NORTH PORT, Fla. — Atlanta Braves right-handed starter Spencer Schwellenbach had surgery Wednesday to clean up “loose bodies” in his elbow, and rotation candidate Hurston Waldrep is scheduled to undergo a similar procedure next week.
While the Braves didn’t reveal a timeline for when the pitchers could be available, manager Walt Weiss told reporters Wednesday that he is hopeful that both will be able to pitch this season.
Schwellenbach was placed on the 60-day injured list on Feb. 10, at the start of spring training, because of inflammation in his right elbow. The 25-year-old was 7-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 17 starts last year before missing the final three months of the season because of a broken right elbow.
Waldrep, the Braves’ first-round pick out of Florida in the 2023 amateur draft, experienced discomfort after throwing batting practice over the weekend. An MRI showed no ligament damage for the pitcher who turns 24 on March 1.
Before getting hurt last season, Schwellenbach was 6-1 with a 2.60 ERA over his final 10 starts, with the Braves winning eight of those games. He had 71 strikeouts and 11 walks in 69 1/3 innings over that stretch. His big league debut came in 2024, when he was 8-7 with a 3.35 ERA in 21 starts.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – MAY 15: Joe Ross #41 of the Washington Nationals delivers a first inning pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 15, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I was about to say we finished with the pitchers, but since our previous installment, the D-backs added a couple of further players on minor-league contracts, with spring training invites. While they don’t yet appear on the team’s official page of non-roster invitees, I figure I should catch up with these before I forget, and we’ll then move on to the catchers who are NRIs.
Joe Ross
This right-handed pitcher was a first-round pick (25th overall) by the Padres back in 2011, and comes with more than 500 innings at the MLB level, acquired across eight seasons. He also had a World Series ring, won in 2019 with the Nationals Last year, he was with the Phillies and made 37 appearances with a 5.12 ERA and a K:BB of 39:18 across 51 innings, before being released by them in late August. That’s not especially impressive, so I feel like he is going to be depth in Reno this year, unless he really impresses in Spring Training. He has had his career interrupted by various injuries, including a pair of Tommy John procedures, but seemed healthy enough in 2025.
Oscar Mercado
Though born in Venezuela, Mercado was part of the MLB draft, being picked in 2011 by the Cardinals. He was subsequently traded to the Indians, and debuted for them is 2019, with a solid campaign which got some down-ballot Rookie of the Year acknowledgment. But it has been a replacement-level struggle since, and he hasn’t appeared in the majors since July 2023, back with the Cardinals. He spent last year in Triple- A with the Phillies, where he had a line of .249/.369/.373 for a .741 OPS across 115 games. Mercado turned 31 in December,but given the shortage of outfielders on the 40-man roster, I don’t mind seeing
And now, onto the catchers.
Aramis Garcia (35)
That name might be vaguely familiar. He did appear for the Diamondbacks last year, but very much in a “blink and you’ll miss it capacity,” being selected, making a single appearance and then being designated for assignment twice in the month of June. The team then signed James McCann as a better backup, and Garcia stayed in Triple-A the rest of the way. There, he was the Reno Aces most regular catcher, appearing in 56 games there. He re-signed with Arizona in November, and will likely remain in a similar position of emergency catcher, tucked away behind a plate of glass in Reno, with a hammer conveniently to hand.
Canadian alert! Logan was born in the wonderfully-named Medicine Hat, and was a ninth-round pick by the D-backs in 2022. He racked up the frequent flyer miles in 2025, changing levels four times between mid-June and mid-August. He initially bypassed Double-A, jumping straight from High-A to Triple A not once, but twice, before ending the season in Amarillo. Across all three levels the catcher, who turned 26 last month, posted a .754 OPS, and hit eight home-runs in 65 games, including the grand-slam above for Reno. He’ll likely start the year again in Amarillo, with the aim of getting a more permanent promotion by the end of the year.
Matt O’Neill (66)
This will be O’Neill’s first year outside the Mets organization, which originally selected him in the 20th round of the 2019 draft. Last year, Matt split time between Double-A and Triple-A, with an overall line of .231/.335/.343 for an OPS of .678. That’s actually his highest figure since the year he was drafted, and it’s very unlikely he is going to see major-league playing time this year. If he does, a lot has gone very wrong for Arizona. But the news that Adrian Del Castillo is struggling with a calf injury, and is likely to miss Opening Day, does emphasize the importance of depth at this position.
