ARLINGTON, Texas -- Leadoff-hitting shortstop J.P. Crawford was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Seattle Mariners on Thursday because of a right oblique strain.

The move came a day after Crawford felt his oblique tweak during batting practice, resulting in him being a late scratch from the Mariners' 5-1 loss at Texas.

"I do not have a timeline for J.P.," manager Scott Servais said. "We'll evaluate it as it goes along. We hope to get him back as soon as possible."

Dylan Moore was the starting shortstop for the series finale Thursday against the Rangers. Center fielder Julio Rodriguez moved up to leadoff hitter from his usual No. 2 spot.

Seattle brought up infielder Leo Rivas from Triple-A Tacoma. Rivas, 26, has played 665 games over nine minor league seasons and was seeking his big league debut.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Mariners transferred right-hander Gregory Santos (right lat) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.

Crawford is off to a slow start, hitting .198 with two homers and nine RBIs in his first 22 games.

NEW YORK -- Dusty Baker has won the fourth Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Baseball Digest.

The beloved Baker retired following the 2023 season after spending 56 years in the majors as a player, coach and manager. He was honored Thursday with an annual distinction that "recognizes a living individual whose career has been spent in or around Major League Baseball and who has made significant contributions to the game."

Willie Mays won the inaugural award in 2021, followed by Vin Scully in 2022 and Joe Torre last year.

"Receiving this award is a tremendous honor," 74-year-old Baker said in a news release. "I never thought that I'd be in the class of the people that received this award. I know that my late mom and dad would be proud of me. This is really special."

Baker broke into the big leagues as a teenager with the Atlanta Braves in 1968 and played 19 seasons. He made two All-Star teams, won two Silver Slugger awards and earned a Gold Glove in the outfield.

He was the 1977 NL Championship Series MVP and finished fourth in 1980 NL MVP voting before helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 1981 World Series.

After his playing career, Baker was a coach for the San Francisco Giants 1988-92 and then became their manager in 1993. He won the first of his three NL Manager of the Year awards with the Giants that season and spent 26 years as a big league skipper, also guiding the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Houston Astros.

Baker took all those teams to the playoffs, winning 10 division crowns, three pennants and finally a World Series championship in 2022 with the Astros. He ranks seventh on the career list with 2,183 wins and is the only manager in major league history to lead five franchises to division titles.

In January, he returned to the Giants as a special adviser to baseball operations.

"On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am honored to congratulate Dusty Baker as the 2024 recipient of Baseball Digest's Lifetime Achievement Award. He joins an incredible club," commissioner Rob Manfred said. "Dusty represents leadership, goodwill, and winning baseball. His ability to connect with others, across generations, is second to none. He is a championship manager and player. But, most importantly, Dusty is an extraordinary ambassador for our national pastime."

Baker was selected in voting by an 18-member panel from a list of candidates that also included Bob Costas, Sandy Koufax, Tony La Russa, Jim Leyland, Rachel Robinson and Bud Selig, among others.

For the first time since 2019, MLB will dedicate three days in August to players, focusing on showcasing them beyond their stats and on-field performances, according to a release distributed Thursday.

From Aug. 16-18, a different aspect of players' lives will be highlighted through in-stadium events, game broadcasts and social media.

Day 1 (Aug. 16) will feature their personalities, friendships and off-the-field interests. Day 2 will focus on their charitable causes, and Day 3 will celebrate the people who helped them on their path to the big leagues, including parents, coaches and other mentors.

During the weekend, players will wear special New Era caps featuring each players' uniform number on the side panel in a "youthful design," according to the release. Players also will be able to use customized bats during the games and can wear cleats with personalized designs as well.

MLB is calling the three days a "reimagined Players' Weekend" as its previous incarnation, from 2017 to '19, featured specially designed uniforms with player nicknames on the back of their jerseys.

The goal of the weekend is to reach younger audiences, which have been growing over the past several years. According to league data, the median age of ticket purchasers has dropped from 51 to 45 since 2019, while ticket buyers from ages 18-35 has increased by almost 10% during the same timeframe. MLB is hoping that trend continues.

We're just about to the one-month mark of the 2024 MLB season, and while it's still too early to give too much credence to the standings, there are a number of surprising teams near the top -- and bottom.

We're not even out of April yet, and there's a long season ahead, but few would have thought the Astros would be at the bottom of their division -- a division that includes the A's. Meanwhile, the Guardians have been one of the best teams in baseball, with a major-league-leading plus-47 run differential.

