Cam Heyward Has Strong Response to Raiders OL Jackson Powers-Johnson originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

There could be an unlikely rivalry brewing in the AFC. The Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers have been rivals for decades, but there’s apparently some bad blood between players from each team.

Recently, second-year offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson revealed that he’s eyeing his next matchup with Pro Bowl defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.

“I’d say playing against Cam Heyward and giving up my first sack-ever, in my entire life,” Powers-Johnson said on a recent episode of “The Rush.” “I would have to say that. He didn’t beat me, I beat myself. I beat myself, I overset. And he got me, and said some choice words after, and I really hope he comes back for another year. That’s all I’m gonna say.”

Heyward has been in the NFL for 14 years, and he’s faced hundreds of offensive linemen. He had a chance to respond to Powers-Johnson and suggested that he beat him more than once.

“Hey man, I was close a lot of times. I just, you know, I delivered the baby at that moment,” Heyward said on the “Not Just Football” podcast. “I don’t remember what I said. You know, I tend to black out in those moments, but that wasn’t the only time he got beat. I’m gonna be honest.”

Heyward is an interesting player for Powers-Johnson to start beef with. He’s very likely going to be a Hall of Famer one day and is still one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL. The 2025 season will be the first time since 2020 that the Raiders and Steelers don’t play in the regular season, so it could be a while before Heyward and Powers-Johnson get another shot at each other.

Related: Ashton Jeanty Explains Why He Was Hoping to Get Drafted by Raiders: Exclusive

Related: DeSean Jackson Has Stern Words for Raiders OC Chip Kelly

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.

LeBron James Reacts to Kevin Love’s Post About Knicks Firing Tom Thibodeau originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau as head coach on Tuesday. It was a stunning move since the Knicks made the conference finals this year for the first time since 2000. 

Thibodeau joined the Knicks in 2020. He went 226-174 in the regular season and 24-23 in the playoffs.

New York lost to the Indiana Pacers in this year’s conference finals in six games. According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, Knicks owner James Dolan supported president Leon Rose’s decision to fire Thibodeau.

Miami Heat veteran Kevin Love reacted to the Knicks’ firing of Thibodeau by posting a video of Vince McMahon saying, “You’re fired!” on his Instagram account. 

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who won the 2016 championship with Love on the Cleveland Cavaliers, reacted to Love’s post with seven laughing emojis. 

Kevin Love on Instagram:

“James Dolan bringing Thibs into his office after he took the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years…”

LeBron James in the comment: “🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣” pic.twitter.com/ka4p6BBxHl

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) June 3, 2025

Love has been posting funny videos on Instagram all year. 

It all began after All-Star forward Jimmy Butler requested a trade from the Heat earlier in the season. 

James almost signed with the Knicks in the summer of 2010. He met with the franchise during free agency before ultimately joining the Heat to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. 

The leading scorer in NBA history, James had three postseason battles against Thibodeau when Thibs coached the Chicago Bulls from 2010 to 2015. James’ Heat beat the Bulls in the 2011 conference finals and the 2013 conference semifinals.

James then faced Thibodeau and the Bulls again in the 2015 conference semifinals in his first season back with the Cavaliers. The King won that series, too. 

It will be fascinating to see who the Knicks hire to replace Thibodeau, who has coached the Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Knicks. 

Related: LeBron James Takes Another Shot at Brian Windhorst on Tuesday

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.

Yankees Make Bullpen Move One Day After Brutal Luke Weaver News originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The New York Yankees were dealt a brutal blow to start the week as closer Luke Weaver could miss the next 4-6 weeks due to a hamstring injury, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Monday.

Weaver, who was awarded the ninth-inning job earlier in the year after Devin Williams’ April struggles, had picked up where he left off following a dominant 2024 campaign at the back of the Yankees’ bullpen.

Through 24 appearances this season, Weaver has a sparkling 1.05 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 24 strikeouts to go along with eight saves and six holds.

Manager Aaron Boone has pegged Williams as the immediate fill-in, but New York is also getting a well-timed reinforcement back to help set him up for the next month or more.

The team announced Tuesday that relief pitcher Fernando Cruz has been activated from the injured list, where he spent the past two weeks recovering from right shoulder inflammation. 

Cruz, 35, is known for his swing-and-miss stuff and was enjoying a career-best start to the season before going down. He has racked up two saves, seven holds and 35 strikeouts with a 2.66 ERA across 23 2/3 innings this year.

He is expected to step back into a high-leverage set-up role soon despite skipping a rehab assignment in the minors.

The team also announced a flurry of additional roster moves, highlighted by the return of Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the lineup after an extended injury stint.

Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
• Returned INF Jazz Chisholm Jr. (#13) from his rehab assignment and reinstated him from the 10-day injured list.
• Reinstated RHP Fernando Cruz (#63) from the 15-day injured list.
• Recalled RHP Yerry de…

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 3, 2025

After going 6-3 on their West Coast road trip, the Yankees kick off a six-game homestand Tuesday night against the Cleveland Guardians and Boston Red Sox.

Related: Yankees Star Aaron Judge Catches Attention for His Nike Air Jordans

Related: Rangers Predicted to Make Shortstop Move After Corey Seager News

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.

This article originally appeared on SteelersNOW.com.

Talks between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins over a potential trade of tight end Jonnu Smith have reignited on Tuesday, according to a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The Steelers and Dolphins had some preliminary discussions about Smith late last week, with Pittsburgh in the market for a pass-catcher, but the fit with the tight end was not an obvious one, with the Steelers already having Pat Freiermuth under long-term contract.

Schefter himself reported on Monday that a deal between the Steelers and Dolphins for the veteran pass-catching tight end seemed unlikely, but all of that changed on Tuesday, with talks back on between the two teams.

Click here to read more from SteelersNOW.com.

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For the first time since 2019, the NCAA softball champion will be a team not named the Oklahoma Sooners.

Instead, it’ll be NiJaree Canady and the Texas Tech Red Raiders against Teagan Kavan and the Texas Longhorns in the best-of-three Women’s College World Series finals.

The Red Raiders eliminated the four-time reigning champion Sooners with a 3-2 walk-off win Monday night in the WCWS semifinals.

The Longhorns ousted Tennessee earlier Monday with a 2-0 win.

The WCWS finals get underway at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Devon Park.

Experts from the USA TODAY Sports Network have predicted how the WCWS bracket will play out and who will win it all. Here are their picks.

More: Why Texas softball is ‘better through adversity’ and ready to take next step in WCWS

WCWS championship series predictions: Texas vs. Texas Tech

Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Teagan Kavan is good. NiJaree Canady is better. It’s hard to see the Longhorns beating Canady twice in three days. Texas Tech in three games.

Jenni Carlson, The Oklahoman: Until Oklahoma dominated its way through regionals and super regionals, Texas was my team to beat. But I’m going with Texas Tech because of the way it got to the championship series. Yes, it beat OU because NiJaree Canady is a transcendent pitcher. But the Red Raiders also won because of their offensive tenacity. After the Sooners tied the lead with a dramatic seventh-inning homer, it would’ve been easy for the Red Raiders to nosedive. Instead, a single, a double and a sacrifice fly later, they were on to the championship series. That grittiness will serve them well. Texas Tech in three games.

Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: This team just keeps defying the odds and it’s time I acknowledge it. I don’t think they go through the postseason without a single loss, but the Red Raiders have enough in the tank to keep pulling off miracles and doing it in a variety of ways. Texas Tech in three games.

Cora Hall, Knoxville News Sentinel: The Red Raiders have done nothing but impress during this WCWS run. NiJaree Canady has been spectacular and shown she’s worth even more than her $1 million deal, and Texas Tech has been the kind of gritty, tenacious team that has proven it can be the one to win it all. Plus, being able to pull off a straight steal of home in Oklahoma City is just the kind of magic you experience on a title run. Texas Tech in three games.

Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun: If this series is a sweep, it will go the way of the Red Raiders. However, if the Longhorns can force a third game, then the advantage goes to them. NiJa Canady is otherworldly, we all know that. Pitching three days in a row, though, is tough. I think in that third game, the ‘Horns explosive offense will do just enough to put runs on the board. On the other side, Teagan Kavan has gone to another level in the postseason, but the increased depth of UT’s staff in a three game series will make all the difference. Texas in three.

CARLSON: OU softball’s streak of WCWS titles ends, but its dynasty? That’s still to be determined

Erick Smith, USA Today: The remarkable run of Texas Tech behind the pitching of NiJaree Canady has seen the Red Raiders defeat some of the biggest programs in college softball, notably Florida State, UCLA and Oklahoma. But Texas has too much hitting and pitching depth in this series and will take home its first national title. Texas in two games.

Eddie Timanus, USA Today: NiJaree Canady has been nothing short of spectacular for the Red Raiders. But keeping a lineup like the Longhorns at bay for 21 innings will be too much even for the best arm in the game. The rubber match will be a squeaker, but Texas will finally claim its first title. Texas in three games.

Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: I would say Tech in two, but it feels like coach Gerry Glasco might try to rest NiJaree Canady at some point, since she’s thrown every pitch for the Red Raiders in this WCWS. This has been the hottest team in the game since mid-April. This week, the offense is doing just enough to back Canady’s dominance, and that will continue. Texas Tech in three games.

Final tally: Texas Tech 5, Texas 3.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NCAA softball predictions: Will Texas or Texas Tech win WCWS title?

The Mets have made a flurry of roster moves to accommodate the promotion of Ronny Mauricio, and one of them is an unfortunate one.

New York officially placed Mark Vientos on the 10-day IL with a right hamstring strain he suffered in Monday’s extra-innings win against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Before Tuesday’s game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the severity of Vientos’ strain is still unknown, and he’s flying back to New York for further testing and imaging.

“We don’t know [the severity],” Mendoza said. “But based off of all the testing he went through last night, we know it’s a strain. We’ve just got to wait and see.”

Vientos hit a grounder in the 10th inning and collapsed running up the first base line before getting up and grabbing at his leg. He eventually hobbled back to the dugout. After the game, Vientos was checked out by the team trainers and Mendoza said the injury “didn’t look good.”

Mauricio will take Vientos’ spot on the bench and wear No. 10.

In addition to the Mauricio/Vientos news, the Mets optioned RHP Max Kranick back to Triple-A Syracuse following last night’s game. The reliever allowed one run on one hit in his inning of work on Monday while striking out two. With no days off until Monday, the Mets needed another fresh reliever and Kranick has options — so, he was brought back down to the minors, for now.

Kranick has pitched to a 3.51 ERA in his 22 appearances this season.

“He’s been a huge part of that bullpen, and that’s part of the messaging,” Mendoza said of Kranick. “You know, ‘This is part of the business, you’ve got options. Just know you’re a big part of this team. Go down there and work on the things you’ve been working on, and you’re going to be back.’ That was the message. He understood. He took it hard, but he understood. You have to understand they’re competitors.”

Replacing Kranick in the bullpen will be LHP Brandon Waddell, who returns to the team after pitching against the White Sox last week. In that series finale, the 31-year-old allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk in five innings of work. While not his best outing, Waddell’s innings gave the Mets’ bullpen a blow heading into their weekend series with the Rockies, a series they ultimately swept.

In Waddell’s two games with the Mets this season, he has pitched to a 3.86 ERA and struck out seven in 9.1 innings of work.

Also on the pitching front, RHP Frankie Montas‘ rehab assignment was transferred to Triple-A. He will start Tuesday’s game with the Syracuse Mets.

Former Yomiuri Giants player and manager Shigeo Nagashima, one of the biggest stars of Nippon Professional Baseball, died early Tuesday morning of pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital, his former team said in a statement. He was 89.

Nagashima played third base for the Giants from 1958 to 1974. Along with fellow superstar first baseman Sadaharu Oh, Nagashima led the team to 11 Japan Series titles, including nine straight from 1965 to 1973. He retired with a .305 batting average, 2,471 hits, 1,522 RBIs and 444 home runs.

He was one of Japan’s biggest celebrities, so much so that his 1965 marriage to Akiko Nishimura was nationally televised and was reportedly the country’s most-watched program of the year.

In 1975, Nagashima became the Giants’ manager but was fired in 1980 after not leading the team to a Japan Series title. He returned as manager from 1993 to 2001, however, and led the Giants to championships in 1994 and 2000, with future MLB outfielder Hideki Matsui as his star player.

Read more:John Brenkus, risk-taking host of ‘Sport Science,’ dies after battle with depression

Current Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani took to Instagram on Tuesday to honor Nagashima. He posted three pictures of the two of them together, including two from the Dodgers’ trip to Tokyo in February for two games against the Chicago Cubs.

“May your soul rest in peace,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese.

Nagashima could have become the first Japanese MLB player, and he could have done so as a member of the Dodgers. In the spring of 1961, the Yomiuri Giants visited Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., to train and play exhibition games.

Then-Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley is said to have been so impressed with Nagashima — who in the previous season had won the second of what would be six straight batting crowns in Nippon’s Central League — that he offered to buy Nagashima’s contract from Giants owner Matsutaro Shoriki.

Shoriki turned O’Malley down, and pitcher Masanori Murakami ended up becoming the first Japanese MLB player when he debuted with the San Francisco Giants in 1965. Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck also attempted to purchase Nagashima’s contract in 1968 but also was thwarted by Shoriki.

Nagashima maintained a close relationship with the Dodgers and the O’Malley family, particularly with Walter’s son Peter, according to Walter O’Malley’s website.

The Dodgers posted a tribute to Nagashima on X, featuring a photo of the 1988 Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductee with legendary Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda.

The Dodgers mourn the passing of Shigeo Nagashima, Japan’s “Mr. Baseball,” who died Tuesday in Tokyo at age 89. Nagashima became a legend for the Yomiuri Giants, who have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Dodgers from as far back as the 1960s. We extend our heartfelt… pic.twitter.com/QIZQgwEmxb

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 3, 2025

“The Dodgers mourn the passing of Shigeo Nagashima, Japan’s ‘Mr. Baseball,’ who died Tuesday in Tokyo at age 89,” the team wrote. “Nagashima became a legend for the Yomiuri Giants, who have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Dodgers from as far back as the 1960s. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and generations of fans.”

Nagashima’s wife, Akiko, died in 2007. They had four children, including oldest son Kazushige, a former professional baseball player who played for the Yomiuri Giants and Yakult Swallows in Japan, as well as 53 games for the Class A-Advanced Vero Beach Dodgers minor league affiliate in 1992.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Mets called up infielder Ronny Mauricio ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. His season debut with the big league club will also come immediately, as he’s slated to bat seventh and play third base with veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw on the mound.

Mauricio has rejoined the active roster as the replacement for Mark Vientos, who suffered a right hamstring strain in Monday’s extra-inning win and was placed on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday.

The numbers the toolsy Mauricio put up while with Triple-A Syracuse this season were outrageous. In 39 plate appearances over nine games, he slashed .515/.564/.818 with three home runs, one double, four stolen bases, and eight RBI.

Mauricio’s game action a few weeks ago with Single-A St. Lucie was his first time back on the field in a competitive fashion in roughly a year and a half, since undergoing ACL surgery. The Mets had been taking things slowly with him as he built up his reps and stamina.

He had been playing in back-to-back games and recently played three games in four days, but has not yet played three games in a row since returning.

“It’s a long process… You learn a lot. I’m a better person, a better player,” Mauricio said ahead of Tuesday’s game. “The fact I’ve already played in the minor leagues, had success in the minor leagues, I think that’s why I was able to have the success when I went back…”

With the 24-year-old Mauricio up, it would be a bit of a surprise if he isn’t given regular playing time out of the gate. Before Tuesday’s game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that the plan is for Mauricio to see time at second base, third base, and designated hitter. His natural position is shortstop, but the path there is obviously blocked by Francisco Lindor.

“He’s going to get a lot of opportunities here, but we’ll continue to watch him closely,” said Mendoza, who’s never seen Mauricio play live. “He’s going to play, understanding he’s coming off a major injury. Obviously, the reports are he’s moving well. He’s doing everything he was doing before he got hurt. I’m excited to watch him…

“I know there’s high expectations. We don’t want him to be the savior. Play your game, don’t try to do too much. Just have fun. He’s still young. Missed a whole year of development last year… We know there’s skills there. But we have to be patient with him… It was a long process for him. Really took the time… Very talented player, and not surprised by the success he was having in very few at-bats in the minor leagues.”

Mauricio, who flashed high exit velocities and his tantalizing athleticism during his first taste of the majors in 2023, will bring a different dynamic to a Mets team that remains in need of a bit of a jolt offensively.

“I’m feeling great. I’m feeling like I’m the same person I was before my surgery,” Mauricio said. “I tried to work every day on the same thing I do to be consistent… I think I’m the same hitter. I think the biggest difference is now I have more experience, more knowledge of the game. All of that helps me when I go onto the field… I’m happy that I’m here and happy to help the team in any way.”

In his 26-game stint with the Mets two seasons ago, Mauricio slashed .248/.296/.347 with four doubles, two home runs, seven stolen bases, and nine RBI across 108 plate appearances.