Feb 10, 2026; North Port, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Dylan Lee (52) and teammates run during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Good evening! Hope it’s been a good day for you so far. Here’s a random clip:
SACRAMENTO — Whenever Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray scores a basket at Golden 1 Center, a slogan with his name his echoed.
The chant is led off with Kings public address announcer Scott Moak, who yells into the mic after each Murray basket, whether a free throw, layup, midrange, three-pointer or slam dunk. It’s even shouted after a big play.
“KEEGAN!” Moak roars, igniting the Sacramento faithful to follow suit.
“MURRAY!” the Golden 1 Center attendees respond in unison.
During a podcast episode of “White Noise” hosted by Boston Celtics guard Derrick White and Alex Welsh, White was discussing some of the loudest arenas in the league along with Celtics center Luka Garza and former Celtic, now Chicago Bulls guard, Anfernee Simons.
Amidst the conversation, Garza brings up the Kings and how loud their fans get, especially when the team is winning. Simons was the one who mentioned Murray’s chant.
“Oh my goodness. When he hit a three and it’s packed in there, it’s like,” Simons said with an appalled look on his face.
White jumped in and continued to harp on Murray’s chants in Sacramento.
“His like rookie year, I was like ‘yo, this is the coolest thing I’ve ever heard,'” White said.
Murray was drafted by the Kings with the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. As White said, it’s been his chant since day one.
It’s a call that Murray, himself, tends to enjoy throughout the game. He said he builds more appreciation for the chant every year.
“For me, I think every single year I continue to have more appreciation for it,” Murray told USA TODAY Sports. “Because when you go around the league, there’s not many, or if any teams that do that kind of thing for their players.”
Fans and NBA opponents can expect to hear that chant for Murray for at least another five seasons through 2031.
Murray signed a five-year, $140 million rookie scale contract extension with the Kings in Oct. 2025.
“Obviously for me to be here another five years is great,” Murray said. “I think the fans have enjoyed it. I’ve personally enjoyed it a lot. I think it’s just a really special thing that Sacramento has done for me.”
Believe it or not, the chant for Murray has been passed down from previous Kings players who grew to be fan favorites.
Before it was Murray’s chant, it was reserved for and belonged to Yogi Ferrell, who played for the Kings from 2018 to 2020.
“I was surprised when I first heard it,” Ferrell told NBA.com in 2019. “When I made the bucket, it felt pretty cool. It feels amazing to have my name chanted out by all the fans – it just shows how special I feel like I am to them. I love this arena.”
Kings PA announcer Moak wasn’t sure if it would initially stick, but he kept roaring Ferrell’s first name and the fans eventually caught on to yell back his last name.
But it even originated before Ferrell. When Italian sniper Marco Belinelli played for the Kings during the 2015-16 season, he’d get remnants of the chant.
After Belinelli scored, Moak called out, “Marco!”
It took fans some time to catch on, but eventually they responded with the only acceptable response if you ever played games in the swimming pool with friends or family growing up.
“Polo,” fans responded.
Thus, the chant in Sacramento was born, and nearly 10 years later, it’d be reserved for Murray.
Some believe the idea came from Champions League soccer as it was used as an introduction for Argentine soccer player Gonzalo Higuain, when he played for Napoli between 2013 and 2016.
Kings next game
No matter where it started, it’s now recognized as Murray’s chant.
Murray and the Kings will be back in action following the All-Star break on Thursday, Feb. 19 when they host the Orlando Magic at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
The team announced Wednesday after practice that Murray, who was a full participant, will return from injury to play against the Magic after missing over six weeks with a left ankle sprain sustained in early January.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball was not injured after being involved in a two-car crash in downtown Charlotte on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details of the accident.
A police report was not immediately made available.
Ball appeared to be driving through an intersection when his camoflauge-colored, custom-made Hummer collided with another vehicle shortly before 5 p.m., according video obtained by WSOC-TV in Charlotte. The station later posted video of Ball, wearing an aqua-colored Hornets hoodie, getting out his truck and into another car before being driven away. Police were on the scene at the time.
There was no information available on the person in the other car involved in the collision, although video showed that driver calmly get out of his car and begin walking toward Ball’s truck. Video showed the left front tire of Ball’s truck was missing.
The Hornets held practice earlier in the day.
