Missouri State’s Jake McCutcheon is tagged out after over sliding second base as the Bears took on the Mizzou Tigers at Hammons Field on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. | Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Missouri baseball heads into its upcoming series against Mount St. Mary’s with a fairly clear idea of how it wants to line things up, even if nothing is fully set this early in the season. Like most early-season projections, there is some guesswork involved, and what we see this weekend could change once games are played.
There are not all true locks right now, but Missouri appears ready to use this series to establish baseline roles rather than constantly mix and match. The defensive alignment looks mostly settled, with the designated hitter spot offering the most flexibility.
Here is one possible way Missouri could line up for the series, based on current expectations.
C — Mateo Serna
1B — Tyler Macon
2B — Gehrig Goldbeck
3B — Chris Patterson
SS — Kam Durnin
LF — Cameron Benson
CF — Kaden Peer
RF — Pierre Seals
DH — Jase Woita
At first base, Tyler Macon finished last year hitting .272 with a .391 on-base percentage, making him a dependable option near the top or middle of the lineup. In the middle infield, Goldbeck posted a .407 OBP while hitting .248 last season in the DH spot, unable to play defensively due to injury. He offers speed and versatility, even if his offensive production leans more toward contact than power.
Chris Patterson mans the hot corner and showed flashes of power throughout the season. He slugged .393, and while his average sat at .232, his ability to drive the ball with eight doubles gives Missouri some upside at third base. Shortstop Kam Durnin brings experience and stability after transferring in, hitting .251 with 27 RBIs last season and providing solid production while anchoring one of the most important defensive positions on the field.
In the outfield, Cameron Benson impressed in his limited 40 plate appearances, hitting .324 with a .425 on-base percentage and a .529 slugging mark. If he stays healthy, he could be one of the more impactful bats in the lineup. Alongside him, Kaden Peer emerged as one of Missouri’s most complete offensive players, batting .299 with a .411 OBP, adding five home runs and 33 RBIs.
Pierre Seals rounds out the outfield with steady production across the board, hitting .291 with eight home runs and a .446 slugging percentage, giving Missouri a reliable bat from the outfield.
Serving as the designated hitter, Jase Woita adds middle-of-the-order pop. He hit .300 with a .394 on-base percentage and a .508 slugging mark last season with South Carolina, making him one of the more consistent run-producing options in the lineup.
Missouri’s rotation for the series appears more clearly defined, with starters already lined up for each game from Friday to Sunday.
Missouri’s pitching staff enters 2026 with renewed energy and a fresh identity under new pitching coach Drew Dickinson. After a rough 2025 season in which the team posted a 9.19 ERA and allowed a conference-worst 458 earned runs, Dickinson brings a competitive mindset and a proven track record from his time at Virginia, where his staffs ranked among the nation’s best.
JD Dohrmann showed promise during the Tigers’ intersquad scrimmage, tossing six innings while allowing three earned runs. Left-hander Javyn Pimental, despite missing the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery, his presence back is in the rotation. In 2024, he led the Tigers with a 3.61 ERA and allowed the fewest hits on the staff, proving he can keep runners off the bases when healthy.
The bullpen should feature a wide group of arms, especially early in the season as innings are managed.
Ian Lohse, Juan Villareal, Keyler Gonzalez, Kadden Drew, Trey Lawrence, and Dane Bjorn are all expected to factor into relief situations. Lohse was in and out of the starting rotation last season due to injury, so his return will be anticipated for a staff looking to turn the page on a rocky last season.
HULL, England (AP) — Pedro Neto scored a hat trick, including directly from a corner kick, as Chelsea beat Hull City 4-0 in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday.
Also, Wrexham reached the fifth round for the first time in 29 years after beating Ipswich 1-0 in an all-Championship matchup.
Hull and Chelsea had met eight times before in the FA Cup and Chelsea progressed every time. Host Hull never looked like halting that arresting run as the Premier League side took control from the off.
Pedro Neto’s drilled shot from just outside the box gave Chelsea the lead going into halftime, and his low corner squeaked through a throng of bodies straight into the goal six minutes into the second period.
