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The Washington Commanders picked up the fifth-year option for defensive end Montez Sweat on Wednesday.
Sweat, 25, will be guaranteed a salary of $11.5 million for the 2023 season.
The 2019 first-round pick (26th overall) has collected 21 sacks and 46 quarterback hits in 42 career starts.
Sweat posted 24 tackles, five sacks and three forced fumbles in 10 starts last season. He missed five games on injured reserve with a broken jaw.
–Field Level Media
Pittsburgh Pirates starting shortstop Kevin Newman was placed on the injured list and could miss 3-to-5 weeks with a groin strain.
Newman aggravated his groin during Tuesday night’s loss to the Milwaukee Brewers and left the game. Newman was replaced by Diego Castillo, who will also man shortstop in Wednesday night’s game.
Newman is batting .250 with four runs scored and eight RBIs in 14 games starts. He’s a career .257 hitter with 18 home runs.
The Pirates put outfielder Bryan Reynolds and Cole Tucker on the COVID-19 injured list on Tuesday. Reynolds was activated on Wednesday, taking Newman’s roster spot.
–Field Level Media
The Florida Panthers have clinched an Atlantic Division title and the top seed from the Eastern Conference for the Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning next week.
They just need to get to the postseason in one piece.
The Panthers are scheduled to visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday in their second-to-last game of the regular season.
Florida (57-17-6, 120 points) saw two key players depart early in a 4-2 loss at the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, their second straight defeat following a 13-game winning streak.
Radko Gudas (lower-body injury) and Anton Lundell (upper body) both missed the third period. Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said Wednesday both will miss the final two regular-season games with a goal of returning for the start of the playoffs.
Gudas has been an everyday defenseman for the Panthers, playing in 77 games this season. Lundell has been a reliable rookie center, totaling 18 goals and 26 assists in 64 games.
“We’re obviously trying to be smart and ahead of the curve a little bit here,” Brunette said after Tuesday’s game.
Brunette already was being careful with his regulars.
Brunette rested Mason Marchment against the Bruins, while veterans Joe Thornton and Carter Verhaeghe returned against Boston after sitting out recent games.
It was evident from the Boston bench that the Panthers were operating at a lower gear.
“They didn’t look to me like they had their usual jump (Tuesday) night, for whatever reason,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said.
Before the latest injuries to Gudas and Lundell, the Panthers were already expected to add players from their AHL affiliate in Charlotte, which has completed its season.
Florida should also have left wing Ryan Lomberg back against the Senators. He was suspended against Boston for instigating a fight with Erik Cernak of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.
Ottawa enters the game riding a season-best four-game winning streak.
Drake Batherson scored his second goal of the game in overtime to lift the Senators to a 5-4 win against the visiting New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
Tim Stutzle, the third overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, scored short-handed and on a power play to give him 22 goals on the season.
Batherson got off to a hot start this season with seven goals and nine assists in the first 14 games, but was then sidelined for 2 1/2 weeks while in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.
He scored another 18 points in 17 games in December and January before a high ankle sprain knocked him out until late March.
His two-goal output against the Devils doubled his goal total in the 14 games since his return from injury.
“Just hasn’t been himself, even at practice,” Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said of Batherson. “He’s just starting to get back going again and getting in a rhythm, and (against the Devils), offensively, he was great.”
The Senators have one more game left after playing Florida, a matchup at the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday.
“We want to finish the season the way we want to play,” Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot said. “The summer’s going to be long, and we went through a lot of stuff, but we want to finish on a high note.”
–Field Level Media
The Utah Jazz are on the brink of elimination but at least they’ll have their star player in Game 6 on Thursday night at Salt Lake City.
Despite having their star player performing at his peak again after missing a few games in this first-round series, the Dallas Mavericks know that having a 3-2 lead doesn’t guarantee they will advance.
Last year’s postseason disaster offers a reminder. In the 2021 first round, the Mavericks were up 3-2 against the Los Angeles Clippers before losing Game 6 at home and Game 7 on the road.
“I don’t even remember that. I don’t even remember last year,” Dallas forward Dorian Finney-Smith joked. “Nah, but we put ourselves in a great spot. We’ve just got to handle our business in Utah.”
Dallas did that in Game 3, winning 126-118 at Utah to regain home-court advantage after losing Game 1 at home 99-93. Things are vastly different a week later.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic has been dominant since returning from a calf injury that sidelined him for the first three games.
Meanwhile, Utah’s most explosive scorer, Donovan Mitchell, declared himself ready to play Thursday night amid a leg injury.
“I’m good to go,” Mitchell said Wednesday. “I’ll be ready.”
This series has been so unpredictable, with Jalen Brunson suddenly playing like an All-Star, the usually sharpshooting Jazz misfiring from deep at historic levels and elite players from each team with injuries.
Mitchell limped off the court and grabbed at his hamstring with 4:55 to play Monday. An ensuing MRI was negative, and Mitchell was optimistic he’ll play through his bilateral quadriceps contusions.