Charlotte, which has won 10 of its last 11 games, is scheduled to host the Houston Rockets on Thursday night as teams return from the All-Star break.
Ball is just the latest to professional sports athlete to be involved in a car accident in Charlotte.
Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton fractured his back following a 2014 crash in which he flipped his black pickup truck near Bank of America Stadium — less than a mile from where Ball’s accident occurred.
And in 2024, Panthers current backup quarterback Andy Dalton injured his thumb when he was involved in a two-car accident in Charlotte.
BROOKLYN, NY – OCTOBER 24: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on October 24, 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the easiest schedules in the league after the All-Star break, but they have a tough stretch to start things off. They play five games in seven nights, and they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons (twice), and the Boston Celtics over the next two-and-a-half weeks. That will be a good test to show how the new-look Cavs stack up with the best teams in the league.
Fortunately for Cleveland, they have an easy one to open things up against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.
The Nets are one of the worst teams in the league, and aren’t actively trying to win games. They should present a good opportunity for the Cavs to get off to a good start.
The Cavs will also be among the healthiest they’ve been all season. Evan Mobley and Dean Wade are expected to play. They’ll only be without Max Strus (foot) and Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who was just added to the injury report with calf soreness.
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network App, NBA League Pass
Point spread: Cavs -16
Cavs injury report: Max Strus – OUT (foot), Nae’Qwan Tomlin – OUT (calf soreness), Emanuel Miller – OUT (G League), Tristan Enaruna – OUT (G League), Riley Minix – OUT (G League)
Nets injury report: Nic Claxton – OUT (ankle), Tyson Etienne – (G League), Chaney Johnson – OUT (G League), E.J. Lindell – OUT (G League), Josh Minott – OUT (G League), Ben Saraf – OUT (G League)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
DALLAS (AP) — The former girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice alleges in a lawsuit filed this week that he physically assaulted her multiple times over a year-and-a-half, causing injuries that included bleeding and bruising.
The lawsuit filed Monday in Dallas County by Dacoda Jones comes after she made domestic violence allegations in a series of social media posts last month. She is seeking more than $1 million in the lawsuit, which says the assaults happened at their homes in Dallas and suburban Kansas City.
In the lawsuit, Jones accuses Rice of strangling her in December 2023 after an “escalation in violent behavior” and that he continued to assault her over the course of their relationship, through July 2025. Jones’ attorney did not immediately respond to a question from The Associated Press on whether police had ever been called related to these incidents.
The lawsuit said Rice has “grabbed, choked, strangled, pushed, thrown, scratched, hit, and headbutted” Jones, in addition to hitting her with objects. The lawsuit said Rice has also thrown objects, punched walls and broken furniture, and that many of these incidents happened when Jones, who has two children with Rice, was pregnant.
Her injuries have included “bleeding, swelling, bruising and other pain and physical injury,” according to the lawsuit.
Agents listed for Rice did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press on Wednesday. An attorney for Rice also did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
The Chiefs said they were aware of the lawsuit and remain in communication with the NFL. The NFL said the matter remains under review.
DENVER (AP) — Before looking ahead to the remainder of the season, the Denver Nuggets spent some time Wednesday reflecting on what the late coach Doug Moe meant to the city, the franchise and the league and how his offensive innovations changed the NBA.
Moe, an ABA original who will be remembered most for his motion offense and the equally entertaining shows he put on while prowling the sideline during his decade coaching the Nuggets in the 1980s, died Tuesday at age 87.
“Yeah, we talked about it as a team today,” coach David Adelman said. “For the younger guys who maybe didn’t know the impact he had on the game, we made sure that was communicated. Obviously, a Denver sports legend. And for somebody like me who grew up around this league and saw the innovation of offense that he brought to the NBA, I think he doesn’t get enough credit for the wide-open freestyle that we play now.
“It’s sad to hear of his passing, very lucky to be in a fraternity of people who can say I got to do the same job as him,” Adelman added. “… It’s such an honor to do it because of people like him that really did change the game.”
That message hit home.
“You see his name up in the rafters and all that he’s accomplished,” forward Cam Johnson said. “You talk about these people who are the pioneers of our game, who pushed the envelope and allowed us to have what we have and the type of league that we have now.”
Looking ahead, Adelman said the Nuggets need to get healthy and play better defense if they’re going to make a run at unseating Oklahoma City as NBA champions.