Young Brazilian Estêvão made it 3-0 minutes later when he side-footed home from 12 meters out, and Pedro Neto finished a nicely worked fourth.
“Pedro Neto is an incredible player,” Liam Delap, who recorded three assists, told TNT Sports. “He is playing in a position he is not even used to but he showed his quality.
Wrexham roll on
Wrexham will discover in Monday’s draw who it meets next for a place in the quarterfinals.
A first-half goal from Josh Windass separated Wrexham from Ipswich, which didn’t get a shot on target.
Both teams are in contention for promotion to the Premier League; Ipswich was in third place and hoping for an immediate return to the league it left last summer. Wrexham was seven points behind in sixth and bidding for a fourth consecutive promotion that would take it into the top tier for the first time in its 158-year history.
“We started both halves well but we weren’t able to get the goal,” Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna told BBC Wales. “Second half we tried everything … but we just couldn’t get back into the game.
Malik Beasley was a free agent looking to re-sign a three-year, $42 million contract with the Detroit Pistons before he was named in a federal investigation about an NBA gambling scandal.
Beasley, 29, reportedly signed a deal to play in Puerto Rico for the Santurce Crabbers, a team owned by Grammy Award-winning and Super Bowl 60 performing artist Bad Bunny, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Free agent Malik Beasley has signed a deal to play in Puerto Rico for Grammy Award-winning artist Bad Bunny’s team Santurce Crabbers, both parties tell ESPN. The team’s season begins in March. Beasley has been under NBA and FBI investigations for gambling allegations. pic.twitter.com/HCBWUbWZj9
NBA free agent Malik Beasley is signing a deal with Bad Bunny’s professional basketball team in his native Puerto Rico. Beasley, 29, has agreed to play for the Santurce Crabbers of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) league, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
The nine-year NBA veteran has been a free agent since being investigated by the U.S. District Attorney’s office for allegations of gambling on NBA games and prop bets in June. Beasley confirmed the signing on social media.
“Shoutout to @badbunnypr for giving me the opportunity to just hoop,” Beasley wrote on Instagram, accompanying a video of him dribbling a basketball. “With everything going on, I wanted to be close to home and give myself a chance to be seen again.”
“Coming off my best season in the NBA, I know I can only build from here,” he added. “The grind hasn’t changed. I’m more humble than ever, and I’ve learned a lot about myself through it all. If you’re still with me, you’re still with me.”
The Baloncesto Superior Nacional season begins in March.
As Beasley alluded to in his Instagram post, he’s coming off an excellent season during which he averaged 16.3 points and shot 42% on 3-pointers while appearing in all 82 games for the Detroit Pistons. He helped fuel a resurgence by Detroit, which went from the NBA’s worst record (14-68) in 2023-24 to a playoff team last season that lost a first-round series to the New York Knicks in six games.
Finishing second in voting for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, Beasley was in position to cash in as a free agent following the season. But on the verge of signing a three-year, $42 million deal with the Pistons, the reports of Beasley’s involvement in a federal gambling investigation put negotiations on hold. As the NBA also investigated those gambling allegations, no other team showed interest in free agency.
Continuing a tumultuous summer, Beasley was sued by his agency, Hazan Sports Management Group, for breach of contract. And he was evicted from his downtown Detroit high-rise apartment for failing to pay $21,500 in rent.
In August, Beasley’s attorneys told ESPN that he was no longer a part of the federal gambling probe.
Beasley’s performance during the 2023-24 season with the Milwaukee Bucks is drawing scrutiny from federal prosecutors. A prominent U.S. sportsbook noticed unusual betting activity for prop bets on Beasley beginning in January 2024, ESPN’s David Payne Purdum reported. That season, he started 77 games, averaging 11.3 points per game and shooting 41% on 3-pointers.
The superstar singer and rapper was also revealed to have offered to pay for Carlos Correa’s insurance, which would have allowed him to play for Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The Houston Astros third baseman was denied coverage during the tournament due to ankle and wrist injuries.