Both are on the move in our Power Rankings, too, as Cleveland is inching closer to the top five, and Houston has fallen further, all the way down to No. 22.

Can these clubs carry -- or change -- their momentum going into May?

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 Jorge Castillo to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 3 | Preseason rankings

1. Atlanta Braves

Record: 17-6

Previous ranking: 1

Marcell Ozuna's performance this April is in stark contrast to that of last April, when he hit .085 with two RBIs and there was talk of the Braves releasing him. This year, Ozuna is behind just Mike Trout in home runs with nine, ranks first in the majors in RBIs (29) and ranks second to Shohei Ohtani in OPS (1.094). Ozuna is striking out just 15.8% of the time, which would be a career best and a significant drop of almost seven percentage points from last season. There's no good way to attack him right now: He's raking against four-seam fastballs, but six of his homers have come against off-speed pitches. -- Schoenfield

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2. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 16-8

Previous ranking: 4

The talk the past few years in Baltimore has been about the Orioles' blindingly bright future. Well, that future is here. The Orioles are World Series contenders with a deep, explosive lineup featuring all but one regular in his 20s. Gunnar Henderson (23) is building an MVP case. Adley Rutschman (26) continues showing he is one of the top catchers in the majors. Jordan Westburg (25) and Colton Cowser (24), two under-the-radar prospects, are mashing from the bottom half of the order. Heston Kjerstad (25), the No. 2 draft pick in 2020 and Kiley McDaniel's 48th-ranked prospect, was just called up. The weakest link in the lineup so far is the most hyped of them all: Jackson Holliday (20). But Holliday, the consensus No. 1 prospect in the sport, will eventually figure it out. When he does, the Orioles will be a nightmare for pitchers. -- Castillo

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3. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 15-11

Previous ranking: 2

Mookie Betts, a six-time Gold Glove Award winner in right field, went into the 2024 season as the Dodgers' every-day second baseman. Then Gavin Lux's throwing issues resurfaced, and Betts transitioned to shortstop -- arguably the most demanding position on the field and one Betts hasn't played since, well, high school -- on a semi-every-day basis. He has been right around average defensively, at least according to outs above average. And on offense, Betts has been on an absolute tear, slashing .365/.468/.625 with six home runs and a major-league-leading 20 walks while hitting in front of Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. Betts is an early favorite for his second MVP. -- Gonzalez

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4. New York Yankees

Record: 17-8

Previous ranking: 3

Juan Soto, a popular pick to win the American League MVP Award before Opening Day, has proved invaluable for the Yankees a month into the season. He has been the steady presence in an otherwise inconsistent lineup, quickly winning over fans in the Bronx with his swagger and comfort in the spotlight. He is working counts. He is clubbing clutch home runs. He has even played some good defense in right field. The soon-to-be free agent is the every-day stalwart for a club off to a promising start despite Gerrit Cole landing on the injured list and Aaron Judge not producing at his typical level. The Yankees need Cole healthy and Judge raking to reach their titles aspirations, but they're winning games with Soto leading the charge. -- Castillo

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5. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 15-10

Previous ranking: 6

OK, while they did come against the lowly White Sox, Spencer Turnbull took a no-hitter into the seventh inning on Friday, and Zack Wheeler took a no-hitter into the eighth the very next night. During the team's seven-game winning streak, the starters pitched 51 innings and allowed just four earned runs (0.70 ERA). Yes, six of those games came against the Rockies and White Sox, but at least the Phillies are off to the good start that eluded them the past two seasons. Ranger Suarez is 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA and in line for National League Pitcher of the Month honors for April. -- Schoenfield

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6. Cleveland Guardians

Record: 17-7

Previous ranking: 8

While the bullpen continues to dominate and the rotation received recent good outings from Xzavion Curry and Ben Lively, the surprising aspect of the Guardians' hot start is an offense that ranks among the best in the AL in runs, on-base percentage and slugging -- while also ranking near the top of the majors in batting average with runners in scoring position. Leading the way: Josh Naylor, hitting .306 with six home runs and 20 RBIs. Going back to May 13, 2023, Naylor leads all hitters in batting average, ahead of Freeman and Luis Arraez. -- Schoenfield

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7. Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 15-8

Previous ranking: 9

The Brewers' resiliency is the story of their first month. Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes aren't here? No problem. Christian Yelich goes down? We got it covered. Milwaukee is at the top of the NL Central due to an opportunistic offense and a pitching staff that has survived roster turnover. If there is a face to this group, it's catcher/DH William Contreras. He's hitting .359 with an OPS of .983, which is among the best in the NL -- and now, the traditionally power-weak Brewers rank near the top of the majors in home runs so far. That might be the true story of their first month. -- Rogers