Mitchell also believes the Jazz will return to form after only hitting 3 of 30 from 3-point range in the 102-77 Game 5 blowout loss.
Not only was that the worst 3-point field-goal percentage in Jazz history (minimum 20 attempts), it was the least-accurate performance in NBA postseason history (minimum 25 attempts), according to ESPN Stats & Info.
“I don’t think we’ve ever shot this poorly as a group,” Mitchell said. “So, we’ll bounce back and go from there.”
The way Dallas has played for most of this series will require a very large bounce-back by Utah.
Doncic pushed the Mavericks into the series lead with 33 points and 13 rebounds in Game 5 after totaling 30 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in the 100-99 Game 4 loss at Utah.
“The first game, I was a little janky,” Doncic said. “But I felt better (Monday). I think the first couple of minutes I was tired, but then I was OK. I think the run in the third I was a little tired, too, but just getting my air back.”
Dallas is looking to get past the first round for the first time since winning the NBA championship in 2011. That Clippers series last year was the first time in nine occasions that the Mavs blew a 3-2 lead.
Doncic said the Mavericks just need to play like they did Monday.
“I think our defense was amazing, the energy was high and we played hard,” he said. “That’s the way we’ve got to play, and that’s how we win the next game.”
If not, Game 7 will take place Saturday at Dallas.
–Field Level Media
The son of former All-Pro defensive tackle Vince Wilfork pleaded guilty to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of his father’s jewelry, including two Super Bowl rings.
D’Aundre Holmes-Wilfork received five years of probation after pleading guilty to theft of property greater than $300,000, according to the Galveston Daily News. The conviction will be vacated should Holmes-Wilford successfully complete the probation.
Wilfork reported in May 2021 that he was missing his Super Bowl rings in addition to AFC championship rings, a college football national championship ring, necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
Wilfork first noticed the items were missing a year prior but believed them to be in storage. He was contacted by a New England Patriots fan earlier in 2021 when the Super Bowl rings were up for sale, alerting him to the theft.
Holmes-Wilfork’s attorney said the all parties are trying to move forward from the situation.
“The outcome that emerged from the case was a result of much self reflection and healing on the defendant’s part and the willingness of his parents to forgive him and show him unconditional love with the sincere hope that he can be rehabilitated and go on to live a happy and productive life,” attorney Mark Aronowitz told the Galveston Daily News.
Wilfork played in the NFL from 2004-16, primarily as a member of the Patriots. He won Super Bowls with the club following the 2004 and 2014 seasons. Wilfork was first-team All-Pro in 2012 and was named to the Pro Bowl five times.
–Field Level Media
Andrew Vaughn belted a tie-breaking three-run home run in the seventh inning as the Chicago White Sox defeated the visiting Kansas City Royals 7-3 on Wednesday afternoon to end an eight-game losing streak.
Jake Burger added a homer for the White Sox.
Chicago scored four unanswered runs after the Royals’ Whit Merrifield tied the game 3-3 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning. Vaughn connected on the first pitch he saw from Royals right-hander Scott Barlow, who entered after Collin Snider (2-1) allowed consecutive two-out singles.
Bennett Sousa (1-0) notched the win after pitching just two-thirds of an inning, before Kendall Graveman struck out four to notch a two-inning save, his first.
Early dominance from right-hander Dylan Cease and an opportunistic attack helped stake the White Sox to a 3-0 lead after five innings.
Royals right-hander Zack Greinke yielded single runs to Chicago in the second, third and fourth innings. Reese McGuire put the White Sox on the board first with a run-scoring sacrifice fly before Vaughn delivered an RBI double in the third and Burger homered in the fourth, his second.
Cease retired the first 13 Kansas City batters before he walked Carlos Santana with one out in the fifth inning.
Edward Olivares spoiled Cease’s no-hit bit with an infield single leading off the sixth, which helped spur the Royals to a two-run rally, featuring RBI singles from Merrifield and Andrew Benintendi.
Cease fanned Hunter Dozier with the bases loaded to end the sixth-inning threat and preserve a 3-2 Chicago lead.
Cease struck out nine in his six innings while allowing two runs and three hits with three walks.
Greinke scattered three runs and five hits in six innings with no walks and four strikeouts.
Burger finished with three hits, while Vaughn and Tim Anderson added two hits each for the White Sox out of the top two spots in the order. McGuire brought home another run in the eighth inning when he grounded into a double play.
Adalberto Mondesi missed his first game of the season for Kansas City. He exited with left knee discomfort in the sixth inning of Monday’s 6-0 victory.
–Field Level Media
New York Rangers forwards Artemi Panarin and Andrew Copp have been ruled out of Wednesday’s home game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Panarin sustained an upper-body injury and Copp aggravated a lower-body ailment during the second period of New York’s 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.