However, after consulting with Major League Baseball and agent Scott Boras, Correa declined the offer, saying the company pitched by Bad Bunny had a history of not paying players back.
NBA free agent Malik Beasley is signing a deal with Bad Bunny’s professional basketball team in his native Puerto Rico. Beasley, 29, has agreed to play for the Santurce Crabbers of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) league, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
The nine-year NBA veteran has been a free agent since being investigated by the U.S. District Attorney’s office for allegations of gambling on NBA games and prop bets in June. Beasley confirmed the signing on social media.
“Shoutout to @badbunnypr for giving me the opportunity to just hoop,” Beasley wrote on Instagram, accompanying a video of him dribbling a basketball. “With everything going on, I wanted to be close to home and give myself a chance to be seen again.”
“Coming off my best season in the NBA, I know I can only build from here,” he added. “The grind hasn’t changed. I’m more humble than ever, and I’ve learned a lot about myself through it all. If you’re still with me, you’re still with me.”
The Baloncesto Superior Nacional season begins in March.
As Beasley alluded to in his Instagram post, he’s coming off an excellent season during which he averaged 16.3 points and shot 42% on 3-pointers while appearing in all 82 games for the Detroit Pistons. He helped fuel a resurgence by Detroit, which went from the NBA’s worst record (14-68) in 2023-24 to a playoff team last season that lost a first-round series to the New York Knicks in six games.
Finishing second in voting for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, Beasley was in position to cash in as a free agent following the season. But on the verge of signing a three-year, $42 million deal with the Pistons, the reports of Beasley’s involvement in a federal gambling investigation put negotiations on hold. As the NBA also investigated those gambling allegations, no other team showed interest in free agency.
Continuing a tumultuous summer, Beasley was sued by his agency, Hazan Sports Management Group, for breach of contract. And he was evicted from his downtown Detroit high-rise apartment for failing to pay $21,500 in rent.
In August, Beasley’s attorneys told ESPN that he was no longer a part of the federal gambling probe.
Beasley’s performance during the 2023-24 season with the Milwaukee Bucks is drawing scrutiny from federal prosecutors. A prominent U.S. sportsbook noticed unusual betting activity for prop bets on Beasley beginning in January 2024, ESPN’s David Payne Purdum reported. That season, he started 77 games, averaging 11.3 points per game and shooting 41% on 3-pointers.
The superstar singer and rapper was also revealed to have offered to pay for Carlos Correa’s insurance, which would have allowed him to play for Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The Houston Astros third baseman was denied coverage during the tournament due to ankle and wrist injuries.
However, after consulting with Major League Baseball and agent Scott Boras, Correa declined the offer, saying the company pitched by Bad Bunny had a history of not paying players back.
Carter Bryant of the San Antonio Spurs, seen here showing off his dunking skills, will compete in the slam dunk contest at this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend. Here’s how to watch. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Ronald Cortes via Getty Images
The 2026 Slam Dunk Contest at the NBA’s All-Star Weekend is always a sight to behold. The event, held on All-Star Saturday, will be the last in a night of exciting competitions, including the 3-point contest and the Shooting Stars competition, and this time around, we’re guaranteed to have a new dunk champion. (Mac McClung, who has won for three years running, has opted out this year.) The four competitors this year will be the San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant, Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson, Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson, and L.A. Lakers center Jaxson Hayes.
The slam dunk contest will close out the All-Star Saturday broadcast, which begins at 5 p.m. ET on NBC and streams live on Peacock. Find out more about how to watch Saturday’s slam dunk contest and get the full NBA All-Star Weekend schedule below.
How to watch the 2026 slam dunk contest at NBA All-Star Weekend:
Date: Feb. 14
Time: 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
Location: Intuit Dome
TV channel: NBC
Streaming: Peacock
When is the 2026 slam dunk contest during NBA All-Star Weekend?
The AT&T Slam Dunk Contest will take place the day before the All-Star Game; you can tune in to the 3-Point contest, the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest and the Kia Shooting Stars competition starting at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 14.