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8. Chicago Cubs

Record: 15-9

Previous ranking: 7

Injuries have been a big part of the Cubs' season to this point; most recently, they lost two middle-of-the order bats. Seiya Suzuki went down with an oblique injury last week, then Cody Bellinger suffered two cracked ribs Tuesday when running into the brick wall at Wrigley Field. Add in Justin Steele's Opening Day hamstring strain, Jameson Taillon's delayed start due to a back ailment and Kyle Hendricks now appearing on the IL and it seems like this team has had a season full of issues already. But they have survived and are still in the thick of the NL Central race heading into May. -- Rogers

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9. Texas Rangers

Record: 13-12

Previous ranking: 5

Entering the season, the betting markets saw a three-way race for AL Rookie of the Year between Baltimore's Jackson Holliday and Texas' Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter. Holliday has really struggled out of the gate under a bright spotlight, but Langford and Carter also have started slowly at the plate. Carter has contributed plenty in the field and on the bases and has drawn 10 walks (tied for the team lead), but he is off to a .215 start at the dish and still has done nothing against lefties. (He's 1-for-23 in his career against southpaws.) Langford has held his own, but as hard as he hits the ball, he is still looking for his first homer and has just four extra-base hits. As for that awards race, it's way too early to declare the betting markets were wrong, but May will be big for all of the struggling rookies. -- Doolittle

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10. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 13-12

Previous ranking: 12

It's just a month into the season, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s decline from AL MVP runner-up in 2021 has continued thus far. The three-time All-Star is batting .219 with a .674 OPS, which is down from .788 last season, which was down from .818 in 2022, which was down from 1.002 in 2021. Defensively, the former third baseman cost the Blue Jays a win against the Royals on Tuesday when he dropped a routine throw at first base. Toronto remains over .500 despite a minus-13 run differential, thanks to a stingy starting rotation led by Jose Berrios' 0.85 ERA in five starts. Offensively, Justin Turner (.319/.414/.500) and Daulton Varsho (six home runs) have been the stars, but Toronto won't compete in the AL East if Guerrero doesn't perform like one. -- Castillo

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11. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 12-14

Previous ranking: 10

The Diamondbacks made numerous notable improvements to their lineup and their rotation coming off a surprising World Series run, but one area they didn't really address was the bullpen. And so far, that has backfired. They have blown six saves already this season, trailing only the Pirates, Marlins and Rays. Their 4.09 bullpen ERA ranks 20th, and they've suffered a major-league-leading 10 losses when leading after the sixth inning. Closer Paul Sewald, who has been out with a strained oblique, is nearing his return. That should certainly help -- but others have to step up. -- Gonzalez

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12. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 14-10

Previous ranking: 16

Elly De La Cruz has picked up where he left off in 2023, leading the Reds in home runs (seven) and stolen bases (15), and it's not even close. He has improved all parts of his game, including his strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.38). He could be among the early favorites for NL MVP after producing a 1.400-plus OPS over the past week. He's the face of a young and exciting team that should be in the NL Central race to the end. -- Rogers

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13. Kansas City Royals

Record: 15-10

Previous ranking: 13

While their run prevention has remained consistent, the Royals lost four of five during a recent stretch mostly due to a sputtering offense. Even so, there are signs that the downturn is in part the result of a spate of ill fortune. During a nine-game stretch in which they managed just 3.3 runs per game, Kansas City's hitters nonetheless ranked ninth in average exit velocity. One culprit of the scoring drought was batting average on balls in play (BABIP): Their .221 mark during that span belied all that hard contact. Chances are if the Royals just keep hitting the ball hard collectively, the scoring will tick back up. -- Doolittle

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14. Seattle Mariners

Record: 12-12

Previous ranking: 21

Seattle's offense has performed at around a league-average rate this season once you factor in ballpark adjustments, which admittedly can skew perspectives early on. But whatever the Mariners' real offensive level might be, one clear shortfall has emerged. They have mostly platooned full-time at a couple of spots -- left field and third base -- and feature two every-day switch hitters in Jorge Polanco and Cal Raleigh. There are also three every-day righty hitters: Mitch Haniger, Ty France and Mitch Garver. Despite all of those looks from the right side of the dish, those righties have struggled mightily against left-handed pitching. The righty platooners, Luis Urias and Dylan Moore, also have not performed. If this continues, Seattle will not be shy about shuffling the deck. -- Doolittle

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15. Boston Red Sox

Record: 14-11

Previous ranking: 18

Remember all that terrible injury luck the Yankees experienced last season? It looks like they passed that misfortune along to their rivals. The Red Sox are banged up -- badly. The latest casualty is up-and-coming star Triston Casas. The first baseman is going to miss significant time due to a fractured rib after mashing six home runs in 22 games.

Boston already has lost Lucas Giolito (elbow) and Trevor Story (shoulder) for the season. Nick Pivetta is out indefinitely with an elbow injury. All-Star Rafael Devers has missed time for two different injuries. Vaughn Grissom is on rehab assignment after starting the season on the IL, while Tyler O'Neill recently came off it. All that before the end of April. The Red Sox are still hanging around behind surprisingly great starting pitching. But it's early, and the AL East won't be forgiving. -- Castillo

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16. San Diego Padres

Record: 14-13

Previous ranking: 11

The Padres knew they were going to cut costs over the offseason. They knew they'd begin the year with some holes in their lineup. And they knew some players needed to step up in a big way to fill them. One of those guys has been Jackson Merrill, the 21-year-old lifetime shortstop who transitioned to center field during spring training and already looks like he belongs in the major leagues. Just 27 games into his career, Merrill is slashing .318/.378/.409 and has been worth two outs above average at a demanding position that was foreign to him not too long ago. More importantly, though, he has added some much-needed depth to the Padres' lineup. -- Gonzalez

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17. New York Mets

Record: 13-11

Previous ranking: 20

Catcher Francisco Alvarez is expected to miss about eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, putting his return in late June. He was injured after stumbling around first base at Dodger Stadium last week. Backup Omar Narvaez takes over as the regular starter and projects as an offensive downgrade (although Alvarez had been off to a slow start). Narvaez has hit just .208 with a .591 OPS over the previous two seasons and .188 in his first 11 games of 2024. Tomas Nido is back as the reserve catcher -- and he owns a career OPS+ of 55. With Nido, Joey Wendle and Zack Short, the Mets' bench is pretty thin right now. -- Schoenfield

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18. Detroit Tigers

Record: 14-11

Previous ranking: 19

Many saw this as the year when Tarik Skubal would emerge as a legitimate, front-of-the-rotation starter, and so far, that has certainly been the case. The Tigers' 27-year-old left-hander allowed three singles and nothing else in six shutout innings against the Rays on Monday, lowering his ERA to 1.82 through his first five starts. He has coupled that with 0.74 walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP) and a 7.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Tigers look like they might remain competitive within the AL Central all summer, and Skubal is the biggest reason. As Tigers manager AJ Hinch said of Skubal, "The stuff is off-the-charts good." -- Gonzalez

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19. Tampa Bay Rays

Record: 13-13

Previous ranking: 15

The Rays have innovated their way to the postseason each of the past five years, staying ahead of the curve to challenge the industry's heavyweights with some of the lowest payrolls in the sport. But too many injuries are an insurmountable problem for even the smartest franchises, and the Rays might have reached that threshold.

They have six pitchers and five position players on the IL, including two-time All-Star starter Shane McClanahan; right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who posted a 2.78 in 36 starts over the past two seasons; left-hander Jeffrey Springs, who has a 2.53 ERA since joining the Rays before the 2021 campaign; bullpen stalwart Pete Fairbanks; and every-day players Josh Lowe and Brandon Lowe. Without them, Tampa is in last place in the AL East, one game under .500 with a minus-24 run differential. It's early. If any team can dig itself out of the hole, it's the Rays. But at some point, too many injuries are too much to overcome. -- Castillo

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20. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 13-12

Previous ranking: 14

Rookie Jared Jones is the story of the Pirates in April. The second-round 2020 draft pick has made five starts, and all have been impressive. Just 22 years old, Jones gave up 20 hits in his first 29 innings while walking only four batters. His ERA is a solid 2.79, and he hasn't allowed a single stolen base off him. He has been a rock on a team that got off to a fast start and hopes to hang around the playoff race longer than it did last season. If Jones can keep it up, the Pirates might be able to sustain some success, something that has eluded them over the past few years. -- Rogers