“Our offense has been elite throughout the year; our defense has been up and down,” Adelman said. “So, if we could find a happy medium there we’ll be a very dangerous team.”
One that could contend for a second Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy during the Nikola Jokic era.
“There’s already a winning DNA here,” Johnson said. “There’s already that championship mentality. We have a roster where the other four starters have won (an NBA title). We have No. 15 (Jokic) and what he brings to the table. I just think we have a lot of talent and a lot of basketball I.Q. and as it continues to evolve there’s so many levels for us to reach. We haven’t maxed out our team. I think there’s a lot of things on the table for us.”
The Nuggets bolstered their depth after losing to the Thunder in seven games last summer, and that depth has been tested with all five starters missing time and six of their top rotation players going out for significant stretches.
The Nuggets, who are third in the Western Conference at 35-20, are still missing two defensive stalwarts in Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, who are both recovering from strained hamstrings.
“It does put a lot of pressure” on the rest of the roster, Johnson said. “You look at a guy like Peyton and how he’s able to make really high-level plays protecting the rim. A.G., too. You miss those guys. Everybody else has to be a little bit sharper in rotation, in game plan discipline.”
With such an injury epidemic hitting the Nuggets over the last two months, Johnson said the All-Star break was especially beneficial.
“Just a little bit of a reset,” he said. “A lot of guys have been banged up across the board. Some guys have been out, some guys have been playing through some things. So, just some time to rest, recover and then mentally refocus.”
The West race is so tight, with just six games separating the third-seeded Nuggets and the eighth-place Golden State Warriors, “so it’s going to be intense,” center Jonas Valanciunas said.
“We’ve been really successful offensively,” Valanciunas said. “Now, we’ve got to turn that and be more successful defensively. We’re capable. That’s our focus.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Riviera has evolved over its 100 years as one of the best golf courses in America, no greater example than the fourth hole that now has a scorecard yardage of 273 yards that makes it the longest par 3 among regular PGA Tour stops.
Not everyone likes the change, or has been willing to publicly say they do.
“A horrible change,” Rory McIlroy said, the most blunt assessment of the hole Ben Hogan once called the greatest par 3 in America.
“Hit and hope,” Collin Morikawa said. “I think it’s just a very long par 3. There’s not a lot of thought to it other than just kind of hitting the green and moving on, unfortunately.”
The other change for the Genesis Invitational, which starts Thursday, is adding 24 yards on the 18th tee — now roughly where the fourth tee used to be — to make it 499 yards.
Someone forgot to tell Scottie Scheffler, or maybe he never looked. He didn’t realize the closing hole at Riviera had been lengthened until he climbed the steep hill to the fairway and wondered why he was having to hit a 4-iron to the green.
What hasn’t changed at Riviera is the history. Hogan won three times, including the U.S. Open, leading to the nickname “Hogan’s Alley.” Byron Nelson and Sam Snead won at Riviera, as did Tom Watson and Johnny Miller and Fred Couples.
McIlroy has Riviera on his list of places he wants to win, now that he has won at Augusta National and Pebble Beach.
Equally noteworthy is who didn’t win. Tiger Woods, the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational, went 0 for 11 as a pro at Riviera, making it the PGA Tour course he played the most times without ever winning.
Jack Nicklaus has Woods beat again. He played Riviera 14 times — twice in majors, including a runner-up to Hal Sutton in the 1983 PGA Championship — without winning.
“There’s places I haven’t won that I would love to, St. Andrews being one of them. Riviera would be another,” McIlroy said.
This is the 100-year anniversary of the club and the tournament, though what began as the Los Angeles Open was not held at Riviera until 1929. Even more special is just being back at the fabled course off Sunset Boulevard following the devastating Pacific Palisades wildfires last year that led the tournament to moving south to Torrey Pines.
Ludvig Aberg won the Genesis Invitational a year ago at Torrey Pines. This is only his second time competing at Riviera, but he liked what he saw from 2024.
“I think it’s one of the best golf courses we play all year,” Aberg said. “Obviously it’s a small property. It’s not crazy long. You’ll have some strong holes and some longer par 4s. But what I like about it is a hole like No. 10 kind of puts the stamp on this golf course in terms of working the angles, fast greens, and everything going down towards the ocean is really quick and you have to place your second shots into the greens.
“That’s the part about this golf course that I really like, and that’s why you’ll see a lot of different good players winning here.”