What channel is the 2026 slam dunk contest on?
The Majority of NBA All-Star Weekend events will air on NBC and stream live on Peacock, and that includes the slam dunk contest.
Who is participating in the NBA All-Star slam dunk contest?
Keshad Johnson, Miami Heat
Jase Richardson, Orlando Magic
Carter Bryant, San Antonio Spurs
Jaxson Hayes, Los Angeles Lakers
When is the 2026 NBA All-Star game?
The 2026 NBA All-Star Championship Game will be held this Sunday, Feb. 15. The first game starts at 5 p.m. ET.
NBA All-Star Weekend schedule:
Friday, Feb. 13
Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game: 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Rising Stars Game 1 – Team Melo vs. Team Austin: 9 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Rising Stars Game 2 – Team Vince vs. Team T-Mac: 9:55 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Castrol Rising Stars Championship: 10:35 p.m. ET (Peacock)
NBA HBCU Classic (Hampton vs. North Carolina A&T): 11 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Saturday, Feb. 14
NBA All-Star Media Day presented by AT&T: 1:30 p.m. ET (NBA App, NBA TV)
Commissioner Adam Silver News Conference: 4 p.m. ET (NBA App, NBA TV)
NBA All-Star Saturday Night: 5 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
State Farm 3-Point Contest: 5 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
Kia Shooting Stars: 5 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
AT&T Slam Dunk Contest: 5 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, Feb. 15
NBA G League Next Up Game: 2:30 p.m. ET (NBA App)
All-Star Game 1 – Stars vs. World: 5 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
All-Star Game 2 – Stripes vs. Game 1 Winner: 5:55 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
All-Star Game 3 – Stripes vs. Game 1 Loser: 6:25 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
All-Star Championship: 7:10 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
How to watch the 2026 slam dunk contest without cable:
Bad Bunny’s efforts to aid the Puerto Rican WBC team by purchasing insurance for Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor have been unsuccessful. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Nicole Vasquez via Getty Images
Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa told reporters that Grammy Award-winning artist and Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny offered to cover his insurance so he could play for the Puerto Rican national team in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
“He tried to do everything possible,” Correa said. “I wanted to play and make sure that I was going to go out there and play for Team Puerto Rico in Puerto Rico …The fact that he did that means a lot in how much he cares for the country, how much he cares for the fans back home. I’m deeply grateful that he tried that hard.”
But after consulting with the league, the Astros and his agent, Scott Boras, Correa declined the offer, saying the insurance provider had a history of not paying players back.
“I couldn’t sign my life away to something that three people I trust are advising me against,” he said.
The 31-year-old also didn’t want to risk his regular-season salary if he missed any games due to injuries sustained in the WBC. Correa is set to make $31 million next season and has battled injuries in the past.
The New York Mets and San Francisco Giants voided $300 million agreements with Correa in 2022 due to concerns over his ankle. Edwin Díaz and José Altuve also suffered significant injuries during the World Baseball Classic in the past, making it more difficult to secure insurance.
All World Baseball Classic participants on an MLB 40-man roster must undergo an insurance evaluation process, which involves an insurer agreed upon by MLB and the players’ union. A player’s injury history is reviewed to determine if coverage will be provided. If the insurer decides a player is uninsurable, then, unless the team makes an exception, the player’s contract is not guaranteed should an injury occur during the event.
Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rico native, also agreed to cover New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor’s insurance after he was denied coverage and said he would not participate.
It was a year of change in the AL West in 2025. After a historic run of dominance, the Houston Astros finally sputtered out, missing the postseason for the first time since the Obama administration. But how long will the Seattle Mariners reign atop this division? Did they do enough this winter to keep a stranglehold on the AL West, or did the Astros maneuver their way back into pole position? What about the Rangers, just two years removed from a World Series? And will the A’s or Angels ever be good again?
Let’s fly through the AL West and hand out some grades.