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21. San Francisco Giants

Record: 12-14

Previous ranking: 25

The Giants changed the dynamic of their offseason in March by signing two high-profile free agents in Matt Chapman and Blake Snell. So far, though, San Francisco has had to absorb their slow starts, a likely byproduct of their limited time to prepare for the regular season. Snell allowed 15 runs in 11 innings through his first three starts and on Wednesday was placed on the IL with an adductor strain. Chapman, meanwhile, has been a below-average hitter, slashing .228/.278/.416 with four home runs in his first 26 games. Needless to say, the Giants need a lot more from them if they hope to overcome a crowded NL West. -- Gonzalez

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22. Houston Astros

Record: 7-18

Previous ranking: 17

Things are bad in Houston. A loss at the Cubs on Wednesday dropped the Astros to 11 games under .500, depths to which Houston had not sunk since May 2016. Injuries to the rotation are certainly part of the story, as only the woeful Rockies and White Sox have hemorrhaged runs at a more rapid pace this season.

But an offense that has been so consistently elite over the past decade bears blame, as well. Houston has scored well below the league-average rate early on, and some of the individual performances border on alarming, especially that of former MVP Jose Abreu. Over the Astros' first 19 games, Abreu went a stunning 4-for-62 with one extra-base hit (a double). When he won the MVP award for the White Sox in 2020, his hard-hit rate was 53.3%, according to Baseball Reference. So far in 2024, his hard-hit rate is less than half that. -- Doolittle

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23. Minnesota Twins

Record: 10-13

Previous ranking: 23

It was no secret entering the season that the Twins' three best position players -- Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton -- carried troubling injury histories. One month in, Buxton is the only healthy one of the trio. Lewis didn't last three innings before suffering a severe quad strain on Opening Day. Two weeks later, Correa joined him on the IL with an intercostal strain. Max Kepler, another key bat, was activated this week after missing 13 games with a knee contusion. Unsurprisingly, the Twins' offense has faltered. They rank in the bottom five of the majors in runs scored per game, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. As a result, they're already 6.5 games behind the surging Guardians in the AL Central. -- Castillo

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24. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 11-14

Previous ranking: 22

As predicted by, well, just about everyone, the Cardinals are having issues on the mound. It's the same problem they had last season, and though Lance Lynn has been OK overall, their starting staff isn't getting it done. They have an ERA in the bottom third in the NL, and only Sonny Gray has looked dominant. Like last season, Miles Mikolas is throwing batting practice, Kyle Gibson is showing his age and Steven Matz is having his own struggles, as his ERA ballooned to 5.55 after giving up 12 runs over his past two starts. That rotation -- minus Gray, who has only pitched in three games -- has defined St. Louis so far. -- Rogers

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25. Washington Nationals

Record: 10-13

Previous ranking: 26

Welcome to the big leagues, Mitchell Parker. The 24-year-old lefty has allowed just two runs in 12 innings across his first two outings -- facing the Dodgers and Astros, no less. Against Houston, he fanned eight in seven innings, recording four of the strikeouts with his splitter, while allowing just three hits. His fastball has averaged 92 mph, so he isn't overpowering. But he has been throwing strikes, as he hasn't issued any walks -- a problem for him in the minors last year, when he averaged 4.4 walks per nine. Parker isn't a heralded prospect; he didn't make McDaniel's preseason prospect rankings for the Nationals. But a rebuilding team such as Washington needs a player like this to pop up and turn into a valuable contributor. -- Schoenfield

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26. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 10-15

Previous ranking: 24

Mike Trout is running better than he has in a few years and hitting the ball as hard as ever, leading the majors in home runs with 10. He also is averaging around a half-an-RBI per game. Some of that is the Angels' lineup, and some of it has been Trout himself. He began the season by going 1-for-14 in high-leverage situations, 2-for-19 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and two outs. One possible solution? Bat Trout leadoff, as manager Ron Washington had him do on Tuesday. Trout led off that game by homering, the first time he had done that since Sept. 28, 2012. -- Doolittle

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27. Oakland Athletics

Record: 9-16

Previous ranking: 27

We can't write about Mason Miller every week. Sorry, A's fans. We could write about starter Paul Blackburn, if we wanted to keep things positive. Alas, it can't be all sunshine and roses about the flailing A's. The lineup isn't built to post high batting averages, but what has happened so far is particularly remarkable. Of Oakland's top 12 hitters in plate appearances, eight of them have hit under .200, including seven who qualify in the percentage categories. The record for most sub-.200 hitters (minimum 300 plate appearances) on one team is three, and the last time that happened was in 1910. We've got a long way to go, but there is a real chance here for the A's to make some history. Even more remarkable: Thanks to the White Sox, Oakland isn't even last in MLB in batting average. -- Doolittle

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28. Miami Marlins

Record: 6-20

Previous ranking: 28

This sums up the Marlins' start to 2024: On Monday against Atlanta, they began the game with a single, a single and a double -- and failed to score in the inning. Luis Arraez was on second on Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s double off the wall in right-center field but went back to tag up. With Bryan De La Cruz on his heels, Arraez had to head home and got thrown out by 40 feet. The next two batters failed to get a run in, and the Marlins ended up losing 3-0. They then got shut out again Tuesday. Last year, they found ways to win close games. This year, they're just losing ugly. -- Schoenfield

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29. Colorado Rockies

Record: 6-19

Previous ranking: 29

Kyle Freeland, the Rockies' Opening Day starter, allowed a whopping 17 runs in his first 5 innings to begin the season. He began to round back into form over his third and fourth start, lowering his ERA from 27.00 to 13.21. On April 15, he was then used as a pinch runner and was shaken up after getting thrown out at home in the ninth inning. Four days later, he was placed on the IL with an elbow strain. The Rockies said the injury was unrelated; it occurred, they added, during a start the day before running the bases. But it was a reminder, perhaps, that it's going to be another long year in Denver. -- Gonzalez

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30. Chicago White Sox

Record: 3-21

Previous ranking: 30

Losing. Lots of losing defined the White Sox in April. Much of it by design, as they turned over all their catchers from last season and every pitcher save one. But no one could have imagined being shutout eight times in their first 22 games. The White Sox rank last in runs scored per game and are tied for second to last in runs given up -- behind only the Rockies, who play in the most hitter friendly ballpark in MLB. Perhaps there is help on the way, as Mike Clevinger and Tommy Pham will make their season debuts soon. But nothing can erase the horrendous play of the first month. -- Rogers

The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will switch to a knockout format this year, with the final taking place in Seville on 20 November.

An extended nine-day event will overlap briefly with the men's Davis Cup Final 8, which begins in Malaga on the eve of the Billie Jean King Cup final.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) says the aim in revamping the women's event is to maximise the visibility and to create a fortnight of World Cup tennis in Andalucia.

Great Britain qualified for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals by beating France in Le Portel in April. Canada are the defending champions and Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka could compete for Poland, the USA and Japan respectively.

The eight-team line-up for the Davis Cup showpiece will not be confirmed until September. Great Britain will face opposition from Canada, Argentina and Finland when they try to qualify in Manchester.

The Billie Jean King Cup Finals were previously played over six days, with the 12 teams split into four groups and the winners contesting the semi-finals.

With this year's changes, four teams will receive a bye to the last eight while the other eight nations compete for a place in the quarter-finals.

The Seville event will begin on Tuesday, 12 November, three days after the conclusion of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This will give players time to travel and acclimatise to the conditions in southern Spain. World number one Swiatek opted out of the 2022 and 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals as the schedule allowed her no time to prepare following WTA Finals staged in Texas and Mexico.

The first six days of the women's team event will clash with the mens ATP Finals in Turin, but the ITF will hope its midweek semi-finals and final are watched by a large audience.

The draw for the new-look Billie Jean King Cup Finals will take place on 30 April.

Englands Georgina Kennedy came through a five-game battle against home hope Nour El Tayeb at the El Gouna Squash International to seal a semi-final berth.

Meanwhile, Egypts Karim Abdel Gawad downed World No.2 Paul Coll in straight games. Elsewhere, World No.2 Nouran Gohar and World No.4 Mostafa Asal both produced 3-0 wins to progress.

In the last womens match of the quarter-finals, Kennedy beat World No.5 El Tayeb in a five-game encounter to reach her third Platinum semi-final of the season.

The two physical players appeared evenly matched as the hot outdoor court at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center assured long, tiring rallies. The Englishwoman and the Egyptian traded points to a tie-break, but Kennedy edged the first game.

The England No.1 struggled to manage the unpredictability of her opponent in the second game as the Egyptian dispatched Kennedy 11-3. As both struggled to assert dominance on the match, Kennedy retaliated in the third game and controlled the pace of play as she surged to an 11-5 win to reclaim the advantage in the match.

The two continued to jostle for control of the match, but El Tayeb regained her second-game ruthlessness and won game four 11-3. In an end to the see-saw encounter, Kennedy took early command of the decisive fifth game with a 5-0 lead. El Tayeb fought back, but found difficulty containing the Englishwoman as she pushed on to win the game 11-4 and claim victory in the 60-minute affair.