“Nothing major, obviously,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “I’ll know more today, but there’s nothing to worry about. Not going to play tonight either one of them, but there’s no concern if they’ll play next week.”
The Rangers (51-23-6, 108 points) are locked into the second seed in the Metropolitan Division. They will square off against either the Pittsburgh Penguins or Washington Capitals in the playoffs.
Panarin, 30, has recorded career-high totals in both assists (74) and points (96) this season. His 22 goals are third-best on the team.
Copp, 27, has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 16 games with the Rangers. He was acquired last month from the Winnipeg Jets.
–Field Level Media
Injuries in their goalkeeping ranks have spurred Atlanta United to acquire Rocco Rios Novo on loan from Lanus in Argentina’s Primera Division.
The club’s No. 1 goalkeeper Brad Guzan ruptured his right Achilles tendon April 16 in a 0-0 tie against FC Cincinnati. Goalkeeper Dylan Castanheira has his own Achilles injury and is out indefinitely.
Atlanta United turned to Bobby Shuttleworth after Guzan was injured and now he will split time with the 19-year-old Rios Novo. The club also has homegrown goalkeeper Justin Garces further down the depth chart.
It will be the second stint with the Atlanta franchise for Rios Novo, who was born in Los Angeles. He started 20 regular season games for Atlanta United 2 in the USL Championship in 2021 and appeared for the first team in a CONCACAF Champions League game last April.
“We’re pleased to welcome Rocco back to Atlanta and look forward to integrating him into the team,” Atlanta United vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a release. “He’s a young, talented player who we’re very familiar with who will add competition to our goalkeeping group.”
–Field Level Media
The Toronto Raptors will try to take another step toward making history Thursday night when they play the visiting Philadelphia 76ers in Game 6 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
After losing the first three games of the best-of-seven series, the Raptors have won the next two. No team in NBA history has won a playoff series after losing the first three games.
The Raptors posted a 103-88 win in Game 5 without Fred VanVleet (strained hip), overcoming his 20.3 points per game from the regular season with a strong defensive effort. He is listed as doubtful for Game 6.
Even with the Raptors missing a key player, the momentum shift in the series is palpable.
“Maybe there is, but it doesn’t really matter,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “Ball goes up on Thursday, everybody’s gotta play like heck.”
Pascal Siakam led Toronto scorers with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while four others reached double figures in points during Game 5.
“They’re doing a really good job of just finding some things offensively,” Nurse said. “I think they feel really good down there. We’re generating, for the most part, really good shots and they should feel good about that. They’re just moving the pieces around and we’ve got a few principles we want to follow and they’re doing a good job of it.”
Joel Embiid, playing with a torn ligament in his right thumb, led Philadelphia with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
“I mean, it’s the same recipe,” Embiid said. “Don’t turn the ball over, offensive rebounding. We definitely have to be better defensively, more connected defensively. I feel like there were a few plays (Monday) where we were not on point and we didn’t have each other’s backs. But we’re fine. There’s a reason why we won three games in a row.”
Toronto’s Precious Achiuwa, who scored 17 points in Game 5, has played an important role in limiting Embiid.
“I understand my assignment, so I just go out there and try to do it to the best of my ability,” Achiuwa said. “Try to switch ball screens, stay on (Embiid) to disrupt the flow of his offense. Try to make him work, run. Space out the floor, hit wide-open jumpers, take him off the dribble, whatever I get on that side.”
Nurse has been impressed with his backup forward.
“He feels like a more confident, different player to me,” Nurse said of Achiuwa.
James Harden and Tyrese Maxey have struggled offensively for the 76ers.
“We have long, athletic guys, skilled, and we just tried to take advantage of every mismatch that we had,” Achiuwa said.
Maxey, who scored 38 points in Game 1, was held to 12 points on 5-for-14 shooting in Game 5. Harden had 15 points in Game 5 on 4-of-11 shooting and also committed a game-high five turnovers.
The 76ers shot 38.3 percent (31 of 81) from the field Monday.
“We have to get James going downhill in some more actions that he likes and is more comfortable,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. “You know, I just keep saying with Tyrese, we just have to get the ball in his hands more. We just do. I said it all game. He’s just not getting the ball in transition enough. And that’s on us.”
Toronto held a 56-36 edge in points in the paint in Game 5.
“I just thought that they were the tougher team all night,” Rivers said. “They were more physical all night. I thought they attacked us, we didn’t attack back, we didn’t get in the paint enough.”
–Field Level Media
As expected, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up the fifth-year option on linebacker Devin White.
Wednesday’s move guarantees his $11.7 million salary for the 2023 season.
White, 24, made his first Pro Bowl last season and posted 128 tackles, 3.5 sacks and one fumble recovery in 17 starts.
He has 359 tackles, 15 sacks, six fumble recoveries and one interception in 45 games (all starts) and helped the Bucs win Super Bowl LV.
White signed a four-year, $29.3 million rookie deal after being drafted fifth overall in 2019.
–Field Level Media