Acquired INF Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals as part of a three-way trade with the Rays for 3B Ben Williamson, two prospects and a Comp B pick
Signed OF Rob Refsnyder to a 1-year deal
Signed C Andrew Knizner to a 1-year deal
Retained 1B Josh Naylor on a 5-year deal
Acquired RP Jose A. Ferrer for C Harry Ford and a pitching prospect
Offseason grade: A-
After falling a few outs short of reaching the World Series for the first time in franchise history, the Mariners attacked the offseason with a refreshing sense of urgency. They acted swiftly to re-sign Naylor, agreeing to terms with the pugnacious slugger just two weeks after the World Series concluded. The 28-year-old isn’t a perfect player, and he provides less home run juice than you’d like from a first baseman, yet Naylor ranks seventh in fWAR at the position over the past two seasons.
Donovan was the other major bookend to Seattle’s productive winter. The utility man was a heavily rumored target for long stretches of the offseason because of how well he fit into the Mariners’ position-player mix. Donovan’s ability to play second and third should allow for two highly touted youngsters, Cole Young and Colt Emerson, to find playing time in Seattle. And despite all their success in 2025, the Mariners struck out a lot. Donovan’s high-contact approach should help on that front.
Seattle’s other moves were more supplementary. Ferrer is a flamethrowing lefty who should slot into the back of the pen. Refsnyder obliterates left-handed pitching and should form quite a formidable platoon at DH with righty-killer Dominic Canzone. Knizner will hold the cushiest job in baseball as Cal Raleigh’s backup. Perhaps the Mariners could’ve used another reliever, but that’s nitpicking. This was a pretty darn good offseason.
Acquired SP Mike Burrows from the Pirates as part of a three-way trade with the Rays for OF prospect Jacob Melton and SP prospect Anderson Brito
Acquired SP/RP Kai-Wei Teng from the Giants for a prospect and international bonus pool space
Acquired SS Nick Allen from the Braves for UTIL Mauricio Dubón
Signed SP Ryan Weiss to a 1-year deal
Offseason grade: D+
This position-player group still doesn’t make sense. Bringing Carlos Correa back at last year’s deadline made sense in the short term. That shocking reunion energized the fan base and gave Houston dependability at third base after All-Star Isaac Paredes hit the IL. But it also put too many cooks in the kitchen. With Yordan Alvarez at DH, Correa at third, Jeremy Peña at short, José Altuve at second and Christian Walker — last winter’s big free agent — at first, Paredes simply has nowhere to play.
Entering the season with Paredes as a bench bat makes little sense, particularly in the context of Houston’s underwhelming outfield group. Maybe a trade is still in the cards, but if it isn’t, well, this is a very weird dynamic and a questionable offseason for the Stros.
These pitching acquisitions are interesting, though. Imai entered the winter as a potential $100 million guy, and Houston landed him on a nice, short-term deal. They paid a pretty prospect penny for Burrows — people really like Melton — but he’s a reliable mid-rotation arm. But altogether, this was a bizarre offseason for an organization that should be doing everything in its power to keep its window of contention propped open.
Will the Mariners repeat as AL West champions? Can the Astros or Rangers challenge them?
Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports
Texas Rangers
Significant outgoing free agents: OF Adolis García, C Jonah Heim, SP Patrick Corbin, SP Merrill Kelly, SP Tyler Mahle, SP Jon Gray,RP Phil Maton, RP Hoby Milner, RP Shawn Armstrong, RP Danny Coulombe, 1B Rowdy Tellez, UTIL Dylan Moore
Major moves:
Non-tendered OF Adolis García and C Jonah Heim
Acquired SP MacKenzie Gore from the Washington Nationals for five prospects
Acquired OF Brandon Nimmo from the New York Mets for 2B Marcus Semien
Signed C Danny Jansen to a 2-year deal
Signed RP Alexis Díaz to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Jakob Junis to a 1-year deal
Signed SP/RP Tyler Alexander to a 1-year deal
Re-signed RP Chris Martin on a 1-year deal
Signed SP Jordan Montgomery to a 1-year deal
Offseason grade: B-
Since winning the World Series in 2023, Texas’ offense has slogged aimlessly through the void. That surely motivated president of baseball operations Chris Young to part ways with Semien, García and Heim, all of whom were integral in the franchise’s first title. A change in direction makes sense, but none of the incoming offensive pieces is particularly electrifying. Jansen is a professional, capable every-day catcher, and Nimmo is a defensively declining corner outfielder whose on-base skills took a step back last year. Whether the 2026 Rangers rake will likely depend on the health of Corey Seager, Josh Jung and Evan Carter.
The Gore trade reinforces what was, statistically, the best rotation in baseball a year ago. He’ll pair wonderfully with Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi to make one of the most imposing top threes in the sport. Evaluators across the game believe there’s still growth to be had for Gore, who suffered greatly under the Nationals’ formerly outdated pitching development structure.
Did this team get better? Maybe a bit. Did the Rangers push themselves into no-doubt contender status? Absolutely not.
Athletics
Significant outgoing free agents: RP José Leclerc, OF JJ Bleday
Major moves:
Acquired 2B Jeff McNeil from the Mets for a pitching prospect
Non-tendered OF JJ Bleday
Signed RP Mark Leiter Jr. to a 1-year deal
Extended OF Tyler Soderstrom on a 7-year deal
Extended SS Jacob Wilson on a 7-year deal
Signed RP Scott Barlow to a 1-year deal
Signed SP Aaron Civale to a 1-year deal
Traded SP Mitch Spence to the Royals for a pitching prospect
Offseason grade: D
Everything about this franchise is in a weird state, with the abandoning of Oakland and all. But as the A’s ready themselves to move to Vegas in 2028, they’ve assembled quite an enviable assortment of talented young hitters. Unfortunately, the front office has done little to give the current roster anything resembling reinforcements to the pitching staff.
In some ways, that makes sense. Why spend money to make the current team better in front of 10,000 people in Sacramento when you could secure core pieces on extensions to sell out a big-league stadium in a few years? It’s ruthless but also shortsighted. Because contention windows rarely play out as expected.
This lineup, with Soderstrom, Wilson, Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers and Brent Rooker, has a chance to compete right now. This pitching staff does not. Had Athletics brass dished out just a little bit of dough for a few veteran starters, this team could’ve been a fun wild-card dark horse in 2026. Instead, they’ll probably be a weird historical footnote.
Los Angeles Angels
Significant outgoing free agents: SP Kyle Hendricks, SP Tyler Anderson, RP Kenley Jansen, INF Luis Rengifo, OF Chris Taylor, RP Andrew Chafin, RP Luis García
Major moves:
Hired Kurt Suzuki as manager
Acquired SP Grayson Rodriguez from the Orioles for OF Taylor Ward
Acquired 2B Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox for a prospect
Acquired OF Josh Lowe from the Rays for RP Brock Burke as part of a three-team deal with the Reds
Signed RP Jordan Romano to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Drew Pomeranz to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Kirby Yates to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Brent Suter to a 1-year deal
Retained 3B Yoan Moncada on a 1-year deal
Offseason grade: D
Hiring a manager for just one season, as the Angels did with Suzuki, is incredibly rare and makes little sense. For an organization as directionless as this, though, it’s par for the course. Anaheim’s attempt to leverage a personal services contract with former first baseman Albert Pujols to get him to be the manager for free failed brilliantly. That’s when leadership pivoted to Suzuki, who will get a short leash to lead this team back to contention.
Transactionally, none of these player additions moves the needle for the Angels, who have wallowed in mediocrity for more than a decade now. Rodriguez is the best of the bunch, exactly the type of high-upside, controllable arm the Angels should be targeting. But this is still a team with myriad holes and no real plan to fill them. The veteran bullpen reinforcements should help raise the floor, but this roster needs a lot of help that it did not get this winter.
(Washington, D.C., February 13, 2026) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing $1 billion in Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program assistance for specialty crops and sugar, commodities not covered through the previously announced Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program. These one-time bridge payments will help address market disruptions, elevated input costs, persistent inflation, and market losses from foreign competitors engaging in unfair trade practices that impede exports.