Before, when Ive played Nour shes made me open the court way too early and today I wanted to push her back as far as I could and still be positive, said Kennedy after the match.

In a length game, I cant match her skills by any means so I really wanted to attack the back and take it in short when she was behind me. I cant read her from the front when she has time.

Im really happy with that. Besides the first game, scores werent that close and once someone got off to a start it was really hard. I think I played a really good fifth. I could feel her drop off in some of the games but her class shone through.

Kennedy will face Egypts World No.2 Nouran Gohar in the next round, after the defending champion took down USAs Olivia Weaver in three games. Though the American proved tricky for the World No.2 in spells, the Egyptian ultimately proved her quality to battle through tie-breaks in games two and three to claim victory in 58 minutes.

In the mens event, Egypts Gawad defeated World No.2 Coll to cause a seedings upset and reach the semi-finals.

Gawad accrued a 6-3 lead in the matchs opening phase with irretrievably well-placed shots, but Coll was able to bring his physicality into the game and rallied back to 7-7. The 2016 World Champion regained his early momentum and scored four consecutive points to take a 1-0 lead.

In an attritional 30-minute second game, Gawad again was the stronger starter as he pushed to a 7-3 lead, but Superman again grew into the game and mounted a comeback, this time restoring parity at 8-8. The pair traded points in blockbuster rallies, but it was the Baby-Faced Assassin who made it out on top at 15-13.

The Egyptian appeared composed in game three as his shots continued to find their targets which the New Zealander struggled to read and Gawad stormed ahead to win 11-4 and claim his place in the semi-final.

Speaking after the match, Gawad said: Mentally I was ready. I knew that in order to beat Paul you have to be 100 percent ready mentally and physically and accept youre going to play a long, basic game with long rallies. And thats what I was doing today, since the very first point I just tried to play a solid game and when I get the chance to attack, take it.

I did play an attacking game but the mistake I was doing last time was attacking too much and forcing it. He was taking a very good chance. Today I just wanted to play a good, solid basic game. It doesnt have to be just over the tin, I wanted to be as tight and patient. I didnt want to force anything today.

In a swift end to quarter-final proceedings, World No.4 Mostafa Asal dispatched Egyptian compatriot Aly Abou Eleinen in straight games, allowing the World No.13 just 11 points in the match as the No.4 seed recorded 11-2, 11-4, 11-5.

Results Womens QF (Bottom Half): El Gouna International Squash Open 2024

[4] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt [6] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 3-2: 12-10, 4-11, 11-5, 3-11, 11-4 (60m) [2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [5] Olivia Weaver (USA) 3-0: 11-4, 13-11, 12-10 (58m)

Results Mens QF (Bottom Half): El Gouna International Squash Open 2024

[4] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) 3-0: 11-2, 11-4, 11-5 (39m) [5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt [2] Paul Coll (NZL) 3-0: 11-7, 15-13, 11-4 (57m)

Draw Womens SF: El Gouna International Squash Open 2024 to be played 25 April

[1] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) v [7] Tinne Gilis (BEL) [4] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) v [2] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

Draw Mens SF: El Gouna International Squash Open 2024 to be played 25 April

[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v [8] Tarek Momen (EGY) [4] Mostafa Asal (EGY) v [5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)

Niamh Terry could be set for a first Six Nations outing from the bench, while a fit again Kelsey Jones provides cover at hooker,

Nel Metcalfe also returns after picking up an injury in the opening round against Scotland.

Nobody needs to tell us how important this game is for us within the tournament, or for what follows, but our focus is totally on what we need to do as a team," Cunningham said.

Against France we created pressure and opportunities, and we just need to be more clinical and finish off those opportunities.

Hannah Bluck has trained well all through this campaign and deserves the opportunity to start against Italy, and the experienced Lisa Neumann comes in on the wing.

Our focus has been on what we need to do this week. Were looking forward to the challenge and finishing the tournament on a high.

Wing Jasmine Joyce and full-back Kayleigh Powell have returned to GB Sevens duty, while Kerin Lake (shoulder), Bethan Lewis (foot) and Mollie Wilkinson (knee) were unavailable for selection.

For Italy, captain Elisa Giordano packs down at number eight, while in the half-backs Emma Stevanin returns at fly-half.

Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi is this time deployed on the wing, while Beatrice Capomaggi lines up at full-back. Alyssa D'Incà moves in from the wing to outside centre.

On the bench, Lucia Gai is set to become only the second Italian to reach 100 caps - a record previously held solely by Sara Barattin.

Wales: Jenny Hesketh; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (captain), Hannah Bluck, Carys Cox; Lleucu George, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Carys Phillips, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Natalia John, Abbie Fleming, Alisha Butchers, Alex Callender (vice-captain), Georgia Evans.

Replacements: Kelsey Jones, Abbey Constable, Donna Rose, Kate Williams, Gwennan Hopkins, Sian Jones, Niamh Terry, Nel Metcalfe.

Italy: Beatrice Capomaggi; Aura Muzzo, Alyssa DInca, Beatrice Rigoni; Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi; Emma Stevanin, Sofia Stefan; Silvia Turani, Vittoria Vecchini, Sara Seye, Sara Tounesi, Giordana Duca, Ilaria Arrighetti, Francesca Sgorbini. Elisa Giodano (capt).

Replacements: Laura Gurioli, Gaia Maris, Lucia Gai, Valeria Fedrighi, Isabella Locatelli, Beatrice Veronese, Veronica Madia, Francesca Granzotto.

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU)

Assistant referees: Sara Cox (RFU), Chelsea Gillespie (SRU)

TMO: Rachel Horton (RA)

Ireland sevens international Heffernan earns inclusion in the matchday 23 after impressing for the Wolfhounds in the Celtic Challenge.

Bemand has stuck with a front row of Linda Djougang, Neve Jones and Christy Haney, while Aoife Walker, Edel McMahon and Brittany Hogan are retained in the back row.

Deely earns her first start of this year's tournament in the back three alongside wings Katie Corrigan and Beibhinn Parsons.

The Irish are coming off a crushing 88-10 defeat by England at Twickenham having earned their first Six Nations wins since 2022 against Wales in Cork.

However, Bemand's side could still finish third - and secure World Cup qualification - with victory over Scotland, who are currently third, at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday.

Last week was tough but weve seen great bounce back in training," said Bemand.

This weekend, the Six Nations reaches its climax and with some good performances, were in a position to compete for that World Cup qualification.

Ireland: Deely; Corrigan, Higgins, Breen, Parsons; O'Brien, Reilly; Djougang, Jones, Haney; Wall, Monaghan (co-capt); Wafer, McMahon (co-capt), Hogan.

Replacements: Moloney, O'Dowd, McGrath, Tuite, Ikahihifo, Scuffil-McCabe, Dalton, Heffernan.

Scotland make three changes for their final Six Nations match away to Ireland as they chase a best finish since 2005.

Meryl Smith replaces the suspended Chloe Rollie at full-back, while winger Coreen Grant takes over from Rhona Lloyd, who is on Great Britain Sevens duty.

Lock Emma Wassell returns after missing the past two matches following the death of her mother, with Eva Donaldson dropping to the bench.

There are two uncapped players on the visitors' bench in wing Cieron Bell and centre Nicole Flynn.

If Scotland can hold on to third place in the table, it would secure a place in WXV1 and put an early seal on qualification for next years World Cup.

Ireland trail the Scots by two points with their sole success coming against Wales.

Scotland beat Italy 17-10 last weekend after opening the tournament with victory in Cardiff.

Scotland were 36-10 winners over the Irish in Edinburgh last year, but lost 15-14 in Belfast in 2022.

Scotland: Smith, Grant, Orr, Thomson, McGhie, Nelson, Mattinson; Wright, Skeldon, Belisle, Wassell, McMillan, Malcolm (capt), Stewart, Gallagher.

Replacements: Martin, Bartlett, Clarke, Donaldson, McLachlan, McDonald, Bell, Flynn.

Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau has fractured his shoulder and will not play again this season.

It is desperately unfortunate for the 33-year-old, who was hurt on his Cardiff comeback last week after a six-month injury lay-off.

Faletau suffered a broken arm in Wales' World Cup victory against Georgia in October 2023 in Nantes before missing the Six Nations with a calf injury.

He returned for Cardiff's 19-17 defeat by Ulster in the United Rugby Championship (URC) but was forced off in the 30th minute.

Faletau was clutching the same arm he damaged in France, but Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt confirmed on Thursday that it is a new injury.

Sherratt added that there is no ligament damage and Faletau, capped 104 times by Wales and six by the British and Irish Lions, is unlikely to need surgery but was unable to give a timeline for his recovery.