The par-4 10th is the most famous hole, reachable off the tee and yet no one ever complains about making a 4 and moving on to the next hole. It’s all about angles off the tee with an iron, and even where to miss when trying to drive the green.
As for the fourth hole, that was long and hard, and now it appears to be longer and harder.
The idea for his Redan-styled hole is to carry the bunker fronting the green, or using the shoulder on the right that feeds down to the green — except this is February, cold and usually damp, and the kikuyu grass can be sticky and not allow balls to roll.
This would explain McIlroy’s definition of “horrible change.”
“Well, like 15% of the field hit the green last time when it was played at its original yardage at 230,” he said. “If you want it to be a 275-yard par 3, you have to change the apron leading up onto the green. It can’t be kikuyu, it has to be another type of grass that can help you run it onto the green because again, in the right conditions, you try to fly that ball on the green with a 3 iron, it’s going to finish up on the fifth tee box.
“That’s sort of what I mean by why it’s not a great change.”
U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun might borrow a page from his college coach at San Diego State.
“If this was a par 4, you’d make 3 every time,” Spaun said. “You know what I mean? It’s kind of a mindset. If this was a drivable 290-yard hole but really a par 4 and you didn’t walk away with a birdie, you’d be kicking yourself.”
HOUSTON, TEXAS – MAY 22: Isaac Paredes #15 and Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros celebrate after defeating the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park on May 22, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Team could be looking at an infield logjam that could compromise their outfield depth.
In the aftermath of Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reporting that the Astros could be looking at OF Michael Conforto as a left-handed hitting option in the outfield primarily because they are finding their trade options dwindling, it is impossible not to consider this very serious idea:
Did the Astros blow it?
With their chances of trading 3B Isaac Paredes diminishing, the Astros have expressed interest in free agent OF Michael Conforto, a source tells MLB. com. A LH hitter, the 32-year-old slashed .199/.305/.333 last year with 12 homers and 36 RBIs in 128 games for the Dodgers.
Houston has been shopping players on its major league roster all offseason. Isaac Paredes is the most valuable of the names often mentioned, but Christian Walker and Jake Meyers names have also been mentioned.
We have seen reports of the high interest in both Paredes and Meyers, and of the very faint interest in Walker, but for a team with obvious roster holes it seems unconscionable that GM Dana Brown was unable to deal from his infield surplus to fix at least one hole in his roster. It doesn’t even matter if that hole addressed the outfield, the bullpen, or backup catcher situation, as long as it addressed something.
Did they overplay their hand? Did they hold too high an asking price? Did other teams simply not value the Astros’ players as much as Houston did? We don’t actually know the answers to these, which is why we will speculate. When you are trying to create a properly balanced lineup for a playoff run, sometimes the end justifies the means.
It won’t matter if Dana Brown held on to his players because he didn’t think he was getting enough value if the team fails to make the postseason again, because he won’t be here. It is very likely such a scenario could cost Joe Espada his job as well, even though he would again be forced to work with a roster that is clearly flawed and been decimated in the past 2 seasons by injury.
The fact that the team is now looking at Conforto, a player who is a shell of what he once was in his heyday as a power hitter who got on base and was a defensive star. Today’s version of Conforto still has some power but doesn’t make nearly enough contact and is now below average in the field.
Conforto’s last strong full season was 2019. He had shoulder surgery after the 2021 season and the difference has been notable. He has also played in some absolutely stacked lineups the past 3 seasons, making his mediocrity (or worse) even more damning.
The Astros could have been in on Mike Tauchman, a superior player to Conforto at this stage and Tauchman signed a minor league deal with the Mets. Yes you read that right, a minor league deal.
Of the remaining free agent outfielders, Starling Marte is probably the best hitter of all of them. Even though he’s right-handed, he hits equally well against both righties and lefties, and for more power against righties as well. of course, he’s now 37 and there is no telling how long his balky right knee will hold up. The Mets made him a part time player last year to get him through the season. The Astros deal will too many injuries already for such a risk.
What is left of the free agent crop is very “slim pickins” indeed. In reality, a trade is probably the only way the Astros can get an impact outfield bat unless Zach Cole, Cam Smith or Zach Dezenzo becomes that player.
Coming into camp with the infield logjam was a miscalculation by the Astros. There may not be a way out of it at this point.
I posed the question of whether the Astros should just heed the request of Yordan Alvarez and allow him to play more LF than he has previously been permitted just three days ago:
