with defending champion Patrick Kipngeno and Ombago Kiriago Philemon of Kenya facing top Europeans like Alejandro Garcia and Daniel Osanz of Spain in the men’s race.

Jacob Adkin, the 2019 European champion, leads the GB men’s hopes with Andrew Douglas, Chris Richards and Joe Steward.

Scout Adkin of Ambleside is joined by Kate Avery, Phillipa Williams and Sara Willhoit in a strong GB female team. They will be going for gold too as they finished just two points behind the winners United States in the team stakes in this race in Chiang Mai last year.

June 8: Short trail (44.6km, 3132m)

Jon Albon, the Norwegian-based Brit who won the 2019 world title, leads GB hopes in this event. Albon has won multiple world and European obstacle course racing titles and Skyrunning races and also took victory at the OCC at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in 2021.

He is joined by Kristian Jones, Alexander Chepelin and Thomas Roach as they try to match or surpass the team bronze they won last year in Chiang Mai.

Stian Hovind Angermund, the defending champion from Norway, plus last year’s runner-up Francesco Puppi of Italy are also in the line-up, with Albon taking bronze behind them in Chiang Mai.

Elsey Davis, meanwhile, leads the GB challenge in the women’s race with team-mates Cat Taylor and Sharon Taylor as they try to match or improve on the team bronze medals they earned in Chiang Mai.

Defending champion Denisa Ionela Dragomir of Romania is not due to run but last year’s silver and bronze medallists, Barbora Macurova of the Czech Republic and Emilia Brangefält of Sweden, are set to compete.

June 9: Long trail (approx 85km)

The course has been tweaked in recent days due to snow on the higher ground but the women’s favourite remains reigning world champion and CCC winner Blandine L’Hirondel of France.

Jasmin Paris, former winner of the notorious Spine Race, forms the British challenge together with Meryl Cooper, Julia Davis and Fiona Pascall.

Defending men’s champion Adam Peterson is the only athlete missing from the top 10 at the last championships in Chiang Mai. In his absence the favourites include Nicolas Martin of France and Andreas Reiterer of Italy.

Joshua Wade, recent winner of the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 100, plus George Foster, Thomas Joly De Lotbiniere and Harry Jones form the GB challenge with Jones placing 11^th in Chiang Mai last year.

June 10: Junior men and women up and down (7.5km, 374m)

Rebecca Flaherty won silver behind GB team-mate Jess Bailey in Chiang Mai (as the duo combined with Ellen Weir to win team gold) and Bingley runner Flaherty will be going for gold in Austria after good recent form. She is joined by Amelia Lane, Lauren Russell and Eve Whitaker in the GB squad, while the junior men’s team (bronze medallists in 2022) consists of Ewan Busfield, Tom Perry, Alex Poulston and Will Longden.

June 10: Senior men and women up and down (15km, 758m)

This classic race starts and finishes in Innsbruck and it should be a fast and furious course over two laps.

Lots of athletes who have run the uphill only event earlier in the championships are doubling up. These include the American Allie McLaughlin and British hope Scout Adkin. Look out too for defending champion Rebecca Cheptegei of Uganda and, in the men’s race, last year’s runner-up in this race Patrick Kipngeno of Kenya.

The British men’s team is Jacob Adkin, Andrew Douglas, Chris Richards and Joe Steward with the women’s quartet being Scout Adkin, Alice Goodall, Holly Page and 2019 bronze medallist Phillipa Williams.

Last year the GB women’s team won silver just four points behind Switzerland in this up-and-down mountain race.

Entries and results for the Innsbruck-Stubai event are here.

American Jessica Pegula, who is third in the singles world rankings and second in the doubles, is the latest leading WTA Tour player to feature in a BBC Sport column.

A hot topic again at this year's French Open has been players not speaking to the media after matches to protect their mental health.

On Sunday night, Aryna Sabalenka pulled out of doing a post-match open news conference for the second round running after saying she did not feel safe in a previous one.

Two years ago there was a similar issue when Naomi Osaka did not want to speak to the media to protect her mental health.

I guess the French Open are now being more empathetic about players' mental health needs surrounding press conferences.

What Naomi did alerted people to the possibility of doing what Sabalenka did and for the tournament to work ways around it.

Sabalenka still found a way to do press, giving quotes to the Women's Tennis Association, which were then distributed to other reporters.

She has been hammered with questions about the war in Ukraine and Belarus' support of Russia.

She clearly felt enough was enough. I think that's her right.

It's the right of the press to ask the questions they want to ask, but also it is her right not to answer them if she doesn't want to answer them.

After I had a really tough loss in the singles on Friday, I was not really in the mood to speak to the media.

Luckily there was only one person who asked for a couple of quotes so I gave them to the WTA anyway without having to do an open news conference.

I think the tournament is now more flexible because of what happened with Naomi. That's a good thing.

Of course, speaking to the media is important for growing the sport and connecting with fans. We wouldn't want to lose that.

But it has to be the right balance and the player has to feel safe.

How doubles with Coco gets me out of a lull

It's been a long trip here in Europe and, as I described in my previous column, it has not been the easiest.

But, since losing to Elise Mertens in the singles third round, it has been nice to get a couple of wins in the doubles alongside my regular partner Coco Gauff.

That's helped me snap out of the little bit of a lull. It always feels nice to get some redemption.

I think getting back on the court as quickly as possibly is the best thing to do, sometimes you can get down and stuck in a negative attitude - at least for me.

It is nice to get back out there and compete, to switch your mind back into competitive mode.

Coco said in Melbourne that playing in the doubles with me would help pick up her spirits after she lost in the Australian Open singles - it has been kind of a role reversal here.

She helped me in our win over Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia, which was the day after I lost in the singles, and she played really well.

I think I struggled a little bit in the first set, but she got me going. Although being able to lift each other depends how we're playing!

Generally, I'd say we are good at picking each other up.

While I've got a high ranking in both singles and doubles, like most people, I definitely prioritise the singles, for sure.

Doubles is something fun and something I can win at and still be good at. But I wouldn't say I prioritise doubles.

I definitely still want to succeed in it and we work on a couple of things, doubles specific, before a match.

Winning a doubles title or reaching a doubles final does soften the blow of an early singles exit a little bit.

It is good to win wherever you go and whatever match you're playing in.

Winning a Grand Slam doubles title is definitely a huge goal for us and something we really want. We also use it as a way to get better in the singles.

Making the final here at Roland Garros last year was great experience for us and we're determined to go one step further this year.

Jessica Pegula was talking to BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko at Roland Garros.

Liverpool want to complete a deal for Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister before the Argentina World Cup winner links up with his international teammates ahead of the June 15 friendly against Australia in China, sources have told ESPN.

Mac Allister, 24, is expected to become Liverpool's first major signing of the summer transfer window following what sources say have been constructive talks with Brighton.

- When does the summer transfer window open and close?

Sources have told ESPN that the player, who was signed by Brighton from Argentinos Juniors in 2019, is available for a fee of around £50 million due to a release clause within the new contract he signed with the club in October 2022.

Liverpool have made the recruitment of at least two midfielders their priority this summer following the departures of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the end of the Anfield contracts.

With captain Jordan Henderson and Thiago both 32 years old and troubled by injuries last season, the necessity to bolster manager Jurgen Klopp's midfield options at the same time as reducing the average age of the midfielders has led to the move for Mac Allister, who was a key figure in Brighton qualifying for European competition for the first time in the season just ended.

Liverpool had originally planned to move for Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, but the likely £120m transfer fee of signing the England international, as well as competition from Real Madrid and Manchester City, prompted the club to shift their focus onto signing a number of players rather than spending the majority of the budget on one player.

Sources have said that Liverpool also retain an interest in Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes, Nice's Khephren Thuram and Borussia Monchengladbach's Manu Kone.

Klopp is also interested in making a move for Chelsea's Mason Mount, but sources have told ESPN that Manchester United are front-runners to sign the 24-year-old.

A deal for Mac Allister is most likely to be Liverpool's first this summer, however, and there is confidence at Anfield that an agreement can be finalised before the player heads out to Asia for Argentina's meeting with Australia in Beijing and subsequent encounter with Indonesia on June 19.

Real Madrid see Harry Kane as the best available option to replace Karim Benzema, sources have told ESPN, but the club are looking at other candidates as they are aware that signing the forward from Tottenham will be difficult.

The England captain, who has scored 32 goals this season, has the right profile to play for Madrid, sources have said, but there are question marks over his age, his transfer fee and Spurs' reluctance to allow their marquee player to leave.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Madrid had planned to sign a back-up forward such as Espanyol's Joselu to act as an alternative to Benzema and wait until next summer before making a significant investment up front.

Club sources have been reluctant to speak openly about interest in signing Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe, but some are willing to admit that a move for one of the two had been planned for 2024, when Benzema's time at Madrid was set to come to an end.

Benzema's shock decision to leave Madrid this month -- accepting an offer from Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad -- has now forced the club to change their plans, to ensure that they have an attack of the necessary quality next season.

Madrid are close to completing the signing of Joselu to replace Mariano Diaz but will now need to move for a first-choice No. 9 that can fill the void left by Benzema, who has scored 31 goals in all competitions despite an inconsistent campaign.

The problem the club face is that there are few options in the market -- with Haaland and Mbappe staying at Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain respectively for at least another season -- who fit the bill.

Roberto Firmino, who is available on a free transfer after his contract expired at Liverpool and Chelsea's Kai Havertz have both with linked to Madrid, but club sources admit that Kane is the only available forward who has consistently scored the requisite number of goals, year after year.

Nonetheless, there are also doubts within the club about the possible signing of the Premier League forward.

Kane will turn 30 next month, while Madrid's recent transfer policy has seen them focus on signing up-and-coming talents such as Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni.

Madrid are aware that a fee of around €100 million would be required to land Kane and that would have a major impact on this summer's budget, when the club were already planning to spend heavily on Jude Bellingham as well as reinforcing a number of other positions.

Florentino Perez also has previous experience of tough negotiations with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, after the signings of Luka Modric in 2012 and Gareth Bale in 2013.

All this means that while Madrid consider a move for Kane, they are also assessing other options.

In February, ESPN reported that the LaLiga club were tracking various forwards including Kane's Tottenham teammate Richarlison and Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus, believing it was already "essential" to strengthen the attack, even with Benzema expected to continue.

The Ballon d'Or winner's exit comes alongside the departures of three more forwards, Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard and Mariano.

Joselu -- who would arrive on loan -- and Brahim Diaz, who returns from a loan spell at AC Milan, are set to be the first to arrive to strengthen the front line, but they will not be the last.

Lionel Messi's father and agent, Jorge Messi, said on Monday that his son would love to return to Barcelona this summer.

The Argentina captain is considering offers after leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent after two seasons with the French champions.

- When does the summer transfer window open and close?

Despite being caught on camera entering the home of Barcelona president Joan Laporta on Monday morning, Jorge Messi denied said meeting but told reporters: "Of course, he [Messi] would love to return to Barcelona. I would like it too. We will see."

Barca expect to get approval from LaLiga this week regarding their financial plans in order to begin their transfer business, which will include the anticipated re-signing of Messi.

Asked if he had spoken to Laporta about how Barca could finance Messi's return, Jorge Messi said: "We spoke the other day, but there's nothing concrete."

Barca coach Xavi Hernandez said that Messi would make a decision regarding his future club this week and that "the doors are open" for his return.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Messi, 35, played his last game for PSG on Saturday.

The Argentina forward has contributed 21 goals and 20 assists for PSG in all competitions this season.

ESPN reported in April that Messi is considering a sizeable offer from Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, although Jorge Messi denied later reports he had agreed to a deal.

Major League Soccer side Inter Miami CF are also interested in his signature.

Messi spent 21 years at Barca and helped the club win 35 trophies but left for PSG in August 2021 due to the club's financial crisis.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills continue to work on their pass rush, agreeing to terms with Leonard Floyd on a one-year deal, a source confirmed to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

After not adding to the defensive line in this year's draft, the Bills signed defensive tackle Poona Ford to a one-year, $2.25 million deal, including $1.5 million guaranteed, in May. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver also agreed to terms on a four-year, $68 million extension with $45 million guaranteed on Saturday.

Floyd, 30, adds another veteran presence to a Bills pass-rushing group that includes his former Los Angeles Rams teammate Von Miller, who is coming off a major right ACL injury suffered on Thanksgiving that has about a nine-month recovery window, putting his availability in question for the start of the season. The Bills have also invested heavily in recent drafts at the position with second-round picks A.J. Epenesa (2020) and Boogie Basham (2021) and first-round pick Greg Rousseau (2021).

The Rams released Floyd in March after not being able to find a trade partner for the veteran outside linebacker.

He had at least nine sacks in each of the past three seasons for the Rams and had his best NFL season in 2020, his first with Los Angeles, when he posted a career-best 10.5 sacks.

In three seasons with the Rams, Floyd had 29 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.

Floyd was drafted No. 9 overall by the Chicago Bears in 2016 but was released before the 2020 season, even though the team had exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.

In seven seasons, he has 47.5 sacks, 103 quarterback hits and 338 tackles.

Former Rams teammates, Taylor Rapp and David Edwards, are also on the Bills' roster.

ESPN's Sarah Barshop contributed to this report.